herbenny
Scary self build .. Yikes
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hextal
Its easier than you think. Lots of places insure self build. Im half way through ours. in terms of build time its very much a case of how long is a piece of string. we went self build in order to do it cheaper.
In terms of costs - again, it depends what you are after.
We spent £5k on a 3.5yr old van in very nice condition and we are on course to have spent circa £5.5k(ish) on the conversion. That will include the solar panels, windows, underslung lpg tank, batteries etc etc.
In terms of costs - again, it depends what you are after.
We spent £5k on a 3.5yr old van in very nice condition and we are on course to have spent circa £5.5k(ish) on the conversion. That will include the solar panels, windows, underslung lpg tank, batteries etc etc.
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herbenny
Did you decide what van you wanted or did the van choose you ?? Well done on your self build look forward to seein it 
Firefox
Set out for yourself a wish list of essentials and desirables.
Budget: How much available £££ for base vehicle purchase
Dimensions of van: length(parking) /height(standing room and height barrier access) / width(parking and sleeping across) Coach built or panel van - 95% of self builds are on panel van
Engine type: Petrol/Diesel Old or new type engine management Gear Box: Manual/Auto/Speeds Any other major accessories needed like air con for example
Fit out: What is essential and what is desirable eg fridge/heating/oven/grill/rooflights/shower room/extra beds/fixed bed/extra seat belts/garage - you could build a motorhome with or without any of these but adding them will add to the cost of the conversion.
When you have worked out a budget for the conversion it will give you an idea of how much you can spend on the base vehicle.
You could do a tidy little conversion for £3000 including base vehicle using mostly second hand parts and scrimping/saving.
On mine I spent a middling £5500 on vehicle and £5500 on (mostly new) bits for £11,000 build.
Some self builders may spend up to £20,000. Pro converters may spend £15,000 on a new vehicle and £20,000 on bits and labour for a £35,000 total so what it costs is very open ended and depends on your spec.
Budget: How much available £££ for base vehicle purchase
Dimensions of van: length(parking) /height(standing room and height barrier access) / width(parking and sleeping across) Coach built or panel van - 95% of self builds are on panel van
Engine type: Petrol/Diesel Old or new type engine management Gear Box: Manual/Auto/Speeds Any other major accessories needed like air con for example
Fit out: What is essential and what is desirable eg fridge/heating/oven/grill/rooflights/shower room/extra beds/fixed bed/extra seat belts/garage - you could build a motorhome with or without any of these but adding them will add to the cost of the conversion.
When you have worked out a budget for the conversion it will give you an idea of how much you can spend on the base vehicle.
You could do a tidy little conversion for £3000 including base vehicle using mostly second hand parts and scrimping/saving.
On mine I spent a middling £5500 on vehicle and £5500 on (mostly new) bits for £11,000 build.
Some self builders may spend up to £20,000. Pro converters may spend £15,000 on a new vehicle and £20,000 on bits and labour for a £35,000 total so what it costs is very open ended and depends on your spec.
mark61
Forum Member
Sounds the wrong way round to me, sell your car, you have the camper. Then you get to go away even if hubby is working. :lol-049:
Seriously though all down to budget really, and fitting in a self build in free time just means it takes for ever, or at least seems to. A lot depends on your "wish list" on how you want your van. Is your current van to big to use as a daily driver?
Certainly wouldn't be worrying about insurance, mines still insured as a van, I've informed them it's being converted and they are happy until it's complete, which at my rate of progress will 2014. :lol-049::lol-049:
Seriously though all down to budget really, and fitting in a self build in free time just means it takes for ever, or at least seems to. A lot depends on your "wish list" on how you want your van. Is your current van to big to use as a daily driver?
Certainly wouldn't be worrying about insurance, mines still insured as a van, I've informed them it's being converted and they are happy until it's complete, which at my rate of progress will 2014. :lol-049::lol-049:
hextal
I have the same van as firefox.
They all have their pros/cons. If you do lots of searching (like I did) you end up even more confused.
Best advice I had was to just get a good van and not worry too much about the specific type.
General things to bear in mind other than height/length are front/rear wheel drive, floor height, bonnet length. For example movano has a stubby nose so you get a larger internal length compared to say a sprinter of similar length. That was one of the reasons we went with that van, as we have a shortish drive, so sub 6m was a must
They all have their pros/cons. If you do lots of searching (like I did) you end up even more confused.
Best advice I had was to just get a good van and not worry too much about the specific type.
General things to bear in mind other than height/length are front/rear wheel drive, floor height, bonnet length. For example movano has a stubby nose so you get a larger internal length compared to say a sprinter of similar length. That was one of the reasons we went with that van, as we have a shortish drive, so sub 6m was a must
jamesmarshall
For what it's worth, I decided from the off that I wanted a Transit simply for ease of getting spares. I had decided on a high roof but settled for a medium roof long wheel base because I got a bargain.
I had already got the floor dimensions off titnterweb and with pencil and pad I played around with various layouts before picking the one I've got (Though I would dearly like to put a small solid fuel stove in and may change the layout in a year or two).
Everything you need to know about what to do is on this site believe me.
I had already got the floor dimensions off titnterweb and with pencil and pad I played around with various layouts before picking the one I've got (Though I would dearly like to put a small solid fuel stove in and may change the layout in a year or two).
Everything you need to know about what to do is on this site believe me.
herbenny
Cant sell mine Mark as its on finance still ...the van is too impractical to use on a daily basis and hubbys car is ready for the knackers yard anyway
. This makes more sense. I wouldnt be worrying too much about finishing it quickly I suppose as long as I had the basics sorted.My wish list is simples really hot water and heating thats it
that would do me for startersFirefox
Yes, mine is very similar to Hextal's concept. It is only 5.4m long overall - short enough to fit in a standard parking space or small drive. The Movano/Master H2L2 is high enough to stand up in and wide enough to sleep across the van (If you are 6ft or under). To maximise space I went for a swivel seat lounge and half dinette. I reused the bench seat from the cab but bought a good 2nd hand driver's seat (£150) and two crash certified Movano/Master pattern swivels (£160 each - not cheap because the Master chassis is not a favourite for converters).
So you can see the swivel lounge cost £500 alone. This is where costs can suddenly build up! VW swivels are about half the price as everyone is doing VW conversions. On the other hand the VW doesn't have headroom or width and the base vehicle is a much poorer value second hand buy than a van like the Master or Ducato
So you can see the swivel lounge cost £500 alone. This is where costs can suddenly build up! VW swivels are about half the price as everyone is doing VW conversions. On the other hand the VW doesn't have headroom or width and the base vehicle is a much poorer value second hand buy than a van like the Master or Ducato
AuldTam
Ive still got my old SWB low roof Renault Master sitting on my nieghbours driveway if your interested....2000 Xreg 90,000 miles, Motd Feb2013, sornd. 2 previous owners from new with same surname and address.
I was intending to leave it there until Feb/March and then put it on Ebay...but if your interested in a winter project let me know.
Best of all, it's already registered as a Motor Caravan so cheaper to insure...it's ready to fit out to your requirements.
Already fully insulated and upholstered interior (black cloth with speckle through), two single swivel seats with arm rests up front and one in the rear, front thermal screens, aux battery and a cracking aftermarket Kenwood sound system.
New steering rack was fitted last February for MOT.
Drives like a car.
I was intending to leave it there until Feb/March and then put it on Ebay...but if your interested in a winter project let me know.
Best of all, it's already registered as a Motor Caravan so cheaper to insure...it's ready to fit out to your requirements.
Already fully insulated and upholstered interior (black cloth with speckle through), two single swivel seats with arm rests up front and one in the rear, front thermal screens, aux battery and a cracking aftermarket Kenwood sound system.
New steering rack was fitted last February for MOT.
Drives like a car.
herbenny
n brown
Forum Member
fiat ducato,peugeot boxer and citroen relay,all the same van are a few inches wider than other vans,which allows a bed of 6 foot 2 or 3 inches across the van.they do however have very high wheel arches so the bed has to be raised,not really a bad thing,but they're difficult to get a shower anywhere except the middle.my van ,i bought at 163000 miles for 2800 quid and spent about 800 on materials and appliances,but i made an effort to be on the lookout constantly for secondhand stuff.make a list of everything you will need and watch fot it.i got reels of cable,gas bottles,hinges screws etc from boot sales,the eber and fridge from scrapyards,worktop and drawer slides and other good stuff from ikea bargain basement. pallets of birch ply arrive at your local woodyard with 6 or 9mm birch side protectors about 50cm by 2440,theres stuff everywhere,
hextal
Go on - do it. You know you want to really.
There's something nice about working from a blank canvass, time consuming, sometimes annoying, occasionally worrying, but overall rather nice.
Plus you get to learn more things - always a bonus.
There's something nice about working from a blank canvass, time consuming, sometimes annoying, occasionally worrying, but overall rather nice.
Plus you get to learn more things - always a bonus.
mark61
Forum Member
Unless you have a preference, or are buying new, I wouldn't worry too much about which make of van you choose. General condition and how it has been maintained are more important. Luckily for us that buy used vans, they depreciate really fast. The exception does seem to be the VW Transporter.
Irritable Owl
it doesnt have to cost a lot of money depending on how recourceful you are and how competent you are in your do it yourself skills. a lot of it also depends on how focused you are. I know a lot of conversions get started then people run out of interest or give up because of the amount of work involved.
my advise for what it is worth is to try to keep it simple to start with but make sure your base vehicle is sound. mine was not a good base vehicle but the price I paid reflected this and I did have certain advantages. Buy the best base vehicle that you can...the rest can be basic to start with.
all the best in your endeavors.
my advise for what it is worth is to try to keep it simple to start with but make sure your base vehicle is sound. mine was not a good base vehicle but the price I paid reflected this and I did have certain advantages. Buy the best base vehicle that you can...the rest can be basic to start with.
all the best in your endeavors.
daisymini
Im like you Mark budget is dictating how fast my self build can go...if i had the money it would have been done yesterday, but it has to be a little at a a time, which is frustrating coz one job is upheld by being able to afford the other one...And being a woman i have no patience..(im learning fast) Rome wasnt built in a day and my camper certainly wont be, but hopefully like the romans it will be built to last!!
mark61
Forum Member
As soon as the seats / beds were made I started using it. Never got round to getting it all finished, been using my old camping stove, and a magnetic torch on the ceiling. lol
Going to Lapland in Jan, so that has given me the kick up the butt I needed to get some more done. Luckily the only expensive bit will be having the Webasto fitted, I won't be doing that.
Going to Lapland in Jan, so that has given me the kick up the butt I needed to get some more done. Luckily the only expensive bit will be having the Webasto fitted, I won't be doing that.
mr potatohead
self build insurance
Please dont fall into the same trap I did ,once my Tranny self build was re registered as a campervan by DVLA I got insured with Sureterm Direct having travelled all over europe last year all was well ,now back to reality I find I am not insured to use the van for travel to and from work.
I am now convinced re registering was a mistake.:sad:
Please dont fall into the same trap I did ,once my Tranny self build was re registered as a campervan by DVLA I got insured with Sureterm Direct having travelled all over europe last year all was well ,now back to reality I find I am not insured to use the van for travel to and from work.
I am now convinced re registering was a mistake.:sad:
kangooroo
Checking insurance issues
I've had similar experiences with insurance so would always advise checking out the position before proceeding.
This time last year, I was considering a self-build which would also be my only vehicle. I found only a few insurers which would allow commuting on a campervan/motorhome policy to a fixed place of work only and this strictly excluded any business travelling eg to clients, meetings or even to the post office. I also then found a very well-known and normally flexible insurer of self-builds would not insure me as a person for SD&P cover even with a clean 30+ year driving history. Eventually it became clear the only option was to buy a ready-converted and wholly conventional van but even then several insurers stipulated I must also have a car or refused to insure me because I wasn't formally employed (self-employment was not acceptable). I'm now with Safeguard who accepted me without a formal occupation or second vehicle providing I remain a named driver on my husband's car policy.
Also, for a month, I was insured via the C&CC with Vantage Insurance/Equity Red Star but this policy was cancelled because my previous 7 years NCB had been held on a Kangoo panel van and Kangoo-based motorhome - not a car, again despite a claim-free driving history of 30 years, 23 of which were with car-only insurance. This wasn't stated on the C&CC website (although it is on the Caravan Club site), in their small print or even on their policy but the underwriters wouldn't accept NCB earned on anything but a car!! Due to their omission, I gained a month's free insurance but it meant having to search for insurance once again.
So... before proceeding, check you'll be able to obtain the insurance you hope for because it's not always as easy as you might think!
I've had similar experiences with insurance so would always advise checking out the position before proceeding.
This time last year, I was considering a self-build which would also be my only vehicle. I found only a few insurers which would allow commuting on a campervan/motorhome policy to a fixed place of work only and this strictly excluded any business travelling eg to clients, meetings or even to the post office. I also then found a very well-known and normally flexible insurer of self-builds would not insure me as a person for SD&P cover even with a clean 30+ year driving history. Eventually it became clear the only option was to buy a ready-converted and wholly conventional van but even then several insurers stipulated I must also have a car or refused to insure me because I wasn't formally employed (self-employment was not acceptable). I'm now with Safeguard who accepted me without a formal occupation or second vehicle providing I remain a named driver on my husband's car policy.
Also, for a month, I was insured via the C&CC with Vantage Insurance/Equity Red Star but this policy was cancelled because my previous 7 years NCB had been held on a Kangoo panel van and Kangoo-based motorhome - not a car, again despite a claim-free driving history of 30 years, 23 of which were with car-only insurance. This wasn't stated on the C&CC website (although it is on the Caravan Club site), in their small print or even on their policy but the underwriters wouldn't accept NCB earned on anything but a car!! Due to their omission, I gained a month's free insurance but it meant having to search for insurance once again.
So... before proceeding, check you'll be able to obtain the insurance you hope for because it's not always as easy as you might think!
Firefox
This year Flux offered me a policy with a new broker but it did not cover travel to and from a fixed workplace. Upon querying they were able to offer me another policy at the same price which did include this cover.