Asterix
What length is your hab area? I'm looking for 18 feet,give or take a foot or so,most of the 3.5 tonners seem to be substantially shorter,and the extra length I'm looking for would probably wipe out any load capacity.
What length is your hab area? I'm looking for 18 feet,give or take a foot or so,most of the 3.5 tonners seem to be substantially shorter,and the extra length I'm looking for would probably wipe out any load capacity.
trevskoda
Forum Member
My local health service sold a speech therapy truck 8/10 year old with extreamly low millage for £1000,fecken missed it and could have made a good turn on it.
Asterix
That thucks ?
trevskoda
Forum Member
Keep an eye out as councils and gov seem to dispose of things for pennys,no wonder there always looking ways of getting more dosh of us.
FULL TIMER
I think you can get the prison wagons based on the DAF which I think are probably better base vehicles than the euro cargo's. Also worth considering are the 7.5 ton Merc vario's ,converted several of those for both the Ambulance and Fire services in the past lovely vans to work on.
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Byronic
Agree. As a standard panel van the Type2/Vario load length is 16'-2", as I know only too well. Thousands of cheap ex bus fleet vehicles available, auto boxes air suspension jake brakes endless list of options.
hextal
Ahh, nowhere near that. And yeah, if you got an xlwb you would have the double whammy of the extra weight of the longer van plus the extra weight of what you kit it out with.
trevskoda
Forum Member
One thing to watch on library buses is the diff may have to be changed to higher ratio and the teco will have to be re calabrated though at moment im using my gps for speedo.
The good points of big vans is ,alloy/gf construction,proper chassis ,good head room ,fixed bed construction easy,roof sky lights,big side auto door with built in steps,and of course built the way you wish better than any a class.
The good points of big vans is ,alloy/gf construction,proper chassis ,good head room ,fixed bed construction easy,roof sky lights,big side auto door with built in steps,and of course built the way you wish better than any a class.
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pughed2
converting fridge vehicle
hello asterix..............I think its an excellent idea to convert a fridge vehicle to motorhome, as someone already said your insulation is pre fitted to highest quality, meaning that your winter heating (and summer cooling) needs be minimised. I saw a guy using one in Germany a few years back. True the door looked a bit clunky, and it was half a lorry (be just what you want), but it seemed to be making a perfect motorhome.......go for it........steve bristol
hello asterix..............I think its an excellent idea to convert a fridge vehicle to motorhome, as someone already said your insulation is pre fitted to highest quality, meaning that your winter heating (and summer cooling) needs be minimised. I saw a guy using one in Germany a few years back. True the door looked a bit clunky, and it was half a lorry (be just what you want), but it seemed to be making a perfect motorhome.......go for it........steve bristol
Asterix
Cheers Steve,i thought the same about some of the side doors,but many of them only have rear access which is better for me as I can choose where I want to put the side door to match my layout. I have a caravan stashed away so will be using many parts from that.
I've not actually seen one converted but although it makes sense to me,i could also be completely mad.,hence the question.
Asterix
I'm intending to use windows,roof vents,door,water pump,fridge,toilet and a few other odds and ends,its a bit if a shame I'm not using the interior as the whole thing is immaculate inside and out,but I'll ask on here before I set fire to it all. I'm looking at using household kitchen units,plumbing etc.
hextal
I'd absolutely concur on the use of domestic kitchen kit and plumbing, it's cheaper, better built and has way more variety than the motorhome stuff. Pretty much all domestic hobs etc come with both domestic gas and lpg jets, so all you need to do is fit the lpg jets and get an adaptor to connect the 8mm pipe to the 1/2" bsp on the hob.
Plus, if anything breaks, you can get parts from any diy store.
trevskoda
Forum Member
If you buy a lib bus the roof vents are there and there proper glass,caravan windows are crap that was what the last owner tried fitting to my van before i rescued it,seitz windows are the job ,i got mine from a camper repair shop that had not used them,price £50 each do shop around.
FULL TIMER
I'll agree about the appliances being cheaper and maybe slightly more robust but certainly not the units being better quality, the carcasses are mostly made of contiboard ie chipboard rubbish chipboard at that, held together with a couple of dowels and screw in clamps, slightest bit of water penetration they will swell up and fall to bits, that along with the constant movement in a vehicle conversion they'll not last very long at all, and don't forget the weight of them, obviously in a truck conversion that's not so much of an issue. What is sometimes overlooked by people building in trucks is the fact that there is a lot of flex in the chassis and the box floors etc I know the box on ours is fitted using some sort of sprung devices to help with this, a lot of commercial trucks might not be, I chose to build all my units out of 12mm ply laminated with formica and fitted two bulkheads using 17mm and 12mm ply bonded together to try and help with the box flexing and adding a bit of structural strength.
Byronic
I knew a professional convertor, he used MDF for all the furniture carcasses, fittings and floor lining. Not a good idea, even his light truck conversions had little payload remaining. Expensive, but ultimately worth it is Vohringer poplar ply 18mm plastic laminate finish, I've used it on a couple of vans once using a Reimo kit version.
On my present van just as an exercise really, I used 3.75mm single sided ash veneered ply, glued on 40mm x 18mm PAR framing. Very lightweight, even doors and drawer fronts are made faced both sides with the same ash veneer on 20mm x 12mm PAR framing so mostly comprise fresh air but very rigid. Fixing blocks are glued in for locks or catches and any other hardware, so you have to have a clear plan, a change of mind or forgetfulness may require splitting a door down just to glue in a fixing block.
On my present van just as an exercise really, I used 3.75mm single sided ash veneered ply, glued on 40mm x 18mm PAR framing. Very lightweight, even doors and drawer fronts are made faced both sides with the same ash veneer on 20mm x 12mm PAR framing so mostly comprise fresh air but very rigid. Fixing blocks are glued in for locks or catches and any other hardware, so you have to have a clear plan, a change of mind or forgetfulness may require splitting a door down just to glue in a fixing block.
delicagirl
anyone doing a self build may find it useful to discuss payloads with SVTech of Leyland in Lancashire whose business it is to advise on safe payloads... its quite frightening how many overloaded and dangerous commercial/leisure vehicles there are on our roads, and SVTech can assist in ascertaining the safe payload you can carry safely according to the axle's capabilities.
Tedious as this may sound... it will be useful to weigh everything that gets built into the van from the beginning of the conversion and to keep a track as you go along..... imagine how gutted you would be if when it was finished and it looked fab, but empty of "stuff - fuel/water/food/clothes" you then realised you had no payload - not even for you to drive it !!!!!
Tedious as this may sound... it will be useful to weigh everything that gets built into the van from the beginning of the conversion and to keep a track as you go along..... imagine how gutted you would be if when it was finished and it looked fab, but empty of "stuff - fuel/water/food/clothes" you then realised you had no payload - not even for you to drive it !!!!!
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FULL TIMER
They must have weighed a ton, I did use 15mm MDF for my doors after bonding on American oak strips around the edges then laminate front and back with formica router the edges then stain seal ,wax and polish.
Didn't know you could get laminated finished vohringer in 18mm I've only seen the 15mm and 3mm and agree it's the way to go in most vehicles the 15mm is designed to fit in plastic corner extrusions.
Byronic
My bad yes it's 15mm. I used the plastic knock in edgings on the framed up conversion on a few fittings, tables mainly. I cannot remember (21 years ago) how I made them up to the 15mm thickness, have to have a look manana!
The good feature of MDF is of course it's stability, not likely to get a bowing cupping the shakes and all the rest. Last time I used Vohringer a single 15mm double sided laminate 8x4 sheet €120. There was a photo finish el cheapo on poplar available at the time I think that went for 'only' €80!
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hextal
Yeah - was just the appliances, pipework, taps etc. Agreed about the cupboards. I used wbp ply for the units and dibond aluminium to clad em. Then solid oak worktops - lovely.
In terms of the flex, most of the units were ok, the biggest potential issue would have been the oak worktops being too rigid, so I screwed them to the units at one corner, then used oversize holes and washers for the rest of the mounts so everything could flex and expand a little.