A Stylish Escape
Introducing BERTIE the campervan
If you read last week’s post, you might remember I hinted that something exciting was happening. Well, I’m thrilled to share the news; we’ve picked up our very first campervan!
I’m beyond excited about all the adventures we’re going to have with our new “family member” and we already have so much planned for the year ahead.
Today’s post is just an ad-hoc introduction to BERTIE (he came named), and normal Home Styling posts will return next week. I’ve got a beautiful July shopping guide lined up and if creating a serene summer home is on your agenda, you won’t want to miss it.
But for now, let’s talk all things BERTIE.
Who is BERTIE?
He’s a 17-year old VW T30 EVO 4Motion campervan.
Although he’s clocked a few years, he’s done surprisingly few miles (just 90,000) and ticked every single box on our wish-list; and then some:
Long Wheel Base (LWB)
High-top roof (we were expecting a pop-top, so this was a bonus!)
Swivel captain chairs
Rock ‘n’ roll bed
Leisure battery
Solar panels
Wind-out awning
Additional drive-away awning
Gas hob, oven & sink; and even a (slightly random) shower
Fridge
Masses of storage
Bike rack
Roof rack
He really is the van that just keeps on giving.
BERTIE OG vs BERTIE 2.0
Now… the one thing I’m not totally in love with is the colour. (I am slowly warming to it though).
Naturally I have BIG plans to give BERTIE a stylish update; he’ll need to live up to The Stylish Home standards, after all.
Internally, I first considered repainting the units, but that could end up being a nightmare and not give the polished finish I’m after.
There’s the option to re-spray, although no doubt pricey, and I’m not a fan of of vinyl wraps.
That said, now he’s home, the wooden units are actually growing on me. A new worktop might be all that’s needed to modernise the space, rather than the black speckled granite which has been used.
Small upgrades like LED spotlights, replacing the drab curtains with blinds and all important colour-coordinated accessories are in order.
I’ve already treated BERTIE to a set of cream and sage green camping crockery.
Off-grid camping
Falling over the summer solstice weekend, we couldn’t wait to get BERTIE out for his first outing. We headed to Southwold, a stunning seaside town on the Suffolk coast, just 30 minutes from home.
We parked up right by the seafront in a designated motorhome spot, making it the perfect place to test off-grid camping and spend our first night in the van.
It’s exactly why we wanted a campervan in the first place.
Waking up to this…
The sound of waves crashing
A 3:30am alarm to watch the sunrise in complete stillness
The freedom of a home on wheels
And if you’ve been following my 50km at 50: The Diary of an Ultramarathon Runner mini-series, you’ll know how ideal this set-up is for an early morning run.
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What’s next for BERTIE?
I don’t plan to flood your inbox with campervan content (unless there’s an overwhelming request!) but I might share occasional updates as we slowly transform BERTIE OG to BERTIE 2.0.
No campervan adventures this weekend (other plans call), but next week we’re heading off for our first proper weekend away, and I can’t wait!
Until then, have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks
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Love it! The crockery is beautiful as well.
Bertie is so handsome!