Shaun's barn door, white Volkswagen T5 panel van came to us with a long list of jobs in need of doing.

The first job on any camper project is to ready the shell. Window apertures are made in the necessary places ready for the installation of our static or sliding tinted windows. Once the windows are in place we start by checking the metalwork and structure inside the van, making any repairs where necessary. Then it's on to insulating the walls and ceiling and running any electrical wiring behind panels, before lining out the interior in the chosen 4-way stretch carpet.

For Shaun's van we installed LED down lights in the ceiling wired to a control panel and switch board by the wardrobe. Beneath these we placed two 3-Pin 240v UK plugs for charging and powering appliances. 

Shaun opted for the SJ Campers 'Premium Kitchen Unit' pack, featuring double-faced doors made from lightweight plywood. These units benefit from looking great inside and out, as well as saving weight and therefore reducing fuel costs!

The kitchen units were installed to accommodate a Waeco fridge and Smev hob with sink - with all the necessary plumbing safely and tidily tucked away below in trunking. Shaun chose rolling 'tambour' doors for the wardrobe to allow easy access when the rock and roll bed is in the 'upright' position. The bed itself is a Smart Beds original unit, finished in VW factory upholstery to match the front seats. Smart Beds' unique design allows the rock n roll unit to be collapsed or returned upright with just one lever and very little effort; much better than a standard bed unit. They're also crash tested to offer safety when being used with seat belts.

Now out of the workshop and back on the road, Shaun's van is ready for his next adventure!

Cheers
Stu & John

Pete came to us with a lovely gunmetal grey T5, which he badly wanted colour-coding, lowering and converting.

First job was to send it to our spray shop to have the bumpers colour-coded to match the paintwork. Once done (and looking very shiny and new) we tackled the van's interior by stripping out, insulating and lining it - after we had cut out and installed some tinted windows.

We've recently taken to offering the ceiling carpet in a lighter shade of material in order to brighten up the interior and define the roof from the walls. The floor was covered in an Altro Flooring specialist material to give an enduring finish with a professional look.

Next up we jacked up the van, removed the standard VW suspension springs and added in some shorter, stiffer ones from VW's stock. This gives the van a much tighter and less 'wallowy' ride, and we think it looks far better for it too!

Last, but certainly not least, was the addition of a Smart Beds rock and roll bed just behind the front seats (think VW Combi van), which will allow us to build a mountain bike garage in the rear load bay later in the project.

This sunny little T4 came to us back in February to be stripped, insulated, lined out and re-floored before we installed the electrics. You can read all about that job right here: Kev's T4 Conversion.

Since then Kev's van has been back in the workshop for a rock and roll bed installation from Smart Beds (read all about these amazingly easy to use, crash tested beds in our article, Smart Bed Conversions Come to Cumbria). 

We got some photos of this sunny little van enjoying itself in the sunshine :)