London-weary couple spend £15,500 converting outdated van into mobile home - and now work remotely three days a week to travel across the UK

A couple who ditched city life to travel around the UK in a refurbished van has revealed how they cut their costs from over £3,500 to around £250 a month.

Graphic designers Charlie Osman, 28, and Josh Akhtar, 29, have decided to trade their £1,600-a-month rented studio in London for life on the road in a converted £4,500 Mercedes-Benz van.

The couple spent £15,000 refurbishing the car, removing rows of outdated seats, and adding a kitchen, seating area, and a full-size double bed at the back of the bus.

They now do freelance work three days a week from their van while continuing their mission of camping in all 15 UK national parks. All national parks allow camping either in designated areas or as "wild camping".

11 PHOTOS

1. Graphic designer Charlie Osman, 28, quit city life in October 2020 to tour 15 UK national parks with 29-year-old Josh Akhtar in a £4,500 Mercedes-Benz van. In the photo, Charlie poses in a minibus during a do-it-yourself repair.

2. The couple spent £15,500 fixing the van and now only freelance three days a week. In the photo, Charlie poses in a newly renovated minibus.

3. In May 2020, the couple bought a 2006 Mercedes-Benz Vario 614D van in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, and began refurbishing the car. Pictured is the bus before repairs.

4. While honing their renovation skills, the couple installed a full-size double bed in a minibus with a regular home mattress and said the size of their new home was just around the corner from their studio apartment in London.

5. The refurbished van has a kitchen with hot and fresh water, an oven or grill, a large refrigerator, and a two-burner stove, while the couple can still enjoy home comforts like a TV using a projector and screen.

6. Sportswear brand Columbia has agreed to sponsor the couple if they complete the challenge of driving around all 15 UK national parks in their van. Photo outside of his van during the test.

7. The brave couple is moving clockwise out of Falmouth and plans to complete visits to all national parks by September of this year.

8. Charlie, who boasts 10,000 followers on Instagram and 8,000 on YouTube, says the couple's life is "no longer flat and we have so much fun every day."

9. Josh says he's a big fan of the van life and its improved work-life balance.

10. The couple began their assignment in May and have traveled to Dartmoor, Exmoor, the Brecon Beacons, the Pembrokeshire coast, Snowdonia, and the Peak District so far.

11. The couple love their new nomadic life and now encourage other people to explore the British countryside as they do.