Scottish Bloke's Van Conversion - Work in Progress!

[Scottish Bloke]

Hi, I posted this as a blog last night but can't see how to add to it so re-posting here? I'll add to this thread and update as I get time. The van is well on the way to being converted now, still a fair bit to do but it's come a fair way!

I bought this van about three years ago, as you can see from the original 'colour scheme' she was one of City Link's finest.

I started off looking for a van as I spend quite a few weekends away Sprinting and Hillclimbing my Westfield Kit Car all over the UK and after getting wet and blown away too often camping decided to buy a van, ideal tow vehicle and fit for converting?
After a bit of looking I picked up an ex City Link van with lowish tracable miles at very sensible money, she wasn't pretty and had more hits than the Beetles but I wasn't bothered as I work in the trade. Mechanically very good and very clean underneath.

I plan to get some pics up soon along with some script explaining on which parts I lost which knuckles for anyone who's interested!

Here's what I started with obviously a little stripped, admittedly she doesn't look bad in the early pics but there was a lot of dents and previous poor repairs, all would need re-repaired and the van fully stripped as I planned a full colour change including inside all the checks.



After a couple of weeks stripping the van in my spare time and with the help of my father in law, (thanks John) the van was fully stripped of all trims, doors, glass etc. There were many repairs to do and the windows to cut out, here's another pic of it moved on a little and glass hole marked.



Eventually she was ready for primer, lots of primer!


Once it'd had enough primer it was baked off, once dry it was hand flatted (my arms still hurt) and then wet on wet primed again before painting. Here's one of it when it came out of the over after painting. It's finished in Ford Sea Grey.


Now on with painting all the bolt on bits, doors, wings, before refitting these parts plus lights and bumpers...and a million other bits and refitting glass etc, then contemplating fitting out the inside, the conversion!

 

[phillybarbour]

Hi I worked at City Link for 11 years so I know just how all the dints arrive, most of them are from cages or cage doors that are used to move parcels around the building and into vans. Already looking very good I have a 2005 Firsta in Sea Grey a great colour. Look forward to seeing the updates as you progress.

 

[Scottish Bloke]

Next up was fitting the van back together before getting on with the interesting part. Due to the amount of damage to the sliding door I decided to replace it, I picked one up off ebay for not a lot of money, it was brand new with a couple of minor dings in it, a much better overall outcome as I'd never have been happy with repairing the old one. I also put a better passenger door on as the original was 'battered'
I also picked up some bumper corners from fleabay, again the originals were badly scraped and fitted facelift rear lights, here's a pic of some of it back together.

 

[whitevanwoman]

Looking forward to reading this thread properly and looking at the pics later :nicethread:

 

[Funky Farmer]

It's looking really good matey. I'm well impressed

 

[Scottish Bloke]

I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted the inside to work, fixed bed at the back with storage underneath for tools and equipment along with gas bottles. As I said before I Sprint and Hillclimb a Westfield so the underbed storage with rear bulkhead just inside the rear doors was most suited. The 'kitchen' unit housing the sink, hob and fridge would go along the N/S from the bed and along the sliding door with the shower/toilet room/cupboard opposite.

I planned on making the interior units myself, I've not done this sort of job before but I'd say I'm reasonably handy. I bought a few sheets of light weight ply and some planed timber to make a frame for the kitchen unit, took about a million measurements and started to make the cabinet. Here's what it started like.


And here it is with the top on and hole cut for sink/hob. I'd bought the sink locally, it's a new item. I'd decided if I could afford to I'd fi as many new bits as possible. Unit pic,

And here it is with the front and sides on with the drawer trial fitted, felt like loads of work to get to here but it's taking shape, Chuffed with it so far! long live my B&Q router, it's been worth it's weight in gold.



Me and SWMBO had been thinking of what to use as a worktop, we needed something that tied in with the colour, something hard wearing and something waterproof. We went shopping....and found this - laminate flooring samples. I glued them to the top, hey presto, a worktop.


The hole cut out in the front of the unit is a cupboard, opposite there will be another hole for the fridge. I bought the fridge new as well (ouch) but figured it would be a good purchase knowing the history, quite old ones seem to go for a lot of money.
I'd been saving up for a while for the fit out and was spending fast!

 

[gaz2676]

smart job looks mint..... is that a ford colour or is that a custom colour kinda matches the side glass... which ever i do like the colour sets it off nice would nt mine puttin dark stickers on ours to make it look like huge dark side windows to get that kinda effect

 

[Scottish Bloke]

Before I could fit anything in the van all the old plyline had to come out. It was well battered, and had been removed and refitted a few times to do repairs, basically it was knackered so it was coming out. Once removed I had to have a bit of a clean, it was manky underneath as you will see, quick blast with hot soapy water and a hose parked on my sloped drive, hey presto, shiny inside and out!

Manky!



Sparkly!


Next up was to insulate the floor before dropping the new ply in, I love sawing me, oh my arm!



Once the floor was all down, levelled and screwed I had a crackin base to work from. Next up was the bed frame, it's a decent size without knicking too much space as it's fixed, not everyone's ideal layout but suits my needs, more timber and sawing coming up. Within the bed frame I'd make a gas locker accessible via the rear N/S door. Under the bed would be the water heater, I went for a 240v and gas combi Malaga job. Here's a pic of the bed frame with top trial fitted.


And the gas locker with door on, it's all sealed with drop out vents, I've used quick release catches left over from another job.


I had to do a lot of head scratching when it came to locating the water heater, I had it in my head that I had loads of room to fit the water heater where I wanted. I didn't. It's a twat to locate due to the exhaust vent hole and where it would exit through the side of the van. In the end I had to mount the heater on a plinth to allow the exhaust to exit pretty much in the only place it could, close call. Here it is in position, this took a lot of fettling to get it exactly in the right place. Here's where it's going, another couple of holes in the side of the van!


It's plumbed in here with water and gas.

 

[Scottish Bloke]

smart job looks mint..... is that a ford colour or is that a custom colour kinda matches the side glass... which ever i do like the colour sets it off nice would nt mine puttin dark stickers on ours to make it look like huge dark side windows to get that kinda effect

Hi, yes it's a Ford colour. Sea Grey. Some of the later Transits came in this colour and yeah I think it looks well with the glass. (I've now changed the side windows, long story but chuffed with what I have now)

Rich

 

[ellisboy]

Nice work Chap!

 

[lotty]

coming on nice. Like the colour too

 

[jibztv]

Looking very, VERY good!

 

[Scottish Bloke]

Next up was to get the roof lights in place (more big holes), fix laths to the roof then insulate. I'd bought a couple of Heki rooflights, like the shape of them and not too expensive. They're also relatively easy to fit and give a really neat finish inside.


It's fair to say the cutting of wood for the laths was a tad tedious! I opted to bond them in place with a sikaflex like bond, no chance of rattles and guaranteed to stick like number 2's to a blanket. They were a bit of a twat to fit, gluing and the having to support in place for hours while bond went off, so took me ages to get them all glued up! (days).

I then insulated between all the laths, another long and tedious job cutting all the bits of insulation to size. I got the insulation from a friend, it's about an inch and a half thick sticky backed neoprene foam type stuff, no idea where it came from but it is brilliant stuff. Here it is all fitted, eventually.

 

[Scottish Bloke]

Next up was electrics, I bought a distribution unit from O'Leary's, the one they recomended, it does everything I wanted, nice tidy unit. Naturally this meant another hole in the van for the hookup plug. We ran all the 240 cabling for sockets, fridge, microwave etc and ran all the 12v. Pic of distribution unit and frame which will house it. The box will also be where the leisure battery will sit, and will be a small storage area with a removable lid, foam pad on top will become a wee seat!


And another wee hole for hookup!


That's it for today, more later. Byee

 

[jogguk]

And another wee hole for hookup!
View attachment 11587

That's it for today, more later. Byee

I never was much fussed on ugly outside visible 230v hook up boxes. On past conversions I used these with a rubber boot (not really needed) to offer as bit of weather protection, mounted under the van on the inside of the side cills (side skirts, vallance, whatever you call it!). The botton was just level with the cill. Helps to keep rain off the plug lead when connected too.

John

 

[Scottish Bloke]

I never was much fussed on ugly outside visible 230v hook up boxes. On past conversions I used these with a rubber boot (not really needed) to offer as bit of weather protection, mounted under the van on the inside of the side cills (side skirts, vallance, whatever you call it!). The botton was just level with the cill. Helps to keep rain off the plug lead when connected too.

John

Hi John,
Did think about going underneath but managed to find a nice almost flush fitting socket. I've managed to paint
the flap into body colour o happy with the result. I'll post a pic of it sometime.

Rich

 

[jogguk]

Hi John,
Did think about going underneath but managed to find a nice almost flush fitting socket. I've managed to paint
the flap into body colour o happy with the result. I'll post a pic of it sometime.

Rich

What are you using for fridge vents?

When I do another conversion I will use the Dometic ones from a US RV supplier. They are far superior to the Euro Dometic offerings. with a type of plastic used that stay white (can be painted too). They are two part so the frame stays fixed and an easy access door for fridge burner maintenance.

Here is a pic of them on my current campervan (do not know why the converters used the ugly screw caps to fix the frame as there is a hidden fix system)

John

 

[Scottish Bloke]

What are you using for fridge vents?

When I do another conversion I will use the Dometic ones from a US RV supplier. They are far superior to the Euro Dometic offerings. with a type of plastic used that stay white (can be painted too). They are two part so the frame stays fixed and an easy access door for fridge burner maintenance.

Here is a pic of them on my current campervan (do not know why the converters used the ugly screw caps to fix the frame as there is a hidden fix system)View attachment 11588

John

Hi John.

I used the dometic vents as I have a dometic fridge plus they are available in grey
as well as white. They're a pretty good match to the van without painting. I'll get sime pics up soon.

Rich

 

[Firefox]

Smartcom relay(?) and cable ties - now that does look familiar

 

[whitevanwoman]

An excellent thread, well written and easy to follow, useful pics. A great job, really inspiring. Looking forward to the next installment.