Budget Breakdown: For Two Swedish Surfers, Happiness Is a $31K DIY Camper Van
Sara Bjurbäck and Jonathan Strömberg kit out a used cargo vehicle to realize their vanlife fantasy on a budget.
Sara Bjurbäck and Jonathan Strömberg kit out a used cargo vehicle to realize their vanlife fantasy on a budget.
Die-hard surfers Sara Bjurbäck and Jonathan Strömberg admit they will do just about anything "for the surf." That includes spending half the year living out of an 89-square-foot camper van they built out themselves.
Sara Bjurbäck and Jonathan Strömberg spend about half their time living out of their camper van, which has 60 square feet of living space (in the back) and 29 square feet of driving space (in the cab).
Jonathan Strömberg / @jonisstrom.
A videographer by profession, Jonathan recalls coming home from a shoot one day in 2021 and being greeted by Sara, who announced that she had bought a van—"and you’re going to renovate it."
"That’s sick!," he replied.
The vehicle, a 2012 Citroën Jumper, was originally a cargo van that the couple reregistered as a camper and remodeled to create the perfect vehicle to support their lifestyle.
The camper is a remodeled 2012 Citroën Jumper cargo van.
Jonathan Strömberg / @jonisstrom.
"Everything we do revolves around surfing," admits Sara. "We arrange our lives to be able to surf as much as possible." She met Jonathan, her partner of four years, through friends in the Swedish surf community.
| $10,643 Empty Van & Registration | $2,688 Building Materials & Paint | $2,009 Insulation & Exterior Finishes |
| $7,680 Solar System & Electrical | $721 Water System | $1,026 Heating & Ventilation |
| $1,222 Interior Finishes | $414 Lighting | $1,197 Kitchen Build-Out |
| $2,110 Bathroom Build-Out | $999 Furnishings & Housewares | $584 Safety Equipment |
| Grand Total: $31,293 | ||
The largest investment was the van itself, which cost just over $10,000. Since neither Sara nor Jonathan are mechanics, she set out to find a good-quality vehicle that was not too old, to reduce the risk of breakdowns. Next up were the key pieces of equipment.
"Everything we do revolves around surfing," says Sara.
Jonathan Strömberg / @jonisstrom.
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: For Two Swedish Surfers, Happiness Is a $31K DIY Camper Van
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