This is a very well overdue post (oopsie! Sorry!), especially if you’ve been following our travels on Instagram! But here it is, the story of Mo! And her mighty make-over!!
Itโs been a well-known dream of ours to have a Campervan that we can use for full-time travel. In the UK that seemed near impossible, a decent one was well out of our budget, and in all honesty; who wantโs to live in a van during an English winter? Itโs a bit (very) clichรฉ but Australia seemed the perfect place to start. It wasnโt a plan set in stone, but if we saw one we liked we would look more serious into itโฆ And weโd like to introduce you to โVan Morrisonโ, or โMighty Moโ.
Mighty Mo came into our lives via gumtree but was originally a little too pricey for us. We viewed a couple of others, got to know her owners and in the end decided that actually, she was a bit of a bargain (with a fair bit of haggling involved too).
Not many vans that come from backpackers have been well looked after; they often get ragged around the outback and driven to almost the brink of ending up in a scrap yard, but Moโs previous resident was a backpacking mechanic. This meant that although sheโs old and been about a bit, all her insides have been well maintained and a lot has been replaced!
She might not be the prettiest to most people, but her character is what made us fall for her.
Her roof has the doodles of times gone by and places sheโs visited, sheโs definitely been about. From the outside she doesnโt scream โthereโs people sleeping in meโ like a lot do either, and that was important to us.
We love the popular VW campervan, but when you see them in a car park at night you know itโs likely to be housing a couple of travellers hoping to not get moved on. Mo is a bit more conspicuous; she doesnโt look out-of-place parked on the side of the road but on the inside, sheโs comfy and welcoming.
When we picked her up she was technically ready to go, the seat to bed conversion was an easy setup and there was plenty of storage.
We could have set off on a road trip and been comfortable enough, but we wanted to make her more than just a bed on wheels; she needed to be home. So our first stop, naturally, was Ikea and Kmart.
Armed with a ton of fabric, new bedding, blankets and cushions we spent 3 days turning our Mighty Mo from budget comfort into budget luxury.
Psst – Check out our Vanlifer Directory! It’s full of everything you need to know when it comes to living on the road!
Might Moโs Mighty campervan make-over.
Moโs previous owners (and who knows how many before them) were smokers, so the first thing on our list was to air her out, get rid of any rubbish left behind and give her a good clean.
I only wish Iโd taken more photos of before and after. We cleared out anything that we wouldnโt be needing and made way for this campers fresh start.
We swapped out makeshift curtains made from old blankets for blackout fabric, attached one to the wire over the sliding door, using velcro to keep it back whilst driving and attached velcro to the other to cover the back windows at night.
A third Piece is attached to a cable by the front seats to make the back compartment completely hidden away.
We completely upcycled the shelving unit to make space for our new fridge; it made the back of Mo feel a little bigger by moving the fridge out-of-the-way.
It may seem like we’ve lost storage, but everything we took out, fit back, with a little space for extras! New baskets make it a little more organized and keep everything in its place. We chose to cover it in a carpet to make it blend in better, and just look prettier than burnt, dirty wood.
- before
- after
The legs under the benches were originally in the middle; we altered this and moved them to sit nearer the wheel arch. This opens up space under here and allows more room for storage boxes; Kmart had these small storage boxes with front facing lids that slide up/in, so to access our clothes we donโt need to lift an entire box out to get in from the top.
Our bedding acts as bench cushions during the daytime, but we also attached blankets to the benches. These protect the bedding from getting caught but also hang down to hide away all our storage underneath.
Add a few additional lights to the roof. A storage pocket on the back of the passenger seat. Some scatter cushions and Mighty Mo is ready for her first Officer Adventure. Watch this space!! Until then: read about our first month in Melbourneย here!


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Loved reading about Mo make over. So glad you are both happy and making all these lovely memories. It’s so nice that we are able to take the journey with you, with the Officer travels. Miss you guys. Looking forward to May xx
wow this seems great… No need of going around searching for hotels and lodges to stay when you can stay in your van :D…. This looks comfortable and fun to be with your loved ones ๐
I had a van like this for central Qld trips, so much fun! Well decked out just make sure you have plenty of snacks xx
I would so love to get one of these for when my husband and I retire. It’s great how you made it roomier and gave “Mighty Mo” your own little unique touch. I do hope that you left the writings on it!
You have really turned around your Mighty Mo, literally & figuratively!! It looks so cozy & amazing for a road trip!! ๐
I do wish you had added more before pictures. You certainly have made it look very comfy. I like the fact that you don’t have to move stuff out of the way to get to your clothes, everything seems to be in easy reach. I hope you have many great adventures in MO.
You guys did an amazing job! I cannot wait to do a remodel of a vehicle like this and drive it around the country.
I’m glad you got the van for a nice and reasonable price. This way you guys can travel and explore. My parents didn’t have a camp van. We had campers. We left one camper at a campground and went there every weekend. I have only taken my kids camping in tents. I would rather a camper.
I’m a big fan of your van. You did a great job fixing it up. I hope you have a fabulous time traveling.
Mighty Mo,brings back so many memories of my father campervan and how I loved it so much. Me and my hubby actually renovated her as well. She doesn’t have a cool name but we know she a she, because my daddy said so. Our girls love when she’s in the driveway and prefer her to anything else, when traveling.
This is really fun! It looks really homey in there too.
Wow! Congratulations. She looks gorgeous to me and I am sure you must have already planned your next adventure with her. ๐