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Quitting a job and traveling across the country in a camper van isn’t an American dream, as proven by England’s Helen Whedon and Tristan Young.
Together they bought a 9-to-5 17-seater Ford Transit and turned 25k into a mobile home and never looked back before hitting the highways of Europe.
While working full-time jobs and using their weekends and evenings to buy a van, they started the project in late 2021.
The couple do it all out of their home in Horsham, West Sussex. They built the walls, kitchen, sitting area, storage, shower and toilet, full size permanent bed, gas, water and electrical systems themselves.
Helen, 29, said: “The build was definitely very difficult and took a lot longer than we expected.” “We did everything ourselves. The only thing was to have our electricity and gas professionally checked to make sure everything was safe.
“However, it’s probably one of the most rewarding things we’ve done, especially now that we’re able to walk around in it.”
The big “why”
The “Stan the Van” project was inspired by Helen and Tristan’s love of travel. They wanted to explore more of Europe, and explained that a van was the best and most efficient way to do it.
As the couple entered corporate careers, they both realized that they wanted more out of life than the dreaded job and only being able to travel on their very limited vacation leave.
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In the year In June 2022, they completed their car renovation, sold everything they owned, and quit their 9-5 jobs.
Helen, now a freelance virtual assistant, and freelance web designer Trian Van designed it to be able to go off-grid for up to five days, thanks in part to large rooftop solar panels, giving them more freedom than ever before.
“It was a really liberating thing to do and it made us realize how much we need material things,” the couple said. “We put a few sentimental items in storage, but otherwise everything is in the van.”
“In the last 5 months, we’ve probably seen and experienced more than we could in two or three years of various holidays and trips abroad.”
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In the year From August 2022, the couple will take their van, affectionately named ‘Stan the Van’, across the UK and Germany, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia and Montenegro.
The couple now runs a travel blog called ‘Coconuts and Camels’ and several social media accounts to share the highs and lows of their trip.
They share travel tips like accommodation, clothing, food and drink options. Their current plan is to one day ship their car to Canada and the US and then travel through Europe for the next three years to travel through North America.
Check out their travel highlights and get a tour of Stan the Van…
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