AN ISLE of Wight woman has fulfilled her dream of converting a removal van into a mobile home – and is now taking that mystery machine on a grand tour of the UK.

Emily Weeks, formerly of Wootton, bought the van for £2,000 when she was just 22 years old.

Now 24, she has finally hit the road after quite literally pouring blood, sweat and tears into her mammoth DIY project.

“I didn’t start on it straight away,” said Emily.

Emily in her mobile home. (Image: County Press)

“I always wanted to convert a van, ever since I was at school.

“I always knew I wanted to travel in a van, but I didn’t know at the time if I wanted a pre-done one – a motor home – but when the opportunity came up to covert my own, I thought: yeah, lets do it.

“By the time I’d taken out the ply lining that the previous owner had put in, the floor had rotted and needed welding.

The condition of the floor when Emily first bought her van. (Image: Emily Weeks)

“The first point of call was to get an MOT for it.

“It spent three weeks in the garage, where mechanics welded the floor and did everything else that needed doing for it to pass.

“That put me back around £950, then the rest I did myself – learning everything on YouTube, really.

Emily in her mobile home. (Image: County Press)

“I’d get the gist of what to do from watching videos, then I’d go and do my own research to figure out what the best product was for it.

“Like everything in life, everyone has an opinion; and I just went with what I read and thought made the most sense.

“The next hurdle was sound deadening on the sides, roof and floor.

Emily in her mobile home, Wanda the Wanderer. (Image: County Press)

“When you drive, you get road noise, and in a panel van that is so much worse because it’s just an empty shell, so you put sound deadening on the panels to minimise the vibrations.

“Behind the walls, you have the sound deadening, a vapour barrier to stop moisture ingress, and recycled plastic bottle insulation.

“Each section has different insulation, and I can’t complain; I was living in it when it was -6C outside and I wasn’t cold. I woke up and it was 8C in here.

Emily enjoying the sunset in her van on the Isle of Wight. (Image: Emily Weeks)

“I’ve also got thermal-line curtains, which help keep the heat in, and the skylight at the back has a built-in reflective blind.”

It took Emily just eight months to finish the project, and that’s while working full-time as a dental nurse.

The total cost of the project was around £5,500, and if Emily sold it today, she reckons it would go for upwards of £15,000.

Emily in her mobile home, Wanda the Wanderer. (Image: County Press)

“I was working on it in the evenings and at the weekends,” said Emily.

“I’d finish work at five or six, come home, and work on the van until 11pm under a flood light.

“I got the van pre-pandemic, and after the pandemic, the price of vans shot through the roof.

The van even has a cooker. (Image: County Press)

“Now, it’s hard to get a van for less than £5,000, so I did it at the right time.

“People say blood, sweat and tears, and it really was.

“There were nights of frustration. You watch videos and think: yeah, that’s simple. But when you put it into practice, it is not easy.

“You’re also reliant on Royal Mail and delivery services, especially on the Island, and constantly battling with the cost of resources.

“It took me eight months, and that was behind schedule; but looking back, that was a pretty good timeframe."

Emily was schooled at Godshill Primary School, Osborne Middle School, and Carisbrooke College, and went on to study at the Island Innovation Sixth Form.

There's no place like home. (Image: County Press)

She wanted to be a medic in the army, but a failed medical put paid to that career path, and she eventually found herself in dental nursing, which she did for five years.

Now, she is a marketing sales executive with Newsquest, happily working remotely three and a half days a week because her outgoings are so minimal.

Her plan is to travel the entire UK coastline.

“Me and my best friend used to talk about doing this when we were 14,” said Emily.

“That dream never died for me, and now I’m actually doing it.”