As soon as I knew I was flying away to New Zealand, I started to look at campervans online. There are so many models and characteristics to look at. It’s really easy to get lost in all of it!
(I made another post about all the things I’ve learned and stuff you should know before purchasing a vehicle in NZ. ( WOF / REGO / RUC ). *Click here

We (Dre and I) ended up visiting at least 8 other vans and taking part in 2 different car fairs in Auckland before finding the right one. Before we flew in, I already had plan 3 appointments for the day of our arrival. I also had a list of things we wanted for our van (refer to buying guide). So I did a lot of research on Trade Me ( the equivalent of our kijiji / Lespacs in Canada ) and on all of the Facebook groups available such as New Zealand Backpackers. Facebook was actually where we found our new home from other travelers who were leaving the country.

Drum Roll... I present to you... Hibiscus... our old trusty companion.
She is a white 1990 Diesel Nissan Caravan which was transformed into a self-contained campervan. All the interior is done up in eco-responsible wood. She came with all the camping equipment and the kitchen area is inside (which came real handy during winter time). There is also a very big bed that flips into a table + seats which serves us as the main living room. “Hibbie” has a lot of storage everywhere (shelves/cabinets and even under the bed). She also came with all the road-tripping/ cooking gear you can imagine. This will now be our little cozy home on wheels. I think the pictures speak for themselves, have a look!

The van answered most of our requirements but was still missing a few things according to us. So after measuring / researching/drilling / cutting a few things, I installed a 120 Amp deep cycle battery as a second battery. I’ve wired it to charge from our alternator when the van is running. Then, I started to hook a few things up from the second battery. I installed a 300 W power inverter to provide A/C power which is useful to charge our laptop, cellphones and even power our small blender (Dre is a smoothie fanatic). The inside needed a bit more lighting since the “fairy” lights were our only source of light in the van. They look cool and gives a good ambiance but we needed something more serious. I added 2 flush-mounted LEDs to the wood roof. After wiring them up, I decided to also rewire the electric sink to the second battery. I add 2 USB charging ports to keep all our electronics charged as well as a new 12V outlet for a future fridge. We bought a 28L fridge that we installed in between the front seats of the van. It’s big enough to store all the perishable food and keep us off the grid for a few days. To finish it all, Dre helped me build a small cooking/storage bench that fits snugly under the bed.

There it is, we are all set! Let’s hit the road baby. See you out there. The plan is to visit both the North and South Island.

Update: We’ve been living in our van for the last 9 months. Here are both of our opinions.