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Finished Project!I've always wanted to do a Van to Campervan conversion and when my son rang me up and said " Dad, you can say no if you want, but I've just bought myself a van and l was wondering if you'd like to have a crack at converting it into a camper?
I think he knew l’d jump at the suggestion and boom….5 solid weeks later a Camper Van was born!
He bought himself a 2015 Hyundai iLoad for $15,000 with nothing but bare bones so we had to start from scratch!
The Brief was scant, but precise:
- It had to have room for him to sleep and sit comfortably.
- There needed to be a safe spot to securely store a surfboard or two overnight, and three,
- There's not a lot of coin to do all this so the budgets tight....and l do mean tight....nothing to fancy!
Living in rural NSW meant that l didn't have a lot of options regarding sourcing materials for converting a van but luckily we do have a Bunnings so they saved the day 👍👍 Basically everything for the van was purchased from there except for electrical components and sound proofing.
Oh yeah, there was one more thing....it had to be finished in under five weeks as l was going into hospital for major foot surgery which was going to render me pretty useless for the unforeseen future.
Materials
For all the cabinetry: 17mm Black Formply: https://www.bunnings.com.au/specrite-2400-x-1200mm-17mm-formply-f17_p0390224
White accent for the drawer faces: 20mm White Plywood.
10mm Foilboard for insulation.
Floor & ceiling battens: 90 x 35 MGP10 Pine cut into strips.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/90-x-35mm-framing-mgp10-untreated-pine-2-7m_p8030057
Wall framing: 90 x 35 MGP10 Pine
https://www.bunnings.com.au/90-x-35mm-framing-mgp10-untreated-pine-2-7m_p8030057
White Primed Pine for slatted ceiling: 66mm x 11mm
https://www.bunnings.com.au/66-x-11mm-5-4m-moulding-white-pine-fj-primed-dar_p0021147
Ceiling lining: 3mm MDF
https://www.bunnings.com.au/customwood-3-x-2400-x-1200mm-raw-mdf-mr-e0_p0590021
Flooring: 9mm Plywood.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/2400-x-1200mm-9mm-plywood-f8-pine-structural-cd-grade_p0340350
Flooring: Vinyl Plank
Wall Cladding: 9mm Easy VJ MDF
Four Way Stretch Carpet. From Autobarn
Goliath 1 metre Lockable Drawer Slides
https://www.bunnings.com.au/goliath-1000mm-heavy-duty-lockable-drawer-slide-pair_p4021067
Goliath 600mm Lockable Drawer Slides
https://www.bunnings.com.au/goliath-600mm-heavy-duty-lockable-drawer-slide-pair_p4021063
If you are interested checking out the entire materials list complete with electricals and extra resources, the Costing Guide can be found here: https://etsy.me/4ac8XNJ
Tools
Makita 7 1/4" Circular Saw:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-185mm-7-1-4-circular-saw-5007nk_p6320431
Massca Pocket Hole Jig
Dewalt Portable Table Saw:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/dewalt-254mm-2000w-corded-table-saw-dwe7491-xe_p0274900
Makita Jigsaw:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-650w-d-handle-jigsaw-jv0600k_p0204848
Makita Orbital Sander:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-125mm-5-300w-random-orbital-sander-bo5041kx_p6240110
Makita Cordless Drill:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-18v-brushless-hammer-driver-drill-kit-dhp484sfe_p6240427
Steps
Step 1
Couple of photos of the finished project!
Hyundai 2015 iLoad
The LED lights are one of the features of the van which helps to highlight the slatted ceiling.
Plenty of storage in the wall cabinet and the natural holes in the vans side panel make a convenient place to hang some clothes hangers.
Two toned cabinetry makes the decor pop!
Surfboard storage under the bed stores the boards safely while you sleep overnight.
Plenty of storage with a 1 metre pull out drawer and the bed / sofa is very comfortable with a two piece foam mattress.
The Ratten Door on the electrical box ensures plenty of ventilation for the electrics whilst the extra drawer provides another handy storage compartment.
I'm a big fan of Four Way Stretch Carpet. Just stick it to some MDF for a luxurious finish.
The VJ was a little difficult to install due to the uneven and curved face of the wall and door panels. A little force was required to secure in place and just make sure that you screw to a panel that is not the outside skin of the van....check twice, screw once. The Black Button Head Screws are nice accent against the white MDF.
The White Plywood legs are cut out of the one piece of material...no joints.
I'm 6'2" and can sleep comfortably with legs outstretched.
Handy pull out kitchen with open storage underneath.
The 30 litre fridge is a great option and keeps those beers just at the right temperature.....delicious.
If you don't surf, you could use this space for extra storage.
Three styles of charging ports.
1: two USB Ports
2: One USB Port and one USB-C Port
3: One cigarette style Charging Port.
The wall mounted fan is a necessity for a comfortable van life.
The LED Strips are a simple way to create a stunning look.
The vinyl plank flooring looks great and is simple to install.
The Pull Out Bed / Sofa is a very effective way to kill two birds with the one stone. If you're interested in making one for yourself you can find the Plans here: https://etsy.me/3WR3w43
The Open Storage is a great place to store your devices, clothing, books etc
I love the overall look of the conversion and combine that with truck loads of storage, you have yourself a very neat little package.
Gotta love a little greenery 👍😁
Step 2
Couple of snaps of the job in progress!
This is Jack, my 26 year old son who's van it is.
Floor battens glued down to the floor pan with insulation glued in between the battens.
Detailed Plans 😂
Holding up the ceiling battens till the glue dried.
Timber slats nailed to a 3mm sheet of MDF that l painted black for accent.
Sound deadening material was applied to the areas of the van that sounded "tinny" These tinny areas were on the wall and ceiling panels and also the wheel arches where road noise is transferred.
Insulating your van is an important step as they can get really hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.
The Bed Box is an integral part of the build as everything else is built around it.
Running the cabling for the lights, switches, fan, charging ports etc.
The plywood floor was installed in two pieces. There are so many ins and outs with a van that it would be very difficult to do it out of one sheet.
I'm a massive fan of the 17mm Formply. It looks awesome and is generally straight and flat.
The cabling was a little tricky to run back to the battery but we got there in the end.
The pull out kitchen works well as a place to use and store your gas cooker.
The engine room for all the electrics is located under the bed.
A 100AH Lithium battery runs all the electrics which is charged from the vans battery as well as the solar panel on the roof.
The backrest is a game changer for the pull out bed. You can actually sit in the van comfortably without your head hitting the ceiling!
Having the fridge and electrical compartment accessible via the side door is very convenient.
Hear duty drawer slides work an absolute treat with the drawer. Having the drawer lockable prevents it from coming out when driving.
Step 3
If you're interested here is the video where l reveal the van to my son. It's Part 3 of a 3 Part, Van to Campervan Conversion Series. Hope you like it 👍😁🇦🇺
Part 1 and Part 2 document the building phase and can be found here.
