Only just read the camper van article in the Lockdown issue. It was a good read and they both seemed to have loved building and living in the van. However I can't help thinking they would have been better off buying a properly built second hand camper van with their £20k especially when you look at how they were having a shower 😲
The only real advantages I could see with their van build over a proper camper was that the van was newer therefore should be more reliable and nicer to drive and the fact they could store their bikes more securely. But other than that I see any other advantages, am I missing something?
20k doesnt get you much factory camper.
factory campers rarely optimised for taking bikes
Factory campers rarely set up for outdoor pursuits - no where to dry wet wetsuits etc.
Factory campers are not hugely customisable to suit.
Factory campers often need a good deal more spend on to make "offgrid" especially older ones are set up for short day trips off grid looking to be on a site with hook up at night but not a week or 2 away from facilities.
have hired a couple of full fat campers for events - they are bigger inside and they are nice for being a camper - but we put all the bikes in another van.(mainly as teh weight limit was even more limiting than the space) + had to run a generator at events to run the electrics inside , the batteries were not up to running the lights etc for any length of time. looked to be 60/70 k of vans
We own a converted van.
The only real advantages I could see with their van build over a proper camper was that the van was newer therefore should be more reliable and nicer to drive and the fact they could store their bikes more securely. But other than that I see any other advantages, am I missing something?
So you're asking if they'd be wiser to spend £20k on not-what-they-want rather than exactly what they want? Given that is a cycling magazine.... proper bike storage seems to the whole point rather than fringe benefit.
As trail rat says 20k is nowt for factory built and few are suitable for outdoor life. More lump sum retirement look at the view. 50k for a factory T6? Small vans no bike store, paranoid about depreciation, damage. I haven't seen the article though.
Cheer's for the input Trail-rat. It's interesting to hear that proper campers aren't much good at going off- grid, I'd have assumed that's one thing they would have been good at.
I think the couple in the article got a cracking van for under £20k, just seemed a bit rough around the edges and having to use a potty would be a tough sell to me. I've seen some nice looking camper vans for under £20k, over 10 years old though (or even older).
Seems you don't need that much room for a shower/toilet 🤔
http://www.theroadisourhome.com/2018/06/18/shower-toilet-build-how-to-van-conversion/
you dont , but its a very 1 use space.
I have one in mine but i have a 7.2m van.
Most folk try and get in under 6m for ferry costs skyrocketing and in a sub 6m van a dedicated toilet is a stretch.
porta pottys still better than what most people in their ickle vans do .... shit on the verge beside their van or just over the wall at their scenic spot.
I haven't read the article but we have a nearly new van sitting on the drive, about to be converted.
We could have spent the money on a pro built van that's a few years old and saved an awful lot of work, but we looked at a LOT of vans, and unless you have £60k to spend on a "sport van" then as has been said they are just not set up for what we do. We are building something that will carry 2 bikes inside, kitesurf kit x2, walking boots etc.. and still allow us to sit inside comfortably, go to bed without having to build it first, have a shower inside and not have to visit a campsite (apart from for waste / water duties occasionally).
At least that's the plan!
The closest we found in a proper one was us asking if there's space for bikes.
"Yes there's loads of space"
"Great, can we take a look?"
"Here you go!"
"Ah... where do we sleep?"
"Well, you take the bikes out and then you can make the bed"
"Oh...."
Currently looks something like this on day 2....
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/blockquote>
Where do the bikes go?
Also I don't want a coach built.
I can't fathom why motorhome type campers are so expensive, even second hand. They generally feel a bit cheap/depressing inside too.
I was surprised by that as well. We didn’t spend much more than them to get our purpose built one that has the same base platform. Yes we have to have the bikes on the back which isn’t ideal but that compromise meant we got a factory built van with double glazing hot and cold water, a proper loo and shower and central heating.
I've been watchinga few youTube videos of conversions and getting the bikes inside seems a popular priority and you won't find that feature on a smaller coach built. I totally get it, the ability to go anywhere and park anywhere is a big part of van life. If you are camping in Supermarket carparks and in lay-bys its an issue, if you are driving from campsite to campsite then not so much. Also I'd much rather have an outdoor shower than squeeze into a tiny cupboard inside. The beauty of a self build is you can pick the bits that are important to you.
I think if the front seats on a coach built camper could somehow be folded out of the way then you could slide in a couple of bikes with the front wheels off (store them in rear of the van or even on bike rack when driving or sitting in the back of the van). Wonder if there is something off the shelf out there you could buy 🤔
For us bike/kayak and outdoor kit storage was the most important thing. And due to back issues we wanted a proper, supportive king size bed. A nice bathroom would also be good but then we wanted a van we could park in a supermarket carpark.
As Nick says with a self build you pick your priorities and build to suit. And in our case, use it a few times and tweak it until you are completely happy.
Mk1
Mk2
I think if the front seats on a coach built camper could somehow be folded out of the way then you could slide in a couple of bikes with the front wheels off (store them in rear of the van or even on bike rack when driving or sitting in the back of the van)
That sounds like a right pain, especially as most coach build seem to have tiny doors and awkward entrance ways.
Compare that to a sliding rack in the back:
i have a sliding rack under the bed for 3 bikes length ways and can get 2 other bikes across the back behind that and we got the bairns trailer in there as well.
I can hang our wet suits up in the same space.
It keeps the dirty/wet separate to the clean.
showering outside for the same reason.
The shower in both our hire vans were at the back of the van and i had to walk through the entire van covered in strathpuffer mud.
As above, the nice thing about a DIY is that you get exactly what you want. It is because you do a bit, use it, do a bit more, use it again, change it, and so on. That way over time it aligns exactly with what you want. If you buy a factory van you don't get this. If you go custom you might be lucky and get close, but probably not.
On the other hand, it's loads of work, there is always something not quite finished/working, and in my case, some bits are a little rough around the edges 🙂
Does anybody build a camper with a bike garage in it already?
You can get coach built ones that have garages. We can get four 29er in ours with the wheels on.
We occasionally talk about a camper van, but MrsMC doesn't want a coach built one with a garage, and I'm not putting the bikes on the back of a small one, so we've reached an impasse and spending the money on Premier Inn rooms - decent loos and showers and somewhere to keep your bikes safe
You can get coach built ones that have garages. We can get four 29er in ours with the wheels on.
Just be careful on weight. Most of the coach built 6 berth vans with garages are downplated 3850 vans and so once your 4 adults up inside the van @3500kg rating your remaining payload can be as little as c.250kg. That's for onboard water , gas ,food drink clothes bikes and anything else you take with you.
MIRO for a motorhome has a tank of fuel and a 75kg driver only.
That said many folk build their self builds heavy and fall fowl of the same issue.
Well aware of the regulations as should any one who owns a coach build or self build. Worth a visit to the local weigh bridge when loaded to double check.
A friend of ours got stopped on the way to an EWS event in a converted Merc and ended up with a visit to the weigh bridge and a hefty fine. They wouldn't even let him dump the water before it was weight.
Had to pay the fine before they let him drive away
Various small conversion companies will now make you a biking van e.g. https://www.vanguard-conversions.co.uk/mtb-camper-van/
I still put the bikes on the back of ours and touch wood had no issues so far but it does play on my mind when say shopping or wandering around a town.
Why did I click on db's link......
I'm sure you are but folk who are looking tend not to be especially when they see big rear mounted garages and assume the vans good for it.
Even more so when you see the checker plate ones with big old toolboxes mounted in the back.
Anyone got a link to the article, I can't find it.
Everyone has covered most points about converted Vs coach built but another I don't think I have seen is width and looks.
Coach builts stand out in a car park so a bit more of a theft magnet. Narrow lanes are much easier in a conversion.
Various small conversion companies will now make you a biking van e.g. https://www.vanguard-conversions.co.uk/mtb-camper-van/
/blockquote>This was a good chunk of the inspiration for us. Getting up to Fort Bill to get them to do it (they like to see the van before is booked in) was just too much hassle, so we found a local converter who was happy to take our bespoke plans and make them real - getting all the main layout, electrics, windows, carpet etc done as part of it.
We could have done it ourselves, but a significant amount of time at weekends, when we wanted to actually be riding, would be spent doing the van. Obviously during lockdown, a bit different. We will however do the second level fit (bed etc) largely ourselves, to allow us to keep adapting to our requirements.
As said above, many supplied vans aren’t designed for our level of sport needs (as we discovered after several hours round the NEC).
We had a Chausson Flash 04.
Sub 6m (by 1 cm!), fixed Double bed. 2 Dh and 2 trail bikes fitted in the garage, front wheels off. Could get 2 bikes in with wheels on. 240Ah of leisure batteries. Could have done solar. Toilet and shower. Perfect for a couple.
EDIT: The double bed could be raised and lowered. It is in the lower position in that photo as it can be seen through the garage door. We generally raised it for loading/unloading, but lowered it once everything was in.
i have a sliding rack under the bed
Any pics or info on how you made it? It’s a job I need to tackle soonish.
As others have mentioned weight is a major issue. More or less every coach built or 3.5t 'race' van on the road. When fully loaded will be over weight. A bare xlwb sprinter has a payload of just under a ton. When you look at the payload figures of coach-built vans it's often 200-300kgs. A driver and 3 passengers and you're over weight.
It's also not just overall weight. Axle weight is just as important. For every 1 metre back from the axle the weight doubles. The fines can be huge.
It's a bit of an oxymoron but the smaller the 3.5t van. The more weight you can carry. The industry is mainly geared towards 3.5t because things get more complicated when you go over that weight.
Every coach-built van I've driven from new to well over 100k rattled like a bag of old spanners. That alone would stop me buying one. If you have the skills I'd advise self build everytime.
But I think the first question should always be is it cost effective to own one? For the majority of owners I've seen it's not. You have to use a van a lot to justify the cost over air b&b for example. This obviously depends on the amount of people in the van, how the van will be used, post covid19 pricing, cost to build, extra fuel costs etc.
I worked in the industry for a short time and I've built my own van. Unless I was using the van ever 2nd or 3rd weekend or specifically wanted to be by the trail. I'd b&b.
But I think the first question should always be is it cost effective to own one?
No, it’s probably definitely not cost effective for us to own one 😆 We could have a lot of holidays or nights away for the money but it’s not just about the cost.
[i]having to use a potty would be a tough sell to me[/i]
They are normally very easy to change for a new one, but unless its a beige, tired and well used one, why would you? Do you immediately change the toilets when you move house? 😉
[i]in a sub 6m van a dedicated toilet is a stretch.[/i]
I managed it but only by 'strealing' bathroom space from behind the reclined back of the rear seats, stepping the wall over the fixed bed, and having a 'small double' bed. Shower, no chance without detracting from the overall space.
[i]I can’t fathom why motorhome type campers are so expensive, even second hand[/i]
New - basically add the price of a caravan to a chassis cab van. Secondhand...entirely demand driven by buyers. Although I have to admit, the ability to resist depreciation is remarkable. Leisure stuff is expensive, £450 will get you a decent fridge, a cooker-oven, one double glazed window with blinds, a refillable gas tank, or a Propex gas heater. Oh, you want ALL of those and TWO windows? Ouch...
[i]Well aware of the regulations as should any one who owns a coach build or self build. Worth a visit to the local weigh bridge when loaded to double check.[/i]
I would recommend this when buying a van, or before and during conversion. You'd have to be off your rocker to spend a year or two converting a van and not be certain of the weight. Mine has a few hundred kg spare when laden for a trip, but with 4 people and a horse trailer weighting the hitch, I'm fairly certain I would be overweight without removing tools and compromising on a full water tank.
[i]It’s also not just overall weight. Axle weight is just as important. For every 1 metre back from the axle the weight doubles. The fines can be huge.[/i]
Its a ratio of wheelbase but yes, on mine with a 2 metre overhand, 250kg on the towball is more like 400kg on the rear axle so that means I built my van with practically no weight behind the axle, its all over or in front of it to ensure its got plenty of reserve.
[i]But I think the first question should always be is it cost effective to own one?[/i]
Mine wasn't £20k but with a two year old van as the base, its probably about £16k. But its my 'car' and if we didn't have it, we would need to run a large 4x4 which would have similar running and fuel costs, and wouldn't hold its value like the camper. Or a big horsebox and that would be even more more expensive, no good for holidays or Sainsburys.
I can’t fathom why motorhome type campers are so expensive, even second hand. They generally feel a bit cheap/depressing inside too.
I bought a LWB T6 commercial van that I am converting myself. I have deliberately avoided putting in a pop top but converted everything else, Bed, kitchen, electrics etc.
For me it allows me the freedom to sleep in places I would have to leave to go home from at the end of the day. I agree they are a little claustrophobic and although it is an almost self sufficient living space (for a couple+ days) they are not "nice" places to be and for me just serve a purpose of being able to sleep comfortably.
Phil I assume your phil Walden on Instagram ?
To make the slider is.a wooden frames *tray* with a length of 25/25 box section steel on each side screwed to the wood with tech screws.
A second Wooden frame with bearings on bolts with a nut either side of the wooden frame spaced above and below where the metal rail sits.
A higher concentration of bearings at the full extension to account for cantilever.
At the far end of the frame I braced it against the under side of the bed.
Whole things removable in 5 minutes if required.
Not quite Walden although I think I have found your instagram. I searched and found your set up I think. Looks good.
Cheers for the info 👍
I’ve found runners, they’re £250 😳
O yes half asleep when i read it this morning reading again clearly not walden. but yeah you liked the photo of the set up.
I’ve found runners, they’re £250
Yeah exactly - which is a significant portion of my van total cost to be spending on some runners.
I bought a half sheet of 6mm ply , 4 lengths of 4x inch planed soft wood , 2 tubes of skateboard wheel bearings, Some bolts and nylocs , some tech screws and a length of box
total cost ill be surprised if 50 quid.
For mounting the bikes i tried roof racks but was a pain , Ive gone to a piece of fence post cut to fit between the axles and drilled them for QR /15mm/20mm and shaped the blocks to the various axle widths. seemed to be the best compromise vs cost.
@phil5556 this thread has photo's of my slide out rack and trail rats.
I read the van build article, and would love to know where they got those loooong drawer sliders for that rack for a few quid, when I priced them up they were knocking on the door of 200 quid!
Re the high parts prices. I was told by somebody who works for one of the big players that they have an unwritten agreement not to encroach on each others territory. Therefore keeping prices artificially high.
Take the Thetford fitted toilets. All they basically are is injection moulded pieces, a few wires, pump and circuit board. It can't cost them £20-£40 to build. Yet they retail for £300-£400. If a similar product was sold in another industry. Say for example the housing market where competition is high. They would be a fraction of the price.
Worth looking at the boating world for fixtures and fittings.
Have a self converted T5 (bar the roof.... Had someone else fit that, but looking back I could have done it myself with lots less aggro but that's another story).
Van cost 15k and I spunked another 8k including the roof. There's nothing in the market that has a similar layout that suits my needs /desires...
Long wheel base conversions are rare.
I can cook inside or out under the tailgate. 20l gas tank under the floor saving masses of space.
I can load bikes and snowboards length ways.
I can sit 2-5 people and comfortably sleep 4 without having to fold any seats (pop top and pull out bed in the rear).
Space saving drawer fridge.
Solar and ~90l of water storage Madga we can be "off grid for at least a week at a time (assuming the GF doesn't do the washing up; her water management is terrible).
I can still transport full sheets of ply and carry tools.
I've got a workshop, which helps.
Showers are outside thanks to a pump up shower ( https://www.decathlon.co.uk/portable-shower-8-l-id_8333161.html).
Shits are restaurants or if necessary a long walk with a folding spade.
However, I need to sell it.
The bikes are generally outside on the rack and when away for long periods you need to be ultra organised or things get messy pretty quick.
Ducato is on the cards.
New new van costs 23k plus knowing what I know now around 5k to kit out to fit my wants and needs.
Hopefully sell the T5 for low 20s....
Went to a big trade fair for campers of all kinds in Feb. Even the likes of Sunlight, who claim to specialise in van for outdoorsy folk, came up with nothing like what I want....
Proper bike storage. Two seats up front with lounge type area in the rear (those tiny 2 seater 90° jump seats are bollocks whether you're just chilling or cruising). No on board shower. Off grid solar capacity. No awful laminated sheet furniture with rubber moulded edging. No weird/shitty stripes or silhouette of animals or mountains on the side. Oh, and not 55k, either...!
No awful laminated sheet furniture
What you using then.
Caravan spec framing and 3mm ply ......
I built a SWB transit custom into a camper. Van was new. Aim was to able to live off grid for a week, bikes stored inside, but separate and contained away from living area. Also have ability to store the bike with both wheels on if just going for a local trip or day out.
Double bed, fridge, table, sink and two burners, heater, two opening side windows.
Specifically didn't want it to look like a campervan so can park anywhere.
Full lithium solar and b2b system. Toilet inside, shower outside, proper one not a hand pump. Jet wash for bikes.
All achieved but no-one builds anything close commercially.
Seems like there is room for either selling a budget van conversion kit or new complete builds based around certain outdoor sports like cycling, kayaking etc. But can't see this happening whilst camper vans and van conversions are so popular keeping prices high.
Ford does a bare chassis that would be perfect for a van build, not cheap though. Wonder how cheap you could buy them as a dealer or if you were buying say 50 of them at once. 🤔
https://www.parkers.co.uk/vans-pickups/news/2018/ford-transit-skeletal-chassis-cab/
Have been round this one a lot having had lots of vans and hired lots of motor homes to work out what worked for us. Main things were originally - not having bikes on a rack having had mine cut off the van and a few attempts that were unsuccessful, not too much internal jenga every time you want to cook and space for when it’s wet. Owned a few VW California and for 2 people fine but fail the test. Now we are a family of 3 we need to sleep 3 and have a bog. Hot water also very useful. Tried a few compromises and I seriously thought about buying a new 4motion Crafter and building something. Hymercar were close. Ended up with a sub 7m Swift box - has bunks in the back which having removed the bottom one and put some corflute boxing in means we get 4 bikes in plus associated bags and stuff hanging, it’s not perfect but it works. Has full shower, water toilet and has drop down bed plus a double underneath if we want to use that. Plenty of space and drives alright. Cost me about 60% of what my Cali sold for as well. Has 200ah of battery and 2 solar panels to quite happy off grid. Downside is it’s mostly white still although front is being wrapped grey and we are de-whiting some of the rest of it. When you get to >2 people space becomes a priority !
Having hired a few I see zero point in the "showers" you get in campers. A dribble of lukewarm water in a cupboard you cant turn round in.
I would like to self build one tho - for much the same reasons as others - I want a internal layout that no one offers. Medimum size van with a big bike "garage", a permanent double bed that you can use without using your sitting space. But I won't be putting a shower in and the on board bog would be for emergencies only
We have never used the internal shower in our motorhome, it’s just extra storage space for wet coats and wellies. We do however use the external shower, for washing off muddy legs at trip centres, washing filthy dogs, that sort of thing.
Not having internal space for the bikes is the only real shortcoming for us of our coachbuilt.
it’s 6m long but has parallel lounge seats which make either a massive double or two singles which are over 6’ long. Decent size kitchen with proper oven and a good amount of storage and worktop space & the washroom is a good size (even though as above, the shower isn’t used).
We looked at van conversions and they just felt too cramped inside, like long narrow corridors with no real lounging space other than the rotated cab seats. Self building was an option but when I fitted up the cost of what I wanted the coachbuilt was better value.
We use ours all year round so having decent heating and space to move around was important, means we don’t feel quite like we are cooped up in a metal box when the weather is awful. The lounge is as good as it’s name for afternoon naps etc...
We’ve done nearly 4 weeks away in it with plenty of room for everything we needed. If I could find the same layout in the same sort of size but with a garage I’d be all over it
There are only two of us but with two dogs and all our riding, climbing and walking kit the T5 conversion we used to have was just too much of a squeeze and I got sick of camper van Tetris pretty quickly.
I would like to self build one tho – for much the same reasons as others – I want a internal layout that no one offers. Medimum size van with a big bike “garage”, a permanent double bed that you can use without using your sitting space. But I won’t be putting a shower in and the on board bog would be for emergencies only
I've tried to work out a compromise without ending up with a massive van, and it's just not happening tbh.
So, I've gave up on the idea, and I'm gonna buy a wee XLWB Merc Citan, seats 5, rear seats fold flat to get full bikes in, but can also fold 2 of the 3 rear seats down for 3 of us and 3 full bikes. 60mpg, and I can also sleep in the back at races as well, and I'll just use Bed and breakfasts when we're going as a family.
Every van is a compromise, but it's your compromise, needs to suit you.
no doubt about it - even the smallest of coach builts feel bigger internally than an equivalent van conversion .
Even ancient ones.
the trade off is i don't have to wonder if i fit through a gap.
The big vans we hired on the highland roads felt like every time i met something coming the other way i was going to have a pile of kindling on my hands.
i still want a ducato for my next van some day.....if kid 2 comes along as there is no way to get 4 passengers into my current layout.
The price of coach-builts are horrific, wee old place near us that sells stinking looking faded yellow-but-used-to-be-white things for like 25 grand! I wouldn't spend a night in them, they look like a pish stained junkies couch.
they look like a pish stained junkies couch.
as oppopsed to a out-of-work-builder-come-hippy that the self-made conversions look like?
you want one of these. https://www.newmarcorp.com/luxury-motor-coaches/king-aire/
coach built, plenty of room for bikes. what's not to like?
All they basically are is injection moulded pieces, a few wires, pump and circuit board. It can’t cost them £20-£40 to build
Which is fine, when all you do is count the component cost. Any idea how much getting an injection mould designed and made is? Now spread that across what is a relatively small market...
Out of work builder ..... Nah . We lower than that. We are out of work delivery driver.
I'm quite ok with it looking rough as tits as I don't mind too much where I need to put it at events etc.
Let's just say it wasn't 17 grand despite being as ancient as the OPs example of a coach built van.
I wouldn't say the market for a Thetford bog is that small, and the classic bench style has only had one facelift on what must be a 30 year old design so it's had plenty of time to recoup any tooling cost!
When you look at what you get, it certainly doesn't cost that much. And until recently they were the standard supplier for caravans, and motorhomes, and DIY conversions.
I can’t fathom why motorhome type campers are so expensive, even second hand. They generally feel a bit cheap/depressing inside too.
I *think* it's because they have a 'proper' chassis rather than monocoque, so the vehicle will effectively last forever - you just bolt new bits on as bits break.
...and they do hold their value. My folk bought theirs new for £22k and after 8 years hard use they sold it to a *trader* for £19,000. They'd looked for a used one but found the same issue - the used prices were not much different to the new.
When you look at what you get, it certainly doesn’t cost that much
Sounds like a lucrative market. You should dive in - you're sure to clean up. 😉
I quite fancy building something around a Kip Shelter format in the back of a van. With a tailgate.
Having hired a few I see zero point in the “showers” you get in campers. A dribble of lukewarm water in a cupboard you cant turn round in.
You can get pretty big showers these days. The pumps are still weak as anything though, consequence of 12V.
The price of coach-builts are horrific, wee old place near us that sells stinking looking faded yellow-but-used-to-be-white things for like 25 grand! I wouldn’t spend a night in them, they look like a pish stained junkies couch.
Is that the place across from MFI? Assume you don't mean Borders!
Having hired a few I see zero point in the “showers” you get in campers. A dribble of lukewarm water in a cupboard you cant turn round in.
I would like to self build one tho – for much the same reasons as others – I want a internal layout that no one offers. Medimum size van with a big bike “garage”, a permanent double bed that you can use without using your sitting space. But I won’t be putting a shower in and the on board bog would be for emergencies only
We're pretty much building what you want, except we are having a shower. Getting rid of the shower would give you a 180cm wide bed with matching garage under.
Our shower tray arrived today 🙂
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Is that the place across from MFI? Assume you don’t mean Borders!
Na, wee sales place on rhs entering Prestwick, just before petrol station, though it seems to have went west recently.
Borders is the opposite end of the market!
Na, wee sales place on rhs entering Prestwick, just before petrol station, though it seems to have went west recently.
Borders is the opposite end of the market!
Don't think there was anything in it last I drove past a couple of days ago.
We had a look in Borders before buying the van last week, they've got some nice looking stuff and some that look like they've been designed for my 90 year old nan. None that would fit bikes in though!
Actually one thing I will add was that I spoke to a guy who is on the design team at Hymer. We had hired a Grand Canyon S on the Sprinter platform, which by the way was the most amazing drive for a van, and had managed to squeeze 3 bikes in under the bed but it was a phaff. When we returned it he was at the dealer and we got chatting. I outlined a design which would have more transverse space under the bed for bikes and he was of a view that they could easily do that for a factory order, they could shift the gas locker. Easy to say for an 89 grand van but was an interesting chat. They designed it with walkthrough as they assume everyone is retired and want it. The fact we wanted dry, separated bike space was unique but he was a cyclist so got it. The Hymer finish is rather lovely.
I have no interest in the technicalities of building camper vans, but I thought it was an excellent, funny, well written article. Best I've read in ST in a while 🙂
I have a T5 day van at the moment but would like something bigger,not really into the whole self-build thing but might be a case of needs must and a winter project.We should have been in Spain for most of this spring/summer and we would have made the T5 work but it could have become a proper ball ache constantly juggling things around.
Anyway this is my dream van
StuE - they're known as race vans, ebay camper section for race and you'll find a number to look at for ideas. I have one each year, bikes underneath, bed on top and in the middle and full shower, toilet etc.
i've never had an issue with shower being poor in a van, always fine for me and 12v pumps can generate lots of pressure.
Just to state that I enjoyed the article, and the happy outgoing view of the writer and gentle love story (makes me sound like a right softy). But their van just got me thinking. Might have something to do with my pal also having a van conversion and the one time I stayed in it I found it very cramped and compromised but he loves it so to each their own.
Can't help thinking there must be a better way!
Maybe in the future when cars are self driving and nobody owns them, just have a monthly lease/hire agreement, where they can change what car/vehicle they get depending on the type of trip and number of occupants required. Owning a camper van for half a dozen trips a year will seem like an expensive daft idea.
Essentially I want one but I'm not willing to pay or put up with such a compromise.
I am liking nobeerinthefridge's idea though as I could replace the family car with it (actually only car).
NZcol - I hired a custom Hymer build a few years ago. the hire place had them built to their spec rather than using an off the peg spec. It was just inside the 3.5 tonne licence category, had a fixed double bed and the "garage" beneath the bed would take the tandem without dismantling
coach built, plenty of room for bikes. what’s not to like?
Narrow lanes, interesting campsites, fuel bulls.
Out of work builder ….. Nah . We lower than that. We are out of work delivery driver
Not even sure where I fit in to this categorisation system. Out of work... refrigerated goods delivery guy?
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