kitting out a motorhome
HI
Hubby and I are in the process of getting an old school minibus converted to a motorhome - it's a citroen relay so is a reasonable size, will have toilet/shower, kitchen, fridge etc etc. Trouble is, we're completely new to this so are trying to source equipment for it, bearing in mind we need to consider weight and practicalities , even things we may not have considered may be essential. For example, in people's experiences, is a duvet better than a sleeping bag and dvantages and disadvantages...... any suggestions or points to a previous article we may have missed would be great!
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Take a look here motorhomefun
You’ll need to subscribe to get full and ongoing access, but given your project, probably worth it.
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I would have thought there would be a few Facebook Groups out there which could be a good source of information, and free to use!
In our motorhome we use as two two single beds and we find duvets a better choice that sleeping bags which I find cramped. The secret is to buy the next size up ( 3ft bed ones rather than 2.6) and tuck one edge down behind the cushion. When we had a fixed bed we also used a duvet. Another advantage of duvets is that they can be squashed down into a small space for storage, the sleeping bags we used in the distant past seemed more bulky.
Good luck with your endeavours.
David
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"....in the process of getting it converted"....
by whom? a reputable company or yourselves?
how long is the van?, how long will your trips be? will you require a proper fixed bed...this will give good storage underneath and allow bedding to remain in situ negating the storage issue for duvets, pillows etc.
if using a 'make up/pull together' bed, ensure loads of clear uncluttered inderneath storage for that bedding....we have a fixed bed and dont do sleeping bags so can leave the bedding, we also have good sized storage under the bed...
what about power?....camping with EHU or sometimes/often without?
if without (the lure of the wild....) how will you generate power? solar and good batteries for 12v (charging ipads, running water pump, lights etc), but you'll need (probably) gas for cooking, heating, hot water for showers etc.
gas tanks and batteries can eat storage in a small van so perhaps an underslung gas tank?....and perhaps build sunken battery storage area into the floor of the van...
uk or europe....perhaps a wind out awning for shade...
a gas hob only or oven too.....salads or meat and veg?
long breaks or short? clothing can be bulky, heavy and often our changeable weather means we take too much stuff...boots, outdoor coats and gear....all need to be stored, sometimes when wet.
do you have a dog....it will need space and need to be dealt with when wet and muddy.
outdoor gear?....bbq?, griddle etc....reclining chairs....outdoor table, windbreak etc...ensure you have a handy place for finding and packing away all this gear....again, sometimes wet, you dont really want to bring it all into the van to store so external access is important....the rear door leading onto rear bed and storage is good for that.....rear doors leading onto lounge and view might be nice for that but not so good for storage....
do you have bikes? rear rack? on the doors, or towbar mounted?
much depends on how you'll spend your time away, your hobbies, where you go, how long the trips might be, sites or not, how 'self sufficient' will you want to be re power, food, water (how many days supply) etc.
how you design and build your van depends on so many things and we all do these things differently...our van suits us but wont suit others....
this van is for you, have a good think about what you want to be doing, where and for how long and this might eke out some of the answers you seek.
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Check out YouTube, there are some corking ‘how to’s’ plus the kit the converters used for vanlifing👍🏻. Try-‘prisoners no longer accepted’ ex prisoner transport bus conversion.’wandering Home’ EBay bought ex bus, it took them 12 months to convert. ‘Mel’s van life’ Auction bought merc sprinter.
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There is a Haynes "Build your your own campervan" book. A few searches on line bring up a wealth of information. Do you want a "rock and roll" bed conversion from the seats or something else. If it was me I'd look at a few commercial van conversions first to get ideas, some are very clever in their use of space. Good storage is vital.
Hope you'll let us see the end result!
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