You always return to where you were happy. Cecilia Riesco, 'Ceci', as her friends call her (Torrebarrio, León, 1989), left her nomadic spirit aside to start a camper van business in her hometown in 2020. In England she bought an Opel Vivaro with the who, as soon as the land borders opened after the confinement, drove to Spain with only an inflatable mattress in the back. When he arrived she installed a sofa bed, a folding table and a kitchen. Her followers on social networks began to order replicas of “Mamba”, as she named her debut film. This was, unknowingly, the origin of Wild Road Camper.
In Torrebarrio, Ceci barely had a tool in which to store her tools. For two years she worked with the vans outdoors, whether it was sunny, rainy or snowing, in a region like Babia where the winters are very long. After giving up on the search for a place to rent in the town, she has managed to consolidate a business in León with orders that go on a waiting list of months.
What did you do before founding Wild Road Camper?
I was a Physical Education teacher at a Special Education school in the United Kingdom for six years.
For you, did the pandemic stop or boost the idea of turning your passion into a job?
Definitely a boost. When I returned to Spain I didn't have a job and I started doing some camperization for friends, purely as a hobby, because they liked the style of my van and uploading photos of the process to Instagram. Little by little, more people were following me asking me for quotes, so I decided to jump into the void. I registered as self-employed and changed the direction of my life. Since then I haven't stopped working and I don't regret taking that risk in the slightest.
Renault Trafic, Ford Transit, a Mercedes 406D... Can any model of van be camped?
Today I think so. In the end my work is 100% personalized, tailored, handmade according to the tastes and needs of each client.
Anyone you are particularly interested in?
The Mercedes 406D is a 1980 vehicle that I bought more than a year ago on a whim, since I always wanted to have a classic of this style. I'm really looking forward to it, but it's going to take me a long time because it's the biggest van I've worked on so far and it has a lot of bodywork and paint work before I can start on the interior.
Have you done carpentry and plumbing work before?
I have always liked crafts and working with wood. I loved making booths with my friends in the town or helping out if there was construction at home. But I learned a lot more in my first camper, which was my father's old van, which I worked on with the help of him and many YouTube videos before dedicating myself to this. I still have that van that, when I look at it, I would change a thousand things, but at the same time I am unable to change anything, because that was the beginning of all this. I learn about plumbing and electricity day by day. I have trained with professionals, I read, I research and, above all, I practice to continue improving.
Lighting, ergonomics, comfort… What are the requirements for a good camper? What materials can't you do without?
I think there are no minimum requirements. There are people who, with a piece of furniture for the bed, a gas stove and a portable toilet, have what they need to live in a van. Other clients request a gas stove with oven, microwave, several beds, television... In the end it is the needs and priorities of each person. But if I had to say a basic of camperization, it would be insulation. Good insulation in vans protects us from both the cold in winter and the heat in summer, which can be very oppressive.
You have created tables that become beds, extendable sofas... What would you say is the best idea you have ever had?
I think the “Mamba” design allowed me to have a lot of room in a small van. During the day, with an L-shaped sofa and a folding table where up to 6 people can gather to have a quiet drink. At night, the sofa was extended and there was a 140x180cm bed.
As these are personalized orders, how much time do you usually invest in each camperization?
It depends a lot on the project and the moment in which they asked me. This year I have practically been releasing projects that I had on a waiting list since last year. I had many orders, now they are stabilizing. To camperize a small van like VW Transporter or Renault Trafic, it takes about 3 weeks, and in a large project like a Mercedes Sprinter or a Fiat Ducato with all the facilities, such as gas, water and stationary heating, it takes between a month and a half and two months.
You yourself have said that vanlife is a lifestyle. Have you met any clients during any of your trips?
One of my first clients was a guy from Asturias who had rented my van to go to the Algarve for a week. He liked it so much that he decided to buy one and have me camp it for him. It's nice to be able to help people fulfill their dreams and have those campers take them on adventures and see different places.
Now that you have turned it into your profession, do you have time for a getaway?
Little, really! I work more than I would like, like everyone, I guess -laughs-. Even so, last summer I went to Portugal for 10 days with some friends in the vans. As soon as the good weather arrives, I will try to escape some weekend to Galicia or Asturias.
Apart from the vans, you own accommodation in the heart of the Babia y Luna Natural Park. What is the most difficult thing about starting a business in rural areas?
I have a small stone and wood house for rent in Abelgas de Luna, my father's town, which I attend on weekends. It's more of a refuge, but people love it. This is an area that lives off of livestock and tourism, so, in this sense, it was not very difficult to undertake, beyond the investment in the home itself and the corresponding paperwork.
And the advantages?
For me, living in the town is all advantages. I was born and raised there, although I have traveled a lot and lived abroad for a long time, like at home, nowhere. The calm pace of life, without rushing, being surrounded by mountains and nature, breathing fresh air. Getting to know all the neighbors, helping each other and feeling that people support you and are interested in what you do. I hope one day I can build my own warehouse there and set up Wild Road Camper in Babia.
