Becca’s Ford Transit
Becca has always been captivated by the idea of converting a van – a project that combines her creativity, love for adventure, and desire for freedom on the road. After years of dreaming, she used her savings to purchase Nettle, a van she fully transformed into an off-grid home on wheels. This mobile home is designed for long journeys across the UK and Europe. Perfectly suited for her passions such as foraging, climbing, and exploring remote locations.
Together with her boyfriend, Butch, Becca recently launched a foraging page, @barkandberries. Currently they are in the process of starting a wild food walks business. Nettle plays a crucial role in their plans, serving as both transportation and a base for hosting walks and running foraging courses throughout the UK. Often in some of the country’s most breathtaking and remote areas.
Tell us about your van conversion
My van, recently named Nettle, was born in 2012, and is a former council vehicle. She’s a long wheelbase, high-roof Ford Transit, well-maintained with low mileage… soon to have a far more exciting life! I worked on the van with my amazing Dad, Mark and will be travelling with my boyfriend Laurence (aka- Butch).
I didn’t have a specific design in mind for my van, we mainly made it up as we went along. Being smaller allowed me to position the queen size bed widthways, giving me space for a shower. The kitchen area is crucial for me as I love to cook, so I dedicated most of the worktop space to it, ensuring functionality while keeping a cosy atmosphere. The double swivel seat is also a great feature, giving me a sofa like space.
Why did you choose to use Nohma?
Using Nohma was a fantastic decision, you get an initial teams call with an expert to fully understand the system you want. They then provide a system quote. This is fantastically detailed and fully tailored to each individual van! Showing how the system will be designed to power AC products you have specified, solar performance etc. They provided great wiring diagrams that I could follow with no prior experience (despite mine being a quite complicated fully off grid system), along with all the right pieces of equipment.
Without their help, the delivery costs and the hassle of finding hundreds of different components would have been a nightmare. Adam from Nohma was also incredibly helpful; he answered my calls anytime I had questions and provided guidance whenever I needed it. I really appreciated his support and ended up feeling quite confident.
Personally, I think its invaluable to understand how your own van works. I’m so glad I didn’t get it done by an electrician as I’ve learnt so much from Nohma, and feel ready to fix anything that goes wrong or needs replacing in the future.
Becca Spain, @barkandberries
What challenges did you face?
The main challenge is that everything always takes longer than expected, especially when adding a shower. It’s tough to get it just right and ensure it’s watertight. I also made the rookie mistake of using a level while the van was parked on a slope, ahah! Additionally, nothing in a van is a straight line; it’s full of curves and unusual spaces. I was lucky to have my dad, who has prior knowledge of woodworking and tools. Without his help, it would have cost much more to buy all the equipment… and I wouldn’t have ever finished it.
Electrical work can be intimidating, especially for someone with no experience. Neither my dad nor I had much knowledge in this area, and even my electrician friends weren’t familiar with installing inverters, 12-volt systems, battery-to-battery chargers, etc. It’s not as simple as just getting help from a friend.
Becca is excited to spend her days in the van with Butch and Indie, beginning with peaceful mornings parked by quiet woodlands. Enjoying early swims in nearby rivers and afternoons of lure fishing. She envisions long hikes through the countryside, foraging for plants and fungi to cook for dinner. After a warm shower, she’ll unwind with a horror movie projected inside the van. Surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature and the gentle patter of rain.
Components used in Becca’s electrical system ⚡️
Campervan electrics leaving you confused?
