Taking the Plunge

Over the years we have longed to own another camper, a small-ish one that we could use as a daily vehicle, our commute is only 3 miles. The new VW T2s imported from Mexico are beautiful but as with all modern camper conversions they are soooo bloody expensive so we decided on a self build project. We have a Golf GTI at the moment, ten years old and still looks and drives like new.  Obviously we are quite enthusiastic about Volkswagen build quality and the T5 vans look great but we also considered the Renault Master, Vauxhall Vivaro and Merc rustbu...erm "Vito"

After looking at a few we found a 2007 LWB T5 panel van with a semi high top and tailgate, a great combination for a camper and quite cheap at £5995 plus VAT.  Down went the deposit and the balance should clear this week.

I initially discounted the long wheelbase models but the VW T5 LWB is only 40cm longer than the SWB and in a camper that 40cm is all extra living space and will make a big difference.

There are a couple of stone chips on the front, nothing that a quick touch up won't fix.  The passenger door also has some minor cosmetic marks but overall the vehicle is solid.  I want a van that will be usable as a daily vehicle not something that looks like it just rolled out of a showroom and we are scared to drive in case it gets rained on!

The van has covered 115,000 miles which sounds a lot but isn't really on a modern diesel.  To have clocked that in 4 years the bulk of the mileage will have been long motorway journeys, ie less wear and tear compared to urban driving.  It has had regular servicing and the cam belt was done at the correct interval.

It has a tailgate rather than opening barn doors.  Ideal for a camper. It has a "semi high roof" providing more head room inside.  Not quite enough to stand up in, but also not so high that it negatively impacts fuel economy.

We pick it up at the end of the week.  Jude chose the name Gerty inspired by the last letters of the registration, GTY.

We will have the windows fitted professionally as I don't like the prospect of cutting holes in the side of the van.  We might have the bed fitted too, as many suppliers offer free fitting on their Rock and roll beds.  The rest of the conversion will be done on a DIY basis.  I intend to keep a running total of our expenditure and will update this blog with any significant developments.

We have spent a good part of the past week clearing and partitioning the back half of the garage to
use as a workshop.  The front half of the garage adjoins the rabbit run and is where our three
bunnies live!



Once the windows are in we can work on insulation, wiring, boarding and carpet lining.  I have joined the Self Build Motor Caravanners Club and will most likely be active on the forums there.  I also find the T5 Forums site to be invaluable in particular the Conversion sub-forum.

Heidi

In 1995 we purchased "Heidi", a 1972 VW Camper, one of the rare Devon Conversions models. It was bought locally from a family who used it to travel to nudist campsites, we soon gave the seats a good clean after imagining all the sweaty arses that had been sat on them! We spent that summer travelling around Western and Central Europe getting as far as Budapest before making the long trip home via Austria, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.





Over the next 6 years we travelled the length of the UK with many visits to Suffolk and North Wales as well as a trip to Scotland and our annual pilgrimage to Glastonbury. I spent a small fortune having the van restored and resprayed.

We also made some improvements in terms of new heat exchangers, imported rust-free doors from California, electronic ignition and Webber carbs as well as adding some extra cupboard space inside. I also ran a car for daily use, and eventually came to the conclusion that I could no longer justify keeping a vehicle on the road for 3-4 camping trips a year. So off she went, sold to a couple in Nottingham. She is still on the road somewhere, still chugging along at 39 years of age.

Since then we have had two caravans, a trailer tent and a (now perished and in the bin) leaky dome tent but nothing quite beats a camper for convenience.