Campervans

[Brains]

I don't know if they are still around, but check out a company called Bilbo's near Gatwick, they provide all the stuff.

A conversion can be a simple as boxing out the back of a van with plywood and carpet and putting in some light and srewing a chest of drawes to the wall for a cooking unit with a camp stove and washing up bowl, Carrymats or lilo's for beds
This can be done for a few hundred quid and a couple of weekends, and if you are thinking of an old van as the base, this is probably all that is wrth doing.

If you want a proper camper van then you need a good base vehicle to start with and then do it properly.

 

[hobo]

 

[heretic]

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.

Then to make sure it breaks down they fit a Campag transmission.

 

[asterix]

Then to make sure it breaks down they fit a Campag transmission.

Double or triple chainring? Should it be compulsory for users to wear a helmet?

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Just check the insurance if you are thinking of cutting holes in the side of a van to put windows in.
I had a hell of a time insuring a van i bought that had been converted as no one wanted to insure it as the structure of the original van had been altered.

Other than that get a caravan ( a heavy long wheel based one) and pull it round Fishguard with a 1.1 fiat Panda just to Piss Smokin Joe off a little more this summer haha

 

[PBancroft]

Just check the insurance if you are thinking of cutting holes in the side of a van to put windows in.
I had a hell of a time insuring a van i bought that had been converted as no one wanted to insure it as the structure of the original van had been altered.

Other than that get a caravan ( a heavy long wheel based one) and pull it round Fishguard with a 1.1 fiat Panda just to Piss Smokin Joe off a little more this summer haha

Heh. Caravans are out of the question alas. Neither me nor my walking buddy have any experience towing them, and we reckon a 2000-mile trip would be asking too much.

I had heard about the insurance and DVLA issues. I'm intending not to change the structure too radically, but it really depends what we can get as a base vehicle.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I think that, in order to register a van as a campervan, it merely needs a bed and (possibly) some kind of table, something like that. Google is your friend. I've started two van conversion projects, one an ancient Citroen H van and one a tiny Renault wheelchair van. I got as far as insulating them both, pannelling the inside with T&G and doing most of the domestic wiring before losing interest and selling them on.
My top tip would be that those halogen spotlights you can buy in DIY shops for your house are often 12 volt; just junk the transformer that comes with them for domestic use and you can use them with a vehicle's 12v wiring system. Oh, and if you're buying anything for the interior, check out your local area or the internet for caravan breakers. They sell, cheaply, all maner of things - from gas stoves to small sinks and water heaters to caravan windows - which are ideal for camper conversions.

 

[Night Train]

When I thought about a mobile workshop I started looking at fridge lorries and vans. I was looking at 7.5 ton but 3.5-5 ton would also be a good smaller size.

The advantage I was looking for was that the body would already be fully insulated, for both noise and warmth, and the fridge compressor could be removed and replaced with a generator.
An older fridge truck with a dead fridge becomes a relatively cheap truck.

Add a rear tail lift and you get a built in patio for those warm evenings.

 

[Campfire]

There's a VW van on this site in the FOR SALE that someone has put a foldable bed in. It looks very nice and is a lovely bright yellow. Just the right size for a trip with a couple of mates.