Van Conversion - Caddy Maxi
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- čas přidán 11. 04. 2020
- Just some minor changes to the van this time. But instead of having five different videos of this van build, I wanted make one video of the complete result.
Even if I´ve found a "system" that works for my needs, I´ll probably never completely finish this van. And I think that´s the fun thing about building. To constantly try to come up with new and better ideas. :-)
I bought my Volkswagen Caddy Maxi in 2013, and started out building a pretty simple installation. Just a bed and some storage boxes.
But after traveling and living in it for a while I could better see how I wanted this conversion to turn out. Therefor the van has developed a lot during the years. And I´ve changed quite a few things along the way.
Before I started this van project, I had never really built anything. But I learned along the way. And even if it´s not the most advanced conversion, I´m satisfied with the result. This just shows that by taking your time, this is something most people can do. Of course how much work you wanna put into it and what your needs are, depends on you.
Everything in the van is made by hand. Most of it is built out of plywood, which I either got for free or very cheap. Mostly scrapwood that the hardware store otherwise would have thrown away.
The curtains were sewed with a sewing-machine. The storage pockets I sewed by hand. The windscreen for the burner was made out of some really heavy metal I had laying around.
More and more I found the enjoyment in trying to spend as little money as possible converting this van, but at the same time make it so that it would last. The things I spent most money on was fabric for the curtains and storage pockets, paint and brushes and the storage boxes.
I didn´t want to drill holes in the walls of the van, so I had to be creative (and also needed a lot of patience ;-) in order to avoid that.
But it´s possible. So the cabinets etc. is all fastende in the existing holes in the van. (Vans always has lots of different kinds of holes here and there). When building the cabinets I often used cardboard templates. That´s very helpful.
I hope you´ll find this video helpful and inspiring to start converting your own van. My advice is not to rush it. Try to live and travel in it for a while. That´s the best way to find out how you want your van to be, and what you find important.
Good luck, and have fun with your van conversion! :-) If you have any questions leave a comment. -Håkon & Ulf - Zábava
Just some minor changes to the van this time. But instead of having five different videos of this van build, I wanted make one video of the complete result.
Even if I´ve found a "system" that works for my needs, I´ll probably never completely finish this van. And I think that´s the fun thing about building. To constantly try to come up with new and better ideas. :-)
I bought my Volkswagen Caddy Maxi in 2013, and started out building a pretty simple installation. Just a bed and some storage boxes.
But after traveling and living in it for a while I could better see how I wanted this conversion to turn out. Therefor the van has developed a lot during the years. And I´ve changed quite a few things along the way.
Before I started this van project, I had never really built anything. But I learned along the way. And even if it´s not the most advanced conversion, I´m satisfied with the result. This just shows that by taking your time, this is something most people can do. Of course how much work you wanna put into it and what your needs are, depends on you.
Everything in the van is made by hand. Most of it is built out of plywood, which I either got for free or very cheap. Mostly scrapwood that the hardware store otherwise would have thrown away.
The curtains were sewed with a sewing-machine. The storage pockets I sewed by hand. The windscreen for the burner was made out of some really heavy metal I had laying around.
More and more I found the enjoyment in trying to spend as little money as possible converting this van, but at the same time make it so that it would last. The things I spent most money on was fabric for the curtains and storage pockets, paint and brushes and the storage boxes.
I didn´t want to drill holes in the walls of the van, so I had to be creative (and also needed a lot of patience ;-) in order to avoid that.
But it´s possible. So the cabinets etc. is all fastende in the existing holes in the van. (Vans always has lots of different kinds of holes here and there). When building the cabinets I often used cardboard templates. That´s very helpful.
I hope you´ll find this video helpful and inspiring to start converting your own van. My advice is not to rush it. Try to live and travel in it for a while. That´s the best way to find out how you want your van to be, and what you find important.
Good luck, and have fun with your van conversion! :-) If you have any questions leave a comment. -Håkon & Ulf
Honesty Integrity Thank you. :-)
Do you have any social media account about your van camper?
@@cedelynbasbas7727 Sorry about the late respond. :-) I have an Instagram called: Buhundgleder
I'm a trained cabinetmaker and I've converted two vans and redone the interior of a narrowboat and I just loved this conversion. So many conversions seem to be extraordinarily complicated but this is simple yet very effective. Well done.
Thank you. I appreciate it. :-) That was my goal. And also to spend as little money as possible building it. ;-)
So many clever creative storage solutions in this, definitely going to steal some ideas for my build
This is the best layout I’ve seen for a caddy.
Thank you 🙂
One of the simplest functional vans I have seen so far. Good work buddy 👏👏👍👍👌✌️
This is possibly the BEST Caddy Maxi conversion I have seen. 👍🏻
Thank you very much 🙂
The best Caddy conversion I have seen. Very smart.
Howdy from Niger - This is by far one of the nicest ACTUAL DIY conversions - I love how you did not encroach on the floor space - it seems most people forget that USING the void spaces works out well - Thanks for this very neat tidy efficient use of space and upcycled material - You did and AMAZING Job - Saving this video to show my builders so they can incorporate some of these features!!!!!!!
Thank you very much. Nice to hear from you in Niger 🙂
So many ideas, to build for easy using. And in this small limited space inside, as effective as possible.
To save space, for more free space inside to moving around better.
I´m in the beginning, just bought my car last week. It looks like this car, but empty = no conversion.
So I convert it to a minicamper. Also as cheap as possible.
Thanks for your videos - Greetings from sw-germany. (Europe)
Hi! Thank you. :-) That´s great! Converting a van is so much fun. I wish you good luck with the conversion, and maybe we´ll see a video of it some day..? ;-) Take care. -Greetings from Norway :-)
This is just the build I was looking for. Just perfect!! Thank you for the inspiration and goal. I will have to check all vids you have on this now.
Thanks for the feedback! I´m glad you found it helpful. Good luck with your van build, and let me know if you hva any questions.
Brilliant how you have created and used every little piece of space to its full potential....Pure Escapism 👌
Thank you very much! :-)
Great conversion! Brilliant inspiration for my own caddy.
Thank you. I’m glad to hear that. 🙂 Good luck with the conversion!
Neat van conversion, neat video, neat adaption to the music. Congratulations, Iwill go and look for your other van videos.
Thank you very much! :-)
Absolutely fantastic job! VERY creative man. One of the best conversions I´ve seen. Greetings from Finland :) By the way, your guitar picking is cool!
Helt fantastiskt bygge!! Klart inspirerande!!
This is one of the best conversions i've seen!
Thank you. :-)
👍 Fantastic build, plus excellent advice! Stay well & best of luck! 😎
Thank you. :-) Same to you!
Håkon, Thank you for this little visit to your beautiful Van. It invites us to travel and it changes ideas ! Great music !! See you
Thank you Nathalie! Glad you enjoyed it. :-) See you later. ;-)
Love it! Comes closest to my plans and also helped me develop some more ideas for my conversion. Very good job! 🤙🏻😍
Thanks! I´m glad you found it helpful. :-)
Very clever design ! I really loved it !
Thank you! :-)
This is soo good and exactly what I want to do with a caddy for me and my dog!
Thanks. :-) Great! It´s perfect sized van to travel with a dog. Good luck with your van conversion and safe travels.
Hello Håkon, great improvements to your van that was already very cool before. Very practical and beautiful at the same time, I love that style. Thank you for showing all the details, great source for ideas for my Caddy although I think I will never get it to the perfection you did. Have a good time and stay safe and healthy.
Hi! Nice hearing from you. Thank you. I hope it can be helpful to others. Like I mentioned earlier, it would be really interesting to see your van build in progress. :-) ..We´re doing good. I hope you are safe and well too. :-)
WOW so many great ideas, well done!!!
Thank you. :-)
Good build! Many smart features. Well done 😊
Thanks! Er du norsk? Skikkelig fin camper dere har også. :-)
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv , ja eg er norsk. Min første video, så det blei med eindel oppsamla bilder. Har planer om å lage fleire videoer iløpet av sommaren. Har hatt mange fine turer i den bilen, ja :-) Enkelt bygd, men funker fint for oss.
CAMPERVAN in NORWAY Ser frem til flere videoer fra deg. :-) Er jo det som er så kjekt med å bygge camper selv, at man får det tilpasset sine behov. Og ikke minst blir den mye mer personlig. :-)
Knallkult Håkon!! 👏🏻 kjempe imponert! Virkelig!
midnightmusic82 Hei! :-) Takk for det. Kjekt du likte den. ;-)
Great vlog ,and some very innovative ideas
Thank you very much 🙂
Incredibly smart and neat build.. Sooo many ideas to steal for my own build 😄Ei. just realized the bulk head is going back in. Thank you for this. I'm so very grateful ❤
Thank you. I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂
Great job on your build! 👍🏼
Hi :-) Thanks a lot!
Great video, I used this as a bit of research/inspo when converting mine. I didn't do as much as a conversion as yours but it still helped so thanks a lot! Still looking to put carpet and maybe a leisure battery in mine.
Thank you. :-) I´m glad you enjoyed it, and that you found some of the ideas helpful. :-)
Hi Hakon , your car to travel in freedom is simply fabulous!
I wish you and Ulf a lovely and peceful Pasqua :-)
Cristina
Thank you Cristina! :-) Same to you, God Påske! ;-)
Everything IS so clever ! I love it ! ❤
Thank you :-)
Just wonderful. I watched your latest video and the comments were turned off, but I must say, as always, I love to see what you and your companion are up to. Be well and happy.
Hello Marsha! Nice hearing from you. I hope you are doing good in these difficult times. Thank you. Borghild is my new travel companion. It’s nice to have some company again after my dear Ulf passed away. Take care Marsha! :-)
Kul bil, så stolt av det du har fått til kjære bror♥️
Tusen takk Søss! ;-)
That's a cool build never thought of something this small but you've made use of every millimetre 👍
Thank you :-)
Great example of a caddy conversation might borrow some of your ideas ! 👍.
Thank you 🙂 Feel free!
hi there greetings from wales, i have built a few larger vans into campers but i was getting older and couldn't afford the costs anymore.so i bought a caddy maxi to use thinking i had made a mistake then i found your video which i have watched many many times and what a great job and inspiration to me and many others, not just the quality of your rebuild but the fact you have used items which many people have hanging around.again a job well done and i'm off to build mine.many thanks
Hello in Wales! Thank you very much for the kind words. :-) I´m glad to hear that it gave you some inspiration. I just had a dog-cage installed in the back of the van because, I wanted a safer transportation for my dog. So at the moment I´m working on another solution. Everything has to be built around the cage, and of course this gives me less storage-space. But I think I have found an ok solution. And it´s also a lot of fun to figure out new ideas. :-) (Probably post a video when it´s done). Good luck with your van build, and safe travels! Hope you get many nice trips in your Caddy Maxi! Greetings from Norway
Hi my dear Hakon,
You are really very clever and your Van is furnished with a lot of functionality. You have an absolutely remarkable relationship with nature because you know how to appreciate the treasures of our planet, which is currently so damaged. Ulf my four-legged friend can be proud of his dad !!
Take good care of you my friends and keep giving me dream with your wonderful videos.
Your friend from France.
Phil
Hi! Thank you very much for those kind words my friend. It makes me happy to hear that. :-) You take care to, and I hope you´re doing ok, regarding the difficult times we´re going through. God påske=Joyeuses Pâques my friend. :-)
This is so cool! 😁 well done man! 😎👍
Thanks! :-)
Great thought out van build. thanks.
Thank you very much. :-)
Brilliant job!
Thanks!
Brilliant build
Thank you :-)
Отлично всё продумано в минимальном объёме - так же хочу сделать-только в тойоте! 👍🏼👍🏾👍🏿👍🔥🚙🚐
Nice build man!
Thank you! :-)
Nice build mate .
Thank you! :-)
Love it Håkon!
Thanks! It´s nice hearing from you. Hope you guys are doing good. :-)
Excellent 👌🏼😁❤️
Thank you. :-)
Great build, thanks for the inspiration! How did you do you ventilation? Im in the process of transforming my caddy maxi but i dont want to remove the bulkhead, in struggling to find a solution for ventilating the van.
Thank you. :-) Actually, I just keep a really small opening on the backdoor. Just put a litte piece a wood there, so it won´t close completely. At the same time it´s not noticable. I can use a safety-lock on it if I´m in urban areas. :-) Don´t really feel that I need more ventilation than that. I might put a small ventilation hatch in the roof some day, but right now I don´t feel it´s necessary. Good luck with your build and safe travels! :-)
Brilliant job, I would love to know how you attached those small bags to the tailgate and also how you attached the fabric storage pockets along the wall.
Thanks! Sorry about the late respond. Well, it´s kind of difficult to explain, but I´ll give it a try. :-) I had to remove the wooden board on the tailgate. I put wooden boards inside the small bags, and screwed it to the wooden board on the tailgate. So that the whole bag would stick better to the tailgate-board. Then I put the board back on the tailgate.
When it comes to the fabric storage pockets. First I fastened a very light wooden board to the wall, using really big zip tie. (The wall has holes here and there. So if you use your imagination and have a little bit of patience, you will be able to do it. :-)
Then I bouth a special type of buttons. One part of the buttons could be glued to the wooden board and the other part I sowed onto the pockets. This way it´s easy to remove them if I need to clean them.
Like I said, a bit difficult for me to explain in English, so let me know if you still have any questions. :-)
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv Brilliant storage pocket system. Thanks for sharing the info. Great van functionality.
Carrie Loftus Thanks! I´m glad you found this vide helpful. Greetings from Norway :-)
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv I understand what you are saying, thanks for the information, I'm trying to do something similar. It's very creative and one of the best I have seen online.
@@jacquidixon8242 Thank you. :-)
Best Caddy Camper I have seen so far. And I have seen a lot. I have one question: Would you rather have a two part back door instead of the lift door? Sorry for my poor english 😊
Thank you. I’m glad you like it. 🙂 Actually I would have bought the one with two part back door. I bought with the lift door, because I thought it would be more practical when it rains. But here where I live it usually rains sideways, so it's not much help. 😄 One advantage with the lift door is that you can buy a tent which fits nicely. But they are pretty expensive.
So my advice would be to buy the one with two part back door. And you can also put a tarp over the doors to get some shelter from the rain. Another advantage is that the doors can be opened from the inside. That is not possible with the lift doors unless you do some modifications to it. Good luck and safe travels! 🙂
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv Thanks. I'm going for the Maxi Version with the two part door. So many more options I think. Stay safe.
Hi there, thanks a lot for sharing your experience :-) I have watched this video quite a few times the last months to draw inspiration from to rebuild my maxi. The main thing I am still debating on if I would insulate it or not, it doesn't seem like you do it. Could you share your thoughts?
I live in Belgium, and it gets really hot fast in the car because it's a black one - and in winter I can imagine it gets cold also quite fast :- )?
Hi! Sorry about the late respond. I´m glad to hear that you found inspiration through watching my video, and I hope your van build is going ok. :-) My experience is that I would never insulate a van. When you insulate a house, you start building it from the inside and out. That´s the way you have to do it to insulate the walls the right way. So in my opinion it´s not possible to insulate a van without ending up getting mold after a while. Especially here in Norway it would be impossible because of the damp/rain and humidity. Maybe it will help a little bit if you have plenty of ventilation, but still. I even hear from people in Arizona getting mold after insulating their vans. ...But yes, it would definitely be much more comfortable in the winter months. :-D I´ve bought a small butane/propane-stove that I use in the winter months. And I wear a lot of woll clothing. :-D Of course it´s very important to have good ventilation when using this stove. In the summer months I usually don´t have much trouble with the heat. After all I live in Norway ;-) But if it gets too hot during the night, I usually keep the back door a little bit open, and lock it with chain. I advice you to ask other people too, but yes, my personal experience is that I would never insulate a van. I hope you find the best solution for your needs and that you will have many nice trips with your van! Good luck and safe travels! :-) -Håkon & Stanley
love this caddy ! i wonder where did u find the grey organisator bag on the wall close to your bed? i am looking for the same
Thank you. :-) Actually I bought them many years ago. I´m sorry, but I´m not sure where it was. But they were actually much much bigger then they are no. They wouldn´t fit at all. So I had to customize them/do quite a bit of sewing to make them fit. But if you search for storage pockets or something like that on Amazon og Ebay, you can maybe find something similar. Good luck :-)
Very well done! Liked it a lot. I wonder how you have solved the ventilation?
Thank you very much! :-) I usually just put something between the back-door. So it won´t close completely. I can also lock it with a chain from the inside when I´m camping in urban areas. ..Just in case. ;-)
This is perfect! I just bought my maxi today but before that, I already watched this video about 20 times because it’s the layout that I will be using. The only thing I’ll need to add is a flip out desk as I need to work in my van (I’ll be living full time).
Also, would you mind sharing the bed dimensions? I’m still deciding on how high i should build the frame coz I want to fit a 15cm mattress (20cm is my preference) but then I’ll lose out on storage underneath.
Hi! Thank you! I´m glad you found this video helpful. :-) Sure, the bed is 27 cm high. The bed is 80 cm wide.
If I could give you an advice, a good matress would be my priority number one. In my opinion it´s much more important than a couple of centimeters extra underneath the bed. Especially if you´re going to live in the van full time.
I bought a cheap foam batress only 11,5 cm thick, and that was definitely not enough in the long run. I had to add a thin matress on top of that. Luckily I can still sit up straight on the bed. After all, sleeping good during the night is the most important thing! :-)
Good luck with the van life and have fun building it! I´m sure it´s gonna be an adventure, and it gives you so much freedom. :-)
Greetings from Norway
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv Thank you! Yes, absolutely agree - a good night sleep is much worth the extra storage underneath! I'll stick with my 15cm thick mattress and if it's not enough, add a 5cm one on top. Thanks again, from Australia :-)
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv And i'm so sorry for your lost of Ulf! I'll also be getting a pup to travel with.
misterky8269 Thank you. I appreciate it. :-) That´s great! Traveling with a dog is the best! Wow, Australia. What an exciting country to travel in. Good luck on your van build, and safe travels! :-)
No electricity ( apart from the starter battery)? Very nice build. Are you willing to say how much the conversion cost?
Thanks! :-) No electricity. I don´t need it. I charge phone etc. when driving. I really don´t know how much it has cost me, because the conversion has changed a bit over the years. But as you can read in the info underneath the video, I´ve tried to make it as cheap as possible. That was a big goal for me. So almost everything is scrap-wood I got cheap or for free. So I guess the most expensive parts would be paint, screws and stuff like that. ;-)
Love it! Vurderer caddy selv, men hvordan er den på glatte og bratte vinterveier? kjenner jeg kvier meg for å bytte ut offroaderen min som takler absolutt alt av føre, hehe. Har du to eller firehjulstrekk?
Hei :-) Det er en tohjulstrekker. Har ikke kjørt den noe særlig på glatte og bratte vinterveier. Nettop av den grunn du skriver. Spørs jo hvor du bor i landet, men skal du ferdes mye i vinterfjellet og inn på kroglete veier, så ville jeg gått for firhjulstrekker. :-)
Perfect.
Thank you 🙂
Hi! Really good job with your conversion of the caddy. I´m thinking of buying one myself and I have a dog about the same size as your dog. Where do you put your dog when you are traveling and how do you think it effects the vetilation of the car when you are sleeping? I´m swedish so if you prefer to answer in swedish it´s fine with me :)
Hi! Thanks! Håper det går greit på norsk. :-) Kjekt at du liker Caddyen min. Hunden min Ulf pleide å sove innenfor sidedøren. Han var mellomstor størrelse, så det fungerte bra. Men om du har en større hund kan det jo også være en ide å lage soveplass til den under senga. Når vi kjørte, så hadde jeg ham på gulvet på passasjersiden fremme. Det var det tryggeste stedet for ham, og han trivdes godt der. Kan jo bli litt liten plass om du har en større hund. Men det er ikke gøy å ha hunden bak mtp kollisjon. :-( Mye ting og deler som kan treffe den.
Jeg har ikke hatt noe problem med oksygenmangel når dørene har vært igjen. Men jeg camper mest på sommeren. Da liker jeg å ha bakluka/døra på en liten gløtt. Da legger jeg en veldig liten klosse/plankebit imellom, slik at bakluka ikke smeller helt igjen. (Finner du en liten nok klosse, så er det nesten ikke mulig å se at bakluka er åpen.
Så har jeg ordnet til med noen kroker slik at jeg kan feste bakluka med kjetting på innsiden. ..Sånn i tilfelle. ;-) Gi beskjed om du har problemer med å forstå norsk, så kan jeg skrive på engelsk. Mvh Håkon
What a beautiful van build! Where did you get the hand pump for your water container? I can't find any similar online for my caddy maxi!
Thank you! :-) It was actually pretty hard to find a hand pump here in Norway. The only place I could find it was on this Norwegian store where they sell boat equipment. They have a lot of stuff which also can be useful in a camper. It was a bit expensice, but definitely worth it. :-) Good luck! Here´s a link: www.marineshop.no/blandebatteri/105987/ferskvannspumpe-manuell
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv thanks so much for the link :) it helps a lot to know it's meant for a boat so hopefully i can find a reasonably priced one here in the UK. Thanks again!
@@harrydarkins These are available here in the UK www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caravan-Sink-Water-Hand-Pump-Tap-Camper-Trailers-Boats-Vehicles-Motorhome-Faucet/293606494507
Were did you buy all the bags?
nice conversion. does this run as a car or a truck . because you left the partition wall in ? greetings from germany
Thanks. :-) Yes, you´re right. It runs as a truck. So I´m not allowed to remove it. In a couple of years when the van is 10 years, I´m allowed to do so. But for safety-reasons I will only remove parts of it. Or maybe replace it with a door or hatch. :-)
can you tell me where to get those bags that you have in the window recess on the left side of the car? look like they fit perfectly from size etc. :)
I actually sewed them myself. But I´m sure you can find something similar online if you search for storage pockets ...or something like that. And then maybe cut of them a little bit to get them to fit. :-) Nice climbing videos! :-)
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv thank you :)
Hi! How long is the bed?
I am 190 cm, will I have problems?
Greetings from Spain
Hey! We haven't know from you for a while! Hope you are doing well :) how's going everything?
Greetings from Mexico :)
Hi! Thanks, it´s going good. Hoping you´re doing good too. :-)
Muito bom.
Great video, how do you feel without a roof fan that can cool you during the day/night? :)
Thank you. :-) Actually, I don´t feel that it´s necessary. Warm weather is usually not a big problem here in Norway. ;-) And if it gets a bit warm I put a little peace of wood between the backdoor, so that it won´t shut completely. I can lock it if necessary. :-)
I have caddy maxi combi and want to convert mine to somewhere near this level , I need your help
Let me know if you have any questions. :-)
Were you trouved the rangement for the doors i want for my caddy van tank you for te reponse excuse mi for my english i m french
Hi! I´m sorry, but I don´t think I understood the question? Could you write it again?
Tu devrais essayer google translator😁
Veldig bra Håkon..dårlig med van build på mæ foreløpig(dårlig helse), men vi får se til sommarn ka som skjer, om vi får lov å bynne å leve igjen da,..god tur.
Hei! Takk for det. Hyggelig å høre fra deg. :-) Det var trist å høre at helsen ikke er på topp. Ja, får håpe det blir bedre til sommeren. Håper "grensen" åpner igjen til dess, for da vil jeg nordover igjen. ;-)
@@DetenkleFriluftsliv 😊👍
La has camperizado tu? Enhorabuena
Beklager, men jeg snakker ikke spansk.
Finnes det noen tegninger på det dere har bygget?
Nei, jeg har ikke noen tegninger på det. Jeg har bygget den på "frihånd," og det ble til underveis. Men har fått tatt patent på det nå, så det skal bli spennende å se hva som skjer med det.
Hi, how do you ventilate at night ?
Usually it´s not necessary here in Norway. :-) But if I gets hot I just keep a little opening on the backdoor. I put a little block of wood so that it won´t shut completely. I can also lock it with a chain. Same thing with the side-door. :-)
🌺
🌸👍🌸👍🌸👍
Музыка смешная 😁👍
Cool van. But shoot that banjo player
you must go colonize Mars
I didn't see a toilet.
That´s right. ;-)
clever bloke, work on the guitar though!!
He´s not the one playing you idiot. It´s Baby Gramps. One of the worlds best and most experimental guitarist. You know, when someone really knows how to master the guitar, but gets bored playing the same old boring stuff that everybody else plays? Then your create your own style. And Baby Gramps really has one of the most brilliant styles of playing...