Keith this is class... So many mates I know here have an idea to convert a van like this into a camper so this series is going to be invaluable. This could well be your best viewed series yet hope you are going to do loads of detail doing this can't wait for the rest of the series! well done!
@@RagnBoneBrown might be worth checking out @Laura Kampf's channel. Laura's come up with some awesome designs, swapping and trading too - to save on cost. A collaboration between you both some day would be amazing 🤞🏻
A solid start. Jobs where nothing is square can take up a lot of thinking time. Hope they won't get condensation problems with the trim touching the glass and part of it being inside the wall.
Bespoke window boxes - you're a champ Keith. I think I'd have insisted on a proper timber frame, studs & noggins before any finished surfaces but space is such a killer on these types of conversions.
Nice job. I've got a 1972 camper coming back from a restoration.... You have given me some good ideas for the inside... If you haven't done the cabinets yet look into vohranger board. It is like prefinished MDF but weighs hardly anything....
A good foam to buy is insta stik from screwfix. It doesn't expand and push things around, it just expands and fills gaps, but also sticks all sorts together. I've used it to stick 3 x 2 stud walls to steel RSJs and they never move. I think it'd be helpful in this van where you can't get as good of a fixing as you'd like in some areas. I don't know how i got on without it in the past lol. Also it's a good idea to angle the window reveals, rather than keep them square. It's something people do in loft conversions, it allows more light in and makes the space feel a little bigger Great job as always, looking forward to future videos of this build
Looking good Keith a couple of things the window boxes paint the edge black that faces the glass and it will be completely invisible. Also I'd take down the T&G panelling on the ceiling it look rough also if you go with the ply it's much lighter. A lot of weight up high will make the an rock even more. Looking forward to seeing how this comes out.
I've got an old vw camper that's currently at the paint shop. I'll be building the interior for it later this summer hopefully. I haven't got a clue what's going to go into it yet, and there's probably less than half the space there is inside that sprinter. Favourite idea at the moment is to make all the units from thin mdf that I can then spray to get a high gloss finish (probably cream to match the roof) and then trim edges with black walnut, mainly coz I've got some
Nice job 😎👍🏻 I started watching The Restoration Couple when they built a van and your channel when you built the shed so it’s nice to see you doing this type of work too 😎👍🏻
Great content. This project made me finally pull the trigger and sign up for Patreon to support you. I always learn more from watching your videos compared to other channels while still being very entertaining. Thank you.
Enjoyed that Keith nice one. It looked fun and working with your mate/client seemed to be enjoyable. We took our twin kittens into our motorhome yesterday to get them acclimatised to it. We are hoping to take them with us when we go away.... Cheers Paul
Love the vid matey. Ref the screws into metal have a look at Orbix self drilling screws. And im pretty sure you have seen Lee and Sarah with thier van conversions.
I love your videos and watch them all. One thing though... "caulk" is pronounced "cork" as in what you put in a wine bottle. Keep it up mate great channel.
Very fiddly work,but all came together well. Could this be Z new direction."Rag N Bone Camper Conversions". Look forward to seeing the internal furniture assemblies inside
Lidl have them heat guns in store at the moment a Parkside branded version, goes upto the same temperature as the Milwaukee, i think they are only £15 compared to the Milwaukee £100 but i am sure it feels nicer or something lol :D.
Are you going to do the sliding door and rear barn doors? I need to do these in my van to finish it off! Great video, would be very helpful to a big audience of van builders out there.
Yes, the rear doors are done now we are yet to tackle the large side door as the client is unsure whether to do it in two panels, one at top and one at bottom (easy option) or one large panel covering the whole door (which I think will be a real challenge !)
Great job! I convert vans for a living, if you need any advice with anything or need information with regards to regulations then please feel free to get in touch! 😀
On the big windows you should of battened out the window first, added the ply, then you can just put a guided flush trim router through to cut it out using the battens as a guide. That’s the easiest way to do the roof fans as well once you get to it. Just clad over them, drill hole and shove router in upside down. Again using roof vent/fan frame as guide.
Hmmm. Nice idea... But then the battens around the windows would interfere with the fitting of the wall panels, as they need to be curved to the shape of the walls ?
Hi Keith, I like this new series, have been thinking about converting a van in the future. What I don’t get; how can people sleep in the width of a normal van? How long is that bed going to be, 180 cm, maybe 185? I always learned that a bed should be longer than your length for it to be comfortable, so a 180 bed could only fit tiny people, up to about 170 cm tall. I am 192, so I am not even going to try to sleep in the width...
Hi Keith Were the materials already sourced? Peter Millard; from 10minute workshop, talks about light weight plywood in his ultra lightweight bench build video - used especially for these projects. Wondered why 5mm ply was chosen instead?
Hi Keith , great video , questions , will the insulation cause condensation and is it for keeping heat in and do you need to tell DVLA about conversion or get it MOT ed or tested in anyway for fire and saftey , thanks , keep up the good work ,G.
Hi Graeme, I'm not an expert on this stuff, I've mainly just been brought in for the joinery aspect. But the insulation I would imagine is not only for heat but also sound. The foil insulation acts as a vapour barrier to prevent condensation forming on the cold metal inside the van. Not sure re DVLA stuff, sorry! Cheers, Keith
Cool beans mate. Looks a good'n to get your teeth stuck into. Wondered if you'd do a vid series on this after seeing you post some peaks on Insta. Question answered.
Cheers. I don't think self tapping screws hold any different to normal ones, they're just designed to cut in to the material without pre-drilling. The normal screws hold really well so I'm not worried
Why didn't you continue this series? Your videos are excellent. I'm in the middle of a build and would love to have seen how you lined out the side door and fitted out the internals.
B&q or any diy store plywood I find is a total waste of time. The face veneer always comes off you only need to catch you’re shirt on the corner and it peels right off. I find that the glue used aswell isn’t good as the plywood often starts to come apart. So I started going to my local timber merchants for it. Much better quality
With that shallow of a cut (~5mm), do you think you could do it in a single pass? (Not sure, saw Dave Stanton do it so haven't tried myself) Regardless, the bigger issue is spending all that time building the van using plywood that falls apart after a year. Great video, love the channel!
Of course, you're right, I wasn't thinking straight 🤣 yeah maybe it would have worked, might give it a try as I'm sure we'll need some more grooves at some point
Dude, after watching what you did with those window boxes, I’m convinced you are a magician! Seriously, well done, my man.
Keith this is class... So many mates I know here have an idea to convert a van like this into a camper so this series is going to be invaluable.
This could well be your best viewed series yet hope you are going to do loads of detail doing this can't wait for the rest of the series! well done!
Cheers Nathan
Great start! Ive converted many vans with my brother. Best thing about doing conversions for a living is they're always different.
Quick tip, drywall screws drill straight into the van steel just like a self tapper
Fab! All i need now is a van...
You and me both! I'd quite like to get an old beaten up vintage caravan one day and do something with that, on a smaller scale than this!
@@RagnBoneBrown might be worth checking out @Laura Kampf's channel. Laura's come up with some awesome designs, swapping and trading too - to save on cost. A collaboration between you both some day would be amazing 🤞🏻
Excellent video. I finally understood how to frame windows.
Great ideas and workflow. 👍🚐🏴
As someone who’s about to start this process with a LWB sprinter I will be watching with interest and no doubt picking up lots of Tips along the way.
Nice work. You've got some patience scribing in those large window boxes, I would have run away screaming.
Me too lol...........
enjoyed that and looking forward to the rest.
Really good job well done. I've fitted and converted Vans out for 10 years and they can be a nightmare. You worked round the problems brilliantly
Nice to see carpentry techniques being used for a practical project. Great results.
A solid start. Jobs where nothing is square can take up a lot of thinking time.
Hope they won't get condensation problems with the trim touching the glass and part of it being inside the wall.
Love the honesty and transparency! Refreshing! Good drills
Bespoke window boxes - you're a champ Keith. I think I'd have insisted on a proper timber frame, studs & noggins before any finished surfaces but space is such a killer on these types of conversions.
Great work. Myself and my Wife always say we’d love to do this someday and convert some kind of a long wheelbase van .
Looking good keith
Doing a van can be really good fun. Each one is quite bespoke, and there’s always a lot of “problem solving” (bodging haha) Good job ✌🏻
Cheers!
I’ve watched you for a long time mate, love the work you challenge yourself to do. Can’t wait to see the finished van 👍
Seems to be very popular converting a van shell into a motor home.Quality work so far and look forward to see further progress.
Nice job. I've got a 1972 camper coming back from a restoration....
You have given me some good ideas for the inside...
If you haven't done the cabinets yet look into vohranger board. It is like prefinished MDF but weighs hardly anything....
A good foam to buy is insta stik from screwfix. It doesn't expand and push things around, it just expands and fills gaps, but also sticks all sorts together. I've used it to stick 3 x 2 stud walls to steel RSJs and they never move. I think it'd be helpful in this van where you can't get as good of a fixing as you'd like in some areas. I don't know how i got on without it in the past lol.
Also it's a good idea to angle the window reveals, rather than keep them square. It's something people do in loft conversions, it allows more light in and makes the space feel a little bigger
Great job as always, looking forward to future videos of this build
Thank you!
Looking good Keith a couple of things the window boxes paint the edge black that faces the glass and it will be completely invisible. Also I'd take down the T&G panelling on the ceiling it look rough also if you go with the ply it's much lighter. A lot of weight up high will make the an rock even more.
Looking forward to seeing how this comes out.
nice work!
I like the compass scribing technique and will be using it in the future.
Very good video, good content, master 👍🏻
What a fun project. Would love that. All the best with it.
I've got an old vw camper that's currently at the paint shop. I'll be building the interior for it later this summer hopefully. I haven't got a clue what's going to go into it yet, and there's probably less than half the space there is inside that sprinter. Favourite idea at the moment is to make all the units from thin mdf that I can then spray to get a high gloss finish (probably cream to match the roof) and then trim edges with black walnut, mainly coz I've got some
I love watching your build videos. You do a great job of explaining everything.
Well done Keith, i like this series.
LOL! I thought your mate was Jason Orange from Take That LOL!... 90s throwback for all you young team out there :D
Always a good learning curve when you are up for a challenge! 👌🏽
So far so good, awesome job, mate. 👍🏽
Another good watch really fiddly work that we’re nothing square going to take time but looking good
Simply amazing. Looks great.
Very interesting, thanks!
Those window surrounds took some doing. Good work enjoyed the video. Tony
Nice project , looking forward to see the end result.
Going to enjoy watching these! I love to see things come together 💙
I need this!
Nice job 😎👍🏻 I started watching The Restoration Couple when they built a van and your channel when you built the shed so it’s nice to see you doing this type of work too 😎👍🏻
Very nice work with a lot of care taken - I like it!
That is a great start to the van
Couldn’t tell if your mate had a pen or a reefer in his mouth after you done the window boxes lol
Great job. Thanks for sharing the video.
Great job. Can’t wait for next video.
If you use low expansion foam, would have of course expanded less. Or squirt with water to cure it quicker 👍 nice work as always
Great content. This project made me finally pull the trigger and sign up for Patreon to support you. I always learn more from watching your videos compared to other channels while still being very entertaining. Thank you.
Thank you so much Matt, much appreciated
Enjoyed that Keith nice one. It looked fun and working with your mate/client seemed to be enjoyable. We took our twin kittens into our motorhome yesterday to get them acclimatised to it. We are hoping to take them with us when we go away.... Cheers Paul
Cheers Paul. That sounds like fun!! 👍
It must've been quite a mission dealing with the curvature of the van alone. You've got more patience than me Keith 😆 great video mate 😏
The windows are always the most fiddly to do, but it looks great nice job.
I have been looking forward to this after seeing your posts on insta :D
Love the vid matey. Ref the screws into metal have a look at Orbix self drilling screws. And im pretty sure you have seen Lee and Sarah with thier van conversions.
The roof of our van is also done to a poor standard, by us, so it will be interesting to see how you improve it.
I love your videos and watch them all. One thing though... "caulk" is pronounced "cork" as in what you put in a wine bottle. Keep it up mate great channel.
No, it's not. Not here in the UK anyway....
Amazing. Nicely done. How can he afford to hire you for 5 full days?
Cool video!
thanks for that detail on the windows, wow great job. are the windows flat, or curved ones that follow the van walls?
Nice
Reminds me of fitting out my little boat, why is nothing square?!?!? Oh, yeah ...
Nice!
Very fiddly work,but all came together well. Could this be Z new direction."Rag N Bone Camper Conversions". Look forward to seeing the internal furniture assemblies inside
Lidl have them heat guns in store at the moment a Parkside branded version, goes upto the same temperature as the Milwaukee, i think they are only £15 compared to the Milwaukee £100 but i am sure it feels nicer or something lol :D.
Air BnB it !!!! Include a breakfast with you and Reah, you’ll be booked up through 2023
Are you going to do the sliding door and rear barn doors? I need to do these in my van to finish it off! Great video, would be very helpful to a big audience of van builders out there.
Yes, the rear doors are done now we are yet to tackle the large side door as the client is unsure whether to do it in two panels, one at top and one at bottom (easy option) or one large panel covering the whole door (which I think will be a real challenge !)
Great job! I convert vans for a living, if you need any advice with anything or need information with regards to regulations then please feel free to get in touch! 😀
Thank you!
On the big windows you should of battened out the window first, added the ply, then you can just put a guided flush trim router through to cut it out using the battens as a guide.
That’s the easiest way to do the roof fans as well once you get to it. Just clad over them, drill hole and shove router in upside down. Again using roof vent/fan frame as guide.
Hmmm. Nice idea... But then the battens around the windows would interfere with the fitting of the wall panels, as they need to be curved to the shape of the walls ?
Isn’t that other dude the bloke from take that?
A am looking for a good all in one pilot hole bit with countersink, which one do you like to use?
Hi Keith, I like this new series, have been thinking about converting a van in the future.
What I don’t get; how can people sleep in the width of a normal van? How long is that bed going to be, 180 cm, maybe 185? I always learned that a bed should be longer than your length for it to be comfortable, so a 180 bed could only fit tiny people, up to about 170 cm tall. I am 192, so I am not even going to try to sleep in the width...
Thanks. I'm not entirely sure, but I'll endeavour to let you know in a future episode!
Hi Keith
Were the materials already sourced? Peter Millard; from 10minute workshop, talks about light weight plywood in his ultra lightweight bench build video - used especially for these projects. Wondered why 5mm ply was chosen instead?
Yeah sourced before my involvement. Eucalyptus/poplar ply would have been a better choice
Hi Keith , great video , questions , will the insulation cause condensation and is it for keeping heat in and do you need to tell DVLA about conversion or get it MOT ed or tested in anyway for fire and saftey , thanks , keep up the good work ,G.
Hi Graeme, I'm not an expert on this stuff, I've mainly just been brought in for the joinery aspect. But the insulation I would imagine is not only for heat but also sound. The foil insulation acts as a vapour barrier to prevent condensation forming on the cold metal inside the van. Not sure re DVLA stuff, sorry! Cheers, Keith
Cool beans mate. Looks a good'n to get your teeth stuck into. Wondered if you'd do a vid series on this after seeing you post some peaks on Insta. Question answered.
Cheers, yeah I hope it will be a complete project, but I'm not sure whether I'll be involved for everything. I'll definitely film as much as I can 👍
@@RagnBoneBrown Look forward to it bud.👍
Very interesting! Are you sure the woodscrews in place of self tappers will remain tight given the amount of vibration that happens in a vehicle?
Cheers. I don't think self tapping screws hold any different to normal ones, they're just designed to cut in to the material without pre-drilling. The normal screws hold really well so I'm not worried
Why didn't you continue this series? Your videos are excellent. I'm in the middle of a build and would love to have seen how you lined out the side door and fitted out the internals.
is this van going to go into cold weather? I thought you needed inside vapor barrier it that was the case.
The foil insulation is the vapour barrier I believe. I'm not an expert on it though by any means
Great work! Who makes the blade guard/vac shield on you table saw? I need one of those!
It came with the saw
B&q or any diy store plywood I find is a total waste of time. The face veneer always comes off you only need to catch you’re shirt on the corner and it peels right off. I find that the glue used aswell isn’t good as the plywood often starts to come apart. So I started going to my local timber merchants for it. Much better quality
Whooo
To minimize tear out on the low quality, thin ply, did you try a reverse scribe cut so that the blade is cutting on downward rotation?
I didn't try that, although for the amount of grooves we were cutting it would have taken a lot of extra time, good idea though 👍
With that shallow of a cut (~5mm), do you think you could do it in a single pass? (Not sure, saw Dave Stanton do it so haven't tried myself) Regardless, the bigger issue is spending all that time building the van using plywood that falls apart after a year. Great video, love the channel!
Of course, you're right, I wasn't thinking straight 🤣 yeah maybe it would have worked, might give it a try as I'm sure we'll need some more grooves at some point
That terrible plywood looks identical to the one sold in big stores around here (south of france), it's just awful :(
🤩🍻🍺😊