Valerie is a completely personalised 3 berth campervan with an extraordinary feature, a fitness and dance pole!
Valerie's owners Keri and Ricky recently set up a new business helping people with dietary requirements travel easier, and they wanted a van to comfortably work from while on the road. It can’t be all work and no play though, so Keri, an incredibly talented dancer, had the unique idea to have a fitness pole fitted, and we loved making this dream a reality for her. This couple had a great vision for Valerie and she does not disappoint! With a beautiful aesthetic, a versatile living space and a full gasless set-up, Valerie is ready to take this couple and their gorgeous dogs on the road for more than just a weekend adventure!
The base van:
Valerie is based on the 6m long L3H2 Citroen Relay. An excellent base vehicle due to its short wheelbase and boxy design, giving you an optimum amount of living space whilst also being easy to drive and park on your adventures.
It’s all in the details:
Our clients chose a really beautiful colour scheme for Valerie, with light beige cabinetry, oak wood finishes, and orange and green soft furnishings. The fixtures and fittings are all gold and the shower room has a lovely dark marble look. This aesthetic combined with the open plan layout gives Valerie a bright and spacious feel with a luxury touch.
Valerie also has some great practical features including a Truma control panel which allows the owners to control the water and van temperature, as well as a switch to turn on a heating element in the water tank to protect it from frost. There’s also multiple heating vents throughout, keeping everything warm and dry. Valerie isn’t just a fair-weather van!
Unique features:
Valerie’s owner Keri is a pole fitness instructor and wanted to be able to continue to work out and dance whilst on the road. For this, we installed a Vanderbar pullup bar and an easily assembled fitness pole that can be stored away in the garage, to see how this works you can check out Keri’s post here. It really is one of the coolest features we’ve seen added to a van and it must be fantastic to be able to take your studio outside, dancing with a view.
The layout:
Valerie is based on our Kunu model; one of our most popular layouts given its open-plan design and flexible seating arrangements. The bench seating area can easily be switched into dining mode, by swivelling the table and separating the chairs giving a more intimate dining experience. The seating also transforms into a small bed, perfect for the owners' furry companions Rupert and Tilly! The owners went one step further with the versatile seating and opted for a double swivel passenger seat, which really helps to open up the space.
Valerie also boasts a full kitchen with plenty of storage, a shower room that doubles as a drying room and a fixed double bed to the rear providing an expansive garage space underneath.
Shower and toilet:
Valerie's beautiful marble effect wet room features a mixer shower with hot water provided by the Truma 4DE combi system, a Nature’s Head separating toilet and a skylight to ensure good ventilation. We also incorporated a heating vent from the Truma into the shower which creates a waterproof drying room perfect for airing out wet clothes after a rainy dog walk!
Kitchen:
As Valerie is a totally gas-less van the owners opted for a twin induction cooktop and a designated cupboard to store and use their air fryer. Thanks to the advanced electrical system, Valerie is capable of using these appliances completely off-grid and disconnected from any mains power supply. There is an under-mount sink with inserts matching the worktop, giving a seamless look. Above the kitchen area there are 2 spice racks and 3 overhead storage cupboards, 2 of which contain additional oak shelves to help separate the space.
Electrical system:
Valerie features a high-end gasless package so she needed a robust electrical system to back it up and keep her powered off-grid.
Let's dive into the specs:
- 460ah Roamer lithium battery: This powerhouse of a battery ensures that the couple can stay off-grid for extended periods without worrying about running out of power
- 540W Solar Panel: Harnessing the sun’s energy, these panels keep the battery charged and the appliances running smoothly
- 2 x Victron Orion -Tr 12|12 30 Amp alternator chargers: These charge the leisure battery whilst driving
- Victron Multiplus inverter charger 3000VA: Provides a high output of power for cooking on electric and powering the 230v sockets
- A Victron GX Touch 50 Control Panel and the Victron Cerbo GX allow complete system monitoring, inside and away from the van remotely.
Ready for the road:
Valerie isn’t just an average camper but a beautiful example of how you can personalise vans and really make them your dream home on wheels! With her off-grid set-up, flexible living space and fitness pole, Valerie opens up a whole new world for her owners, enabling them to work remotely, enjoy more adventures with their dogs and for Keri to dance with a dreamy sunset beach backdrop.
From mountains to beaches, we really can't wait to see where Valerie goes and all the incredible adventures this family are going to have! You can follow along with their journey on instagram @Vanlifevalerie. You can also check out Keri's account at @keribpole and their business The Fussy Traveller Club.
Some words from the owners:
'Vanlife Conversions are a truly exceptional team and industry leaders in creating bespoke campervan conversions, and their knowledge, experience and craftsmanship is second to none. Oli and Emily focus on delivering first-class customer service throughout the project, from initial consultations through to weekly updates and finally the van tour and handover. Their aftercare support and advice has also been superb. Vanlife have brought our dream to life, and we could not recommend their team highly enough.' Taken from their Google review
Get in touch to see if we can make your dream van a reality at info@vanlifeconversions.co.uk
Watch the van tour:
See more photos:
