My official van conversion thread.

I will start off that i am pretty sh!te at DIY so i need some pointers from people who are 🙂

I bought a Vivaro to convert to a camper / day van and when i get back from work in a couple of weeks work will start in earnest.

To start i have seen a couple of threads on here that have ace advice regarding the insulation and re plying.
But what i am pretty unsure about is how to fix the ply and roof / floor batons to the inside of the van. I will be raising the floor and lowering the roof slightly to fit insulation and fixing batons in place to the fit the floor and roof ply to.

Self tapping screws or no more nails were my first thoughts. But i try not to follow my own ideas too much as thats where danger lies.

Cheers all.

No battens in mine FWIW
and I just remembered I’m still to come up with a price for lining material.

scotroutes, no rush on the lining. Is the plywood on the floor directly on top of the insulation then?

On mine, yes. Probably not as thermally effective as it could be, but good enough.

decisions decisions 🙂

Some good stuff here if you haven’t already found it

http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/index.php?forums/vivaro-movano-camper-van-day-van-conversions-includes-renault-trafic-nissan-primastar.200/

http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=381383

https://www.facebook.com/olly.rob/media_set?set=a.729158536387.1073741829.309600433&type=3

we glued battens onto the floor, and screwed onto the battens.
i was going to use proper panel clips to screw the side panels on, but its nigh on impossible to get the holes close enough to where they need to be, so just used 3.5mm drywall self tappers straight into the steel. Made me a bit sad, but you cant see it once its up! Just be sure you arnt going to hit anything important, or the outside skin.

I use mine in the Scottish Highlands in winter. How much colder is it going to be where you are using yours?

Got a vivaro 5 yrs ago, insulated with kingspan behind a bought ply kit that was fastened in with self tappers. Was a new van so before put any thing in covered it all in anti rust solution.
Ours has been brilliant for everything including over 2 wks in Scotland wild camping, only used campsites 3 times in that time. It’s a swb with a garage big enough for two bikes and kit and sleeps both of us, snug but comfy. External screens were our best purchase to stop condensation.
Good luck and enjoy.

Try here

Family-friendly bike-carrying camper build

Thanks all, good advice to keep me going until the next idea / problem.

Scotroutes, i don’t think i will use it anywhere colder than Aviemore in the winter 🙂 but i want to do this right the first time and putting batons in didn’t seem to much of an issue TBH. I was just wondering about the best way. The floor is not really a problem, the roof needs to be bombproof obviously.

Plied and insulated our Vivaro. Screwed straight through with self tappers. We have a futon in the back. Use a camping Gaz thing for cooking on. Can carry two bikes in the back. There’s room for the dog to kip at the end of the bed. No bells and whistles but we love it. Cheap, cheerful and just the job.

Northernmatt,thats the van thread to end all van threads. Awesome 🙂

Before you do anything take photos / measurements / draw a diagram of where all the beams and wires are.

MrSparkle, good van thread. A window on the sliding door is my next plan. Need to phone a few places to get it priced up. If you dont mind me asking how much was yours?

Just had a sunroof put in mine near the back doors. Lots of light and ventilation for sleeping in non official sites. Better than having side windows cracked open. I used self tapping screws for attaching side panels. Easier to undo than glue. You may not want to remove insulation in future but you never know.

Mac – we paid £150. Did it outside the house. The tint is ace, you can see out no problem but you really can’t see in unless you have a light on inside. Bungee nets are good for hanging stuff up inside to stop it rattling round on the move.

Go to Screwfix, get a caulking gun and a few tubes of Sikaflex EBT+. Mental strong. Lots of people also swear by Stixall from Toolstation — not tried it myself but it seems like essentially the same stuff. Stays a little bit rubbery when it’s set so it copes well with vibration. Our van is pretty much held together with it 🙂

+1 for sikaflex battons and screw panels to them. Held together well on my iveco. Could do pull ups on 18″ bit of 2be2 sika’d to the roof.

I screwed into panels where I could and on the roof (where I could not as it is single skin) I glued battens using tiger seal the attached the ceiling panels to that. 🙂

Mine is utility over aesthetic…. but I still managed some nice touches. I am upgrading the bed soon, smae design but wood from pallets so a bit stronger. I am also getting better door pockets for storage, but apart from that I am happy with it and get out and about in Scotland in it no bother!! 😀

My camper

Edit: Just realised all my image links are broken, I must have tidied up my folders and broken them…

Added images to my original thread, last post now, link above

@ Sazter, any chance of getting those pics back up? I’m in desperate need of inspiration as I’m off work this week with the intention of re-fettling my Vivaro and my ‘back of fag packet’ planning is falling apart.. 🙁

EDIT; must type faster 🙂

Mactheknife, I have commented on my post with the link to the wiring system I bought, I went with that as it is rated and saves the risk of messing it up, clear instructions, I managed and I can barely wire a plug! (well, could, now I’m a pro ;))

I used non-slip lino for the floor as it will have muddy bikes in it, bought an offcut that fit great, used stretch carpet from ‘megavanmats’ on ebay too, got the kit with the glue included, great stuff to work with. I was lucky/ cheeky enough to get the lights and the mattress filling for free, and got handy with the sewing machine and power tools!!

Converting a van is a great excuse to buy power tools!

I part converted my T5 for a generic panel van to a Kombi/camper last year. It’s got space in the back for bikes as well as a storage area over/between the wheel arches that can fold down to form a double bed. I insulated the van before fitting carpeted ply lining and also changed the interior lights to something more suitable.

Other things to consider might be a swivel seat base (makes a big difference to my van) and a leisure battery. Basically, think about electrics first so that you can fit them before you do walls, floors, etc. Otherwise you end up like me with wires running loose in places.

Slight hijack but this has given me ideas for doing a removable conversion on the escort.

Do camp sites just allow you on in a van and let you kip in it or do you have to pitch a tent and pretend you are sleeping in that ?

Simmy, I sleep where I like in mine as I am in Scotland, so I can do that. I stayed at the Glen nevis site once and they state you cannot sleep in a van, but I had a tent pitched as a shed anyway so it was never questioned.

Some sites will charge you as a camper/motorhome so it can actually be cheaper to pitch a tent and just park beside it.

ooh – I love threads like these.

I bought a swb trafic last year and slowly are converting it over. I still need it to shift bikes around during the week for work so It needs to be modular. I’ve insulated, panelled and carpeted the van out, fitted a strong Lino floor and In the process of getting power into the back.

One thing I did do which has worked out quite well is to fit some hidden cupboards into the recess between the skin wall, insulation and the ply. That way I can carry all the cooking equipment stored in the recesses all the time. Saves loads of time when wanting to get out on the weekend.

Sounds interesting stumpy, any pics of your little cubby holes?

Il take some when I’m out and about today. Il dig out the conversion pics too. One word of advice though. If you are carpeting the ply don’t go overboard on contact adhesive. Iv still got 4 cans of megavanmats carpet adhesive. However do use megavanmats as they are top guys and are based in leeds.

I appreciate that this may not add value to this thread, but whenever I see ‘megavanmats’ I sing it in my head to the tune of ‘super match game’ from Blankety Blank.

Anyway. As you were.

Well thats the leisure battery kit ordered thanks to sazter, I am away with work for 10 days so i wont be posting anything on here until i get some headway with the van. And stumpy i would love to see your pics. All van related pictures are welcome 🙂

Well this is my effort from yesterday;

[/url]IMG_20150112_134914 by pat5barnes[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Its a box

[/url]IMG_20150112_134932 by pat5barnes[/url], on Flickr[/img]

and another box what the first box sits on,
like so..

[/url]IMG_20150112_135003 by pat5barnes[/url], on Flickr[/img]

The bottom box is fixed, the top box, which will have cooker and gas bottle in it (and a lid and doors), will be movable and sits where it is in the first pic which is on the seat which then becomes the bed.
The idea is to get it out of the way but still usable when in work/day van mode.
Not sure if I’m happy with it though, bit over complicated with a whiff of Heath Robinson about it…I’ll probably never finish it anyway 🙄

Next – overhead locker… 🙂

OK i said no more but i have a bit of a puzzler, i have ordered all the kit to fit the leisure battery and fuse box, it seems pretty simple. What i don’t get though is the wiring of any lights and other appliances into the fuse box. The blade types have 1 socket for the positive. Where does the negative go? You cant have an electrical circuit with 1positive wire in a fuse box. I know i could wire it to the vehicle itself but is that the only solution?

My googling skills are not throwing up much so i am assuming i am being a nugget.

Just ground everything to the van bodywork/chassis. The nearer the earth points are to the lights/appliances the less wire you need, but also fewer earth points are better in terms of troubleshooting. Ours has got one each side of the van. We used these:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/8-way-earth-block/11385?cm_sp=Search-_-SearchRec-_-Area1&_requestid=413431#_=p

Sand off a bit of paint somewhere, self-tapper (or bolt, if you can get access) it on, stick all the neg wires in it. Job bejobbened 🙂

Awesome mike, cheers. This elektrickery is a minefield 🙂

Latest modification – a sunshade
DSC_0007 by ScotRoutes[/url], on Flickr

For twang here are the pics of my hidden holes…

I used foam insulation with contact adhesive to fill in the voids on the panels first. second once you have your piece of 8mm ply all sized up draw up where you want your doors to be. take the ply out and cut out the doors. fit a couple of simple door hinges so you have doors. finally contact all the ply and stick your carpet over. make sure you have one section in between the 2 doors which you can screw into a baton to give the ply more rigidity and a secure place to put the little slide bolts onto . once its all back in the van spend a pleasant hour or so threading elastic through all the machined out pressings in the shell to make a sprung net to put your stuff behind. it keeps it safe and stops it rattling around. iv constantly got 2 chairs, 2 fold out camp beds, a fold up table, thermarests and sleeping bag in there. just add the fridge or heater, food and bikes and off you go.

Awesome, missed these pics. Nice work stumpyjumper.

Made a fair bit of headway today, striiped out all back down to the bare metal. Covered the wheel arches in flashing and spent ages completing a cardboard template for the roof.

Found a set of 3 LEDL lights in B&Q that work off 12v so that was easy 🙂

Work called off again so ill get some celotex fitted tomorrow then when i get home in a week or so ill get the roof cut, lights wired and fitted 🙂 Really enjoying doing all this myself. Very steep learning curve with the electrics but its really not rocket science.