I had decided that cutting extremely large holes in the van's side door and wall to accommodate extra windows was a job best left to the professionals at Vehicle and Marine Window Co. The whole operation was quickly and painlessly carried out while we waited.

I later fitted a smaller, top hinged window into the side of the roof for extra ventilation in the cooking area. Unfortunately, one of the roof struts prevented this window from being installed directly above the cooker hob and had to be slightly offset, but so far it has managed to cope with the vast clouds of steam that mysteriously appear when it is my turn to cook.....must be something to do with the water!

The main battery of the Transit is stowed neatly on top of the driver side wheel arch in the engine compartment and, after a few phone calls to local scrap yards, a battery cradle for the other wheel arch was obtained to accommodate a leisure battery.

A split charge relay was fitted so that the engine alternator could charge the leisure battery while the engine is running. This relay also powers the fridge while on the move. The two output cables from the leisure battery were threaded through to the back of the van and hidden behind the plastic cover strip on the windscreen pillar.

Two inexpensive LED's keep an eye on the condition of both batteries.(see Links)

Luckily, our van had a professionally fitted ply lining, which was removed to expose the painted metal side and floor panels, and any suspect paint defects were treated against rust.

As we were going to use inboard drinking and waste water tanks, and no wiring or tubing would go under the floor, the 9mm plywood floor panels were put back using packing pieces where necessary to make it feel universally firm.

With the aid of a felt pen and straightedge, the internal layout was drawn onto the floor and walls using the dimensions taken from my drawings. This was the final check to ensure that everything would fit before ordering materials and appliances.

Our drinking water was held in a 45 litre Aquaflow water tank which was fixed to the wall panel behind the side door and would be later hidden by the food storage cupboard. A pump was fitted and holes cut in the van's side panel for the filler cap and in the wheel arch for the drain and overflow pipes. As access to the tank would be a little restricted after the kitchen units were installed, the tank was filled with water and thoroughly tested for leaks.

Similarly, a small 10 litre waste water holding tank was fixed to what would ultimately become the back of the cupboard under the sink and the drain pipe passed through another hole cut in the wheel arch. As the 7 Kg gas bottle would also be stored in this cupboard, a drop out hole was cut in the floor to help vent any gas which may inadvertantly leak from the bottle.

The toilet cubicle, wardrobe, cupboards and kitchen units were to be made using 15mm Eurodekor melamine faced chipboard, which came in a wide range of decorative finishes and would give us flush, easy clean surfaces. The cutting service offered by our local supplier was well worth the extra cost as they ensured that the cut panels were accurate and square with chip free edges.

After covering the exposed chipboard edges with a matching iron on strip, the kitchen carcasses were assembled and fixed in place using small metal angle brackets and self-tapping or chipboard screws. Where it was not possible to use a screw directly i.e. to the thin metal outer skin or the fibreglass roof, a softwood batten was glued to the body panel with Gripfill. The chipboard panel could then be screwed to the batten when the glue had set.

After installing an Electrolux 3 way fridge and its ventilation panels, a 30mm thick kitchen worktop was fitted after making cut outs to accommodate a Spinflo Integrill cooker, its matching enamel sink and a single pillar tap.

The kitchen unit doors were hung on piano hinges and fitted with mini latches which removed the need for potentially obtrusive handles. We now had storage for a gas tank and doorhung waste bin under the sink, a drawer for electric hook up cable and toolbox under the fridge, two drawers for plates and cooking pans under the cooker and a five drawer larder unit with cutlery section.

Above the kitchen units at ceiling height, a long, low profile cupboard was screwed to pre-glued battens. This has four top hung doors with mini roller catches and holds the smaller kitchen items such as mugs, glasses, kettle, teapot, cutlery and containers for tea sugar coffee etc.

The side walls of the toilet cubicle and wardrobe were fitted and as working space would become somewhat restricted, insulation, wall linings and fittings were installed prior to hanging the doors.

The toilet cubicle was lit by a single fluorescent strip light and permanently ventilated with a small vent set low down in the side wall and a mushroom vent in the roof. A mirror was mounted on the inside of the toilet cubicle door as well as a fold out panel. With the door open and the panel folded out and the rear windows obscured by carpet covered ply panels, a private changing and washing area is created with access to the sink.

The wardrobe was fitted with a hanging rail and storage shelf and a rebate cut into the wall lining above the wheel arch to accommodate the jack.

There is a spacious cavity in the hi-top Transit between the metal driving cab ceiling and fibreglass roof which could be used to create a second double berth. In our case this space was lined with carpet and fitted with a single top hung door giving ample storage for bulkier items such as pillows and bedding.

A three door cupboard, similar in design to the kitchen cupboard, was fitted above the sofa. As well as storage for smaller items, this cupboard has a separate section which houses the mains consumer unit and an 'Inter-Power' combined transformer/charger which automatically powers the 12v system and charges the leisure battery when hooked up.

A 240v mains hook up socket was set into the side of the van about a metre below the consumer unit and connection made between the two using cable recommended by the manufacturer. Similar cable was used to give a 240v supply to the fridge, transformer and two mains outlet sockets.

The dangers relating to a mains supply are all too obvious when you think of the van as being a large metal box sat in a wet field on a rainy day with a 240v cable running to it!

All mains electric installations MUST be installed or at least checked by qualified personnel

12 volt cable tails for three fluorescent ceiling lights, two halogen spotlights, a water pump switch and a socket for a TV, were taped to the ceiling and walls and threaded back to the leisure battery via accessible fuses.

After fitting a combined rooflight and vent in the fibreglass roof above the main living area, a framework of battens was glued to the exposed walls and ceiling ready to take the finishing decorative panels. The space between the battens was filled with fibreglass insulation prior to fitting the panels.

The same industrial chord carpet was fitted to the ply floor and rubber nosing strips screwed to the floor edges at the side and rear entrances.

The removable sofa base was made from 15mm MDF and forms a useful storage space for an awning with access via its drawer front. The cushions consist of three sections of 100mm foam, with the backrest and base cushion glued onto MDF panels before being upholstered.



To me, a sewing machine is a mechanically interesting but totally unusable device. Luckily, my lady Pat is an adept seamstress and made short work of the sofa upholstery and curtains.

With the curtains fitted to the side windows and across the back of the cab, the project was complete.

For some time the jumble of tools, chipboard panels, tubing and wire had given the van's interior all the appearance of a badly filled skip. After two months labour, it was suddenly transformed into a homely and comfortable camper.





By this time, we had grown rather fond of the distinctive black and yellow paintwork and have decided to keep it, at least for the time being. You will definitely not miss us when we arrive at a campsite near you!

On reflection, it has been an immensely enjoyable and worthwhile project and definitely within the scope of anyone possessing basic DIY skills, and when the time comes, I will certainly do it again..

Our 'maiden voyage' (in the depths of winter) proved that all our efforts had been worthwhile.

We can now look forward to adventurous trips and holidays at home and abroad. A glance at a world atlas shows that once across the channel, there is a vast land mass open to us, and if there is a car ferry across the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska, the world, as they say, could really be our oyster......