Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat : Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Rashdi opened the "Van Life Oman" factory for overland trips in the Wilayat of Barka in the South Al Batinah Governorate. It specialises in converting buses into mobile caravans that are authorised by the relevant authorities and have a modern design that contains all the requirements for trips.
Al Rashdi said: "The idea of the project started from the yard of the house and the beginning was in converting my four-wheel drive vehicle into a mobile tourist caravan. After that, I continued to develop this hobby continuously five years ago. Our first factory was opened with 100 percent Omani management, with the number of employees reaching more than 20 employees."
Al Rashdi added:" The work of a mobile caravan goes through several stages, starting with providing the bus, then studying the customer's needs for furniture and decorations. After that, we create a three-dimensional design that shows the final shape of the caravan and submits it for initial approval from the relevant authorities that allows the caravan to be driven and moved around. Then the actual work begins after the final agreement between the customer and the factory owner on the design, accessories, tools used, and price."
" The process of converting a bus into a caravan takes three months from the time of agreement until the caravan is delivered to the customer."
Al Rashdi confirmed that he received more than 30 buses from the Sultanate of Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, using 75 percent locally-made tools and a partial percentage imported from abroad, as well as providing maintenance and treatment services for some parts and adding some accessories to them. The caravan contains a small family seating area, sleeping beds, a kitchen, air conditioning, lighting, and energy sources from an electric generator, solar energy, and home charging.
