Vario 4x2 camper conversion - it starts here ...

[Arfur's World]

Hi All,

As you can tell by my post-count and join date, I'm a newbie here but have spent the last few weeks reading loads of good info on a host of Vario projects. There's some seriously good work out there!

A few months ago I decided to follow the Tour de France next year (100th year and all that, figured if ever gonna do it, that is the one!), so a few weeks ago I bought Arfur. Arfur is a Baileys coachbuilt exhibition unit and as such has loads of good equipment to start with, and with only 31k kms on the clock, is barely run in.

Now I'm clearly not planning to attack the wilds of the world, unlike some of you, (yet ) but as an off-roader, can see the benefits in at least starting with a rear diff lock. Are they like rocking horse poo?

Also, having read the details of the ex-Irish electric 4x4's, how hard would it be to make my 4x2 into a 4x4, but without doing a chassis swap?

My interior plan is to buy a written-off, less than 2 year old, caravan and wedge everything in ... I like my creature comforts ...

Any thoughts and/or experiences welcome

 

[docka]

Hi and welcome Arfur's world
Great choice in vehicle. Where did you pick such a low mileage one up? I'm a noobie here too, not much to add yet but i've part converted an '02 Vario 4x2 panel van into home on wheels and loved every minute!
Good luck with Arfur keep us posted.
cheers

 

[Anton2k3]

Hi there! Welcome to the vario club, which seems to be growing at the moment, great stuff.

I have been musing over the4x4 conversion for some time and think the chassis swap would be easiest solution. We have discussed it in a few different vario threads.

As for diff lock, someone is in the process of doing it. Andylod has just finished collecting all the parts and is about to convert. The info can be found in my thread in the 'other expedition vehicles' section.

Thanks

 

[Arfur's World]

I think I'm going to take the advice of someone on one of the earlier threads ... do this as a first attempt and then look at how to make the second one better. I'm actually a Land Rover man, so my off-road camper requirements may be based around that in the future, but I just wondered if a diff-lock may help on tracks across the world rather than hardcore mud-plugging. As for a chassis swap, with mine being like new underneath, if I was to try and go 4x4, I'd be loath to change more than would be needed.

Also, does anyone have experience of electric windows on these? Mine is manual and I'm thinking of (one day, add it to a long, long list) going electric.

Then there is adding cruise control, taking off the restrictor, LEZ compliance, to respray or not .... it goes on and on ...

I got Arfur from a charity in Nottingham, found him on Autotrader, and apart from being built in Stoke, he's almost never been out of Nottinghamshire and rarely on a motorway ... came as a shock when I picked him up and promptly hauled him to Oxford via Brighton :wings:

 

[Arfur's World]

Hi All, things are progressing, and more questions are coming up than answers being obtained, as is always the case! I think I've got to send Arfur back to his original builder to have some panel changes. As much as I like the currrent character, it just isn't practical for what I want to achieve ...

 

[Anton2k3]

That bike rack looks like a great piece of kit. If you want any more info on cruise control, there is some in my build thread.

Do you have any more pictures of the van or conversion? Did you manage to find a suitable donor caravan? What changes are you having made to the body?

Thanks,

 

[Arfur's World]

Hi Anton,

The pics of the truck, caravan and progress are all on Facebook, see the link in my sig. For the panel changes, as I have changed my requirements since starting, it was going to be "I'll just get some old bits from an old scrapper and make do" - it has now become "If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it well, and I like my comforts", then the original features aren't correct.

The door and lift/step is too wide and I lose too much space inside. I'm trying to keep as much of the caravan in the same order so that I don't have to amend too much wiring and pipework etc.

The windows are too high, so that when seated you couldn't see out of them and you also would lose the ability for overhead cupboards, and we all know, the more storage the better.

So as the caravan has provided me with all new, complete, working systems, proper windows, awesome interior etc, I have taken the decision to remove almost all of the 9 year old original and go back to a shell.

There is no insulation in Arfur, so I am breaking the caravan completely and will use as much as I can, laying the caravan floor inside, on top of the ply I currently have, even using as much of the side panels as possible inside the van attached to the existing ply walls, to again provide insulation and a template for windows etc.

These projects rarely seem to get smaller ...

Martin

 

[Iain_U1250]

Hi Martin, I'm always keen to see other people build ups, but since I don't have ( or want) a Facebook account, I can't see any photos. Any way you could embed them into your thread here?

 

[Anton2k3]

Sounds like a great plan! Indeed, might as well do it right the first time. I know you were going to treat this as a practice run before maybe doing a 4x4 version, but if you make it how you want it now, the 4x4 will be easy enough to do on that chassis when the time comes. You never know, a winch and independent hand brakes (one to each rear wheel) may be sufficient.

 

[Arfur's World]

Hi Iain, the facebook account is public, you can see in without needing to join facebook

Anton, I'm thinking that one day later the Irish 4x4 connection could come in useful for the running gear. In the meantime, I'll have my TransAlp on the back for getting to all the intricate bits where the van won't go

 

[Arfur's World]

Photoshopping ...

So I've been playing on photoshop to get an idea of what Arfur will look like with his new sides and windows ... here are the pics :sombrero:

 

[docka]

Not bad. And less condensation issues too plus a hell of a lot cheaper than Seitz if you're re-using the caravan windows!

 

[Arfur's World]

Hi All,
I got Arfur back from Bailey's at the weekend and am totally chuffed with progress. As well as the panel replacements, I had the caravan door cut in, some wicked slide out steps and a gas bottle locker. Awesome job :sombrero:



And I managed to get the floor inside for test fitting, together with some of the furniture



Docka, I thought about the Seitz scenario but decided that as I have the caravan windows I'd use them and see how they work out. As you say, it'll save a few pounds!

 

[AeroNautiCal]

Looking Good!

 

[docka]

Looks good. I wish I had fitted fewer windows (and double-glazed - doh!) cos of security/condensation etc but I like ianc's idea over on the 'pre-birth of a camper' thread of a kind of hatch with a window in it but the whole thing is top hinged and swings up for the almost alfresco feel. I'll try and find the link if you want...