Couple dreamed of a shared camper van ever since their first date—“It was wonderful to find a partner with whom we made our dreams reality”

When Nina and Atte met for the first time, the conversation quickly turned to their mutual dream of building a camper van. Nina had been inspired by self-built camper vans she’d seen on social media. Meanwhile, Atte had spent his entire life around motor vehicles, which had sparked his enthusiasm for building a camper van.

“It felt incredible to discover right away that we shared such major interests and dreams. It was wonderful to find a partner with whom we made those dreams reality,” Nina says.

Their shared dream propelled them to build the camper van at a quick pace, and now it’s already complete.

“In April, we bought a standard Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, which was extra-long. It was also insulated, so we were able to skip that step,” Nina says.

Before starting the van’s renovation, Nina and Atte did extensive planning and online research on how to build a camper van. They sketched various layouts on both paper and computer, considering what would suit them best.

“We bought everything we needed at the start of the project. However, our plans changed several times along the way,” Nina explains.

They started the conversion of the van by building the bed frame. Nina and Atte did not want to compromise on the bed’s size, so they made it 170x200 cm.

The maintenance room is located beneath the bed. That’s where you’ll find their batteries, inverter, water heater, and fuse box. At the back of the van, there is also an outdoor shower and a travel toilet.

However, from the very start, they were certain about the color scheme: dark and atmospheric.

“The heart of our van is the fireplace, which we created by removing the ‘firebox’ from a faux fireplace. We built a frame around it and paneled it to match the van’s interior.”

When needed, the fireplace also provides heat. You can switch off the heating function so only the faux flames remain. The van’s main heating source is a diesel heater, so the fireplace mainly serves as a cozy decorative feature.

Initially, Nina and Atte planned to include a shower and toilet inside, but they gave up on that idea because they wanted the living area to be as open as possible.

String lights and plants create a peaceful atmosphere in the van.

In front of the bed, the couple built a 140 cm-wide storage bench that also serves as a sofa.

In addition to a few weekend and day trips, the couple have also taken the van on a two-week trip to northern Norway, where they traveled the length of the Lofoten Islands, visiting Senja and Narvik as well, and then returning to Finland through Sweden.

“The van feels really cozy, and traveling has felt safe. The scenery alone has so much to offer, but we’ve also come across many new sights where we’ve decided to pause. Being on the road gives you a certain sense of freedom,” Nina says.

The van has worked flawlessly on their trips, and they have been especially pleased with the fireplace’s heating function. They did find the outdoor shower a bit challenging in colder weather.

“If needed, we could have used campgrounds to freshen up. However, we preferred parking in secluded spots for the night.”

“The van’s fireplace has both heating and flame modes that can be adjusted as needed,” Nina explains.

The kitchen was built with pre-made elements which the couple modified in a few ways. The cabinets needed to be raised, and they added solid wood countertops. The kitchen also has a ceramic cooktop, a sink, and a faucet.

Nina and Atte would still like to have the shower and toilet inside the van in the future. They also plan to swap their batteries for lithium ones and switch to gas-powered water heating. Plus, they dream of painting the exterior dark as well, so other travelers would also get to see the van’s unique style.

“It would be wonderful to take a longer trip with the van. We’ve been dreaming about driving to Italy.”

Atte added a window and a roof hatch with a fan to the van’s roof, and welded a sturdy rack out of scrap metal tubes to hold the solar panels.

For now, though, besides the trip to Norway, they have taken only shorter journeys with the van, such as beach days with the kids. The van makes an excellent place for snacks and relaxation.

Back on their first date, Nina and Atte couldn’t have imagined the reaction their dream camper van would spark among strangers. In recent weeks, the van has drawn thousands of likes and much admiration on social media.

“We were surprised by how much attention the van received. It definitely felt good to see people comment so positively on the interior and color scheme,” Nina says.