A campervan is the dream option for travelling. A DIY tiny home on wheels, such as our Peugeot Boxer camper, can bring the world to your backyard.
Here at TwowithaView, we have made that dream a reality. We are Bailey and Denise, and we built two DIY tiny homes—our cozy campervans—over the past few years to live on the road.
The Inspiration Behind Our DIY Tiny Home Design
Space and convenience are our top priorities when designing our DIY tiny home. Considering these two aspects, we’ve created a comfortable living space in our Peugeot Boxer camper. Now, let’s give you a tour of the key elements of our cozy campervan.
Cozy Retreat: The Bedroom in Our Peugeot Boxer Camper
The bed is where we spend one-third of our time, so we prioritized our sleeping area in this DIY tiny home without wasting space throughout the day. Ultimately, a comfortable place to lay your head at night can make the difference between camping and glamping. After all, a good night’s rest shouldn’t be sacrificed in a cozy campervan—at least not for us!
Our bedroom sits in the rear of our Peugeot Boxer camper’s interior. By day, it occupies about a third of the van’s length and fills the width of the vehicle. This setup provides a nice space to take a nap or relax in the evening. While it is possible to sleep width-wise in our DIY tiny home, we included a slide-out feature for the bed. Therefore, at night, the bed slides out, and we use the cushions from the seats to fill the foot of the bed, creating a luxurious king-size sleeping area.
Converting the bed is super simple. First, we take the cushions from the seats. Then, we unlatch the locking pins to allow the bed foot to slide. Next, we add the seat cushions to fill the foot of the bed. Finally, we pull the fitted sheet over and arrange the blankets and pillows.
Our Multi-Functional Bathroom
The bathroom is an essential part of our cozy campervan. Specifically, it’s necessary to have a place to take care of business throughout the day and to shower occasionally. To reduce wasted space, we designed a multi-functional area in our DIY tiny home.
Our bathroom is located directly behind the driver’s seat and is easily visible from the side sliding door. The base features a small, water-sealed room for showering, with a solid shower tray on the floor and marble-style walls. A shower head mounts on the wall with a thermostatic mixer, and above, an exhaust fan provides ventilation and light.
When the shower isn’t in use, we store our Boxio toilet in the room, allowing us to take care of business with light and ventilation from the shower. To maximize the use of this space, we added a small shelf in the wall for soaps and toiletries, and we attached hooks to hang towels.
Our Culinary Cozy Campervan Kitchen
For us, food is one of the highlights of our days. Therefore, the kitchen serves as the ‘centrepiece’ of our DIY tiny home. We decided to utilize the space by creating a camper kitchen in two pieces in our Peugeot Boxer.
As you open the side sliding door, you’re greeted by the first piece of the kitchen. This area has a cut-out in the corner to open up the hall space as you enter. Here, we installed a built-in gas oven, which is a must-have for us. Surrounding the oven are two drawers: a deep drawer for pots and pans below and a tall drawer for cooking utensils and cutlery beside it. Moreover, the countertop features a built-in gas stove with two burners, and at the edge of the counter, there’s a pop-up table for extra cutting space.
Directly opposite is the second piece of the kitchen, located between the shower wall and the dining area. This cabinet includes an extra tall drawer on the side for herbs, sauces, and jars. Next to the cupboard sits a 65L fridge that runs on 12v power. Above the sink, which provides a constant flow of water with the option for warm water, is a marble-style backsplash framed by bamboo wood.
The Living Area of Our DIY Tiny Home
For us, the living area is not a priority. Instead, we prefer to spend as much time outside as possible. All we need is a simple seating area and a table to eat meals or finish our work on the road in our cozy campervan.
The living area of our camper sits between the bed and the kitchen. Naturally, there are two couches on either side of the van’s width, each with a slightly angled backrest and cushions for seating.
The bases of the couches open to reveal more storage. For example, one seat holds cleaning products and miscellaneous items, while the other is designated for dry food.
Beneath the bed, a two-compartment cabinet in our DIY tiny home provides additional storage. One side holds a pair of bins that slide out for easy access, while the other stores spare sheets and electronics. Above is a concealed table that can slide out between the two couches.
Smart Storage Solutions in The Garage
For us, having a garage in the van is essential. It provides a space to store items that aren’t used regularly and houses all our systems. Consequently, this factor significantly influenced our campervan design.
The space below our bed serves as garage space in our DIY tiny home. When you open the back doors of the Peugeot Boxer camper, you get an overview of our systems and additional storage.
On the left side, we house our electrical system, including a large battery and all charging components. Meanwhile, the right side contains our water supply and gas boiler for hot water. Each side features a shelf above these systems for additional storage.
In the middle of the garage, we installed a diesel tank and heater to keep the van warm throughout the year. Beside the heater sits a gas bottle and space for spares while we travel. A camp table rests above the middle section of the garage, creating an extra shelf for our camp chairs.
Wrapping Up: Our Cozy DIY Tiny Home
In summary, our cozy campervan emphasizes space and convenience. We condensed all the main elements of a typical house into this DIY tiny home. With a bit of smart thinking, we managed to make everything serve multiple purposes in our Peugeot Boxer camper.
After more than two years of living on the road, we decided to share our insights to help you on your journey toward van life.
