How our dream van turned into a disaster (and what we did next)
This is the moment our dream van build turned into a disaster. After 18 months of delays, excuses and false promises, we arrived at the workshop in Cornwall to find our van abandoned, parts missing, and the project we’d trusted someone with falling apart in front of us. What started as an ambitious plan to build a one-of-a-kind 4x4 overland vehicle quickly became one of the most difficult experiences we’ve faced together. In this episode of The Sherpa Project, we tell the full story— from the early optimism of starting the build in 2023, to months of setbacks, unanswered questions, and ultimately recovering our van before it was too late. This is the reality of a failed van build, the risks of trusting the wrong people, and what it takes to pick up the pieces when everything goes wrong. This video explores van build problems, overland vehicle conversions, Land Rover and Freight Rover Sherpa builds, and the challenges of restoring and modifying an old van for long-distance travel. If you’re interested in van life builds, overland travel, vehicle restoration, or the realities behind custom van conversions, this episode shows what can happen when a project goes wrong— and how to recover from it. 🔧 in episode 2 → we began stripping out the van and starting the build from scratch 👉 Episode 2: • We stripped our ‘80s Sherpa van to bare me... 🔧 next → rebuilding the project from the ground up with a new plan 👉 episode 04: [link when live, early access on Patreon 🫂] 👉 full series playlist: • 🗂️ 🔧The Sherpa Project: building a 4x4 ove... 📚 Series: The Sherpa Project Episode 03 — Dream Van to Disaster Premise: A long-form documentary series following Lucy & Ben as they attempt to build a one-of-a-kind 4x4 Sherpa van and drive it from the UK to India, retracing a legendary 1970's journey to the Himalayas. This series explores overland travel, mechanical resilience, and what happens when a dream van build turns into something else entirely. 🚎 We’re Lucy & Ben— travelling storytellers who’ve spent the last decade living and working on the road. This video is one chapter in an overland documentary project, starting from our most ambitious van project yet, to the breakdowns, border crossings and (t)rusty old van adventures that await. If you want to follow the journey as it unfolds, subscribe and come with us. 🌍 Website + blog — https://fromrusttoroadtrip.com 📖 Substack — https://substack.com/@fromrusttoroadtrip 📸 Instagram — / fromrusttoroadtrip 📲 Facebook — / fromrusttoroadtrip 📖 Read the story of the emotional turmoil behind the dream van to disaster here: https://fromrusttoroadtrip.substack.c... 🫂 If you want to support slow filmmaking and independent storytelling, you can join our Patreon community here: / fromrusttoroadtrip 🎥 Production notes: Filmed in the UK Shot on Sony FX3 / S-Log3 / 10-bit 4:2:2 / 4K Edited in Premiere Pro Language: English Series: The Sherpa Project 📹 Our filming kit + tools (affiliate): https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/fromrus... Purchases through this link give us a small commission at no extra cost and help us keep documenting the journey. 🎵 All music licensed via Epidemic Sound. 📔 Chapters 00:00 the moment the dream fell apart 00:54 the story begins in 2023 1:30 the 4x4 project outlined 2:04 an optimistic outlook 2:32 the excuses start mounting 3:10 work begins on the rolling chassis 3:43 a grim discovery about his reputation 4:15 the threat of liquidation looms 4:45 realising the project will never be completed 6:18 emergency recovery of the van 7:33 he's done a runner?! 8:30 finding our missing parts 10:11 picking up the pieces 10:52 lies, rust and missing parts 11:13 dismantling the chassis– labour overcharged 12:38 stepping back from the project 13:23 the aftermath & the response online 14:20 back to the drawing board 14:59 The Sherpa Project continues... #vanbuild #overlandvehicle #overlanding #landrover #vanbuildseries
