One of those who grabbed the wheels is Hanne Hamre. Together with her boyfriend, she has rebuilt the van of a campervan. They have insulated and dressed in the car, made bed, carved shelves and installed a hob. – I had never built anything before, says Hamre. Nervous and without experience she threw herself into construction last fall. Along the way, she received support from the organization Buildher, which is run by women and helps hobbyists with building tips and practical guidance There has been great security for her. – You have a place to come up with many facilities, lots of tools and a bunch that can help you when you are stuck and have done something wrong, says Hamre. Now they have a full -fledged campervan that has been the base for everything from a three -week surf trip in France to weekend trips in Norwegian mountain areas. Popular with vacation in the trunk In May 2024, there were more than 20 per cent more nights at campsites than in the same month the year before. NHO states that many of the guests come in smaller motorhomes, ie campervans. – Before, camping had a little harry, really, but now camping has become trendy, says Jarle Buseth. He is the industry manager for Camping at NHO Reiseliv. They have seen a great deal of campervans in recent years. – What is very fun about campervans is that there are usually younger people who use it, says Buseth. Buildher’s tips for those who want to build Campervan Check if there are open joint workshops where you live, such as Buildher. Many people are happy to share their experiences and think it is fun to help others, and you do not have to own all the tools yourself, because here you get access to more than you probably need. There are many good resources online. Some follow a step-by-step guide she found, which saves them both time and frustration. Visit the local recycling station and second hand stores. There you can find free or cheap surplus and used materials. Starting from what you find, it can be a bargain, and at the same time you avoid usable material being waste. Win-win for you, your wallet and the environment! Start in the small and build step by step. Don’t expect everything to be perfect – think “this is good enough”, and makes improvements along the way as you learn and become more handy. Think outside the box to find smart, multifunctional solutions. Be aware of where electrical wires go, for example, to the brake lights, so you do not drill into pieces when you attach things inside. It’s tired! Remember the air hatch, it can be both hot and tight inside the car. You may also want to set aside a possible heating solution, if you want to use the car during colder periods. Build modular, so you can lift the decor and use the car for other purposes outside the campsite season. Jarle Buseth, industry manager for Camping in NHO Reiseliv Photo: Per Sollerman / NHO Reiseliv #vanlife on social media is the topic guy #vanlife popular. Norwegian Helene Myhre is one of the world’s most influential Vanlife influeners with over 1.1 million followers on Instagram. – It is a very liberating and flexible way of traveling that requires little planning and can be done on a tight budget, says Myhre. On her profile you will find pictures of magnificent Norwegian nature, crystal clear fjords and the van she uses to travel around. Helene Myhre shares her travels with the van with over a million followers. Photo: Screenshot from Helene Myhres Open Instagram Profile – You can quickly look blind at glamorous camervans and motorhomes, thinking it’s an unrealistic dream, she says. She even spent a simple solution for the first five years. – I used the back seat of a passenger car like Camper. Regardless of what kind of car I have been traveling around this way for almost 10 years, and there is still my preferred way of traveling, says Myhre. Comparison of two pictures for 10 years ago the herhre myhre upgraded the size of the car after each screen dump from Helene Myhre’s open instagram profile has not been troublesome. – You never get away, no matter how well prepared you try to be. I got stuck in mud, punctured tires, got motor stops, really met on all the challenges a car can offer. She has gradually learned to bring a smile. – Sometimes it has led me to discover places I would not see outside. Good for rural Norway industry manager for Camping in highlights many benefits of using Campervan, and also thinks it benefits from built-in-Norway by leaving money where you are. – You are mobile all the time, and stop by a convenience store in a village you would otherwise not stop by bus or aircraft, says Buseth. At the same time, he also points to some challenges. The good old scout – the back of it is that they come easily in all places, and take a little freedom many times, says Buseth. One of the freedoms is the parking of the cars in illegal places. Buseth emphasizes that the Open Air Act and the public law apply to pedestrians, not cars. In addition, illegal parking can be dangerous due to breeding hazards and accidents. The camping manager is largely positive to those who want to drive around the country. Photo: Elena Bulai Løvland / news Another major challenge is waste from people who make away in nature because many campervans lack a toilet. Buseth therefore encourages to use campsites or provide portable toilets. – Otherwise, one must go back to the good old scout. Dig Latrine, do everything away there, and possibly bring the paper and the other one you have to use, says Buseth. Several inquiries – We have noticed that in recent years it has become popular to redeem vans with camping interior and have received more inquiries about this now than we received before, says Arne Amdahl Bakkevig, chief engineer of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. When decorating a van, it is important to be aware of certain requirements if you want to avoid having to get the car approved again. You must remember this when building a campervan: You can mount camping interior in a van without having to authenticate the car as long as you stay away from certain changes. In order to avoid authenticate the car, it is important that you remember this: You cannot move or remove the partition between the driver’s room and the storage room. All vans with green signs should have partitions and satisfy the requirements for the size and length of the storage room behind the partition. You cannot insert seats to be used while driving in the warehouse. You can mount decor in the car’s storage room. It is important that you do not make changes to the car’s body/supporting construction, such as flooring and walls in the storage room. If you make such changes, you must document what you have done and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration must approve the car again. Make sure the decor is not so heavy that the car exceeds the total weight in the carriage card. If the car is too heavy and you are stopped in control, you will not be allowed to drive on. It should be possible to build the car back to its original condition. If you rebuild the car in such a way that it is no longer a van, for example if you remove or change the partition, then the Norwegian Public Roads Administration must approve the car again. In many cases, you also have to pay a new one -time fee to the Tax Administration. Raised from vegvesen.no Chief engineer in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Arne Amdahl Bakkevig has noticed greater interest in Campervans. Photo: Private “Have you dreamed of an Insta-friendly car vacation?” This is the question that is asked in the invitation to an ongoing course under the auspices of Buildher. Now Hanne Hamre herself works as a volunteer, and is happy to share her experiences and tips with others who dream of traveling with Campervan. Her best tips for others who want to build a campervan are to dare to try. – Then it is allowed to test, fail and learn, says Hamre. She also recommends not only using new materials. – Have some used materials that you can practice without being scared, she says. Sofia Kalbouza is one of the course participants. “I’m going to sleep and use my car as a small holiday home,” says Kalbouza, who is eager to get started. Sofia Kalbouza aims to complete the rebuilding within one month. Photo: Morten Andersen / news Published 11.05.2025, at. 07.51
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