Convert a Camper Easy — Vanlife Academy
To enjoy nice spots you need one critical pre-requisite: the campervan. Let us help you get started easy. With the inflow of new campers who want to buy the right camper or build it themselves, Vanlife Academy became the go-to destination for expert help converting your campervan.
Living and travelling in a campervan is a dream lifestyle for a lot of us. The lure of the open road and the promise of adventure means no two days are ever the same and who doesn’t crave a life full of new experiences? At Camperguru, we talk about the scenic park ups and the trials of travelling by van, but what abut those who seek to build their own vans?
Instagram vanners makes it look so easy: “Get Van. Build Van. Go!” But what if your woodworking skills are not up to standard to convert a camper yourself? If you don’t own the tools to build your home on wheels or the technical prowess to fit electrics, heating and water systems, self builds can be a daunting idea. Do you love the idea of converting your home on wheels, is design your forte but your confidence in your ability is low? Have you dreamed of building a campervan but find the whole thing incredibly intimidating?
Get Started with Ease
That is where Project Vanlife comes in to play. In 2015, Canadian Henry Cooper was busy living his van life in his self-converted van in North America. He soon found that each photo he added to his social media accounts attracted more attention and more questions as new followers wanted to know exactly where, when, and how he managed to make his dream carefree lifestyle a reality.
He noticed a lack of support for new van lifers, and although there IS tons of information available online, there is no real authority or one true resource to turn to with questions and queries. Newbie nomads were crying out for help, advice, and direction, or even just a place to go to chat about their problems and solutions for common obstacles fulltime travellers encounter. And so, out of necessity for his followers, Project Vanlife was born.
From zero to 3 million followers
Aspiring van lifers can seek advice and find answers on the project's blog. Every topic you can think of, from hygiene on the road to finding drinking water taps to personal safety tips and guidance about condensation control, is covered by articles written especially for the site. In the busy forum area, people from all corners of the world share their stories and take advice from seasoned nomads. Readers can download a thorough free guide to working on the road, a fantastic resource bursting with ideas and inspiration as making a living while mobile is often the biggest concern. Project Vanlife takes this concern and provides solutions, listing industries that hire casual labour, ideas for topping up your finances and truthfully told testimonials.
They now have over 3 million followers to whom they showcase the best, most innovate van designs from around the world and share incredible multimedia made by vanners for vanners. In 2020, with the aim of offering a well-balanced introduction to building a van and setting out for life of the road, the Vanlife Academy was launched.
What is Vanlife Academy?
Those interested in building out their own vans can benefit greatly from becoming a member of the Vanlife Academy. The course guides you through all aspects of van living, from planning, budgeting, and designing, to insulation, electricals, and wiring, as well as addressing social issues like staying safe, coping with stigma, and combating loneliness. Just like Camperguru, Project Vanlife examines the practicalities of living a mobile life and equips readers with the skills to find facilities, fun and parking spots with truly aspirational views. From suggested equipment lists, reviews and technical product comparisons to van friendly recipes to keep you in top health, there is something valuable for every kind of van lifer.
For the intricate technicalities of the build, Project Vanlifes Vanlife Academy course offers three pretty detailed tutorials of four very different builds by diverse builders in differing circumstances. Lengthy videos with thorough written instructions detail everything from the electrical components required to fit and manage solar power to various forms of insulation techniques and methodical explanations for each. Over 97 lessons, divided into 5 modules, Vanlife Academy provides bespoke budget print outs, thorough parts lists, and approximate costing sheets for each featured build. This kind of detail is invaluable for a new builder as the costs associated with fitting out a van can quickly spiral out of control!
Project Vanlife and the Vanlife Academy are excellent resources for new campervanners. In conjunction with Campergurus prolific parking map which hand selects safe and scenic park ups through-out Europe, fitting out your van and living on the road can be a lot less daunting. Of the 3000+ van lifers who have completed the Vanlife Academy, the feedback speaks for itself. They are much more likely to finish their builds within their budget and timeframe, well equipped with the tools we all need to live a healthy happy life on the road. Vanlife Academy helps educate, motivate, and inspire people to chase their dreams and achieve their potential!
Overall, this encyclopaedic source of ‘everything van life’ can help turn your vaguest van life dreams into reality. All it takes is a little guidance, reliable advice from the experts and the confidence to create your own home on wheels. It might be time to get van, build van, go after all!
Get Your Academy Course
Camperguru is excited to partner with Project Vanlife and offer you a special discount to help inspire you and inform your first (or next) van build! Follow the link and, for a limited time only, get 50% off enrolment in the Vanlife Academy. Enjoy hours of videos, printable PDFs, 100k +words and detailed diagrams, and access to all of Project Vanlifes updated course content for life!
