Andy and Claire Stocks, known as St Christopher of Atlantis to over 45,000 YouTube subscribers, transformed a battered carpenter's van costing £8,000 into a home on wheels, swapping exotic trips abroad for staycations across the UK's underrated spots.
Accidental Start During Pandemic
The Barnsley couple fell into van life accidentally after their Mercedes broke down during the pandemic. Andy explained: "It started to get this intermittent fault on the dashboard... I decided to buy a van instead. I just kind of threw the teddy out of the pram because the car that I liked, I couldn't have."
The couple had no prior experience. Andy admitted he had "an unrealistic amount of confidence" when he took on the project. The first job—removing a bulkhead—took two weeks due to a single stubborn bolt. "It kind of set the tone for everything else that followed," he said.
From Renovation to YouTube Stardom
In addition to the £8,000 van, they spent a "few thousand" on renovations, though they never calculated the exact amount. Andy joked: "I might be in trouble with her if I did." Their first trip was to Conwy, Wales, with the build half-done. "We sat in a car park with a sandwich. On the bare floor," laughed Andy.
They started a YouTube channel to document progress. Initial comments were unexpected: "People thought it was a bit of a joke... they thought it was more of a funny sort of parody." Despite this, they persevered and now work three days a week, spending the rest on the road and creating content.
Life on the Road: Challenges and Highlights
The couple reviews campsites for their channel. "A lot of people book campsites off the back of us. We turn up, we set the pitch up, then we grab the cameras," Andy said. "The illusion is that we are out and just on campsites... but we're editing, dealing with social media. It's like an office on wheels."
Their original van had no separate seating area or built-in toilet, forcing them to rely on campsite facilities and stay "mega organised." They faced breakdowns, a blizzard, and a satnav error that sent them to Belgium instead of France.
Favourite destinations include the Isle of Mull, where Claire praised "the most wonderful sunset we've ever seen" and white beaches comparing to the Maldives. Andy highlighted Hartlepool Marina: "We saw dolphins. It was so beautiful, kind of an industrial location actually, but then you look up and you're watching the dolphins. The Northeast is a bit like that."
From Van to Motorhome and a Book
They eventually traded the carpenter's van for a motorhome. Andy conceded: "If I had to do it all again, I'd probably get somebody else to build it because I really found out what my limits were." Their story is now a book, It Started with a Van, due in paperback on July 16.
Andy's advice to others: "Just do it now while you can. Just do whatever you want to do. Get out and do it. That's my advice."
