Couple heads off for a year to live in modified 4x4 while travelling from Canada to Brazil

Joel Bonnici and Nix Pybus have been together for three years and feel this is the right time in their lives to embark on an amazing adventure.

Joel said, “This was always a dream of mine and when we first got together I told Nix.

“She didn’t probably take too much notice to be honest. We have reached a point in our lives and with our careers where the time was right for us.

“Our relationship is going well and we want to settle down but we have decided to go on this adventure first.”

They worked for Eastbourne Borough and Lewes District Councils. Joel was a project manager and Nix as a growth and prosperity specialist advisor.

When they made the decision to take the adventure of their lives they planned long and hard to make sure it was sustainable and they would be able to live off-grid.

Joel and Nix searched long and hard for six months to find the perfect vehicle and were delighted when they found a Mitsubishi Delica van. It’s a 4x4 but it is also big enough for two people to live in.

The couple spent two months sorting out the van and making it robust enough to complete the huge journey and comfortable enough for two people to live in for the duration of the trip.

They have doubled the capacity of the fuel tank, added some armour to give the vehicle extra strength when travelling over rough terrain and put in a diesel heater to keep them warm.

Joel said, “It is quite comfortable. We have gone for an antique pine campervan style and we are pleased with the results.”

The van is a cosy home for the couple, albeit small. They have built cupboards in the van to house their belongings, along with a bed and cooking equipment to keep them comfortable for the next 12 months.

Nix said, “We are including an enhanced solar system, backup generator, water purification system and a lot of DVDs.”

Suttonz Vehicle Mechanics in Pevensey have been supporting the mechanical upgrades to the van, which Nix and Joel have lovingly named Rex.

The van is now finished and is being shipped to Canada.

The couple said, “Twelve months, three continents. We leave the UK on March 31 to meet Rex (our van!) in Novia Scotia before heading up through Canada to the Alaskan territories, looking for as much wilderness as our little 4x4 can handle while we meander our way south through central and South America, eventually finishing in Brazil.