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A young Australian couple making the most of their parental leave have revealed how they built the van of their dreams, and offered a glimpse at what life is like travelling around Europe with their 10-month-old baby.

Lochlan Kerr, 29, from Sydney, his partner Sarah, 34, from Scotland, and 10-month-old baby Jude of Little Feet Big Wheels have been on the road in their Citroen Relay L3H3 for six months now, exploring the likes of the Spanish coast, the Lake District and soon France, Switzerland and Italy.

The van conversion was a labour of love for the couple, who painstakingly spent half a year and around AUD $35,000 transforming the 'blank canvas' into a stylish, Hamptons-inspired hideaway for their family-of-three.

A young Australian couple making the most of their enviable parental leave have revealed how they built the van of their dreams, and offered a glimpse at what life is like travelling around Europe with their 10-month-old baby (Lochlan Kerr, his partner, Sarah and their baby Jude pictured in their van)

BEFORE AND AFTER: Lochlan Kerr, 29, from Sydney, his partner Sarah, 34, from Scotland, and 10-month-old baby Jude (pictured) have been on the road in their Citroen Relay L3H3 for six months now, after spending six months transforming it

The van conversion was a labour of love for the couple, who painstakingly spent half a year and around $35,000 transforming the 'blank canvas' into a stylish, Hamptons-inspired hideaway for their family-of-three (the interiors and sun-deck pictured)

After purchasing the 2017 vehicle in June 2020 for $18,000 from a glazing company in Wales, the pair set to work in creating their vision (baby Jude pictured in the finished result)

After purchasing the 2017 vehicle in June 2020 for $18,000 from a glazing company in Wales, the pair set to work in creating their vision.

'When we bought the van there was absolutely nothing in the back,' Lochlan recalled to FEMAIL.

'It was a complete blank canvas. For me, that was refreshing, nerve-wracking and exciting all at the same time because this was something that I had dreamed about doing for a very long time.'

The 29-year-old - who confesses to having limited experience with DIY - said even before they began, he had a 'vision' of how the finished van would look:

'My priority was making an open, airy and inviting space,' he said.   

After purchasing the 2017 vehicle (pictured) in June 2020 for $18,000 from a glazing company in Wales, the pair set to work in creating their vision

The 29-year-old said while building the van was a fantastic, rewarding journey, it isn't something for the 'faint-hearted' (pictured during the conversion)

Once they had their Citroen, Lochlan and Sarah started buying everything they needed to 'kit out' their home, from an off-grid battery to an LPG heater, electrics and the stylish finishes like the boat deck-style roof.

'We haven't done the complete sums yet, but looking at all the big-ticket stuff we think we spent a similar amount on the kit-out of the van as we did on the van itself [$18,000],' Lochlan said.

'It sounds expensive, but was more or less what we were expecting for a full-spec build including an off-grid battery, solar array, LPG heater and instant hot water.' 

'My priority was making an open, airy and inviting space,' Lochlan said of the van (the interiors pictured)

Lochlan said when converting your own van, you need to remember that you're 'building a tiny home, so you always have to plan about 20 steps ahead' (the van pictured)

The 29-year-old said while building the van was a fantastic, rewarding journey, it isn't something for the 'faint-hearted'.

'You are building a tiny home and you always have to plan about 20 steps ahead,' he said. 

'If you are someone like me who has no experience whatsoever in a trade, you also have to be prepared to absorb a certain amount of stress through the build. 

'Not everything will work first time and it will probably take you longer than you expect, and that is entirely okay.' 

'If you are someone like me who has no experience whatsoever in a trade, you have to be prepared to absorb a certain amount of stress through the build,' Lochlan (pictured with Sarah said)

Lochlan said the pair started by 'making holes' in the van to create extra space for windows including a skylight. 

Following this, they worked tirelessly on the under-floor insulation, electrical wiring and off-grid electrical system.

The latter stages involved working on the boat deck-style roof, the kitchen cabinetry and worktops, the bed, showering and flooring.  

'Lots of people think you need a big workshop for doing lots of this stuff, but that isn't necessarily true,' Lochlan said.

'We spent two months working on the van on a side street in London, then three months using the van as the workshop on a residential street in Edinburgh and two months using a car-port of a villa in Spain!'

He added: 'We spent six months converting the van, but we did have a baby in the middle. I estimate it would take around three months otherwise'.

Since converting the van, the young family have been on the road for much of the end of 2020 and 2021. They have visited their 'favourite' spot in England, Durdle Door in Dorset, over Christmas (pictured on Christmas Day)

They have also been able to enjoy the roof and sun deck (pictured), visiting the coastline in Spain before now heading on to Italy, Switzerland and France

Since converting the van, the young family have been on the road for much of the end of 2020 and 2021.

They have visited their 'favourite' spot in England, Durdle Door in Dorset, over Christmas, and then gone on to explore the 'very chilly' Cornish Coast, Lake District and North Wales at the start of the year. 

'When the international borders opened up, we had our sights set on warmer weather in Europe and took the next ferry to Spain,' Lochlan said.

'We have spent the last month or so slowly making our way around Andalusia changing it up between being parked by the beach and exploring the beautiful little white villages in the mountains.

'Jude is a massive water baby, so it's effortless just to be with him by the beach all day.'

They next plan to travel along the Mediterranean coast, where they will explore the alpine regions of France, Switzerland and Italy:

'We both love being outdoors and hiking, so the plan is to chase some really cool mountain scenery and of course eat really well,' Lochlan said. 

'We both love being outdoors and hiking, so the plan is to chase some really cool mountain scenery and of course eat really well,' Lochlan said (the van pictured on their travels)

Revealed: The step by step conversion of Little Feet Big Wheels 

Lochlan shared a detailed step-by-step process of the van conversion, showing exactly how much work went into it

STEP ONE: MAKE SOME HOLES: The first thing the couple did was cut 'holes' in their van in order to make some windows. They installed a tinted window where the sliding door was, as well as a further two windows at the back of the van and a sky-light which means they can see the stars from their bed. You will also need to cut some holes for the gas/water inlet, waste water and exhaust pipes.

STEP TWO: SOUND DEADENING, UNDER-FLOOR INSULATION AND SUB-FLOOR: Because vans don't have great acoustic insulation, you will need to install sound-deadening material on the metal sides of the van to keep out noise. Lochlan and Sarah then built their sub-floor using a series of plywood batons to frame the base, laid insulation board in between and screwed on a hardwood plywood sheet cut to size. This meant a 'nice and sturdy base' for adding cabinets and benches later.

STEP THREE: STUDS INSULATION AND ELECTRICAL WIRING: The couple ran wooden stud beams across the roof and walls of the van and kept note of where they were so they could screw into them later and attach kitchen cupboards and cabinets. They then used recycled sheep wool (stuck on with a spray adhesive) to insulate the van. They also ran electrical wiring all over the van.

STEP FOUR: OFF-GRID ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: Start by writing down a list of all the powered items you think you would need on the hottest day of summer and the coldest day of winter (fan, heater, laptop chargers, phone chargers, fridge, lights) and that will give you an idea of your maximum energy requirements (in AMP hours). The couple wanted their setup to let them be off-grid for between two and three days, even if they were getting zero output from the solar panels. They then installed 2*175W solar panels on the roof.

STEP FIVE: BOAT DECK-STYLE ROOF: Lochlan and Sarah then moved on to one of their favourite features of the van, the boat deck-style roof. To make it, they stained and sealed standard pine batons, cut them to length and then attached them to a 4mm marine plywood board. They spaced each baton out by 10-20mm to create the illusion of depth and cut it to size, before lifting it up to screw in place.

STEP SIX: KITCHEN CABINETS AND WORKTOPS: They managed to get 2.3m of countertop space in despite having a full-size shower, bed and baby bed. To make it, they used standard 12mm plywood and glued, nailed and screwed the side pieces and back struts together. They also used turquoise stick-on faux tiles for the kitchen splashback.

STEP SEVEN: GAS: One of the hardest elements of any van conversion is the gas. Lochlan did this himself, but got a certified gas engineer in to review and sign off the install afterwards. They have a refillable LPG bottle in the van that can be topped up at service stations. This feeds the dual-hob gas stove, heater and instant hot water boiler.

STEP EIGHT: CLADDING AND FRAMING WINDOWS: Their walls and doors are lined with 8mm tongue and groove spruce cladding, which is available in most hardware stores. They cut it to length, slotted them in with wood glue and screwed it into place. They then framed all of the windows. 

STEP NINE: DRAWERS AND CABINET DOORS: The drawers and doors have a shaker-style finish, to give the van a farmhouse aesthetic. Because the pair said they didn't have enough skill or wood-working equipment to make true shaker doors, they did so by gluing strips of MDF onto the face of the drawer/door, sanding them back and then painting them white.

STEP TEN: BED: By the tenth step, the couple were ready to work on their bed. They opted for a convertible sofa bed rather than a fixed bed because they put a high value on having more living space during the day, which is important with a baby. The couch has a hidden frame that pulls out on runners to form a double bed. Underneath the couch is also a 35L chest fridge and two generous storage cupboards.

STEP ELEVEN: PLUMBING: The plumbing was something that was more 'love-hate' according to Lochlan. They used John Guest push-fit fittings (gold standard for caravans) and have a 140L fresh water tank that is concealed within the wall of the shower. This typically lasts 3-4 days. The water line that runs to the tap (ie, the drinking water) is fitted with a residential grade water filter.

STEP TWELVE: FLOORING: The couple went for lightweight stick-on vinyl flooring because it was easy to install, doesn't expand and contract as the van heats up and is surprisingly cheap (no more than $100 for the whole van). It is also easy to clean, which is great with baby Jude.

STEP THIRTEEN: SHOWER: Lochlan said building and waterproofing the shower room was definitely 'one of the fiddlier parts of the build'. Early on, they constructed a stud wall for the shower room, which was later lined with 4mm marine plywood and then sealed with a water-proofing membrane. Finally, they used stick-on tiles and matte black shower fittings.

STEP FOURTEEN: WIRING SOLAR PANELS AND DECK: Finally, they worked on wiring the solar panels and deck. They got a local welder to help them to put together a roof cage to house both of the 175W panels. They then cut and sealed lengths of decking timber and screwed these to horizontal cross beams, which were screwed into the roof racks.

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Lochlan shared his tips for travelling with a baby (Jude pictured), including that you're going to have to slow things down considerably and stop rushing

The new father shared his tips for travelling with a baby, the most important of which is to be realistic.

'Remember, you aren't ever going to cover as much ground as you did when you were a single couple in your 20s,' he said.

'Adopting a slower pace of travel that is more or less set by your baby is our secret to really enjoying ourselves on the road. Quality, not quantity. Trade dinners out for a long lunch.

'Travelling in a van means you have the ultimate flexibility to just stay put somewhere for a few days if you are enjoying it. Why rush?' 

Finally, Lochlan said with a baby, you're going to want to have 'as much storage as possible' so you're not constantly having to move and re-arrange things (Jude and the van pictured)

Lochlan's second tip is to make sure you always have easy access to where your child will sleep:

'Jude has a specially-built cot that doubles as a little play area for him during the day,' he said. 

'It also quickly turns back into a couch if we are entertaining people, but we are so glad we made this a permanent fixture as it's great not having to pack away a cot every day.'

Finally, he said with a baby, you're going to want to have 'as much storage as possible' so you're not constantly having to move and re-arrange things.

'We've managed to bring with us two carriers, a pram, bottle sterilising kit, a high chair and a baby bath in the van,' he said.

For more information about Little Feet Big Wheels, you can follow the family and their adventures on Instagram here.