"Camie" the AWD Campervan

[Qwin]

Going for hollow plastic ceiling panels with flush LED lighting strips in trenches.
Just off to the unit to work on the van floor, plugging holes etc.

 

[Northernraider]

At least you may know that my conversion will be done by one who pays particular attention to detail.
I did, indeed, think you meant to write 'conversion' but then was unsure why anyone would feel the need to judge another's conversion.

Anyhoo, if you'd like a flavour of what it will be like, check out MORELO or RS Motorhomes or Dethleffs or Carthago for an idea of which end it'll be at. It's a self-commissioned pro-build more than it being a self-build.

If it ever comes to light

 

[TheMobileWanderer]

If it ever comes to light

Between illness and a longer-than-expected learning curve in CAD, it's taking longer than expected. All that; and not finding specialist local companies that can do the work, so I've been compelled to look further afield. Currently awaiting response from DVLA regarding whether there needs to be a specific IVA examination or a (simpler) inspection, to approve garage area drop for garage and installation of travel seating.

 

[Northernraider]

Between illness and a longer-than-expected learning curve in CAD, it's taking longer than expected. All that; and not finding specialist local companies that can do the work, so I've been compelled to look further afield. Currently awaiting response from DVLA regarding whether there needs to be a specific IVA examination or a (simpler) inspection, to approve garage area drop for garage and installation of travel seating.

Life is too short


Id just go buy a motorhome and enjoy life.

 

[Qwin]

Update:

Got the Truma Gas/AC water heater fitted, had to do some mods though.
First, to get it to the right height to miss the body side moulding, then create a flat external face to seal against and make room for the gas connection.

A small amount of body trimming was required.

A right angle adaptor makes the connection easier.

1). I used an Aluminium plate and body filler to make the faceplate.
2). This was primed with acid etch primer, to key into the Aluminium.
3). White under coat, followed by White top coat, was then applied.
4). The inlet/exhaust plate was bolted into position using Sikoflex sealant.
5). Cowling fitted using Stainless Machine Screws.
6). Cover clipped into position - installation done.

It remains for the gas and electrical connections to be made, but that's for another day.

 

[Qwin]

Update...........

Electrics
I got this.

Its a combined 1600w Inverter, 70A Battery charger, 50A Solar Controller and mains consumer unit, in one case, so it cuts down on wiring. The single pair of battery leads work for all functions and it has three pairs of MC4 sockets to plug Solar Panels into.


Gas Locker

I turned this used item........

Into This........

Insulation

Started with the ceiling.

Got the Ply struts in place, across the roof beams, ready to glue the roof latts to.

 

[Qwin]

Update........

Added an awning rail, as I found the wind-out canopy on my motorhome was useless. Wind rain and sun all came under it and if there was even a light breeze, it flapped around like a good'n so had to be taken in.

The rail gives me some options, as to what I can hang off the side, and maybe a drive away awning.

 

[Qwin]

Update......
I started laying the ceiling boards.

The channel for the embedded LED lighting is being installed at the same time.

 

[Qwin]

Update...........

Finally got the ceiling completed and the Frame/Blinds for the Skylight fitted.
It was slow work, as I could only clamp one piece at a time and needed to leave it 24 hours till the Sikoflex had fully set.
There was a fair bit of pressure on the curves at the front, I didn't want to risk the planks popping of when I removed the clamps. No chance of that now, I tried pulling one of the pieces and its stuck for good.
So that's my ultra light ceiling box ticked.

Main LED lighting fitted and tested.

Bathroom Fan/Light tested.

 

[Qwin]

Update.......
Got the insulated Bulkhead in, skinned it and fitted the door on the overhead locker.
Started on the shower/loo.

 

[Qwin]

Update.......

Got the shower area built, tried to keep it as roomy as possible.

Used Tile on a roll - 2.4mm floor vinyl stuck with Trimfix.
Cleo tip up sink and matching cabinet used.

Fitted two Drains to try and allow for an uneven pitch.

Plastic Duck board from Amazon.

Shower mixer tucked away where I wont bang my elbow on it.
No tap on the tip up sink, will fill this using the shower, which will have a dual Spray/Full flow head.

Pee Pipe connection point fitted, for where circumstances allow.

THEdour sliding/blind type door fitted to save space.

Underneath the solid Pee Pipe and flexible Grey pipes fit into a fairly tight space. The shower 1.25" BSP goes to 25mm to 20mm adaptors. I used "Y" connectors to smooth the flow. The two shower drains and the Tip sink drain converge into one 20mm pipe. This will go to the grey tank eventually which has a 20mm spigot.

 

[Qwin]

Update...........

Got the shower head installed, it points into the cubicle.

Added a clothes hanger rail in the shower room for drip drying wet coats etc.

It can be lifted out, when not needed.

The adjoining Wardrobe is well under way, the base lifts out, to access the water heater.

 

[Jon Stuart]

I have a Blog for my Campervan Project Here
This thread will be a summery of the main events only, if you want the whole nine yards, without comments or questions, then use the link above to my Blog.

I had a moterhome, a Boxer based Elddis Autoquest 300.
FWD with a lot of weight at the back, I kept getting stuck in muddy fields due to poor traction.
I considered RWD + Limited Slip Differential (LSD), but finally settled on an All Wheel Drive (AWD) self build.
This didn't leave many options, basically a Sprinter or Transit.
Due to cost constraints, a Transit was my choice and a long wheel base high roof seemed the best option for a conversion. This quite specific feature set made it a rare beast, but I managed to track one down in March of this year.

This is my donor vehicle.........

A late 2020 Transit Leader 350 L3H3 AWD Ecoblue (Euro6/ULEZ compliant)
It came with new wet belts, water pump, battery, new discs all round, full service, MOT and 6 months written warranty. A good base vehicle for my first Camper project, the wife named it "Campie" the Campervan and so we begin.

That names already taken (just about)! Have you seen Travels in Campi on YouTube?

 

[Qwin]

That names already taken (just about)! Have you seen Travels in Campi on YouTube?

I've seen many, but not that one. I'll look it up, thanks.

 

[mitzimad]

With all that timber framing your going to be loosing a lot of payload

 

[fat haggis]

Fantastic quality build. It will be a stunning van when you’re finished mate.

 

[macp]

Watching this with great interest and admiration for the work completed so far. An AWD Transit is a bit of rare find isnt it. I havent seen many about anyway.

 

[CazPaul]

Update...........

Got the shower head installed, it points into the cubicle.

Added a clothes hanger rail in the shower room for drip drying wet coats etc.

It can be lifted out, when not needed.

The adjoining Wardrobe is well under way, the base lifts out, to access the water heater.

Is that sheep’s wool insulation I can see in the van walls?

 

[cyberyacht]

Not sure about the choice of wallpaper.

 

[Qwin]

With all that timber framing your going to be loosing a lot of payload

Its small in section 25 x 50 and mainly 25 x 38mm roof battens, coupled with the 3.6mm ply skin and 9mm ply floor, its actually a light weight build. Put more into the shower as I didn't want it to flex/leak.

 

[Qwin]

Not sure about the choice of wallpaper.

Ha Ha! its vinyl flooring. What ever floats your boat. I've had lots of compliments about it and enquiries as to where I got it on the Transit Camper Conversion group.

 

[Qwin]

Is that sheep’s wool insulation I can see in the van walls?

Its Mineral Wool (recycled glass). Non itchy.

 

[Qwin]

Watching this with great interest and admiration for the work completed so far. An AWD Transit is a bit of rare find isnt it. I havent seen many about anyway.

Quite a few around, they look just like any other transit, so hard to spot. What is rarer is a long wheel base, high roof, AWD. I looked for over 6 months before finding mine. Travelled from Carlisle to Lincoln to see it and bought it straight away.
There is a FaceBook Group, specifically for Mk8 UK/European AWD Transit. The USA version uses a different AWD system based on the Ranger. You can convert a RWD Transit to Ranger running gear, but its a lot of work. A guy in Stirling-Scotland does conversions. He's administrator on the aforementioned FB Group.

 

[Qwin]

Update........

I have my 100L fresh water tank under, what will be, the Right hand bed.

Under the Left bed location, is the 200Ah battery.

There's nothing special about my pump set up, went with the tried and tested Shurflow Trail King and Fiamma A20 Accumulator. Mounted it on a board for easy removal/maintenance. Due to the pressure limitations on my Truma water heater, its the 30psi version. But did get the 10.6 LPH high flow version, so should get a decent shower volume.

I used rubber rings on the back of the board to help isolate pump vibrations.
The pump is on rubber feet, but its rigidly coupled to the Fiamma, so it will transmit noise through that, to the base board.

The tank sits in a frame and has ratchet tie down straps, so it's going no where.

 

[Qwin]

Update.............

Started construction on the first bed.

The Tank can be extracted through the hinged base.

To keep build cost down, I got the bed bases and cushions from a caravan dismantler. We wanted decent sized beds, these when completed, will be 1900mm (6' 3") long and 680mm wide.

The lower section of the bed still has to be constructed. Your feet go into a short tunnel, that protrudes into the garage space.
The idea is, you roll up your bedding into the tunnel and retain it with a cargo net etc.
Its part of the ease of use philosophy I've adopted. The motorhome we had required re shuffling all the cushions and sliding, adding timber bits, before you could get into a bed. Then swapping it all back in the morning, they were big, heavy items and hurt my arthritic hands. These will stay put, unless I need to get underneath for maintenance.

 

[Raul]

When I built mine back in 2019, I was torn between 12-24v. We use 48v in the house for few years now, and knew the limitations of 12v. As the appliances are available in 12 and 24, I was taken by the enthusiasm to get the van done, rushed and settled with the quick and comfortable 12v. A decision that I regretted in less than a year in. As the power demands outgrew our original planning went out the window. Sometime later, to suppress my 24v desire, and to make it work for our new demands, upgraded from a 1600VA multiplus to a 2000VA. That served well for some time, but slowly the battery capacity 400Ah, became inadequate. I added another 300Ah @12v. Lots of reserve but now limited by the 2000VA inverter. In summer 2025, I have re visited the 24v option. How can I make it work, using the most I got. I repurposed the existing solar charger, same panels, added another 4 cells to the last 300Ah battery, and became a 24v. I knew I will loose some money on the inverter. Sold it for seconds, and got the 24/3000. The existing batteries all worked out, solar controller etc. Even existing compressor fridge works on 24V. I had to get a converter 24/12, for few 12v items (diesel heater, maxfan etc). I split the existing circuits, and got two distributions: 12 and 24.
If, I would held back on the rush then, and planned right from beginning the 24V habitation, it would had costed me allot less.
Why all this,
as you are still open not finalised, give this a consideration. You will guaranteed grow your needs. Specially if you plan to keep the van for a long time, the 24V will half the amps everywhere, you can run things much more efficiently, half the losses, less Kg in copper, and nothing warms up where it shouldn't. Apart from low demand outside lighting, this was my only venture with 12v, the van. And I hate it all the time. Up the voltage while you still can.

 

[Qwin]

Raul
With my simple, easy to use theme I stuck with 12v and have a Victron combined unit, 1600w inverter, 70A battery charger, 50A solar controller, and consumer unit in a single case. Its a compact unit with only two battery leads for all functions. It has 3 sets of MC4 solar inputs and 4 trip fused AC outputs. On the consumer unit, 3 AC outs run off EHU/inverter and one is EHU only, for the boiler high load, so it doesn't hit the battery if the EHU fails. Our power needs are quite small, our previous little motorhome didn't have an inverter, only a 100Ah AGM battery and 150w Solar. Moving up to our new set up, with 200Ah battery, 640W Solar and 1600w inverter will seem like luxury. Peoples needs and expectations differ, so what ever suits your requirements is fine.

 

[CAB96]

Your feet go into a short tunnel, that protrudes into the garage space.
The idea is, you roll up your bedding into the tunnel and retain it with a cargo net etc.

That's a great idea.

I look at a lot of vans and think, yes, but where does the bedding go?

I would want to sit on a sofa, not my bed.

 

[Qwin]

That's a great idea.

I look at a lot of vans and think, yes, but where does the bedding go?

I would want to sit on a sofa, not my bed.

With most commercial builds, caravans or smaller motorhomes the bed/sofa is the same thing.

 

[Qwin]

Got the over head lockers done on one side.
Got x9 Doors/hinges/catches off a breaker for £40.
Been keeping the other side of the van clear for transporting large sheets of ply and long timber. Will have to make a start on that side though.