Camper van - interesting video on tiny custom conversion

Thanks for posting this Jay,,The good sir above mentioned a camper some years back, and ever since I've wanted one !! It seems it would dovetail into my photography so well. I didn't realise the Wallis was also a "room " heater aswell as a hob an interesting alternative,also cool seeing the smaller van convertion

TFS

stu
 
jerry12953 said:
I just looked at the price of the Wallas . Just less than £1600 inc vat! :eek:

I sometimes leave one of the gas rings or the grill on to warm my van in winter.......
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Yup I know Jerry it's a lot isn't it. I tend to see nice cool ideas and react with how much especially with campers. I was pretty settled on the webasto diesel heaters(one day) but the two in one idea above is really cool. and might sway my choice. It also means the van could be gas free,which appeals to me.
 
jerry12953 said:
I just looked at the price of the Wallas . Just less than £1600 inc vat! :eek:

I sometimes leave one of the gas rings or the grill on to warm my van in winter.......
Click to expand...

Was curious too, found out the price and that it takes 30 mins to boil a kettle!
 
jerry12953 said:
I just looked at the price of the Wallas . Just less than £1600 inc vat! :eek:
Click to expand...

Stuart Philpott said:
Yup I know Jerry it's a lot isn't it.
Click to expand...

Unlocker said:
Was curious too, found out the price and that it takes 30 mins to boil a kettle!
Click to expand...

I guess if you look at the overall costing of a converstion the expense of this may disappear when compared to buying an off the production line camper or mobile home.
For me for example, I would value heat over standing up space, but then I get cold easily and would fear carbon monoxide build up from some sources of heat.

30 mins seems a long time to heat - got a link to that figure as I would like to read about it? I would have thought a candle could match that :eek:
 
Unlocker said:
Was curious too, found out the price and that it takes 30 mins to boil a kettle!
Click to expand...


Don't belive everything you read :D I normally turn the unit on ,crank the temp up to 6( max) , takes about 90 secs to go through its warm up phase , pop kettle on & I would say no more than 8 mins to boil enough water for a cuppa & a pot of porridge . Whilst I'm waiting for it to boil I'll put the cab blinds on etc by which time its done .
& anyway....who's in a rush :)
Obviously it depends how much water you're trying to boil as well . Pans need to be flat bottomed so I have a copper bottomed one as that transmits heat quicker , my kettle is a cheap £5 camping one from Go Outdoors ( other camping stores are available) .
 
jerry12953 said:
I just looked at the price of the Wallas . Just less than £1600 inc vat! :eek:

I sometimes leave one of the gas rings or the grill on to warm my van in winter.......
Click to expand...

Stuart Philpott said:
Yup I know Jerry it's a lot isn't it. I tend to see nice cool ideas and react with how much especially with campers. I was pretty settled on the webasto diesel heaters(one day) but the two in one idea above is really cool. and might sway my choice. It also means the van could be gas free,which appeals to me.
Click to expand...

Unlocker said:
Was curious too, found out the price and that it takes 30 mins to boil a kettle!
Click to expand...

MidnightUK said:
I guess if you look at the overall costing of a converstion the expense of this may disappear when compared to buying an off the production line camper or mobile home.
For me for example, I would value heat over standing up space, but then I get cold easily and would fear carbon monoxide build up from some sources of heat.

30 mins seems a long time to heat - got a link to that figure as I would like to read about it? I would have thought a candle could match that :eek:
Click to expand...


Regards the costs ..... I was originally looking at LPG for cooking & a Webasto for heating , this unit would have cost me about £200 more than those combined when having the conversion done .

BUT

a) I don't have to worry about running low on LPG or remembering to find a service station that sells it . It runs straight out of the vans diesel tank which is always at least 1/2 full - I left it running for about 5hrs & dropped about 5miles off the tank range so minimal diesel use .

b) I saved space as no need for a cupboard for the LPG bottle & in this van I need every bit of space I can get :D

c) I don't have the worry of carbon monoxide fumes

Any more questions don't hesitate to ask & no , I'm not being paid or sponsored by Wallas :p:LOL:
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Thanks for posting this Jay,,The good sir above mentioned a camper some years back, and ever since I've wanted one !! It seems it would dovetail into my photography so well. I didn't realise the Wallis was also a "room " heater aswell as a hob an interesting alternative,also cool seeing the smaller van convertion

TFS

stu
Click to expand...


Hi Stu , only had her for 4 weeks & been off every weekend so far .It opens up so many possibilities & suits me far better than being in tent at this time of year :)
I'd not heard of the Wallas either , the conversion company told me about it , so I did a bit of research & asked questions on T5 & Caddy Camper owners pages on farcebook .Got favourable feedback so decided it was worth a punt & so far I'm more than impressed (y)
 
Unlocker said:
Was curious too, found out the price and that it takes 30 mins to boil a kettle!
Click to expand...

Just found this on YouTube, took 16 minutes on this video but I guess it depends on the amount of water being boiled and the kettle type.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pbO3BQ4UX7g


When I watched the video I was expecting it to be electric but thought that would soon eat through the battery. Makes sense being diesel. Sounds a good space saver with no gas storage or needing a separate heater unit for a small/micro camper.

Edit: just seen @blondie606 has already posted up boiling times. Should say the video above also says there is a 2 minute warm up time too so that was really only 14 minutes.
 
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Thats better than what I was reading, but I’m still thinking of an inverter for a kettle so I don’t have to wait that long for a morning coffee!

Looking more into it, 20cm depth and 20kg in weight doesn’t make it as space saving as it first appears and for £1600 I can get an underslung tank, hob, heater and oven fitted, and have the heat coming from the floor!

It’s a great option though and just goes to show how many options for all budgets there are to choose from!
 
blondie606 said:
Regards the costs ..... I was originally looking at LPG for cooking & a Webasto for heating , this unit would have cost me about £200 more than those combined when having the conversion done .

BUT

a) I don't have to worry about running low on LPG or remembering to find a service station that sells it . It runs straight out of the vans diesel tank which is always at least 1/2 full - I left it running for about 5hrs & dropped about 5miles off the tank range so minimal diesel use .

b) I saved space as no need for a cupboard for the LPG bottle & in this van I need every bit of space I can get :D

c) I don't have the worry of carbon monoxide fumes

Any more questions don't hesitate to ask & no , I'm not being paid or sponsored by Wallas :p:LOL:
Click to expand...


Yes, I can see there are big advantages and the cost would be in comparison to the cost of a gas heater and a cooker unit. So it's not as bad as it initially seemed. Glad you're happy with it. You just can't beat a camper for photography travels!:)

Rob,

Thanks for posting the review. Another disadvantage comes to mind after viewing it. With any new gadget I always (jokingly) ask - "But does it make coffee?"

In this case I have to seriously ask - "But does it make toast (or cook anything.....)?"
 
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blondie606 said:
Hi Stu , only had her for 4 weeks & been off every weekend so far .It opens up so many possibilities & suits me far better than being in tent at this time of year :)
I'd not heard of the Wallas either , the conversion company told me about it , so I did a bit of research & asked questions on T5 & Caddy Camper owners pages on farcebook .Got favourable feedback so decided it was worth a punt & so far I'm more than impressed (y)
Click to expand...


Lynne call me a soft old fuddy duddy,but your glee at that van is a joy to see mate, I just love seeing adults turn into kids,it's a lovely thing.:rolleyes::)

Mate first cheers for the vid and popping by to give us the benefits of your knowledge. I'm too old for ruddy tents. I can visualise the posibilities,which is why i'm so set on something camper wise for us. Lynne there is a company called outwell,they make a collapsable kettle,pretty sure it had a solid copper base(def solid not sure Cu. It might be useful t you, crackiing space saver. Slightly off topic and as the convo has turned to a fav subject of mine...a cup of char..... colemans make a stove called a sportster 533 petrol/dual fuel. a little portable thing not really for a camper,just damn useful,for anyone here..including camper van owners that spends alot of time outside

It struck me that one is replacing two items with the wallas. it's still silly money for a heater come hob but the webasto isn't cheep by amy means and the gas free side is a big deal. Not only CO/CO2 but also a proper gas locker involves cost and more space taken up a corgi regestered fitter must also be involved I'd imagine .

Lynne what width is your rock and roll bed?? Also what make please and finally the real question how comfy?? I presume M1 tested ??. one of the few things I do know is I'll need the option to carry passengers legally and also will probably go for a smaller bed,which will sleep two,probably a 120cm width . These beds are not cheep either, so again i've been pondering options, even though I suspect nothing will happen soon van wise for me. I just know it's going to happen somehow;)

thanks again kiddo .. I work on building sites often far from home early starts late finishes,this ability to go somewhere the night before (maybe shoot sunset/golden hour sleep and be ready at dawn in the right place will eventually be a godsend. to us. My darling has a forrn of arthritis kicking her about,so warmth and comfort sleeping wise are so important to me which ever way we go i also know i want something small not a huge camper,cheep to run. . whether a caddy would be big enough I'm unsure,but gradually I'm building a mental picture of what I think we'll need.

take care

stu
 
What a fantastic video & an excellent van when it was all finished,enjoy.:):clap:
 
Here's what we have for cooking. Bolted to the worktop and is really quick to boil a kettle.

We do use it to heat the van too although LPG is a "wet heat" and isn't good to be used for heating and can cause condensation.



IMG_1018.JPG IMG_1034.JPG
 
This I think shows a completely different train of thought for some of us that hasn't really been touched on and that is budget / self conversion. If you're going to be spending £20k upwards, then yes you can see why the Wallas is an attractive option as the pricing getting it done in one go is a few % difference, but some of us have spent a 10th of that on a van and speccing it up as we go along / can afford it.

We initially started with a 2 hob burner and decided to go new with a smev sink combo and got all our cooking / water / taps etc. done for around £300 including a 6KG calor gas bottle which has only just been swapped out after 2 years of use! Recently we bought a Propex gas heater for £400 new which will give us dry heat and hopefully soon we will add an underfloor gas tank for around £400 so we can get out in the van over winter. That's £1100 spread out over 2 years instead of £1600 in one lump sum and that makes the decision to go gas a lot easier for some of us.

The Motorhome and Caravan Show is on at the moment til Sunday at the NEC for those that are interested, we will be there on the Sunday too getting more ideas as to our next updates as the show is great for self builders too with plenty of suppliers there as well as the big stuff! https://mcshow.co.uk
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Lynne call me a soft old fuddy duddy,but your glee at that van is a joy to see mate, I just love seeing adults turn into kids,it's a lovely thing.:rolleyes::)
Click to expand...
I have to agree, it was nice to see someone genuinely excited by something they have clearly spent a lot on, taken time to get done and obviously made a big committent to. :)
 
jerry12953 said:
Yes, I can see there are big advantages and the cost would be in comparison to the cost of a gas heater and a cooker unit. So it's not as bad as it initially seemed. Glad you're happy with it. You just can't beat a camper for photography travels!:)

Rob,

Thanks for posting the review. Another disadvantage comes to mind after viewing it. With any new gadget I always (jokingly) ask - "But does it make coffee?"

In this case I have to seriously ask - "But does it make toast (or cook anything.....)?"
Click to expand...


Oh yes.......admittedly I've only reheated homemade stew & made bacon sarnies so far but the hob has one cooking ring & one Keep warm/simmer ring . A mate very kindly bought me a Ridge Monkey so on longer trips I can cook all sorts , Dan does curry & chicken & pasta n all sorts in his .You can buy a specific toaster rack for it as well (y)
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Lynne call me a soft old fuddy duddy,but your glee at that van is a joy to see mate, I just love seeing adults turn into kids,it's a lovely thing.:rolleyes::)

Mate first cheers for the vid and popping by to give us the benefits of your knowledge. I'm too old for ruddy tents. I can visualise the posibilities,which is why i'm so set on something camper wise for us. Lynne there is a company called outwell,they make a collapsable kettle,pretty sure it had a solid copper base(def solid not sure Cu. It might be useful t you, crackiing space saver. Slightly off topic and as the convo has turned to a fav subject of mine...a cup of char..... colemans make a stove called a sportster 533 petrol/dual fuel. a little portable thing not really for a camper,just damn useful,for anyone here..including camper van owners that spends alot of time outside

It struck me that one is replacing two items with the wallas. it's still silly money for a heater come hob but the webasto isn't cheep by amy means and the gas free side is a big deal. Not only CO/CO2 but also a proper gas locker involves cost and more space taken up a corgi regestered fitter must also be involved I'd imagine .

Lynne what width is your rock and roll bed?? Also what make please and finally the real question how comfy?? I presume M1 tested ??. one of the few things I do know is I'll need the option to carry passengers legally and also will probably go for a smaller bed,which will sleep two,probably a 120cm width . These beds are not cheep either, so again i've been pondering options, even though I suspect nothing will happen soon van wise for me. I just know it's going to happen somehow;)

thanks again kiddo .. I work on building sites often far from home early starts late finishes,this ability to go somewhere the night before (maybe shoot sunset/golden hour sleep and be ready at dawn in the right place will eventually be a godsend. to us. My darling has a forrn of arthritis kicking her about,so warmth and comfort sleeping wise are so important to me which ever way we go i also know i want something small not a huge camper,cheep to run. . whether a caddy would be big enough I'm unsure,but gradually I'm building a mental picture of what I think we'll need.

take care

stu
Click to expand...


Hi Stu (y)
yeah , I was ( & still am ) giddy :D I looked at the Outwell kettle & may get one next year but for now my little camping one works fine & stows away inside my saucepan so no wasted space ;)

The Wallas is a bit more expensive ( admittedly I got a bit of a deal as one of the 1st Caddy's to have one fitted ) but the space saving , lack of C02 to worry about & not having to find LPG or refill a gas bottle ( lousy memory ) swung it for me .

The bed is by Fabworkz & I believe it's 915mm x 990mm so single bed size. It has seat belts so perfectly legal & fine for an MOT but not crash tested . Having done a little homework I'm not convinced the crash testing is actually all it's cracked up to be . But then I won't be carrying passengers back there .
In terms of comfort , hmmmm...I'm a fussy beggar with beds due to funny shoulder & hip bones :eek: I have a 1inch memory foam topper & a Dunelm mattress topper on top of that & it's perfect for me .


Hope that helps Stu (y)
 
Donnie said:
How much though was the whole conversion @blondie606 ?
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Hi Donnie

well, it wasn't cheap that's for sure ...I got quotes from 4 companies ranging from 8thou to £18500 ( yup , really) I settled closer to the £8thou . Yes , I could have done it cheaper by doing it myself but as I can't even hang a picture straight I doubt it would have been a good result :D
 
Excellent video Lynne.

I converted our Movano LWB over 3 months this year from January through March without the luxury of a nice warm workshop / aircraft hanger.

Love your enthusiasm re: the van. It really is the best thing I've ever done.

Now it's passed its MOT I'm going to be adding a solar panel and an extra window in the back of ours.

Still no form of heating per se but boiling a kettle seems to do the trick.

Our dog's nice & cosy too.

I'll look out for Maddie on our travels.
 
blondie606 said:
Hi Donnie

well, it wasn't cheap that's for sure ...I got quotes from 4 companies ranging from 8thou to £18500 ( yup , really) I settled closer to the £8thou . Yes , I could have done it cheaper by doing it myself but as I can't even hang a picture straight I doubt it would have been a good result :D
Click to expand...
That actually seems to me quite a reasonable price, @blondie606.
 
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