Should you’re a sole dealer and also you journey for work, lodge prices, meals away, transportation, and drinks can shortly add up. Fortunately there’s a resolution – one that would prevent 1000’s: convert your work van so it may be slept in when you’re away.
Amateurs and skilled DIYers alike have been capable of convert their van on a funds, so, with the suitable time, persistence and willingness to study, we’re assured you are able to do nearly all of work your self utilizing the steps outlined beneath.
1. Set a funds for the method
Your funds will dictate what you are able to do along with your car. Van conversions can value wherever from £900 for a easy set-up, all the way in which as much as £30,000 in order for you one thing actually high-spec. Should you’re changing a small van, this may normally be accomplished for below £5,000.
As with a variety of family conversion initiatives, it’s simple to let your funds get away from you, so just be sure you plan the undertaking as a lot as doable that will help you stick with your funds.
2. Plan out your van conversion
There are lots of other ways of changing your van; from merely including a mattress at the back of your van and calling it a day to one thing as complicated as including a practical lavatory and kitchen.
You may need the boldness to finish the conversion your self, otherwise you would possibly need to seek the advice of an knowledgeable who can full the give you the results you want.
There are dozens of the way you may go about this, so it’s essential that you simply plan out the area as greatest you may. A great way to begin this course of is to contemplate the non-negotiables you need to add. This might embody a food-prep space, an area to sleep, a bathroom and bathe room, energy to work in your laptop computer, and a storage space on your work paperwork and tools.
When you’ve thought-about the non-negotiables, plan out the place you’d like to put these to make a snug but sensible area. It’s a good suggestion to check out van conversion examples for inspiration – there are many examples of this on YouTube.
3. Take out insurance coverage earlier than you begin
Some dangers are nonetheless concerned with proudly owning a car even when it isn’t being pushed on public roads. This may embody injury attributable to hearth, theft or floods. We provide build up SORN cover when you’re enterprise the van conversion to assist with this.
4. Strip and clear your van fully
Step one is to take away the whole lot out of your van and strip any of the inside that’s already there. Now’s a great time to scrub the within of the car and restore any injury in case you’ve owned it for some time.
Be careful for any rust spots which have constructed up within the van as these may cause points additional down the street; in case you discover any, it’s greatest to deal with them earlier than you proceed.
5. Add home windows and air flow to your van
Most traditional vans don’t include home windows on the again. That is normally advantageous in case you’re solely utilizing your car to move tools, however in case you’re planning on cooking or sleeping in your newly transformed camper, it’s normally greatest so as to add home windows and different types of air flow to stop moisture from build up within the van as this might trigger mould or rust. It’s additionally nice to have some pure gentle coming by means of.Â
Reduce holes in your van the place you’d like to put the home windows. It’s a good suggestion to have purchased the home windows you’ll be putting in shut handy earlier than you chop the holes as this may assist forestall moisture from stepping into the car.
It’s essential that you simply don’t make a mistake right here as slicing the holes incorrectly shall be pricey. Earlier than you begin slicing, use the home windows to hint an overview so you understand exactly the place to chop.
Air flow will assist forestall your van from getting stuffy if you use it to sleep, plus it’ll take away condensation if you’re cooking or having a shower. A roof vent is good for this – on condition that warmth rises, the upper the vent the higher. MaxxFan vents are usually a preferred alternative as a few of their standard fashions embody:
- a gap roof vent to let contemporary air into the dwelling space
- a fan to attract cooler air into the car
- a heater to assist hold you heat
- a rain cowl that may shield the car even in moist climate
- a flyscreen to stop bugs from coming in
6. Add insulation and heating to your van
Though conserving your van cool is essential, it’s important that you simply add insulation and a warmth supply to the van as they have a tendency to get chilly at night time.
A layer of sound-deadening insulation may assist forestall exterior noise from getting in. This could go on first because it normally has a easy peel-and-stick utility.
After that, you may add insulation to any holes within the van, in addition to to the panels. Probably the most widespread supplies to make use of for that is insulation constituted of recycled plastic. You may get self-adhesive insulation or spray adhesive to make the job simpler.
Should you’ve determined to put in a air flow system that comes with heating, you may not want a separate heater on your van. If not, you’ve got a number of choices accessible, together with diesel, petrol, gasoline or electrical heaters, or wood-burning stoves.
7. Set up gasoline and electrical energy
Planning on cooking in your campervan? In that case, you’ll want to put in electrical energy and gasoline.
When you’ve got expertise as an electrician, this ought to be fairly simple to arrange, however in case you don’t, we’d suggest that you simply rent an knowledgeable. It’s essential that you simply get this step proper – not doing so will be harmful.
8. Set up a kitchen space
When you’ve obtained your gasoline and electrical energy related, organising your kitchen ought to be pretty simple. You should purchase a complete kitchen unit particular to your car mannequin in case you’ve chosen a preferred van to transform, or in case you’d choose a custom-made kitchen, you should purchase the whole lot individually.
For this step, take into account whether or not you’d desire a mini fridge or in case you’re pleased with a cooler, and take into consideration whether or not you desire a range and sink or in case you’re pleased with one thing slightly extra naked bones. Should you’re a foodie, you may even package out your van with an oven and a compact microwave.
9. Set up a plumbing and water system
Plumbing is pretty simple to put in (although this does rely on the system you select!) so it is best to be capable of do it your self.
The system will be so simple as including a freshwater tank, a gray water tank for wastewater, and a small tub to your van. It will give you the whole lot it is advisable do the dishes, wash your face, brush your tooth, and carry out different easy duties.
Including a water pump to this setup will take this to the subsequent stage because it permits water to circulate from the freshwater tank by means of pipes to faucets. You possibly can select between both a guide or an electrical water pump.
Handbook pumps are normally activated by hand or foot, whereas electrical pumps work mechanically everytime you use a faucet or bathe.
Guarantee that earlier than you spend money on a system like this, you understand roughly how a lot water you’ll want every day as contemporary and gray water tanks come in numerous sizes. Should you’re planning on putting in a bathe, you’ll most likely need to triple and even quadruple your each day estimate.
10. Add lights for a comfy really feel
Lights for the inside will add that cosy contact it is advisable make your van really feel like house. Select LED strips and bulbs as they draw the least quantity of energy. You possibly can set up strip lights below excessive cabinets, cabinets and even below your mattress or seating space for a heat glow with out the depth that overhead lights usually convey.
You may additionally add fairy lights or desk lamps (wired or wi-fi) to your bed room and seating space(s) for softer lighting within the night.
11. Add a mattress and seating
In case your van is giant sufficient, having a everlasting space to sleep is a superb choice as you received’t must make up your mattress each night. This does, nevertheless, take up a variety of area, which means you received’t have as a lot in the course of the day.
Should you’ll be spending a lot of the day working exterior your van and solely plan on sleeping within the car, this selection ought to be advantageous, but when not you would possibly need to take into account different choices.
As an example, you would put a settee mattress within the again so you need to use your van comfortably in the course of the day and sleep soundly at night time. A sliding couch mattress is an effective choice as it may be modified from couch to mattress and vice versa in minutes.
If you wish to add automobile seats to the again for enhanced passenger security whereas driving, a rock-and-roll mattress may very well be a great choice. This is sort of a couch mattress, besides as a substitute of a settee, the mattress folds into automobile seats full with seatbelts.
Should you’re eager on separating your dwelling space out of your sleeping space, including a pop-top to the roof may very well be the most suitable choice. These typically should be professionally fitted as becoming one your self is sort of a sophisticated course of.
A pop-top roof is basically an extension of your van which will be raised or lowered relying on if it is advisable use the additional area. So as an example, if you’re travelling, you would decrease the pop high and solely increase it if you’re going to sleep.
That is nice for tall travellers as it might probably give you further clearance, making it a really versatile characteristic.
Word that in case you do resolve to get it professionally fitted, this kind of roof can add to your funds considerably.
12. Take into consideration space for storing
Should you’ve ever lived in a small flat, you understand that storage is one thing you at all times want extra of. The identical goes for staying in a van. Fortunately with cautious planning, your frustrations will be fully prevented.
For a begin, overhead storage makes good use of vertical area within the van, so you’ll want to add cupboards in case you really feel such as you’ll want the area. Simply ensure that so as to add a locking mechanism to the cabinet doorways so they continue to be closed. It will forestall your belongings from flying out whereas driving.
Multifunctional furnishings is a straightforward but efficient resolution to any storage points you’ve got. For instance, you would select bench seats that double as storage compartments for further area.
Wall area and the backs of chairs may assist hold your odds and ends organised. Any sneakers you want fast entry to may go within the storage compartment normally discovered behind the entrance seats. Likewise, hats, fishing tools and different gadgets may very well be connected to hooks on the partitions and secured utilizing bungee cords if wanted.
Should you haven’t added a pop-top to the car, you would additionally set up a ceiling internet, which may make use of extra vertical area.
13. Reclassify your car
When you’ve completed your camper conversion, it’s essential that you simply reclassify it with the DVLA. The necessities for this are pretty strict, so ensure that to examine whether or not your vehicle will be eligible beforehand.
Simply how a lot may I save?
While the preliminary outlay for a van conversion is sort of pricey, even funds motels can set you again round £100 an evening within the UK. Given you’ll additionally must spend cash on meals and transport, this may shortly add as much as round £150 to £175 a day – and that’s in case you’re being frugal.
Should you’re travelling to a significant metropolis within the UK, you’ll possible face even larger prices; business trips in London value nearly £500 a day on common, whereas Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester have a median each day spend of over £300, and, in case you’re travelling to Belfast or Cardiff, you would spend over £250 on common.
Add to this public transport prices for attending to the city or metropolis you’re travelling to, in addition to going out of your lodge to the place you’re doing enterprise, and this might add up shortly. And that’s not even counting cups of tea or espresso, and snacks when you’re on the go, plus bottles of water to maintain you hydrated when you work.
Evaluate this to travelling by van, the place you can also make your personal meals and have entry to consuming water, tea and occasional, plus your personal technique of transportation. This might save 1000’s.
Your common each day spend may very well be as little as £25 for gas, home-cooked meals, a thermos of espresso, parking, and campsite entry, with campsites possible being your largest expense.
Because of this in case you have been to go away for seven nights, you’ll solely spend £175 in comparison with £1,050 for seven nights in a lodge (taking the bottom determine of £150 a day). That’s a saving of £875 throughout the seven days.
Whereas the preliminary outlay for a van plus a van conversion is pretty excessive, with only a few enterprise journeys you would make sufficient to cowl the prices spent in your car, making it a way more cost-effective resolution in the long term.
Get van and campervan insurance coverage on your new car
Whether or not you personal a van, a self-built campervan, otherwise you’re beginning to convert your car, we may also help you get cowl that’s tailor-made to your wants.
Name us for a quote on 0800 369 8590 or book a callback at a time that fits you.
