A Halloween lover has created the ultimate spooky camper van – by converting an old car.
Adventurer Maggie Martin, 54, loves the fall festival so much she thought the disused hearse would make the ideal transport for her road trips.
And after buying the Vauxhall Carlton Eagle for £1,000 on Friday last September 13, the haunted car – named Hetty – failed its test at the Ministry for Transport last Halloween.
Mum-of-three Maggie then spent hundreds to get the bike back on the road and while she had her share of setbacks, she visited seaside spots and castles in Hetty.
She said: “I do wild camping, I’ll retreat somewhere and pack everything.
“I used to have a camper van for my weekend road trips and I loved it, so I thought an RV would be the ideal camper van.
“The reason for having a hearse is that they are well looked after and will only have been driven at low speeds.
“And I tried to go in my car, but sometimes you park somewhere and someone will come and knock to see what you’re doing.
“There aren’t many people who will bother you if you’re in a car.
“We haven’t been to Whitby yet as it’s never been convenient enough to make the trip, but that’s the plan.”
When she’s not on her adventures, Maggie parks Hetty outside her three-bed semi in Cramlington, Northumberland, where she’s attracted the attention of passers-by.
She added: “I love Halloween, I decorate the whole house. I’m quite Gothy in nature and commit to it and the death machine adds to that.
“People stop to take pictures and smile and laugh. I live in an apartment building and the neighbors love it.
“They see us as weird, we’re like the Addams family in the corner.
“People will stop their cars and pull over for a picture. I’m not sure if they’re just passing through or just coming to watch, but it’s all in good fun, no one has complained.”
Maggie bought the hearse last year and converted the back of it – which used to transport the bodies on their final journey – into a camper van.
It features a bed, sofa and curtains, as well as spooky decorations and dolls, while her son Mark, 23, a talented illustrator, was roped in to decorate the body work.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Maggie, however, as the hearse has racked up hundreds of pounds of repairs since she bought it.
And several road trips have ended in disaster when she breaks down, forcing her to be rescued by the AA.
Maggie, a deputy city clerk, added: “It’s all part of the fun. If you just go somewhere in a car, it’s just boring.
“Some people have asked if it bothers me that there are dead bodies there, but it really doesn’t cross my mind until someone tells me.
“I think it’s fun and weird.”
Hetty has also hosted Halloween parties and has been used by local special educational needs groups as a visual learning tool.
Maggie added: “It’s been more than just a camper van.”
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Image Source : nypost.com