Winnie Is a Compact Renault Trafic-Based Camper Van With a Dreamy Rustic Decor

For some people who cherish the outdoors and more traditional values, luxury is freedom to roam, simplicity, and the timeless, effortless beauty of reclaimed wood. This is exactly what the camper van conversions signed off by the team at Handkrafted Campers offer, and today we're going to look at their amazing "Winnie” build, which will make you go weak at the knees with its extensive use of reclaimed wood and beautiful rustic decor.

Handkrafted Campers is a boutique van outfitter based in Bristol, UK. It was started in 2018 by Issey and Shelly, two women with some woodworking experience and impressive DIY skills, and it has since been a force to be reckoned with in the self-built, handcrafted camper van realm.

They specialize in bespoke conversions with rustic wooden interiors, and each of the builds they complete is an absolute work of art. Moreover, despite their rustic appearance, their camper vans offer modern, 21st-century amenities for high-end living comfort, including solar-powered electrical systems, running water, and even hot showers.

The Winnie camper van was built on a 2020 Renault Trafic H3L2, so it's a rather compact home on wheels, but we hope its crude yet homely interior design will give you some ideas and inspire you to dip a toe into vanlife. The van measures just 4,399 mm (14.5 feet) in length and 1,956 mm (6.5 feet) in width, but the interior feels spacious and has a lovely, organic feel, and its compact dimensions mean the van is easier to maneuver down those beautiful and windy countryside roads.

The exterior is rather standard with its white paint job, and the only noteworthy additions to the outside are the Fiamma F45s awning abode the side sliding door and the 160-watt Rigid solar panel on the roof. The interior is where all the magic happens, and as soon as you step inside, you'll be enveloped in a warm, fuzzy feeling induced by the extensive use of reclaimed wood and bespoke details.

The ceiling, the flooring, and all the cabinets and benches inside this mobile cabin have been handcrafted with great attention to detail, showcasing incredible skill, precision, and creativity. What’s more, all the cladding inside has been painted with non-toxic paint, and the conscious use of materials makes it exude an environmentally friendly vibe.

Despite its rustic appearance, don't expect spartan functionality. Winnie is as innovative as any other modern camper and offers all the comforts of home, including a cooking space, a seating and dining area, a large bed, and even basic bathroom facilities. With three belted seats and an extra-large double bed at the rear, this is an ideal camper for a couple or a small family. And if you want to take a furry friend with you on the road, there is enough space in the entryway for a dog bed.

The layout of this conversion proves a good understanding of space efficiency in tight confines. The available interior space has been deftly divided between an L-shaped front kitchen and a multifunctional rear space with a U-shaped seating arrangement that can be used for lounging and dining during the day and morphs into a comfortable bed at night.

The kitchen counter acts as a partition between the driver's cab and the actual living space, and there is also a curtain that ensures complete privacy. Accoutered with a large sink, a Sterline two-burner induction cooktop, and a Dometic 45-liter compressor fridge/freezer, this utterly stunning kitchen makes cooking on the road a pleasure. It also offers sufficient meal prep area, and its configuration ensures an efficient work flow.

The large seating area at the back of the van can easily seat five people, and the custom benches come with boho-style cushions that perfectly match the overall rustic aesthetic. An adjustable Lagun table with a solid wood tabletop creates the perfect setting for dining.

Despite the compact design, this camper also incorporates tons of storage solutions, such as a large storage compartment above the cab, overhead cabinets in the seating area, drawers under the bed, plenty of kitchen storage, and a long shelf that runs the entire length of the van. You'll also find handy shoe racks in the entryway.

As you might have noticed, there is no indoor bathroom inside this van, but the designers did include an outside shower point and a Thetford Potti portable toilet. Moreover, Winnie is designed to allow outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy the beauty of nature in off-grid locations with 110Ah Lithium batteries connected to the roof solar panel and a Victron Smart Solar MPPT charger 100/20, a 48-liter fresh water tank in garage space, and a 20-liter underslung waste water tank. The mobile habitat will be kept comfortable by a diesel heater with remote control and a Maxxfan Deluxe fan.

From the efficient floor plan to the rustic decor, every little detail of the dreamy Winnie camper van is a testament to the builders' commitment to quality, excellent craftsmanship, and uniqueness, and the design will surely allow owners to "Live gently upon this earth," just as the sticker on the fridge recommends.