In need of inspiration – looking into the murky world that lies between a van and a full-on camper.
Loving the idea of a Transporter but open-minded to other makes too. Help me make a decision please! 🙂

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/official-van-conversion-thread/page/2

Aye, full on camper is very restricting for us bikers, I’m in the murky half way house too – got a LWB Transporter, I have all the kit to insulate, carpet and floor, leisure battery to go in too, but I’m not fitting a permanent bed at present. Takes up too much space.

I’m gonna give it 6 months, and then decide which away to go with it, ATM I have a camp bed from go outdoors with a single mattress on top, it’s comfiest than my bed at Home! Big winter duvet too helps.

Bought a MandS bathroom cupboard off of Facebook that fits my cooker and gas bottle, I’ll carpet that and put a fold out work top on it too. Leisure battery for LEDs and USBs.

I just can’t get my head round paying a fortune for a camper and still having to have bikes on a rack.

You don’t have to compromise, you don’t need a bike rack, you just need to not buy a t5!!

They are too snall. Sen Peugeot boxer here.fits in parking spaces, has a boot for 3 bikes, corner sofa that pulls out into a double bed and a kitchen unit. Love it! We have done 100 nights away from home this year…..I wouldn’t do that on a camp bed!!

They are too snall. Sen Peugeot boxer here.fits in parking spaces, has a boot for 3 bikes, corner sofa that pulls out into a double bed and a kitchen unit. Love it! We have done 100 nights away from home this year…..I wouldn’t do that on a camp bed!!

I’ll never do 100 nights away, so don’t need permanent bed fitted, which was kinda my point really.

You don’t have to compromise

And that’s false, all vans are a compromise.

Just out of curiosity I went to a place that sells Vivaro and Trafic vans this afternoon.
The guy there couldn’t get his head around why someone would spend loads more on a Transporter with way in excess of 100,000 miles on it for north of £10k when you can get a Vivaro with 30,000 miles on it for quite a bit less. He was subtle but things like ‘they’re galvanised and wont rust like Transporters’ were clearly meant to put to off getting one.
Then went to pick brains at bigblueskycampers.co.uk near Loughborough. They do bespoke conversions – anything you like.
Really nice, friendly and helpful – even let me have a go in his T6 even though he knew I wasn’t looking to buy that particular one as way out of price range. That and seeing what he does really made me want a VW, but gotta be realistic about what I am happy to spend.
Problem is I don’t know to what degree I need/want to convert it.
Bare minimum would be insulate and ply it out. Would like a false ‘bulkhead’ made of wood at the back to keep bikes in so separate from the middle, main part (carpeted). Would like a couple of camp beds in there that could be folded up and out of the way – something bespoke would be lovely but be pricey. I have a couple of camping stoves so one of those would do.
This is probably a stupid question but where do you use your camper? Do you pay and go on campsites where there are facilities ie water for cooking/washing (and bogs!) or do you rock up somewhere with a view and never have said facilities (if so where do you dump!?). Do you take water with you? Not sure I need running water (from tank) when taking a few 5 ltr bought bottles will do. Do I NEED power/leisure battery or can you do without? Sorry for all the dumbass questions – genuinely interested in how you use your van…lots of answers please 🙂

My van is used for the occasional short trip – 1 or 2 nights.

It’s still a van and not a camper so a camp bed and sleeping bag are fine.

I’ve not bothered with a leisure battery. If you are only stopping a couple of nights and convert your internal lights to LED then you shouldn’t need one.

I’ll use a campsite if handy (I like to support the local economy) but will also park wherever is convenient.

Water is a 10L container.

Plan your dumps.

Sounds like you need to go hire one for a play around in. You can have almost anything you want in a conversion, including a shower/toilet if you so desired. Others are happy enough with a pot to piss in and a spade to dig a toilet hole. Same goes with water, power and heating. You can go anything from 5 star down to 0 stars. Only way to find out what is for you is to go give it a try. Have you done any sort of camping before? Your approach to that may give you a clue.

Whenever we do boys biking/walking weekends we tend to stay in either YH, bunkhouses or B&Bs.
Me and the wife have camped loads over the years and have loads of camping kit – always stay on sites with water/bogs/showers. On summer bike trips I could take a few mates and their bikes – 2 of us could sleep in it but any more than that would have to camp!

Pics of my van and other in this thread…

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sleeping-in-back-of-van-what-bed

Have done the big Iveco camper van thing before that. I’d have another if my usage warranted it, which currently it doesn’t. My T5 is more versatile as a day to day ‘car’, biking trips, occasional sleeping for 1 or 2. Just not suitable for living in for extended periods or family holidays like the bigger proper camper was.

Still keeping my eyes peeled and options open.
So many things that cane be done inside – favouring a SWB van with bikes going in lengthways but with a bed type thing above. Seen pics but anyone here done that? Interested to know how it’s done/fixed etc.

A 56 plate Citroen Dispatch here.

http://dispatchexpertscudo.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?id=142

Sleeps 2 (or 1 with bike), cheap to buy and insure, spacious (for a small van it’s bigger than you think!), economical and fits into parking spaces.

Not going to win any beauty contests but that suits me.