Indeed ! Those who say ha ha I’ve ripped the heart out of it Never had their heart in it in the first place
That's ideal if you want to use your van as a transporter as well as a camper, I've got two removable pods that sit behind each seat bulkhead. It seems a no-brainer, but wasn't there something typically stuffy UK criteria for motor caravan classification that required permanently fixed furniture and equipment?
There is. For a vehicle to qualify as a ‘Motor Caravan’ in the UK in the eyes of the DVLA the following permanent fixtures must be present: Sleeping Accommodation There must be a bed with a minimum length of 6ft or 180cms The bed must be an integral part of the vehicle living accommodation area The bed must be permanent or converted from seats (the bed can fold away during the day) The bed fixtures must be secured directly to the vehicle floor and/or side walls, unless it is over the drivers cab compartment. Door There must be a horizontal sliding door or an outward opening rear or side door. Seats and Tables There must be a seating area for diners to sit around The table can be fixed or detachable The table must mount directly to the vehicle floor or side walls The table mounting must be secured as a permanent feature, either bolted screwed or welded. The table itself can be detachable. Seats must be secured directly to the vehicle floor and/or side walls The seats must be secured as a permanent fixture, either bolted, riveted, screwed or welded Permanently secured seating must be available for use at a table Water Container Note: DVLA do not state any requirements regarding water storage. However, most insurance companies state that the water tank should be onboard, or under the chassis. However, some insurance companies are happy with an external water container that can be moved, such as those used with a caravan. The vehicle must have an onboard or external (e,g, under the chassis) water container Note: The insurer Adrian Flux requires the water container to hold 6 gallons / 27 litres. Storage The vehicle must have at least one cupboard, locker or wardrobe The cupboard must be an integral part of the living accommodation area The cupboard must be a permanent feature, either bolted, riveted, screwed or welded The cupboard must be secured directly to the vehicle floor and / or side walls Cooking The vehicle must have cooking facilities powered by fixed gas, electric hob or microwave oven The cooking facilities must be secured directly to the vehicle floor or side wall The cooking facilities must be a permanent feature, either bolted, riveted, screwed or welded Gas and electric hobs must have a minimum or 2 cooking rings. Microwave ovens must have a power source (don’t just fit one that can’t be used) Gas cooking facilities with remote fuel supplies must have the gas supply pipe permanently secured to the vehicle structure Gas cooking facilities with remote fuel supplies should have the gas bottle, fuel reservoir secured to the vehicle structure
What's the reason and benefit for having a motor caravan classification? My van would pass all but the cooking facility.
^ that's all needed when you register the vehicle but there aren't any checks later on to verify it's not changed..? i would guess there are lots of campers that no longer have either cooking, water storage etc but are still "motor caravan" on the log book. mine no longer has the cooker either - i still have a cooker but its a portable i can lift out when not needed so doesn't comply with those rules. cheaper insurance and higher speed restrictions? Well, for me fully comp i'm paying 130 a year which i think is already pretty cheap, and with a "nearly" stock motor i really don't worry about speed
@alexbloorino if that was my bus i'd take out the cabinet but keep the rear facing seat. take out the wardrobe and re-use your existing r&r hinges to make your bed full width. Easy to do and 100% reversible if you change your mind. Its pretty much what we ended up with after several iterations. Full width bed is best for sleeping and losing the wardrobe makes it much lighter and removes your blind spot, allows two 3point rear belts, rear facing seat retained for occasional use/storage but more floor space.
Thanks for this, yes that’ defo what I am going to do although I thought about buying a rusty Lee bed. But i suppose if I’ve already the hinges may aswell use them.
My westy was a 3/4 bed originally - it's pretty straight forward to make some bigger boards to make it a full width bed with the original hinges.
So I’ve decided to go ahead and change the interior to suit our needs Better. Removed buddy seat and fitted a proper flip down van seat bolted through the floor on large spread plates. Far safer for my eldest and means I am happier carrying 3 in the back. Brought a 2nd hand 3 way fridge which I am currently building a cabinet round. Nothing flashy as budget won’t stretch. Great having the flip down seat as it means more room when not in use.