Converting a van with a compact interior is more challenging than converting one with more real estate. However, if you prepare the right layout, you can make full use of the available space and create a practical and efficient tiny home on wheels. Here’s an awesome camper van conversion that proves what I just said.
What we have here is a Fiat Ducato L3H2 converted into a custom mobile home. It’s one of the latest projects of Vanlife Conversions, an Essex, UK-based company specializing in premium camper van conversions by combining superior functionality, stylish interiors, and advanced technology.
A couple, Oli and Emily, founded the company. They converted a van to travel around Europe, and they liked it so much that they started this business to help others do the same.
Vanlife Conversions offers three layout options for its conversions: Milo, Rudi, and Kunu. The rig I’m checking out today has a layout based on the latter—however, it has some personalized modifications, as it’s a custom project.
This Fiat Ducato conversion is named “Gecko” – you’ll soon see why. Before we take a look at its lovely interior, let’s see what we can find on the exterior. This rig can definitely be used for stealth camping – at first glance, you’ll probably think this is just another passenger van.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot / Vanlife Conversions
The only exterior element that slightly hints toward the vehicle’s “camper DNA” is a Thule awning on the passenger side, above the entrance. Slide the door open, and electric steps will automatically deploy to make it easier for you to enter.
Step inside, and a cute and colorful interior will greet you. The customer opted for bright blue and orange-yellow colors for the cabinetry and doors, paired with a slatted ceiling (made from white-washed pine and a bright blue background) and white shiplap walls.
You’ll notice the van has an open layout, meaning the driver’s cabin isn’t separated from the living space. The pass-through space between these two areas is partly covered by the bathroom, which is located straight ahead of the entrance.
The bathroom door is perhaps the first thing that catches your eye once you enter the camper van due to its bright blue color and a cut-out depicting a gecko.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot / Vanlife Conversions
Inside, the bathroom has white subway-tiled walls with grey grout, a full-size mirror, a bamboo mat, a shower, and a Nature’s Head composting toilet. It can also double as a wetroom, as you’ll find two hooks and a wall-mounted rack, perfect for drying your wetsuit or other wet gear.
Right next to the bathroom, Vanlife Conversions devised a floor-to-ceiling pantry split into two sections. Both have pull-out baskets, while the lower one also holds an oak divider for kitchen utensils.
Walk deeper inside the van, and you’ll be in the kitchen. It’s very small, featuring an oak countertop, a deep sink with an extendable faucet, a tiny shelf, and a colorful backsplash that perfectly matches the rest of the interior design. Regarding storage, you can use two cabinets underneath the sink, one of which houses the van’s boiler, two drawers, and two overhead cabinets. One of the latter holds a control panel for the van’s utility systems, comprising a Victron touchscreen monitor/controller for the electrical system and another touchscreen display that controls the Truma boiler.
“This kitchen is way too small,” you might be thinking, or at least I did. But here’s the catch: you can increase the counter space by splitting the bed in half and stacking the mattresses on top of each other.
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This will reveal a countertop spanning across the entire width of the interior, providing more than enough prep space. The customer of this van specifically requested this feature.
Opposite the kitchen, Vanlife Conversions devised a small bench integrating two storage compartments. Open the one closest to the entrance, and you’ll discover a safe, a fire extinguisher, and a fire blanket. It’s always important to stay safe inside a camper van – here are some tips and tricks on how to do that.
The company also integrated a slide-out table into the bed frame, which can be pulled out and used to eat or work on your laptop, as well as a small cabinet with plugs to charge your gadgets. Underneath, you’ll notice an 80-liter fridge with a tiny freezer compartment.
The last part of the living space is the bedroom at the very rear of the interior. It boasts an extra wide double bed, measuring 150 centimeters (59 inches) in width and 190 centimeters (75 inches) in length.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot / Vanlife Conversions
Although there are no windows on the bedroom’s sides, two windows integrated into the rear doors let plenty of light shine inside. Other notable features are two reading lights with USB plugs, a Maxxair vent fan above the bed, and three overhead cabinets.
Finally, like in many other camper vans, the space underneath the bed is used as a garage. It offers a good amount of storage space and also houses the utility systems. It also looks radically different from the rest of the van’s interior, as it’s finished all in black with an oak trim for the utility boxes.
Power is on the left. The system’s highlights are a 460 Ah battery and a 3,000 W inverter/charger. Like any proper camper van electrical system, this one can be charged via solar, shore power (through an exterior port), and via the vehicle’s alternator.
The box on the opposite side has an outdoor shower connected to an 83-liter (22-gallon) freshwater tank. What’s more, all the water you use in the rig ends up in a 62-liter (16-gallon) greywater tank. Both tanks are insulated and heated to prevent them from freezing in colder environments.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot / Vanlife Conversions
All in all, this mobile home has a lovely interior design that superbly balances aesthetics and practicality. How about pricing?
Well, as you might very well know, prices for custom conversions can significantly vary depending on the design you go for and the features you integrate. Vanlife Conversions shared that its prices start from £46,500 ($61,198 or €54,931) + VAT for a camper van conversion – this quote excludes the price of the base vehicle, which the company can also source for you.
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