Building The Beast: How (Not) To Build An Overland Camper by Jacqueline Lambert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I’ve read nearly all Jacqueline Lambert’s previous memoirs. I also have a taste for DIY so I was especially keen to read this latest book in her series. For once, this is not a travelogue; in fact, poor Mark and Jackie have to deal with the enforced movement limitations of lockdowns in the UK during the Covid 19 pandemic. These restrictions dictate the progress of their project to convert an old army truck into a home and set the tenor of what was to result in a series of frustrating delays and catastrophes.

Written with lively wit and understated humour, the book details the problems, the costs, the issues with the friend whose premises and skills they are using and the disasters that occur along the way. Theirs was not a standard conversion, so it’s no ‘how to’ (or not) book in the sense of being a manual for van build-ups. However, there’s some useful information at the end about materials and products that would benefit others embarking on this kind of project. In the end, the fact that Mark and Jackie kept their sanity and their relationship intact is amazing. A great read, as always and I look forward to more of their adventures.

I received an advanced review copy of this book, but this is my unbiased opinion.



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