Positive Evolution

In June 2018 I bought a 2006 Iveco Daily 35C12 box van. The van has a 4.2 metre long box which is 2.5 metres high and 2.1 metres wide. It has a fibre glass Luton part over the cab.

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I moved into this van as soon as I bought it empty and I had to build it around me! I had done this before with my Sprinter and had found it quite stressful so this time I made the van really comfortable to live in as it was. I got a new cooker and mattress straight away, got a bed frame off someone who was selling one cheap on Ebay and a small sofa free on Freecycle. Luckily that year we had a great summer and so there was no pressure to get it insulated immediately.

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In July the first thing I did once I had the time was fix the solar panel to the roof and set up the batteries, charge controller and inverter. I had a 12v and 240v set up although the plugs, sockets and most lights were not installed until later once the insulation and plywood went up. At the end of the month I fitted the side door which came ready made from a vehicle door supplier and was a pretty easy job. It took a day but compared to the week it had taken to fabricate and fit the side door in my previous build I was happy I had just bought a ready made one!

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The following month I fitted the skylight and two windows. Personally I think the Seitz quality has dropped, neither windows worked as well as my last ones, particularly the mechanism of putting the blind/fly screen up and down. On the skylight the blind/fly screen has broken after only 18 months of use. I also insulated the ceiling with 50mm insulation board (Kingspan) and then used 6mm plywood to cover it. 

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The next month I started insulating the walls, I used 25mm insulation board (Kingspan) and put 50 x 25mm battens where I wanted to attach the plywood panels and any furniture. I used 6mm plywood to cover the insulation. I got one side done and then in October didn't do anything on the van, I did drive it from Ireland to Portugal though! In November I finished the walls and then used 40mm insulation board (Kingspan) on the floor and covered it with 12mm plywood. I then varnished the walls and floor with a clear matt varnish.

 

At the end of the month I fitted the wood burner which was made by my friend Gaz Rye who also made my last wood burner. There is a link to his shop on my Creativity page. I was now ready for the winter and despite spending it on the Algarve I was glad to have the van insulated and the wood burner glowing on cold evenings!

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After using a wonky step ladder for months a friend hurt herself on it after a few glasses of wine and so I made a proper set of solid steps that bolt to the van when stationary. In June 2019, after a year of using a table with the cooker to one side I built the kitchen units, a fold down table and the first part of the seat box that will eventually go across the width of the van. Another good few months were to go by before doing anything else!

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In September 2019 I drove back to the UK to get my MOT and also do some work. On the way back I had a few technical issues, a water leak, a bulge in the tyre, a fuel leak and headlights flashing. It did not make for a relaxing journey back! After a few days in the garage and a few hundred pounds out of my bank account the van was back to normal with another years MOT on it.

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In October 2019 I insulated the Luton part with 3mm closed cell insulation. This was not enough as I found out that winter while in Ireland for a month. This needs to be done again, either with two more layers at least of 3mm or a thicker version. I used some insulation board at the bottom and some 6mm plywood to cover it but needed something more flexible for the Luton itself. The Luton is just a large storage space, it can hold approx 50kg and so is a great space for spare bedding, towels, clothes and some other bits and bobs. Because it is not that easily accessible due to the kitchen units being in front of it I tend not to put things I use daily up there. 

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The same month I also painted the ceiling with a dark wood matt varnish and did a second coat of clear matt varnish on the walls. Both looked good and were a great success, what was not such a success was painting the floor. I used a mahogany gloss varnish for the floor that did not go on very well in the first place. Eventually after 4 coats it looked half decent but is actually awful. It shows up every speck of dust and dirt, it scratches easily and shows every small scratch and mark. Eventually I will sand it back to its original colour and use a clear matt varnish to protect it.

 

In February 2020 I tackled some rust spots on the bodywork before driving to Morocco. There I had the roller shutter door and tail lift taken off and replaced with new doors. The top door opens up to create an awning and the bottom door opens down to make a platform or can go all the way down so it is more out of the way. I had brought the last bit of insulation with me knowing that I was going to get this done and so afterwards was able to insulate the doors. There will be 6mm plywood on the top door with a porthole window in it and 12mm plywood on the bottom so it is nice and sturdy to stand on. At the time of writing I am still in Morocco on Corona virus lock-down so will update the page once this is done.

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As well as fixing plywood to the back doors I need to insulate and cover the very back corners which had been left due to the roller shutter door and tail lift. Also above where the roller shutter was fixed needs insulating and covering with plywood. The other main job is making the rest of the seat box to go across the width of the van. Then I want to make a frame around the Luton and fix two panels at each end. I was going to then add doors but I think I will probably just leave it with a curtain. This is after more insulation up there. I want to put some tiles around the cooker area and I need to do some sealing where the walls meet the ceiling. Afterwards perhaps a shelf or two but I am deliberately keeping storage space to a minimum as I have enough storage already and do not want more space to fill. Also I am aware that I need to keep my weight to a minimum. I believe I can up-plate to 4000kg so once I am near a weigh bridge I do need to see what I am weighing in at.

 

I haven't got an exact breakdown of what I spent but the over all cost of the build materials to date is around £5000 with the van costing £3,500 initially. The breakdown here is approximate and does not include everything:

£500 - Plywood and Battening

£250 - Insulation

£600 - Windows and Skylight

£350 - Door

£600 - Solar System

£150 - Wood Burner and Flue

£250 - Cooker

£200 - Back Doors

 

See the photos below of the van conversion taking shape: