Van Conversion Part 1 – Stripping Out
So before we start discussing our van conversion we would like to advise that we are in no way professional van converters. The way we have chosen to convert our van is based on our own research, discussions with a family friend who has worked in the van conversion industry for many years (more on him later), and what we felt would provide us the best value for money and longevity for the van. We have used the best materials and processes that our budget would allow. There are many videos and blogs dedicated to van conversions, some of which are very helpful, some of which are not so helpful. In writing this post we simply wanted to share with people what our conversation process looked like – it if proves helpful to someone then great, but it should be taken for what it is – a description of our van conversion journey – its not a detailed guide that must be followed to the letter.
With that said we hope you enjoy following our conversion!
Van Conversion Part 1 – Stripping Out
So this is the first time we have converted a van. Although Pete is a confident DIY’er we have not tackled a project of this size or complexity before. After a lot of research and looking through pictures and watching videos we had a basic idea of how the conversion would progress and the materials and tools that we would need to get started on the project. With that said, if we could give anyone thinking of doing their own conversion one piece of advice it would be ‘plans change – all the time’! That would be especially true later in the project – but the first part of any conversion is always stripping our your van, surveying what you’ve got and prepping all the surfaces.
One the things that we first noticed about the van when we bought it was how well looked after the load area was. That’s not to say that it was perfect or didn’t need any work but it was clear the previous owner had looked after the van. This in turn made stripping out the back much easier as we only had one layer of ply lining to remove, not lots of extra layers or shelving or cabinets stuck on top of one another.
The whole process of stripping out the back (both walls and floor) took about 4 hours.
Now that the back is stripped out we can see what work we need to do to fill screw holes in the bodywork, remove any areas of rust and generally prep the area ready for the sound deadening and insulation.
Make sure you check our Part 2 of our van conversion guide where we talk in detail about filling in any holes and removing areas of rust.
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