Campervan build

[DWDarkWheels]

I'm never sure what to call it. Campervan sounds like a small VW, but this is bigger. Motorhome gives the impression of £30,000 of vehicle.
And we're all about Built, Not Bought here, I think.

So after a series of kitcar builds, we decided to build a campervan. We'd looked at professionally built ones. HOOOOW MUCH ?

So surely we could build our own!
Hunted around for a bit and found a 2000 Citroen Relay, with 2.5D engine (non turbo). The non-turbo seemed to be the cheaper model. If you're on holiday, why would you need a turbo?
£4000 for the van, 63,000 miles, bought from a guy who did landscape gardening, so the dirt in the back was only soil.

I bought it in October 2005, and worked my butt off over winter with the aim of getting out in Summer 2006. I have to say it was an exciting build. I'd been getting into grubby cars and rolling about underneath them. This was mostly joinery.

Spent about £5000 on parts to convert it. Most of the campervan parts came mail-order from CAK Tanks Ltd. The wood panels and lots of common hardware came from B&Q.

The pics will explain the build.















































June 2012 in Oban, Scotland

[volvo740]

That is fantastic!

[GeezerGarage]

Brilliant, very tidy.

[DWDarkWheels]

Cheers, fellah . I surprised myself with how well it finished up.

[grizz]

I AM MORE THAN IMPRESSED !!!


Well done Team Webb.

Absolutely Pro Looking finish.

[ger]

fabulous !!

[hairymel]

one of the neatest home built campers I have seen, most are very poorly finished (mine included )

if your van is anything like the fiat ducato version, it should be great for long trips as well

nicely done

[montythemole]

Very well done, looks factory!

[cianha]

Very fine workmanship there Darryl!

[kingsmith]

just bought one of those vans well a fiat ducato but must say TOP quality work.

[DWDarkWheels]

Many thanks for all the the nice comments, chaps. professional finish is what I was looking for.

Yeah Ducato,Relay and Pug Boxer are essentially the same vehicle, but with each manufacturers' own drive-train.

I'd quite like to do another one. i wouldn't change very much, but I'd like a fresher vehicle to start with. I need to finish the Scimitar first and that's turning into a long-term.

[Deleted]

That is a fantastic build, credit to ya, as said above many are pretty naff looking and tatty! That's is very high level!

That kind of build in a brand new van at a dealers would be £30k+ or £40k+ if it was built in a cramped VW!

[v8will]

Looks top quality and actually not too dissimilar in layout to an older model Ducato that my father converted quite a few years back.

I'm actually tempted to do a conversion myself, a van would be great for days away and that size of Relay is actually usable (just) as a daily driver if needed. I would need to spend some time though getting some of the practical skills needed upto scratch to attempt it.

Any pics of the bunks folded out/mechanism? What material did you build the unit carcasses out of? Laminate chipboard?. Split charge and 240v Hookup fitted? Location of water and waste tanks?

Sorry too many questions! But having seen a conversion carried out before I do have a grasp of the enormity of doing one of these!!

Just realised your this side of the pond as well

[DWDarkWheels]

Thanks webblefeck. Those professionaly converted panels vans sure go for big money. If I thought I could even come close to realising that sort of price, I'd be building and selling these things. This one cost me about £9000 in vehicle and parts, 6 years ago. But you only get to ask big money if you're a professional converter.

v8will. Whereabouts are you, then?
I did kitcar builds before, and I'd say a motorhome conversion is within the reach of anyone who has done a major car project. It depends how big a job you want to take on. I wanted something that would pass for a professional build, but other folks are happy making do with what they can fit.

The seat in the back slides out to form a bed. It's only made from baton from B&Q, but with a lot of thought to make it work. I've not got good pics to hand right now.
The furniture is only more baton and kitchen doors from B&Q. It takes a lot of thought to design it to use the conventional door sizes, but it can be done. Most proper campervans use light-weight 3mm materials. This van runs close to 3 tonnes (it surprised me too!)

The electrical system came from CAK Ltd. too. It comes as a kit. It'll run off a 12V leisure battery, but hooks up to campsite mains too.

The tanks? I've no pics of them in place. The fresh water tank is around the wheel-arch, under the sink. The waste tank is slung under the chassis. CAK Tanks started out by making plastic tanks and they offer a range of stuff for caravans, boats, and various models of panel vans.

If you're thinking of a conversion, get the catalogue from CAK. They have a load of tanks, plus they supply all the other bits you will ever need for a conversion.
Get the Haynes manual 'Build Your Own Motorcaravan' by John Wickersham too. It'll explain all-sorts to do with a conversion - vehicles, electrics, plumbing, furniture..... I highly recommend it :-)

[Deleted]

I have a caravan, we go to the show at the NEC. Some of these big money jobs you see for sale there aint that well made! Some of them are pretty shoddy!

[DWDarkWheels]

Because those guys are in the 'leisure market', they're selling to folks with disposable income, who either don't have the skills, or don't have the inclination to do some DIY.
But these professional converters have the same basic skill set as kitcar manufacturers, who don't make money 'cos they're selling to a market of younger people.

Nevile Trickett was a guy who did some crazy kitcars in the '70s. He took his GRP skills to the more lucrative motorhome market, where it made more sense.

Considering the cost of the parts involved, campervans are serious money.

[bigrod]

Outstanding build!!

And this...


...is our favourite camp site. We usually set up directly across from where you are in that pic. Great place and have caught some nice Mackerel from the pontoon dwn the hill.

[v8will]

Oct 6, 2012 17:47:39 GMT DWDarkWheels said:

Stuff

I'm in Antrim. Thanks for the info, I'll have a look at that

[woodenspatulas]

Excellent job!

I used to sell new and used campers and from the pics it looks better than some of the new ones from Swift made!