There’s a bit of a trend going around lately with Aussies deciding to convert their vans, campers, and buses to hit the road and make the most of our pretty iconic country. That lifestyle of waking up by the oceanside or just in a completely different environment has become more and more popular, and one local business is making all of your dreams come true; meet Newcastle Van Fitouts.

Brought to you by local larrikin and all-around easy-going guy, Jake Heggs, this local business has been making the dreams of many local keen road-trippers come true by converting their vans, campers, and buses since August last year.

Having jumped around in the trade’s world for the past few years, originally working as a diesel mechanic, before moving onto plastering then finally carpentry, it wasn’t until Jake was asked by his sister-in-law if he could complete a fitout in her van, that the idea was sparked.

“I put the Instagram page out and before I even started on her van I’d booked in another three jobs and it has all kind of snowballed from there,” Jake said.

Not even a year old, the business has seen Jake already complete 15 conversions, all of which were unique in design and build, making no two projects at all alike. From trade fitouts, camping canopies, and vans with the full works, Newcastle Van Fitouts does it all.

“I just love how creative it is, each fit-out is so different and comes with new challenges. I like that I get to do every stage from design to construction. Just being completely hands on and just kind of running my own race.”

To get a real understanding of how the whole process works, we followed Jake on his latest project, converting this iconic Toyota Coaster into a family-friendly roadtrip ready holiday home on wheels.

“We work with the client to design whatever they are after. No two fitouts have been the same and I love seeing something new from clients and making it happen for them.”

The first step to making your roadtrip dreams come true is by heading online here and submitting a FREE quote request. Jake will have you answer a bunch of questions that will help him get an idea of what you’re hoping for and to estimate a rough build price.

“The client starts out by filling out a quote request form, I give them a rough price, and they then come out so I can measure everything up and talk through ideas and layout. Once everything is all set-in-stone, they leave the van with me for 2-3 weeks and it gets back to them 100% complete.”

Once you leave your van, camper, or bus with Jake, that’s when the real fun starts and Newcastle Van Fitouts starts injecting new life into your project.

From gutting the interior to measuring it all up, every single detail is thought out well and truly before timber is cut, or electricity and plumbing are fitted. The best part is that Jake will work with you to curate a selection of features that will suit your road-tripping wants and needs.

From plumbing, solar systems, and custom cabinetry, to water tanks, cooktops, and even roof racks; you name it, Jake can get it sorted for you.

“We mostly just use caravan plywood, some natural timbers, recycled timbers with specialty fixings and finishes.”

Whilst Jake’s specialty is the design and carpentry side of things, he works alongside other masters of their trades for electric, plumbing, and more. This collaborative approach rounds out each of the projects for a fully-fledged fitout giving each client all they’d need and more in their own project.

For the most part, projects will take somewhere between two to three weeks from start to completion, however, will totally depend on the scale of work and inclusions throughout the fitout. For instance, this beauty of a project, the Toyota Coaster, ended up taking a solid four weeks to complete!

For the true explorers out there looking to bring a bit more pizazz into their roadtrip adventures, or even those needing a trade fitout, Jake from Newcastle Van Fitouts has you covered in every aspect with his incredible tailored approach to projects. Keen? Head to the website here and get your FREE custom quote.