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Bohemivan Mk 1 - T25 bus turned into a modular campervan

Started by Bohemivan, August 05, 2017, 12:05:34 PM

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Bohemivan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6zhYmIKpJ0

We did everything ourselves apart from making the curtains and fitting the radio. We made new wall and ceiling cards, installed insulation material, did some re-spraying, built an overhead locker, built a kitchen unit, fitted a subfloor, squared off the raised back area to form a seat and most of the bed platform, laid vinyl, fitted Silent Gliss curtain track, installed a 30w solar system for the lights, installed LED touch sensitive spotlights and sourced soft furnishings.

We've had one sleepover in it so far and the mattress stayed inflated all night and was very comfortable.

We have some more things to do....fit a roof rack, fit a water tank onto the roof rack to feed sink and outside shower, make a table to eat at, equip the kitchen better.

Hope you like it.

Hannah & Lottie.


Camper_Dan

Greetings & Welcome!

I enjoyed your video, even though I would have done some things differently, especially not blocking the view out the side windows with the privacy covering.

I would advise against storing water on the roof.  It is heavy and can affect both handling and fuel economy.  Store your water on the floor to keep your center of gravity lower.  I use trigger spray bottles for sink water & cleaning, and a weed sprayer with the original nozzle replaced by a kitchen sink sprayer nozzle for showers or more powerful water flow, even washing my van.  I painted it black for free sun heated hot water.  I did the same with one of my trigger spray bottles for hot water.

Simple portable camp stoves work great, and have the advantage of being able to be used outside as well as inside.
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

Bohemivan

We're in Spain so the privacy screens on the windows are there to block out a lot of sunlight as well as provide a private side to the van. We can see out of the van if we want to on that side by opening the sliding window.

If I get a water tank for the roof it will have anti-surge baffles.

Right now, I use a large water jug at the sink. Pouring out of a jug is a lot faster than any tap I have ever seen used in a campervan and no batteries are needed. Until I get a roof tank, this will do well enough.

I have a camp stove already  :)


Camper_Dan

Greetings!

You might want to add solar film to all of your back windows, it will help out even more with the sun, and not obstruct your view from the inside during the day, but looks like a mirror from the outside.

A cheap but effective trick I learned, is that those el cheapo mylar emergency blankets are actually not opaque, but see through.  They will stick to your windows  with just a spritz of water.  With a spatula, it is super easy to get any air bubbles out.  From the inside, it just like the windows are tinted.  At night, if you have lights on at night, people can still see in, so you'll want to use your curtains too, but during the day it can make a huge difference in your indoor temperatures.

I am really concerned with your rooftop water plan.  Baffles are good, but even just 5 gallons of water is going to add 40 pounds of weight up there.  I can't remember the exact equation, but that much weight up high, translates into much more weight, during turns etc.  Baffles can combat the moving water syndrome, but doesn't improve on the sheer high weight or the pendulum effect it can cause.  Vans can tend to be a little top heavy to begin with, and the best way to make them handle better is to keep all of weight low in the vehicle.  On a previous van, adding solar panels to my van had a very negative effect in the van's handling.

I am a firm believer in not needing batteries or power of any kind for water delivery.  Being frugal with both power and water, is always a wise choice, and not even an inconvenience once you get used to it.

Best Wishes, always!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

Shawbags

Hi there , you've done a lovely job of that , I hope you have lovely times on your travels , chris 👍😉
Live life to the full
😉 Travel in a van 😜

Bohemivan

Quote from: Camper_Dan on September 02, 2017, 07:08:59 PM
Greetings!

You might want to add solar film to all of your back windows, it will help out even more with the sun, and not obstruct your view from the inside during the day, but looks like a mirror from the outside.

A cheap but effective trick I learned, is that those el cheapo mylar emergency blankets are actually not opaque, but see through.  They will stick to your windows  with just a spritz of water.  With a spatula, it is super easy to get any air bubbles out.  From the inside, it just like the windows are tinted.  At night, if you have lights on at night, people can still see in, so you'll want to use your curtains too, but during the day it can make a huge difference in your indoor temperatures.

I am really concerned with your rooftop water plan.  Baffles are good, but even just 5 gallons of water is going to add 40 pounds of weight up there.  I can't remember the exact equation, but that much weight up high, translates into much more weight, during turns etc.  Baffles can combat the moving water syndrome, but doesn't improve on the sheer high weight or the pendulum effect it can cause.  Vans can tend to be a little top heavy to begin with, and the best way to make them handle better is to keep all of weight low in the vehicle.  On a previous van, adding solar panels to my van had a very negative effect in the van's handling.

I am a firm believer in not needing batteries or power of any kind for water delivery.  Being frugal with both power and water, is always a wise choice, and not even an inconvenience once you get used to it.

Best Wishes, always!

Hi there. Been a long time! Are you still here?

I've recently moved back to the UK after living in Spain and then traveling in my van for a year and a half.

In the end, I got a water tank fitted to the underneath of my van with a pump and accumulated underneath too. It works really well and, even when the tank is full, I don't notice any weight difference when driving.

While we were traveling, having hot water wasn't a big issue. I would often stand in the wash basin outside of the van and just pour a bottle of water over myself. We swam in the sea most days too. During the winter, it was hard having to wash my hair in cold water...I must admit! Luckily, there were plenty of swimming pools we could use every few days.


Bohemivan

Quote from: Shawbags on September 16, 2017, 12:15:28 PM
Hi there , you've done a lovely job of that , I hope you have lovely times on your travels , chris 👍😉

Hi there. I was away for eighteen months. I got back to the UK last November and bought a house. I still have the van and I'm now working hard on my Bohemivan website plus my new online vintage shop.

'Loves times'.....not sure about that. It was an experience! The south of Spain is nothing to get excited about so it was quite disappointing. I'm really looking forward to vanlife in the UK.