An Isle of Wight woman who turned redundancy into an opportunity has built a successful campervan conversion business – and is now giving one lucky person the chance to win her latest creation through a nationwide raffle.
At just 25 years old, content creator and campervan builder Tia Forster has transformed one of the toughest moments of her life into a thriving business, documenting her journey from first-time builder to full-time van conversion specialist.
Just 2 years ago, Tia was working in a corporate sales role before unexpectedly losing her job. Rather than searching for another office-based role, she decided to pursue something she had always been passionate about – converting campervans.
What began as a hobby quickly developed into a full-time career.
Since then, Tia has shared every stage of her builds across social media, attracting an audience of more than 320,000 followers who watch everything from DIY projects and problem-solving to her travels across Europe living in the vans she has built herself.
However, being a young female builder in an industry traditionally dominated by men has brought its own challenges.
Tia has said:
“I’ve definitely had people question whether I actually build the vans myself.
“I’ve had comments saying I must have someone else doing the work behind the scenes, but proving people wrong has only motivated me more.”
Over the last 2 years, she has completed multiple self-built campervans, travelled across Europe, worked with international brands and shown how determination and a willingness to learn can open up new opportunities.
Now, Tia is giving someone else the chance to start their own adventure.
Her latest project – a fully refurbished 2007 Ford Transit campervan – is being raffled through her website rather than sold outright. The completed conversion includes a fixed bed, kitchen, bathroom, heating, storage and off-grid capabilities, with everything needed to explore the UK from day one.
Tickets cost £4.99 each.
Tia adds:
“It’s a way of giving somebody the chance to own a campervan who might never normally be able to afford one. For less than the price of a coffee and cake, someone could completely change their weekends, or even their lifestyle.”
The raffle is open to UK residents aged 18 and over and closes in just under 2 weeks. One winner will receive the campervan, while every entry will also help support Tia’s growing business as she continues building and documenting future projects.
Entries for the campervan raffle, together with the full competition details and terms and conditions, can be found at www.tiasvanlife.com/product/2007-ford-transit-van-conversion/.
To follow Tia’s campervan conversion journey, visit www.instagram.com/tiasvanlife or head over to https://tiasvanlife.com/.
Looks a beauty.
Well done.
Good effort Tia – opportunity comes to the prepared mind – and you were ready – good luck on the next one.
Yes well done looks lovely,all the best for the future.