Chances are you’ve seen loads of camper vans on the highway. And if you are like us, keen on outdoor adventures, seeing one may have inspired you to dig deeper into van life and possibly own one yourself. There are of course, vans like the old VW Kombi that kicked off van life years ago, but they are pretty old now and probably not best for more rugged outdoor adventurers you may have in mind. But they can sure take you to some incredible places and help you live more simply wherever you end up!
We have been looking for things to do outside for some time now
So recently we bought a 2006 VW Transporter and started converting it into a campervan. Our van started off life as an Ambulance, hence the high roof. Then it was used as transport for a family’s two handicapped children so they installed a wheelchair lift in the back. We certainly had our work cut out to get the rear cabin back to a blank sheet so that the conversion could take place.
SELECTING THE RIGHT FLOOR PLAN FOR YOUR BUILD-OUT
Everything starts with a plan, this project is no different. Thus when building a campervan you begin by looking at space considerations and how to maximize the whole van for your van life needs. There are lots of factors to consider when determining your floor plan. Three of the biggest decisions involve bed type and location, kitchen or work area arrangement and storage.
After deciding what type of bedding we wanted and what the basic appliances we would need, I quite simply drew out the plan on the van’s floor. The bed was made up of three bunks, one on each side and one at the back, the inside of the two side bunks would be used for storage. So the tops of the two side bunks would be connected with a hinge to fold back giving you access to the storage room inside. A center board arrangement turned the three bunks into a Queensize bed base.
Building the framework, bunks and cabinets
In building a campervan my next job was to start building the actual framework, boxes and cabinets. For most of this I used a combination of plywood and one and half inch square struts. Now here’s the thing, I am not a carpenter nor did I have proper facilities or tools (like a nice big garage or workshop) to do this conversion in. Infact, most of the work was done with the van parked in the street. I must admit, Mr Google and Youtube came in very handy for me on this project.
Insulating and putting in a roof vent
Keep in mind that you may be using your van in all sorts of weather conditions for your outdoor adventure trips, so if you want to be nice and cozy, insulating at least the roof area and inserting a vent is a must. A lot of people use wood panelling to insulate but I did not like the idea of adding all that weight and as I said, I am not a carpenter, so I kept it simple by using Styrofoam panels and thick foam which I glued to the roof and sides. I bought a vent that had its own 12v electric fan and cut a space in the roof for it. My van roof is made of fibre glass so it was rather easy for me to do.
Now for the first stage of finishing off
Replace the ceiling and side panels
The next stage is to start making the van look less like a work in progress. I used quarter inch plastic panels for both the ceiling boards and side panels. Moulded and modified them to fit snuggly over the roof ribs, sides and around the vent.Then covered the self- tapping screw heads with plastic covers to finish it off.
Next job was to paint the plywood bunks and cabinets
We decided on a nice grey as the vans original upholstery was a lighter shade of grey.
Then came the electrics
Mains Power
Most campsites have powered sites, this allows you to plug into the site’s power supply and thus use the mains power for your lights, running your fridge and any other appliances you may need. To enable you to take advantage of this, you need to wire the van up to take mains power. It’s a fairly simple task, you first attach an input plug on the side of the van to take the sites power, then run mains wire to the plugs you want in the van. For safety purposes you need to have a trip switch between the input and output on your circuit. If this sounds a bit Greek to you, it may be best to get an electrician to do it for you. Building a campervan can require you to use some professional help from time to time
Solar Power (dual battery) system
Not all sites have mains power and/or you may want to go places other than campsites. Some people call it “going off grid”. So, to be able to do this you need to set up a dual battery plus a solar charging system because you don’t want to run your starter battery flat. Again, this is not exactly rocket science to set up because you can buy kits that are more or less plug and play. In a nutshell, this set up will allow you to keep your fridge and all your other appliances running off the second battery (normally a Lithium battery because they last longer) and get recharged by a Solar panel when you are stationary. I selected a portable blanket type Solar panel that you can place on the roof or a table when the van is stationery.
Other fittings
Here are some of the other fittings and equipment I completed at this stage.
The removable centre board and fridge location
Gas stove storage and sink
Porta Loo and some of the equipment installed.
Making the actual bedding for the bunks
We tried to keep to a budget for the campervan conversion and as such looked for ways to save on the materials we were going to use. Having custom made mattresses turned out to be rather expensive. So, we improvised and got hold of some very firm couch cushions and fashioned them into the shape of the three- piece bunk set up. We needed two separate ones for the side bunks and one for the rear bunk. By joining the cushions into three sets it allowed us to easily lift the side bunk lids (which were on hinges) to get access to the storage underneath. We had to have some foam cut for the centre piece as it was just a very difficult size. We then covered all the cushions with a nice grey material to match the new décor of the van.
Well, we are on the final run now.
This is the part where we finished of the van so that it can be ready for some outdoor adventure trips. Completing the bedding was obviously a priority as comfortable sleeping arrangements makes your adventures so much more enjoyable.
Cool looking bedding and curtains
The bunks were designed to be used as sitting bunks during the day and by inserting the centre board (which lies on the floor when not used), they become a large comfortable bed at night. Some form of privacy is a must, we decided on some very basic but nice grey curtains to match the rest of the van.
Workspace
We decided not to do any cooking inside the van, but one still needs a place to prepare and washup, especially if no facilities are available at places you stop over or visit. We thus made sure we have enough work space on the forward cabinets.
Water supply and Storage
Here again we decided to keep it simple, we purchased two plastic containers, one 30 litres for fresh water and a 20 litre one for greywater. One was to hold fresh water for drinking and washing up, this one was attached to the sink faucet via a plastic tube. The other container was attached to the sink plug as a grey water capture and storage system. For easy access to change or top up the containers, I made an opening at the back of the sink cabinet.
Fire Protection and air-conditioning.
Both very important items to add to your van. We decided on a portable evaporative type air conditioner. Yes, they are not great in humid conditions but pretty affordable and they double up as a great fan too. You never know what can go wrong in a van, so a fire extinguisher is a must.
And there you go, our van was ready for some outdoor adventure
All we had to do now is to stand back and admire our handy work.
Today well lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness
And to achieve this, we need to take the van out on some adventures. We now have a lot of things to do outside, like slip away for weekends or extended trips. A bonus being that we can now take our furry family with us on our outdoor adventures. Furry family being two Maltese cross terriers.
Our first trip
For our first trip we decided to go up to the Riverland, taking our furry family with us. It was a blast in more ways than one. We had a great time until the last night when a storm came up and nearly blew away our Gazebo. We decided not to install a fixed canopy that extends from the side of the van because we would need the van to go exploring sometimes, or duck down to the shops. The canopy would then have to be rolled in which would be a bit of a pain. Whereas a Gazebo can be set up and left at your campsite. Anyway, it was lesson we learnt, that being we need to have decent tent pegs to secure the Gazebo lines. The Gazebo was supplied with pegs that were more suitable for a one- man tent. A lesson for young players.
Looking after your furry family
Here is another tip, when out there in outdoors, you may want to consider the fact that your pooches can get them selves into all sorts of trouble if you go hiking with them on some tracks or even meeting up with some wild life. We use two Dog Backpack carriers that we place them in when we are not too sure about the terrain we will be covering, or just in case they get a bit pooped along the way. Ours are pretty small. If you want to know more about these Backpacks, go to this site. www. Goofytreks.com.
