Building your own camping interior

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by Zebedee, Oct 1, 2020.

  1. Its a transit jumbo so a bay would virtually fit in the back. Looks like there will be space for a couple of mountain bikes in the back too even with a full width double bed folded out. Looks like complete units can be built and just loaded through the rear doors.
    Its this size empty. :eek:
    8366c8aa942aec7a59018ea505e1ebd8.jpg
     
  2. Nice. So many more options for camping layouts in a van of that size.
     
  3. It’s huge
    Need good ventilation and air circulation.
    I’d consider covering all the holes in the roof arches to stop steam etc entering. Then i’d put well positioned holes with capping grommets so waxoyl can be periodically sprayed in them.
    Or do I take things too far?

    Whiles it’s empty hire/borrow a smoke machine to see if there are any tiny holes or gaps anywhere that want filling. I did loads of work to mine BEFORE discovering that scenario


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  4. I wish I had the skills to build one as neat as this
     
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  5. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    could you do the smoke thing with smoke pellets? Cheap to buy from a plumbers merchants. Don’t use the red one tho, they’re helpful to see smoke coming out of a chimney but will stain inside the van!!
     
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  6. Got offered some of those - promptly forgot about it!
    Ones I looked up said they stain, so if you know of ones that don’t, then that would be cool.

    Not knowing anything about them, would the smoke just rise up from a pellet? Whereas I imagine a machine could be directed and from floor up to fill the whole van


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  7. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    2522D9AB-7174-4A69-8407-28DFD5F7D80A.png I’m not sure what happens to the smoke if left on it’s own. I put at the base of the chimney behind a gas fire. I hear the chimney/flue first tho to help with the pull.

    you could always put one outside or in a shed/garage first to see what happens?
     
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  8. I still have my early Westy interior but remove a lot of it for long trips. I often think about making my own camping interior. I like being able to get equipment out quickly so my first step would be to make containers to hold the clunky things I always take with me in a way I could pack them efficiently but remove them easily. I tend to do all my cooking and dishwashing outside.
     
  9. Yes!
     
  10. Get in touch with Magnum Motorhomes and buy some 15mm veneered lightweight ply. It's their own version of vohringer but less expensive. They will also supply the various types of edging trim, angles, mouldings etc. to match the board. You could probably do it much more cheaply but having everything to hand from one source is less hassle.
    Poplar ply used to be the industry standard for caravans and motorhomes. It's pretty expensive if you want display grade facing in full size metric sheets. Lovely stuff to work with but you'd have to go down the framework route, unlike furniture board which is self supporting.

    As you're doing a full length run, you would still do a basic frame and fix furniture board to it. If you're OK with a router, you can save yourself some wastage by using Reimo type edging around the panels you cut out.
     
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  11. Is s/he wanting to put any windows in it? This will determine the best place to put other stuff. With that much length, I'd be tempted to use full length T track on the floor and make a triple section RnR bed (ie seat/back/seat). That way you can slide the seat/bed to wherever you want and create a separate storage area front, rear or both ends

    Have a look at the Wellhouse Leisure Tourneo Custom ....best van based conversion I've seen of late

     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2020
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  12. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    Ventilation/ opening windows may be useful otherwise theres a lot of dead air deep in the van..
     
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  13. Louey

    Louey Moderator

    Mine is a LWB, so the jumbo will have even more room :thumbsup:

    I used the light weight veneered ply (but slighlty cheaper version with printed vinyl). I think I would build more using frames first and using the ply to make cupboard fronts, doors, drawers etc.

    personally I don't like building a bulkhead behind the seats but each to their own. Build the bed up high, then you can have a bike garage underneath.

    Oh, and fit a heater - a must for a cyclist after tackling a ride in the rain or a miserable day. Pinterest, anooying as it is, has lots of layout ideas for XLWB vans and there are a few FB pages Self Build Campers etc.
     
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  14. I've spent hours on pinterest looking at conversions. Its got a bulkhead behind the seats (like in the generic piccy above) but theres a dead space above the cab that we've cut an access door into. I much prefer being able to walk through into the living space but the bulkhead doesn't seem to be just bolted on like some transits i've seen as theres loads of spotwelds too.
    There must be about 7.5ft of headroom in it so a high bed with bike storage underneath could work nicely.
    This slideout bike rack is pretty cool.
    [​IMG]
     
  15. I like working with Baltic Birch. It’s about 1/8” thick and bends easily. I used it to build the curved exterior of a flight simulator. It is modeled on a 707 and is built to scale. It is very sturdy and can be stained or even finished and painted to look as smooth as painted metal. That’s what I would use for a camping interior with a pine inner structure to save weight. I really need to figure out how to upload photos.
     
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  16. Walnut, with 6mm walnut mdf. Nice and light D7F6FFA9-7E5F-40DC-A7A7-9ABDCBA874FD.png F0132864-1846-496B-9ECA-EBA58C4DC215.png
     
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  17. You can't talk about that flight simulator and not put a picture up. Thems the rules. :rolleyes:
     
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  18. Interested to see you have a full width(?) bed and some side storage still. How wide is the storage if you wouldn’t mind a measure?


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  19. It`s not full width ;)

    I really like my old layout (home-brewed Westy-sh ) and after the refurb was contemplating a bigger bed . A full width would mean losing useful storage down the side which i didn`t want and the 3/4 was getting `snug` with two of us in there so i rang Rusty Lee and he built a 130cm frame . 3/4 width is 105cm so 25 cm wider which meant i could keep the side storage and rear wardrobe which you lose with a full width bed - win,win !!
    Cupboards are approx 45cm at the front for the cooker and fridge dropping down to about 28cm along the bed/seat/wardrobe .
    Best thing being , it really does very work well . whilst not losing too much storage that little bit more room if there`s two of you certainly helps as we`re not getting any younger (or thinner !!) .

    :hattip:
     
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  20. I ain't getting any thinner, that's why we are looking at a wider bed!

    Will look at a custom width solution the same i think, nice one @Lasty
     
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