What Panel Van?

[olley]

Ok just to set the scene: We have a 9.5 ton 30' RV in the garden for long holidays but for short weekends/days away its just to big, to hard to park and to expensive to drive so we are looking for a panel van of some sort. It needs to have all facilities as we will sleep in it sometimes and ideally a permanent bed, had made up beds before and found them uncomfortable, budget around the £10,000-£12-000 not a lot I know but as a second van I can't see the point.
Any pointers anyone?

 

[Minxy]

Not sure when permanent beds became available in PVCs so you might struggle to find one but there will be some with full length lounge sofas so you can have singles I should think.

 

[CazPaul]

Have you got the time and skills to buy a cheap can and then convert it yourself?

For that budget probably your best bet, you know it has been done right, insulation etc, you get your exact layout.

 

[Podney]

You will have already considered this,but I can’t resist asking.........sorry!

Why don’t you sell the big one,buy a medium sized one,and don’t buy the small one?

That way you have parking ability plus sufficient comfort if you get the right layout.

One lot of tax,insurance,running costs.

 

[Minxy]

I've just waded through Autotrader with a top limit of £13,000 and came up with these, not much else on there.

Campervan:

Broken Link Removed

Coachbuilt:

Broken Link Removed

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[olley]

You will have already considered this,but I can’t resist asking.........sorry!

Why don’t you sell the big one,buy a medium sized one,and don’t buy the small one?

That way you have parking ability plus sufficient comfort if you get the right layout.

One lot of tax,insurance,running costs.

We already have two cars so the plan is sell my Zafira and replace with the small van.

 

[Podney]

We already have two cars so the plan is sell my Zafira and replace with the small van.

I knew it made sense!

 

[Machbuster]

Make sure you check insulation. I had a Rapido panel van, the bed was cold in both ends as the head end was over gas bottle compartmen and the foot end over the water tank, neither were properly insulated.

 

[DIY campervan]

Have you got the time and skills to buy a cheap can and then convert it yourself?

For that budget probably your best bet, you know it has been done right, insulation etc, you get your exact layout.

Thats a great option but boy its taking me a hell of a long time to build mine on odd days i can spare to work on it lol

 

[olley]

Got the time, skills and tools but inclination no.
Thanks for those links Minxy Girl the van is nice but at 22' it's not exactly a run about.
I realise now that to get what we what it's twice the money or no fixed bed.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Minxy]

There are plenty of PVCs out there for your budget but perhaps a rethink on exactly what you need will help. For example do you need a shower or just a toilet? What size kitchen/facilities do you really need? Could you use a couple of lengthwise sofas as single beds rather than a double (no joins)? For the beds you could put mattress toppers on long sofas and leave them there with a nice cover/fleece for daytime use then all you need to do is throw a duvet on at night - from experience replace the inner pad of cushions with pillows cut down to fit as they then are dual purpose, don't need storing during the day and are better to sleep on than a flat cushion, just put pillow cases over for night use.

 

[olley]

No don't need a shower only a toilet, our first camper was a pop up Leyland sherpa and then a little mitso coach built on both we had to make the bed up and I can remember being fed up doing it.
We aren't looking to take long holidays in it so that won't be such chore its true, we need to go and look at a few and get a feel for what we can live with.

 

[DIY campervan]

Got the time, skills and tools but inclination no.
Thanks for those links Minxy Girl the van is nice but at 22' it's not exactly a run about.
I realise now that to get what we what it's twice the money or no fixed bed.

Lol well if i had the money i wouldn't build my own. Im defo having a fixed double bed though and one convertible settee bed