Van transformation: Open Road Campervans coastal minimalist

Taking a minimalist approach and adding their own coastal vibe, Sam and Julia from Open Road Campers have nailed the 'go-to' campervan layout. With three vans converted, and a fourth on the way, the young couple give us the low-down on what makes a killer van design!

Who we are:

Open Road Campervans is a small local business, run by my husband Sam and I, Julia! We have been travelling in vans for over five years now and decided that we'd love to share our passion for vanlife with others. Being able to make some income from sharing something we love, made it a no brainer for us to join Camplify. We’ve now been part of the community for over a year and are very thankful for their support and guidance! What started with one van as a little side gig is now an actual business with a small fleet of three (soon to be four) vans.

Why did you decide to convert a van and when did you start?

Sam and I had owned vans before and when we moved to Brisbane in 2019, we knew we wanted to build a van again to explore Queensland. Once we finished our Toyota Hiace van named Omeo, we put him up on Camplify in February 2020 just for the times where we were too busy to go away ourselves. Almost immediately we were flooded with bookings - which we then had to cancel again once Covid hit in March. Despite the setback it showed us that there was a lot of interest, so during lockdown we built our second van, Roma. Once the lockdown was lifted in June 2020, both Omeo and Roma were fully booked in no time which is why we then built our third van Como to keep up with demand!

How long did your van conversion take?

Omeo took us around 6 months but now we can build the same van in around two months. That’s with me working on it full-time when I’m not busy managing the rental business, and Sam helping on the weekends or after work as he still has a full-time job as a product designer.

Would you rather, more storage space or an in-van shower/toilet?

It really depends on the size of the van! In our Hiace vans, we really thought about how to maximise storage and opted for an outdoor shower. However, once you go a bit larger, like we are currently doing with our VW Crafter LWB build, having an inside shower and toilet definitely makes sense. For us, the trade off usually isn’t so much about the storage space but rather kitchen benchtop vs bed space. Definitely keep an eye out for our fourth finished van as we think we’ve managed to strike the right balance!

What’s one feature you could not compromise on?

Our hirers really seem to love our slide out outdoor kitchen and we do, too! It just makes a lot of sense in Australia to keep the heat of cooking out of the van in summer and even our winters here in QLD are so mild, that we’d rather cook outside with a view! We still have a smaller cooker than can be used inside the van though, should the weather not play along.

Where did you go to find inspiration?

We’ve probably watched hundreds of van tours on YouTube and follow lots of pages on Instagram that constantly post new van builds from all over the world.

What is one thing you wished you’d known before you started?

How the smallest things just take the longest time! You get to the point where the van looks 90% finished but that last 10% just seem to take forever. We wouldn’t change it though as we feel it’s the small things done well that make all the difference.

What is one piece of advice you’d offer a first-time van renovator?

Just go for it!

I had never held a drill or jig saw in my life before converting my first van five years ago. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you have never tackled anything like this before, but there are so many online resources available to help you get started. You can also always reach out to us on Instagram (@openroadcampervans) if you get stuck somewhere!

What's something you wish you could change about your van?

We can honestly say - nothing! That’s why we built the exact same van three times :)

What is your funniest/best hirer story?

We’ve had two of our hirers randomly spending the night at the same campground one time. They both excitedly messaged us that they spotted another Open Road Campervan out in the wild and then they ended up having dinner together - this really brought us a lot of joy!

What's next for Open Road Campervans?

We are currently building our newest (and biggest) addition to the family, Oakley. He’s a brand new VW Crafter LWB which we’ve designed to fit three people comfortably. As an addition it’ll come with an internal shower and toilet inside and of course our signature outdoor pullout kitchen. There has also been lots of demand for us to take on client builds and all we can say for now is.. watch this space!

To hear more about Sam and Julia's adventure, check out their Instagram @openroadcampervans!

Interested in booking one of Sam and Julia's vans? Click here to book!