CADDY Maxi LIFE Off Grid CAMPERVAN Conversion TOUR
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- I converted my 7-seat VW CADDY MAXI LIFE into a MICRO CAMPER, complete with 5 belted seats, two berth bed, toilet and tap and sink. It's completely off-grid with Solar power and a single burner hob.
And what's more, I'm not a professional van builder, just a landscape photographer with a plan.
I'm a passionate Landscape photographer and this van is my ticket to bigger adventures, allowing me to travel further from home, a shelter from the unpredictable English weather.
Chapters:
00:00 Why I converted my VW Caddy Maxi
02:20 The key features of the van build
03:05 5 Belted Seats
04:00 Camper seats
04:35 Toilet Installation
05:40 Sink, Tap & Water
06:47 Cooking in the van
08:00 The Fridge
08:40 Power, the Jackery 1000
11:00 The Bed
13:40 Final Thoughts and Thanks for Watching
Watch The Van Series:
• Caddy Maxi Life Camper...
Or Pick an episode below
Part 1 Caddy Maxi Life Insulation: • Caddy Maxi Life Camper...
Part 2 Caddy Maxi Life Floor Install: • Caddy Maxi Life Van Co...
Part 3 Caddy Maxi Life Toilet Install: • Caddy Maxi Life Camper...
Part 4 Caddy Maxi Life Worktop & Sink: • Caddy Maxi Camper Conv...
Part 5 Caddy Maxi Life Doors & Catches: • Caddy Maxi Camper Conv...
Part 6 Caddy Maxi Life Campervan Tour: • CADDY Maxi LIFE Off Gr...
Parts & Materials.
This video is free to watch but not free to make! Help support this free content by using my affiliate links below, every little helps me get out and share more videos with you.
Thermal Window Curtains / Screens: amzn.to/3oLSASL
280mm stainless steel inset sink: amzn.to/3zowAlS
Whale Water Pump (hand-operated): amzn.to/3JrNB39
12mm Food Grade Blue Water Hose: amzn.to/3zQkrrh
11-16mm Hose Clips: amzn.to/3vtDlSn
Mini Fan: amzn.to/3bnX4fj
Push Button Cabinet Latch: amzn.to/3OMqh1a
Fresh & Waster Water Jerry Cans: amzn.to/3vxuNtF
Non Slip Mat: amzn.to/3zRubkY
Cooking:
Ridge Monkey XL Compact Sandwich Toaster: amzn.to/3zu7NwC
Ridge Monkey 1ltr Kettle: amzn.to/3By0wi8
Cup / Plates / Cutlery Set: amzn.to/3Jp1rTR
Washing up bowl/chopping board: amzn.to/3QaegDQ
Other links.
For the 20x20 Aluminium Profile and fittings, I used: www.aluminium-profile.co.uk
Worktops & Doors: www.woodbypost.co.uk
You can help me make the videos the videos I share with you by making a donation at: www.buymeacoffee.com/bnphotog...
I’d like to hear your thoughts on my photos, have you join me on a workshop or just chat about photography I am easy to find at:
Website: www.briannorthmorephotography...
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Thanks for all your videos on your campervan conversion.watched all of them. Fantastic well done and nice job. For a first attempt you should be more than pleased with yourself. Gonna have to look at your pictures now. Thanks again.
Thank you. Yep pretty pleased! I have a few more improvements to make, that’s the joy of self build! Hope you enjoy the photography vids.
Brilliant videos, Brian, thanks for sharing your caddy conversion! I've just started out with an old standard vw caddy to see if I even like driving a van - I love it but it's very small, you are spot on re the toilet being the key design issue! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a caddy maxi I think.
Thanks Anita.
Bit of an update on the toilet. I think I'm going swap it out for a gel bag option. Bit more expensive in the long run. Toilets are nice to have but takes a lot of space, and excuse the pun it's a pain in the but! Rather dispose of a bag daily and visit local facilities. Needs to be a maxi all the way I couldn't go any smaller!
Very useful set of videos, especially the revealing of what is under the carpet and behind the plastic trims! And also it is the first I've seen that gives a good idea of the actual headroom in a caddy. You sitting on the folded down seat was very helpful.
I'm planning on making a micro camper in a VW SWB Caddy Life. It will just be for one person, and I'll be taking out the 2 person bench seat, and designing it to work with the single one kept in, so I can accommodate a passenger in the rear if needed, though that can be easily removed and slotted back in as required, for more space for longer trips. It has to be my daily vehicle, and I need to keep it small as I don't like driving larger vehicles.
Fixed bed on one side, though part of which is easily removable should I need to put the 2 bench seat back in temporarily, and low enough so I can sit comfortably upright on it. Fixed storage unit to fit a Bluetti AC180, with sliding table top on the other side, with a space between the two. Nothing taller than the window sill - I want full vision all round, for safe driving! Space to get changed in the vehicle, use the toilet etc, cook inside as needed. I have decided on a collapsible basin, and a collapsible WC using bags. As you say, the width of the Life model is restricted so I'm having a 100mm gap between the floor and underside of cabinet so my feet can slide under, and am recessing the storage area 100mm behind the bed edge, so I can sit with my heels back a bit. I had been thinking of using 30x30 (my design on paper is with that), but I'll take a look at the 20x20, see how that might work. Every millimetre counts in a space so small! Good to hear that it is strong enough. It is an interesting design challenge - as an architect I'm used to designing buildings, but I am also a trained furniture maker, and am finding designing at this scale very enjoyable. Still trying to find the right vehicle though - SWB Mk4 Life models in good condition with manual gears are rare.
SWB? Hope you are short! I think maybe bit of a challenge but taking the seat out you should be able to get a bit more space. I would seriously consider 20x20 1/2 the weight and price. of 40x40, Only thing I would say is that 40x40 gives you more options on differnt types of connectors, hinges etc. With your skills if you don’t need to use 20x20 for structural reasons have a look at some light weight furniture board made just for vans. Good luck with your project and thanks for watching.
@@BrianNorthmorePhotography Yes, I'm short enough! The bed will be 6ft long, with the front passenger seat in the same line as with my normal driving position, so roomy enough for a passenger. 20x20 works well for my design, so going with that. Still not got the vehicle yet. Spent a long time very carefully measuring an automatic one up in one of those car supermarket where no-one hassles you! And also looked at the most recent model which very usefully have the middle seats angle adjustable, which by having the seats more upright gives 90mm extra space for fixed furniture. That was very tempting, but I prefer the older model for various reasons, including it being a bit shorter and narrower, for those country lanes!
Check videos of people testing Dometic compressor fridges out of Bluetti EB3A (268Wh battery) - it runs for more than 24h hours because compressor fridges use far far less power then Peltier-element cooling boxes
Thank you. Yes I have changed my fridge I can now run for several days without a recharge. I bought an alpicool.
Really great work and the bed is a great asset to have
Thank you. For a first attempt I’m pleased. There are already bits I want to improve but that’s for latter.
Really useful to see someone else with such similar needs to myself. Still in the planning stage, but I'm looking at getting a Maxi for trips away (a couple and a dog), longer holidays where we'll use a tent for the daytime and for the 2 of us travelling on gig tours, stealth camping along the way. Because of parking space, fuel costs and the general costs of running a vehicle, I want it to be our sole vehicle, so it needs to be about as economical to run as a car, have at least 4 belted seats for day-to-day (when adult step sons are with us) and enough space to camp in the back. We don't need a fridge (we only use Coffeemate for drinks, and we'll use dry/tinned food or buy fresh as we need it along the way), and no plans for a sink. We'll cook with a similar burner as yours. The only difference is, and I know it sounds crazy in such a small camper, I want an enclosed space for a composting toilet (this is an absolute essential for me - I'd ditch the plan before I agreed to use a loo in a shared space!!!), which I think can only be achieved where the single back seat lives. I'd like to build a simple cubicle, utilising the door window for ventilation. I think we could do this with the seat/bed at the back, sleeping across the van (we're both short, so this might work!). I'd like to keep the double set of rear seats, that we can fold forwards to provide some extra space and access to the back via that door (perhaps removing them for longer holidays - I think they're quite easy to remove/put back). The only alternative is having the bed settee fitted with lap belts, but that seems more complex (and more expensive) to achieve, as I suspect we'd need a professional build of the belted sofa bed unit to meet safety regulations
Wow. That’s a long list of needs! I doubt a bed across the Van will work. I’m short 5’6 tops. And I couldn’t sleep that way. If you can afford a rock and roll bed god for it. If I built again I would probably make the bed much wider. After our first outing, with two of us sleeping it’s clear we could do with more width. On my own doing photo shoots it’s great. My toilet set up works well during the day, but it’s not practical at night. Simply too difficult to put the bed back to get the toilet out. Need some sort of container for during the night, there are lost on the market.
I still have a few mods to make so may move the toilet to behind the driver seat which would solve the problem.
Window screens are a nightmare to put up and take down. Curtains are going to be the way to go.
Good luck with your build. And thanks for watching, cant help,but notice your holding a camera in your profile pic. If photography is an interest check out my other videos
@@BrianNorthmorePhotography Thanks for your reply. My other half is about 5'5"/6" and I'm 5'3" - I was rather hoping we would manage without stretching out, as the van (before insulation) is supposed to be 5'3" - and I figured most people don't stretch out like a board! LOL. There is another option to utilise the rear seats dropped down as a base for a seat/bed, but I did like the idea of having the seat side on by the back door, which would make it much more pleasant in nice weather and we could still access from the back if it was side on (and be a little further from the loo, which really needs to be behind the driver in order to have an opening window. I have got some initial plans to try making a temporary toilet cubicle from tent fabric, but ultimately - I want to make it from ply.
I do have an interest in photography (I have a degree in Fine Art with Photography) - don't do nearly enough of it these days (except gigs, and I'm not allowed to take my SLR into those!). I will check out your other videos :)
I use an alpicool 15ltr compressor cool box in my fishing van low power consumption and can even be used as a freezer .This runs through my leisure battery and solar panel holds enough food for me for a weekend
Thanks Karl, some one else has mentioned the alpicool, seems a reasonable price.
@@BrianNorthmorePhotography
I just wished I had got the 25 ltr for longer trips
Great video, how does this work during the winter times? Do you have heaters? How about the big windows? Thanks a alot
Cold! It’s a small space so does not take a lot to heat up I have a small electric heater that runs off my Jackery, but it drains fast. Windows are great for the light, but bit of a pain in the evening to put up the black out’s. I need to get some curtains, this will be faster. Condensation is an issue in the winter. There are always going top be compromises with a small van. If I did it again I would fit a deisel heater and maybe a roof vent for ventilation, I could get a good air flow then from heater to vent. Maybe some day I will redo the in side when the children are a bit older and turn it into a two or three seater and full time camper set up.
For all its draw backs Its great as an everyday vehicle. I can get away on my landscape photography trips for 3 nights in the winter and can stay fully self sufficient.
Thanks for watching
@@BrianNorthmorePhotography Thank you for your detailed answer, I am in a similar situation with 3kids and doing some photography. But I think this is the only way if you need a car that can handle you every day life and your hobby. Will think about the diesel heater, Thanks a lot. Actually I've found a caddy that has a mini slide window on side that might help with the ventilation.
Thanks again!
Pleasure. Hope you get yourself sorted. Check out a few photography Video’s.