We are thinking of buying a van and converting it in to a camper.
We are looking to spend around the £3000 mark on the van
What vans are good? I know transits are a strong van but what about iveco and sprinters etc
I don't really fancy a front wheel drive van
Is it easy to register converted vans?

Early FWD LT's and Vito's rot faster than you can run.

Cheapest way would be to buy a damaged caravan, all the kit you would need will be container thererin.

i have looked at this with the view to carry equipment for sports and sleeping not a full conversion and the t4 has always apealed

why dont you like fwd??

Mac

Really depends on what where and how frequent you are going to use the camper.

eg hightop van, elevating roof, how many berths, everyday use, petrol, diesel etc etc

That said I agree T4 - great van and good resale value

You just need to send your v5 to the dvla with change of use from Van to camper/motor home a few pics and if they are happy thats it job done.

Fair enough if you dont like FWD but it rules a lot of stuff out right off & you get a lower floor/more headroom for the same overall height.
In similar fashion to buying a caravan for the bits I know someone who bought an old camper to do up, but it was a total rot-box. The internal stuff although dated was quite good though & they bought a VW t4 & transfered the stuff over & it looks way better than I expected it would given it was meant to fit a different van, aint cost them much & they could sell it for much more than it owes them now.

i keep pondering on doing this, and keep looking at LWB Toyota HiAce.

We are looking at LWB high roof
not keen on FWD as its better to be pushed than dragged

Haynes do a manual on this, I read it a while back. One of the most important things, apparently, is to insulate it.

Good website for research. FWD vans are better for access and probably better for some of the fields you will be camping in if you camp like us

What are sprinters like? RWD or FWD?
under powered? rust? reliable?

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Originally posted by wacomuk
What are sprinters like? RWD or FWD?
under powered? rust? reliable?

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I bought my sister an ex builders 2.5 TDI LWB T4 transporter for £2500.... Then spent another £1300 servicing it and kitting it out with split charge system, leisure battery, diesel powered hot air heater, fold out double bed, storage, kitchen etc...

Sister is a mountain guide/ski instructor... so it was kitted out like this so there is plenty of space for bikes/skis/climbing gear on the floor at the back..

With the double bed folded out you can get 3 people on the bed tightly) and another person on the floor underneath if needs be...

All heated with the 2.5Kw heater, its toasty, even at minus temperatures

Started like this:


With some insulation:



After approx 2 months ended up looking like this:












power panel


[Edited on 14/8/10 by tegwin]

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin


With the double bed folded out you can get 3 people on the bed

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Had an IVECO daily to tow the race car and it never missed a beat, loved the diesel though!

quote:

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Originally posted by wacomuk
Not keen on FWD as its better to be pushed than dragged

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Been looking at doing something like this in the near future. If you are after a proper camper with room for bathroom, half decent kitchen etc then a fwd high top long wheelbase van is definitely the way to go.
I have lwb iveco for work and wouldn't have anything else as a builder but not ideal as a camper as it has higher floor. You only have to look at all the professional manufacturer van conversions and 95% are based on the Ducato/Boxer/Relay range. You can pick up these for your budget and get a lot of van for the money. I have been looking at 2 year old Ducato Maxi's with low mileage and mint for only £7k and a place near me has really smart top end caravans which are Cat B for £3k so looking at building a top end conversion for £13k ish. A similar age manufacturer van would be around £30k as they are nearing £40k new.
There is a large motorhome show at Lincoln showground ina month or so, well worth looking at a show or dealer to get an idea of the kind of layout which works best for you.

mazda bongo aft worth looking at. Can sleep four and is reliable and comfortable.

If its better to be pushed then dragged, why are Trains usually pulled than Pushed? both are possible. I don't think you should rule out FWD completely.


You need to test out some vans and see what works for you. If you can you should see how they drive loaded with the sort of weight you'll be carrying and see what they're like for getting in and out of the back. Your best bet is to get to some Campervan shows.