I have watched a LOT of bus, van, car...you name it conversions. A big observer of tiny homes too. This van looked like it had just a bench seat in the back, but had every feature you need. The van met the clients brief whilst also demanding it function somewhat like architectural purpose. What an absolutely fine achievement in craftsmanship.
@@annwallace9537 You may have a point about the fixed location of the sink but you can use the stove anywhere (on the fold-down desk inside the van, on the pull-out table outside the van (even better for ventilation safety) or even completely away from the van on a picnic table if one is available). I didn't study their design that thoroughly but even the sink might have been placed on the very end of that pull-out drawer (where the groceries were kept) such that it could have also been used while standing outside the side door. Also placing the water tank on that side of the van would have helped counterbalance the weight of the heavy battery on the other side of the van.
This is the best van conversion I've seen anywhere. You two do a great job, the practical use of space and workmanship are top notch. My favorite is the two ships hatches, never would have thought of that, but in a small van they are perfect.
This is stunning. I can't believe how you packed it all in there but kept it so clean and beautiful. You guys are ingenious, and a lovely couple. Best regards for the future.
This has to be by far the most practical functional and amazing small van build on RUclips after watching tons of videos I always come back to this one it’s an effective excellent spacious design truly incredible
Wow, this is a beautiful build - the best small van build I've seen so far. The woodwork is beautiful. So open, bright and roomy appearing. Great job!!!!
I find the inventiveness of many of the conversions to be interesting, but for my taste most feel claustrophobic. You, however, have nailed the simplicity and spacious feel. Could easily see myself living in this van for an extended period of time without feeling closed in.
That was a great design, I like how the kitchen slides away when not needed, do the same with a spot for a porta potty and keeps that nice open feeling which is crucial in such a tiny van. Great Job!
There are some very clever tradesman and fitters and then there are people at this level, artisans and artists, it goes beyond skill to a level of thinking and care and pride in the work, very clever ideas well executed.
Echoing all of K.Michael’s comment. Great job. Nice presentation too. Small is the new large these days and you two have nailed it in your functional, tasteful, intelligent build. Answering a number of important questions I didn’t know I had. Gratitude. ❤ Cheers and happy trails.
Stunning is a great word for this van build. The best thing is also how they created the illusion of space by narrowing the cabinets on the parallel walls. Amazing.
Incredibly well thought-out and considered design, and the craftsmanship looks superb! I love the fact you have used light, natural colours. Plenty to think about for my final design, thank you!
I actually missed the music altogether because the design aspects I was being shown were so AWESOME & PRACTICAL for such a small space!! Best yet. Good design & ideas guys, thanks. cheers, james~
Lovely way of life you have. Enjoy and be safe! This is the kind of life my wife and myself aspire to when we retire. It's quite sad to see so many young (and some not so young) people posting clips of their van life/downsizing lifestyle due to the deminshing wages, crappy jobs and escalating house prices.
Hello there. In 2020 I was getting ready to retire and thinking of traveling the USA in a small converted van. Your video inspired me so much, and started me on an wonderful trip in my 2017 Nissan NV200 van "Kate the Van"...very close in size to this Ford Transit Connect. I was lucky to have a brother-in-law with a woodshop so I could learn some basic woodworking and convert the cargo van into a camper. Nowhere near as gorgeous as the work you did, but the same layout and it served me well. In January 2023 I bought a small travel trailer. I don't plan to every go back to apartment living, when I can simply have my trailer (aka "apartment on wheels" towed to where I want to live, and continue to use my van for camping trips. The money it's saving me in rent at RV parks compared to paying apartment rent is allowing me to live off my Social Security check. Your video was what made me know this gypsy-like life style was possible, and I will always be grateful. Kind regards :)
Wow what an amazing comment! We are so happy to hear that we had such a positive impact on your life, we never thought we could help people so far away but I guess this is what RUclips is for. Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us it means the world to us. We wish you happy travels in Kate the Van!! All the best!
I like how she talks. Their funny accents and the background music makes it feel like an old national geographic documentary from the 1950's or 60s. Which is very cool!
Excelent! I love the very practical kitchen design. I was getting tired of seeing household kitchen counters in tiny vans, this is surely refreshing. Great use of space!
Tony Hawk with New Zealand accent.... Cool conversion and New Zealand is a place I wanted to go to since I was a kid, as well as small islands; also New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Madagascar would be fantastic. Soon as I get my Light Body activated and then no need for metal flying machines, money and paperwork...... Thanks for the upload and enjoy your travels. Love Chris
Don’t care about the music, this is one of the most inspiring van builds I have ever seen! They have managed to do what i thought was impossible: create a light, airy and functional space inside a low small van. Making a nice living space in a van you can stand up in is easy (see all the fancy vanlifers in their giant sprinters!), and they work well in places like the US, Canada or Australia, but in Europe they are just too bulky. On the other hand Having used a converted people carrier as a camper it always felt like I couldn’t move naturally and was always ducking and bending to do anything. This is truly tiny on the outside and spacious on the inside, the perfect combo! By having a very minimal installation and resisting the temptation of filling all the space with storage they have managed to keep a generous amount of free floor space, making it easy to move around. This also means you can still use it as a van should you need to transport anything! Well done! Beautiful project!
after all the overbuilt, over-designed, over-engineered, overpowered, pretentious hipstery crap we get ... this lil thing comes along, functional, humble, practical,.. awesome work... awful video/music. Richard and Sophie THANK YOU.
I've never seen this two-style table before, ingenious. I love the quality of the work and the idea of the slide-out kitchen, but I'd definitely opt for a larger fridge (if I were to stay in the van for extended periods of time, not necessarily full-time) and I'm afraid the cushions are going to separate when the owner turns over at night and make for an uncomfortable sleep, but maybe you've thought of a way to deal with that? Btw, pls reduce the volume on the background music. It's too loud (in my opinion, at least) and disturbs a bit. But a very nice job and video overall!
Well thought out design. Simple and elegant. The neutral colors, use of space along with the light wood tone does feel like a fusion of Japanese and Scan design. I didn't find the music distracting.
Is it Christmas?? I’ve always loved your original van - one of my all time faves. And now a layout for the connect - dream come true. Thanks for sharing!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼👍🏻👍🏻
Bed with slats resting on storage boxes is a great concept, where did you get the aluminium frame rail? IMHO, kitchen is overkill, replace with storage for clothes, room for foldable toilet. Otherwise great execution. Watched it three times and now speak New Zealandish,
What a nice surprise to get notified of your first video. Congratulations and Great work on a small van. One small thing - music was a bit loud on certain parts of video when you were both talking 😉
I liked the video (and the van) but had a hard time in some areas to understand what was being said because the music was too loud. I also found it annoying because it was not the right music for this modern style fun project.
Anyes Galleani perfect music if you know the lyrics: Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free 'Tis a gift to come down where I ought to be And when I am in the place just right I will be in the valley of love and delight When true simplicity is gained To bow and to bend I will not be ashamed To turn, to turn will be my delight 'Til by turning, turning, I come 'round right.
This is one of the nicest tiny van conversions I've seen.
Thank you!
Most beautiful well designed Ford connect converted I have ever seen
As a cabinet maker I see lots of time spent on it.this is piece of art.very well done.👍🌹
Thank you!!
Wow! The craftsmanship and design are amazing.
I have watched a LOT of bus, van, car...you name it conversions. A big observer of tiny homes too. This van looked like it had just a bench seat in the back, but had every feature you need. The van met the clients brief whilst also demanding it function somewhat like architectural purpose. What an absolutely fine achievement in craftsmanship.
Thank you!
The most ingenious sink and stove set-up I've ever seen. And an under the bed fridge?! Wo...
Very true
Awesome design. But I am not sure why you would want to sit on the floor to cook and wash dishes.
@@annwallace9537 You may have a point about the fixed location of the sink but you can use the stove anywhere (on the fold-down desk inside the van, on the pull-out table outside the van (even better for ventilation safety) or even completely away from the van on a picnic table if one is available). I didn't study their design that thoroughly but even the sink might have been placed on the very end of that pull-out drawer (where the groceries were kept) such that it could have also been used while standing outside the side door. Also placing the water tank on that side of the van would have helped counterbalance the weight of the heavy battery on the other side of the van.
This is the best van conversion I've seen anywhere. You two do a great job, the practical use of space and workmanship are top notch.
My favorite is the two ships hatches, never would have thought of that, but in a small van they are perfect.
Thank you so much for the great feedback.
What we have here people is craftsmanship. I like the background music too.
Thank you!
Your beautiful and unique masterpiece of design and craftsmanship is elegantly simple and simply elegant.
I have watched this video multiple times- the use of space is brilliant! The music is not the best- but they are builders!
This is stunning. I can't believe how you packed it all in there but kept it so clean and beautiful. You guys are ingenious, and a lovely couple. Best regards for the future.
This has to be by far the most practical functional and amazing small van build on RUclips after watching tons of videos I always come back to this one it’s an effective excellent spacious design truly incredible
Thank you!
Wow, this is a beautiful build - the best small van build I've seen so far. The woodwork is beautiful. So open, bright and roomy appearing. Great job!!!!
For this little van you made it look and feel spacious. Genius
What a beautiful build! The simplicity and functionality are impressive. May Jan enjoy it for many years.
One of the best small builds that is so useful and beautiful!!!! HOPE SHE IS LOVING HER CREATION
I find the inventiveness of many of the conversions to be interesting, but for my taste most feel claustrophobic. You, however, have nailed the simplicity and spacious feel. Could easily see myself living in this van for an extended period of time without feeling closed in.
ME TOO. I loved it and I think I'd be much happier in something this simple over the other stuff out there
I watch so many conversions but really admire the sleek design and spacious feel. Very cool!
Thank you!
That was a great design, I like how the kitchen slides away when not needed, do the same with a spot for a porta potty and keeps that nice open feeling which is crucial in such a tiny van. Great Job!
The intelligence behind the design and the craftmanship that brought the design to life are an absolute joy to see . . .magnifique.
Thank you so much for the kind words!
one of the absolute best designs ever! I want these people to build mine!
Me too, if I had the extra $
That is just the dandiest little camper I've ever seen. BRAVO!!
Get rid of music. It's distracting and loud. We just want the tour. Great job otherwise.
This is first camper van where I saw the couple seen enjoying with OLD AGE MOTHER by side is heart touching !
Yes, the music is too loud. As to the success of the van design and build, WOW!!! Exquisitely simple, functional, and esthetically pleasing!
One of the most elegant and functional conversions I know. congratulations
There are some very clever tradesman and fitters and then there are people at this level, artisans and artists, it goes beyond skill to a level of thinking and care and pride in the work, very clever ideas well executed.
Thank you very much!
@@Bespoke-creations cost for conversion, location where you do the conversion, how do I contact you?
@@tennisbum3686 You can visit our website www.bespoke-creations.net and email us at info@bespoke-creations.net
@@Bespoke-creations absolutely brilliant work!😗👌🏼
This is Best In Class! Truly incredible design. Minimalist brilliance defined.
You guys are genius. I was looking for small van conversion for weeks and this one is best so far. It's simple and look spacious when u seat there.
Very clever, best I’ve seen outside of Japan! Beautifully crafted woodwork. Brilliant ideas and a step away from the boring side kitchen
Thank you very much!
Very nice. Clean, compact, nice construction, and nice light colored woods. Keeps it well lit and seems to be more spacious. Well done.
What a beautiful build! Lots of creativity and lovely craftsmanship.
I had to mute because of the music. Awesome build. I love it. Thanks for sharing.
Echoing all of K.Michael’s comment. Great job. Nice presentation too. Small is the new large these days and you two have nailed it in your functional, tasteful, intelligent build. Answering a number of important questions I didn’t know I had. Gratitude. ❤ Cheers and happy trails.
Thank you!
Very nice !
Background music should be about 50% lower.
200% lower.
There should be ZERO music on this video!!!! We're watching it because we want to see a van conversion..........NOT to listen to music!
No. Must go 85% higher.
100 percent is highest percentage achieveable.!
Yes lower music and would like captions.
Incredible build. Love the minimalist look.
I believe this is the nicest design and best equipped transit connect I’ve ever seen!
And by the way i just thought the music was perfect and matched the the theme "compact and elegant" van conversion! Thanks for sharing again!
Stunning is a great word for this van build. The best thing is also how they created the illusion of space by narrowing the cabinets on the parallel walls. Amazing.
Really great design from outside you wouldn't guess how spacious it is.
Tidak bosan saya melihat ini.
Betul-betul sangat bagus mobilnya.
Bukan hanya kendaraannya, namun bagaimana mebahagiakan orang tua. Sangat istimewa.
Incredibly well thought-out and considered design, and the craftsmanship looks superb! I love the fact you have used light, natural colours. Plenty to think about for my final design, thank you!
Wow...love the design, spaciousness, and the quality of construction. You really listened to your customer. Great job. 😁👍👍👍💖
Very nicely built, you've put a lot of convenience into a small space. Well done!
Wow! Love it!
Such a small car, but a airy interior!
I actually missed the music altogether because the design aspects I was being shown were so AWESOME & PRACTICAL for such a small space!!
Best yet.
Good design & ideas guys, thanks.
cheers,
james~
Beautiful design. I like the simplicity and especially the pull out kitchen. Thanks for sharing.
Lovely way of life you have. Enjoy and be safe! This is the kind of life my wife and myself aspire to when we retire. It's quite sad to see so many young (and some not so young) people posting clips of their van life/downsizing lifestyle due to the deminshing wages, crappy jobs and escalating house prices.
The slide-out sink and sight-glass for the fresh water tank are AMAZING ideas.
Love your creation. I would love to have one like that. It is bright (lots of windows and skylights), very neat and clean lines. Love it.
Very very good! That’s the ONLY transit conversion that I’ve seen that looks appealing, comfortable & actually functional. Perfect!
Thank you!!
It's really clean and has a Japanese aesthetic. Beautiful : )
Hello there. In 2020 I was getting ready to retire and thinking of traveling the USA in a small converted van. Your video inspired me so much, and started me on an wonderful trip in my 2017 Nissan NV200 van "Kate the Van"...very close in size to this Ford Transit Connect. I was lucky to have a brother-in-law with a woodshop so I could learn some basic woodworking and convert the cargo van into a camper. Nowhere near as gorgeous as the work you did, but the same layout and it served me well. In January 2023 I bought a small travel trailer. I don't plan to every go back to apartment living, when I can simply have my trailer (aka "apartment on wheels" towed to where I want to live, and continue to use my van for camping trips. The money it's saving me in rent at RV parks compared to paying apartment rent is allowing me to live off my Social Security check. Your video was what made me know this gypsy-like life style was possible, and I will always be grateful. Kind regards :)
Wow what an amazing comment! We are so happy to hear that we had such a positive impact on your life, we never thought we could help people so far away but I guess this is what RUclips is for. Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us it means the world to us. We wish you happy travels in Kate the Van!! All the best!
Wow, you guys did an amazing job on Stanley!
Stunning is the right word for sure. luxury in also a good word to describe , just love this.
I see these on the road a lot and I’m like those lil buggers can fit in any city and any parking space. 27mpg 😄
very nice conversion, especially the sun roof windows.
Well done. 👍
Edit: After reading the other comments, I had to add that I didn't even notice the music.
What a fantastic little camper. Beautiful job.
Great custom camper
So well thought out and practical
I like how she talks.
Their funny accents and the background music makes it feel like an old national geographic documentary from the 1950's or 60s. Which is very cool!
For a second I thought Tony Hawk join the van life and made this video with you. He could be his doppelgänger for sure!
The best small van design I have seen. Brilliant.
Lovely design, I am very impressed! I especially like the pull out kitchen.
This is a brilliant low top van build. It is truly the best!
Excelent! I love the very practical kitchen design. I was getting tired of seeing household kitchen counters in tiny vans, this is surely refreshing. Great use of space!
Tony Hawk with New Zealand accent.... Cool conversion and New Zealand is a place I wanted to go to since I was a kid, as well as small islands; also New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Madagascar would be fantastic. Soon as I get my Light Body activated and then no need for metal flying machines, money and paperwork...... Thanks for the upload and enjoy your travels. Love Chris
Very nicely done! and I'm an Aaron Copeland fan, so the music is fine with me ;)
Me,too!
WOW, this build just blew me away 👍🏼
Lucky lady.
You could sell your plans and templates for your designs. Beautiful.
I’d definitely buy it
@@chettaisbetta me three
Agreed
Don’t care about the music, this is one of the most inspiring van builds I have ever seen! They have managed to do what i thought was impossible: create a light, airy and functional space inside a low small van. Making a nice living space in a van you can stand up in is easy (see all the fancy vanlifers in their giant sprinters!), and they work well in places like the US, Canada or Australia, but in Europe they are just too bulky. On the other hand Having used a converted people carrier as a camper it always felt like I couldn’t move naturally and was always ducking and bending to do anything. This is truly tiny on the outside and spacious on the inside, the perfect combo!
By having a very minimal installation and resisting the temptation of filling all the space with storage they have managed to keep a generous amount of free floor space, making it easy to move around. This also means you can still use it as a van should you need to transport anything! Well done! Beautiful project!
Thank you!
Next time can you park further away from the Renaissance Festival so the music doesnt impede with your vid, thanks
😁
HAHA
Absolutely the best design I've seen so far for the transit connect. Thank you for sharing your work and ideas.
Thank you!
after all the overbuilt, over-designed, over-engineered, overpowered, pretentious hipstery crap we get ... this lil thing comes along, functional, humble, practical,.. awesome work... awful video/music. Richard and Sophie THANK YOU.
I loved the music.
Music was too loud and a bit cheezzeee but informative video despite it.
Right on, Adrian.
Adrian Orozco agreed except I kinda liked the music. it's lyrics are about being free (-;
Wonderfully put Adrian...we could apply that to many many things in the new millennium.
Exquisitely crafted, practical simplicity and aesthetically beautiful. The respect for keeping things spacious and uncluttered is wonderful.
I've never seen this two-style table before, ingenious. I love the quality of the work and the idea of the slide-out kitchen, but I'd definitely opt for a larger fridge (if I were to stay in the van for extended periods of time, not necessarily full-time) and I'm afraid the cushions are going to separate when the owner turns over at night and make for an uncomfortable sleep, but maybe you've thought of a way to deal with that? Btw, pls reduce the volume on the background music. It's too loud (in my opinion, at least) and disturbs a bit. But a very nice job and video overall!
Wow, what a wonderful design, and all the little ideas, attention to detail, transformed and executed in a stunning sleek way, WOW!! 🤩👌🏻
Thank you!
And now “Lord of the Dance” is stuck in my head! lol
Wow that Van design was super clean...excellent excellent work
High Quality Joinery there 👍
Tout simplement incroyable ! Quelle ingéniosité dans l'aménagement ! Quelle qualité finition ! Vous avez établi de nouveaux standards.
Merci!
Nice build. But please, the music gets in the way.
I love Aaron Copland, but this is really annoying!
@@kristingibson3342 Tis a gift to be simple -- the theme of the build - i think it fits well
Hahaha bro...they're the Kiwis ...sang by her majesty's
Hahaha!!! Indeed. It's a bit much. I feel like I'm watching Masterpiece Theater or some other PBS show
The music is terrible
Well thought out design. Simple and elegant. The neutral colors, use of space along with the light wood tone does feel like a fusion of Japanese and Scan design. I didn't find the music distracting.
Outstanding!! I want one just like it! How much was the build out? You're amazing!!!
This has to be one of the nicest small van builds. Well done. I know you have so given me ideas
Is it Christmas?? I’ve always loved your original van - one of my all time faves. And now a layout for the connect - dream come true. Thanks for sharing!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼👍🏻👍🏻
Finally found it!!! This is the cleanest, nicest van design ever! Great job!
Bed with slats resting on storage boxes is a great concept, where did you get the aluminium frame rail? IMHO, kitchen is overkill, replace with storage for clothes, room for foldable toilet. Otherwise great execution. Watched it three times and now speak New Zealandish,
The aluminium was ordered on a website called BuyMetal
The accents and bird chirping made me actually find the music pleasant. Great video and van build!
Ford should licence the idea from you to mass produce this masterpiece of multi-purpose utility.
I second this idea but I want 33.3% in perpetuity for the licensing.
Homeless won't be able to afford it. Profit margin needs to be low. Just sell the conversion design, and allow DIY.
there's a lot more space in here, and better thought out, than i've seen in most small van/car builds. love it
What a nice surprise to get notified of your first video. Congratulations and Great work on a small van.
One small thing - music was a bit loud on certain parts of video when you were both talking 😉
This van is amazing. The best I've seen . Simple and feels cool and spacious, and very creative in design.
Thank you!
Lovley design!! It looks so well done. May i ask from where you got the skylights? I was searching for one like these. Nice greetings
The skylights brand is Bomar, from the low profile series. They are available in any marine store as well as online shops (including Amazon).
This is by far the best conversion I have ever seen simply 👌.. great job
I liked the video (and the van) but had a hard time in some areas to understand what was being said because the music was too loud. I also found it annoying because it was not the right music for this modern style fun project.
The only way I could watch was to mute the music. Music is for the intro and outro or a music video.
Yes, sorry about that guys, we have had some issues with the person who made the video for us. Next video will be made by someone else!
Anyes Galleani perfect music if you know the lyrics:
Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free
'Tis a gift to come down where I ought to be
And when I am in the place just right
I will be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend I will not be ashamed
To turn, to turn will be my delight
'Til by turning, turning, I come 'round right.
Beautiful build, and tour. Jen will enjoy that for a very long time.
Superb making, great design! First rate! Dial down volume of music next time. Foreground music in this case. But seriously, lovely ideas and build.
Your carpentry is very thoughtful and beautiful
No music needed. The video stands up on its own.
This is lovely! Super compact vehicle with a simple design that has what you need. I love that it’s not pretentious!