Week 5 - Bunk Bed Supports

After lining the van with Plywood, there were still some awkward edges which were filled this week with wood filler. This was fairly easy to do and should make carpeting much simpler without jagged edges to consider. The biggest place to fill was above the side door which had to be strengthened as it will become a bed support…

I had decided to fit a bunk bed stretching out from above the van cab. I was limited to the height of the bed by the sliding side door and the window on the opposite side so head room was going to be tight. After a brief mock-up though, I decided it would be comfy enough for me and set to work creating a pillar each side to support the bed on. Due to the curvature of the van sides, one of the pillars would need to flex quite a large angle before being fixed in place. To get round this I used several thinner strips of ply which were bent and fixed together with wood glue. This curved beam could then be screwed in place. After a quick strength test, I fixed the timber beams which would take the majority of the load and then secured these in place.

The result was very solid but the gap to the roof of the van was going to be very tight indeed!

In future: "measure twice, cut once".

Week 4 - Insulation & Cab

This week I finished all the insulation and ply lining of the main van area and it feels pretty solid even if it looks a little unsightly at the moment. I also altered the board above the rear doors so that there is a bit more headroom.

After a lot of cutting and modifying, I finally got the larger cab liner in above the cab. I did have to cut it down the middle to fit it in but it is now in and fits pretty snugly. It will be covered over at a later date so it doesn’t matter if it looks a bit shabby – luckily.

Week 3 - Insulation

Week 3 started with fitting a relay underneath the bonnet which would act as a way of charging leisure batteries when the engine is running. It is not connected up yet for fear of draining the vehicle battery unnecessarily, and besides, there is nothing to charge.

I later removed this relay in favour of one which is much more substantial and does not need to be connected to the alternator.

Inside the van, work continued with insulating the van walls. Batons were fixed to the internal frame of the van and filled with thick loft insulation. This was then covered with 9mm plyboard which is screwed securely into the batons.

In hindsight, I really wish I had put a vapour barrier in at this point rather than matching what was currently in place. This would protect against rust from the water vapour caused from breathing and cooking inside the van. I will put it down to over-enthusiasm and a lack of experience. 

Work also started on the space above the cab where a low-top liner was already fitted. The spare high-top liner normally needs to be fitted from below so it will take some serious modifications to squeeze in. For the moment, I have fitted a beam across and fitted a shelf.

Week 2 - Stripping The Van

It’s the second week and work has begun. It is destructive rather than constructive though so far as I am going to work removing the shelves in the rear doorway. They were fitted pretty well and put up a good fight but they eventually yielded to my good friend the claw-hammer!

 I now have a blank canvas to work with and I can start to think about what I am going to do. I have experience of using a number of CAD systems so I can use this to draw up plans and give myself a helping hand in laying out the interior. Whether it ends up anything like this only time will tell but it's a good start.

 There is an old caravan falling apart in our garden at the moment which is soon to be scrapped so my first priority is to strip it down to the bare bones for anything which I might need/want. There is not much of any real use as the battery and zig are shot, the fridge and oven are broken, the beds and cushions are home to lots of bugs, and sink has a big crack in it. There were a few minor bits to come out though:

•  A Calor propane gas bottle – 3/4 full
•  Double and single mains plug sockets complete with flex and sealed boxes
•  A table with locking leg and wall fitting bracket
•  One small bedside cabinet with drawer
•  A fire extinguisher with wall bracket
•  A few small hinges and handles

Looking back, I am glad that I decided to create most of my interior from scratch as it meant I was making what I wanted, not simply fitting in what I could find on the cheap. My general philosophy for the project is to keep it simple, personal, and practical. There might be a few exceptions but I would advise this mantra for anyone taking on a similar challenge for the first time, especially if you have a limited budget. As a result, I settled on the following design rules:

• Sleeps 3-4 people – Comfort is not a huge issue but this immediately halved the amount of usable space in the van.
• Keep to 12v where possible – Leisure batteries are 12v and changing up to mains voltage (through an inverter) is inefficient and more complicated.
• Power from the van and from hook-up – I want the ability to charge the leisure batteries when the van is running as well as from a campsite.
• Use a simple hob and sink – Keeps cooking and cleaning easy without the power needed for an oven or microwave.
• Limit unnecessary mod-cons – No heater, no fridge, no shower, no toilet. (With hindsight, a toilet and a small fridge would have been worthwhile fitting).
• A flexible layout – Adjustable furniture to make the best use of space.

On with the build...

Week 1 - New Van

My van has arrived! I have just taken delivery of a Y-reg Mercedes Sprinter 311CDi and I can’t wait to start planning and turning it from a bog standard white van into my very own personalised campervan. It is a medium wheel base (3.1m long and 1.7m wide in the back), high-top (allowing plenty of height to stand up). It belonged to a mechanic in its previous life who originally planned a camper of his own but in the end he used it as a day van for work. The result of this meant that it came with the following:

• 2 side windows already fitted and sealed.
• 5 additional minibus seats sitting loose in the back.
• A nice new Sony stereo which takes CDs and MP3 players.
• A small damaged sink and double hob unit.
• Both high-top and low-top cab roof liners.
• A partially insulated and plywood covered interior.
• Fitted rear access shelving for tools.
• A few bits of spare timber, ply, and naff carpet.
• A lot of loose hay!

At the moment, the van is mechanically sound but does have a large dent in one side and is in dire need of 2 new tyres (probably 4). There are also a few minor rust patches but nothing too serious.

I should also explain at this point that I am high on enthusiasm and low on experience. I have a degree and a bit of common sense but no experience of plumbing, joinery, gas, electrics, mechanics, sowing machines, or even any real DIY to speak of. I also have a low budget, taken up mostly by the cost of the van so I will be taking my time in order to get bargain deals and do almost all the work myself with basic tools and materials.

NOTE: I will highlight changes and additional comments made at a later date, with green italics. It may stop somebody else making the same mistakes that I did.

Now, time to start work…