My long suffering partner and i have wanted a campervan for a few years but any within our budget are frankly shite. It seems to me that some people don't really understand what a campervan is supposed to be.
Our search in the usual places was fruitless and asking around trade contacts was no help, so after a few beers (sounds familiar), we decided that we would buy a suitable van and convert it ourselves.
The starting point was a suitable van and we bought a 2009 Vauxhall Movano 2.5 CDTi, it is a medium wheel base, medium height model so has enough room to build a full width bed and the roof height means the head clearance is perfect. These were the things which were of most importance to us, certainly where the rear space is concerned. As there is only Me, Debbie and Eska our dog we will only be fitting sleeping room for 2, Eska will be sharing with us.
We have set about doing it as best as we can, the first job was painting the floor, it had been used as a mobile wheel refurbishing unit and had several bolt holes through the floor which attract rust so i filled them in, removed any rust and painted the floor with Hammerite.
Next i glued batons to the floor, filled in between the batons with 1 inch insulation board and covered it all with 9mm ply. Gluing the batons in place meant no screws holes in the floor.
Next was ply lining the roof and sides of the van, this was a reel challenge and has taken many weeks of work. Of course i had to put any wiring in place first and insulate the whole thing. i have double insulated the roof and sides, first using 1 inch insulation board and then covering it all with self adhesive thermal foil bubble insulation. The ply lining was a sod as each board had to have a template made and many fittings to get it right, although the B and C posts were probably the most awkward. Now there is no bare metal in the back what so ever.
Once ply lined i was able to install the roof vent, now that is a scary job, there are no second chances here, it has to be right first time. I'm glad i had the sense to pay someone to install the side windows, i really didn't fancy that job myself.
So i have learned much recently, mostly that converting a van into campervan is a much bigger job the i had imagined, these sorts of things do tend to go that way. Also, the order of jobs has been hard to get right and i have fitted and removed the ply lining many times for various reasons
I suppose the next step will be the carpet lining, although we have most of the major components needed to finish the van, the Rock and Roll bed is still on order and we have to drive to Bridend in south Wales to collect it, a folding bed creates so much extra space and with seat belts fitted will allow us to carry upto 5 people, making it an excellent support vehicle for my running exploits.
Our search in the usual places was fruitless and asking around trade contacts was no help, so after a few beers (sounds familiar), we decided that we would buy a suitable van and convert it ourselves.
The starting point was a suitable van and we bought a 2009 Vauxhall Movano 2.5 CDTi, it is a medium wheel base, medium height model so has enough room to build a full width bed and the roof height means the head clearance is perfect. These were the things which were of most importance to us, certainly where the rear space is concerned. As there is only Me, Debbie and Eska our dog we will only be fitting sleeping room for 2, Eska will be sharing with us.
We have set about doing it as best as we can, the first job was painting the floor, it had been used as a mobile wheel refurbishing unit and had several bolt holes through the floor which attract rust so i filled them in, removed any rust and painted the floor with Hammerite.
Next i glued batons to the floor, filled in between the batons with 1 inch insulation board and covered it all with 9mm ply. Gluing the batons in place meant no screws holes in the floor.
Once ply lined i was able to install the roof vent, now that is a scary job, there are no second chances here, it has to be right first time. I'm glad i had the sense to pay someone to install the side windows, i really didn't fancy that job myself.
So i have learned much recently, mostly that converting a van into campervan is a much bigger job the i had imagined, these sorts of things do tend to go that way. Also, the order of jobs has been hard to get right and i have fitted and removed the ply lining many times for various reasons
