We are honoured to have been featured by the BBC, who recently highlighted our journey from military service to van conversion specialists.
Before Vanlife Conversions, our founder Oli spent seven years in the British Army, rising to the rank of captain. Whilst leaving the service to pursue his next adventure, Oli built his first van conversion before embarking on a European road trip with Emily. Documenting the build and their travels online, Oli soon found himself inundated with requests from people asking if he could build them a van too. What started as a personal project turned into a full-fledged business, and at the end of 2019, Oli had left the army and together with Emily, co-founded Vanlife Conversions.
How the army helped shape the business
Oli credits the military for helping him start Vanlife Conversions. It was Army funding that enabled Oli to enrol in a construction course at Colchester Institute, where he learned skills that have proven invaluable in building high-spec campervans.
Beyond the technical know-how, Oli has also carried over other aspects of Army life into the business. The camaraderie of working as a team, the ability to perform under pressure, and the discipline required to meet tight deadlines all play a role in the day-to-day running here at Vanlife Conversions.
Bringing dreams to life
Since its launch in 2019, Vanlife Conversions has completed over 40 custom van builds, attracting clients from as far as Switzerland and Australia.
We love creating high-spec innovative van conversions that enable our clients to embrace a lifestyle of freedom and adventure. One of the most rewarding aspects of the business is following clients’ journeys and seeing the amazing places their vans take them. Our conversions have allowed people to work from remote beaches in Greece and travel across the world including trips to Scandinavia, the Balkans and northern Africa.
Looking Ahead
As Vanlife Conversions continues to grow, we remain committed to delivering exceptional craftsmanship and helping people turn their van life dreams into reality. We recently stepped outside our comfort zone and showcased our work at The Caravan, Camping, and Motorhome Show at the NEC. This event was a huge success for us, with a lot of people coming by our stand to tour our display van Gus and learn more about what we do. We also came runner up in the 2025 Caravan and Motorhome Design Awards for ‘Van conversions with a fixed roof under 6m’!
Find out more about our time at the NEC here.
Being a part of a community and industry with such a passion has further motivated us to continue to grow this business and help people make their van life dreams a reality. So if you’re looking to start your own van life journey, get in touch today or join our upcoming webinar on how to get started if you are planning or thinking about a van converison.
Check out the full BBC article here.
