It’s becoming home: Football fan spends £12,000 and a year of his life converting old work van into luxury motorhome to travel across Germany following England at Euros 2024
Football fan Will Robey has spent a year converting an old van into a luxury camper – to follow England on the road this summer.
He spent an estimated £12,000 to create the fan mobile, which now comes complete with a double bed, kitchenette and large-screen projector to watch all 51 matches at the European Championship. Germany.
Will will leave his home in Redhill, Surrey, early on Saturday and travel 360 miles to the city of Gelsenkirchen, where England play their first match against Serbia the following evening.
Will and his twin brother Ed will then follow the team to Frankfurt and then to Cologne for the remaining matches against Denmark and Slovenia.
The 29-year-old twins will eat, sleep and cook in a 2014 Fiat Ducato van, which Will has refurbished for £12,000 into a luxury camper, affectionately called ‘Mary’.
Football fan Will Robey spent a year converting an old van into a luxury camper
He spent an estimated £12,000 to create the fanmobile, which now comes complete with a double bed, kitchenette and large-screen projector to watch all 51 matches at the European Championship in Germany.
The 29-year-old twins will eat, sleep and cook in a 2014 Fiat Ducato van, which Will spent £12,000 turning into a luxury camper, affectionately called ‘Mary’.
The vehicle is also equipped with a sink with hot water and a refrigerator to keep all the beer cool
The vehicle is also equipped with a sink with hot water and a refrigerator to keep all the beer cool.
Salesman and social media influencer Will is keeping a video diary of his Euro 2024 adventure, and regular updates will be uploaded to his Will’s Whereabouts YouTube channel
He is now on his way to Germany in his self-converted luxury camper, in time to arrive for England’s first match on Sunday evening.
Will told MailOnline: ‘This is definitely something to cross off my bucket list.
‘I’ve never followed England in a major tournament, let alone camped in a van along the way, but it will be an incredible experience.
“Mary” is a 2014 Fiat Ducato that I spent a year and twelve thousand dollars restoring.
‘It was a two-seater, but I was able to convert it to a three-seater, so we have a bit more space. It’s not big, but has all the comforts you need to be on the road for a month.
The twins will leave early on Saturday, traveling 360 miles to the city of Gelsenkirchen, where England will play their first match against Serbia the following evening.
Will believes this journey with her brother is his most ambitious journey yet
‘How long we stay in Germany obviously depends on how well England does. I’m really looking forward to going there now because there will be a wave of excitement across the country.
‘I worked really hard to get the van ready on time and it was tiring and stressful, but all that will be forgotten when I’m on my way to Gelsenkirchen.’
Will has 285,000 subscribers from around the world who follow his Will’s Whereabouts YouTube page to see how he converts old vans into campers and then uses the vehicles to camp in Britain.
He initially started it as a hobby while working in sales, but after the Covid pandemic he turned his construction projects into a career and started filming and uploading his work on social media.
He believes this trip is his most ambitious yet and said: ‘We have to arrive in Calais on Saturday morning and then it’s a six-hour drive to Gelsenkirchen. I’m not entirely sure which route we’ll end up taking, but it’s about 360 miles in total. With a bit of luck we’ll get there before Sunday.
‘As soon as we find a place to park, we will look for a bar or fan zone to watch the match. I would like to get a ticket, but the prices offered are astronomical.
Salesman and social media influencer Will is keeping a video diary of his Euro 2024 adventure, and regular updates will be uploaded to his Will’s Whereabouts YouTube channel
‘There is a refrigerator to keep the beer cool in the van and a fan. But when the temperature drops at night, I also have heating to keep warm.
‘In addition, there is a projector to watch some other matches of the tournament. It will be a home away from home.”
Chelsea fan Will and Fulham supporter Ed are joined at one point during the trip by Ed’s girlfriend Florencia.
Will added: ‘It’s going to be a tight squeeze anyway, lying next to Ed on a double mattress, but if Florencia meets us there I’ll probably have to sleep on the floor next to the bed.
‘She’s originally from Argentina and I think she pledged her allegiance to Italy at Euro2024. If England and Italy somehow meet again in the tournament, I hope we will fare better than the final three years ago. Otherwise we’re going to have an uncomfortable night!’
