DIY Couple Pull Off Stunning Caravan Renovation For £7,174 Over Covid Lockdowns
- Ashley and Justin Broad, 35 and 36, bought a dilapidated caravan back in 2019
- The couple transformed the caravan from a mess into a stunningly stylish space
- They spent $13,000 (£7,174), estimating that it would have cost triple to get done professionally
If you think a caravan would be the dream purchase to take your family adventuring, but the cost puts you off, take inspiration from this money-saving couple.
Ashley and Justin Broad, 35 and 36, a DIY-savvy couple from Sydney, Australia, bought a dilapidated caravan back in 2019.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Ashley and Justin, who run their own window furnishings business, made the most of the time at home during lockdown to totally transform the caravan from a mess into a stunningly stylish space.
The couple pulled off the entire project for just $13,000 (£7,174), estimating that it would have cost triple to get done professionally.
Ashley and Justin told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: "We always had a dream of renovating a vintage van. We have two very active boys aged eight and 13, and we wanted to create a home on wheels that could take us on adventures for years to come.
"In 2019, before Covid hit, the opportunity arose and we picked up the old girl quite cheap.
"We both loved the song ‘Gloria’ by The Lumineers. The song is about 'love between an addict and her family’.
"Our old girl clearly had had a rough past. She stunk of old cigarettes and booze so we felt the name was quite fitting.
"The van had obvious water damage and mould covered the walls.
"We decided to totally strip the inside out and start fresh but we really wanted to keep the vintage feel.
"We kept all of the original hinges, doorknobs and light fittings so that they could be reused.
"We also were very wary of weight distribution so when we rebuilt the inside we stuck to the original layout with only a few minor changes.
"To ensure we waterproofed Gloria properly we removed all of the J-Rails, scraped off all of the old silicon and tar paint from the seams and resealed her.
"We also replaced the Perspex in all of the windows. We bought new window control boxes, locks and rubbers from Caravans Plus.
"Thankfully the chassis was in really good condition so it didn’t require much work at all.
"Then the exciting part began.
"We used a mate who was an electrician who re-wired the whole van with 240V and 12V.
"We also used another plumber mate who re-did all of the plumbing.
"We then insulated the walls and ceiling with foil board and re sheeted the walls with 3mm ply.
"We used ply as it’s lightweight and it doesn’t swell too easily if it comes into contact with water because we all know caravans leak from time to time.
"For extra protection on the ceiling, we used an embossed poly ply. We also wanted to add some texture to keep in the era.
"Before sheeting the ceiling we installed an H Frame just in case we choose to add an air conditioning unit at a later date.
"The original layout had two lots of double bunks at the back and a double bed at the front. It was a six berth caravan.
"As there are only four of us we decided to ditch one set of bunks and add a Thetford cassette toilet.
"A toilet was super important to us, it definitely comes in handy with the kids during the night. We also added an outdoor shower.
"We have a Joolca Ensuite Tent which got a lot of use when camping during Covid times as we were able to avoid shared amenities blocks.
"Before we started framing we carefully ripped up the old vinyl flooring. When doing this you need to keep in mind asbestos is often found in the glue.
"We replaced the vinyl flooring with a sheet vinyl from Bunnings. We decided to steer away from vinyl or timber planks as they were heavy and we didn’t want to risk them moving and popping out of place whilst travelling.
"It was hard to get rid of the old vinyl as we absolutely loved it, so we decided to frame a piece that is on display in Gloria.
"All of the framing was done using lightweight ply and meranti timber.
"Thankfully Justin is a shop fitter by trade so he was able to use his tools of the trade to make everything.
"Nothing was factory-made. Everything was cut by hand in our front lawn.
"We added heaps of extra storage under the beds and overhead cupboards.
"We were so conscious of keeping in mind weight and weight distribution so we used wire baskets for some of the drawers. We just attached the drawer fronts to keep the same look throughout the van.
"We built the beds to suit the size of the caravan mattresses we purchased from Clark Rubber. Ash is a lover of all things vintage and loves to repurpose and up-cycle.
"We raided Pop’s garage and found an old timber ladder. This became the inspiration for the bunk beds.
"Ash sanded it all back and created a ladder for the bunks, side rails and a little shelf. We love the vintage feel it’s created in the van – you can still see Poppy’s old paint splattered all over it.
"Speaking of paint, we cheated on this and paid a local guy to get the job done. We used Dulux Whisper White paint which gave the van a really fresh feel.
"For the kitchen, we decided to get rid of the oven and cooktop. Let’s face it, most cooking when camping is done outside.
"We used the original vinyl flooring design as inspiration for our splash-back. We found a pressed metal with a very similar design and had it powder-coated.
"We decided to use Pressed Metal because it is lightweight and it comes in a full sheet so you don’t have the issue of tiles moving or glue getting sticky in the heat.
"For the tap wear, Ash scrapped paint off an old brass tap she found in her grandfather’s stash of scrap metal in his shed.
"It came up so shiny so she oxidized it to give it that vintage feel. We then found some old Brass Taps on Marketplace and they worked beautifully together. We purchased a Bushman’s fridge which only came in black which then set the scene for all of our appliances.
"We got the bench seat cushions cut to size at Clark Rubber, found some upholstery fabric in the sales bin at Spotlight and got an upholsterer to make the cushions.
"We currently have a window furnishings business, A&J Shutters, so Justin was determined to get shutters into the van.
"They soon became the perfect solution for our bathroom door as we didn’t want to totally block out the light from the windows that are in there.
"The shutters allow us to open the blades to let the light in when the bathroom is not in use. We used 43mm blades to again stick to that 70s and 80s era and we got them custom sprayed in a pink colour which really compliments the mustard tones we have styled with throughout the van.
"We also used a fixed blade shutter for the wardrobe door.
“Finally, Justin added battery-operated motorised blinds throughout the van. I must say this is a real luxury but I couldn’t imagine the van without them as some windows are hard to reach.
"It’s also nice not having any dangling chains or cords. The blinds were then complemented with beautiful knife pleat custom made sheer curtains.
"As for the outside, we decided to just give the old girl a good scrub and keep it original.
"We replaced the stickers and got a rear bumper bar custom made for even weight distribution.
"This is where we keep our spare tyre and bike rack. We also added a toolbox and gas bottle on the front.
"The styling was all done by Ash. She used lots of earthy tones and of course vintage prints.
"The hooks that have been used throughout the van were salvaged from a burnt down shed at Lake Conjola.
"The floor rug is from Adairs and our mat outside is from Recycled Mats. The awning was also custom made.
"The whole project took us two years to complete.
"Covid lockdowns helped us along as it allowed us more time to work on it.
"When you think a job is going to take five minutes it ends up taking two hours.
“It cost us approximately $13,000 (£7,174): it was a labour of love.
“The approximate costs were $900 (£498) for the electrical rewiring, $600 (£332) for the plumbing plus materials, $150 (£83) for the flooring, $3,000 (£1660) for building materials such as the cabinetry and framing, $1,200 (£664) for the paint and painter, $500 (£276) for the windows, $450 (£249) for the waterproofing, $350 (£193) for the insulation, $750 (£415) for the toilet, $1,439 (£797) for the fridge, $900 (£498) for the bumper bar, $2,000 (£1107) for the blinds, curtains and shutters, $800 (£442) for the mattresses and cushions, $450 (£249) for the hatches and $150 (£83) for the upholstery.
"I think it would have cost double or even triple if we had it done professionally as every trade would put a mark up on product plus labour, which would really push the price up as nothing is as easy as it looks in a caravan reno.
"Nothing is ever as easy as it seems but all of the hard work was totally worth it.
"We are so proud of our efforts, we have met some amazing people along the way and we can’t wait to keep making family memories in Gloria!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Lockdown was such a stressful time for everyone, but hats off to Ashley and Justin for spending it so productively and totally overhauling Gloria – she’s now totally unrecognisable!
“Their hard work hasn’t just resulted in them having an amazing caravan they can holiday in for years as a family: it’s also saved them thousands and thousands of pounds thanks to their efficiency, creativity and determination when it comes to DIY!”
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