Campervan - what should I add?

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 David Coley 18 Nov 2019

Hi everyone,

I have just bought a panel van (Transit, 11 plate, MWB, Medium roof) and plan to convert it. 

I'm after ideas from the community of what to include, and what not too bother with, materials, how to do it better, what you wish you had done, or not done. Plus any cool ideas, from beds to lighting.

Use: Devon to Scotland to Font to the Alps

Current plan, but all up for grabs:

double bed, a few power points, hob, sink, leisure battery, diesel heater, side windows, table

Style: something of the hippy - must be my age

Thanks for the help!

 DaveHK 18 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

For an 11 plate Transit I'd suggest some sort of rust protection.

Climbpsyched 18 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

Hi,

I had a similar van as my previous conversion although it was the LWB but same height as yours.

I've done a ton of vans over the years and Transits are top of my list. Currently got the newest shape.

Get yourself a diesel heater. The Chinese replicas on eBay are as good as the Ebers and Webastos. I've fitted all 3. 

Worth joining self build campers on FB if you use FB. 

Solar panels work a treat on the roof, I have two. I use two leisure batteries as I never use hook up points and I live full time in mine. 

An efficient fridge is a luxury but you can easily survive without. 

Get rid of double front seat and put swivel plates on single seats. Turns van into bigger space. Double swivel is not as slick as single ones. If you choose to do this just buy another driver's seat as they are cheaper than passenger seats. 

Any Transit specific questions  pm me if you like.

Enjoy!! 

Post edited at 21:31
 marsbar 18 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

The diesel heaters are amazing if you are going to use it in the cold. 

USB as well as 3 pin sockets mean you can plug in various stuff.  

LED lighting is worth a look.  You can do a lighting circuit or plug them in the USBs.  

Swivel seats are nice. 

 JonLongshanks 18 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

One nugget of advice when it comes to the process - don't get too hung up on the small details unless you're going for a work of art... as long as you've got the basics nailed it will be a faster and more enjoyable build!

 Mr Lopez 18 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

Uncluttering the van is kind of important if you are going to spend time on it, so i'd look at putting as much stuff outside as possible.

The 2 most obvious ones is an underslung water tank and an undeslung LPG tank. The LPG can be used both for the cooking and heating when along a bogstandard portable indoor LPG heater, and also for heating water for the tap, plus you can refill for peanuts at a petrol station anywhere in Europe instead of trying to find somewhere to swap a gas bottle of the same kind you got.

 Alex Riley 18 Nov 2019
In reply to Mr Lopez:

Second vote for underslung lpg tank. More space inside and meets legal requirements that most people’s gas set ups don’t, I sprung for a remote shut off on my new van too and it’s great.

 Ciro 19 Nov 2019
In reply to Mr Lopez:

> The 2 most obvious ones is an underslung water tank and an undeslung LPG tank. The LPG can be used both for the cooking and heating when along a bogstandard portable indoor LPG heater, and also for heating water for the tap, plus you can refill for peanuts at a petrol station anywhere in Europe instead of trying to find somewhere to swap a gas bottle of the same kind you got.

Personally, i wouldn't use an unflued gas heater in such a small space - water vapour is much more of an issue in a van than it is in a house. Blown air LPG heaters are a bit more expensive (although substantially cheaper than eberspacher) and produce dry heat.

Also think about your ventilation and airflow. Good to have at least one rooflight - near the cooker is an obvious first spot, and then position one of your opening opening side windows so that allows for a nice through draft to take the fumes up and out - and if you're going to be using it in hot locations a second over the bed to let heat escape at night. In rainy weather, traditional top hinged caravan windows beat everything else hands down. They are pretty pricey unless you pick up second hand from a caravan breaker though. Some low level vents (bottom of side loading for is a handy spot) also help to get air circulation going.

If you're thinking of going to the Alps in the winter, you'll need to add heating and lagging to your water tanks, or keep them onboard.

While you're planning your layout have a good think about weight distribution - it's very easy to end up with too much weight on the off-side and hard to fix later without a complete redesign.

 Reach>Talent 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

I am in a similar position to you, so will be watching this thread! 

The DVLA have tightened up their definition of a camper van, which seem to make registration of a 'stealth conversion' a bit of a non-starter:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/converting-a-vehicle-into-a-moto...

Top tip: When drilling or cutting the van stick a dirty great magnet next to the cut area to catch the swarf as nothing rusts faster than metal swarf behind the ribs of a van.

 sails_ol 19 Nov 2019
In reply to Reach>Talent:

> The DVLA have tightened up their definition of a camper van, which seem to make registration of a 'stealth conversion' a bit of a non-starter:

What does this mean? I see stealth vans on ebay quite a bit, I thought it was just to make it easier to stay low profile. Is there some legal consideration when registering?

 galpinos 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

Some form of chemical toilet so when caught short, you don't add to the piles of poorly hidden human excrement that seem to be more prevalent at "wild camping van spots" these days.

 Rick Graham 19 Nov 2019
In reply to sails_ol:

> What does this mean? I see stealth vans on ebay quite a bit, I thought it was just to make it easier to stay low profile. Is there some legal consideration when registering?

Thanks for that link, had heard they had altered the regs.

Noted that the height of the van now  needs to be suitable for a motorhome ( as opposed to a campervan), presumably able to stand up in it. Also roof needs to be fixed not raising.

Edit. Should have been replied to reach talent

Post edited at 14:47
OP David Coley 19 Nov 2019
In reply to DaveHK:

I assume that's not a joke. So any more details would be great. Before I get worried or depressed.

Thanks

 ChrisJD 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

We are on a LWB Ford T Custom with pop top (van sleeps four of us), twin sliders, rear tailgate. 

A couple of solar panels if you plan to run a fridge (cold beer!) and be off-grid.  Were about to go to a lithium leisure battery as well (got a great deal).  We never plug in to mains, even on camp sites.

Forget inverter and three pin; 12V sockets are fine as most/everything is USB charge nowadays.

Diesel heater are great if you plan off-season use.  Good for drying kit as well.

Two front swivellers are a must. We also don't have rock roller rear, they use up to much space. Have a nifty system that gives loads of storage at back and full size double bed for kids and two rear travel seats. 

We have sink and underslung water and grey tanks.  No gas.  We opted for no built in stove/gas as we cook outside most of time anyway.  No built in-stove, gives more usable work surface.

Storage space - open cubbys are more flexible than cupboards etc.  We have one each for the four of us for clothes.  And make sure you have some somewhere to keep all the odd and ends.

We added added Fiamma awning this year as well. Wish I had done this from the start.

 David Myatt 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

We use a top opening, ie chest, fridge. It saves all the cold air from spilling out so highly economical fron an electricity point of view.

Also, one our current van we went for a windout awning. Not for use when its sunny but as a giant umbrella for when it rains. Makes a huge difference. It does rattle though when driving over bumps.

David

 DaveHK 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

> I assume that's not a joke. So any more details would be great. Before I get worried or depressed.

> Thanks

I felt a bit bad after posting that but it was based on my 58 plate Transit becoming a bit of a rust bucket. They don't bother galvanising or otherwise protecting them because the assumption is that most sales will be commercial and they'll only have them for 3 years or so.  We've had ours for 9 years and it's not done yet but the rust is likely to kill it in the next few years and it looks really tatty.  I'm happy enough with that kind of longevity given that we just did a basic conversion and have used it loads but I might feel otherwise if we'd spent a fortune converting it.

As for what you can do about it I'm not really clued up on that, sorry.

Post edited at 15:55
 ChrisJD 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Myatt:

>It does rattle though when driving over bumps.

I put some thin foam around the legs end (main source of rattle on ours), plus some Velcro straps around the main awning body. Helps reduce the rattles.

Yes - main use is as rain shelter so far!, though was useful in S France for sun this year. 

 ChrisJD 19 Nov 2019
In reply to Reach>Talent:

> The DVLA have tightened up their definition of a camper van, which seem to make registration of a 'stealth conversion' a bit of a non-starter:

Explains changes here:

youtube.com/watch?v=-wiR8174F6o&

If you do a conversion that doesn't meet these requirements, the DVLA not bothered about being notified.  Its just a van or window van.  You just need to make sure it insured as it is.

 gethin_allen 19 Nov 2019
In reply to ChrisJD:

I think this chap maybe misinterpreting/strictly interpreting the DVLA guidance.

My interpretation is that not every item in the list is absolutely essential however a selection of these items (the more the better) would support the application and increase the chances of it succeeding.

Part of my logic behind this interpretation is the high top not pop top guidance. If high tops are mandatory there's going to be an awful lot of very disappointed owners VW California and Transit Custom Terrier type vans. Also, there are plenty of full conversion conventional campervans without awnings (fixed roll-out type or just rails for the classic frame tent type).

I've been considering doing a van conversion recently and of all the rules the two windows on at least one side part would be the most irritating to me as it could potentially interfere with internal layout and increase theft potential.

On the other hand, if you make your van obviously a campervan you are unlikely to have issues with scrotes breaking in looking to steal power tools. Something I'd say is the biggest risk when leaving a van around urban areas near me.

1
 ChrisJD 19 Nov 2019
In reply to gethin_allen:

Did you watch it?

DVLA kicking back loads of request to change to motorhome and enforcing very strictly.

Not sure what you mean by disappointed VW etc owners?  They can still use them, they are not illegal. 

In reply to ChrisJD:

> Did you watch it?

> DVLA kicking back loads of request to change to motorhome and enforcing very strictly.

^^^ This. Forums are awash with tales of knock backs. Best most seem to get now is 'van with windows'. 

 gethin_allen 19 Nov 2019
In reply to ChrisJD:

> Did you watch it?

No, I just decided to scratch my arse and write about it.

 

> Not sure what you mean by disappointed VW etc owners?  They can still use them, they are not illegal. 

So you'd be happy to go out and buy a new £50k+ campervan only to be told by the DVLA that you're driving a "van with windows" and you won't be able to get insurance as a camper. and you'll have to do 60 mph on a dual carriageway and 50 mph on an A-road.

That would piss me off enough.

2
 Reach>Talent 19 Nov 2019
In reply to ChrisJD:

> Not sure what you mean by disappointed VW etc owners?  They can still use them, they are not illegal. 

I understood there was a tax difference between the classes and also a big difference in resale values.

 artif 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

We had a long wheelbase van, but the same applies. Behind the rear bed we had a separate storage space which was big enough for our bikes and any wet or muddy gear, much nicer to dump it in the back after getting back late. Obviously you won't need such a large area if you don't have bikes, but an area for wet/dirty gear is very useful. 

 mik82 19 Nov 2019
In reply to gethin_allen:

Based on the new DVLA guidelines, a VW California with pop-top would be a van with windows. There's no decals saying "CAMPER" or anything down the side and no high roof.  They're essentially the same externally as a VW T6 window van. There's plenty of people on campervan forums with vans that are more obviously a camper than a California, yet their re-classification has been knocked back as "van with windows"

I suspect there'll be these rules for conversions, but there'll be arrangements for factory built campervans to still be classified as campers.

 mik82 19 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

Measure up the internals and plan the layout carefully before starting. I used SketchUp.

Insulate well and think about ventilation. 

Design the bed to involve the minimum of faff setting up. MWB is probably too small to have a fixed double, but if I had a LWB I'd definitely go for that.

Chinese diesel heaters work well and can be had for £100 or less. Join the facebook group, as most problems are caused by incorrect fitting..

Climbpsyched 19 Nov 2019
In reply to gethin_allen:

Lol if you buy a brand new campervan you do not need to send off for reclassification. I'm picturing VW sending off individual V5's with their fingers crossed. 

For the OP, you won't be able to reclassify yours as a campervan on V5 but you will easily get it insured as a campervan through people like Adrian Flux. They will also insure it as part conversion, so you can have it legal as you work away on it.

 Šljiva 19 Nov 2019
In reply to Climbpsyched:

This. Anything resembling a campervan with a pop top is now a van with windows (apparently apart from a California, go figure) as I just found out with new van. Something to do with ANPR.  All the major campervan insurers are aware of this and it isn’t an issue. 
They DVLA will also change it from a motorhome to a van with windows if you change ownership or any other reason you change the logbook. 
Still trying to find clarity on speed limits.... 

 gethin_allen 19 Nov 2019
In reply to mik82:

I know what you're saying, but where does this put the DVLA's logic that they want a campervan to be easily recognisable as such in traffic.

It would be good if they were able to write clear and unambiguous rules as, as far as I can see, in the DVLA information pages there's very little firm information saying that a camper "must have" ...

Post edited at 22:59
 DaveHK 20 Nov 2019
In reply to thread:

"The body type does not affect the insurance category of the vehicle, or have any effect on speed limits "

Have I read that right or am I missing something? Even if it gets reclassified you're still bound by van speed limits?

In reply to DaveHK:

> "The body type does not affect the insurance category of the vehicle, or have any effect on speed limits "

> Have I read that right or am I missing something? Even if it gets reclassified you're still bound by van speed limits?

If your converted base van (DIY or professional) is converted and does not get reclassified as a motor caravan as stated on your V5 (I think that's the correct term), anything else will be bound by van speed limits.

There is a potential get around for dual use vehicles where the pay load area is set out so that more of it is passenger than work space. You can't change this on the V5 though. 

 ChrisJD 20 Nov 2019
In reply to gethin_allen:

> Not sure what you mean by disappointed VW etc owners?  They can still use them, they are not illegal. 

> So you'd be happy to go out and buy a new campervan only to be told by the DVLA that you're driving a "van with windows" and you won't be able to get insurance as a camper. and you'll have to do 60 mph on a dual carriageway and 50 mph on an A-road.

It's what we did. I'm happy enough!  Its fully insured for what it is.

 mauraman 20 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

I don't know if this could be done in a Ford but in Australia I had bought an old Toyota Hiace, the conversion was made so that the cooker unit will run on short rails to the outside allowing you to cook outdoors. This was very practical and enjoyable in hot weather. I cook much less now that I can't do that with the current van.

 ChrisJD 20 Nov 2019
In reply to Reach>Talent:

> also a big difference in resale values.

If the 'new norm' becomes van-with-windows for pop-top/stealth panel van conversions (as opposed to factory fit like VW California), then resale values will soon balance out for van-for-windows panel conversions.

The market will self adjust.  .. and VW California will continue to carry the premium they always have.

 Duncan 88 20 Nov 2019
In reply to ChrisJD:

> Two front swivellers are a must. We also don't have rock roller rear, they use up to much space. Have a nifty system that gives loads of storage at back and full size double bed for kids and two rear travel seats. 

Hi

I'm thinking of converting a van as well but wont have a pop top, so am interested in how/what your "nifty system" is to get around not using a rock and roll bed to keep storage space maximised?

It would be nice to see some pictures

Thanks 

 Tyler 20 Nov 2019
In reply to David Coley:

When we did ours we were bound by DVLA regs as we wanted to register it as a camper, unfortunate timing means we are not able to do this so I would have done things differently. We've spent a lot of time in it now but rarely cooked so maybe wouldn't bother with double hob. We didn't bother with a fridge and don't regret it, a plug in cool box is sufficient and more convenient for weekends (you can plug it in at home, fill it and then move it to the van and plug in again).

The diesel heater cost about £1000 but I think its worth it and would recommend.

 alex 20 Nov 2019
In reply to ChrisJD:

Out of interest, where did you get a great deal on lithium batteries...?

thanks!

 ChrisJD 20 Nov 2019
In reply to alex & Duncan:

YHM


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