I renovated an old van & now make thousands renting it out to holidaymakers

A WOMAN has revealed how she transformed an old van into a profitable holiday home.

Leah Whitfield, 34, bought a 2013 Vauxhall Movano in 2022 after falling in love with the open road a year earlier.

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The PR and communications manager for adventure travel company G Adventures was looking for a way to tour the UK as the Covid lockdown closed international borders.

With holidays abroad no longer an option, Leah from London decided to focus on stays in a motorhome.

Along with their three dogs, Dakota, Bodi and Max, Leah and her boyfriend Jordan picked up the keys to their first rental van in April 2021.

The couple took their first road trip through Scotland where Leah fell in love with van holidays.

She told Sun Online Travel: “I took over driving and learned all about how the van works.

“[After that trip]I started thinking about the idea of ​​owning a van myself and realized it was something I wanted to do.”

“I didn’t know anything about vans or cars, so it was a daunting project.”

After scouring Quirky Campers, Facebook, and car dealerships, Leah purchased her van in May 2022 after a mechanic’s one-time inspection of the vehicle.

She added: “I always knew I wanted to rent it out to holidaymakers.

“I wanted to own the van but cover the running costs (such as MOT and insurance) by renting it out.”

After purchasing the van, Leach came across Global Vandemic Campers – a trio of experts who help with van conversions in Wigan.

She said: “I designed the van and sourced all the textiles like buying fabrics from Morocco and Global Vandemic Campers completed the conversion.”

Aside from a cozy interior, Leah wanted the van to be reliable on the road as well.

She said: “Because I would be working from the van, I wanted the van to be able to plug into a construction site.

“But I also wanted the van to be off-grid, so I had solar panels installed too, and the shower was another must.”

It cost Leah £27,000 to buy and convert the vehicle, but the van, which goes by the name of Rosie, is already a proven hit with renters.

She said: “It’s a great feeling when a couple come back and tell me how much they enjoyed their vacation in my van.”

“Bookings for this summer are looking good with many international travelers from New Zealand booking the van for 20 days at a time.”

Leah just needs to know if guests are planning to take the van to Europe because there is more paperwork, otherwise Rosie and her guests can explore the UK.

As for her own adventures, she said: “We do quite a lot of trips in vans, including the south coast, Pembrokeshire and the Peak and Lake District.”

Guests can book a stay at Rosie from March with bookings from £432 for a minimum stay of four nights.

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