Modifications

[Herbenny]

I'm already of thinking of ways to make the new van work for us. I did notice a lack of storage space and was hoping one of the dinette seats (the nearest to sliding door) it also stores the two small bottle could be made into a tall cupboard or even half a cupboard which would give me extra worktop. We really don't need the extra seat.

Would this be hard to do and would it devalue the van going from a four seater to a thee ?

 

[Hycon]

Done mods

Hi I Have done a few modifications to my van to suit my needs .It is an oldish van 2002 so it may not make much difference to the resale price.If you have a newer van and maybe want to trade it in if it is none standard you may loose value or affect any Warranty on the van

 

[Herbenny]

Hi I Have done a few modifications to my van to suit my needs .It is an oldish van 2002 so it may not make much difference to the resale price.If you have a newer van and maybe want to trade it in if it is none standard you may loose value or effect any Warranty on the van

Its a 2006 and everything else ticks all the boxes apart form this one thing.
This van has to be a keeper no matter what ....

Just wanted to know if I would lose much should I ever sell by removing the fourth seat ? .....I suppose we could find away to revert the van back to its original state should we ever need to.

 

[Nabsim]

Are all 4 seats forward facing and do they all have seat belts if so? If not I would think no, if yes I don't know but my thinking would be its more important to have a van that works for us than any resale value. That could be why I always lose out when selling things though so may not be the best person to take heed of

 

[Herbenny]

Are all 4 seats forward facing and do they all have seat belts if so? If not I would think no, if yes I don't know but my thinking would be its more important to have a van that works for us than any resale value. That could be why I always lose out when selling things though so may not be the best person to take heed of

yes all four seats have seatbelts but I think your right ..we planning to have this van a long time so need to make it work...

 

[yorkslass]

You'll need the belted seats soon grandma.
If extra workspace is an issue, could you fit a hinged folding shelf anywhere? When i'm cooking, i use a rigid plastic chopping board across the sink, it helps a bit.

 

[Herbenny]

You'll need the belted seats soon grandma.
If extra workspace is an issue, could you fit a hinged folding shelf anywhere? When i'm cooking, i use a rigid plastic chopping board across the sink, it helps a bit.

LOL Sue ...I just spluttered my tea :scared:

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Hi ya Nabsim,
If you bought your van with a view to getting ‘Most’ of your money back, Then obviously the less you do by way of Cutting it about might be sensible.
BUT if you Bought your van to Try & Enjoy, Then doing things that Enhance your experience & improves Quality of life while you are the custodian makes the more perfect sense to me matey.
So enjoy!.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

All vehicles, campers or otherwise, will always be worth less over time, unless they're some sort of special case.
I don't really think about any re-sale value because that's not the reason I would buy one in the first place. For most people the purchase of a camper van is a luxury to enjoy and not necessarily an 'investment' that will 'get you your money back' at some unknown point in the future.

Do the modifications that suit YOU and will make YOUR time away in it more enjoyable. Bet you've made modifications to the bricks & mortar house and they won't always be everybody's cup of tea, unless you want to value everything you do with your life in £££ shillings & pence and follow the 'vanilla' bland & boring offerings of telly programs like homes under the hammer.

Live for now!

and remember - a camper is for life, not just for Christmas... Just sayin'

 

[n brown]

when i buy a van it becomes ''my van'' and i'll do anything to it to enhance my use of it . buy it-use it - abuse it - scrap it

mind you , i buy cheap and self-convert. this one cost a total 1700 quid, but a lot of stuff came from the last van and will go into the next one.

 

[Deleted member 12539]

The majority of the alterations I have made over the past 4 years, are reversible, which means I could return it back to it's original design.
For example, the very large table had been replaced with a smaller one, and the hole for the fix in the floor was covered and a new whole cut out. I can just replace the floor (laminate) to coincide with the original table hole.
My van is a 2004 model, and I think you could make a box that fits over the existing chair, so in the event you sell the van, it could be quite easily changed back to a 4 seater.

 

[Deleted member 62288]

A few of my mates are anal about keeping their rigs "original" and any modification must not affect it's originality.

I think differently - I consider that any changes or modifications are all "upgrades and enhancements" which improve on the original/factory standards.

I don't worry about drilling holes and adding extras, as long as the finished job is done to a professional standard and looks good. Most buyers would probably agree.

The dealer who might be buying it or perhaps taking it in p/x might think differently and for newer vehicles, the warranty issue may be relevant.

In my case, my Hymer is vintage 2004, built to a high standard but nevertheless 2004 standards.
Much has changed in the fields of vehicles and especially technology since 14 years ago.
All original warranties are now moot so I don't need to worry about this issue.

I consider my Hymer to be a keeper, but with the upgrades done and those in plan, must only enhance the eventual resale value for a vehicle of this age.

 

[Deleted member 62288]

One thing that I've noticed is that the more storage space you have available, the more crap you will find to fill it.

My first MH was an American RV - a Damon Daybreak with massive amounts of underfloor storage lockers - all of which were filled with every type of stuff.

For smaller vehicles a top box on the roof or a big box fitted to the rear bulkhead or door can give you some extra space.

 

[Herbenny]

That's it iv decided I'm going to lose the fourth seat and make into cupboard/worktop ...
Mr Brown I require your services pleeeeeeeeese ��

Or any advice on how to go about it ... I need easy access to gas bottles and the option to put back to a fourth seat if I sell .. which is not for a very long time