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Ford Transit camper build

245

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 254 ✭✭TheBeach


    Looks class. Good luck


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,540 ✭✭✭Leonard Hofstadter


    Love threads like these, fair play Colm!


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


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    Looks bumpy for some reason but isn't in real life.

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    My mate fabricobbled a battery clamp from a Corolla to make it fit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 988 ✭✭✭Benbecul97


    Savage job Colm - fair play!
    What finish are you putting on the internal roof? The grey fabric or painted? I think it would look great painted and could be changed as needed to give it a new look and feel! Just a thought...;)
    And the uncovered piece of wood on the wheel arch housing near the sliding door, are you covering it? Might be handy to hinge that piece of wood and use the free space around the housing for storage - every little helps!
    Best of luck in completing it!:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    There will be outer boxes for the seats, the outer board will be up against that uncarpeted piece. The outer boxes will be bigger, come out further (around 600mm) and go all the way to the back doors. They'll be hinged for storage inside and to form the base for the bed. Or something...

    The ceiling will be the same as the walls. I don't want to have condensation on the ceiling so I think the carpet will keep the ceiling warm and prevent that.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Battery clamp cleaned up, trimmed down and repainted

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    Drivers side trim nearly finished
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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭SeamusG97


    Excellent thread - Theres something to learn in nearly every post. Hope you have as much fun with the finished van as you seem to have in converting it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


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    Did a bit more today. Floor down, more trim added, doors retrimmed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Didn't get to this till late this evening but next step today was making the kitchen cabinet. Picked up the worktop in the Ikea bargain corner. It's a table top originally but ideal for what we needed.
    Made up the frame for the cabinet, the outer sheets will be fixed to this frame. This will house the gas bottle, waste and fresh water tanks, a cutlery drawer and general storage.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭sogood


    Re; insurance, I did a home conversion many years ago on a LWB high roof boxer van and after getting it re-classified as a camper, I got the insurance from a company called Dolmen Insurance. They specialise in camper vans and the like.

    I also relined two boats and for the ceilings, I ran the wall covering up onto the ceiling first, just about 3" and the made my ceiling panels in ply and covered them, using spray glue and folding the fabric back around the panel and stapling it on at the edges. Then I fixed the panels in place, using screws with the little plastic caps and covers.

    It's a lot easier than gluing above your head, overspray getting on the walls and then fighting with the fabric. It also means you can drop the panels for access at any time if needed. Just a thought. Looking good, keep up the good work.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    The cloth were using for the ceiling is very forgiving so it should be easy enough to get a clean line. Hopefully!


    Shiney things arrived in the post today. More on that later


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Not much to report today :(

    This arrived though
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    Better stock photo
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    Spent a good while cutting out for it, the worktop is hollow, so will be reinforcing the section around the cooker/sing with solid wood inside, basically filling in the gap. should make it cope better with possible heat and moisture.

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    Water cans came too.

    Messed around with making the boxes at the back too, just seeing how things will line up etc.
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    Middle slips of timber are there just as spacers to keep things square


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,175 ✭✭✭dense


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    The cloth were using for the ceiling is very forgiving so it should be easy enough to get a clean line. Hopefully!


    Shiney things arrived in the post today. More on that later

    Where did you get the cloth? I might need some.


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    dense wrote: »
    Where did you get the cloth? I might need some.

    Here


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Did a bit more work on the rear seats tonight while my mate cut the hole in the floor for the gas vent. It's a bit more time consuming the way I'm doing it, but it should have a nicer finish with no visible screw holes. Filled in the gaps in the hollow worktop too so it'll be super solid now. Also slightly damaged the worktop in my haste. Should be able to repair it handy enough hopefully.

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    We did a lot of planning out for the kitchen unit too in terms of drawer and door sizes, location of gas box, water cans etc, so hopefully by the time I'm finished work tomorrow he'll have gotten the door openings cut out of the front panel and we can start fitting the drawer, securing the sink/hob etc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,695 ✭✭✭StupidLikeAFox


    This looks grear. Converted a transit lwb myself last year.

    Insuring it might not be easy. You will prob have to go through the MCC for insurance, the guy there can be a pain to deal with and you have to use their engineer, get chatting to him regarding the process as soon as you can I'd say


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Bit more progress today.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 555 ✭✭✭shaunr68


    This looks grear. Converted a transit lwb myself last year.

    Insuring it might not be easy. You will prob have to go through the MCC for insurance, the guy there can be a pain to deal with and you have to use their engineer, get chatting to him regarding the process as soon as you can I'd say

    Just a couple of quick questions if that's ok, I won't derail the thread further.

    1. Is the insurance issue due to limited headroom inside the living area on a low roof van?

    2. Is the requirement to use their engineer part of the process to reclassify from commercial to motor caravan or is some sort of inspection needed for the insurance?

    Reason I ask is I have a van over in the UK that we used to move all our stuff here. I'm pondering importing it here and doing a conversion but wondering whether I'd be better off converting it over there and reclassifying through DVLA before importing it here. Purpose would be to use for a year or so for day trips and then sell on.

    Cheers

    BTW brilliant build thread Colm, great work!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,158 ✭✭✭Top Dog


    shaunr68 wrote: »
    Reason I ask is I have a van over in the UK that we used to move all our stuff here. I'm pondering importing it here and doing a conversion but wondering whether I'd be better off converting it over there and reclassifying through DVLA before importing it here. Purpose would be to use for a year or so for day trips and then sell on.
    Probably better off converting and re-classifying over there. If you have it long enough then it'll be VRT exempt. But if you bring it over as is, get your VRT exemption, and then convert it later you'll be liable for further VRT based on what they think the OMSP is on the day you show up.


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    My mate got the front of the kitchen CNC routered out today. Lovely tidy job to be fair.
    We fitted the panels to the kitchen frame. Forgot that the supplier had given us 18mm instead of 15mm and how that would make the unit wider than the worktop. Anyway, routered out the edge of one of the side panels which should fix that.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    So today we said we'd do a small bit and go for a few pints. 8 hours later, still there and no pub :(

    Made a good bit of progress today though. Started out by routering out the edges of the doors and kitchen frame to accept a hammer-in T trim. This will fill the 6mm gap left by the CNC router and put a durable edge on the kitchen doors and frame. Next I made a box to put the gas bottle into. This lines up with the hole in the floor made last week.
    We also fitted the drawer and the back panel for the kitchen units, and finished off putting the edging strips on the bed boxes.

    It's all coming together, not a massive amount to do.

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    Drawer front not actually fitted yet, need to glue in the rubber edging and stuff first.

    Next jobs will be to make a door for the gas box and fit the bracket to hold the bottle in, do some 230v wiring, and get the doors hung


  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Put the door on the gas box today and fitted the first of the sockets. One in the middle is a USB and volt meter.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 73,365 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    More bits done this evening.
    Biggest job was putting the roof lining up. Supplier ran out of the colour we wanted a few weeks ago so we didn't do it at the same time as the walls. Worked out well I think.

    We also fitted the extra sockets, made a top for the drawer, fitted the seal to the gas box, and reinstalled the units.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,146 ✭✭✭Goose81


    Love this thread, fair play to you.

    Why all the concern from people about insurance? no structural changes have been made and people wont be in the back when driving, whats the issue?

    E.G whats the difference between this and taking the back seats out of a punto to put subwoofers in..


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,714 ✭✭✭✭Quazzie


    Goose81 wrote: »
    Love this thread, fair play to you.

    Why all the concern from people about insurance? no structural changes have been made and people wont be in the back when driving, whats the issue?

    E.G whats the difference between this and taking the back seats out of a punto to put subwoofers in..

    You need camper insurance. This doesn't qualify as a camper. Commercial insurance won't cover it because of gas fittings and intended use.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,146 ✭✭✭Goose81


    Quazzie wrote: »
    You need camper insurance. This doesn't qualify as a camper. Commercial insurance won't cover it because of gas fittings and intended use.

    Are you talking mega money for that in general?


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,714 ✭✭✭✭Quazzie


    Goose81 wrote: »
    Are you talking mega money for that in general?

    Not sure to be honest. I looked into it a few years back, and was told it had to be both taxed and insured as a private vehicle as it doesn't qualify as a camper. A camper must have permanent toilet facilities, cooking facilities and 1.8M min headroom throughout a large percentage of the vehicle.

    I ended up buying a full on coachbuilt camper because of this.

    NOTE: This is all from memory and some regulations may have been relaxed etc


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,183 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    I think its a requirement yo have a sink and cooking facilities, never heard about requiring permanent toilet arrangements.
    I know our old T25 didn't have a permanent toilet anyway.

    The Customs officer measured the roof height and glanced at the hob and sink.( Westy hard top) and was satisfied.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,784 ✭✭✭Alkers


    No requirement for toilet or 1.8m roof anymore for camper tax but some insurance companies look for more than revenue, e.g. walkway from can to living area etc


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,784 ✭✭✭Alkers


    Quazzie wrote:
    You need camper insurance. This doesn't qualify as a camper. Commercial insurance won't cover it because of gas fittings and intended use.
    This build.ahould qualify as a camper!


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