This is our story
Where it all began?
Freedom and family are the values we hold dearest, so founding a company together as a married couple felt completely natural to us. In fact, the idea of building campervans first came up at our very first meeting, when a painting of a pink campervan decorated the wall of Anni's apartment. Back then, Anni was still dreaming of owning one someday, while Mikael had already built his first. Although we now convert mostly panel vans into campers, the Kleinbus in the Vanset logo is a tribute to that painting-inspired first conversation.
We ended up starting our first van conversion together quite quickly, once we realised we wanted a campervan that felt like our own home. We couldn't find a ready-made little home on wheels that pleased the eye, and Mikael was already deeply interested in off-grid electrical systems, so we decided to start a project of our own.
Soon after starting, reality hit us: just how time-consuming a van conversion is — both the building itself and sourcing all the parts. We were both still working day jobs at the time, so there was hardly any time to build outside the evenings. We also didn't have anywhere near all the tools we needed, let alone a workshop. In the beginning, we built at our parents' places and in parking lots. It's incredible to think that at that stage of our lives, over a few months, we managed to complete the design and the demolition and groundwork — plus little more than a solar panel installation. Today, in that same amount of time, our company Vanset gets an empty panel van well on its way to becoming a finished campervan.
Beyond our experience, the wish to get a van conversion started quickly is clearly the reason our help is so often requested. People want a high-quality campervan sooner than they could build it themselves — one that pleases the eye and works perfectly for their own needs. And not everyone has the professional skills for conversion work, let alone the time. To balance that, we have not only the passion and the expertise, but all the necessary resources, from tools to proper workshop facilities for turning a panel van into a finished campervan. On top of that, we still go adventuring in the campervans we've built ourselves, which brings genuinely functional and practical solutions into every conversion we build. Not to mention the dozens of collaborations with our customers so far, where their stories and individual needs keep adding to our inspiration.
Mr. & Mrs. Merikoski
But who are we, really? Besides owning a self-built campervan and working on van conversions all day, we spend most of the rest of our time together too. In our free time we go adventuring as a family — snowboarding in winter, and in summer heading to the cottage or out into nature with the van, where our appreciation for self-sufficiency turns from values into everyday life in a campervan.
We visit family up north as often as we can and see friends over game nights. Besides adventuring in Finland, we've also spent several weeks a year on the road further away. Regardless of the season, we tend to pick destinations with sunshine, beaches and surfing. In early 2023, that meant the south of France — and that same summer, the Lofoten Islands in Norway.
Travelling without schedules set by anyone else is definitely our thing. So are crisps, Pepsi Max and sauna. We live a flexible life that looks like us — on the road or at our workshop in Tampere, where every campervan is built to order.
Vanset
We specialise in crafting unique, customised campervans. At our workshop, we turn empty panel vans into practical, beautiful, finished campervans built to your wishes.
Mikael
"I was born and raised in Tampere. After upper secondary school and vocational school, I lived in Australia for about a year — and that's where my first campervan build happened. It was nothing like what I get to build today, but that's where it all started. After returning to Tampere, I wanted to add an engineering degree on top of my electrician's qualification. So alongside being the main builder, I'm also our supervisor of electrical work — and Vanset is one of the rare electrical installation companies in Finland authorised by Tukes to specialise in campervan installations. I'm not very good at doing nothing, and my dream day starts with building something with my hands, followed by surfing or snowboarding, and ends with learning something new — right now I'm developing my cooking skills to my wife's delight, and filling in sudokus."
"My family comes from the Savo region, but I grew up in Kajaani. I moved to Tampere in 2017 for a change of scenery and to study, and graduated with a degree in hospitality management. I love being a mum to family members both furry and non-furry, and we hope to grow our family on both fronts. I grew up in the middle of nature and enjoying it, and that still shows strongly in my everyday life, from forest walks to cottage weekends.
I also find real joy in solutions that combine beauty and practicality. That's the combination I bring to our van builds too — the best part is designing everything you need into a small space without compromising on beautiful details. In our conversion projects, my strengths are a sharp visual eye, seeing the big picture, and careful planning."