awtistiaeth goch
Forum Member
Hi. I started this tale in 'Base veicles, but as it is now moving apace, I thought here may be a more appropriate place to share the updates.
Initial post:
"Hi folks. As a former trailer manufacturer who is crap at precision woodwork, I'm cheating when I build a camper for my wife and I. My intention (and I've done the following before many years ago), is to purchase the longest wheelbase crew cab chassis cab/pick up I can find that is fairly new (10 years old or less) and bolt on a small caravan body minus running-gear onto it to make a camper. I don't want walk-through facility and anyway, for reasons not relevant here, I need to take my adult son and his girlfriend away when my wife and I go on holiday, hence the crew cab. As mentioned, I did something similar many years ago with a Citroen C25 converted to a 6-wheel recovery vehicle (bolt- on chassis conversion, similar to an Alko conversion) with an MKP caravan on top. It went like stink and was great fun. However, that conversion had the MKP as a demountable unit that sat on a welded subframe that lifted via 4 Lada Niva jacks on tripods (still have the MKP and tripod jacks! lol). This time, it'll be permanently fitted, as much as any bolt on body is permanently attached to a chassis, partly as I won't need the vehicle to have any other use, and also so I can meet DVLA's criteria for a motorhome. I'm just wondering if anyone else on here has done similar. Cheers and Happy New Year or Blwyddyn Newydd Dda as we say around here in North Wales."
Update post. Also in Base Veh
icles:
Well, for those interested in this method of undertaking a camper/motorhome conversion, things are happenning. We purchased a 2012 Fiat Ducato crew-cab recovery truck as a base vehicle. It is a little oder than I wanted but with only 50-odd thousand miles on the clock I decided to buy it anyway. It goes like stink and is great on fuel. I used to transport two scrap vehicles to make room for the Ducato before removing the decking. The bed-frame is now being levelled off and extended to accomadate the MKP caravan body and I hope to have it fitted within a week or so, although I'm not quite sure which method we'll use to life it high enough for the truck to revers underneath it.
Once the above is completed, the whole thing is going to a motorhome workshop to have the insulated floor repaired/replaced, and other quite major work undertaken. We decided in teh end to spend money on restoring the MKP body that I ifitted to the Citroen recovery truck (see above post) as opposed to buying a newer caravan and then throwing the running gear away. This decision was my wife's but I think a good one. The MKP body, being shaped like a loaf of bread, is more 'motorhome looking' and also just a little quirky and different. Updates to follow. See pictures below.
Initial post:
"Hi folks. As a former trailer manufacturer who is crap at precision woodwork, I'm cheating when I build a camper for my wife and I. My intention (and I've done the following before many years ago), is to purchase the longest wheelbase crew cab chassis cab/pick up I can find that is fairly new (10 years old or less) and bolt on a small caravan body minus running-gear onto it to make a camper. I don't want walk-through facility and anyway, for reasons not relevant here, I need to take my adult son and his girlfriend away when my wife and I go on holiday, hence the crew cab. As mentioned, I did something similar many years ago with a Citroen C25 converted to a 6-wheel recovery vehicle (bolt- on chassis conversion, similar to an Alko conversion) with an MKP caravan on top. It went like stink and was great fun. However, that conversion had the MKP as a demountable unit that sat on a welded subframe that lifted via 4 Lada Niva jacks on tripods (still have the MKP and tripod jacks! lol). This time, it'll be permanently fitted, as much as any bolt on body is permanently attached to a chassis, partly as I won't need the vehicle to have any other use, and also so I can meet DVLA's criteria for a motorhome. I'm just wondering if anyone else on here has done similar. Cheers and Happy New Year or Blwyddyn Newydd Dda as we say around here in North Wales."
Update post. Also in Base Veh
Well, for those interested in this method of undertaking a camper/motorhome conversion, things are happenning. We purchased a 2012 Fiat Ducato crew-cab recovery truck as a base vehicle. It is a little oder than I wanted but with only 50-odd thousand miles on the clock I decided to buy it anyway. It goes like stink and is great on fuel. I used to transport two scrap vehicles to make room for the Ducato before removing the decking. The bed-frame is now being levelled off and extended to accomadate the MKP caravan body and I hope to have it fitted within a week or so, although I'm not quite sure which method we'll use to life it high enough for the truck to revers underneath it.
Once the above is completed, the whole thing is going to a motorhome workshop to have the insulated floor repaired/replaced, and other quite major work undertaken. We decided in teh end to spend money on restoring the MKP body that I ifitted to the Citroen recovery truck (see above post) as opposed to buying a newer caravan and then throwing the running gear away. This decision was my wife's but I think a good one. The MKP body, being shaped like a loaf of bread, is more 'motorhome looking' and also just a little quirky and different. Updates to follow. See pictures below.