eBay has revealed the overall winner of its Van Conversion of the Year Awards 2025
Cheshire couple Charlie Ding and Rosie Wells win £10,000 cash prize for their incredible camper van conversion
Annual awards celebrate ingenuity on wheels, recognising the UK’s standout van conversions from professionals, businesses, and everyday explorers who turn vans into extraordinary spaces
Watch the moment head judge and TV Presenter George Clarke met Charlie and Rosie and took a tour of their winning conversion, HERE
London, 8th December 2025 – eBay has revealed the winner of its Van Conversion of the Year Awards 2025. The victorious four-wheeled creation combines clever engineering with a cool, calming and modern interior.
Charlie Ding and Rosie Wells, a couple from Poynton, Cheshire, have been crowned this year’s Van Conversion of the Year winners, receiving the coveted trophy and £10,000 in cash. Now in their third year, the awards were judged by a panel led by TV presenter George Clarke and hosted by eBay, the UK’s number one online marketplace for vehicle parts & accessories.
The annual awards champion the UK’s most inspiring Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) conversions, applauding visionary design, smart space optimisation, and flawless craftsmanship across a range of standout categories.
Charlie and Rosie’s conversion was shortlisted for the overall prize after being selected as the winner of the ‘Clever Camper’ category by eBay – conceived to recognise the van with the best engineering ingenuity and uniqueness. This placed their conversion against the five other category winners.
The judging panel was led by George Clarke and comprised UK Director of Commercial Operations for eBay parts and accessories, Abir Tewari; The Van Conversion Expert, founder of Whitebox Vans and Wildbox Adventure Vehicles, Mark Cropley; and van life content creator and ‘Most Creative’ category winner from 2024, Josie Rose.
The winning couple got their inspiration when travelling to Vietnam. While they loved the experience, they were missing one thing – their dog, Little Rosie. Together they planned their dream camper build, which would be a home on the road for them and their little pooch.
George Clarke, TV Presenter and Architect, and head judge, said: “This year’s entries were truly next level, showcasing brilliant and inspiring examples of creativity. The entrants had clearly put so much effort into their builds, with our category winners talking so proudly about them in their entries.
“For me, Charlie and Rosie’s van encompassed everything that we’re looking for in the eBay Van Conversion of the Year Awards. I was genuinely impressed by their van’s seamless blend of engineering ingenuity and clean, cosy design. I could tell that the fit and finish was meticulously thought through – it’s such a smart and wonderfully inventive use of space.”
After spending many hours during evenings and weekends, Charlie and Rosie converted their newly bought Mercedes-Benz Sprinter into a fully functioning home-from-home like no other.
Starting with essential parts and accessories purchased on eBay, such as windows, mirrors, lights, and even a reversing camera mounted in the central brake light, Charlie and Rosie ensured their van was ready to carry them thousands of miles across the continent with confidence.
Featuring a fully built kitchen, a space-saving bed that cleverly retracts into the roof, and a wardrobe-turned-shower area inspired by modern apartments, Charlie and Rosie decided to spend their nine-month sabbatical travelling around Europe with Little Rosie.
The Cheshire-based couple spent 18 months designing and creating their camper, which has already taken them to 13countries including, France, Slovenia and Romania.
Charlie Ding said: “We are ecstatic to have won the overall prize – especially after investing so much time and effort into planning and building our ideal conversion. Using eBay’s parts and accessories, we had a one-stop-shop available for everything we needed, from Sprinter-specific nuts and bolts to some impressive tech I didn’t even know existed. It was great to put some of my engineering background to use, and we learned so much along the way. I’d highly recommend it to anyone considering a project like this.”
Rosie Wells said: “I can’t believe we’ve won! It is a great feeling to have our hard work recognised, especially by George Clarke and eBay. Our van is like travelling around in a little city apartment and it’s been perfect as we travel from country to country with our dog, little Rosie. This is the life for us, and I hope we show that anyone can make a van to go out and live in.”
Abir Tewari, UK Director of Commercial Operations for eBay parts and accessories, said: “At eBay, we’re proud to champion creators who bring their dream vehicles to life using parts and accessories sourced on eBay. Charlie and Rosie deserve every bit of recognition for their remarkable van. It’s inspiring to see how eBay helped power their project, which has taken them across the globe.”
The Shortlist
Tiny Haven Category Award: Isobel Mockett, Citroën BerlingoIsobel’s tiny home on wheels is packed with clever, personal touches that make it practical and meaningful, from hidden storage beneath a hinged oak floor to a cosy small double bed, USB ports, tiled surfaces, spice racks, and a pull-out stove – creating a snug camper that she has toured across Europe.
Isobel Mockett said: “I bought this wheelchair-adapted Citroën to make the most of the extra space that a lowered floor and ramp provided for my camper. I used this section as underfloor storage, which has been really handy on my travels.Since I hadn’t seen any smaller vans converted the way I wanted, my dad and I sketched out a design over a pint at the pub.
“Together we created a beautiful, budget-friendly little van that’s driven me 3,500 miles across eight European countries and fuels all my weekend adventures in the UK. Converting it brought us closer, with countless days dancing in his workshop, figuring out how to fix faulty airbags, the exhaust and a bed that didn’t quite fit. We turned it into a camper that’s completely changed my life.”
Most Creative Category Award: Jessica Kleczka, Vauxhall MovanoAfter buying a van on eBay in April, content creator Jessica transformed her van into a unique woodland-inspired mobile home named ‘Frodo.’ Created with help from her partner and dog, Heidi, the Vauxhall Movano features vintage furniture and reclaimed wooden pallets, a compost toilet, indoor and outdoor kitchens, and an electrical system that supports off-grid living – combining creativity with functionality for long, low-cost adventures.
Jessica said: “I believe that Frodo is a testament to what can be achieved with limited resources, little experience, and a lot of creativity. The van is practical, adaptable and a real joy of a place to call home. After buying the van on eBay, along with a water tank, cooker and cabinets, it took us three and a half months of seven-hour days to get him ready – he’s perfect for full-time living and off-grid adventure.”
Globetrotter Category Award: Zarinah Meade and Jake Jordan, Mercedes SprinterZarinah and Jake’s Mercedes Sprinter combines rugged practicality with bold style, featuring a ladder for roof access, solar panels, chunky all-terrain tyres, and traction boards – all sourced using eBay. Inside, a neutral, earthy theme is enhanced by stone bathroom tiles that create a sense of space, while practical additions like a wet room tray, single seat base, armrests, sink, and radio ensure comfort and usability.
Zarinah and Jake said: “We have spent the last two years of our lives working seven days a week to make our dreams come true. At 25, we gave up our good jobs, our flat and general lives to travel the world. Our van is practical for us in so many ways, from catching the most unreal sunsets on our roof deck, to cooking dinners in our extending kitchen with new van friends, to our hidden nooks that make the van truly unique to us. We wouldn’t change a thing.”
Built for Business Category Award: Alex Kamintzis, Mercedes SprinterAlex Kamintzis transformed a Mercedes Sprinter into ‘Evolution Studio,’ a fully equipped mobile hair salon featuring two chairs, mirrors, and everything needed to give a professional haircut. Designed as a self-sufficient, off-grid business, it runs on its own water and electricity via leisure batteries and a water tank, making it truly independent.
Alex said: “When we launched Evolution Mobile Salons, we believed it to be the UK’s first mobile hair salon — a genuinely pioneering concept. From the van, I’ve had the pleasure of cutting the hair of a remarkably diverse range of clients, from A-listers to children and OAPs. The mobile salon travels everywhere – from farm shops and business parks to leisure centres – and its functional design enables me to operate it with the same professionalism and comfort as a traditional salon.”
“The van has been built to last for many years to come. Many of the key components — including the batteries, barber’s chairs, generator and water tank — were sourced on eBay. It was a significant project, but one that has proved to be immensely rewarding.”
Special Recognition Category Award: Niall Seymour, Scania Fire EngineAfter winning the same category award in 2024, Niall Seymour earned the Special Recognition award once again for his bold conversion of a Scania fire engine into a fully equipped burger van. Operating as ‘Fire Truck Food,’ the conversion features a bespoke kitchen with fridges, freezers, lighting, batteries, gas connections, plumbing, and flooring – mostly sourced on eBay.
Niall said: “I was inspired by a friend who has a converted school bus which is a burger van. I thought, what’s more eye-catching than a school bus? A fire engine!
“We spent more than a year gutting the interior, building a new body to house the kitchen and kitting it out – it is the only fire engine food truck I’ve ever seen with a fully built kitchen. We have been operating since May 2025 and have built up a strong reputation already – it is the best thing I have ever built!
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