Camp Quirky 2018 – 3-day festival for self-build camper vans

Camp Quirky 2018

Last weekend saw the second annual Camp Quirky, a hugely successful 3-day festival for self-build camper vans hosted by the van-hire company Quirky Campers. The camp is the only event for self-build campers in the UK and has quickly grown from a single-day event held mainly for quirky van owners into a 3-day festival attracting 500 people at all stages in their van life journey from casual browsers to those who have bought a van and are looking for inspiration and advice on how to convert it.

Organisers Lindsay, David and Jamie have achieved a massive amount in the six short months between the first Camp Quirky in October 2017 and the spring extravaganza that was Camp Quirky 2018. The programme was varied and interesting, offering workshops on van conversion-related topics like living in a van long-term, plumbing, fridges, solar panels and how to get beyond the daydream phase. There were also sessions for trying your hand at lots of handicrafts like wood carving, felting, stained glass, even masonry, showing that quirky campers are very creative, artistic people!

For those who preferred to support established artists there were stalls selling handmade goods such as pottery, etched glassware and camping equipment. Two of our favourites were Catupholstery who sells gorgeous leather pouches and takes orders for custom work on van conversions and These Two Hands, authors of The Extra Mile Guide and retailers of some wonderful handmade goods.

The atmosphere was relaxed, with live music in the big tent in the evenings and a large communal campfire. There were stalls selling cocktails from a converted VW and pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven.

Undoubtedly the main event however was the unparalleled opportunity to see many of Quirky Campers’ vans all in one place, and to look at other self-build vans.

Van owners threw open their doors on Saturday afternoon and allowed people to look inside. There was an atmosphere of collaboration and excitement as people shared their stories of how their vans were made and their plans for future adventures. The warm and friendly vibe was widespread, with many full-time vandwellers wanting to show their own homes off too. We loved showing off MacIntyre – a Vauxhall Movano that has been converted into a spacious 2-berth camper van using reclaimed whiskey barrels and decorated with its owner Phil Young’s own carved wooden artwork. https://www.dendrophile.co.uk/

Our vlog from Camp Quirky

You can see more from our time at Camp Quirky by watching our video on YouTube. You can also see our converted van and where we took her on the maiden voyage in 2019.