self build vans ?

mine's a self build vw bay, although the r+r bed was in I still had my work cut out, it's now insulated, upholstered, hook up kit in, internal lights and inverter run from spare battery, self built cupboards, new stove, etc
had to have help with welding new seats in and some of the electrics, and def had help with all the mechanical work, but overall i'm pretty chuffed that as a woman with no previous carpentry or upholstery skills I managed to refit the beast myself, either with hard graft (around 300 hrs) or by batting of the eyelashes to get the stuff i couldn't do done cheap, or free:p:p
the van cost £4500, and I've prob spent around £500 on the interior (including the 2nd hand propex unit) and about £1000 on mechanical work.
I might sell her one day, but not yet!:D

i think it would have been a cheaper project if I'd not had my heart set on an old vw!
 
I have a Nissan Vanette Cargo.
Its only a small van in reality - the back is about 7ft long by 4.5ft wide, but is good enough for me.
Bought the van just a few weeks ago and its already almost finished inside. Cost £500 for van with full mot, 97000miles. Cost about £250 to do the back out so far.

I'm 6ft3 in height, so theres a seat that length running down the side of the van, boxed in underneath with storage, 2nd battery etc. The lid of the seat folds out again to 4ft, so makes a nice big bed!
Got LED downlighters, TFT/DVD on wall, 200mm insulation all around van and ceiling, ply lined then carpeted - and the headlining is grey fur for a bit of 'pimping' LOL

Is there a section of the forum for your camper photos, i'll post some up.
 
be sure to put a wild camping sticker in the front and back windows
so others can spot you and stop for a drink or 2 lol
im always around wales
 
Done a couple of self builds, one on a Renault Trafic which I had for about 8 years & we travelled all over with trips to Europe in the summer, we also used it as a second car, removal van etc. it proved to be very flexible in the ways we used it. Also did a Renault Master after we sold our A class Frankia but that turned out to be a complete disaster. The van was too small being the SWB version & we had loads of mechanical problems & I was glad to get rid of it. We are now back to a coachbuilt Adria Izola, prefer the comfort & space of a larger van for extended trips. If we were still working though I would find it hard to justify the cost of a large MH that you can't use easily as a second vehicle.
 
Hello, Just joined here. I built mine and cost about £2500 but that included replacing the engine four weeks after buying it :( I`ll put some build pics up if theres a place for it.
 
we self build me and my dad i got a 1999 vintage iveco daily twin wheel xlwb fullly converted by us and my dad got a 54 plate vintage iveco daily xlwb single wheel and we just finished i merc sprinter r reg for my uncle we have converted 6/7 vans between us now so we got the contacts for all the bits
 
Hi chopper another transit self build here, still building not far off finishing though, if you ever do finish total cost so far around £1000 max

album here Camper Van Build - Photobucket Groups

Everything made from scratch execpt the cooker/sink
 
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will be around north wales for a few weeks from the 8th august hope to see you around
happy wilding :)
 
Hi Chopper, we are currently on our third (fourth if you included the little Nissan we had in NZ) self built van. I have had a coach built but found VW T4the ideal base for a weekender (although spent 1 month in our last one in 2006, oh the weather). Plenty of parts / accessories although they have become very "trendy" in the past 10 years or so. I was laughed at when I tunred up at a campsite with my first unconverted T4. LT28 (left hooker) before that, great size but slow and thirsty and too wide to park down the side of the house.
You can build what you want with all the facilities you need and spread the cost. We love doing van interiors so it becomes a hobby as well. Luckily my wife is happy to sleep on a mattress on the floor of a blind van for a few weeks until the build starts.
VWT4forum is a great site for tips / tricks.
Cheers will :p
 
Hi all.
I'm on my 3rd self build. the last 2 are here
http://http://kellsvan.piczo.com/?cr=6

I haven't got a spare £50k knocking about, but I'm pretty sure that if I had I'd still stick to my self builts. There's some stunning coachbuilts about but you can definetely have the same fun, and more, in a self built.:)

Self builders do it their way:p
 

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im a self build and selling in april due to moving house been on road 2yrs now
 
We are almost finished our latest self build. It's on an '03 Citroen Relay chassis, high top medium wheel base. Previous conversions were a Bedford CF and a Renault Master.

We have owned coach built models, but prefer our self builds as we get exactly what fittings we want and not what the manufacturer decides! ;)
 
im doing a self build on a vw t25 rolling shell collecting the bits i need not too easy still looking for a bed also got a renault trafic rapport that im using meantime
 
I fitted out my own van because I could not find what I wanted at Brownhills here, (which is supposed to be Europes biggest collection of Motorhomes.)

For example I wanted a Sevel L4 van. This is the most popular base van for motorhomes, but the professional converters only use the L2 and L3. I have no idea why they don't use the L4. Another 2 cubic metres of space and half a metre of floor length at minimal cost. Who wouldn't find that useful???

I also like the bed suspended on ratchet straps at each of the 4 corners so it can be made perfectly level without faffing about levelling the van every night. The professional converters don't do that either.

I also prefer a van that doesn't look like a greenhouse, with so many windows its like an oven in the Spanish summer, and an invitation to thieves. A room in a house the size of a motorhome would just have one window at one end.
 
I,m self-build to done 5 over the years started with a ford Thames 15cwt in 1968-9 to go to the I.O.M. TT got a BSA A10 road rocket in it as well then a Sherpa, 2 trannys and finally a LDV Convoy.....oh yeh and still going to the I.O.M.
 
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