van search

[AlanD]

I have been looking at lots of vans for our self build and the more I see the more unsure I am.
We need a van for us two only and the main things we need are good bed/beds a decent shower and a basic cooker and fridge. Can we fit that into a MWB or should I be looking at LWB. Because of previously owned vehicles I like Renault, but Mercs seem popular. Any advice or thoughts would be most welcome.

 

[Millie Master]

Personally speaking I don't like being too cramped when out and about, most especially when on one of our longer 5+ week tours, as such and as there are the two of us plus three Spaniels, I went for a LWB, in my case a Renault Master which I must point out aren't anywhere near as easy to convert as a Sevel built van (Peugeot Boxer/Citroen Relay/Fiat Ducato) because there side walls are almost vertical and the other bonus is that they are the widest van on the market which makes an East/West bed very possible. All of these vans have fully galvanised bodies, the Renaults from 2004 onwards and the Sevel vans from 2007.

Depending on your budget, I would steer very well clear of all but the latest 2019 Mercedes Sprinter/VW Crafter and the dreaded Ford Transit for the simple reason that they don't have galvanised bodies and they all rust like crazy!

No doubt @LibertyHall will be along soon, Ken converted a MWB Sevel van and somehow squeezed in everything that you want to pack in on yur conversion, however he is currently thinking of doing another conversion, but this time it would be on a LWB as it honestly does give you so much more room.

I hope this helps

Phil

 

[groyne]

Depends what you want really, best bet is to find the internal dimensions of the vans you like and the equipment you want and do mock up floor plans to see what will fit in and where. If you find a plan you like do a full scale version in the garden using tent pegs and string etc. Also visit a motorhome show to get ideas of what the professionals are doing. Don't forget to take pencil, paper, tape measure and lots of photos.

I chose an L3H2 Sevel because I wanted a fixed double bed, shower, toilet kitchen and seating.

But if I'd combined the bed and seating area I could have got away with an L2H2.

 

[LibertyHall]

Afternoon Alan
Mentioned in dispatches as Phill had mentioned we where in the same position as you back in 2014 gosh. We weren’t sure what length MWB or LWB.
As has been said personally I’d go for a sevel van for all the above reasons plus we now know every square inch of them. Going to a show is a good idea not only will it give you a better idea of which length it will also give you ideas on layout!!
As Phil said we went for a MWB and copied the vantage med layout, we also went the salvage caravan route which for us worked a treat, however we’re lucky to have the room to park it while stripping it out.
The reason we’re thinking of doing a LWB is we thought we factored in everything so the off spring could use Muttley!! However we didn’t think of grandchildren and having only two travelling seats counts my daughter out of using it.
If you look in the media muttleys build is in there!! By the way welcome
Ken

 

[Deleted member 4404]

We settled for a LWB Master and, needing 2 beds, I think we would have struggled with a MWB. They are not the easiest to fit out because of the wall contours, but we were able to work on the drive and had plenty of time. We use it a lot for short breaks throughout the year and pop over to France at least once a year.

 

[voyager]

With regard to a MWB van, on the drivers side you can fit a good 6' bed behind the drivers seat which will pull out to make a double. To the right of the bed there is space for a fridge with cooker above. Across the back of the van you can fit a toiler/shower unit. On the passenger side there is room for sink, cooker and worktop and storage cupboards underneath. By the time you have added ceiling lockers and made use of the other free spaces, there is a surprising amount of storage. It would help if you had underslung gas and water tanks. Although not a lot of floor space it would be a good layout and you have the benefit of a MWB van and all the advantages when it comes to driving along narrow roads and parking.
What sort of budget are you looking at for the van and conversion