MEET THE RUSTY CADDY
A SMALL VAN. A LOT OF PLANS.
I wanted something small enough to use as an everyday vehicle but big enough to disappear in for a few days. So I bought a VW Caddy Maxi and started turning it into my own little camper.
This isn’t a professional van conversion. I’m figuring it out as I go — building the bed, sorting the storage, choosing the kit and working out what you actually need to live out of a small van.
This page follows the conversion, the mistakes, the camping trips and the adventures along the way.
THE CONVERSION
From ordinary VW Caddy Maxi to tiny mobile basecamp.
VW CADDY MAXI CAMPER CONVERSION
I started with an ordinary VW Caddy Maxi and a fairly simple idea: build a small camper that I could actually use for walking trips and weekends away.
Here’s the full conversion so far — what I’ve done, what I’ve used and what I’ve learned along the way.
🔨 THE BUILD
Bed, storage, insulation and turning the back of the Caddy into somewhere to sleep.
⚡ VAN KIT
Power, lighting, cooking and the bits of kit that make a small van much easier to live with.
🏕️ VAN CAMPING
Campsites, overnight stops and places worth taking the Caddy.
WHAT’S IN THE VAN?
You don’t need loads of expensive gear to camp in a small van. These are the things I’ve actually found useful — and the things that have earned a permanent place in the Caddy.
⚡ POWER
I didn’t rig up any power in the van, I use a Jackery power box which gives me about 3 or 4 days of charging for my laptop and phone. I also carry an electric hookup if I stop at a campsite.
🛏️ SLEEPING
I bought a pre built single bed and use my camping quilt and some blankets. It’s more than comfortable for me.
☕ CAMPING KIT
I’ve accumulated loads of hiking cooking equipment so didn’t really need anything else. I did by a camping gaz stove but that was about it.
WHERE THE CADDY TAKES ME
The conversion is only really the beginning. The whole point of the van is being able to throw the walking gear in the back and head somewhere interesting for a few days. Campsites, pub stops, walking weekends, road trips and the occasional questionable overnight parking decision.
The Caddy is still a work in progress — and that’s half the fun. There’ll be more changes, more kit, more campsites and hopefully plenty of miles along the way.
Rusty Outside 