Van living has conquered the hearts of many all over the world, becoming more than just a way to travel. It's now a symbol of freedom, fun, and exploration, with more people choosing to live in their converted camper vans full-time.
While some van lifers are content with a simple, no-frills van conversion that meets their basic needs, others prefer more sophisticated designs with all the comforts of home, elevated styling, and high-end finishes. Today, we're looking at a camper van conversion that belongs to the latter category.
Meet Tryfan, a campervan conversion that is both aesthetically pleasing and fully equipped for full-time living on the road. It was built by Brown Bird and Company, a professional van outfitter based in North Yorkshire, England, that specializes in turning regular vans into functional homes on wheels and comes with a fresh design and plenty of bespoke features.
Based on an LWB Mercedes Sprinter van, this rolling home is named after one of the most famous, beautiful, and challenging mountains in Wales. It was meticulously crafted to the company's highest specification and is tailored for adventurers who want a roomy interior, modern comforts, and a luxurious feel.
Photo: Brown Bird & Co
Starting our tour with the exterior of the van, Tryfan boasts a rather rugged appearance with a sleek black finish and several external upgrades that turn it into an adventure machine. Worth mentioning are the five-tonne leaf springs on the front and back, which helped maintain the height of the vehicle after the conversion, active shock absorbers that enhance the ride quality, and large 18" Rhino Warlord alloy wheels with KO2 Goodrich All-Terrain tires that allow the vehicle to tackle challenging terrain.
A sturdy roof rack from Manta Deck adorns the van's roof, while the rear doors hold a combined Mule ladder and spare wheel rack and a safari carrier that can be used to mount bike racks, skis, or external storage. All of these accessories are made from powder-coated aluminum, which makes them light and resistant to corrosion and damage from the elements. The rugged appearance is further enhanced by body flares and wheel arch and hood trims from Terrawagon USA.
Inside the van, the outfitter managed to create a gorgeous minimalist living space with a woodland-inspired look that gives off cozy cabin vibes. They used an earthy color palette and natural wood accents, including live edge benchtops, that help create a soothing, sanctuary-like ambiance.
Photo: Brown Bird & Co
The open, spacious layout is based on the designers' extensive experience of living in vans full-time and comprises a welcoming lounge at the front, a practical central kitchen, a shower, and a large double bed at the rear. They prioritized comfort in order to create a van that is not only suitable for vacations but also for full-time vanlife.
As such, they included a generously-sized L-shaped sofa right behind the driver's cab. It boasts an optimized design with an angled seating base for maximum relaxation and plush seating cushions with commercial-grade upholstery in a pleasant green color that adds style to the whole setup.
The sofa also includes convenient storage compartments underneath and is accompanied by a double-leaf oak table mounted on a black powder-coated swivel table leg.
The galley kitchen offers ample storage space with several custom black cabinets with cupboards and drawers. The cooking station with a two-hob gas cooktop is on one side of the van, while a separate kitchen unit on the opposite side houses a large black sink and a flip-up worktop extension.
Photo: Brown Bird & Co
What makes the kitchen design pop out is the live edge English Pippy Oak counterop and splashback, which is the company's signature feature in all of its builds. With its rich color tones, knots, and complex wood grain patterns, these beautiful counters give the kitchen a special kind of warmth. It feels like this van is directly part of the forest and its natural beauty.
The shower room is fully lined and comes with a customized stainless steel powder coated shower tray for enhanced protection and a mirrored door. Apart from the shower itself, it also houses a Dometic portable toilet.
Toward the rear of the van, twin side pods extend the size of the width-ways bed to 135 x194 cm (53 x 76.4 inches). It's a platform bed with a memory foam-topped mattress and a large storage area underneath. Speaking of storage, this campervan also has upper storage cabinets with pack slab doors in the bedroom area, generous under-sofa storage space with dividers for efficient organization, and an over-cab storage compartment.
Photo: Brown Bird & Co
In terms of lighting fixtures, the Tryfan van conversion features new handmade designs made in-house with copper and oak materials. They are mostly down lights that produce a warm, calming glow.
Since this camper van is designed for full-time living, it comes with a reliable electrical system with quality Victron components that enable off-grid adventures. A minimum of 300W flexible solar panels harvest energy from the sun, while a 360Ah Roamer Lithium leisure battery ensures you have plenty of energy storage. The van also comes with a Truma Combi diesel and electric heating and hot water system.
A basic Tryfan van conversion starts from £39,000 (about $50,750 at current exchange rates), and Brown Bird & Co offers a long list of optional upgrades, including a pop-top bi-fold roof, snorkel, awning, suspension upgrades, winterized utilities, and more.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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