Nice video. Sounds like you were maybe going to sell it, talking about the condition - have you? Not that I'm buying - I've got one. Must get round to doing a walk-around video too. I've put a vid on my channel of the panic we had after buying it and finding the additional feature of a built-in swimming pool under the cab carpet and the floor rusting through. Is this all home-converted? Ours is a Nu Venture conversion of a LWB high-top. We just need a 2-birth, so we've tons of storage where your bunks are (were?).
Yes, we sold this not long after the video was published. We had issues with water ingress into the cab with the added bonus that (with that engine at least) any water getting in around the windscreen tended to be collected by the ECU tray!! Anyway, a new windscreen rubber (£40 and LOTS of swearing) solved the issue. I did the conversion and knowing how the floors rust (I had a couple of these vans for my business 20 years ago) I applied plenty of waxoyl to everything before putting boards/lining in.
Hello, hopefully you are still able to comment on this. I'm looking at doing this same project. I've been looking at all different layout vans and minibuses. Anyway I've come across an ldv convoy 2.5 litre non turbo van in blue! So it looks really tidy and is does look quite big inside. Now the sort of vans I was looking at were long wheel base with a high roof, the ldv has quite a high roof and doesn't seem too short a wheel base. So the main reason I wanted the bigger van is so I could get a couple of beds in for the kids and also a shower and toilet as well as somewhere to cook and sleep for me and my partner. Your van looks like the same van I've found and it has everything I want fitted for my own. I'm going to build everything myself but the water heating and electrics are where I'm unsure same with water coming through the taps and pumped itself rather than pumping it by hand, any help would be great. Thank you Nathan.
+Nathan Bromley If you're really not confident with water and electrics you can check out the several 'self build motorhome' forums and at least one published book. The same is true for electrics where things are really pretty simple unless you intend to get into the complexities of solar panels, charge controllers and inverters for 240V. Regarding the base vehicle. If the example you've found is solid underneath then it is generally considered the best engine to go for. That engine is noisy and can burn a bit of oil at high mileages but is otherwise pretty much bomb-proof. As far as the roof height - it's plenty just as long as you are not too tall and/or you don't put too much insulation. The only downside to the height is that the windows are placed (comparatively) very low due to the fibreglass roof. Oh - you'll need to keep on top of re-sealing that joint between the roof and the body. These vans do have a tendency to leak. Everywhere. All the time. If you get incredibly lucky there are a few super long wheelbase variants out there. Mostly used by the Post Office (I believe) these had a long panel welded in where there is currently a short panel (as you look along the side) and this made them 300-400mm longer than standard. At some point I may well get around to doing a more detailed video of my current van showing how the gas, electrics and water system work. In the meantime, there are other videos on RU-vid showing this. Best of luck with the project. I look forward to seeing a video of it when it's done!
can i ask the depth of your kitchen worktops please? currently converting a 1994 400 minibus :) i love it! its old and slow but it has character plus the engine is very simple no ECU etc so its good if your planning a long trip and you know your engine if anything goes wrong. mines only done 66k miles
Dr sausage fingers I cut the worktop back pretty hard (Under 400mm as I recall) leaving just enough width for the sink unit and hob. Regarding the Daf 400 - yes, the Peugeot derived engine is quite robust but watch for overheating on (I think) cylinder 3 where the water jacket is compromised by the oil feed to the filter which sits alongside the rocker cover. I had one of these years back and the piston literally fell out of cylinder 3 one day on the way back from work. Expensive!! I believe the issue arises from this originally being a 2.3L engine as fitted to the Peugeot 505 pickup and (rarely) to the Ford Sierra 2.3D. When bored out to 2.5L for the van it ran into problems. Good luck and happy converting!
...just passing by...Where you get your furniture from is entirely up to you. You can build them from scratch, or buy them from specialised websites, or even old caravans at the wreckers. Each has there benefits. Built to fit provides maximum and taylored space. Old salvaged furniture can take less effort but may not make the most of your dimensions! ...As a project, it is hard, and will take a long time (if your doing it properly). You will learn alot as you go, and there are many helpful websites and forums, you just need to look. ...It can be pricey, or you can do it by low budget and salvage anything you can find, but it will have its challenges. You could always hang some curtains, and sling a mattress and torch in the back! ...warm and dryer climates require less thought than damp and cold ones, like england! I hope u get to do ur own project one day!
The first van I converted I did genuinely try to fit the furniture from a scrap caravan. I hit two problems: First, caravans are assembled from the floor up with the outer skin going on last so furniture is typically screwed to the fram from the outside. Getting it out of the caravan without breaking it is very difficult. Secondly, while the walls of a caravan are flat and vertical, the sides of a panel van slope inward and also curve along the length of the vehicle. Square built furniture simply won't fit without major modification - by which stage you might as well just build it from scratch. That said, a scrap caravan is a good and cheap way to source cushions, curtains and appliances. Good luck.
+Jenna Belcher The bunks themselves are simple welded 25mm box section steel (1.6mm wall) with plywood slats attached with self-tapping screws. To provide a bit more depth/headroom both the hinges and the support points rise from the bunk so that it is (as it were) hung below the level of what I'm about to describe. The LDV is unique because there is a pretty strong frame around the top of the steel bodywork below the join with the fibrglass roof. I bolted hinge plates to this frame and hung the bunks from that. At the front end I built a 25mm box cross piece which both supported the lower end of the bunk and also provided some storage space in the centre. At the head end of the bunk one is supported on the toilet wall while the other had a sort of leg arrangement which rested on the kitchen work-surface. Holding the bunks up while on the move was via a couple of straps and climbing carabiners fastened to the roof support steelwork (supporting the fibreglass). The whole thing was a bit clumsy but was effective and worked well enough for our children until they were late teens and bigger than us! Generally we could fold the bunks up with sleeping bags and pillows still on them which made setting up even easier in the evening. One big reason for wanting the layout that way was so I could get out of the van in the morning to walk the dog without having to climb over the kids. Or, if we were wild-camping and had to move on, I could actually drive with the bunks in the lowered position. I hope that helps! Any more info please just ask.
This is a fab idea R Down :) I had a Convoy 5 years back that I converted. But now I have a 6yr old child in the equation...several campers later, I'm now looking at converting another Convoy...seeing your video has inspired me again. Thank you , and what a great conversion :) I wish I'd bought your van!!
Dreaded Banter Not really. Slow, underpowered and noisy but unless there's something wrong with the power steering or clutch all the controls are no heavier than a car. My wife drove this van from time to time and never complained. It just depends what you want from a vehicle and the LDV still has plenty to recommend it.
Dreaded Banter Absolutely. With the twin rear wheels you can be pretty sure of getting out of fields when all other campers have sunk and as long as you look after them they will go on forever.
