Our story

I’m Jamie, the founder & director of YAKKT. Here’s a little background of how we got here.

In 2020, after five years of study, I graduated from the University of Nottingham with a master’s in Civil & Environmental Engineering. My wife and I used to convert a van to a campervan every year before the summer break, ready for a trip to Europe. We’d then sell the van at the end of each trip which would fund the next year’s conversion and subsequent adventure. We saw some incredible places and spent months travelling all across Europe in van’s. After completing my dissertation and gaining some traction with conversions and booking some commissions, I had the choice between a) accept an offer as an engineer or b) continue down the path of business and campervans.

From Custom Builds to DIY Van Conversions…

Formerly Trekk Vans, our business was previously focused on high-end conversions, primarily on the VW Crafters and Sprinters. Given the prior engineering experience, we would 3D model every element of the conversion on CAD which has provided us with a 3D library of layouts and knowledge of the vehicles.

We found that typically, most customers end up choosing a very similar variation of a standard layout (there’s only so many ways you can fit a bed/kitchen/seating area in a van!). This gave us the idea to build a 3D design tool for customers to design their van from modular furniture elements.

Although we loved building bespoke commissions for customers. We understand that not everyone can afford it; and at heart, we identify with the self-build ethos. Ultimately, every van starts out as the same empty box; with some clever design, it should be possible for self-builders to create coachbuilt quality conversions themselves, but for less money.

Introducing YAKKT: Innovative VAN GEAr

In 2024 we re-branded to YAKKT. We are bringing the specific knowledge we’ve gained of CAD design to vans by developing a series of products with a unique online 3D design tool for customers to visualise and specify their vehicle online.

We’re inspired by modern, functional design and strive for excellence. We use the most modern techniques and materials available to design and manufacture the highest quality products on the market today at the most reasonable price possible. All of our products are made from aircraft grade aluminium and/or stainless steel. We pride ourselves on individuality, all of our products are unique to us designed from first principles thinking and not just simply copies.

If you’d like to find out more about our processes and see what makes us different then feel free to reach out, we’d love to chat and show you around our workshop.

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