Finished Van & Test Trip To Cromer

Now that the van is complete (is any self-built camper truly finished?), I thought I would share the additional bits of paperwork required, explain a few key points in attempting to convert your own van into a camper as well as adding details of the van’s first little trip out - 3 nights at Woodhill Campsite in East Runton near Cromer.

What Has Been Going On?

Well in the last few weeks, I have handed in my notice at work and sorting two vital pieces of paperwork. Firstly, the van has been reclassified as a “Motor-Caravan” instead of “Panel Van” by DVLA Swansea. To do this, a van must meet the following criteria:

• A bed of at least 6ft (180cm) long which is either permanent or converted from seats.
• A horizontal sliding side door or outwards opening side/rear door.
• A table and seating. The table can be detachable from the van floor and/or walls but the mounting must be permanent. The seats must be permanently fixed to the van floor and/or walls.
• A permanent installation to house a water container (the container itself can be removed for filling up etc).
• Storage facilities such as wardrobes and cupboards permanently secured to the van floor and/or walls.
• Cooking facilities – At least a fixed 2-ring hob or microwave. Gas, if used, must have a separate storage area and a supply pipe securely fixed in place.
• At least one side window in the living area.

I sent off my vehicle V5 with a detailed cover letter and about 10 pages of photographs. After a month, I got my shiny new reclassified V5 back with the details changed. This process always takes at least 3 weeks and is not always straight forward. Try and give as much detail as possible and make sure to explain why your conversion meets every point. Be aware that the DVLA is currently re-evaluating its regulations and that even very good conversions are being more regularly declined – especially if it could still be mistaken for a standard van from the outside.

Secondly, the van is now insured! After cancelling my van policy I got a quote for under £600 for full European cover, breakdown and unlimited miles from Adrian Flux Insurance. Bearing in mind I am only just 24, I gladly accepted. - I have already had to use the windscreen cover after a large crack appeared.

Some Advice Please?

Thoroughly plan out what you want to achieve from the build and the finished vehicle before you start, this will help you with your van choice, layout, facilities etc. but it can also help you realise what is achievable. Planning your weeks out in advance gives you time to get tools and materials in early and avoid problems and delays. Additionally, what you may think of as and afterthought (such as my awning) might need to be decided at a particular stage in order to make preparations. Ask yourself: Do you need to space of a long wheel base or high-top vehicle? How many will it seat/sleep? Does it need to make a few odd trips to the coast each year or a long journey across uncharted territory? How much time can/will you spend working on it? What sort of budget do you have? What sort of skills do you have? Do you need mod-cons or just a sink and a bed? Will you wild-camp or stay on 5-star campsites?...etc…

Be realistic in what you can do, enjoy the build, and accept help when you need it. My philosophy was to keep it simple and take my time. I have learnt a huge amount and never let it become a chore to do. I started with no real skills or experience at a professional level, just a bit of DIY and some common sense. If you are stuck, there are plenty of websites and blogs out there like this one (see blog links), many of them helped me with my build. The SBMCC website and forum is a great place to start.

No Regrets?

• Toilet: I would have fitted a fixed toilet in the back. Just for convenience, a toilet is probably a must-have if you’ve got the space especially if planning lots of wild camping.
• Sleeping space: I would have done away with the uncomfortable top bed and fitted a single bed in somewhere with more headroom. The original plan was to sleep 4 people but circumstances change (a double and a single I think is about right for the size of the van).
• Roof vents: I managed to complete the whole build without having to drill any visible holes in the van bodywork – something I would have been very cautious about doing. Looking back it would have been smart to fit a roof vent to deal with condensation better.

Cromer Eh?

My mate Mal and I took the van for its first test trip to Cromer for 3 nights staying at a great little campsite called Woodhill. Rather than bore you with the details, here is the entire trip condensed into one paragraph:

The fire bucket, Dead-dog-donkey-thing, Sausage sandwich, One and a half crabs, Budgens, Tiny towel, Impossible Deathstar attack, Perfect boob, Giant fibreglass shrimp-lobster, No sink plug, Duck-on-a-stick, Ultra 33 Vs Megaflite 2000, Old people, Mal’s championship winning putt, 2P Gambling, Cromer pier never getting any closer, Biking to the pub, Football bloopers, The man with no footprints, Gypsy shop rock, The coffin bed.

Next stop, an 8 month trip around Europe starting next month!

Week 59 - Awning

At last, the van is finally completed! This week the awning was added and I think it looks great. Fitting a professional awning can be hundreds of pounds and normally requires the awning to be fitted before lining the van as the brackets are bolted through the side panels. I didn’t even consider the idea of an awning until halfway through the build and therefore decided to create my own without having to strip the inside of my van and drill holes in it.

For my individual (bodged) awning I bought a good quality 5m x 3m green tarpaulin with eyelets in the sides, a pair of 2m tent poles and a few small steel tabs to mount the awning from. The first step was to weld the tabs in position securely below the water channel above the side door:

• Grind off the paint: Use a wire brush drill attachment or angle grinder to remove the paint locally where the first bracket will go. Cover nearby windows beforehand to protect the glass.
• Prep the surface: Dry and degrease the surface, use newspaper and masking tape to protect the van paintwork and prep for welding.
• Tack the bracket: One at a time, tack the brackets in position ensuring that the gaps between the tarp ringlets will fit between each one without being too loose. Repeat the process until all brackets (4 in my case) are tacked in place.
• Finish the welds: Complete the welds before priming and painting to protect from rust.

It took two of us (thanks Tom) about 3 hours to complete the work in the pouring rain but the results are great and the welds are solid. I can now bolt through the eyelets to secure the awning in place, position the tent poles and peg in the guy ropes, job done. The resulting awning is much bigger than can usually be found on the side of a camper and gives an additional side for more protection from the weather – all for around £50 in total. It does however take longer to put up/take down and must be stored inside the van.

If attempting to fit an awning similar to mine, be sure the side door will open and close without hitting the brackets or the bolts when the awning is fitted.

Week 58 - Electrics 5

I have finally completed and tested the electrics successfully and the van is now very much inhabitable! The 230v side is all fixed in place and wired up with the power selector switch now finished and installed. The batteries are also strapped down again after the effort of constantly moving them in and out of their space under the seats. They are charged by the engine when it's running and by the battery charger when on hook up.

One modification I did make was to move the Smartcom unit onto the top shelf where I could alter the voltage cut off point for charging the batteries without blindly fiddling with a screwdriver through a tiny gap.

It is a relief to have finally nailed (what has been for me) the most complex part of the project and although it has taken over a month, by doing it myself I will at least have more of an idea of how to fix any problems in the future. It also makes it easier to add more appliances and I decided to buy and fix a 200w fan heater to the interior to try and give a bit of extra warmth without breaking the bank or draining the batteries. How much difference this will make I don’t know (actually it is better than I expected) but it is now fitted and installed. It can also act as a fan when the weather is hot.

I ordered some seat covers for the front seats as they are still a little grubby in places despite being scrubbed with carpet cleaner. The covers were not a very good fit though so I will have to return them and make do without. The van had a good clean and mop out before the final push to get it finished – fitting an awning above the side door.