By The Green Parent
12th April 2022
Lindsay Berresford and David ffrench live in a self-built eco-house in Easton, Bristol with their seven-year-old son and five-year-old twin girls, who are home educated. Founders of Quirky Campers, they split their work and childcare 50/50, working from an office on the top floor of their house.
“We set up the business over ten years ago as a means to rent out our self built campervan, Bella while we lived in Kenya for six months. At the time, the only available campervans to rent were either very plastic motorhomes or VWs - much more characterful, but not very spacious. Nowhere could you find something built from natural materials, with a woodburner! We didn’t know if we would get much take-up, but it turned out that it was exactly what a lot of people were looking for.
Over the years we have grown very slowly and organically, focusing on quality over quantity - we only accept conversions that meet our very high standards. We have always worked from home and are very lucky to have a proper office in our house, which really helps to separate work and family time. I try to be disciplined about not looking at my phone when I’m with the kids (although I’m not always successful). But we also appreciate the ability to flex our work around our lives and our lives around our work. Now that we have an amazing team we are able to take proper holidays and completely disconnect, which I am hugely grateful for.
Our love for campervans was partly driven by our desire to minimise flying and that’s a huge driver behind the business today; there are so many amazing places to explore in the UK and we want to make that exploration as easy and enjoyable as possible. The other driver is our belief that not everyone needs to own their own campervan, sharing resources is better for the planet and our finances.
We encourage our owners to use as much natural and reclaimed materials as possible in their campervan conversions. We also provide natural soaps and washing up liquid for customers to minimise their impact wherever they’re travelling.” quirkycampers.com
OUR FAMILY VAN PICKS
THE WILD WAN
A proud and jazzy Volkswagen Crafter camper van with a super cool paint job and a very chic interior. Ideal for up to a family of four and a dog to drive off into the rolling Scottish wilderness for an incredible off grid holiday. The quirky and cosy interior has three useable porthole windows around the beds, so you can treat yourself to a room with your very own, ever changing view! Not just for human van life, The Wild Wan’s owners have created a great sized dog den at the back; complete with lighting and insulated rubber floor which is accessible from inside and outside of the van.
Sleeping arrangements: The Wild Wan sleeps up to four people; two adults and two children. The beds, 1 double and 2 singles, are fixed in a bunk bed style at the rear of the camper van.
The home of the camper: The Wild Wan lives just outside of Edinburgh.
Conversion Story: The Wild Wan started off as a solar panel transporting van, converted in summer 2020 by the owners, who, working as outdoor education instructors, found themselves out of work during lockdown, a lot of love and attention (and hours on YouTube and Pinterest for inspiration!) went into making this the perfect home from home, ready for family adventures!
MONT BLANC
A cool and sleek camper with an alpine vibe will give you the perfect rolling home for your off-grid road trip! Combine the practicality of the beds with the homely and cosy wood-burner which will keep you toasty in the colder months, Mont Blanc delivers a hand crafted home from home you might not want to leave!
Sleeping arrangements: Mont Blanc sleeps up to four people; two downstairs on a pull-out sofa and two above on a double bed, which is pulled down from the ceiling and easily stowed away during the day.
The home of the camper: Mont Blanc lives near The University of Sheffield.
Cooking Equipment: In addition to the fridge and built-in two-ring gas hob, lighting the wood burner provides an ideal slow cooker.
Conversion Story: The van began life as a humble builders’ transit. The owners bought her after a long and careful hunt and she was hand-converted from alpine chalets. The conversion started with the dream of taking her on a ski trip for the maiden journey, which they did in December 2019.
FLORENCE
A professionally converted campervan, who evokes a country kitchen on wheels. This former ambulance is a high-quality rolling home, who is spacious for a whole family of five to live and sleep really comfortably, but compact enough to drive really easily, too. You can eat in comfort around the large larch dining table, which is also perfect for reading, games and route planning. In the cupboards, there’s something local for you to enjoy, from Café Mor condiments, Teifi Dragon coffee and eggs from the owner’s hens!
Sleeping arrangements: Large double bed, two single bunks above double, cab bed for child
The home of the camper: Florence lives on a small farm in South Pembrokeshire.
Conversion Story: The owners wanted to use materials that reflect the land where they live - oak trees, Welsh wool, the hedgerows. They worked with Rustic Simplicity who used reclaimed oak for the cupboards and a beautiful piece of larch for the main table. They incorporated Welsh fabric into the upholstery, making it feel comfy and homely.
FRIDA
Frida has fixed triple bunks for the kids with curtains and individual reading lights. There’s a toilet stowed away under the wardrobe, which can be used inside the van or in a toilet tent outside. She also has an external shower which can be used with pre-warmed water. Her design is inspired by her namesake, Frida Kahlo, and is full of colour and bold prints featuring plants and animals.
Sleeping arrangements: Frida sleeps up to six people
The home of the camper: Frida lives in Easton, Bristol.
Conversion Story: Frida is a long-dreamed of van created by the co-founders of Quirky Campers, Lindsay and David. They owned their previous self-built van, Bella, for 13 years. Over time their needs and priorities had changed as they had gone from a young couple to parents of three growing children. They knew they wanted their next van to be designed to maximise the ease and comfort of campervanning with kids, but were keen not to own anything too large that made country lanes challenging and parking almost impossible. So, they set out to create the perfect family layout in a medium sized van.
