Ever dreamed about doing your own campervan conversion? Then the Discovery Channel’s new reality series, Full Metal Junkies, is right up your street. The camera follows Jim Stewart and his band of merry mischief makers as they delight in taking on unique bus and van conversion projects with a serious spoonfuls of banter—all for our viewing pleasure.
Six episodes chart the journeys of 12 vehicles; the basic get brilliant, the dreary made dreamy. Each exploit features ingenious solutions to meet ‘The Client’s’ aims, no matter how ambitious. Stewart works to give each conversion the wow factor and since random ideas seem to fall out of his head—he suspends a caravan from a crane at one point—you can expect wackiness and inspiration in equal measure.
> The Parkers guide to campervans
What’s the background here?
Established in 2013, Stewart’s ‘Shred and Butta’ business has been officially converting vans and buses for almost a decade, growing from strength to strength as the campervan market flourishes. It’s clear he has been passionate about tinkering with vehicles since first showing interest in his mother’s Fiat Panda, aged 10. He set about converting a purple ice-cream van aged 17 and, in an interview with Parkers Vans, tells us he spent the summer ‘surfing the whole of Cornwall with a couple of mates and a mattress thrown in the back.’
‘I haven’t done the typical university route. I didn’t go travelling on a gap year. I worked hard and I played hard and [in working for surf and snow brands] I had the best experiences. There’s so many people that are on that edge of van life, wanting to try it. And all I can say, it’s just give it a go. Because it’s epic!’
Stewart’s top tips for converting a van are:
1. If you have a van conversion dream, make it happen: ‘Just do it. I’ve always been that way in life’
2. See it as an investment: ‘Two years ago, I’d say [to clients], ‘Please be aware that you’re not making any money [from this conversion]. Now the buoyancy of the market literally means clients are making more than I am, just by selling the van we built.’
3. Staycate: ‘There’s so much of the UK that none of us have seen. There’s no better way to see the world than in a van. Watching kids learn independence by meeting other kids in the campsite, making friends on the road, just getting out there—it’s awesome. [If it’s not for you] you can always go back home, can’t you?’
4. Don’t worry if it doesn’t go to plan: ‘There were lots of things we did on the show, which we hadn’t done before, but that’s not unusual for us. A lot of this work you learn by doing it and getting it wrong, or not…but everything’s repairable. You have to go in one direction to know if it’s possible.’
Now a family man, with a wife and daughter to keep him grounded, he creates his own fun pranking his colleagues on the Surrey farm where the conversion work takes place.
What’s the Full Metal Junkies show like?
The structure of the show means the antics of the team are just as charming as the conversions themselves. Completely unscripted, there are at least 10 guys grafting at any given point. with cameras capturing the camaraderie.
There’s a focus on the core characters, of course. Paul, the ‘sensible’ one, clearly feels it’s his responsibility to play the perpetual grump (see team image)… that is, until he’s pole-dancing (!), there’s the two Bens and then there’s Stewart’s long-standing friend Scotty. An unofficial nightwatchman, Scotty lives on site in a ‘gold’ caravan. His good-natured innocence leaves him wide-open to be pranked, but hold the sympathy; in one episode, he creates his own ‘rap’—rivalling Kendall Roy in the cringe sakes—though not in the least bit malicious.
The self-deprecation is the hook that pulls you in so quickly; instantly the viewer is very much along for the ride. The team embarks on each project so sincerely, it’s no surprise the ‘big reveals’ really inspire a desire to buy a van and hit the road. With episodes that are nicely paced and entertaining throughout, we’ve got our fingers crossed for a second season before the first one’s even aired.
Full Metal Junkies Episode 1 aired Tuesday 22 March 9pm on Quest and is also available on discovery+. It repeats on Sunday 27 March at 7pm and you can catch the second episode on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 9pm.
Here are some of the coolest ‘Full Metal Junkies’ builds (in no particular order):
George’s American Bus
George lives on a bus already. He wants a second one as a luxury hotel-style getaway that he can rent out. The boys take an International CE300 with its 7.6-litre engine and cut the top off. As you do…
Gav’s pop top van conversion
Gav wants his builder’s wagon to become a family camper. The team takes a Volkswagen T6 SWB and works its magic and takes this project to new heights.
Jim’s Landie
Why not take one Land Rover Series 2 Carmichael with a 2.25-litre petrol engine and turn it into a dream camper with a kitchen even Gordon Ramsey could be proud of? Why not, indeed. Though this time the client is the boss.
Matt the wakeboarder’s wonder truck
Action sports fan and former pro wakeboarder Matt Crowhurst brings his 2.0-litre Volkswagen T6 LWB into Jim and the gang for some serious retuning. One winch and a heck of a lot of fun later, Matt’s wakeboarding wonder truck is born.
Saif’s barbershop
Saif’s van wasn’t on the original production slate for the show. As proof that timing is everything, this 2.0-litre Peugeot Boxer gets a fancy retro-fit out with an internal glass door, which proved to be a bit tricky. A positive story from the pandemic, this is one practically perfect van conversion.
Kate’s rustic Crafter
Kate rocks up with a 2.5-litre VW Crafter and explains that she’s moving from water and taking to land. With the key objective of maintaining maximum space, the team embark on this wicked conversion where the final result incorporates the natural and free (in more ways than one).
Heather’s unexpected DIY SOS
Heather’s change in circumstances means she needed the guys’ help her get a Mercedes Sprinter ready at short notice. With a tight budget and big dreams, this is one project the team might have overpromised on, especially when they get the mechanics checked. Do they get it done? No spoiler alert here, you’ll have to tune in.
Also read:
>> The Parkers guide to factory-supported campervans
