Campervan ideas please

I currently have a 2006 Renault trafic swb with 140k on the clock. I had a new gearbox put in 9.months ago, it’s pretty sorted mechanically and has a galvanised body so no rust. It’s got a basic campervan conversion consisting of:

Split charge
Leisure battery
Insulated and carpeted
Led spotlights
Front double swivel seat
Ply bed, which doubles as a rear seat (not mot compliant) so just sitting on when parked up and also has storage underneath.
Bike generally is on a fiamma rack on the back or with wheels off behind the front seats.

We have been on some decent trips in this guise but I’m now thinking about more comfort and space. Its just me, gf and dog. I can’t decide what the best option is to get what I want.

1) get a proper conversion in my existing van. I’m estimating 5 to 6k. Pros – I’m using my current van that I know and understand, I don’t have to enter the current inflated van price market. Cons – I still have the bike storage issue ( any bright ideas for storing one bike in a swb trafic? ).

2) buy a new larger van and get it converted. Guessing id be looking at 10k for a van and 7k for the conversion. Pros, will give me more space. Cons – Unknown mechanics, reckon it’ll cost around 17k in total, so I’m paying about 11k to fit my bike in.

3) buy an already converted van. Pros and cons same as above.

What are the stw thoughts. I need more space but can’t help feeling these wants will cost too much in the current market.

Bike storage: a bike transport bike. When you’re driving the bike goes in the back an at night across the two front seats. My bikes go in the bag wheels out, one pedal off and dropper down.

Don’t worry about the bike going inthe bag filthy – wash it when you wash the bike.

We used to keep two touring bikes in T2

If you don’t mind taking wheels off then put the bike across the front seat when sleeping.

I have a LWB Trafic and have a little garage area at the end of the van where I can store two bikes wheels off. It’s about the same volume as the front seat area.

Other wise how about a pop top roof with bed? Might allow you to rearrange things on the ground floor so everything fits in?

I have a mwb ducato. When we converted it we built a high single bed that pulls into a double. You can get 2 bikes under the bed with front wheels off. (it doubles up as surfboard storage depending on the trip!)
However, muddy wet bikes in the van are annoying. Water in the van, getting mucky putting bikes on and out. We now generally use a bike rack with big lock and use the “boot” for storage. Bikes on the rack mean less faff etc… Its amazing having bikes in the van, but to make a proper bike boot you need to go a lot bigger or compromise a lot of inside space. A rack has been a great solution for us.

You can do a lot more with a swb than people think. 2 people is tight but ok, dog makes it a bit trickier depending on size. Dog can sleep under the front of the bed on a proper conversion but you need to be creative if you want a diesel heater, the traditional low position would probably kill a dog under the bed.

Ive got a proper conversion in a t5 and its totally self sufficient apart from a shower which is the last job. Dont get too hung up on bike inside, ive been all over europe for years in mine with bikes on the back and never had a problem, good quality lock, chain and insurance – i dont even worry about it.

Fit a poptop to yours and a proper bed, side unit conversion and assuming youve already done the basics insulation etc you could do it to a good standard for 7k and you know the van. If you convert to a single front seat you can still get a bike in with front wheel off back wheel between the seats.

You don’t get a lot of van these days for 10k, you could easily buy a moneypit. Even converted 20 k doesnt buy you a lot, id stick with what you know, if you can do it yourself you can do it in budget and transfer it to a new van if yours does ever die.

Campervans are always small, stepping up to a crafter sized bus gains you a garage below the bed and proper sleeping/living areas but then you have compromises elsewhere. You’ll still run out of space! Swivel front single seat at least gives you somewhere to sit if the other person is in bed etc.

Tick.
Nothing constructive to add but a topic I’m interested in…

Yeah agree with above, got a t5, self conversion with pop top. Don’t over think it, locks and cover it’ll be fine.

Those of you using locks on racks. Do you travel with the lock in place and if so does it bounce around and damage anything. I’ve not had the good bikes on the back of ours yet but had visions of a heavy chain lock damaging carbon frames, or can they be padded well enough?

I have a small lock on and when I stop with the van out of sight the big one goes on. I also tend to have a cheap bike on the rack last and only lock my expensive one up with the better locks…

Sacrificial offering to the gods of scum

Yep abus lock, cant remember what its called but it has a cinch function that keeps it tight, on all the time.
Huge motorbike chain when we stop

Pop top and sleep in the roof with bike downstairs? (If you’re somewhere where the bike can’t stay outside)

Or small open garage area at the back kind of like this transit that cambee did.

ok you might need to clean your bike or put it in a soft bike bag but would keep it safe.

we’ve got a self (not by me) converted LWB T5 Shuttle (so double sliders, which are great!) – fixed bed, no pop top, two seater (both swivel) – pull out kitchen at the rear (under hatchback), full wrap around 4×4 style awning – even has a dog kennel that the previous owner built in to house his cockapoo (ours too big to use it unfortunately), solar panel, swamper style wheels & tyres – only got 105k and is a great thing but we’re selling this and our car to go down to one vehicle – won’t be far off your budget if you’re interested – or even just to share pics so you get more ideas for layout – let me know!

How tall are you and gf? Can you sleep width-ways in van? If so, build a garage at rear and put bed above garage…bike(s) go in garage with wheels off.
That could leave space for a seating arrangement in front of bed and behind front seats that is mot-compliant and have room for dog.

My previous van was a T5 LWB with hilo roof.

Lengthways pull out bed behind the second row of seats with a kitchen at the end meant we could still carry five people, but use the cooker from either the inside or from the rear with the tailgate providing some shelter. Being able to cook inside when the weather was shite was brilliant.
Bikes were generally on the rear rack (upgraded struts) but we had room to store them inside for long journeys or when parked up in dodgy areas.
If they were outside we had the option of sleeping downstairs without having to raise the roof.

For a “weekend van” fine, but for proper vanlife too much of a compromise.

Now have a big Ducato with four bikes stored on the inside.

However, I’m not using my van on an ad hoc basis. I live in it.

We have been on some decent trips in this guise but I’m now thinking about more comfort and space.

Where and when are the trips? Summer in mainland Europe (even UK tbh )? You will be living outside anyway. Being able to cook outside is better unless the weather is really bad so scrap any kitchen inside. The rear ones in a massive draw under a bed look good but never used personally.

If it’s only one or two bikes get some bike bags but not flight ones just ones to store to keep dirt off.

If you need more storage for other “stuff”
1. Try not to take it.
2. Use boot or roof box.

Save the money to fund a longer trip, a few cheap hotel days, beer, food etc. Unless you’re going full time and during winter I wouldn’t bother with a bigger van unless you just want a project to fiddle with.

Bike indoors – either one wheels on or three with front wheels off. He could have had much more other storage.
Just shy of a double bed (could easily have a ‘pop up’ extra bit to make it full double).
Swivel double seat and a third seat tucked next to door.
Cooking area.
Split charge battery and solar panel.
Roof vent with fan.
Self converted.
Transit SWB camper conversion by Matt[/url], on Flickr

I took inspiration for bike storage from the van Hannah Barnes used to have:

Vivaro’s and more Vivaro’s

Have a swb Ducato with a separate garage like the van in the link, can get 2 gravel bikes in there wheels on or 2 full sus bikes wheels off, plus any muddy gear is away from the sleeping area. I don’t want to keep any bikes outside the van, so this works well.

The double bed is width ways too as it’s a Ducato (am 6ft and can just about stretch out fully). With swivel captains chairs too it is a nice comfy space.