Hello, father of six seeking advice for massive campervan (1 Viewer)

[chaser]

Another vote for van plus caravan.
VW Caravelle, caravan and awning is an absolute winner for large families.
We camp with two families of seven, both have this set-up.
It works very well for them, I'm quiet envious on occasion.
They've got Cadacs large enough to cook for eight, room for kids toys, large awnings so that adults and kids all have space.
Leaving the caravan on site offers so much freedom to go exploring or even just popping to Tesco.
You'll rip through food supplies in the van. Fridge refill every third or fourth day?
Where will the kid's car seats, baby buggy, table and chairs live?
Think about clothes, shoes, towels, dirty washing, crockery and cooking utensils, even the number of loo rolls you'll need to carry.
Awnings are heavy and take up a lot of space, you'll probably need two toilet cassettes too.
Will the kids want to take bikes/scooters/skateboards and so on?
You need to keep everyone happy otherwise it's no fun, think about the practicalities of a panel van....

Various ways of doing it , but everything in one panel Van is not really going to work I'm afraid.
Personally I'd go bus and awning, but your idea is probably just as good.
But if you are going that way I would think a huge caravan and a normal eight seater car would be better than a motorhome altogether.
When not on holiday the car would be more useful than a motorhome.

 

[yodeli]

That slept 6

Oh whaoo ... mine takes only 4. Not a very long MoHo actually, only 5,55mtres ...and I use for me only most of the time. Lately I took Mum to the beach for 5 days but I found it quickly a tad small. Mind you... Mum takes the whole house for a few days

 

[Puddleduck]

Oh whaoo ... mine takes only 4. Not a very long MoHo actually, only 5,55mtres ...and I use for me only most of the time. Lately I took Mum to the beach for 5 days but I found it quickly a tad small. Mind you... Mum takes the whole house for a few days

Ours was nearly 8m long so the big sister of yours although very much the same style / vintage.

I drove her round Paris during rush hour

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[Lenny HB]

I drove her round Paris during rush hour

No hope for some people.

 

[Puddleduck]

I don't know where all this condensation comes from, we have windows all round ours, no silver screen or owt and we never get condensation, really.
My lad has also got a converted ambulance, on a fiat and he doesn't either

You want to try riding around in a busy service bus during winter in Scotland - plenty of condensation then! Even a car will have condensation on the windows on a cold day. I have noticed that some buses have a sort of film on the windows and that doesn't appear to be as badly affected.

Of course there are other ways to steam up windows but as JerryD already has so many children I am sure he knows all about that

Another idea might be to have a yacht designer have a look at the space inside a coach abd see what could be done with that. Travel seats already on place and lots of room underneath for tanks and the like.

 

[Puddleduck]

I drove her round Paris during rush hour

No hope for some people.

For some reason the navigator thought the Paris route would be better than the route I had marked on the map !!!!! Actually it wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds as the traffic was moving slowly and the Hymer was lhd. I knew the Porte I needed to exit and was lucky enough (luck rather than planning) to be able to get into the correct exit lane a km or so in advance. That was in the days before satnavs and when I was young and foolish.

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[chaser]

You want to try riding around in a busy service bus during winter in Scotland - plenty of condensation then! Even a car will have condensation on the windows on a cold day. I have noticed that some buses have a sort of film on the windows and that doesn't appear to be as badly affected.

Of course there are other ways to steam up windows but as JerryD already has so many children I am sure he knows all about that

Another idea might be to have a yacht designer have a look at the space inside a coach abd see what could be done with that. Travel seats already on place and lots of room underneath for tanks and the like.

Maybe ambulance windows are treated with something, I know what you mean about cars and things, but we haven't seen any in our van.

 

[Lenny HB]

For some reason the navigator thought the Paris route would be better than the route I had marked on the map !!!!! Actually it wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds as the traffic was moving slowly and the Hymer was lhd. I knew the Porte I needed to exit and was lucky enough (luck rather than planning) to be able to get into the correct exit lane a km or so in advance. That was in the days before satnavs and when I was young and foolish.

Last time I went around the Périphérique in a car it took me longer to do 10 miles than 120 miles from the Périphérique to Dieppe.

 

[Puddleduck]

Last time I went around the Périphérique in a car it took me longer to do 10 miles than 120 miles from the Périphérique to Dieppe.

Yep, it took over an hour to get round even back then.

Our passengers slept through the whole shebang and as we went through the tunnel and didn't wake up until we were past Newark on the A1. So much for "Oh, we'll stay an extra day and share the driving on the way back".

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[JerryD]

Another vote for van plus caravan.
VW Caravelle, caravan and awning is an absolute winner for large families.
We camp with two families of seven, both have this set-up.....

What you say makes a lot of sense for people with big families that are all about camp sites. I'm all about spur of the moment trips and being able to park and sleep anywhere for example if I want to go to an away game in Aberdeen or Inverness (we support Dundee United)

Not likely to often be going away for whole week trips with all the family in camp sites. To be honest, with my wife being pregnant it's going to be more about getting away with the boys but I would love to be able to fit everyone in and drive to somewhere like Alton towers, sleep over in the van, go to alton towers all day sleep in the van again, and drive back. If we were going to a camp site maybe I would hire a caravan as well or something like that. What you say does make a lot of sense though mate.

Been doing so much research and looking into so many possibilities. 17 seat Minibusses don't leave very much space at all if you leave 8 seats which can only be used as seats in them.

jezport -Yeah, thinking I need to go for something with massive payload and I am currently studying the theory for my category c licence. It was the same price to go for the full category c licence so I will be able to drive large lorries if I want!

I keep coming back to the fiat ducato extra high roof because of its superior width accomodating a 6 foot bed. Have also been doing some drawings base on the iveco daly xxlwb although its length may be a bridge to far in terms of finding places to park it.

It's certainly possible to have seats fitted although fitting two rows of 4 facing each other would be a tight squeeze for getting access to the seating area. I emailed a company about this and got this reply:

Hi Jerry,


"
Thank you for your interesting enquiry. It sounds like you have a challenge on your hands. I’ve never had anyone fit 4 bench seats in a Ducato, however, this doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

Some options to consider on the 506.

• They start at 850mm wide, 2 x 850 is 1700mm which would leave only 170mm space to walk between the benches.
• FASP offer a 3 seat version which is 1200mm wide, however, this may be a little tight depending on the age of your children. I’d need to double check this option is still available.
• We don’t offer an installation kit, the installation is left up to yourself or installer/converter etc.

An alternative could be to fit 2 x 506 bench seats facing each other, then to fit 2 x Aguti folding seats on the opposite side (both would need to be forward facing ideally). To gain another 2 beds you could look at the cab bunk, this uses the front seats to turn into a double bunk bed. You’d then get 6 travelling seats, a double bed and a double bunk. The folding seats can hide underneath a side facing lounge which could then be incorporated with the 2 x 506 benches to make a large dining area and a large bed."


I would make sure that whoever fitted the seats really over engineered the fit. I've checked out the law and I think I'm all good.

I believe the converted panel van could have to be classed as a minibus rather than a motorhome if there are more than 7 seats which would cause complications for insurance. I'm not going to let that stop me though.

Converting a van to carry passengers in the rear

www.gov.uk

A good friend and colleague of mine suggested having hammocks, which makes a lot of sense on a high roof van as I could remove them when not in use to allow more space. There's also a lot of cool stuff you can do with bunk beds on high roof vans. Kids arent bothered about over head space so if you have a bed really high up you can add a berth without any more footprint.

I realise I will have to compromise on kitchen and toilet space and go for really small footprint stuff. I'm fine with this. I have a really good compact weber charcoal bbq that I like taking with me on camping trips.



I've been using a tool called vanspace 3D to work on some designs. Its alright, but is anyone knows of a better tool then please tell me.

Anyway thanks to everybody for the useful opinions and suggestions. It's more complicated, tricky expensive and time consuming then I thought but with god as my witness I am going to make it happen! (even if uses up all my free time and bankrupts me and by the time I get to the end my wife is so fed up that she leaves me and takes the kids with her )

 

[Wildweasle]

Hi folks, thanks for letting me join this forum. I'm a nissan elgrand owner and keen camper. The seats of an elgrand fold into a bed which has been great easy trips away, including away football matches, with my three sons. As they grow its becoming an ever tighter squeeze and I have 2 daughters, aged 4 and 1, and another baby due in March (I'm only 33 lol). My dream is to buy a massive long wheelbase panel van and vuild it up to accommodate all of us. I have the money to do it and life is too short as they say. Wanting to make happy memories with the family.ooks like a great forum and I shall certainly be seeking advice from you good people if toy don't mind. Cheers

Welcome the best place to have fun and learn

 

[Stonemags76]

Think the hammocks are a great idea, & the kids would love them! Give loads more space for living, as they would pack away & might mean more room for travelling seats?

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[JerryD]

I've paid a deposit for a vehicle.

Iveco Daily xlwb 6.9 metres long. Its a 15 seat minibus. 33k miles, 8 years old. Getting an independent mechanical inspection done on Tuesday.

With my better half due to have a baby in March it will be a while before the whole family can go away together. I'm the mean time I can be having fun with this building it up into a camper.

It already has a diesel heating system, rear parking sensors and camera, and a skylight. At nearly 7 metres long and with a high roof there is a lot of potential.

Thanks to the people on this forum for friendly and encouraging posts about the project. I'm looking forward to getting out for some winter camping, just throw a couple of mattresses in the back to start with. (assuming mechanical inspection is all OK and I get it)

 

[JerryD]

Broken Link Removed

 

[chaser]

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Nice one

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[JerryD]

Had a mechanical inspection done on the vehicle below and it was not good...the inspector reported that the vehicle didn't feel safe enough to drive on the motorway..
"Road test aborted as did not feel safe.
Various noises and play in steering."

Also Oil leak on the power steering, various noises from the suspension cabinets, excessive play on the steering wheel.


Ive just had another inspection on one of the same type of vehicle today that was much more favourable, the guy was really impressed. I have also been provided with a really comprehensive spreadsheet pertaining to be the service history from the lease company.


Does anyone have experience of these iveco iris welfare buses?

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[Wildbill]

Deleted post the big1 covered it well
bill

 

[Fraggle 22]

Had a mechanical inspection done on the vehicle below and it was not good...the inspector reported that the vehicle didn't feel safe enough to drive on the motorway..
"Road test aborted as did not feel safe.
Various noises and play in steering."

Also Oil leak on the power steering, various noises from the suspension cabinets, excessive play on the steering wheel.


Ive just had another inspection on one of the same type of vehicle today that was much more favourable, the guy was really impressed. I have also been provided with a really comprehensive spreadsheet pertaining to be the service history from the lease company.


Does anyone have experience of these iveco iris welfare buses?

I had an iveco 5ton converted to a horsebox. Absolutely loved it and it drove very well. Economical too.

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[JerryD]

I had an iveco 5ton converted to a horsebox. Absolutely loved it and it drove very well. Economical too.

Nice. Was it the 3l turbo diesel engine mate? I've noticed that The Big1 swears by that engine. Thats what this one has

 

[Fraggle 22]

Nice. Was it the 3l turbo diesel engine mate? I've noticed that The Big1 swears by that engine. Thats what this one has

I honestly can't remember it was a P reg but belting motor

 

[JerryD]

Deposit paid on the Iveco Iris bus. Advertised price £11500 plus vat = £13800. Managed to haggle down to £12500 including vat. Seems that base vans are sought after at the moment so its been hard to find anything with an automatic gearbox (which is essential for us). 4.5 metres of load space, diesel heater, skylight, rear view camera, extensive service history with brand new tyres, no rust, 41000 miles, 3 litre diesel engine, roof lining, bodywork in great condition plus wheelchair lift that I can sell and seats that I temporarily use and then sell.

Do you think this is a reasonable deal? Only negatives I can see is that the load height is only just above 6 foot. I am just under 6 foot so need to be crafty when insulating the roof. I think there is space between the ceiling ribs where you can insulate and you can use materials which have a high R number (nothing to do with bloody covid) and relatively low mass.

Thinking of an elevating bed at the back which could leave options for space underneath - sometimes another mattress and at other times garage space or living space. I've searched the forum to see if anyone else has done this but couldn't find anything...can anyone point me in the right direction?

Likewise can anyone recommend anyone that can build bespoke campervan furniture to order?

This is a really exciting time! Literally cannot WAIT to get started converting the vehicle

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[Jimbohorlicks]

Looks a nice van ,good luck with the conversion.

 

[TUCANO]

Sorry I can't help in any way but I wish you success with your project. I think there is a self build section on this forum, have you tried self build forums

 

[JerryD]

Maybe I should just do my own research or make a new thread in a different part of the forum

TUCANO as you can see above on September 12th, before I paid my membership I did ask whether I should post this initial question in a different place within the forum. Thanks for the advice re self build forums I have had a look mate. All the best cheers

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[StitchesnFluff]

Looks a great van. A general search under self builds will help you

 

[MisterB]

You tube yourself until you can't take any more ....brilliant step by step guides, learn from their mistakes and things they would and wouldn't do next time. I particularly think Greg Virgo's approach is better than most, very methodical and planned to the umpteenth degree BEFORE starting ...
All the research re which materials to use has been done for you.

Re the ceiling height, don't forget the floor may decrease the distance between floor and ceiling dependant on how you construct it.

Don't think that it's only self builds you need to look at, fullltimers also make alterations in terms of electrical systems that might also offer some information.

Good luck with the build, it's not a race, so take your time, be methodical and plan, plan and then plan again for what you need, want and would like.

PS I saw an American conversion on You Tube recently that had the electric drop down bed that you mentioned. It made into double bunk beds that easily slept four, headroom was obviously limited but it might give you an idea to consider?

 

[chaser]

Deposit paid on the Iveco Iris bus. Advertised price £11500 plus vat = £13800. Managed to haggle down to £12500 including vat. Seems that base vans are sought after at the moment so its been hard to find anything with an automatic gearbox (which is essential for us). 4.5 metres of load space, diesel heater, skylight, rear view camera, extensive service history with brand new tyres, no rust, 41000 miles, 3 litre diesel engine, roof lining, bodywork in great condition plus wheelchair lift that I can sell and seats that I temporarily use and then sell.

Do you think this is a reasonable deal? Only negatives I can see is that the load height is only just above 6 foot. I am just under 6 foot so need to be crafty when insulating the roof. I think there is space between the ceiling ribs where you can insulate and you can use materials which have a high R number (nothing to do with bloody covid) and relatively low mass.

Thinking of an elevating bed at the back which could leave options for space underneath - sometimes another mattress and at other times garage space or living space. I've searched the forum to see if anyone else has done this but couldn't find anything...can anyone point me in the right direction?

Likewise can anyone recommend anyone that can build bespoke campervan furniture to order?

This is a really exciting time! Literally cannot WAIT to get started converting the vehicle

Being a bus does it need anymore insulation in the roof?

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[Stonemags76]

I liked Wissel planning phase on his thread. Different set up, but worth a read! Also Ralph-n-Bev - totally different, but again, worth a read!

 

[JerryD]

You tube yourself until you can't take any more ....brilliant step by step guides, learn from their mistakes and things they would and wouldn't do next time. I particularly think Greg Virgo's approach is better than most, very methodical and planned to the umpteenth degree BEFORE starting ...
All the research re which materials to use has been done for you.

Re the ceiling height, don't forget the floor may decrease the distance between floor and ceiling dependant on how you construct it.

Don't think that it's only self builds you need to look at, fullltimers also make alterations in terms of electrical systems that might also offer some information.

Good luck with the build, it's not a race, so take your time, be methodical and plan, plan and then plan again for what you need, want and would like.

PS I saw an American conversion on You Tube recently that had the electric drop down bed that you mentioned. It made into double bunk beds that easily slept four, headroom was obviously limited but it might give you an idea to consider?

Van arrived...condition is excellent.

Regarding the height, unfortunately I'm a tiny bit too tall to stand in it. Really hoping that the floor can come up and the van can be stripped back to it's original floor which would mean 1900mm internal load space which would be enough. I'm a bit worried that the minibus floor has been installed into the chassis to the extent that removing it altogether would leave a hole in the van and then I am left with a really complicated, difficult and expensive build :S

Yes, I've seen that electric drop down bed video too mate, that was what gave me the idea for it, don't know if there are any businesses in the UK that specialise in this but have been looking. Wish I had the skills to do it myself but I just don't!

 

[JerryD]

Being a bus does it need anymore insulation in the roof?

Not sure mate, do they usually have insulation pre installed in the roof? There's already a really good lighting system in place with switches' in the cab and the roof is really nicely lined so in a way would be great to just leave the roof. At the same time, some people say you should just strip it out to its bare bones and start again, remove the existing lights and replace with more efficient LED's and put a totally new electrical system in rather than add to an existing one for things like power sockets, additional lights and cookers etc. To be honest I'm in way over my head on all this!

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