Kara and Murray Bothma have turned their passion for surfing and travelling into a profitable business – converting old vans into portable homes at a budget price.
The young married couple are part of a growing collective of youths opting to ditch the 9 to 5 city grind and live on the road, trading suits for wetsuits and exploring Australia’s rugged coastline, chasing the next wave.
Murray, a carpenter, stumbled upon his business by pure chance after helping a friend transform his Toyota Landcruiser into a custom camper van in 2015 – fitted with a bed, room for surfboards and a kitchen.
Working with wife Kara, 22, who takes care of the designing, styling and system testing, the dream team have since fitted out 15 vans while juggling their final years of study and surf trips up and down the coast.
Their business Abe Shapes has taken off on the northern beaches of Sydney, and the pair are in high demand to build the ultimate travel wagon for countless surfers eager to enjoy a stress-free nomadic lifestyle on the road.
Kara and Murray Bothma have turned their passion for surfing and travelling into a profitable business – converting old vans into portable homes at a budget price
The young married couple are part of a growing collective of youths opting to ditch the 9 to 5 city grind and live on the road
The couple launched their business Abe Shapes last year – and have fitted out 15 vans while juggling their final years of study
Kara (pictured surfing) handles the design aspect while Murray, a carpenter by trade, makes the custom camper van a reality
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Murray said fit outs varied in cost from under $2,000 to over $4,000 – depending on whether the client wanted to splurge on wooden interior details and shelving or settle for the bare essentials.
From start to finish, the job typically takes the pair – who have one employee – under a week to complete.
‘We love small space design because every inch matters and the design has to be absolutely perfect, especially for clients that are going to be living in their vans long term,’ Murray, 24, explained.
‘To us, it’s super important that we hit the sweet spot between function and aesthetics. We believe that the van has to look beautiful and inviting if you are going to be spending extended time in it.’
In addition to creating beautiful custom camper vans – complete with beds, hardwood bench tops, drawers, water tanks, fridge space and floating floor boards – they have their own vans designed for carefree travelling.
Their preferred vehicle is Kara’s ‘pride and joy’ – a 1985 Volkwagen Kombi Transporter affectionately named Pearl.
Murray said fit outs varied in cost from under $2,000 to over $4,000 – depending on whether the client wanted to splash on wooden interior details or settle for the bare essentials
Murray (left) and Kara (right) are both huge advocates of the nomadic lifestyle, both owning custom vans designed for carefree travelling
Cruising in Kara’s ‘pride and joy’ – a 1985 Volkwagen Kombi Transporter affectionately named Pearl – the pair have enjoyed some of the country’s best kept secrets and forged friendships on the road with people from all different walks of life
No one design is the same: The Bothmas work with their clients to create a design that suits their specific style of travelling
‘I just love that no matter where we are sleeping, I can draw the curtains and feel completely at home no matter where we are’
Cruising in Pearl, the Bothmas have roadtripped across Australia’s coastline, enjoying some of the country’s best kept secrets and forging friendships on the road with people from all different walks of life.
‘We love van life because it allows us complete freedom to go wherever we want to go without booking accommodation… chasing perfect waves and weather,’ Murray said.
‘It also allows you to really experience the culture of a place as it often opens up conversations with locals and travelers.’
‘I just love that no matter where we are sleeping, I can draw the curtains and feel completely at home no matter where we are,’ added Kara.
‘It’s by far the best way to travel, we can follow pumping waves and weather up and down the coast.’
Murray said it was super important to ‘hit the sweet spot between function and aesthetics’ when building the camper vans
‘We love van life because it allows us complete freedom to go wherever we want to go without booking accommodation,’ Murray told Daily Mail Australia
Pictured above is one of their custom-designed camper vans, complete with a sliding shelf fitted with a gas cooker
From start to finish, each job typically takes the pair – who have one employee – under a week to complete
Each van comes complete with beds, hardwood bench tops, drawers, water tanks, fridge space and floating floor boards
Murray and Kara, both from Sydney, are in high demand to build the ultimate travel wagon for countless surfers keen to ditch their 9-5 desk jobs and become van lifers