Lift kit, all-wheel drive, all-terrain tires, and an external winch – combined with a lightweight and well-thought-out interior furniture design: Lena and Placido from @lobos_on_tour have consistently upgraded their VW Crafter 4Motion "Akela" for their travels and off-road adventures.

In our new epicPLY room tour, the two take us through their Crafter and show the ideas behind their conversion. And there are quite a few: from the diesel cooktop and flexible bathroom to a cleverly designed rear garage.

Particularly exciting for us: for their furniture construction, Lena and Placido deliberately chose epicPLY.

The basis: VW Crafter 4Motion for off-road travel

Akela is based on a 2024 VW Crafter 4Motion with 177 hp and automatic transmission.

However, it didn't stay in its stock condition. Among other things, Lena and Placido equipped their Crafter with a lifted suspension, all-terrain tires, and a winch. Further components such as roof racks, lighting, and off-road equipment complement the vehicle.

The goal behind it is clear: Akela should not only function well at the campsite but also accompany the two on trips that continue off the beaten path.

Iceland, for example, is one of the destinations for which the Crafter has been specifically prepared.

Lightweight and robust furniture design with epicPLY

Inside, Lena and Placido planned and implemented their own conversion.

When it came to the material for the furniture, two qualities were particularly important to them: low weight and robustness. That is why they decided on epicPLY for the furniture construction.

The panels are used throughout the entire interior and form the basis for the kitchen, cabinets, storage solutions, and other furniture.

Especially in a vehicle designed for off-road travel, the construction of the furniture plays an important role. After all, the conversion must work not only on the road, but everything should stay in its place even on rough tracks.

Accordingly, Lena and Placido use, for example, latches on the drawers and cabinets that remain reliably closed while driving.

Kitchen with diesel cooktop and plenty of storage

The kitchen block is located directly at the sliding door.

In addition to a sink and refrigerator, a diesel cooktop is installed here. For Lena and Placido, this is another component of their self-sufficiency concept, as they do not want to rely on electricity for cooking.

The 90-liter refrigerator also offers a freezer compartment – and almost every available area around the kitchen has been utilized as storage space.

A nice detail can be found on the outside of the kitchen block: a small pull-out can be used as a shelf or table when the sliding door is open. This allows food or drinks to be handed outside directly from the kitchen.

Living area with floor heating

The two pilot seats can be swiveled and thus become part of the living area. Together with the bench seat and the adjustable table, an open seating area is created.

A large part of the technology is housed under the bench seat.

The system for the floor heating is also located there. At the same time, care was taken to ensure that the technology remains easily accessible for potential maintenance.

A detail that is quickly forgotten during self-builds: technology should not only find a place somewhere – it should also be easily accessible later on.

A bathroom that doesn't have to be a permanent shower

For the bathroom, Lena and Placido also chose a solution that fits their style of travel.

They deliberately wanted to avoid a classic wet room permanently used as a shower with constant water present in the bathroom. Instead, a curtain can be pulled down when needed to create a closed shower area.

In addition, there is a pull-out toilet in the bathroom.

For the surfaces, they used, among other things, epicPLY with an anti-fingerprint finish. Especially in a place where one frequently walks by in the narrow camper and the surface is subjected to corresponding wear, durability was important to them.

Crosswise bed and sleeper extensions

Sleeping in Akela happens across the direction of travel.

The sleeping area is approximately 1.90 × 1.38 meters. To realize this width in the Crafter, side extensions are used.

A small but practical idea can be found directly in front of the bed: instead of having to climb into bed every night, Lena and Placido have integrated a pull-out step. It is secured with a magnetic system while driving.

Above the bed, deep overhead cabinets provide additional storage space.

The rear garage: storage space used cleverly

One of the highlights of the build awaits in the rear.

Lena and Placido wanted the cleanest possible rear garage while also having as much usable storage space as possible.

To achieve this, they integrated, among other things, a heavy-duty pull-out. The special feature: a part of the construction can also be opened from above.

As a result, it is not necessary to open the entire rear garage or pull out the slide-out every time. Items that are needed quickly while on the road – such as a rain jacket – can also be reached from the inside.

In addition, the rear garage offers space for several large boxes.

Accessibility was also prioritized for the electrical system. The installed EcoFlow system with 5 kWh remains reachable, so that, for example, fuses can be replaced if necessary.

95 liters of fresh water and outdoor shower

For longer trips, the water supply also plays an important role.

Akela has 95 liters of fresh water on board. In addition to the bathroom, there is a connection for an outdoor shower at the rear.

A mobile solar panel was also considered in the planning. For this purpose, there is a small port in the rear through which the cable can be routed outside without having to expose the rest of the electrical system.

It is exactly these kinds of details that show that the conversion was not just planned on paper, but intended for everyday travel life.

From personal camper to conversion concept: Craftman Vans

What emerged from the experiences with Akela is particularly interesting.

With Craftman Vans, Lena and Placido have created a concept that allows other DIY builders to benefit from their ideas and solutions.

Instead of having to plan and manufacture every cabinet and piece of furniture from scratch, various components and conversion packages can be purchased via craftmanvans.com.

At the same time, Akela serves as a very illustrative example of what such a conversion can look like in a finished vehicle.

For us, it is, of course, especially nice to see that epicPLY is used as the material for the furniture.

Akela in the complete room tour

How does the conversion feel in the finished vehicle? How much storage space is actually in the rear garage? And what other little solutions have Lena and Placido implemented?

The two are best at showing you themselves.

In our epicPLY room tour, Lena and Placido from @lobos_on_tour take you on a detailed tour through Akela and show their VW Crafter 4Motion from the outside and inside.

You can find more from Lena, Placido, and their travels with Akela on Instagram at @lobos_on_tour.

Further information on their conversion concept can be found at Craftman Vans at craftmanvans.com.

Are you planning your own camper conversion?

Whether it's a kitchen, overhead cabinet, bench seat, or custom storage solution: with epicPLY, you get lightweight and robust panel material for your own camper build.

Akela shows quite well what is possible when material, construction, and one's own requirements for a camper are considered together.

Discover epicPLY and plan your own conversion.