Campervans

[PBancroft]

I've recently caught the mountain bug. For my stag do 18 months ago, I convinced my mates to walk Scafell Pike, and now we're hooked. We're thinking about doing a few peaks in Europe, and the easiest way would be if we had some form of campervan.

I'm giving some serious consideration to buying a tatty old van, and converting it into a basic camper. Has anyone here got any experience of doing such a thing? Any pitfalls? Any successes? What are the realistic costs ON TOP of the cost of buying the van... a grand or more? Less?

 

[PBancroft]

[QUOTE 1277269"]
How many people are you talking about? If it's only a couple I'd look at one of those little Renault things. If it's more than two, buy a big tent.

Or check out the campsites local to the climbs. Some of them have bunk houses.
[/quote]

We're looking at two, maybe three at a push. The campsites are good, but we can't be 100% certain about dates, so some stealth camping may be required.

 

[Arch]

I've recently caught the mountain bug. For my stag do 18 months ago, I convinced my mates to walk Scafell Pike, and now we're hooked. We're thinking about doing a few peaks in Europe, and the easiest way would be if we had some form of campervan.

I'm giving some serious consideration to buying a tatty old van, and converting it into a basic camper. Has anyone here got any experience of doing such a thing? Any pitfalls? Any successes? What are the realistic costs ON TOP of the cost of buying the van... a grand or more? Less?

I guess it depends on how comfy you want your campervan to be. Friend of mine had a Citroen H van, and made the back into a basic camper, by building in a bed and a folding table and some cupboards - no plumbing or anything. I guess the most basic plumbing solutions would be camping stuff converted.

Might be worth looking at cheap vans ready converted, or purpose made - I think there's a steady enough market for there to be low end bargains, and saves you the work - unless of course, the job is part of the appeal!

I've always fancied a campervan, easier than a caravan, and generally easy to park.

You can also get units that fit on the back of something like a toyota pick up, that have bunks and so on built in. I think Uncle Phil has one.

 

[PBancroft]

Might be worth looking at cheap vans ready converted, or purpose made - I think there's a steady enough market for there to be low end bargains, and saves you the work - unless of course, the job is part of the appeal!

All the preloved campervans I can find are rather pricey - might actually be a moneyspinner to make one! Not that that is the purpose of course.

 

[Campfire]

I'd love a camper van but would be content with a small transit type van or a VW one. I'm in a VW owners' club and some of the guys have campers and others the vans which they have 'sort of' converted. As they're an easy going bunch you go from perfect to just somewhere to sleep and boil a kettle! We used to have a Maestro van and I was hearbroken when he got rid of it so I couldn't take it 'camping' any more. At least with that if it threw it down I could sleep in it, which I did fairly often.

 

[vernon]

All the preloved campervans I can find are rather pricey - might actually be a moneyspinner to make one! Not that that is the purpose of course.

I'm not entirely sure but I think that there are construction regulations regarding things like water supply, gas supply, and ventilation amongst other things for camper van conversions with the work being inspected and certified by inspectors.

Selling on might be a tad difficult with an unregulated build.

 

[mark barker]

I built a "camper" a few years back using an LDV400 as the base. It was originally a 16 seat mini bus, but the seats were easily removed. If you're going to convert a van you'll need a hi-top otherwise you won't be able to stand up! I purchased a 1970s caravan for around £100 from ebay and used some of the fittings in the van (seat cushions, cooker, fridge, sink, wardrobe and mains hook-up unit). The rest of the van was made up of scrap wood. I sold the caravan shell onto a chap that wanted to make a car trailer (think I got around £50 for it). The biggest cost was for the finishing touches (curtains, seat covers, lighting etc), although if you've got the time to source them I guess you'd be able to get them cheap enough.

 

[mickle]

I made a rudimentary camper from a LWB Ford Econoline 150. It had been purchased originally as a mini bus spec but without rear seats so it had windows. I just built a platform out of two by one and plywood sheet about 400mm deep which covered the whole rear floor area and was then covered in cheapo carpet tiles. Camping rollmats and sleeping bags completed the sleeping set-up. The plywood sheets were hinged for access and I built a slidey out tray thing for the two ring camping stove just inside of the rear doors. We hung a ground sheet between the two rear doors as a rudimentary awning.

Two of us travelled across the USA in it, we used it as a daily driver and then we drove it all the way back to NJ three years later. We also used it to camp four of us on mountain biking trips to Big Bear. Two inside and two under the 'awning'. It cant have been too awful - we went more than once.

 

[ufkacbln]

Go for a small American one?

On a more serious note though... a colleague of mine has just retired, and she and her Husband are driving to Australia

They bought a secod hand (35 year old) Volkswagen camper for about £5,000 and are planning to overhaul and use this. HE is an experienced motor mechanic though, so is happy he can sort problems on a vehicle like this.

A recent model though will set you back between £15 - £30 k!

 

[MarkF]

Get a cheap van, I had a cheap Fiat Scudo. I insulated it (important), ply-lined it and carpeted it, walls and floor for maybe £125. I'd use it take my bike into the Dales and sleep over, no windows or anything so it looked like a regular work van. I had a piece of EPDM rubber that rolled out to cover the floor area after dirty rides. For cooking I have a Coleman duel fuel cooker, 2 burners and for toilet I had a 5L water bottle.

You can spend thousands but it costs peanuts to make a starter day/van, do it and take it from there.

 

[Over The Hill]

I had a look this with the same sort of idea in mind a while back.

There is the top end professional standard van that seems to be expensive to buy and they seem to hold their price well so that even a clapped ut old one seems to still commmand some decent money.
I guess the plus side with this is that you can probably sell it on for what you bought it for.

Then there are conversions. As well as those trying to make it to professional standards and to get that sort of price there is another range that are more basic conversions - these seem to be for various uses such as a track van for motorcross bikes or whatever. These seem to not cost much more than the van but some seemed to be very basic or quite a bad job. Ebay had lots of these with pics.

I had a plan to convert a van and tour Europe for a summer when I retire in about 10 years time but perhaps will go for a made one which I then sell on when I get home.

Problem if you do a basic job is that it may not then be a sellable as a basic conversion.

 

[Crackle]

Seen this place

http://www.sbmcc.co.uk/forum/

 

[asterix]

Sort of. I often sleep in the back of my Toyota Hiace on long trips. Here it is in the Pyrennees:

Conversion consisted of packing a Thermarest camping mattress, stove and and the other stuff plus cans for water. On the domestic side there is very little to go wrong and the cost was minimal. The tailgate makes an excellent canopy when it is raining.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

To build a proper camper you need the largest vehicle you can find, kit it out with as much heavyweight gear you can and stick a de-tuned lawnmower engine in it. Then find all the narrowest hilliest routes you can to drive round.

That's what the bastards who bring them down here do anyway.

 

[fossyant]

Van, bike anchor in rear and camping kit........sorted............

Bike anchor - cos you need a bit of fun....walking up hills and mountains.........what's that about.......... legs are for pedalling !!!!