🎙️ Episode Title: Ep 187 w/ John Stuckey at Bear Hug Campers - Building the Perfect Campervan | Vanlife Design & Road Trip Freedom
In this week’s episode of The Winging It Travel Podcast, I chat with John Stuckey, the founder of Bear Hug Campers, a UK-based company known for crafting custom-built campervans that perfectly blend design, functionality, and adventure.
John shares how his passion for travel, craftsmanship, and freedom led him from building his first DIY campervan to launching a thriving business helping others bring their vanlife dreams to life. Based near the South Downs in England, Bear Hug Campers has become a go-to name for bespoke van conversions, off-grid living setups, and self-build support.
We unpack every stage of the campervan conversion journey — from early inspiration and learning the essential skills to understanding realistic build costs, materials, and layouts that actually work on the road. John also reveals the biggest rookie mistakes first-time builders make, the non-negotiables for safety and quality, and how to make smart choices that save money without cutting corners.
If you’ve ever dreamed of designing your own van, taking a road trip across Europe or North America, or simply embracing a more minimalist, nomadic lifestyle, this episode is packed with invaluable insight and encouragement. John’s experience offers both the creative inspiration and practical knowledge needed to start your own vanlife journey.
We also discuss the latest vanlife trends for 2025, including the rise of smaller, stealthy vans, clever space-saving designs, and why more people are turning to modular and off-grid builds. Plus, John explains how Bear Hug Campers supports the growing self-build community through his online van conversion courses, offering hands-on guidance, video tutorials, and a vibrant learning community for DIY builders.
This is a must-listen for vanlife enthusiasts, digital nomads, and travellers who want to combine creativity with practicality — and discover what it truly takes to build a home on wheels.
🎧 Support & Connect
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show — it really helps others discover the podcast!
🔔 Subscribe, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for Winging It, and support the podcast via Buy Me A Coffee!
⏰ Timestamps
00:00 Safety First: The Importance of Quality in Conversions
03:07 Budgeting for Your Dream Van: Cost Breakdown
06:01 Travel Tales: Exploring the UK and Beyond
08:55 The Allure of American Road Trips
12:03 Cultural Experiences: Japan and Its Unique Charm
14:49 The Journey to Van Conversions: Personal Experiences
18:06 Learning the Craft: Skills for Van Building
21:04 Bear Hug Campers: The Business of Custom Conversions
29:01 Building a Community Around Van Conversions
30:12 Budgeting for Van Conversions
34:35 Essential Features in Van Conversions
37:09 Cost-Saving Strategies Without Compromising Quality
41:07 Safety First: Where Not to Cut Corners
42:57 Common Rookie Mistakes in Van Conversions
48:35 Trends in Campervan Designs
51:06 Choosing the Right Van for Conversion
57:37 Must-Have Elements for a Successful Build
59:07 Designing the...
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.