I know, I know. We’ve lived in this thing for 4 months, how dare I only show you the inside of the van now?
Well, I probably don’t have to tell you this, but moving lives of 5 people into storage before cramming what’s left into a van to travel around Southern Africa isn’t what I’d call easy. I don’t know how these guys overseas make it look like the day they left they had everything sorted. They’re either lying or well, just better at it than us. Either way we literally threw the last of our belongings into the van during a torrential downpour the morning we left and it took us about a month for everything to settle into its own little nook or cranny.
I actually laugh at the stuff that we brought with us in the beginning – scatter cushions, extra bedding, gowns for all of us, 2 jackets each, picnic baskets and so much more I can’t even remember. Luckily we sent some of it home and the rest has found a place in the van. Even then we still have so much we’re going to leave behind when we stop home this Christmas.
But this is not about that. It’s to show you all the hard work that we have done on the van and how Optimus has transformed (get it, huh, huh?) from the old school, heavily mouldy yellow and brown mess into what we live in today. Is it completely perfect? Maybe not. But it’s home to us and we love it despite Seth’s ill intentions of wanting to paint my black ceiling white!
FRONT CAB OF THE 1974 VW JURGENS CAMPERVAN
We left the bulk of the front of the cab untouched. We loved the old retro feel about it and it all worked so it wasn’t worth trying to change it. But what we did do was open it up by removing the panels that closed it in (where the old shower was).
GIRLS BED AREA
The girls are probably the luckiest in terms of their bedroom. It’s always there waiting and ready for them with their glorious Granny Goose linen. They don’t have to make and unmake their bed every single day and get to enjoy crawling up there whenever they like. Granted it does get seriously hot up there as soon as the sun comes up, but I think it’s a small price to pay.
KITCHEN AREA
This area was really impractical for our needs. It was really small to be able to move around in and also didn’t leave any room for Knox to sleep. Thankfully Seth is an architect so he designed a brand new situation for the middle area. We removed all the cupboarding, painted all the walls white and I spent many nights applying (then removing) wall paper before painting it a glossy black that I love. Everyone else in the family now wants white, but I’m not giving in. Everything here was built from scratch by Seth with the help of Brian and Papa. They worked really hard and I think it shows.
This kitchen area doubles as Knox’s bed area at night too, you pull the kitchen counter forward then Knox’s mattress rests on the folded down passengers seats that we also installed.
OUR BEDROOM THAT’S ALSO THE DINING ROOM!
By day the dining area seems like all it can be but at night a nifty table leg change converts the table to a bed area for Seth and I to sleep in.
Let me show you the bed first. We’re using exclusively Granny Goose linen. From the sheets to the down duvet that has really kept me warm, even on the coldest nights in the middle of snowy Lesotho.
Now for the table. Seth worked out some crafty magic and made it so the table leg swings up or down to convert it into one form or the other. It worked out really well and spend many hours huddled around this table working, schooling, eating and having fun.
NOW LET’S TALK STORAGE…
We have very little space for things so everything has its spot and it needs to stay there. This is where we put everything.
And that’s it folks.
I hope that you enjoyed the little reveal into the inside of our 1974 VW Jurgens Campervan, affectionately known as Optimus, as he is right now. Despite giving us grief with the engine only really working when it feels like it, we’ve really loved our time on the road and look forward to much more to see and do in our beautiful country.
If you’d like to follow along with us, you’re welcome to join us on:
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INSTAGRAM –
- @cindyalfino – Here you will find a daily wrap up of exactly what we got up to on that day, where we were, what we did, the pro’s and con’s of life on the road. Oh, and stories, lots of stories.
- @moderndaddiy – Seth, my funnier half, often posts stories that are worth watching.
- @alfreenos – For those more “Instagram” worthy images that are less about real life on the road and more about pretty pictures of things that we have seen.
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FACEBOOK –
- If you don’t have Instagram then this is the place to catch up with the daily posts and even watch the stories. As well as see latest blog posts as they come out
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YOUTUBE –
- Seth works really hard on putting out awesome vlog style videos on the places that we have been, things we have done and life on the road. It’s really worth checking them out if that’s your vibe.
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NEWSLETTER –
- You can also subscribe to the newsletter which only goes out once in a blue moon when I get a chance to write it. It’s not just one of those spammy ones that only contains links of blog posts, I always include something personal about what’s happening right now that would probably not appear anywhere else.
14 comments
I think you guys have been genius in how you have maximized the space, given everyone their spot and yet still maintaining the sheer coolness of the Jurgens camper van. I really hope that you get all of the mechanical issues sorted because Optimus is a beaut and deserves to be loved!
Your trip is very inspiring – my husband and I are working toward early retirement and are trying to choose between cruising (on a yacht) or van life so I have followed your adventures with interest.
Seth really worked so hard on the design and deserves all the credit. Ooooh, cruising on a yacht sounds amazing but also freaks me out totally, but I can see the appeal
Wow!
This is AWESOME. Thanks for sharing. I a m pretty sure I looked for before/after pics of the van before. Now I know why I didn’t find any. You are making the best memories for your kids.
Yeah it took forever! But I’m glad it’s finally up!
Wow – that is IMPRESSIVE! Where do Knox’s toys stay btw as you’ve showed the cupboards for the girls’ toys but not his 🙂
Ah, yes forgot to add that one, he has a cubby next to his bed behind the front passenger seat
This is absolutely a wonderfully thought out living space. Excellent photos, wonderful use of space. You guys ROCK!!!
Ah thank you! I was so stressed about the images, so thank you for taking a moment to say that you enjoyed them!!
[…] Despite the first month or so in the van being a challenging time, I think we are finally in the swing of it. Everything has its own place in the van, most things fit and we have a rhythm going that keeps the days flowing smoothly. (On that note, we did a little Before and After of the van to see how we altered it to accommodate the five of us, if you want to take a look). […]
The inside of your campervan is awesome. Your hubby is super talented with his design and everything looks so cozy and comfy especially the girls’ room. You have all put a lot of care and thought into making it look amazing.
PS I adore your pink kettle ?
I totally agree – Seth is a campervan genius. My kettle is the highlight for me too – it’s one of my fave things in this van 😉
Thanks for this update! You guys have made the camper into a home. Love how everything has its place as in such a small space it can get wild. It’s like a great big puzzle. This proves that less is more!
It really does feel like home to us now.