In the event 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 answer – 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 in a position to convert their van on a finances, so, with the proper time, endurance and willingness to study, we’re assured you are able to do the vast majority of work your self utilizing the steps outlined beneath.
1. Set a finances for the method
Your finances will dictate what you are able to do along with your car. Van conversions can price wherever from £900 for a easy set-up, all the way in which as much as £30,000 if you would like one thing actually high-spec. In the event you’re changing a small van, this may normally be accomplished for beneath £5,000.
As with lots of family conversion tasks, it’s straightforward to let your finances get away from you, so just be sure you plan the challenge as a lot as attainable that can assist you keep on with your finances.
2. Plan out your van conversion
There are lots of other ways of changing your van; from merely including a mattress behind your van and calling it a day to one thing as advanced as including a practical lavatory and kitchen.
You might need the boldness to finish the conversion your self, otherwise you would possibly need to seek the advice of an professional who can full the be just right for you.
There are dozens of how you’ll be able to go about this, so it’s essential that you simply plan out the area as finest you’ll be able to. A great way to start out this course of is to contemplate the non-negotiables you need to add. This might embrace a food-prep space, an area to sleep, a rest room and bathe room, energy to work in your laptop computer, and a storage space in your work paperwork and gear.
When you’ve thought-about the non-negotiables, plan out the place you’d like to position these to make a cushty 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 will embrace injury brought on by fireplace, 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 every part out of your van and strip any of the inside that’s already there. Now’s a great time to wash the within of the car and restore any injury should you’ve owned it for some time.
Be careful for any rust spots which have constructed up within the van as these could cause points additional down the highway; should you discover any, it’s finest 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 high quality should you’re solely utilizing your car to move gear, however should you’re planning on cooking or sleeping in your newly transformed camper, it’s normally finest so as to add home windows and different types of air flow to stop moisture from increase within the van as this might trigger mould or rust. It’s additionally nice to have some pure mild coming by means of.
Lower holes in your van the place you’d like to position the home windows. It’s a good suggestion to have purchased the home windows you’ll be putting in shut handy earlier than you narrow the holes as this can assist forestall moisture from stepping into the car.
It’s essential that you simply don’t make a mistake right here as chopping the holes incorrectly will probably be expensive. Earlier than you begin chopping, 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 while you use it to sleep, plus it’ll take away condensation while you’re cooking or having a shower. A roof vent is good for this – provided that warmth rises, the upper the vent the higher. MaxxFan vents are usually a well-liked selection as a few of their standard fashions embrace:
- 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 can shield the car even in moist climate
- a flyscreen to stop bugs from coming in
6. Add insulation and heating to your van
Though preserving your van cool is essential, it’s very important that you simply add insulation and a warmth supply to the van as they have a tendency to get chilly at evening.
A layer of sound-deadening insulation also can assist forestall outdoors noise from getting in. This could go on first because it normally has a easy peel-and-stick software.
After that, you’ll be able to add insulation to any holes within the van, in addition to to the panels. Probably the most frequent supplies to make use of for that is insulation created from recycled plastic. You will get self-adhesive insulation or spray adhesive to make the job simpler.
In the event you’ve determined to put in a air flow system that comes with heating, you may not want a separate heater in your van. If not, you could have a number of choices obtainable, together with diesel, petrol, fuel or electrical heaters, or wood-burning stoves.
7. Set up fuel and electrical energy
Planning on cooking in your campervan? In that case, you’ll want to put in electrical energy and fuel.
If in case you have expertise as an electrician, this needs to be fairly straightforward to arrange, however should you don’t, we’d suggest that you simply rent an professional. It’s essential that you simply get this step proper – not doing so might be harmful.
8. Set up a kitchen space
When you’ve obtained your fuel and electrical energy linked, establishing your kitchen needs to be pretty straightforward. You should purchase a complete kitchen unit particular to your car mannequin should you’ve chosen a well-liked van to transform, or should you’d want a custom-made kitchen, you should purchase every part individually.
For this step, think about whether or not you’d desire a mini fridge or should you’re proud of a cooler, and take into consideration whether or not you desire a range and sink or should you’re proud of one thing just a little extra naked bones. In the event you’re a foodie, you’ll be able to even package out your van with an oven and a compact microwave.
9. Set up a plumbing and water system
Plumbing is pretty easy to put in (although this does rely on the system you select!) so you need to be capable to do it your self.
The system might 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 every part it’s worthwhile to do the dishes, wash your face, brush your enamel, 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 circulation from the freshwater tank by means of pipes to faucets. You possibly can select between both a handbook or an electrical water pump.
Handbook pumps are normally activated by hand or foot, whereas electrical pumps work robotically everytime you use a faucet or bathe.
Be sure that earlier than you put money into a system like this, you understand roughly how a lot water you’ll want every day as contemporary and gray water tanks come in several sizes. In the event you’re planning on putting in a bathe, you’ll most likely need to triple and even quadruple your every day estimate.
10. Add lights for a comfortable really feel
Lights for the inside will add that cosy contact it’s worthwhile to make your van really feel like dwelling. Select LED strips and bulbs as they draw the least quantity of energy. You possibly can set up strip lights beneath excessive cabinets, cabinets and even beneath your mattress or seating space for a heat glow with out the depth that overhead lights typically convey.
You possibly can 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 massive sufficient, having a everlasting space to sleep is a good possibility as you received’t should make up your mattress each night. This does, nonetheless, take up lots of area, which means you received’t have as a lot through the day.
In the event you’ll be spending a lot of the day working outdoors your van and solely plan on sleeping within the car, this feature needs to be high quality, but when not you would possibly need to think about different choices.
For example, you possibly can put a settee mattress within the again so you need to use your van comfortably through the day and sleep soundly at evening. A sliding couch mattress is an efficient possibility as it may be modified from couch to mattress and vice versa in minutes.
If you wish to add automotive seats to the again for enhanced passenger security whereas driving, a rock-and-roll mattress might be a great possibility. This is sort of a couch mattress, besides as a substitute of a settee, the mattress folds into automotive seats full with seatbelts.
In the event you’re eager on separating your dwelling space out of your sleeping space, including a pop-top to the roof might be the best choice. These typically have to be professionally fitted as becoming one your self is sort of an advanced course of.
A pop-top roof is basically an extension of your van which might be raised or lowered relying on if it’s worthwhile to use the additional area. So as an illustration, while you’re travelling, you possibly can decrease the pop high and solely elevate it while you’re going to sleep.
That is nice for tall travellers as it may well give you additional clearance, making it a really versatile function.
Be aware that should you do resolve to get it professionally fitted, the sort of roof can add to your finances considerably.
12. Take into consideration space for storing
In the event you’ve ever lived in a small flat, you understand that storage is one thing you all the time want extra of. The identical goes for staying in a van. Fortunately with cautious planning, your frustrations might be fully prevented.
For a begin, overhead storage makes good use of vertical area within the van, so make sure you add cupboards should you really feel such as you’ll want the area. Simply make certain 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 answer to any storage points you could have. For instance, you possibly can select bench seats that double as storage compartments for additional area.
Wall area and the backs of chairs also can assist hold your odds and ends organised. Any footwear you want fast entry to may go within the storage compartment normally discovered behind the entrance seats. Likewise, hats, fishing gear and different gadgets might be connected to hooks on the partitions and secured utilizing bungee cords if wanted.
In the event you haven’t added a pop-top to the car, you possibly can additionally set up a ceiling web, which might 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 make certain to verify 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 expensive, even finances motels can set you again round £100 an evening within the UK. Given you’ll additionally should spend cash on meals and transport, this may shortly add as much as round £150 to £175 a day – and that’s should you’re being frugal.
In the event you’re travelling to a significant metropolis within the UK, you’ll doubtless face even increased prices; business trips in London price virtually £500 a day on common, whereas Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester have a median every day spend of over £300, and, should you’re travelling to Belfast or Cardiff, you possibly can 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.
Examine this to travelling by van, the place you may make your personal meals and have entry to ingesting water, tea and occasional, plus your personal technique of transportation. This might save 1000’s.
Your common every day spend might be as little as £25 for gasoline, home-cooked meals, a thermos of espresso, parking, and campsite entry, with campsites doubtless being your greatest expense.
Because of this should you had 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 possibly can make sufficient to cowl the prices spent in your car, making it a way more cost-effective answer in the long term.
Get van and campervan insurance coverage in your new car
Whether or not you personal a van, a self-built campervan, otherwise you’re beginning to convert your car, we will 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.
