It’s Heidi’s Alpine house… on wheels! The one-of-a-kind ‘Chaletvan’ that’s available to rent
- The Chaletvan sleeps two and is available to rent from £65 a day on Camplify
- The van is a 2008 Fiat Ducato that was converted by artist Barry Stimson
- It comes with a camping shower, Bluetooth speakers, chairs, and a washing line
It’s the van that takes ‘mobile home’ to another level.
Behold the one-of-a-kind ‘Chaletvan’ – a ‘Heidi-style’ Alpine chalet on wheels that’s available to rent.
The van is a 2008 Fiat Ducato that was converted into the ‘Chaletvan’ by designer and artist Barry Stimson as a ‘one-off functional piece of art’.
Behold the one-of-a-kind ‘Chaletvan’ – a ‘Heidi-style’ Alpine chalet on wheels that’s available to rent
The van is a 2008 Fiat Ducato that was converted into the ‘Chaletvan’ by designer and artist Barry Stimson as a ‘one-off functional piece of art’
Preston-based campervan enthusiast Lara Hewitt bought the van from Barry through eBay in August 2018.
After starting with family trips to Anglesea, Lara headed out on a six-week adventure across Europe in the Chaletvan. As a filmmaker and writer, Lara decided to make a film of her experience in the van, Goodbye Europe, which is set to be shown at festivals in the UK and Italy.
Then the pandemic hit, and since Lara hasn’t been able to travel as much, she wanted to share her whacky mobile companion with others and ‘hopefully inspire more adventurers to follow in her footsteps’.
The Chaletvan sleeps two and is available to rent from £65 a day on Camplify – a campervan and motorhome sharing community. The collection point is in Preston.
The Chaletvan sleeps two and is available to rent from £65 a day on Camplify
Preston-based campervan enthusiast Lara Hewitt bought the van on eBay in August 2018
The listing says: ‘Heidi’s house on wheels! The Chaletvan makes everyone smile. It’s like having a puppy or a baby, you’ll make lots of friends with her and get lots of waves.
‘She’s clean, bright and simple on the inside. Just battery-powered lights, a bed, a camping table, camping stove and bbq… a pull-out loo and plenty of space.
‘There’s also a funky camping shower (for outdoor use only), Bluetooth speakers, books, camping chairs, umbrellas, a washing line and some other fun bits and bobs.
‘The bed is 1m 20cm wide by 1m 78cm long (about 5ft 10in long). So, if you’re six foot and you like to sleep poker straight, you might struggle, but for those that like to curl and cuddle it’s just fine. It’s not a king-size bed in a hotel, but that’s not the point.’
Amid the UK staycation boom, Camplify has seen an 83 per cent increase in bookings and a 325 per cent increase in owners signing up to share their vans.
Lara, pictured, headed out on a six-week adventure across Europe in the Chaletvan. She made a film of her experience, Goodbye Europe, which is set to be shown at festivals in the UK and Italy
Lara wants to share her whacky mobile companion with others and ‘hopefully inspire more adventurers to follow in her footsteps’