DIY Dad Turns Caravan That Was “Falling Apart” Into Cool Space For Just £2,000
- Matthew Daniell, 28, wanted a caravan after his Spain holiday was cancelled twice
- He was given one that was “falling apart” and “no good” by a family member
- Matthew transformed it into a stylish modern space himself for just £2,000, saving a further £2,000
If your family holidays seem to always take a giant chunk out of your savings, look to this DIY dad for inspiration.
Matthew Daniell, 28, a painter and decorator who lives in Doncaster, was given an old caravan that was “falling apart” by a family member - and set about turning it into a stylish space.
Matthew estimates the project would have cost at least £4,000 to get done professionally - but he managed to pull it off for £2,000 using budget local and ebay buys.
Matthew, a dad of two and stepdad of four, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: “We had a Spain holiday cancelled twice, so we used the money from that and decided to use that money for a staycation.
"I was always on caravan holidays when I was a kid so I thought it would be a great idea to renovate one. I got the caravan during the first lockdown.
"We got it given to us for free from a family member as it was old and no good in the state it was in.
"We wanted to do it to make it feel better when staying there as the state it was in wasn't nice - it was falling apart.
"We came up with the idea of turning it from a two-berth to a four-berth to accommodate our needs.
"My partner couldn't see how I would do it but I had it all worked out in my head.
"I completely stripped the caravan back to a shell on the rear end and just left the top half of the front end in place.
"All the electrics were stripped out and redone by my friend who is an electrician.
“All the plumbing was stripped out and done by myself.
"We came across the damp areas behind where the old shower used to be, so we stripped that all out and fixed it all with new batten and new ply for the walls.
"We started at the front and worked back.
“We fixed the double bed, got the measurements for a UK small double mattress and built the base out of CLS timbers and 9mm plasterboard.
“For the bunk beds, we used the old foam from the sofa, from which the old fabrics were taken off, cleaned and cut to a size for a small single bed which is perfect for camping.
“The frame again was made out of CLS timbers and plasterboard.
"Then we got to the shower area. I ordered a caravan shower tray and an instant hot water shower from ebay.
"For the walls, I used vinyl floor tiles and stuck them on using a contact adhesive.
“I applied three coats of yacht varnish to seal them from the water, silicone all around and installed a new waste pipe and water feed.
“I also installed a new water diagram pump to feed the water from the onboard tank.
“I then installed a small plastic caravan sink purchased from ebay.
“For the flooring, we just got some cheap lino from a local flooring shop and laid that throughout.
“For the kitchen area, I used the original fridge as that was in full working order and just needed a good clean.
“For the hob, I got a small electrical hob from ebay on a standard UK plug to plug in as and when we need to.
“When it came to the worktops and shelf, I used wardrobe end panels purchased from B&Q as they are light and look decent for what it will be used for - and they are cheaper than your standard worktops.
"We fitted all new sockets, a new leisure battery and new 12v LED lighting purchased from ebay too.
"All in, it cost us just over £2,000. We bought most things locally and from ebay.
“We saved probably a good £2,000 doing it ourselves!”
Matthew is thrilled with the outcome of his project, and says his family are loving their new caravan.
"Since we have started to use the caravan, we have made friends and the younger kids absolutely love it there.
"The 10-year-old has made friends on-site and from the minute we pull up she's gone with her friends!
"Any tips I could give to people would be to do your research, think about what you actually want from the caravan and use that as your starting point.
"We save a lot of money on holidays now as we have this.
"We enjoy it in the summers months, having long weekends away, meeting people and the kids really enjoy the outdoors and having room to run around and go wild!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Covid has seen a huge surge in demand for caravan sales as more and more holidaymakers are choosing staycations over the uncertainty of travelling abroad.
“While caravans are definitely expensive if you buy a new one with all the bells and whistles, Matthew’s transformation shows you can keep it to a strict budget and save so much money compared to flying abroad for holidays.
“Even if you don’t know anyone giving a caravan away for free, look around on ebay, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, as there are always amazing deals to be had if you are happy to do the renovation yourself."
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