— Stories·Vol. 04 · 2026

The custom campervan
handbook.

Plain answers on what a custom campervan really costs, how the sixteen-week build runs, and the spec choices that actually earn their keep. Written by the people building the campers, in a small Surrey workshop.

09 pieces·3 topics·Updated May 2026

— Editor's pick

Workshop floor with a partially built Mercedes Sprinter campervan, oak cabinetry stacked on a bench beside it, late afternoon light through a high window.

— Buyer's Guides

The complete guide to commissioning a custom campervan in the UK

14 min·Read pillar

— Start here

01 more pillars

Wide shot of the Chertsey workshop with a partially built campervan on the right, oak cabinetry stacked on a long bench, late afternoon light through high windows.

— Build Process

Inside a HubDub build: 16 weeks from spec to handover

Sixteen weeks in the Chertsey workshop. The companion piece to our cost guide and electrical guide.

10 min·Read

— Everything

09 pieces

— Buyer's Guides·14 min

The complete guide to commissioning a custom campervan in the UK

Custom builds cost more, take longer, and last longer. Here is what the process actually involves, what it really costs, and what to ask any builder before you sign anything.

An oak workbench with a moleskine notebook open to a hand-drawn campervan layout, calipers, and a half-drunk enamel mug of tea.

— Buyer's Guides·9 min

How much does a custom campervan cost in the UK?

Real numbers, with a breakdown of where the money goes on a typical mid-spec build that lands around £88,000 plus the base vehicle.

Three campervans parked side by side on a country lane at dusk, factory-built on the left, hand-built oak conversion in the centre, self-built older van on the right.

— Buyer's Guides·8 min

Custom build, used conversion, or DIY: how to choose

An honest comparison of the three real options most UK buyers face, with the trade-offs nobody mentions on a forecourt.

A VW Crafter and a Mercedes Sprinter parked nose-to-nose in an empty industrial yard at dawn with faint mist.

— Buyer's Guides·9 min

VW Crafter vs Mercedes Sprinter for a campervan conversion

Two of the three serious base vehicles for a UK custom build. Here is how they compare on the things that actually matter, and which one we would choose ourselves.

Interior of a finished campervan looking from the rear bed down through the kitchen toward the cab, showing oak cabinetry and a wool blanket.

— Buyer's Guides·8 min

Campervan layouts explained: beds, kitchens, washrooms

The layout decisions that affect daily life most, with the trade-offs each one quietly forces on the others.

Close-up of a campervan electrical bench with six lithium batteries, copper busbars, labelled fuses, and a Victron inverter.

— Buyer's Guides·10 min

Campervan electrical systems: lithium, solar, inverters, explained

What a real off-grid electrical system looks like in 2026, with the numbers from HubDub builds and a plain-English explanation of what each component does.

— Build Process·10 min

Inside a HubDub build: 16 weeks from spec to handover

What sixteen weeks in a small Surrey workshop actually looks like, week by week, from the first spec meeting to the morning the keys change hands.

Wide cinematic landscape of a Highland single-track road at sunrise with a campervan visible far in the distance.

— Destinations·9 min

Driving north: planning a Highlands trip in a campervan

How to think about a three-week Scotland trip in a custom campervan: the route choices that matter, the spec that earns its keep, and the gear most owners pack and never use.