[Closed] I bought a small MPV to campervan-ise, and don't know what I'm doing!

Do the seats in the back fold forward? If so could you incorporate those in to the set up, that would give you a decent set of seats and you could have a removable boxed section in the boot that has slide out drawers with cooking and sink bits in.

Probably not the #vanlife answer you want, but why not just strip everything out in the back and do it easily /cheaply?

Use some small folding camping chairs to sit on when you want to sit.

A small folding table for table activities.

A second table for your existing stove, if you want a double hob then buy another stove for £10 from Milletts.

Plastic washing up bowl on one of your tables with some 5l spring water bottles for a sink.

If you are avoiding pumped water, then what else will you need to power/charge that can't be done via some £10 USB power banks?

Window blinds can be made very smartly by cutting black Correx to size, if you want insulation then foil backed camping mats can be cut and attached to the Correx.

Cooler? How long are you planning on being away for? Coolboxes can last several days if opening is minimised. Bags of ice are cheap from supermarkets.

Everything can be easily packed /removed depending on how you intend to use the van. If the weather is good you can decamp outdoors.

This might give you some ideas:

http://www.amdro.co.uk/product-category/vehicles/peugeot-partner-tepee-citroen-berlingo-2009-2018/

Amdro is great stuff, by the way. And for that size of thing, don't worry about a sink.

Get swivelling front seats and forget the full bench for a start. I have a C8 which is slightly bigger and even that would be cramped for what you propose, I have 1.37 x 2.05 which isn't much to play with

Bench down one side with pull out kitchen going into open tailgate area, you can get tailgate awnings that would allow you to do that. Sink can be a simple collapsible bowl with a cutout for it to rest in. Either that or get a an awning for the side door where you could stick a collapsible camping kitchen.

Basically for your size you need to think far smaller. Get onto YouTube, check out Laura Kampf and her horse box tiny camper (which is still far bigger) and see what she did. You'll need to get really creative but you should end up with something usable so long as you're sensible.

Removability - we did something similar with our VW T5. We use it as an uplift van for our guiding business in the summer then campervan in the winter. Making it all removable means it's much harder to insulate, we didn't insulate but we have a proper mattress and thick down duvets in. All we did was unscrew the luggage straps out and bought bolts that fit the same threads. We then bolted small section batons between the luggage strap points which were only 5*2.5cm thick. The. You can create on the floor to cover with plywood which you can build off in any way you want. It is very easy to remove and can be done in an hour or two.

Power - it sounds like you've got very simple power requirements which means you won't need to install anything substantial. We put in a split relay linked to a 110ah GEL battery which lasts us ages! GEL batteries can be discharged almost 100% safely whereas a lot of other leisure batteries (can't remember the type I'm talking about, wet acid?) Can only be discharged about 50% without damaging them. So let's say you need 30-40ah, you'll ideally buy a battery that is 60-80ah. The set up of a split charge system, leisure battery and some outputs is actually really simple. We knew nothing before we started but learned all online. As long as you out the correct fuses in the correct places in your system you'll be safe, that way nothing can catch on fire! Earthing is simple too, earth in the car is just connecting back to an unpainted surface of the metal bodywork.

Happy to answer questions and show you what we did on specific things if you want to send a message. Not really got any photos but can find wiring diagrams and show you what we purchased online.

not read your full post but strugglin to understand why you would waste space in a van that small with a sink.
We have had one in our 15 year old VW and have used it perhaps 10 times in total.

Tell your Mrs that the original plan will work and that she can't suddenly change her mind! You've bought a car suitable for the intended purchase, not for all of what you've now described. Your 6ft2 and my fella is 6ft3, everything you do will now be a compromise. Sink idea is not feesible in a van that size, we have a medium wheel base high top transit van and haven't bothered with a sink, we have a collapisble washing up bowl and have just managed easily for 9 days with that. While we don't have a sink, we do have a king size bed so we don't wake up a fowl mood or too knackered to do anything.

thanks so far.

Do the seats in the back fold forward? If so could you incorporate those in to the set up, that would give you a decent set of seats and you could have a removable boxed section in the boot that has slide out drawers with cooking and sink bits in.

The rear seats remove really easily as they're the isofix type, will be kept in storage pout of the van the majority of the time, though i'm going to allow for one of the seats to go back in as and when required for a 3rd passenger. Eessentially we'd be starting off with a lined, carpeted van area to put stuff in.

I checked the sleeping area and with the front seats all the way forward I can fit in length ways without problem. width wise, we have 1.2m to play with, hence needing all of the space when sleeping.

not read your full post but strugglin to understand why you would waste space in a van that small with a sink

I don't know. maybe just a collapsable bowl will work. Trying to whittle a wish list to a realistic expectation...:-)

Earthing is simple too, earth in the car is just connecting back to an unpainted surface of the metal bodywork.

that's good. I've had the plastic side panels off and there's plenty to attach to there, just dremel off the paint and drill and bolt it on?

Making it all removable means it’s much harder to insulate, we didn’t insulate but we have a proper mattress and thick down duvets in.

with the addition of some suction on thermal matting on the windows, I thought that the MPV existing insulation may be enough? not sure we'd be using it over winter anyway, so may not be as critical.

Either that or get a an awning for the side door where you could stick a collapsible camping kitchen.

not thought of collapsable kitchens, not heard of them, not being a previous serial camping type.
but wow. https://www.charlies.co.uk/kampa-chieftain-field-kitchen.html?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-vLYhO7R6gIVxu7tCh1PwAO2EAQYCCABEgIY3_D_BwE
that's awesome..

Bench down one side with pull out kitchen going into open tailgate area, you can get tailgate awnings that would allow you to do that

did initially think of that sort of setup, a bootjump type thing. but then we realised the rear seats were really easy to remove and replace and it opened up a lot more space.

Tell your Mrs that the original plan will work and that she can’t suddenly change her mind! You’ve bought a car suitable for the intended purchase, not for all of what you’ve now described. Your 6ft2 and my fella is 6ft3, everything you do will now be a compromise. Sink idea is not feesible in a van that size, we have a medium wheel base high top transit van and haven’t bothered with a sink, we have a collapisble washing up bowl and have just managed easily for 9 days with that. While we don’t have a sink, we do have a king size bed so we don’t wake up a fowl mood or too knackered to do anything.

best practical advice ever 🙂 haha.

seriously though, thanks to all so far, this is really useful to hear what others are doing, and what compromises we/she should expect. it's not a motorhome, afterall.

It sounds like you've set yourself a hell of a task, especially since you've never done it before. Not impossible but it takes some people years to build something really nice going bit by bit.

My advice is to just get out there and use it. Figure out what you need and where everything fits.

Concentrate on insulation, ventilation and a comfy bed. Then use it like a driveable tent for a while and see if you actually like sleeping in it.

For lights and charging just do what you'd do if you were camping. Then you can take your time learning how to do things like splicing LED's into the loom and stuff. Do you really need a leisure battery? Are you going to be running a fridge or a TV?

had a look here? www.simplecampervans.com

doesn't do everything you want, but the layout looks good and is saves faffing around too much. Also lets you leave the seats in

I've owned a couple of Berlingos, and built a modular storage system for the back of it out of 9mm ply. Very different from what you're planning, but removability was one of my criteria too, and what I did worked well for me: sheet of ply with cut outs for the rear seat fittings (so it doesn't have to be removed when you use them), and shaped to fit the floor, attached by replacing the bolts through the 4 existing lashing points for longer ones. Also made a small bracket to fit at the tailgate latch to hold it down at the back. There's some pics on here somewhere, but a few years ago now.

I think your (/your wife's) ideas sound ambitious, but then people have achieved some amazing things in those small vans. Just don't underestimate the amount of work it would take.

One idea I had to deal with insulation/removability in a sleeping system, was to make a "tent" to fit inside. It can be insulated (much easier than insulating a metal box with windows and plastic trim) and it doesn't need to be lightweight like a normal tent. It can be cuboidal for maximum space since it could just hang from mounting points on the ceiling. It would just unhook and fold away for day use. I got as far as putting rivnuts in the ceiling and installing screw eyes, which were useful for curtains/hanging random stuff.

I'd be looking at creating something like this-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283210963133

PS I found the thread I mentioned before - the search function seems to actually work these days! https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/my-diy-berlingo-lifestyle-vehicle-lots-of-pics-excessive-plywood-content/

thanks thenorthwind. 🙂

2 words. Bed and storage.

treat the van as a place to sleep and a place to store all your camping gear and nothing more and your life will be a whole lot easier. Sort out a rapidly deployable canopy/awning to hang off the outside and do all your cooking, sitting and socializing outside. Just use the van to sleep in. Construct a bed that can stay more or less fully assembled at all times and beneath that make slide out storage for all your gear so the bed doesn't need to be disturbed to get at anything.

treat the van as a place to sleep and a place to store all your camping gear and nothing more and your life will be a whole lot easier. Sort out a rapidly deployable canopy/awning to hang off the outside and do all your cooking, sitting and socializing outside. Just use the van to sleep in. Construct a bed that can stay more or less fully assembled at all times and beneath that make slide out storage for all your gear so the bed doesn’t need to be disturbed to get at anything.

cheers.

it's been discussed now and will be treated as such. Ultimately we will start using it as a day van, making coffee and quick food inside the van, so we can just stop, take in the view and move on when done.
Any recommendations for a canopy, or am i better off tarping over the tailgate, using tie down weights (I can't help but think a few old irons would work!)

There's a tailgate awning on that Amdro link, but I'd just put a tarp over tailgate

I would definitely agree with getting out and using it before doing anything hugely concrete to it. We started using ours and immediatley added some things that we wanted or needed and even now things are so much further down the line we have things in hindsight we'd have done differently but now we're sort of stuck. After our week last week the OH decided he now wants an awning but I've already plylined and carpeted all of the inside! We added under bed lighting but it's controlled from the backdoors which is great until you need something in the evening and the OH is in pjs in the king size bed and doesnt want the back doors open to turn the lights on so we're now adding another light that can be controlled from the front. We suddenly realised the battery powered projector needs recharging so have had to add an inverter down the line.

battery powered projector?

oh, come on, more info on that please? project to the roof or the back of the van, and how long to you get off a charge?

🙂

View this post on Instagram

It wasn't cheap but for the picture quality and size/portability of it I'm glad I went with it but there are tonnes of options on amazon for cheaper versions but I'm not sure on quality. This was the middle of the day and we have installed the tinted side windows ourselves. We managed to watch one full movie and half of another on a full charge so probably about 4 hours. It has built in keystone correction so we don't have to worry about the angle and thats a RAM mount fixed to the ceiling so its on and off in about 10 seconds flat.

The screen was a bargain job off a website and it rolls up and hangs there permanently as behind the screen is our over head storage area. I want to make it so we can also watch it from our swivel passenger seat (an easy job as it would just mean another base plate and two screws for the screen) but the fella being so tall he doesnt actually fit in 'my throne' very well so he says no!

FYI this may or may not help
https://www.smallmotorhome.co.uk/berlingo-self-build.html

Edited

See private sales - stuff for a Berlin go, amdro

On the gel vs flooded vs AGM thing. There's still a cycle life and depth of discharge trade off. Taking even a gel battery below 20% will hurt cycle life as will trying to take 4A out of 40Ah, and they are fussier about charging which makes a simple split charge relay less attractive, especially if you have a smart alternator (or bench charger) that's effectively trying to charge the flooded van battery and the gel in parallel.

Earthing becomes an issue if you introduce a positive-common solar charge controller.

It's amazing what you can fit in.

My dad has one of these bad boys. Yes, a Suzuki WagonR camper. Full length bed. Sink. Kitchen area. 4 traveling seats.

He did use a tailgate driveway awning if more than one night, cooking is a pain in the arris as it's so cramped. Standing and cooking is much better, plus room to change clothes etc.

I bet I can ride up a hill faster than he can drive up it though!

You mentioned power for a coolbox. Don't get a peltier type coolbox, they suck power and will flatten a large leisure battery overnight. If you really must have a coolbox, it will need to be a pricey 12v compressor fridge from someone like Waeco. It will still give you leisure battery a decent workout.

For water, how about one of these pumps that go on water fountain bottles. As the spout of the bottle is so small they won't leak when sloshing about, I used one on a work van for several years...the pump puts air in the bottle so a couple of quick pumps gets a steady stream to rinse both hands.

Try to avoid inverters and 240v, invest in 12v car chargers instead.

Get seat swivels...or a clever idea I saw, build a narrow bench behind the front seats, with the backrest on a hinge. You lean the front seats forward and the hinged backrest then reclines back to rest on them.

or a clever idea I saw, build a narrow bench behind the front seats, with the backrest on a hinge. You lean the front seats forward and the hinged backrest then reclines back to rest on them.

nice idea. I think if I was putting a narrow bench behind the seat, I'd probably stuff the back seat cargo net with a cushion and lean them like suggested, or hook something off the headrest. unless i was using the hinged bit for part of the bed of course.

🙂

Our daughter uses a Tourneo Connect and uses the back for sleeping, storing and wheels of the bike and across the front seats. Got the made to measure thermal blinds from ebay.
Best thing we got was the Decathlon air awning which is used for cooking, hanging about in and mates gathering at the end of the day. Decathlon have just started selling them in the UK again.
Looked at an internal, removable unit but its just too small for one.

[img] [/img]

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/la-air-base-connect-fresh-id_8561168.html

She will be disappearing to the Alps for a month in it at the end of the month

Where's she at Tracey? I've a lad staying in Morzine with a spare bed to rent and a couple of other riders.

There are 5 of them heading out. A couple of days in Annecy relaxing, a week around Morzine, a bit of time in Verbier and then over the pass to Pila.
When they have had enough up to La Thule and probably to Les Arcs.
The intention was to end in Zermatt for the EWS week but don't think they will bother with todays announcement.
I think she will come back for a week and then try and tag on to our Sospel, San Remo and Finale trip.

There's three Scottish lads out in Morzine, tomorrow through to last day of August. They're a friendly bunch if she meets them, one will undoubtedly be in Hawaiian shirt, another one going daft fast on a Radon...

or a clever idea I saw, build a narrow bench behind the front seats, with the backrest on a hinge. You lean the front seats forward and the hinged backrest then reclines back to rest on them.

One alternative could be something like the new Suzuki Jimny front seats, which are designed specifically to fold flat backwards, so that they can be slept on, and one reviewer rigged up a board that could be fixed onto the dash/ glovebox or the storage shelf underneath, allowing an occupant to lay fully stretched out in a sleeping bag.
I’ve driven dozens of Berlingos and Partners, and for what is a relatively large vehicle, I find them horribly cramped to drive, and so uncomfortable that the thought of sitting in one for nearly three hours and driving a couple of hundred miles* could almost reduce me to tears!
*A necessary part of my then job, so I had to suck it up.

Thanks, will let her know.

Having tried this (Toyota Lucida, Fiat Doblo & now Ford Galaxy) I'll wade in and say just buy an inflatable tent to kip in if you're going away for more than one night with bikes and other shit. It's a PITA moving stuff about to make a cuppa when you wake up/get dressed/cook and frankly awful if it's wet. We chose to drive home on the Saturday night of the last Northern Grip we went to than piss about sorting the back of the car out.

We bought a 6 person inflatable tent from Decathlon* a couple of years ago and it's ace. Our bikes live in the locked car overnight and all of our (ie my) shit lives in the tent and because there's only two of us there's load of room. The tent goes up in about 15 minutes which includes finding the beer to drink while you're putting it up and packs away in about 30 minutes.

edit- * I didn't realise they were evil at the time.

Thanks again all for the advice.

If it was my more than one night i'd have an awning. Though currently not planning anything longer than a possible overnighter.

I’ve driven dozens of Berlingos and Partners, and for what is a relatively large vehicle, I find them horribly cramped to drive, and so uncomfortable that the thought of sitting in one for nearly three hours and driving a couple of hundred miles* could almost reduce me to tears!

This surprises me. I owned a MK1 Berlingo for a while and would happily do the 350 mile trip home from Glasgow to malvern in a oner. The partner seems just as comfy.

As an update, mrsW has resigned in her expectations and stopped looking at solo campers with all the gubbins (unless she's planning to bugger off by herself) and has agreed to a gradual process of trying various bits out and adjusting what goes in and what doesn't from there. 🙂

Far more practical

Wood floor to go it tomorrow, we've foam arriving for a seat/bed and will start with minimal storage and go from there.
I really like the ceiling anchor points though, those will no doubt come in handy for something.

Also going to fit an internal button boot opener. Can't open it from the inside currently. Looked at a few vids and if looks easy enough. 🙂

This surprises me. I owned a MK1 Berlingo for a while and would happily do the 350 mile trip home from Glasgow to malvern in a oner. The partner seems just as comfy.

To be fair he likes to get the moan in every time they are mentioned. What he forgets to mention is his knee is arthritic and is what causes the pain. Not the vehicle

We also have partner they are great for solo sleeping. Two up is a non starter. Better with a tent.