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XLWB Campervan build - what I'm learning

AlexSimon · 2019-10-26T17:23:04Z

Inspired by Mike D in this amazing thread and seeing how he managed to squeeze 4 people and 4 bikes in a van, I started looking for a Boxer/Relay/Ducato L4 of my own. It took me a year to find one that I thought was cheap enough to cover the risk (I couldn't afford the less risky ones) and I travelled down to Stratford-upon-Avon Summer 2018 to pick up my ex-flooring fleet van. 2015, 114k miles, white (wanted silver but wasn't prepared to pay the £1k extra they seem to command). It's a Peugeot Boxer 435 Professional with a 2.2L transit Puma engine. She looks a bit bigger in the car park than I imagined! While looking for a van, we'd been working on loads of different layouts and working out the compromises we were willing to make. One difference to Mike's van was that my 2 sons are already nearly adult-sized and one is 6'2", so big beds and big bikes need to be catered for. Top priorities: 4 adult-sized beds (one bed can be a double, but not a priority) 4 belted seats 4 bikes hidden from outside view and separated from living space Fridge Heating Room to sit around a table Some kind of cooking solution Some kind of toileting solution Under £4,500 build cost Lots of storage space Second priorities: Swivel cab seats to create more space Room for people to sit up in bed Attractive and unique interior that keeps me motivated to build After looking at a million van layouts we decided that the rear seats like the Wildax Solaris or Auto Sleepers Windrush (also called Sussex BB) would be our preferred layout, so we contacted them and asked if they would sell the seats. They wouldn't :( So we went all around the houses thinking of alternatives, but kept returning to wanting that layout. I contacted loads of rock'n'roll bed manufacters with pics of the Wildax seats, but none wanted to supply. Anyway - down the pub I mentioned one night that I might have to design and get someone to fabricate them and I got offered the use of someone's welding equipment. Even though I was scared, I kind of knew that it was inevitable that this is the route I would go down. So we started drawing out what we wanted and eventually got it all into CAD on Fusion360. Looking at the materials I could see it costing soooo much less than off-the-shelf rock'n'roll beds, but know it would take me ages to achieve. Looking back those seats account for about 4 months of the conversion time of the van! Agreed layout: The seats work by sliding forwards and then an infill piece goes in the middle. You can also use the infill as a sofa back with just the far seat slid down. Now we've camped in the van, this layout works really well. Pros: - 4 beds, 4 comfy seats, 4 bikes in garage - Can use swivels to make a nice large lounge - Nice big beds (all adult) - Nice big storage area under the high bed. - All 4 people can sit up in bed - Can probably go with friends mountain biking and not just family - Easy access to cab from living space - Large items (inflatable canoe was our main one) can go at the bottom of the garage and penetrate under the rear bunk. Cons: - Rear seats aren't same height as front seats - No room for bathroom, or private toilet space - Infill for double-bed has to just hang around on one of the other bunks while made into seats - Kitchen can't extend into sliding door area like some builds - Not much privacy What we learned so far: 1. L3 and L4 Ducato/Relay/Boxers are in big demand for converters keeping the price high 2. I don't know anything about engines/etc so didn't trust myself to appraise a van 3. Fitting what we wanted in a van makes every mm count. For example, because we needed to use the c-pillar seatbelt points, we couldn't really deviate from a 1400mm wide double bed, a 1900mm long high bunk and a 600mm garage. 4. Van parts are really expensive. As I took a risk on a cheap van, I had some reserve, but after reading around on forums it's not really enough to cover multiple large faults like the gearbox/clutch/engine and even smaller faults can add up quickly. Fingers crossed! 5. So many van layouts you see looking amazing on pinterest/forums are for 2 people in a large van. That would be sooooo easy! I've got 250 photos of the build so far. I'll post more when I get chance.

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Last Post by AlexSimon 2 years ago

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AlexSimon

Posts: 10340

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Topic starter

It does that for about 90 seconds. So far I've been able to put up with it, but I do understand the desire to kill it!

Posted : 19/03/2022 5:22 pm

NorthCountryBoy

Posts: 87

Free Member

Sadly no pics for me, seem to see other pics that people are posting in the thread but none from the OP...

Posted : 19/03/2022 9:35 pm

AlexSimon

Posts: 10340

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Topic starter

@NorthCountryBoy
Yeah - it's a pain. I think it's to do with the non-https (non-secure) links to my server embedded in an https (secure) site.
I've overridden it for this site in my own browser, but I only recommend doing that if you're already a subscriber and therefore don't get ads as I'm sure there's the odd malicious ad still getting through google.

Anyway - I've uploaded the full album to Google Photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/W8AnBWzAZDwR4gsTA

Posted : 01/04/2022 1:37 pm

AlexSimon

Posts: 10340

Full Member

Topic starter

Ooh now that images can be hosted by STW, I might start adding to this thread again

Posted : 21/06/2023 9:35 am

bigginge reacted

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