Unveiling the Price to Turn a VW Transporter into a Camper
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2022
- How much does it cost to convert a VW Transporter T5 T6 into a camper van?
Conversion costs can vary drastically, in a future video I will explain why. Today I talk about the main items for a conversion, some of the options available and approximate costs.
How much does it cost to build a camper van?
These costs are starting points, taken from various sources
Sound deadening, insulation, carpet
Dodo Mat Hex (4.7Sqm) - £79.99
Dodo Thermo Liner 12mm - £79.99
Thermo Fleece 50mm - £34.99
Carpet - £10 per metre
High temp glue will also be required
Diesel Heater
Chinese - £79.99 - Not for me
Planar - £700.00
Webasto - £1,050.00
Eberspacher - £850.00
Various options are in addition to these prices. (coming soon)
Electrical System
12v System - £550.00
240v Hookup and 12v - £1,100
Solar System - £550
AGM 110AH Battery - £120
LiFePO4 110AH Battery - £700.00
Pop Top Roof
Austops - From £3,000
Westdubs - From £3,000
Alititude - From £2,595
SCA - From £5,600
Reimo - From £4,750
Rear Seat / Bed
Rock and Roll - £1,500
RIB - £2,600
Sliding Smart Bed - £3,700
RIB on Rails - £5,200
Kitchen
Standard layout - £1,500
Hob/Sink - £400
Dometic fridge - £600
Top loader fridge - £700
Portable Fridge Alpicool 35L - £275 amzn.to/3OuBSCy
There are so many choices, decisions to make. The costs can escalate as there are so many cool things to do with vans.
Conversion cost budget is different for everyone, whether a small budget or large budget, you will have fun in your van.
Paddleboards and Kayaks - Sandbanks Style - bit.ly/3xsP4UX
Dock and Bay - Towels, Ponchos and swim wear - tidd.ly/3TH6jcO
Ann's Cottage - tidd.ly/3xvLGcb - Surf Shop, Clothing
Portable Coffee Machine - outin.com/STAYCATIONLIFESTYLE
Use Code STAYCATIONLIFESTYLE for discount
Audible Free Trial with Free Book - www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free...
My Amazon Storefront containing many essentials - www.amazon.co.uk/shop/staycat...
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Some ESSENTIAL items for you to have to keep safe in your van
Firexo 7 in 1 Extinguisher - amzn.to/3yqmBft
5 in 1 Fire Extinguisher - amzn.to/3uvm8Ym
Fire Angel Smoke Alarm - amzn.to/3yg1Q64
Fire Angel Carbon Monoxide Alarm - amzn.to/3ACgGqf
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Whether you have a T5, VW T5.1, T6, T6.1 or even an older T2, T2.5, T4, the VW Vanlife scene is amazing, with so much help and assistance available for whatever project you wish to attempt. Panel van, Kombi, Converted Camper or VW California Beach or Ocean, enjoy the freedom van life brings.
The @Staycation Lifestyle van conversion is coming along nicely.
I bought a VW Transporter T6 Kombi Highline van 140bhp diesel SWB with tailgate.
Slowly turning it into a camper van / day van with bed. I will also need something for cooking, cooling, sleeping, drinking ?? Choices to be made.
I have lots more to do though, I have a new electrical system, using Victron components and a Lithium LIFEPO4 battery, so I obviously need to install some power devices. I have a new sound system, with Focal speakers and ibus 2.1 amp, Playstation PS4, which will be removable, TV's on headrests.
Lots for me to look forward too and it would be nice to take you on the journey.
Please do let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions.
Vanlife for me is just beginning, it's a great adventure and I'm loving it. 😍
There are many great camper adventures to come
Thanks must go to the following:
titantransporters.co.uk - Sourcing my van, providing advice and soon a paint correction and detail
tamarcaravancentre.co.uk - Advising me with many of my leisure equipment purchases, including my Thetford toilet
www.dream-ice.co.uk - Quality advise on my sound system upgrade
plyworxuk.co.uk - Suppliers of my Halo roof and ply products
www.batteriesandsolar.co.uk - 1st class advice and guidance on my electrical system install
stitchesandsteel.com - Seat covers, carpet, roof straps, changing mat
Transporter HQ for my tailgate struts
Kiravans for my Swivel Seats
If your looking for some free places to stay, have a look at the Britstops book www.britstops.com
Many choices of places to park up overnight and stay in their carparks including pubs, restaurants, adventure centres and even vineyards and breweries.
Im a member of Devon & Cornwall Transporters. Have a look at the Facebook group and come along to meet the other friendly members
#vanlife #vanlifeuk #campervan #transporter #vwbus #adventure #rv #rvlife #camper #vwcamper #camper #staycation #wildcamping #offgrid #travel - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Thank you - I find your videos very helpful
Thank you, that nice to hear 👍
Great video Thanks 👌
Great video I'm in the process of looking at transporters to convert and this has helped a lot.Cheers
Thank you and good luck. It’s a great journey, albeit an expensive one 🤣
@@StaycationLifestyle Yeah the price of vans has gone crazy.
ThanQ again for great and informative videos! 🙌🏽
You are hitting the nail on the head and saying the things others are thinking but do not say!!!
Looks like corona pushed the vanlife into the fast lane..
Great info as always. ThanX again fella🙏🏽
Thank you. You are going to love a video I have coming soon 🤣 Can’t promise when, as it needs careful planning, but it’s going to be a good one
@@StaycationLifestyle Owww give us a clue!?
I've just about finished my insulation and will be focusing on the bed and cabinets build and then the electrics, so I'm getting there slowly but surely.
Need to get it insured ASAP as a camper then can give it all the beautiful mods and touch ups after.. Your videos are exactly what I need 👍🏽
Very good video having had my last to work vans converted the first being a Vivaro swb they put a rock & roll bed in nice comfy but terrible storage, second van custom lwb I had seen the Rib beds at a show & had the benefit’s explained & had one fitted, the storage is fantastic, comfy.
The other advantage is if parked on a slope facing down towards the front you can raise the bottom of the bed to stop you sliding down, the height his a disadvantage but can be remedied with a foot rest, cheers.
Also definitely L W B.
Thank you. I do like the LWB, I just don’t fancy one as a daily driver. The extra internal space is very handy
Thank you for this video
Pleasure 👍🏼
As regards leisure batteries... I use a Buck /boost converter. This 'pulls' an even level of power from it.... This way, not only does the voltage stay even from the start, it takes you deep into the dead zone before connected components start complaining.
Battery starts at 13+v and finally grinds to a halt at 10v BUT the output is always 12v!
Nice overview. Would have helped me immensely a year ago. You’ll save some people some time and effort 👍🏼.
Thank you. 🤣 Hopefully I will catch someone else just in time. There are so many options out there, I keep speccing my ideal van, only to change it a few days later with another idea 😄
Really informative video. About to buy my first van for (mostly) DIY conversion. Rented a van where the bed covered the fridge 🤦♂️. Planning solid counter/custom storage as agree about the off the shelf options. Different is good 👍
Thank you. Yes some are not very well planned out. Would you actually cook on a hob infernally, if not don’t get one and likewise do you need a permanent fridge or would a portable be better or even something like a Yeti cooler
@Staycation Lifestyle friends have said cooking in the van makes it smell of food and I found our sink impractical. Each to their own though!
@@jamesdunn82 Exactly, everyone has different tastes and preferences, like and dislikes.
Bed is a difficult choice. I think those 3 seaters that allow for slimline cabinets are very narrow. So you go full width and no cabinets. Then there's testing! What does it mean if the seat isn't tested to the configuration you want? Seat on rails is a great idea. That is important to me. Have the van in Kombi mode when travelling and have all the paraphernalia packed safe behind your passengers. RIB on a rail is twice the price you have shared, especially if you want to be able to say that it has been tested. Hobs? How difficult is it to get a decent pod with a sink without an integrated hob that needs a gas bottle? Personally I don't like the idea of a fry up in a van. Prefer to cook outside as long as it is sheltered. Fridges? You make a great point on fridges. I thought I wanted an integrated fridge but a decent coolbox is much more practical. Thanks for starting the conversation.
8:20. Not sure why you suggest that having 240V means you need to worry more about fire? It's the low-voltage side that has the high currents (in general). 20-times higher for the same power. And it's current (well, resistance*current really) that makes things hot.
Apart from that detail though this was very good advice. That factor of 10 difference between a Chinese heater and an Erbesbacher is kind of crazy. If we could just get the Chinese to make slightly less shoddy ones for 200 quid that would be marvellous :-)
Not everyone has 10grand to spend on conversions and will always opt for a DIY van and some are awesome some are basic as is mine
Absolutely and no need to spend a large amount to make a van how you want it. The benefit is how you use it, where you take it and enjoy what the UK (or Europe) has to offer
@@StaycationLifestyle I made my ldv cub capable of sleeping in as I realised yrs ago that's about all most do when away for a few nights on say shell island, i have base tent that attaches to back doors from decathlon and I have a home made awning for the side it suits my nature of make do and mend, haha, i Do have solar and charge regulator for the basic 12 volts and I have the dreaded fridge under the fold up part at rear of bed accessible only from outside haha
I haven't got a clue about all of this. When does a panel van have to be legally registered as a camper ? Are there insurance benefits of one over the other?
A panel van can only be registered as a camper van with specific requirements from the DVLA including a fixed high top roof, therefore most can’t be reregistered. Insurance wise, it’s a long winded answer, but essentially it’s easier and often cheaper to insure a Type Approved Vehicle, rather than a modified van. Some answers can be found in my latest video czcams.com/video/RbLT-4EMVTI/video.html
It doesn't & there's no benefit from insurance point of view, Brentacre will insure your van if it's fully converted or half converted & after exchanging photos will give you an agreed valuation,
Some say the speed limit changes but I've never heard of a single person whose had a speeding ticket , I've got approximately 20 friends with converted vans & we visit all the big vw shows & not many people have bothered to swap v5 in recent years
I can't understand this fad about VW vans. I could understand it, if it were a premium car, but a van ? I found that a transporter is quite thin, therefore with a side kitchen, it provides only space for a narrow bed. In my Talento, there is much more space for a wider bed, with a nice width kitchen alongside. Not buying a VW, saved me thousands and at the end of the day, it does the same thing.
The big difference with a VW other than the other manufacturers which as you are are better, I personally love the Merc V Class, is the residual values. The residual values are far better than anything else. The Transporter is actually slightly wider internally than the Talento. When you come to sell your Talento, you will lose more money than a Transporter owner. It’s all about personal choice though, everyone has different tastes. Anyone with a van can have the same outdoor experience and enjoy life. (I do like the Fiat based motorhomes like the Joa)
@@StaycationLifestyle my rib altaire bed is 120 cm wide, with good cupboard width. The california is 114 cm ?
@@stevezodiac491 Firstly, you need to get your tape measure out - EVERY internal dimension of the Fiat is SMALLER than the equivalent in the VW.
Fiat internal dimensions (cm) 253.7 x 166.2 x 138.7 (LWH )
VW internal dimensions (cm) 257.2 x 170.0 x 141.0 (LWH )
Secondly, of what relevance is the width of the Cali bed to this conversation? We're talking here about custom conversions.
Here's my list of advantages that the VW has over the Fiat:
- larger interior space
- significantly better residual values
- far superior driving experience (much more car-like to drive)
- lots more safety kit (both as standard and as available cost options),
- better engineered (try fitting a camper window to each van and compare panel thicknesses, for example)
- a lot bigger and more vibrant after-market scene (which provides for almost infinite customisation options).
Obviously the Fiat is cheaper to buy, but the total cost of ownership (including selling it on) is likely to be significantly higher.
EDIT: Also, the Transporter has been highly regarded by the campervan community for ~70 years, so to call it "...this fad about VW vans" is analogous to saying "the Atlantic ocean is slightly moist".
@@stevezodiac491 My smart bed evo is 120 cm wide?
Basically they are not too wide and they drive like a car engines are bulletproof if the service right, not uncommon for 300,000 mile.. can always sell a Volkswagen van conversion with less depreciation and there’s a big community out there on Volkswagen.
God you do go on ?
You can always switch off ,
Just curious, why is it not meant to be as comfy? Very helpful video 👍