A DAD has converted his Nissan Micra into a micro camper because of his oversized knees – now the car’s bullet proof and cheap to run.
Joshua Weber, 27, a freight train mechanic from Knottingley, West Yorkshire, was born with oversized knee caps making his feet turn inwards.
That scuppered his passion for hiking – but the dad-of-one came up with an “affordable” solution in 2020 by modifying his 2012 Nissan.
The motor is now a self-sufficient off-road camper on wheels with a full size pull out bed, a fridge, and a stove.
Joshua, who became a father in 2023, said his Micra, which cost him around £8,500 all-in, has allowed him to continue doing what he loves.
He said: “It was the only vehicle I had at the time and I needed an affordable way to go out and see stuff.”
Read more on motors
“It is the most reliable car, just absolutely bullet proof.”
With the Micra, Joshua has reached some of the remotest parts in the UK.
After completing the build last year, the intrepid adventurer spent a week in his micro home exploring the Cotswolds and doing several test drives on “rocky rocks” in the Lake District.
He is now planning a trip to Europe.
Most read in Motors
Joshua was initially planning on entering the Micra in the 2021 Mongol Rally, a 10,000 mile race from the UK to Mongolia, but was forced to cancel due to Covid and the war in Ukraine.
In 2018, Joshua bought a Supercharged Nissan Micra from Available Car in Leeds for £5,500 as a “run around” without any intention of converting it.
“The Micra is the best bang for buck amateur rally car you can get,” he said.
So that he could continue exploring remote parts of the UK countryside, he decided to turn his Micra into a “unconventional off-roader”.
He got to work in 2020, initially swapping out the tyres and adding a roof rack to store his tent and camping equipment.
“It got to the point where I kept dragging the underside on stuff so I put an even bigger suspension lift on it and got some even bigger tyres,” he said.
Next, he modified the car’s exhaust and added a snorkel to allow for more ground clearance at the end of 2021.
But it is what Joshua has done inside that is most surprising given the amount of space he had to play with.
“I was looking at getting a roof tent, but the roof just isn’t big enough,” he said.
“So I went for an interior camper build instead, where it kind of just transforms into a full size bed down the passenger side.
“Then it’s got a kitchen and fridge in the back with a Ledger battery.
“It’s fully self-sufficient. Last year I stayed in it for a week straight.”
He was planning on taking part in the Mongol Rally in 2021, a 10,000 mile race from the Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester, West Sussex, to Ulan Ude, a city just outside Mongolia, in East Siberia, Russia.
It is the most reliable car, just absolutely bullet proof
Joshua Weber
“Everything kind of went sideways with Covid and then the war in Ukraine,” said Joshua. “It just got postponed again and again.”
But that did not stop Joshua from putting his Micra to the test back home after he and his wife Dana, 26, moved to Cumbria later that year.
“Driving around the Lake District is probably some of the most remote places I’ve been,” he said.
“You start the day, have breakfast and then get on a green lane and don’t see tarmac for hours.
“The Lake District is a lot of rock whereas West Yorkshire is a lot of mud.
“I’ve only ever had to turn back twice. With enough speed and momentum, you can get anywhere.”
He is planning some trips further afield with his friend Richard Matthews later this year, but said that having a one-year-old daughter in 2023 has somewhat put a spanner in the works.
“It’s slowed things down a bit,” he said.
It takes me just 10 minutes to transform my work van into a fully kitted-out camper thanks to £20 Ikea find
ONE man with a van can quickly turn his work vehicle into a campervan and get out exploring the world sooner.
Motorist and traveler Stephen Reid has revealed in a TikTok video how he can convert his work van into a camper in just 10 minutes.
In the video, Stephen shows how he quickly makes the conversion and can fit all the things he needs for his holiday.
Firstly, he installs a custom-built bed made of railing from Ikea and plywood.
He then places a mattress, sheets, and quilting onto the plywood, making himself a bed, which can also be a couch.
Stephen then is able to add all the storage units he needs for his clothing, including a porta potty underneath the bed.
With the size of the van he also has enough room to store food and can even fit a small portable power station, an E-bike and a paddleboard.
“I’ve still been out in it this year, just not camping, only off roading.”
All in, Joshua reckons that he has spent around £8,500 on transforming his Micra but said it could be done for less.
“You look at some of these big overlanders that are built for world touring which cost around £50,000,” he said.
“I could in theory do that with this, like I know people who have taken a K11, which are the smaller, older Micras, and driven around the world in them.
“That’s what inspired me to mine to this level.
“I would encourage people to look for ways of getting outdoors.”
Joshua has always had a passion for the outdoors and enjoyed going on long hikes ever since he was a little boy.
“I grew up as a Scout and loved hiking, being out in nature, that sort of thing.”
But trekking through the wilderness may have taken a toll on Joshua’s knees.
“I’ve got oversized knee caps which means my feet turn inwards when I walk,” he said. “Over time it’s just deteriorated.
“It’s probably just wear and tear from doing a lot of hiking and stuff when I was younger.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
This has prevented Joshua from covering great distances on foot without waking up the next day in pain.
“Converting the Micra has been the best way for me to continue having adventures.”
I converted my car into a camper van – now I pay no rent, save £900 a month & will be able to buy my own home in months
A MAN who converted his car into a camper van says he now pays no rent, saves £900 a month and will be able to buy his own home in months.
George Burke, 28, from Hereford, bought the ex-RAF Series 3 Land Rover for £5,500.
The IT worker had saved up for the motor by living at home with his parents during the pandemic.
He then spent £4,000 converting it into a camper van he could live in.
George now saves £920 every month – and thinks he could soon afford a home deposit.
He said: “My London bills equated to a large portion of my monthly salary and I wanted a change and financial security.
“My rent was £920 per month, which I am now saving every month, as I live a very minimal life with so few costs and unnecessary items.
“I am on track to save for a house deposit within a matter of months thanks to the Land Rover.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/feed/
James Halpin
