professional assembly units for the amateaur & professional RV builder.
© 2008 Website by Myles Design
Economy Campers.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Want to do a camper van conversion but don't have a big budget?
Camper van conversions don't have to cost big money. We've all seen conversions that have cost many thousands of dollars, but we don't all want that. There are lots of examples of minimalistic camper vans on the road these days, with the influx of backpackers wanting to travel this great land of ours.
It's quite possible to make a very functional camper van with very little outlay.
We start with just a basic commercial van. These can be picked up on the second hand market from just a couple of thousand dollars up to whatever price you are willing to pay.
Good examples are, Toyota Hi Ace, Ford Transit, Mazda Bongos and E series, Mitsubishi Express, Delicas, Star wagons and, Nissan Urvans to name just a few. If you want something with a bit more room then there are Mercedes Sprinters,VW Crafter, Iveco, Ducato etc.
Camper van conversions don't have to cost big money. We've all seen conversions that have cost many thousands of dollars, but we don't all want that. There are lots of examples of minimalistic camper vans on the road these days, with the influx of backpackers wanting to travel this great land of ours.
It's quite possible to make a very functional camper van with very little outlay.
We start with just a basic commercial van. These can be picked up on the second hand market from just a couple of thousand dollars up to whatever price you are willing to pay.
Good examples are, Toyota Hi Ace, Ford Transit, Mazda Bongos and E series, Mitsubishi Express, Delicas, Star wagons and, Nissan Urvans to name just a few. If you want something with a bit more room then there are Mercedes Sprinters,VW Crafter, Iveco, Ducato etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Next . Constructing a simple seat that can be converted to a comfortable bed.
To Be Continued...
To Be Continued...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reliability is the number one requirement.
Its not so much the age of the vehicle but the amount of kilometers traveled that can determine the value of the vehicle.
Bearing in mind a vehicle traveling big country miles will probably have less wear and tear than the van that has lived its life in the cities doing commercial work with stop start driving.Then it comes down to the way the vehicle has been looked after and if it has been serviced regularly during it's life.
Once you have your vehicle of choice, its a good idea to get all the basics done such as full service and oil change. Have things like the brakes checked and replace any worn tyres. Next would be radiator flush and replace hoses and belts. Also a battery condition check is also a good idea and reputable workshops will also include a check of your charging system.
It is also a good idea if the vehicle has traveled more than 200,000 klms and you are not sure of the service history to have the timing belt replaced. This would cover just about all the major items that would cause a vehicle to be stranded.
These things are fairly simple and if you can do some of them yourself then the cost will be minimal for the added reliability you will gain from these basic refreshments.
When designing our economy camper there are a couple of things to consider.
1. Sleeping accommodation.
2. Curtains for privacy.
3.Somewhere to cook and keep food, storage area.
4 Some type of refrigeration / ice box to keep your perishables and also to keep the beer cold.
5. Somewhere to sit in order to enjoy the food and that beer at the end of a long days drive.
Lets get started.
After we have our basic service and reliability in check, then we can start to create our camper.
First, strip any unnecessary items from the van such as any tool shelving that may have been installed and also remove the cargo barrier as you want to be able to gain access to the rear of the vehicle internally.
Next the floor goes in to give you a nice level surface to work with, Adding this flooring also has the advantage of making the van much quieter by cutting down the road noise bouncing around in an empty van.
The floor can be constructed using 12mm CD plywood. You will need two sheets of 2400mm X 1200mm .
Just make a template from cardboard of the van interior floor and cut the plywood using a jigsaw.
You can cover this plywood with carpet or vinyl flooring if you wish or just leave it bare.
Its not so much the age of the vehicle but the amount of kilometers traveled that can determine the value of the vehicle.
Bearing in mind a vehicle traveling big country miles will probably have less wear and tear than the van that has lived its life in the cities doing commercial work with stop start driving.Then it comes down to the way the vehicle has been looked after and if it has been serviced regularly during it's life.
Once you have your vehicle of choice, its a good idea to get all the basics done such as full service and oil change. Have things like the brakes checked and replace any worn tyres. Next would be radiator flush and replace hoses and belts. Also a battery condition check is also a good idea and reputable workshops will also include a check of your charging system.
It is also a good idea if the vehicle has traveled more than 200,000 klms and you are not sure of the service history to have the timing belt replaced. This would cover just about all the major items that would cause a vehicle to be stranded.
These things are fairly simple and if you can do some of them yourself then the cost will be minimal for the added reliability you will gain from these basic refreshments.
When designing our economy camper there are a couple of things to consider.
1. Sleeping accommodation.
2. Curtains for privacy.
3.Somewhere to cook and keep food, storage area.
4 Some type of refrigeration / ice box to keep your perishables and also to keep the beer cold.
5. Somewhere to sit in order to enjoy the food and that beer at the end of a long days drive.
Lets get started.
After we have our basic service and reliability in check, then we can start to create our camper.
First, strip any unnecessary items from the van such as any tool shelving that may have been installed and also remove the cargo barrier as you want to be able to gain access to the rear of the vehicle internally.
Next the floor goes in to give you a nice level surface to work with, Adding this flooring also has the advantage of making the van much quieter by cutting down the road noise bouncing around in an empty van.
The floor can be constructed using 12mm CD plywood. You will need two sheets of 2400mm X 1200mm .
Just make a template from cardboard of the van interior floor and cut the plywood using a jigsaw.
You can cover this plywood with carpet or vinyl flooring if you wish or just leave it bare.
The next step is to line the van walls or you can skip this step if you wish but I feel makes the van much more comfortable and also cuts down more of that dreaded road noise. This exercise will cost only a couple of hundred dollars and is well worth the money.
You will need a couple of sheets of 3mm MDF(craftwood) sheets 2400mm x 1200mm plus some thin carpet material. Try to get the stuff without the thick rubber backing. This makes it easier to conform to curves when attaching to the boards.
This carpet can be obtained from motor and marine accessory shops. It is also available from places like Bunnings and Clark Rubber etc.
Once again use some cardboard to template the van sides where you are going to place the lining.
Cut out your shapes using the 3mm MDF(craftwood) and attach them to the van using short metal thread self tapping screws taking care that you are screwing into reinforcing ribs and not poking screws out through the side of the van! Yes ! It has been done.
Then stick you carpet to the MDF lining boards using contact type glue which can be simply brushed on spareingly as you don't want to wet the carpet with the liquid glue, brush strands of it over the entire surface. It helps if you brush both the carpet and the surface where you intend to glue. Be careful sticking the carpet on that it is in the right position as some glues can be very aggressive and stick instantly!