If you're shopping for a campervan or motorhome owner, you know that when it comes to gifts, gifting something thoughtful for their camping or travel kit is a very special present indeed.
So, we've come up with some campervan gift ideas including beautiful gifts perfect for a travel and outdoor lover son, daughter, Mum, Dad or friend below.
There are also Special Christmas Gift Box Bundles available which feature some of the ideas below, bundled together to save you money and time, find out more here...
Our Exclusive Enamel Mugs
Enamel mugs are a camping kit essential and are popular gifts that can last forever due to their durability.
Becki at Wanderbug designed and came up with the mottos on each mug and we chose to have them made slightly smaller and more practical than the beefier enamel mugs you usually find, featuring a mountain and lake graphic motif or a surf and sea design which will really to appeal to an outdoorsy adventurer.
They are also perfect for picnics and because of their smaller size they will fit in your rucksack or travel bag - they also work nicely as a campervan stocking filler!
The mottos on the opposite side really sum up the joy of van life and travelling.
Light and Compact Travel Towels from Dock & Bay
These Dock & Bay quick dry towels are some of our best sellers for a reason - not only are they super quick drying (amazing for vanlife and now home life now the energy crisis has come along), light and compact but they are made from 100% recycled material so are helping our environment too.
We've stocked up on some new designs to add to our already very popular designs, shop towels here...
Hiking and paddling keyrings
We had our two best selling adventure pins made into keyrings, so hikers and paddle enthusiasts can proudly display their love of the sport wherever they go.
Our Canoe, Kayak, Stand up paddleboard paddle sign enamel key chain/ keyring was exclusively designed by Becki at Wanderbug.
As was the footpath sign keyring, perfect for a hiking gift or someone who loves to explore.
Both come fastened to an 'For the explorers' design backing card.
Travel Tracker Map and Bunting
Most van community members love to record their travels. Some use a travel journal or diary but we love this unique system which allows you to show off your journeys and adventures inside your campervan or even your home.
The bunting style maps feature popular areas throughout the UK (from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands) which simply press stud to the black base ribbon.
Choose the seven area maps that mean the most to the recipient, a really personal and thoughtful present that will be treasured forever.
In addition you can purchase enamel pin packs including surfboard pin, paddleboard / canoeing pin, mountain bike pin, footpath hiking pin and general travel tracker pin, that can be use to record their adventures.
Who wouldn't be delighted to receive such a perfect adventure gift?
A UK canvas wall hanging map is also available.
All of the above items and more are also available via our Etsy store... https://wanderbuguk.etsy.com
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Watch us trekking across the Lake District fells in snow and hail storms. Plus a tour and review of Park Foot campsite, will it get a thumbs up or thumbs down?...
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So, we've come up with some campervan gift ideas including beautiful gifts perfect for a travel and outdoor lover son, daughter, Mum, Dad or friend below.
There are also Special Christmas Gift Box Bundles available which feature some of the ideas below, bundled together to save you money and time, find out more here...
Travel Tracker Map and Bunting
Most van community members love to record their travels. Some use a travel journal or diary but we love this unique system which allows you to show off your journeys and adventures inside your campervan or even your home.
The bunting style maps feature popular areas throughout the UK (from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands) which simply press stud to the black base ribbon.
Choose the seven area maps that mean the most to the recipient, a really personal and thoughtful present that will be treasured forever.
In addition you can purchase enamel pin packs including surfboard pin, paddleboard / canoeing pin, mountain bike pin, footpath hiking pin and general travel tracker pin, that can be use to record their adventures.
Who wouldn't be delighted to receive such a perfect adventure gift?
A UK canvas wall hanging map is also available.
Journey Far, Wander Free Enamel Mugs
Enamel mugs are a staple of any camping kit and are popular kits that can last forever due to their durability.
These are a unique design and slightly smaller and more practical than the beefier enamel mugs you usually find, featuring a mountain and lake graphic motif or a surf and sea design which will really to appeal to an outdoorsy adventurer.
The mottos on the opposite side really sum up the joy of van life and travelling.
SAVE 15% when you buy two or more enamel mugs with code LOVEMYNEWMUGS until 31st December 2021
You can't beat a new gadget for Christmas!
This one takes a lot of beating with 12 flip-out tools, including a corkscrew, bottle opener, knives, graters and more, saving space in a camper kitchen kit.
You'll definitely get brownie points for this one!
It comes in a pretty gift box and makes a lovely gift for cooks and travellers alike.
Personalised Campervan Window Covers
If you really want to surprise and treat a vanlifer this Christmas, why not go the whole hog and get them a gift which will bring pleasure every time you go on a journey, as well as keeping their motorhome super cosy and warm - a set of Campervan window covers featuring a photo of a special view that's meaningful to them.
Available for lots of different vans including Sprinters, Crafters, Transporters, Boxers, Relays, Ducatos and more.
Last order date in time for Christmas for these is 6th December.
The days are longer, waters are warmer and beers taste that little bit colder!
That being said, the Summer brings its own issues with balmy temperatures and muggy heat, making the idea of retreating to your campervan to sleep a very sweaty feeling.
Plus if you have dogs with you on your travels, keeping your van cool is even more of a priority.
So here are some tips for having a cool and calm nights sleep…
Insulated Window covers
Although we spend lots of time and money insulating our camper vans, windows are a major source of heat ingress.
The best way to tackle this is to insulate your windows during the day (as well as at night) to prevent that heat build up.
Wanderbug’s window blinds are made of four layers of fabric that all have a special job to do:
- Black water repellent rip stop fabric designed to stop people having a nosy into your van and helping to make them black out blinds (more sleep in the morning anyone?!) This fabric is thin enough to allow the sun to pass through and reflect off the…
- Bubble foil insulation. This layer reflects the suns rays back out of the van, the key layer in cooling your camper van down.
- Vlieseline Thermolam fleece is a high quality slimline fleece with big thermal and insulating properties to keep heat in or out, without the weight and bulk.
- Your choice of an exclusive designed fabric, plain tweed or your own photo of a special view etc, to really personalise your van interior and have a nice view to look at no matter where you’re parked!
Plus, because they’re magnetic you can pop them up in seconds, leave them on all day and adjust them to let air through an open window if needed.
Shop Wanderbug’s collection of blinds here
Cold water bottle
Using the same principle that a hot water bottle warms your bed up, putting ice cold water in a sealed (make sure no leaks!) bottle or container into yours and your pets bed will give you a lovely cool surface to get cosy on.
Read more and shop for a suitable water bottle here.
You could also get a Chillmax pillow which uses gel which reacts to your body temperature to absorb excess heat, for a budget friendly £9.99.
Roof vent/fan
Hot air rises so putting a ceiling van into your Campervan conversion is a vital addition.
There are lots on the market for all budgets, the most popular being the Maxx Air fan, if your bank balance allows.
Shop around though and you can find cheaper versions which do a similar job without the added gadgets.
Having your roof vent and a window open creates a lovely flow of air which really make a difference when it’s hot.
Read reviews of Campervan roof vents here
If all else fails, buy a small USB fan such as these fan to circulate the air as much as you can!
Shady goings on
Try to find a shady parking spot next to a building or under tree cover as this will stop your van absorbing the suns rays.
Hopefully following these tips will help you have a lovely cool campervan or motor home during the Summer!
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Depending on your skill and budget level there are several ways to plan camper van layout.
Simple & free
There's nothing wrong with grabbing a piece of paper (graph paper if you have it), pencil and ruler and sketching out your layout, drawing it out to scale can really help visualise how everything will fit.
You could make to scale templates for each campervan element such as bed, table, shower, kitchen area out of card or paper (coloured card works even better!) and play around with them inside your scale van drawing, this is a really fun way to plan your layout and you can explore different positions.
If you're not sure of the dimensions of your van interior, check out this website for at a glance measurements.
If, like me, your brain struggles to compute to scale items find somewhere large enough in your home and garden to 'draw' out your van interior.
You can use string for your outer edge - the best place to do this is in your garden or even a local field!
Grab some tent pegs and wind the string round it so the pegs are the corners and the string is the 'walls' of your van.
Then create cardboard templates of the actual size you want your campervan bed, toilet etc to be.
This allows you to walk through your van layout and realistically work out what does and doesn't work.
If you want to get really fancy then create a 3D version with boxes, furniture, even get your dog involved to check he/she fits!
More Accurate & Free if you know the right people!
If you're lucky, you or someone you know and love has some CAD or graphic design skills who can create a plan for you.
I used Adobe InDesign (free 7 day trial here) to layer up our elements and it's easy to make them to scale and drag them into place.
The pics below show Wanderbug's campervan Barbara's original plan.
There are plenty of free design tools you could utilise to create something similar such as Canva.
If you're doing it this way then it's worthwhile doing a side on view too to work out if you have space for upper cabinets etc.
Get technical!
There's a selection of van planning apps which look like a fun and pretty accurate way to plan your specifics. These aren't something we have any experience of and some are harder to use than others so do a bit a of research to find the one that works for you.
A couple of examples are:
Vanspace3D gives you access to its planning tools for 12 months for $19. There are lots of templates to start off with and it gives you a 3D tour and walk through of your layout which can highlight any issues.
Toilet next to the fridge anyone?!
SketchUp is 3D modelling tool which does a similar job which is more basic but it is free.
Check out Greg Virgoe's beginner guide to drawing your van in 3D.
After all this planning remember that once you start your camper van self build you will need to be flexible as there are always little things you need to adjust no matter how hard you plan in advance.
]]>Challenging yes, but it’s also one of the most exciting parts of your van build too, as the dream turns into a reality.
Research, research, research.
Watch YouTube videos - Nate Murphy has lots of van tours on his channel and has playlists dedicated to specific area ideas or Van Conversion Tours.
Spend eons of hours trawling through Instagram, Pinterest and save the vans you think have a layout idea that could work for you.
Don’t be scared to take little bits from each van you like, eventually you’ll piece all of the ideas into your perfect jigsaw on wheels.
Most of us start planning our campervan layout months if not years before you get your hands on the keys to your transport to freedom, but be prepared to rip the whole thing up once you actually see the space you have to work with.
We planned a layout in a LWB Boxer and a LWB Crafter before settling on our Barbara, a MWB high top Sprinter, who captured our hearts from the moment we met her. Dramatic I know but if you have a camper van, you’ll understand.
Ask yourself these questions:
What are you going to use your van for?
Does there need to be a portion of space used as a business van or to transport items day to day?
If you need to take adventure gear on your travels such as surf boards, SUPs, paddles, mountain bikes etc. you'll need to think carefully about where these are stored securely whilst on the move - inside or outside.
Plus, where will they 'live' when they are wet and dirty.
This will determine whether or not you need a permanent 'garage area'.
Here is some Adventure van inspiration...
How many people do you need to sleep/transport?
If you have babies or little children now, remember they will grow up and need bigger beds. There are some very clever ideas for campervan childrens beds, check out our Pinterest board for inspiration...
Unless you’re happy to share your bed with your furry friend, give some thought to where your dog or cat will sleep.
You may need an extra passenger seat or two. Legally passengers can travel side on with a lap belt but it's a good idea to research this fully for how safe this would be in the event of an accident. Safety always comes first!
Permanent or flexible bed set up?
This seems to be a hot debate and everyone has their own opinion on this - if you want a decent garage area then you may have to opt for a high up fixed bed.
Imagine you've been out for a day exploring, do you want to have to adjust cushions and mattresses to create your bed for the night?
The compromise is a more roomy living area to work and play in so it depends what's more important to you.
How important is a shower and/or toilet in your camper van?
Some people insist on a full bathroom featuring automatic hot water, a little sink and toilet system, and I think if I was going to be living in a van full time for a long time, this would be something I’d lean towards.
Again, there is lots of campervan shower and bathroom inspiration out there, here’s our Van bathroom Pinterest board…
Now you've got a much better idea of what you want to need/don't need, let's start planning!...
You’ve scoured Social media and Google images, inspired by all of the lovely van conversions out there and weighed up whether camper van life is for you.
So, now you need to put your sensible hat on and decide what type of van will work for your needs.
There are so many vans to choose from but we’re just going to break down the basics like size and shape, we’ll leave advice about engines etc to the experts!
On our camper journey we went from a T5/T6 to a Transit Custom before realising we needed lots more space and the ability to stand up in our camper van was important to us.
First things first
Grab a pen and paper (yes, I’m old school) and answer these questions:
What are you going to use your van for?
Day trips, a week at a time on a camp site with hook up, long spells off grid?
Does it still need to be used as a day to day business van?
It would be worth considering if you could partition off some of the van to keep for business use, which can be converted into a storage area when using for trips.
Do you have adventure or hobby equipment you’ll need to make space for?
In our case it’s surf boards, SUPs, paddles, an inflatable canoe, mountain bikes... yeah a few things to consider, a hence why a small van wasn’t for us. Unless you’re happy to transport them on the roof or racks at the back.
How many people do you need to sleep/transport?
If you have babies or little children who fit nicely into narrow bunk beds, remember they will grow up and need bigger beds.
Unless you’re happy to share your bed with your furry friend, you’ll have to accommodate a dog or cat sleeping area.
The amount of belted seats required will also be an important consideration.
Are you or your travelling buddy tall or prefer to sleep completely stretched out?
If so, rule out a transverse bed, although there’s nothing stopping you having a narrower double, prepare to get cuddly!
How important is a shower and/or toilet in your camper van?
Some people insist on a full bathroom featuring automatic hot water, a little sink and toilet system, and I think if I was going to be living in a van full time for a long time, this would be something I’d lean towards.
However, think about the compromise you’ll have to make on space elsewhere.
If you’d like room to stand up you’ll need to go for a high top van, such as a Sprinter, Master or Ducato, referred to as H2.
Bear in mind that the larger van, the more tricky it is to find parking spots and travel down narrow country lanes. If this is an important consideration for you then it’s time to start thinking about where you can compromise on your camper van wish list!
By the time you’ve addressed all of these questions you’ll have a pretty good idea of how much space you’ll need.
This website has internal dimensions for most vans to help you make a shortlist and check out this useful comparison doc and then get out there and have a look at some real life vans.
If you really want to test out what type of van is best for you, try hiring from one from one of the many campervan hire companies to really get a feel for the space you'll be living/staying in.
Good luck with your search and once you’ve found your van to convert read our guide to designing your layout!
]]>While you design your van layout to meet your spatial and storage needs, it's still important to think about how your want your van to look and feel.
With the explosion of DIY camper van conversions, there's plenty of inspiration available on all the visual social media channels but it can be a bit overwhelming when you're starting out.
Deciding how you want your van to look needs to be addressed during your planning and building stage, so I'm breaking it down into different styles to suit every taste...
Light & Bright
This is a very popular style for good reason - it actually makes sense.
Using light coloured woods, white, cream and light grey paint can really make a space feel bigger, a trick often used by interior designers to make a room feel larger and more spacious.
With the limitations on space in whatever van you own, bright walls and cabinets bounce the light around to give that lovely feeling of airiness.
It helps if you have a nice amount of windows to allow maximum natural light in.
So, keep the walls, ceiling, cabinets and soft furnishings neutral, adding soft colours such as sage green, taupe or pastels in textured fabrics and accents to add interest to the look.
Add texture with cushions such as these...
With a blank canvas you can easily update with accessories as your taste changes or, if you're like me, see a van on Instagram that looks amazing!
If you want to achieve a more vibrant style, use geometric or tribal black and white to really make a statement. Adding gold, copper and chrome can really add chic to your style too.
Find more inspiration on our Light & Bright Pinterest board.
Bold and Dark
Surprising, embracing the dark side can also help to create an illusion of space.
Whether you opt to paint your cladding a deep hue, use darkly stained woods or line your van with composite wall panels in a dark effect such as slate, darker shades absorbs the light and generates the perception of depth in a small space. Make it a glossy surface like the pic on the left and light will reflect infinitely.
Intense colours certainly create a cosy and warm zone that's really inviting to escape to in the Winter.
If you love the idea of deep colours but prefer to play it safe, use a neutral base and add midnight navy blue, intense teal or emerald green with cushions, curtains or blinds, such as our thermal and magnetic window covers, and decor accessories, which will also add style and personality to your little space.
Also check out these bold accessories to add colour.
Check out our Bold & Dramatic Pinterest board for lots of colour ideas.
Theme it
As long as it's used sparingly, adopting a theme for your van decor can help to unify a scheme and bring all of the key elements of your campervan design together.
Pick something you love to base a theme around. This could be an animal like rabbits or deer, something in nature such as mountains or waves, or a shape.
On the left is an example of a honeybee them which is smart and subtle theme and really works.
The honeycomb shapes and bright yellow flowers pop against the warm wood for a bright and sophisticated look.
If like me you are a lover of the sea why not bring elements of the coast into your camper. You can go all out like this pic on the right or use more subtle hints like nautical blue and white stripes, driftwood and pebbles.
Find more ideas on our Theme it Pinterest board.
If you're looking for hexagonal accessories, these mirrors are perfect and help to bounce light around your campervan.
Rustic / Farmhouse feel
This is a timeless style featuring simple timbers (recycled/upcycled if you can), soft earthy colours and natural textures.
This look is easy to create in a campervan, especially when wood is the most common element used in construction and lining.
Wicker baskets, pine crates and enamel dinnerware, such as plates and cups, all make this look super cosy and relaxed, plus they're lightweight and practical.
There's no doubt this is one of the cosiest looks you can choose but it's entirely up to you!
Find more inspiration on our Rustic / Farmhouse Pinterest board.
No matter what interior design style you use in your camper van, make sure it's something you love and makes you happy!
Check out our collections of campervan accessories to make your camper cosy and stylish.
I'll be writing lots more blogs about how to design, style and plan your campervan so sign up to our email newsletter at the bottom of this page to be alerted when they go live, or follow us on our social accounts /wanderbuguk.
Plus, remember our thermal, magnetic and black out campervan window blinds help to keep your van warm or cool (depending on the season) and help to style your look, shop all window covers here...
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