UKC

And it is in the right forum, it's essential climbing gear.

It's all very exciting, I've bought a Renault Master minibus which has started the process of being turned into a camper van. Anyone else done this? It's hurting my head, and would welcome any recommendations for furniture builders. It seems to be a very large piece of work, this converting shenannigan. But soon, oh yes soon, I will be scuttling around the UK in my lovely new van and climbing everything.

All joys and woes welcome, please contribute!

In reply to gribble:

Can I recommend you joining the Self Build Motor Caravanners Club? I guarantee you will receive top notch advice on their forums.

All I will say is, work out exactly what you want from your van, then plan your build, plan again and then you will be ready to plan it properly.

In reply to Mike Hewitt:

Oo. Top tip, thanks. It looks a useful site, and hopefully will give some good guidance. Yep, the re-planning has been going on for some time! Getting there though...

In reply to gribble:
This might be a bit soon but,I can recommend joining Wildcamping.co.uk. You will save their fees on your first trip. We have found places to stay, free, everywhere we have wanted to go. Much nicer places than any camp site too.
We have also discovered places we would never have found otherwise.

In reply to gribble:

Hi mate, I have the same van (Vauxhall Movano version) and I'm currently in the process of winterising it so it is all completely stripped out at the moment. My favourite feature is my garage which is large enough for all my climbing stuff, bouldering mat, a small clothes draw and 2 bikes. I lived out of it all Summer in the Alps and plan to get chilly in Scotland in the new year. I am looking as an Erbspacher heater to help keep me alive.

In reply to gribble:

Im half way through doing the same to my sprinter van. Heres a tip. Do a little to it then go and spend a weekend in it. Do a little more then do the same. Each time you will think of different ideas to make your van better and more comfortable to live in. Remember condensation is your enemy. Plenty of vents and good insulation.
Chris687 has the right idea. Get yourself a cabin/night heater. I have mine piped three ways one into the cab, one into the living area and one into the seperate storage space at the rear were i put put my wet clothing so its dry for the morning

In reply to gribble:

I'm currently working on a stealth camper based on a SWB high roof Transit. I lived in it for a few months before starting the work, this gave me a greater understanding of where the light switches etc would be best located. I insulated it myself using spray foam and foil backed bubblewrap. If doing it again I'd seriously consider getting the spray insulation done by a professional. I have a Webasto heater mounted inside but as it sounds like a Vulcan bomber on reheat I will try to mount it outside next summer.

In reply to gribble:

Thanks for the replies everyone. It came with a diesel powered heater that can run with the engine turned off. My budget says I'll be sticking with that for the foreseeable. I like the idea of trying it out minimally to start with, it makes a lot of sense. However, I'm aware that I want it finshed NOW! It's a balance thing...

The spray foam insulation is interesting. Does that mean it's a terminal insulation that prohibits further work?

cheers
graham

In reply to gribble:

Spray foam is incredibly easy to cut with sharp knife so can be cut to shape to allow wires, pipes, penetrations etc. Have a look on the T5 vw forum as it has loads of posters all doing up vans and you may get some good ideas for units or beds and all kinds of other stuff you never even thought of ;0)

In reply to chris687:


Does all your climbing kit stay dry in the garage area? I have had some trouble drying out my rope and rack properly.

In reply to Mike Hewitt:

No, that is a bit of a nightmare to be honest; I like the idea of ducting a heater two ways so that it heats the cabin and the storage part. I try to keep all my kit in the back and out of the living area but when I've been desperate in the past I have draped my rope over the passenger's seat and turned the normal heater on for a bit.