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Campervan conversion and cooking facilities

Started by AdamMannPro, July 03, 2018, 05:11:06 PM

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AdamMannPro

Hi All, I dont know if anyone on here could help me with some simple advice.

I am converting (well redoing) a campervan we bought from Wicked Campers (old stock)

Now I want to get it certified as a Campervan on the V5 and looking at the specs I can easily meet them all but I have a question about the cooking facilites.

This is from the DVLA website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/registering-a-diy-caravan/converting-a-vehicle-into-a-motorhome

Cooking facilities
Cooking facilities must:

be an integral part of the vehicle living accommodation and mounted independently of other items
be secured to the vehicle floor and / or side wall
be secured as a permanent feature - bolted, riveted, screwed, or welded
consist of a minimum of a 2 ring cooking facility or a microwave in either case having a fuel / power source
Now I want to have the kitchen pull out of tte back of the van (not isde the main cab area where the bed is) similar to this but I wanted to use something like this http://www.doityourselfrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/QuQuQ-CamperBox-KitchenBed1.jpg

Camping Cooker https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/camping-stove-butane-double-gas-burner-cooker-heater-portable-camping-BBQ-picnic/253215796344?epid=2244583942&hash=item3af4d66c78:g:4gkAAOSwEEBZ6Heb

Now obviously these are using teh gas cannisters and not a pipe or anything like that which is mentioned in htis paragraph

If the cooking facility is fuelled by gas having a remote fuel supply:

the fuel supply pipe must be permanently secured to the vehicle structure
the fuel reservoir must be secured in a storage cupboard or the reservoir secured to the vehicle structure
Now if I ?????/bolt this down and show it in the pictures I would need to supply would this surfice ? or would anyone have any other options or ideas.

Hope all that made sense

Thanks in advance

Camper_Dan

Greetings & Welcome!

I'm in the USA, so not all of this may apply...

My van is NOT registered as an RV but rather as a passenger van.  Everything is portable (but secured).  This get's me around RV parking restrictions, and also makes my insurance company happy. (They won't cover a DIY camper van, but if everything is portable, you're just hauling it.)

Another option that comes to mind is to register it the way you bought it, since it obviously complied to whatever was necessary, then remodel it, or do you have to go through this whole process on a regular basis?

Slide out kitchens are usually the pits, when you want/need to cook inside because of bad weather, or you just don't want others to know.  That being said, I have seen some builds where the kitchen either slides or swivels out, but is also usable from inside. (Like a seat flips up to reveal the usable kitchen.)

Hope this helps, and keep us posted because I'm sure others may run into similar problems.

Cheers!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

AdamMannPro

Hi Camper_Dan

Much appreciated.

In the UK it actually makes things better by re-classing the vehicle as a campervan, you get lower insurance and potentially lower vehicle tax (dependent on the vehicle) but you have meet the requirements, hence the question.

It is also technically a legal requirement to re-class the vehicle in the UK but not everyone does it

Camper_Dan

Greetings!

But you said you bought it from Wicked Campers, so wasn't it already classified correctly?

Cheers!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

AdamMannPro

Hi

Well No, the companies name is Wicked Campers and what they do is buy Japanese imports and rip out the back seats and put a bed in. They dont re-classify it as it doesn't meet the spec required and it would cost them too much to do. they just leave it as the default.

Camper_Dan

Greetings!

Ahhhh..Okay, that sheds a whole new light on things...

Is your bed going to also be a seat?  Before proceeding any further, I have heard of headaches with getting properly approved seating. 

These are the things I would be concerned with too:

a seating and dining area, permanently attached to the vehicle - the table may be detachable but must have some permanent means of attachment to the vehicle. It is not good enough to have a loose table

a permanently fixed cooking facility __within__ the vehicle, powered by gas or electricity

A cooking facility WITHIN the vehicle might disqualify your slide out the back design...

The seating and dining area, kind of sounds like the bed will also be a seating, so again check on what is approved seating, and whether seat belts etc. are required.

Hope this helps,

Cheers!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

Nick123Jon

Hi!!   
My name is Nick. :)
I think this post will be interesting for you about Class B Motorhomes or Van Camper http://whatmycarworth.com/looking-for-class-b-motorhomes-or-van-camper-get-usefu-tips