A DJ has revealed how he turned an old van into a hidden side hustle that lets him travel the world for free.
The tiny home boasts a living room, bed, fully-stocked kitchen and its very own small business at the back.
Jack Lydon, 29, is the mind behind the motor, which he picked up in September of 2023.
A seasoned explorer, Jack caught the van life bug when working out in Australia in 2019, originally as a way to keep costs down.
His first van was as basic as they come, with little more than a bed and a camping stove.
But after returning home and getting through the pandemic, he started to feel the travel itch again and decided to try to have a crack at doing life on the road the right way, mainly using second-hand parts from eBay.
Having snapped up a cheap Mercedes Sprinter, he set about kitting it out with everything he would need to go full time in the van.
The Nordic-inspired design features a light wood interior with forest green upholstery and the main wall is dominated by colourful artwork.
I’m starting to get messages come through and people wanting to book it
Jack Lydon
The living area is taken up by a corner seating unit, complete with an ample under-seat storage compartment.
Further back, there’s a full kitchen, with a sink, oven and hob beneath a row of cabinets.
And his “favourite” feature is the hidden murphy bed which folds out of the wall so he can stay in the van overnight.
But the really special section is right at the back.
Jack has installed his DJ set, including a mixing table, two turntables and 15-inch subwoofer.
He can also open the rear doors of the van top reveal the setup to the world when he’s playing a gig.
Jack told SunMotors: “Originally it was just having my decks in the back of the van.
“Then it was starting a YouTube channel playing mixes from other people.
“Now it’s also going into the world of ‘Oh, hang on maybe people would hire this for events.
“I’m starting to get messages come through and people wanting to book it.”
He’s now planning a trip around Europe, meeting up with DJ pals and playing events, weddings and other gigs.
And with virtually no living costs and certainly no rent, he stands to make hundreds while travelling the world almost for free.
He’s already well on the way since he won eBay’s van conversion of the year award and the attached £10,000 prize.
Jack joked: “There’s one side of me that wants to be really sensible and just refresh the bank account after…the investment in the van.
“Then there’s the other side of me that wants to pimp the van out even more.
“But I think I’m leaning towards the sensible side so that I can have a bit of money behind me for the trip around Europe.”
