iveco minibus conversion

[Baggy108]

So it begins, the conversion of my Iveco minibus starts here;

 

[Baggy108]

Pre conversion shots

 

[Baggy108]

Seats out and sold and wheelchair lift out and sold

 

[Baggy108]

 

[TheBig1]

just checking my crystal ball, and I see loads of fibreglassing in your future

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[Baggy108]

Passenger seat in, this was very hard work for one man, could've done with two, but it's in and rock solid, very happy with the result just need to put end caps on the unwin tracking and covers on the bolts to tidy them up

 

[Yorick]

Don't want to piss on your chips but somebody in here (a few days) ago had trouble insuring a minibus conversion.

Good luck though.

 

[Baggy108]

just checking my crystal ball, and I see loads of fibreglassing in your future

I'd rather that than welding

 

[Baggy108]

Don't want to piss on your chips but somebody in here (a few days) ago had trouble insuring a minibus conversion.

Good luck though.

Already insured mate, and at a decent price, I'm not worried

 

[plumber54]

stavenly head insures

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[TheBig1]

the great thing with care type minibuses is that when stripped out they are big rectangular boxes. much simpler to convert than a panel van with curved sides and a narrower ceiling than floor. gives a true blank canvas

 

[Baggy108]

the great thing with care type minibuses is that when stripped out they are big rectangular boxes. much simpler to convert than a panel van with curved sides and a narrower ceiling than floor. gives a true blank canvas

My last one was based on a VWLT35 i learnt from that how i wanted my next one to be

 

[pappajohn]

Already insured mate, and at a decent price, I'm not worried

As a motorhome or a minibus ?

Once converted it needs insuring, and registering, as a motorcaravan otherwise if you make a total loss claim they will only pay out the current value of a minibus...much less than its true worth as a motorhome.

 

[TheBig1]

My last one was based on a VWLT35 i learnt from that how i wanted my next one to be

I also converted an LT35 to a motorhome, the big old square series. that was 1992 and done a few more since

 

[Baggy108]

As a motorhome or a minibus ?

Once converted it needs insuring, and registering, as a motorcaravan otherwise if you make a total loss claim they will only pay out the current value of a minibus...much less than its true worth as a motorhome.

It's insured as an 'in progress' project conversion with Adrian Flux, they gave me 12 months to complete and reregister, the only stipulation was that i had to remove all but 6 of the seats and the wheelchair lift, which i have done.

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[pappajohn]

It's insured as an 'in progress' project conversion with Adrian Flux, they gave me 12 months to complete and reregister, the only stipulation was that i had to remove all but 6 of the seats and the wheelchair lift, which i have done.

You're obviously 'in the know'....many folks arent

 

[Baggy108]

Made a good start on the floor, Unwin tracking is next to impossible to remove so filling the gaps with hardboard (glued and nailed) to level then I'm going to cover with these waterproof/insulating sheets from Wickes then top with 8mm ply as a base to begin building

 

[TheBig1]

are you not insulating the floor? 25mm celotex cut to cover the track then a plywood floor. will be cold in winter otherwise

 

[Baggy108]

are you not insulating the floor? 25mm celotex cut to cover the track then a plywood floor. will be cold in winter otherwise

No, i don't want to raise the floor level any more than i have to as head height is just right. Not really planning winter use but it has an eberspacher night heater blown air system that's really warm plenty enough for spring and Autumn use. Its so high I can get to most of the floor from underneath so if i find its not sufficiently insulated i can put some there.

 

[Juancampervan]

Just purchased a V Reg Iveco same as yoursel.......I am following with interest to get some tips!

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[Baggy108]

Just purchased a V Reg Iveco same as yoursel.......I am following with interest to get some tips!

Did you get the panel van or a minibus? I did a lot of research before committing and the general consensus seems to be that the Iveco is more of a shrunken truck than a scaled upwards van. This suits me as I'm a truck driver, they are certainly built to last and are capable of at least 5--600k but you MUST change the oil regularly and change the cam belt early, other than that a great choice

 

[Juancampervan]

Thats the thing thats confusing me....(Its being stored until i can sort Insurance out....sssshhh)

It has no seats in the back and windows blacked out and hardboaded just now....No wheelie lift on it as thats just been removed today ...

Do i say its a Van or Minibus....(Minibus is on V5 )...Adrian Flux want nearly £900 to insure !!!

 

[Birtha]

Good luck with the conversion. We have nearly finished ours and are reeping the benifits in North Spain at the moment.

 

[Baggy108]

Thats the thing thats confusing me....(Its being stored until i can sort Insurance out....sssshhh)

It has no seats in the back and windows blacked out and hardboaded just now....No wheelie lift on it as thats just been removed today ...

Do i say its a Van or Minibus....(Minibus is on V5 )...Adrian Flux want nearly £900 to insure !!!

Really? mine's with them and i paid half that for a 5.2tonne gvw minibus. Something wrong there, have you got a ddr or something?

 

[Baggy108]

Good luck with the conversion. We have nearly finished ours and are reeping the benifits in North Spain at the moment.

Not jealous at all

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[Baggy108]

Building up the floor level to accommodate the table and 4 seats, I've used galvanised heavy gauge steel joist hangars (upside down) and pressure treated 150mm joists to raise by 175mm

Finished the raised floor with 18mm hardwood ply, it's rock solid and I'm very happy with the result. Start fitting the seats, bolted Unwin tracking to the new floor with M 8 bolts with steel spring washers, the bolts still need to be cut to size

Second seat fitted and bolted up before testing, very happy, all solid but will have to undo them to put final layer of 9mm hardwood ply on tomorrow

 

[Baggy108]

Floor boarded out with 9mm hardwood ply on proplex insulation then more proplex as underlay for the laminate flooring. I decided to finish the area under the seats so i could bolt them up permanently as i was concerned about the protruding bolts getting damaged

insulating and boarding the rest of the floor, looking great

 

[Baldeagle7470]

Blimey your making good progress!!
Will watch your post with interest,just wonder if you should have kept the wheelchair lift all the heavy work your doing!!
Good luck with the conversion.

 

[Baggy108]

Blimey your making good progress!!
Will watch your post with interest,just wonder if you should have kept the wheelchair lift all the heavy work your doing!!
Good luck with the conversion.

Thought that myself, i was glad to shed the weight of it though. Must've weighed quarter of a tonne, 3 of us couldn't lift it more than a couple of inches.

 

[Baggy108]

This weekend i finished boarding out and then wired up the mains hookup outlet on the drive (been putting this off as it's boring but ot fed up of putting an extension out of the living room window, only a matter of time before i got in trouble with the wife now its turning cold). Took the side skirts off to allow access to the o/s underneath. I was worried that I'd have a major problem fitting the other 2 seats in the 'dining' area as there's a large box under that area containing the eberspacher and blown air distribution system. Luckily its fixed under the subframe allowing just enough space for the bolts to be fed through. Fitted more flooring then cut the unwin tracking and measured and marked out for drilling through (after a quick suitability test with the missus lol)

unfortunately I've miscalculated the necessary bolt length and now need to aquire m8x80s to fitthe remaining seats

hmmmmm, bugger

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