Trading a traditional house for life on the open road, a British couple has found a unique way to explore Canada after transforming a humble van into a mobile home.

The pair are accompanied in their travels by their adventurous cat, Marishka, who they have trained to walk on a leash.

Rhys Toye, 32, and Eloise Gebbie, 29, originally from the UK, made a split-second decision to fly to Canada just as the Covid-19 pandemic began to shut down international borders in March 2020.

They made it into Canada with an hour to spare, not knowing the move would lead to a life-changing adventure.

For CAD$4,000 (£2,170), the pair purchased a van, which they affectionately named “Vaniel Craig”.

Mr Toye, a professional carpenter, used his skills and discarded materials to renovate the van, installing a kitchen and bed and creating a cosy home on wheels.

Initially, they explored Vancouver on weekends and holidays, but their love for the nomadic lifestyle grew.

Now permanent Canadian residents, they have fully embraced van life, staying in an apartment only during the harshest winter months.

For the rest of the year, they and Marishka traverse the Canadian landscape.

“If you’re fortunate enough to save up the money to buy a van, and you’re thinking about doing it, do it. It’s probably one of the best life choices I’ve ever made,” Mr Toye says.

He built the van’s interior using salvaged pallets, job site offcuts and a skip-sourced kitchen cabinet, paying only for ceiling plywood, insulation, curtains and wallpaper.

He made additional modifications including installing an electronic roof vent for $200, a battery-powered fan for $150, and power bank for $500 to keep the van cool.

The vegetarian couple keep their food in a cooler and cook on a portable stove.

For Ms Gebbie’s birthday in November 2020, they took a weekend trip to the Sunshine Coast, followed by her first overnight wilderness camp at Stave Lake – where coyotes were drawn to Marishka’s scent.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and I could hear a pack of coyotes howling, and they were scratching up at the van to try and get in,” Mr Toye says.

“It was a bit tense, because obviously in Canada, you’re very exposed to dangerous wildlife.”

The couple always make sure to secure the van, however, and avoid walking Marishka late at night.

Ms Gebbie added: “Especially when you’re camping in a tent, you have to be really careful that once you’ve cooked, you have to change your clothes so you’re not bringing food smells into your tent, because it doesn’t happen very often, but bears can attack you.”

They loved Canada so much that they applied for permanent residency in June 2021, which was eventually granted in November 2023.

They recently saved up to take two months off, giving up their apartment and driving from Vancouver to Toronto through British Colombia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario from September to November 2024.

On their road trip they saved money by wild camping instead of paying for official campsites, while a $100 fuel tank lasts them up to 900km.

Their monthly food bill dropped from $600 in Vancouver to $400 on the road, including cat food.

The trio stayed in a Toronto apartment this winter as temperatures plunged below minus 10C, but will hit the road again in late March.

They plan to travel to Halifax via Quebec and New Brunswick while documenting their journey on YouTube and respective Instagram pages @rhysontheroad and @eloise_g._.