The Southport brothers who built a camper van for less than a grand

TWO brothers from Southport have used their technical know-how to write a book on their bid to build a camper van on a budget.

Matthew and Stuart Ball, of Fylde Road said this week that they have used their technical skills to convert an LDV van into a camper van for less than £1,000, and detailed how they did it in a book which has just been launched by publishing firm Veloce.

Co-author Matthew Ball said: “We've always dreamed of having our own camper. We love being able to go anywhere at the drop of a hat, and being able to afford it. The Lakes, The Cotswolds, Scotland, Cornwall - heck, the whole world is there waiting for you!

"We used to think that one day, once we'd got enough money together, we'd get our dream machine, but we never seemed to have the money and that's the problem - dream machines seem to cost so much. Isn't the idea of a camper van to get away, anytime you want, cheaply. That was certainly our plan anyway."

The pair, having been put off by both the prices of brand new campervans and the quality of secondhand machines available, decided to use Matt's experience as a resistant materials tutor to convert a secondhand van into a campervan to keep costs down, and have chronicled the project in a book to help spur others on to follow suit.

The project, which took place over ten weeks last summer, saw the brothers convert the van into a fully-functioned camper van for a total of £996, including the cost of buying the van itself. It also marks their debut into the publishing world, with the finished title being their first book.

Stuart Ball said: "Inspiration came from Ron Champion's book, Build a Sports Car for Less Than £250. I knew through converting another van into a camper that costs can easily run out of control, so a great deal of thought and preparation was required to achieve such a low cost.

“We have also developed a basic website showing pictures which didn't make it into the book, and a gallery page for fellow camper van enthusiasts to upload their camper van builds.”

The book, entitled Build Your Own Dream Camper Van For Less Than £1,000 is available to buy now both in bookstores and online, costing £19.99. For more information visit the brothers' website.

Pictures courtesy of Matthew and Stuart Ball