#VAN LIFE A photography game changer

I’ve added something BIG to my camera gear

I’ve got a van, yes my very own camper van, which I feel is going really help my photography opportunities and also of course shots and content for you.

I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, after being bitten by the bug when on my road trips with my wingman DOD 3 times last year I wanted to be able not to have to subject him to my instant sleep ability and alleged snoring ( I’m as quiet as a mouse as far as I’m concerned, I never hear a ring ) but to have the freedom to go places on my own also!

I’ve been doing some amount of searches, and almost every day I had been searching long and hard on all the usual sale locations! Looking for ready-made vans, which cost a fortune by the way, fleet vans that have reached their removal from short service lives, and hard-working honest(ish) vans that were crying out for a new lease of life, a change of pace as a such, away from the long days, carrying all types of loads ( some that leaked and others that hurt ) up and down to the roads of Ireland and also Northern Ireland because I even looked at the options from there too!

I looked at many different brands and models and in the end, I had it down to two, so all alerts were changed to just these two vans and the others based on a number of considerations were banished! It was either going to be a ford transit custom or a VW transporter! The ford is a popular choice for conversions, having nice looks and tech or the VW transporter, a workhorse, not as sexy but also a very popular choice for campervan conversions!

I researched and researched the steps that I needed to take and had the whole thing planned out, how I was going to soundproof, insulate, carpet and kit out the insides of whichever van I got, as I concluded that to buy a ready-made camper was going to be expensive for sure and also not configured to how I wanted it laid out, so the choice was to do it myself !! 

Each morning looking at my notifications for my new ride was quickly followed by almost immediate disappointment until I found what I thought was “the one “ I travelled to Dublin especially to look at it and while I felt it was great, there were a couple of issues that needed to be resolved, nonetheless I left thinking I had my van and prepared myself for what the next tasks of converting that lay ahead! However, and surprisingly the dealer’s ability to NOT sell his van was quite shockimg, and after promising to call me back, he never did. His Loss now though!

After another day now searching all the sites I had a bitter taste in my mouth, until I got a message from my wingman early in the morning, with a link to a potential vehicle. Early thoughts on this van were very encouraging so I reached out to the seller and struck up a conversation. All of his answers were quick and genuine and I knew that I was dealing with an individual, not a garage, so it was going to be a better experience for sure.

Within hours I was on a train to Dublin to view this van, and after sending the owner a deposit to hold it, I met him at the train station in Dublin in the afternoon. I knew within seconds that I was on the right track ( no pun intended ) as when I met him not only was the van in great condition but he had also purchased a bottle of water and a sandwich for me as he knew there was no catering on the train and it was going to be a long day.

We spoke for a bit, I took the van for a test drive and that was it, it was going to be my new ride.

It was set up exactly as I would have hoped, was fully soundproofed, insulated and carpeted and even had the exact specification of couch/bed already installed, and it was a far better job than I could have ever hoped I would manage myself. With ample room for storage underneath, which fits all of my photography gear and still room for more, a leisure battery and all the power connections, it ticked all the boxes, and also leaves me with room for more, to also customise it more for my own use too.

Having my own van is now going to open up so many more photographic opportunities for me, the ability to arrive at a sunset location the night before, have some food and drinks, relax in comfort and be ready to roll out in the morning is going to be fantastic. I can also have a spot to relax during the day if I am waiting for the light, have the space to sleep if I get tired and even have a place to take photos out the doors if the weather is bad. The possibilities and benefits are huge.

I have since added a fridge, cooking equipment, changed out the cushions to something more comfortable ( my back is only recently healed after all ) and I have more changes to come.

I am really looking forward to the next set of adventures I can now go on and start living the #vanlife