A Bellambi man, Adrian Rondan, was driving a 36-year-old campervan up the mountain about 12.30pm when he noticed a strange smell and smoke coming from behind him.

He pulled into a breakdown lane near the top of the mountain before the van was completely engulfed in flames.

“It started smoking and I managed to get out,” Mr Rondan said.

“I got my bag, closed [the van] up, I looked through the window and the flames were going too high, so I stepped away.”

Mr Rondan said the van was a classic Bedford, a vintage commercial vehicle, that hadn’t been for a drive in about a month.

He had intended to take it to Bulli Tops Lookout.

“I took it for a drive just to let it breathe a bit,” he said.

“There was a bit of smoke coming from the battery just behind the passenger seat.”