NV200 Campervan Review Part 2 of 2
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- These are my personal thoughts on our Sussex Campervans NV200 camper. In this episode I talk about the LPG heating and cooking system, sleeping in the roof, and how we use the storage.
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Another excellent video - the pace of your explanations and demos is just right. Thanks and looking forward to seeing your next trips.
Thank you, was waiting for this 👍👍👍
Great videos, I watched both parts. I don't have a campervan, i'm still researching, all the stuff that you need is putting me off. So much to buy and look after.
You can keep it simple to start with. Some people try car camping with just somewhere to sleep and a camping stove to boil a kettle 🙂
Good to see you folks at the 'beginning' and how cleverly you do things. It's plenty of motivation for us, enthusiastic dummies. XD You both were born for the roads! :) Have the best fun ever in 2021! bear hugs, Kata
Thanks Kata 😊 All the best to you for 2021👍
Have watched parts 1 & 2 of your review, found the whole insight very interesting and informative, we have been looking for a small campervan and you are swaying us so far. Going to bing watch your videos, thank you for sharing👍
Ditto.
The information from Parts 1 & 2 is the reason I've subscribed and am also binge watching.
Regards from S Africa
Clive
Hello Ken and Carol I have watched all your vids over the last 10 days in lockdown France..very informative and detailed. can't wait to start a van conversion when things improve..will check in for regular updates..thanks..
Thanks for the feedback Stephen. Glad you found them watchable. All the best for when you start your conversion. 👍
Have watched your part 1 & 2,i really enjoy your presentation on the Nissan NV200 small camper van tour.Excellent for newbies ,thanks to Ken & Carol stay healthy & safe all the best😍😍😍
Thank you so much for watching. Glad you found it useful 🙂
Hi Carol and Ken. I really enjoyed this review. It’s so interesting seeing all your tips and adaptions. Thanks for taking the time to make it and put it on. I look forward to the next one. Stay safe you two.
Thanks for your comment ❤️
Lousy Backpacker presentation...rubbish everywhere, lots of useless bla blaa....Windox Pulsar more professional and true Camper Van
Very good......Great tips......and very watchable......well done!!!!
Such a good review. Thank you
So informative 👍
Absolutely brilliant - thank you so much for doing this. I've been busy updating my campervan notebook with all your tips and things. Details of the midge net is particularly good, because scotland is a place I want to re-visit once i've got my nv200 (spring 2021). hugs xx
Gemma Kate you are welcome. We have learned so much from others over the years that its nice to be able to share it. This is where got our midge net from. Really good quality net. We bought their hoods as well for when we are out walking. www.midgie.net
I find it strange that Sussex Campers didn’t make it fine enough to begin with
Nice film... Feeling the "taking too much on your first few trips".👍
Even now we are finding stuff we just don’t need with us. Our van has much more room than it used to which makes using the essential items we do take easier to get at. We have also shed a lot of unnecessary weight. The latest thing to get the chop is water, we have been carrying far too much for our needs and each litre weighs a kilo. 👍
@@LifeistooshortCK yes, my wife uses most of our water on washing up.. never really considered paper plates untill watching your video. Thanks 👍
@@alanburns5023 we ditched the paper plates as they can disintegrate with some foods. Now we use proper plates and wash them but we use very little water to do that.
Thanks for this but did I miss the bit about setting the bed up ? Looking at getting one of these so this brilliant impartial review is superb, cheers guys
Thanks for watching. If you want to see how the “rock n roll” bed works, have a look at Sussex Campervans video ua-cam.com/video/cOLtxcqhuR8/v-deo.html ☺️
Thank you for the review. We are looking at the USA AWD version 👍🏻
Thanks for watching. Good luck with your van search 🙂
Very sweet
Great review. Like the midge net, Trish is in the process of making ours, was for our on-hold NC500.
Thanks. Midge net is good stuff. Anything to keep them out has to be worth it 👍
Thank you!
This is 100% wild camping I do it all the time well done were there's a will there's a way graham up in windermere
Excellent video
Thanks for the feedback Anthony. Part 3 is in production.
I'm so jealous of your wee van set-up! Absolutely love it! We are actually thinking about going full-time in a motorhome/camper conversion in 2021, but we'll need to go a little bigger :)
Hi Steve. Ours is great for a bit of exploring but it would be hell for full time van life. You need plenty of comfort, heating and power for that game. You will be able to do some epic videos if you go that route though. All the best for the New Year 👍
@@LifeistooshortCK Cheers, and all the best to you guys too! :)
I learned alot from u. Thank you ✌️👍
Glad to help. Thanks for watching 🙂
Very interesting.. I have a kangoo micro camper, and was considering an NV200… definitely a bit more room, but not as much as I thought. Enjoying your adventures!
Yep its still a tight fit but never been next to a Kangoo to directly compare.
I’m with you on that table. I wouldn’t take it either! Your no-slide trays are awesome! It’s all you need! You are beautifully organized 👏👏👏👏 I can’t imagine even trying to figure out what clothes, and how many?? Pairs of shoes? Coats? Oh my 🥺🥺🥺🥺
Those trays are so handy we have them at home as well ☺️
@@LifeistooshortCK , they are wonderful. I’m going to order two ❤️❤️❤️❤️💕
Thank you soo much
You're welcome!☺️👍
Nice video, again. The snag with your upstairs version is if you need to come down in the middle of the night for a pee.
We don’t sleep upstairs too cold and too old for that 😁
When you need to lift the flooring you could embed magnetic discs to match your table base. It should add stability.
Good tip thanks 👍
Excellent review. I now have a quite extensive shopping/wish list! I have a renault trafic paradise from sussex campervans, a bit bigger but still small enough for day to day use. I almost never use the table finding it space consuming inside the van and unstable on all but the most level grass. I don't know why it is a requisite to have one to register the vehicle as a camper, no-one seems to use them.
Totally agree about the table 👍
Great review, found it on Sussex Campervans website. Been watching your more recent stuff for a while. Roof bed, what a disaster! I wouldn’t want to be trapped up there all night. You can’t get down for midnight Pee!! You did well with that van for so long with the two of you. Your consort is soooo much better. I wondered why you didn’t go for a larger Sussexcamper this time round?
They don’t offer a van with a high roof without a pop top. 👍
thank you, for this video, Love it, would like to see a list of your items you are using, thanks
I will be doing that at some point but will hold off for a while until things settle on what actually gets used and what doesn’t 👍
Great setup, Im loving the videos. Thats a really nice base for your table, where did you get it?
That is supplied by Sussex Campervans.
this is a good little film ,grounded , practical and informative plus just the right voice over. thank you
Thanks Clyde 👍😊
Nice van. I have seen video's were people have replaced the glace on the range with wood.
Confusious that would certainly be an option and easy to do I would think. It would also not be as vulnerable to shattering.👍
Some great tips here, thanks ! What flooring did you use to avoid catching on the under seat cupboards ? I assume you had to cut to size.
The ones we used were from Costco. They come in packs of 6 and I used 4 with the joins forming a cross in the centre of the floor. Yes I did have to cut each one. Lots of DIY places sell them and they are on Amazon. I recommend you measure the gap underneath any door that may catch so that you can order with confidence. You will not believe the difference they make even in bare feet on an icy morning. We first used them on the floor of the garage so luckily I had a few spare so I could test it.
Interesting
If you lay your welly boots down, you can slot things in and out of the leg holes without removing the boots.
Another good tip. Keep them coming 😁👍
Duct tape is always handy to have for quick fixes
Nice video. Thanks.
Q: What’s the brand of the waterproof laundry bag?
The purple sacks are made by a company called Exped. Www.exped.com. We have had them for ages now, way before we got the van. They are good but there are many other types available on line and they all do pretty much the same job 👍
Hey guys, nice informative videos. We’re considering buying one of these vans. Be interesting to see what you think of the bed? It seems quite narrow from the photos. Cheers 😊
You have to try it before you buy it. We did and we have found it to be cosy but comfortable.
I use cubes as well and I do have different colors. I also use a compression bag for my dirty clothes. Do you know you can put water and soap to wash your clothes? You put air and a ball and bounce around or remove a bit of air and press it continuously to wash. But thanks for the tip for the wet raincoat. I also have the same collapsable square that also use as a cutting board. We also have the bug swatter. Nice little red van
We tried that washing technique but I think we were doing it wrong. 👍
Well, with the ball, i find it does not work well. When you take the clothes with your hands, and rub it against each other, works a bit more. Hownis the moral?
Hello and thanks for sharing all this info
Looking to buy and convert a nv200
My question is...when sleep on the top up bed...is cold in the night??
Asking because we are a family of 4 ..2 adults and 2 kids
We have never slept up top yet and I doubt we ever will. Main reason is getting up there is not that easy for us. Temperature wise it is just like a tent, hot in the sun and chilly at night. With all the roof boards in place I doubt any heat would get through. We like to put the roof up when we can as it helps to regulate the temperature in the van and of course we can stand up. Its so much nicer when you can stand. The kids would love it up there for sure but this van is really small and so with 4 people you would need an awning or tent to get all the gear out of the way inside. Would I want to do it with a couple of kids ? probably not but that might be my age. 😁👍
Midge screens reduce the air flow considerably.
What we have found better is to put a light spray of surface spray on the inside of the existing fly screens.
This works very well , and lasts about 3 months.
The certainly do reduce air flow. Are you referring to fly spray on your screens ?
@@LifeistooshortCK ,
Yes it is fly / crawling insect SURFACE spray. We live in Australia and it works fantastically on all midge.
We only use the cheaper brands
@@leithmurray736 that’s a fantastic tip, thanks for sharing 😀👍
Really enjoyed all your videos of the NV200. I have a Toyota Alphard and wondering whether to downsize to the NV200. I know the NV200 is not a sports car, but do you find the engine powerful enough despite the extra weight of the camper van conversion? Have you found any all condition tyres yet? Thanks.
No luck on the tyres yet. I can get tyres to fit it but they are not van tyre spec. My niece lives in Sweden so I will ask her to enquire over there once Covid subsides.
We have not encountered any hills it couldn’t get up yet but there have been a few I would not have liked to stop on and try to restart. Its powerful enough to not be a constant concern. They are designed to carry one ton so I think there is plenty of spare capacity left considering what we actually pack. Its not as good as some diesel cars I have had which easily coped with a gear too high.
One thing I would add is a Toyota is a better build quality than a Nissan.
Thank you Ken and Carol for your comprehensive review of the Sussex Camper car. I’ve been trying to save for a secondhand one from Sussex Campervans. Do you think it could be used as a main vehicle as I’ll have to trade my car in? We are two adults and a dog - do you think it would be too small with a medium size dog? I thank you very much for your travel videos and sorry you had to cut short your Spanish trip. Do hope you can get back out again soon. Louise.
Hi Louise and thanks for your questions. Yes it could easily be used instead of a car and plenty of people are doing this. Be aware though that one insurer we tried insisted we had a second vehicle which caused all sorts of problems. We ditched them in the end but make sure you check this out by getting a quote before committing to a van. I love dogs of all kinds but prefer to make a fuss of other peoples rather than own one so we have never tried the van with a dog onboard. So will it work ? Some dogs love getting wet and muddy and that would be quite a problem to deal with in such a small van. If you had an awning then the dog could get cleaned up in there first I suppose. I recommend having a look at the channel Wee Broon Van. Their van is a little bigger than ours but not by much and they have a lovely dog with them on their travels. At night the dog could sleep under the bed I suppose but there would be no way you could then use the heating as it would be far too hot for the dog under there. The bed is cosy with two adults so a dog squeezed between you would not work that well. It all depends on the size and how content the dog is to stay down by your feet or curl up on the passenger or drivers seat. Whatever you do don’t commit to an NV200 unless you have had an opportunity to see how you would make it work. The next size up would be no problem. I know how much people love their dogs and the sacrifices they are prepared to make to bring them along so I am sure their must be a few who are already doing this. You could always join one of the NV200 camper groups on facebook and ask there. Maybe some of our viewers might be able to add more in reply to this. Final word is if it was a small lap dog, such as a Jack Russel then that would be no problem. Good luck with finding a van 👍
Thank you very much for taking the trouble to reply in depth. That’s all very useful, helpful advice. I will keep saving, researching and following your travels.
Amused when you talked about ‘stealth camping’ in a bright red campervan with a Starsky and Hutch stripe down the side ! What extra lighting/torches do you use ? Regards AJ
When we talk about stealth mode we don’t mean hiding the van from view but hiding signs that its currently occupied. Normally this is in places that are busy. As for lighting on the van we have none so pulling up to park late at night can be a challenge. We use head torches to scope the lay of the land if necessary.
Thanks for your review of the NV200 as you helped us make a decision. We ordered an NV conversion a few months ago from a different supplier and hope to collect it end of September. I wasn't impressed by the standard reversing camera screen (a bit small and awkwardly located), accordingly i was very interested that you replaced the radio unit. I am not very tech minded but do use an apple phone. Could you please tell me a bit more about this, the unit you selected, approx cost etc? Many Thanks
Gordon Macgregor the unit we bought was a pioneer Avic Z720DB. Having used it for quite some time now I cannot recommend it as it has proved unreliable as a navigation device. For some unknown reason every now and then it loses your position and shows you driving through the middle of the countryside. Its the only unit we have tried so I cannot vouch for anything better. It cost the best part of £1000 fitted and hooked up to the existing rear view camera. If I was doing it again I would not make use of the existing camera but fit a new one near the roof line if possible as the field of view is not good enough. You really need a wide angle view and the existing camera is not that good. The other thing I would recommend is see if your company can wire the radio power to the leisure battery. I am not sure this is possible or if doing so it causes any problem with the activation of the camera. I mention this because once you are parked up with the engine off the radio no longer works. Yes you can run it on the first position of the ignition key but your not supposed to do that for long periods.
@@LifeistooshortCK Thank you for the comprehensive reply and tips. Unfortunately, with final payments on the van looming I may have to live with the existing system in the short term and review later.
By which time I think you will have got used to the mirrors and find it’s not really needed. The little screen is just good enough when judging if your about to hit something. Enjoy your van 👍
Hi, love the videos, and your van is lovely. Can I ask you about the LGP gas, how much gas do you fill-up and how long does it last you?
I think the most we have ever put in at one time is 7 litres. During the winter when heating is required it lasts 2 to 3 weeks. In the summer it lasts for weeks.
@@LifeistooshortCK Wow that's loads of time, I'm really surprised 😊
Can you make a video of making the bed from the chairs? What is the size in centimeters?
This video shows how we make up the bed ua-cam.com/video/2Y0fYwm8GCw/v-deo.html
The bed is 101cm wide and 170cm long.
great video, I wonder how the swivel seat works in such a small van with a center console area that seems to contain a few items. Also, I was wondering how many watts the solar panel was, and the battery system.
Seat is a bit stiff to turn so we consider it a workout 😏. The box between the seats is our bin and we have to move it onto the seat to swivel. Door has to be open otherwise not enough room. Ajar is good enough. 100 amp hour lithium leisure battery. Don’t know the watts of the solar as it was standard fit. It works well though. Alternator does the rest.
@@LifeistooshortCK Must be close quarters for two. I was planning on solo trips...I would probably remove the passenger seat to get a little more room. Thanks.
If it swivels I recommend keeping it as its the best seat in the house. Yes its tight for two but bags of room for one. We manage ok but only one can move at once.
Good to see the tour of your van. Have two questions if I may. For two adults coming h from a large caravan whst made you pick a small camper. Secondly why that title of your youtube name. Thanks again for the van tour.
We want to be able to follow any road that takes our fancy, park in the city, never have to book and get under all the height barriers that have been erected to keep the bigger vans out. Only a sub 2m height van can do all of that so we chose freedom over luxury. We named the channel life is too short as we know that you have to get out there and action your dreams. None of us would have predicted Corona Virus 12 months ago. Its a sign to us all we need to make use of any time we have. We deliberately didn’t name it after the van or anything so that as we change the channel can continue. 👍
That’s exactly what I want to do! Go anywhere, anytime, undetected. So your advice is a vehicle should be under 2m, what about length? I’ve read you have to consider ferries. I’ve considered buying a left hand drive as I want to tour Europe and have lots of experience driving a LHD... but on UK plates, any thoughts?
I'm sure we can get you a new lid for the sink Ken and Carol... It just screws in
Do you know where they are available Daniel?
@@LifeistooshortCK give Chris an email on the special aftercare@sussexcampervans.com email... We are still supporting everyone in this challenging time
Will do 👍
Can i ask did you have to change the seats so they swivel and at what cost? And where did you buy the table and base
We bought the campervan from Sussex Campervans who imported the van and converted it for us. They put in the swivel passenger seat and supplied the table and base. We didn’t get a complete breakdown of all the costs.
You guys are so beautiful 😍 I love you guys
Cheers ☺️👍
thank you both for the video. can i ask how tall you are so i can scale the height of the roof popped up and how high does the roof go on the inside ? thank you
5ft 10 and I have much more headroom than I need
@@LifeistooshortCK big thank you
Excellent review and all your tips are great! Shame about your glass top. I’ve watched so many campervan videos as I’m researching for myself. I have never understood why the covers are glass as surely that makes them unusable as food preparation surfaces. They’d be much better as wooden lids that fit flush with the work surface, or even stainless steel. The other thing I have never heard anyone mention is the lack of a drainer. Where do you put your pots to drain when washing up?
I imagine they fit glass because it makes it all look nice and shiny when the tops are down. It would be quite easy to substitute wooden tops but I am not sure you could have the one over the sink down whilst cooking. Metal would not be a problem. As for a drainer we don’t miss that. When you are wild camping conserving water becomes more important so we heat water in a saucepan and wash items over the sink. Carol passes each item to me as she does it. The alternative is to place them in a washing up bowl and let them drain there. 👍
great vlog realy goo but how is the cost ?? pls
Thanks Cary. The new NV200 conversions from Sussex Campervans start from £40,000.
Hi both where did you get the floor tiles from please.
The floor tiles are very warm and soft when kneeling on the floor and we have to do a fair bit of that. We got them from Costco in Croydon. They are absolutely worn out now after over a year of heavy use. We gave them no mercy and used them until they died. We gave up our Costco membership some time ago now and I have not been able to find them anywhere else. They were just thick enough so that we could open the cupboard doors. A new mat arrived today, one of those dirt trappers so we will be giving that a go on the next outing. Not sure it will be as nice as those tiles though.
We have nasty teeny biting things, that you can’t see, sand flies, no seeums, that attack like midges! Horrid little bitting creatures. But what is far worse on the coast is Yellow Flies. When they are biting, I can’t be outside. Takes me weeks to heal from one bite.
They sound nasty. Don’t blame you for staying indoors when they are around!
@@LifeistooshortCK , hate the flying biting beasts. For some reason they love me! 😩😩😩😩
How much did the van cost??
Sussex Campervans have the current prices on their website.
How much did it cost?
A lot of money.
Just so you know...I met a council worker on my walk. He was emptying the dog poop bins. I ran back and thanked him ( I don’t have a dog) and gave him a fiver for a drink...horrid work which someone has to do. He said the worst thing is the amount of human poop the bins now have...
So maybe don’t recommend please!😳🙏
That was kind of you. It must be an unpleasant job emptying those bins. So far we have not had to use one and have only used the emergency loo about 4 times in 57 wild camps. On that basis I predict it would be a rare event. First option has to be a public loo and now places are opening up again they are everywhere. In a dire emergency though dog bins remain a viable option for disposal. My preferred option would be for the UK to adopt the municipal campsite system like they have in France where you can camp free and there are toilets and waste emptying points. Failing that stop closing public toilets and re-open those that have closed and nobody would need to go anywhere near a dog bin. 👍
Well said sir 👍
Finn camping now as ge creeps up lol have lots of things to sell not urehowto advertise my prob lol shame
Hi I really want to order one. How much was this please? Also how.is the insurance?
Insurance is not expensive.