Van Conversions Are The New Best Thing!
Van conversions aren’t that popular, we won’t try and make out like everybody is doing it. But, they are becoming the new best thing, and more and more people are trying it out. A van conversion works by… literally converting a van! You take a bigger van, strip it out, and make it into a campervan. It’ll take weeks of solid work to complete, so around work, you’re probably looking at it taking a few months. But once it’s complete, you’ve got your own campervan to drive around in, and we guarantee you won’t have spent as much on it as you would if you were going to outright buy a campervan. But a lot of you won’t even know where to start with this, so we’re going to give you a bit of help. Here’s how you can start your very own van conversion, and make something to be proud of!
Get The Van
The first step in the whole process. You don’t want to buy a van that’s so old that the metal has begun to rust, it just won’t work out. But at the same time, you don’t want to buy a van that’s brand new, it’ll be too expensive. Look at things such as used school buses for sale. They’re generally kept in a good condition, and you know they’ll have been driven right due to children being on the bus. That’s the other thing that you really need to consider. If you’re buying a second hand van, you don’t just need to be thinking about what the metal work is like, you need to be thinking about how it’s going to drive. Once the rebuild is finished, you’re most likely going to be taking this thing all over the country, maybe even the world. If it’s falling about mechanically, it’s going to cause you a world of problems on the road, and it’ll see you digging into your pocket all of the time. If you have a mechanic friend, it’s probably best to take them with you, just so they can check it out before you buy it.
Stripping It Out
This is the fun part for a lot of people. You literally have to strip absolutely everything out of the van you’ve bought. From the floorboards, to the seats, to whatever lines the sides. It’s all got to go so you can start fresh. The main thing to watch for here is causing any damage to what’s underneath. Make sure you take out the board that’s going to be separating the seats from the back. Then give everywhere a real deep clean, and sort out any issues that you find. Although you’re going to be stripping everything out, you also need to make sure you preserve the structure, and parts of the van that are going to come in handy when it comes to the next stage, which is kitting the whole thing out.
Kitting It Out
First of all, you’re going to have to go on a little shopping trip. Considering you’re taking this thing for living purposes, you need to make sure you’re keeping it warm. So, get yourself some insulation, and some slightly thick wooden boards. Cut out some windows, file them down to get rid of any sharp edges, and cut out a smaller hole for ventilation on the roof. Line the floor, sides, and the roof of the back with a layer of insulation. Try and cut it down a little so it’s not too think. Then cut to size some of the wooden boards, and nail them to the floor, side, and roof. You should then be left with a very brown van, but something that’s ready for you to work with. You can carpet the floor, or vinyl it! Purchase all of the essentials, such as a sofa bench, comfy front chairs for driving, a mattress, and kitchen appliances such as the sink. You’ll probably need help fitting the kitchen appliances, because you obviously have to make sure it’s all fitted correctly. Over the next few weeks, you’ll slowly start to see your campervan take place. It’s up to you where you put things, but we would advise that you make use of your space wisely. Don’t put in a huge sofa bench, or a bed. You want to keep it simple, because hopefully you won’t be spending much time in the back, other than for sleeping and eating. If you do get stuck at any point, there are plenty of online guides to help you!