Van Tour - Ford Transit Custom Self Built Campervan Conversion
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- Hi all, thanks for watching this video of my Self-Built Ford Transit Custom Campervan Conversion, which is fully set up for an off-grid tiny home.
Any of this useful? Feel free to buy me a beer - www.buymeacoff...
Built over about 10 months by me, with a few messups along the way but seeing as I know absolutely nothing about DIY I don't think I did that bad a job.
I know everyone loves to convert a VW T5 Transporter (and so would I have done, had the T5 I bought not been such a wreck that I handed it back to the dealer within a few weeks) so here's what you can get out of a Ford Transit Custom!
Build finished just before CoVid19 lockdown... can't actually wait to start the #vanlife once restrictions are eased.
Units by Evo Motion Design - www.evomotiond...
Rock and Roll bed from eBay - www.ebay.co.uk...
Chinese Diesel heater - amzn.to/3iXc2d7
Sink is a Smev 9722 - amzn.to/3ATEwuq
Fridge is a Waeco Cruise 49 Elegance - amzn.to/3k7WoLg
AiLi Battery monitor - amzn.to/3iWPtFF
CTEK d250Se Split Charge kit - amzn.to/3yT7pGF
160W Solar Panel for #offgrid by Photonic Universe - amzn.to/3k3QScT
Other stuff from eBay or Amazon
Transit Custom is by Ford
For great insight on how to do van electrics then check out @Greg Virgoe - • How to Wire your Campe...
If you want details, if you want a followup video, if you want to know how much it all cost? Comment below. But thanks for watching
Fantastic I have been pondering the idea of self build I think what you have achieved is incredible really inspiring.
Thanks James; that’s incredibly kind of you and very much appreciated. Thank you :)
Can’t say I’d do it again though 😆
Best of luck if you choose to self-build - I hope it goes well for you. Genuinely, I’m so DIY inept that if I can get something relatively passable together then anyone can!
Better sink arrangement even than SOME "pro" converters; he knows who he is.
Fantastic job. Pro finish and feel to it. You gotta be proud of what you've achieved. Respect 👍
Ah, that’s truly kind of you, thank you! I’m never *truly* happy because I know where the flaws are… but I’m happy enough for a DIY inept computer geek 😉
Thanks very much!
Neat camper conversion, my dream L2H1 ford van 😘
Haha! Thanks very much! 👍🏻
Nice bed idea
Appreciated, thanks :)
Great build
Thanks Youssef!
Well designed 👍
Thanks very much. Appreciated!
Nice job!
Thanks, Angela!
Great job nice work👍
Much appreciated, thank you!
Great job looks fantastic 👍
Cheers Mark, that’s very kind of you :)
Nice and clean. Like it
That’s very kind. Thanks, Kim
Great video, thanks for sharing.
When you did the flooring did you screw the batons to the van or glue them?
Hi Peter - I went with glue... think I used Tiger Seal... probably wouldn't recommend it though as it started to come unstuck at some places... might have been better to screw it all in. Saying that though, it's all solid now everything's in there...
Lovely job sir! I used an Evo kitchen pod and their quality is pretty good. I like the matching 12V power box. Did you consider to fit a swivel seat at all?
Hah, thanks very much!
Swivel seats... I thought about it... but didn't. I saw lots of videos about swivel seats in the Custom, but every single one I saw involved *loads* of faffing around moving the seats forward, backward, jiggle it here, jiggle it there and MAYBE if the stars align then you'd manage to get the seat round.
I didn't bother. I saw a lovely swivel seat (RIB, I think it was) that went under the seat cushion and above the box section, which would have been great. Wasn't for the Custom though, and I couldn't find anything remotely similar. So I just moved on. I've got a Portaloo Buddy Box behind the front seats now, so I've kind of ruled out the option of swivel in the future. I'm fine with that. Can't say I've really needed the space.
However, converting the twin bench to just have a single passenger seat up front and being able to walk front to back without leaving the van... Had that in my old T25 and I do pine for it every now and then... Maybe one day.
Nick, it looks a really lovely van, I have a similar van although a short wheel base, however, I didn't complete the conversion myself. I had exactly the same issues with the DVLA, and again no luck in moving that forward. I haven't seen any videos or pictures on how diesel heaters have been fitted to a transit custom, and would be interested to see how you did yours, this will be my next project on the van, well done on a fantastic conversion.
Cheers Dale, very much appreciated. Yeah, the DVLA have been a massive wall of uselessness. I wouldn’t mind if they actually gave some constructive feedback on what they’d need to see for it to be reclassified but they absolutely refuse to be helpful. “It doesn’t look like a motor caravan” “Ok, cool, what do you need to see for it to look like one then” “We can’t tell you because there are many different things we look for” “Like what” “Guidance is on the website” “Yes, I’ve read all that and adhered to it, so what else do you need?” “We can’t tell you because there are many different things we look for”. Repeat ad infinitum. Hah! Anyway, diesel heater... this was the one bit I didn’t actually fit myself... I took it to a local converter for them to plumb it all in. I can see how they’ve done it all so might be able to put a video or something together for it... there was actually a recent comment where I’d linked to a picture of how it was installed under the van... it’s just behind the drivers’ door in a very convenient and perfectly sized channel. The fuel is then plumbed straight in to the main fuel tank of the van and the heat pipe comes out just in the gap behind the driver’s seat and where the fridge is... I’ll see if I can come up with a video for it... at least it keeps the setup outside of the living area. All the best to you and your van!
Ahhh, here’s the picture - imgur.com/a/pFd4KeS
@@NicktheGeekUK Nick many thanks for the reply, much appreciated, very impressed with the diesel heater location, I wouldn't of thought of putting it there, very tidy and when space is a premium it looks ideal. Hopefully you'll be able to get out and get some more photography trips soon, and I look forward to seeing more videos.
Great build. What spec Custom is the base vehicle, and what mileage did it have when you bought it please? Any plans for a pop-top in the future?
Great questions! It’s about as base spec as you can get. Doesn’t have a/c or electric mirrors! It’s the 100hp LWB Econetic 310. But, I can honestly say that none of that’s ever bothered me while driving it. I *might* have chosen something slightly higher specced had I spent more time looking, but I bought this straight off the back of a pretty horrendous T5 buying experience so just wanted a van 😉 Had 113k on the clock when I got it. As for a pop top... no. I made the decision really early on that I wasn’t going to bother, so the solar panel / roof lining / lighting choices were done with that in mind. I built the van as something I could use for photography trips and will mostly be using it on my own. I had a T25 years back and that didn’t have a pop top and I got on fine with it so I wasn’t quite swayed enough to plan one in :)
Nice job, looks awesome. Did you use sound deadner, insulation or thermoliner on the walls? or spay the fabric direct to the walls? .. what about the ceiling, and insulation ? Thanks for any responses.... Im looking at doing the same. Jealous about furniture, none available in Ireland. (: only professional fitting services use them.
Hey Carol - thanks... For the walls I stuffed them full of this stuff - www.diy.com/departments/diall-insulation-roll-l-6m-w-0-37m-t-100mm/3663602481812_BQ.prd
It's also what I stuck to the roof before clipping in the roof ply panels (but I think I need to re-do that with some of the adhesive Thermo Liner if I don't have a pop top fitted in the near future).
There are ply panels which cover the cavities of the van, which I wrapped with the carpet and clipped in to place. The rest of the exposed metal in the van just had the carpet sprayed directly on. Essentially - if there was a big hole then it was stuffed with that plastic insulation and then covered over.
The wheelarches I used 'Silent Coat' sound deadener on (before covering it with the carpet)
For the floor I went for a layer of Kingspan underneath the ply floor. Don't do that. Use the Dodomat (or similar) liner instead. I caused so many problems for myself by having the floor an inch higher than it should have been.
Not sure if you watched all the video - but if you have a look at the montage of pictures at the end then you'll probably see quite a few where I've stuffed insulation in the walls etc.
Let me know if you have other questions - always happy to answer :)
This looks amazing Nick. This is the sort of conversion my wife and i are looking doing right now. May I ask, Did you think of adding a pop up roof? How do you find the lack of head room when cooking etc. Also, as a rough guide, what do you think the conversion cost you in £
Thanks Toby
Hi Toby - appreciate the kind words!
For me I didn't feel the need to go with a pop-top roof... I built the van purely for me for solo photography trips... the wife's never likely to come with me. I used to have a VW T25 many years ago and that didn't have a pop top and I never really felt like I needed one (although it does mean you have to find new ways of sticking your trousers on in the morning! ;))
As far as cooking goes - I just sit down to cook. I've just added a buddy box for the portaloo which doubles as a seat for when I'm cooking.
Little bit more information in a new video I put out last week at ua-cam.com/video/KXido7tvZG8/v-deo.html
As for costs - it was £6.5k for the van and around the same again (probably close to £7k) for the bits to convert it. The van's a 2014 Ford Transit Custom, 2.2L, 100hp and had 113k on the clock when I got it.
Hope that helps?
Hi Nick, Excellent video. This is exactly what i have been looking at. Im partially scared to self build eletronics and wiring and fitting the fridge, Also the plumbing of the Smev units. Im sure i will figure it out with help from my old man though. Do you have any research tips or places you could recommend, before i decide on a van and sourcing the kits i need. I'm essex way. Think i will go for a pop top also if i can; i have seen some places who provide and fit for £2,200. Again greta video, inspired me to go for it :).
Hi Michael, thanks very much! Genuinely appreciated! For wiring you can’t get much better than Greg Virgoe - this video made everything so much clearer for me... ua-cam.com/video/rVkDPzrA-zw/v-deo.html . As for the Smev... good question. Not sure what video resonated the most with me but it basically came down to ptfe tape wrapped round the ‘olives’ and nice and tight connections. The hob was really easy to do for me, compared to the electrics! But yeah, make Greg Virgoe your first stop. So much info on his channel. Best of luck to you... hoping to take mine away for the first time this weekend and have fitted an awning since I did that video. Thanks again!
Ah, should also say that the fridge and smev unit came from Jackson’s Leisure, the awning from Rainbow Conversions and just about everything else from Amazon or eBay!
@@NicktheGeekUK topman Nick. Im doing all my research so i can try limit my mistakes. Hoping to get a van and get it done for next year Grand Prix 🙏. But hopefully alot sooner. Hope to see more videos 💪🏻👍🏻
Ahh, mistakes. I made more than a few, but it all turned out alright in the end. Biggest mistake was doing the floor. I should *not* have done wood battens and that foam board insulation. Should have just put down some Dodo mat instead (ua-cam.com/video/lPiY7MMYXcw/v-deo.html) as that caused lots of trouble later on with the van units not fitting as they were raised up an inch. Won’t do that again! Thanks again - and good luck with the build; you’ll get it done before the GP next year for sure!
@@NicktheGeekUK interesting... ill check that out as i have seen a few different ways. Thanks
Great concise video. I am considering something similar myself using a Tourneo. What was the overall cost of the conversation and did the cabinets come ready to fit and ready scribed. Thanks.
Hi Julian - was about £13k. £6.5k on the van and same again on the conversion.
As for the cabinets - they all came flat packed and took a good weekend to put together. Lots of little bits and screwing together! For mine, the wardrobe units were scribed and ready to fit, but the kitchenette needed to be scribed in as Evo hadn’t fitted one in an LWB themselves to work out the profile. Their SWB one was ready scribed, apparently, and other suppliers may have fully scribed units - I just liked Evo’s layout and pricing :)
Good luck with the conversion!
Great little video mate, I’m thinking g of doing the same. How would you rate evo design for their cabinets?
Thanks very much! Very happy with Evo to be honest. There’s not a huge amount of choice for the Custom but I’m glad I went with them. Pre-sale was good when the bed board options for the kit for the Custom weren’t suitable for the bed I’d got so I got in touch with them and they said to just request a different one in the additional instructions section which they then provided with no extra cost. The instructions were decent (although it’s worth cross referencing with their website’s build pics section to understand you’re putting it together right) and all the needed screws / brackets and all that are supplied. There was no extra cost for having the work surfaces a different colour to the units and no extra cost for the table (unlike some other companies treating those as extras). Delivery was far quicker than advertised and it all went together well. Make sure you leave an entire weekend spare to put it all together though because what you think will be a relatively swift build really isn’t! Other tip - don’t do what I did and build up the floor with foam insulation under ply... put something like Dodomat directly on the metal floor, then ply on top. If you build up an inch of insulation like I did then you’ll find that these ready-scribed units are now an inch out and you have to cut them yourself to fit... Entirely my mistake there! But yeah - Evo... great units, well thought out design, place for everything... very happy! I built mine for photography trips - used to have a VW T25 and it was so small and I constantly got frustrated having to move all my gear from the back of the van to the front when I made the bed up and then back again when I wanted to move to a different location. Was a constant shifting back and forwards. My advice to you - definitely go for the LWB version of whatever van you choose. It’s only an extra 30cm but you can see how much space there is round the back for camera bags / tripods and all that - I built this van with photo trips purely in mind.
Nick Tsiatinis hi mate, thanks for that, that’s so helpful I was going to ask you about the floor height that’s cleared that up lol 😂. I’m going to do a pop top aswell so should be sweet. But yess I’m the same I’m a landscape photographer and have missed out on so many trips last year due to hotel costs and not being able to be on location early enough! The van will solve all of that. Plus be a great option for holidays and weekend away with our 2 year old. Thanks again I will let you know how I get on your
Hi mate what would all that cost for someone to do it...ball park figure.
.mick.
mtb brickwork which bit, fella? Converting my van cost about £7k plus the cost of the van. The Evo units were about £1100 and a weekend of flat pack goodness :)
@@NickTsiatinis thanks for the quick reply nick....I like the plain grey's..and the seat colours...and when its closed it's just like any work transit from the outside...that's the best part for me...did you do all that wiring yourself...or get someone to do it?
Hi Nick, great job 👏 where did you purchase the side windows?
Thanks very much! Windows were from VanPimps for two reasons... 1) they were fairly local to me so I could go and collect... 2) they were the only ones (at the time) who had both sets of side slider windows in stock!
www.vanpimps.co.uk/product-category/ford/transit-custom/
@@NicktheGeekUK thanks Nick appreciate the info 👍
Very nice! Would this conversion work on a SWB custom?
Cheers! Yeah, it would but you’ll lose about a foot of space inside the van (essentially, that bit of space between the tambour door where I have the water canisters and the wardrobe unit)
Hi nick were did you buy the window curtains from they look like a nice fit
Thanks Thomas - were from Kiravans...
www.kiravans.co.uk/collections/curtains
I had to buy all the sides individually for the Transit Custom LWB as they wouldn’t do me a bundle unlike all the other types of van but the fit was pretty spot on.
Thanks for the info on the bed . Wath size diesel heater did u use how is it working out from watching some videos some of the 12v 5000 seem to be very noisy and some people recommend smaller
I went for the 5kw version... purely because it was the cheapest I could find on eBay. It's the one thing I didn't fit myself - got a company to do it so they'd tap it in to the van's fuel tank rather than have the separate one inside the living bit. They fitted it under the van (which is great) which cuts down the noise... I do want to relocate the fuel pump though because the ticking reverberates through the van (common issue, you just need to dangle it from something rubber instead).
I think mine's faulty though - when it works it's great, but sometimes it reports a flameout and I've tried diagnosing it and can't get to the bottom of it. May just get a new unit from eBay and swap the old one out. they're cheap enough to do, I guess...
Thanks nick got the Evo flat pack ordered today Rock and roll bed tomorrow your video is a great help and thanks for the information
You’re quite welcome. Best of luck with the build - have fun!
Nice conversion. Why not a pop roof?
Thanks :)
For my ‘use case’ I had no need for one. I used to have a VW T25, which had been converted bu someone else before I bought it, and that didn’t have a pop top and there was never a time where felt like I needed one. It’s only ever likely to be me in the van (the wife has no interest) and I built it for my own solo photography trips, so it was done with that in mind... my one ‘must have’ requirement was for the LWB van - I spent too much time moving things back and forward in the T25 when I was setting up the bed and putting it down again. That and some storage space. £3k+ on a pop top didn’t seem worth it (to me) but I can always have one fitted later if I change my mind :)
@@NicktheGeekUK nice " private" lounge it is 😁
Hi nick which campingaz bottle did u use I see a 907 available from Halfords but there is also a smaller one just wondering if the 907 will fit
Hi Thomas - just went out to check... I originally had a 904 in there (which is still hooked up) but have also got a 907 which does fit with a little bit of room to spare.
Thanks nick was just in Halfords and their gas bottle is very small
Yeah, the 904s are quite small, but I’ve had about a week’s cooking out of mine so far and it’s not showing any sign of running out yet. Will hook up the 907 when it does go though.
Top tip - just look on eBay and either get a dirt cheap rusty empty bottle and take it for a refill (they’ll swap the bottle) or you’ll find a cheap refilled one.
I got my 907 for under £40 from ebay.co.uk/usr/chorleybottlegas
Did your van have a smart alternator nick it's come up when ordering wireing looms
The best answer I can give you is 'I think so' ;) Various Googles threw up that the van *should* have had a smart alternator, so I just went along with it.
I went with the CTek D250SE split charger anyway because that would also act as the MPPT Solar Controller for the solar panel I wanted to fit.
All the wood work and the flooring as well? I see it’s one sheet where from
The kitchen units were all from Evo Motion Design (www.evomotiondesign.co.uk)
The ply wood for the sides, ceiling and floor was all from Customshop Designs (www.customshopdesigns.com)
The vinyl flooring was just an offcut I found while scouring eBay
Where did you get the kitchen area draws form please
And could you stand up straight in it...as I noticed it's not the high top version...cheers mick.
Nah, I can’t. For me this wasn’t a big deal - I built the van so I can go out on my own for photography trips and have somewhere to sleep and eat. I made the decision not to put a pop top in - it would have been another £3k easy. I used to have a campervan a few years back which had already been converted and that didn’t have a pop top and it didn’t bother me (other than having to lie on the bed to get my trousers on in the morning 😆) so didn’t bother with it for this build.
How long would that conversion take working on it full-time?
Hmm, good question. As in full-time, non-stop, just working on it until it's done with nothing else except sleep?
Couple of weeks?
A day to strip out the van and clean everything
A day for the windows
Half a day to stuff it with insulation and sound deadening
The other half of the day to put the ply in and put the vinyl floor down (that might be pushing it?)
A day for the carpeting
Half a day on the curtains
Half a day to build the R&R bed
A day or two for electrics and lighting?
Couple of days to build the flatpack units and put them in
Half a day to put the fridge and sink in and hook up the gas
Half a day on the awning?
Day to fit the diesel heater and other bits and pieces
Something like that?
@@NicktheGeekUK Thanks, I was going to get an old sprinter and convert it, but after looking at your van I'm thinking of a new or newer Ford Custom and use it as my car as well, I'm 63 and my first car was an old VW van which I loved, and it could easily work as a car as well, the sprinter would be to big to use it as your main transport but not the Ford Custom and I like the way they look as well.
You did a great job, it looks as good as one of the conversions that cost £60k
Cheers Johnny - that's very much appreciated. Yep, completely with you on using the van as a daily. I *almost* considered having it as my primary vehicle last year when I was returning my lease car - it's definitely good enough and drives beautifully. I had actually bought a VW T5 before going for the Transit but ended up invoking consumer rights and returning it to the dealer due to issues with the turbo and gearbox... but even without that I still think that the Transit feels better to drive than that T5 did.
Also agree with you about the Sprinter - I've given that a bit of thought if I do another project, but I think if it comes down to it I'll just get a pop-top fitted on the Transit instead for a bit extra headroom. Although I've got the LWB Custom it's still small enough to park anywhere and get down single track roads without too much hassle...
Not had too much trouble with the Custom - just a couple of (what seem like common, especially for a 2014 with 115k on the clock) issues... there's a DPF fuel vaporiser which *always* clogs up - mine went in the first 6 months (£400 repair iirc) and recently I had the air temp sensor in the intercooler go, which resulted in a check light... but that was about £15 and about a five minute job to replace myself. Other than that it's been a good van.
Best of luck with the purchase and conversion - have fun!
Hi nick Wath position underneath the van did u fit the diesel heater
Ah, that's the one thing that I didn't fit myself. Took it to a garage for that to be done...
They fitted it just behind the drivers' seat. There's a very nicely sized 'channel' where the heater fits quite snugly. They fabricated a bracket to hold it all in.
Take a look at imgur.com/a/pFd4KeS - that's about as good a picture as I can get but you should be able to make out positioning...
Thanks nick this is my last project almost finished the conversion you have been a world of information thanks so much for your help
@@thomasmcmahon7969 You're quite welcome! Hope the build's gone well :)
Who was the retailer for the rock and roll bed thanks
Links to all the main retailers I used are in the description - the R&R bed was from eBay... www.ebay.co.uk/usr/camperdiy
Hi what di this cost from start to finish
Hi David - around £13k ish. £6.5k for the van, the rest on the conversion.
@@NicktheGeekUK thank you & what was the bulk on the money spent on
Units were around £1100, rock and roll bed was nearly £600 (although that’s really cheap in upholstered R&R bed terms), fridge £500, sink and hob £400ish, windows all round £700, solar panel £150, split charge £250, leisure battery about £130, lining carpet over £100... then lots and lots and lots of ‘little’ things you just end up buying!