The Woody Van Conversion Is a Head-Turner With Its Homemade Roof Raise

John and Carly live happily in a cozy, rustic van conversion that was initially John’s home on wheels. Carly confesses that she was not privy to the ins and outs of van life prior to meeting John, but she was instantly drawn in and moved into his rig.

Woody, as the couple calls their mobile home, started life as a 1996 GMC Savannah 1500 powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine. When John initially bought it, it was a classic 90s family van conversion for road trips. He wanted to transform it into anything but a family road tripper, and the result of his DIY project is quite impressive.

Actually, what we see in the pictures is the work of both John and Carly after she moved in, as they admit some changes have been made to better accommodate the needs of both of them.

The cozy mobile dwelling got its name from the custom wooden roof raise, which is the most distinctive feature of the build. The tri-colored handmade roof adds 16 inches (40.6 cm) of height and makes the interior of the van 6.4 feet high (195 cm), allowing John to stand upright inside.

Another cool feature of this van conversion is the 11-foot rooftop deck that also incorporates four solar panels that they built into pull-out wooden frames.

On the inside, Woody features a lot of reclaimed wood, which makes it a very cozy build. The back pallet wall sets the tone for the entire van, and all of the storage spaces, the bed frame, the table, and the countertop are made of reclaimed wood, making the mobile home a very cozy one.

The interior includes a convertible couch/bed configuration for their lounging and sleeping needs, along with a compact kitchen.

The couches are cut out of a Tempurpedic mattress, which they upholstered with velvet curtains. The pillows can easily be arranged to create a comfortable full-size bed. Right next to the bed, there is a table that the couple uses for both work and dining.

The small kitchen includes a sink, a wood countertop, some storage units, and a little butane stove. The cheery on top in the kitchen area is the front-loading fridge that lives right under the countertop.

There is also a skylight that lets plenty of natural light get in and allows for a beautiful view of the night sky.

John and Carly have just bought a bus that they are currently working on converting, so the plan now is to sell Woody once they complete their new home on wheels. Judging by what we’ve seen in the video below, this rustic van will surely make its future owners quite happy.