I like that you’re not letting the fact that you haven’t got the first clue about what you’re doing stop you from doing it anyway! I swear every time I’ve thought “That’ll be a simple job” I’ve lost at least half a day and many swears.
What makes a refreshing change to your videos is that you make mistakes! The trick is not to give up and let it defeat you. I love how you crack on and make it work! It's more fun to watch but the lesson is if at first you don't succeed... Keep up the great work, it will be worth it in the end!
There are a 100,000 other van conversion channels out there but one things for sure, none of the others provide this level of entertainment! 😆 keep it up Will! 👍🏻
you re doing really good don t look down on yourself and don’t overthink it when something doesn’t work no need to rush it it s always gonna take more time than expected it s literally your first van build you re doing so well
Getting that camera/monitor set-up was a very wise decision! . . . (You've probably realized already, that this set up potentially _could_ work solely as a ''reversing camera''as well, this is normally done by connecting the monitor's positive feed to the van's reverse- or 'backing light' positive, so that the monitor/screen is powered _only_ when the gear lever is in the 'R'-position, however, the way you wired it, gives you a _continuous,_ unobstructed rear view, which is always a good thing! 👌
3 main factors are bang on - but add a 4th - "A unit to work on it" (this one thing eludes me at the right price) and 5th - LOVE the process - attention on attention LOVE the "YES - AWSOME moments" and LOVE the "Why the f aint that working"moments - then love learning why - all about the process. The rewards will be huge. Thank you for a raw, real and HONEST approach to Vanlife for the "lets learn on the job people lot out there" Shout out to CJ from Project Amber - he is skilled but wings it alot. You guys do?not sugar coat the process like so many rich kids in the States / Canada do. Great work - thanks for the entertainment over the years.
I have no idea about any of these mechanical things though i enjoyed watching the whole video..how u struggled, learned and succeed one after other....keep on going Will.....
I've been binge watching your videos for the past couple of days and must say it's refreshing to find someone who leaves all the mistakes and issues in! Some people make van builds sound easy on RUclips. It's not easy. Especially if you're not skilled in a couple of trades already. We are currently doing up a little Nissan NV200. We are well over half way now, but it's been a massive learning process and both enjoyable and total shit at times! Bumpers are a pain in the arse on every vehicle known to man as well. For example on our NV200, if you use the four correct mounting holes under the chassis, then the bumper doesn't sit flush. If you only put 3 in, the bumper looks great. Sometimes nothing makes any sense :)
Hi Will, your doing a great job so far, well done to Luke for helping you out, I’m getting on with my ford transit connect, the weather has been so crap here in the uk, that some repairs were put on hold, it’s nice that you can work in your dads garage, don’t throw away that light unit, keep in your van as a spare, it might save you one day, looking forward to your next video. Stay safe . Xxx
Nice, little tip with mirror, you've wired it in a perm live, I'd wire it into an ignition live, that way it automatically comes on/off with the key, as even if you turn the monitor off the cam will still be powered and will drain your battery over a few days
Well spotted. A great solution would be to just add a simple switch next to the cabin light (or elsewhere in the van) to connect power when needed ... Then you can use the Rear-View Camera when parked up ... helps with security if it's always available without ignition ...
Shout out to Luke’s Van Life for his help 👍 and to your Dad Will. It will take more than the ‘3 p’s’ to get you through this Will, but you’ll get it done I’m sure. Your warts n all approach is entertaining I must say 😁 We’re all with you and Mary ( number plate MRY) ... she’s looking better already ✊👍
when backing out rusted bolts, sometimes you can screw them in a little tighter (counter intuitive, I know) and then back them all the way out more easily. You are basically breaking them loose . Doesnt always woork but it has worked for me enough to put it out there for ya. GL!
A couple of vids back when you said you didn’t have a clue, I was thinking that’s exactly me about everything, including life, but you sure do get on your feet with persistence. Learning through trial and error is the best education you can get. Great vid, as always. Keep at it 👍🏻
Disconnect the battery when working on the electrics to save blowing fuses or god forbid the ecu! Also that spark was probably because you cut through all the cables at once which means they arced, cut one at a time. Enjoying the new videos
Take your time pal. You are doing the exact same jobs there as I did on my Renault Trafic. I stripped and cleaned it, failed to get the rear camera working, dropped the LCD panel, broke it, bought another one, replaced the mirror lens, replaced the rear left light cluster AND finally fixed the rear bumper. Pretty much the exact same jobs I did in the first week. The next thing is to sound deaden then insulate it. THEN mark out where you want your electrics. Watch Greg Virgoe's channel for that. Use heavier wire to be safe. You will get there pal. Patience and study the RUclips videos. Greg and Luke are the best two to watch.
80% through my own van conversion and can attest to the "everything takes 2-3 times longer than you'd think it does" quote...keep at it mate, you'll get there soon!
It's usually a good idea to disconnect the battery when working on electricals, that'd be what the spark was. I'm a learner driver driving my dad's van (yes it's legal) and it's shorter than that van with a rear window but the mirrors are useless so I backed up into a wall, thankfully the wall gave way first and I hit it with the tow bar so my dad didn't notice as there was no damage (he was in a shop while I was parking it), a rear facing camera would have been very nice lol. Also as a DIYer myself this is very entertaining to watch, also you're doing quite well!
You got a lot accomplished in one day, I would have just planned the camera knowing my skills. Great you could run wires without having to remove any headliner .
Mate your doing really well. Nothing worth doing is easy and you'll learn that more and more as the build goes on but don't give urself a hard time about it. Have faith that you'll get it done. Just promise me one thing.... You'll disconnect the battery when working on live wires in the future.... We don't want ur whereabouts to be either in the hospital or worse, in the big stealth camper in the sky... Stay safe and keep soldiering on
Oh my goodness sake Wil, i laughed so hard bcoz of the rearview mirror of yours, you really made my day...goodluck chap and onwards to your van conversion i will be watching religiously...
Might be worth wrapping up that camera wiring with 'TESA TAPE', to stop it rattling up against the body and then cable tie sections of it to the body also. If you search for it on eBay you'll see that it's actually OEM engine loom tape. Very handy and makes jobs look very, very neat. If you're going to do more wiring, I can't express how good the stuff is.
Great video. One helpful thing you will be very happy to know when wiring up the van is to use a multimeter. That way you can wire safely while the battery is unplugged. Good luck. We’ve all been beginners at one time or another. 👍
Love your videos. Love your enthusiasm. I think with the amount of enthusiasm you have you could over come anything. Your videos are very entertaining. It's like watching Laurel and Hardy in one person doing a van conversion. And I don't want that to sound like a mean comment BTW. You're a natural entertainer. Keep at it mate. Looking forward to the next one.
I would probably use wiring sleeves when running those wires through your van. There are lots of sharp edges for those wires to catch and fray over time.
Well done Will, lots of little niggly jobs fixed!! I love how you didn’t edit this to make it look easy, every job I do is an absolute p1ss flap of a job and it was satisfying to watch you struggle too 🤘🤣🤣🤣
Good lad, you are so similar to most of us who don't have a scooby about certain things but still get it done! looking forward to this journey so much!
Well done Will, not an easy task taking on a huge project that you have no experience in but you will be learning as you go & it will be easier for you to replace anything on your build yourself as you would have installed it. Good luck and I hope things start to run a little smoother for you. Take care and stay safe 🤗 looking forward to your next video 🤗
Brilliant. Thanks for showing us the issues. Every other van build seems to go without a problem which I never believed😂😂 Reality is so much more educational/enjoyable 😁
Well done Will keep the mojo going and I can fully agree as I'm doing a solo build what you think will take a few minutes and simple turns into a 2 day event 🤣
You’re a good genuine bloke with a down to earth fun channel. Keep things the same matey. All the best of luck to you and your adventures. I look forward to the next one 👍
Dude trust me I've owned my transit lwb for over a year I've still only half done the sound deadening, insulation and vapour barrier. I've had me reverse cam sat in its box for months totally out of my comfort zone and feel I've bitten off more than I can chew on times. I'll get there lol maybe I should start my own channel as a video log so people can see my cock ups 😜 Keep going buddy you'll get there RUclips is a life saver👍
As you're busy making the Van look so 'pretty' (and inviting for criminals), I'd recommend that you address a number of the Security issues ... alarm, deadlocks and something to prevent the sliding door getting 'peeled', etc. You're doing great in the meantime ...
This video is really helpful! I want to get a van soon and I don’t have much experience with any form of engineering but seeing you learn while you fix up your van inspires me to keep moving forward, so thank you!!
Best van build ever for a clueless aspirational van conversion builder like me
Thank you, but no one is ever clueless, anything and everything is possible if you believe it!
I like that you’re not letting the fact that you haven’t got the first clue about what you’re doing stop you from doing it anyway! I swear every time I’ve thought “That’ll be a simple job” I’ve lost at least half a day and many swears.
What makes a refreshing change to your videos is that you make mistakes! The trick is not to give up and let it defeat you. I love how you crack on and make it work! It's more fun to watch but the lesson is if at first you don't succeed... Keep up the great work, it will be worth it in the end!
you have the patients of a saint. i've send a car to scrap yard before because i couldn't be arsed to fix a seized caliper
There are a 100,000 other van conversion channels out there but one things for sure, none of the others provide this level of entertainment! 😆 keep it up Will! 👍🏻
This is what nobody else shows and that's the true struggling that happens. Take Care and Stay Safe.
Will. You figured it out. With help. Nothing wrong with that at all. Cheers!
Great work buddy! And thank you for the shout out! 👍😁
When you first announced you'd be doing a van build - I never imagined it would be this good. Genuine and your a great presenter - thumbs up from me.
you re doing really good don t look down on yourself and don’t overthink it when something doesn’t work no need to rush it it s always gonna take more time than expected it s literally your first van build you re doing so well
Seeing you struggling I was about to have a breakdown lmfao. I can’t even imagine doing everything by myself.
Getting that camera/monitor set-up was a very wise decision! . . . (You've probably realized already, that this set up potentially _could_ work solely as a ''reversing camera''as well, this is normally done by connecting the monitor's positive feed to the van's reverse- or 'backing light' positive, so that the monitor/screen is powered _only_ when the gear lever is in the 'R'-position, however, the way you wired it, gives you a _continuous,_ unobstructed rear view, which is always a good thing! 👌
Nicely done, fella. I like the fact that you know jack sh*t about what youre doing but are cracking on anyway. Haha. 👍🏻
Andy from North West England
Will is a real one. no phoney stuff🤘🏼
Good job showing all the stuff you struggled with
3 main factors are bang on -
but add a
4th - "A unit to work on it" (this one thing eludes me at the right price)
and 5th - LOVE the process - attention on attention LOVE the "YES - AWSOME moments" and LOVE the "Why the f aint that working"moments - then love learning why - all about the process.
The rewards will be huge.
Thank you for a raw, real and HONEST approach to Vanlife for the "lets learn on the job people lot out there" Shout out to CJ from Project Amber - he is skilled but wings it alot. You guys do?not sugar coat the process like so many rich kids in the States / Canada do. Great work - thanks for the entertainment over the years.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
I have no idea about any of these mechanical things though i enjoyed watching the whole video..how u struggled, learned and succeed one after other....keep on going Will.....
I've been binge watching your videos for the past couple of days and must say it's refreshing to find someone who leaves all the mistakes and issues in! Some people make van builds sound easy on RUclips. It's not easy. Especially if you're not skilled in a couple of trades already. We are currently doing up a little Nissan NV200. We are well over half way now, but it's been a massive learning process and both enjoyable and total shit at times! Bumpers are a pain in the arse on every vehicle known to man as well. For example on our NV200, if you use the four correct mounting holes under the chassis, then the bumper doesn't sit flush. If you only put 3 in, the bumper looks great. Sometimes nothing makes any sense :)
Hi Will, your doing a great job so far, well done to Luke for helping you out, I’m getting on with my ford transit connect, the weather has been so crap here in the uk, that some repairs were put on hold, it’s nice that you can work in your dads garage, don’t throw away that light unit, keep in your van as a spare, it might save you one day, looking forward to your next video. Stay safe . Xxx
It’s the little jobs that always take the longest. It’s Sod’s law!
That's what you call a labor of love 😊
Nice, little tip with mirror, you've wired it in a perm live, I'd wire it into an ignition live, that way it automatically comes on/off with the key, as even if you turn the monitor off the cam will still be powered and will drain your battery over a few days
I going to say the same thing and you don't want a drain on the battery in a camper van
Well spotted. A great solution would be to just add a simple switch next to the cabin light (or elsewhere in the van) to connect power when needed ... Then you can use the Rear-View Camera when parked up ... helps with security if it's always available without ignition ...
These vans automatically switch off the 12v to the interior lights (relay) when left on. I think the timeout is around 10 minutes or low voltage.
This has filled me with confidence for doing this to my own van. Wish me luck!
Shout out to Luke’s Van Life for his help 👍 and to your Dad Will. It will take more than the ‘3 p’s’ to get you through this Will, but you’ll get it done I’m sure.
Your warts n all approach is entertaining I must say 😁
We’re all with you and Mary ( number plate MRY) ... she’s looking better already ✊👍
when backing out rusted bolts, sometimes you can screw them in a little tighter (counter intuitive, I know) and then back them all the way out more easily. You are basically breaking them loose . Doesnt always woork but it has worked for me enough to put it out there for ya. GL!
Probably one of the funniest van builds I've watched so far 😂😂😂 Keep it up buddy
I shared your video on my community tab, not that it will make a difference to your views but hey you might get a couple 😉
A couple of vids back when you said you didn’t have a clue, I was thinking that’s exactly me about everything, including life, but you sure do get on your feet with persistence. Learning through trial and error is the best education you can get. Great vid, as always. Keep at it 👍🏻
Disconnect the battery when working on the electrics to save blowing fuses or god forbid the ecu! Also that spark was probably because you cut through all the cables at once which means they arced, cut one at a time. Enjoying the new videos
I laughed way too much when you hit yourself with the rear light!!! Keep up the good work mate. well done on your success so far. 🙂
Hang in there your doing really well can’t wait to see the finished van
This is part of the proper van conversion Will, and I’m here for it! It’s totally genuine and addictive watching!
Take your time pal. You are doing the exact same jobs there as I did on my Renault Trafic. I stripped and cleaned it, failed to get the rear camera working, dropped the LCD panel, broke it, bought another one, replaced the mirror lens, replaced the rear left light cluster AND finally fixed the rear bumper. Pretty much the exact same jobs I did in the first week. The next thing is to sound deaden then insulate it. THEN mark out where you want your electrics. Watch Greg Virgoe's channel for that. Use heavier wire to be safe.
You will get there pal. Patience and study the RUclips videos. Greg and Luke are the best two to watch.
80% through my own van conversion and can attest to the "everything takes 2-3 times longer than you'd think it does" quote...keep at it mate, you'll get there soon!
You're doing great and all the answers are out there when you get stumped 👌👍👍
3 for 3 on your moments of truth... not too bad. Great build and nice videos.
Stick with it mate, you’ll have days,weeks when you think it will never be finished but it’s definitely worth it in the end
Nice one will, your smashing that mate 👍🏻 installation of rear view camera done ✅ lock fixed ✅ etc. Really looking great mate 👌🏻
It's usually a good idea to disconnect the battery when working on electricals, that'd be what the spark was.
I'm a learner driver driving my dad's van (yes it's legal) and it's shorter than that van with a rear window but the mirrors are useless so I backed up into a wall, thankfully the wall gave way first and I hit it with the tow bar so my dad didn't notice as there was no damage (he was in a shop while I was parking it), a rear facing camera would have been very nice lol.
Also as a DIYer myself this is very entertaining to watch, also you're doing quite well!
Glad to see you're doing better
Your channel content is so entertaining! Thanks for being you!
You got a lot accomplished in one day, I would have just planned the camera knowing my skills. Great you could run wires without having to remove any headliner .
Nice little x-19 in shot there. Keep up the good work fella!
I lost it when you called the mirror a twat..😆
Mate your doing really well. Nothing worth doing is easy and you'll learn that more and more as the build goes on but don't give urself a hard time about it. Have faith that you'll get it done. Just promise me one thing.... You'll disconnect the battery when working on live wires in the future.... We don't want ur whereabouts to be either in the hospital or worse, in the big stealth camper in the sky... Stay safe and keep soldiering on
Will...Stop fighting and relax...Be at one with the van. 😎
.
...."I'm 💩 my pants"...Will, mate, you're comedy gold! 😂 Great to see the transformation of the van, it'll be cool when it's done. Hope you're well
I enjoy watching van build video's, also can't wait until you start traveling again!!
Stay calm Will. Perseverance is the key.
Solid effort champ and you are keeping your mind busy..
Looking great! Small jobs but they all add up in the end 🙂
Oh my goodness sake Wil, i laughed so hard bcoz of the rearview mirror of yours, you really made my day...goodluck chap and onwards to your van conversion i will be watching religiously...
Might be worth wrapping up that camera wiring with 'TESA TAPE', to stop it rattling up against the body and then cable tie sections of it to the body also. If you search for it on eBay you'll see that it's actually OEM engine loom tape. Very handy and makes jobs look very, very neat. If you're going to do more wiring, I can't express how good the stuff is.
Mate, I get entertainment for days watching your videos... There's always 1 or 2 moments that crack me up, the horn at the end though... Bruh! 😂
you keep plugging on Will you're doing great I can't wait to see how badass this van will be when you're done
Too real; too fun to watch 👀
Great video. One helpful thing you will be very happy to know when wiring up the van is to use a multimeter. That way you can wire safely while the battery is unplugged. Good luck. We’ve all been beginners at one time or another. 👍
Do not worry. Take it ☝🏾 day at a time. We all have those dayz. 🤷🏾♀️
And that : "twat" MADE MY NIGHT!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mate, I love your candid videos. Brilliant content, entertaining and informative. You and Camper Vibe... BRILLIANT :)
Love your videos. Love your enthusiasm. I think with the amount of enthusiasm you have you could over come anything. Your videos are very entertaining. It's like watching Laurel and Hardy in one person doing a van conversion. And I don't want that to sound like a mean comment BTW. You're a natural entertainer. Keep at it mate. Looking forward to the next one.
This will be a marvellous vehicle for your future dogging expeditions.
You are doing it, keep up the good work. Winning slowly but surely..
I just love the comedy.
You are doing a cracking job. Stick at it, its gonna be a superb build. 👍👍
I would probably use wiring sleeves when running those wires through your van. There are lots of sharp edges for those wires to catch and fray over time.
I agree with that
That’s a great shout btw Will, grab some hose or something to feed the wires through and cable tie the hose so it doesn’t bounce about
Yeah Will. What he said!!! VERY important to prevent shorts and fires.
Ur doing a fantastic job , can’t wait to see it all finished
Well done Will, you have taken on a massive task 😎
Well done Will, lots of little niggly jobs fixed!!
I love how you didn’t edit this to make it look easy, every job I do is an absolute p1ss flap of a job and it was satisfying to watch you struggle too 🤘🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂 piss flap
Awesome work Will,I think the hardest part was the camera but now it works.step by step the progress of the van is getting shorter.
You do yourself a disservice very brave of you to even think of doing it I’d have gone to Halfords!👏🏻
Cracking job mate. I wouldn’t have a clue where to start. You’re making progress......slow progress but progress all the same 😂😊👍👍👍
Good lad, you are so similar to most of us who don't have a scooby about certain things but still get it done! looking forward to this journey so much!
You’re doing just fine. Great video and best of luck on the rest of your build.
Awesome fun mate. I bet you have had a journey so far putting that together and some choice swearing too!
I’m just about to start my own van conversion so I’m looking forward to catching up with your videos, really enjoying them so far
Well done Will, not an easy task taking on a huge project that you have no experience in but you will be learning as you go & it will be easier for you to replace anything on your build yourself as you would have installed it. Good luck and I hope things start to run a little smoother for you. Take care and stay safe 🤗 looking forward to your next video 🤗
Will keep up the work on your van reconstruction. Love the video
OMG YOUR VAN HAS TO HE CALLED MARY Good luck with the van build dude love the videos
Brilliant. Thanks for showing us the issues. Every other van build seems to go without a problem which I never believed😂😂
Reality is so much more educational/enjoyable 😁
You are amazing bro, your hard work will definitely pay you back.💯
Will soon be purchasing a Peugeot Boxer to convert, your videos are so helpful! Keep up the great work mate.
Well done Will keep the mojo going and I can fully agree as I'm doing a solo build what you think will take a few minutes and simple turns into a 2 day event 🤣
You’re a good genuine bloke with a down to earth fun channel. Keep things the same matey. All the best of luck to you and your adventures. I look forward to the next one 👍
Dude trust me I've owned my transit lwb for over a year I've still only half done the sound deadening, insulation and vapour barrier. I've had me reverse cam sat in its box for months totally out of my comfort zone and feel I've bitten off more than I can chew on times. I'll get there lol maybe I should start my own channel as a video log so people can see my cock ups 😜
Keep going buddy you'll get there RUclips is a life saver👍
Great vid and youve only just started.. And starting knowing diddly squat is what makes it so entertaining cant wait for the next one...
Love seeing how you’re getting on with this build and the challenges you face. Look forward to the next one 💪🏻
Along for the ride , one step at a time .
NICE HAT! That's all I wear are Yankees hats. I have one I've owned for over 25 years...lol Great job on the van so far.
Chris the butchers put us on to you.. another great channel I've found man
As you're busy making the Van look so 'pretty' (and inviting for criminals), I'd recommend that you address a number of the Security issues ... alarm, deadlocks and something to prevent the sliding door getting 'peeled', etc.
You're doing great in the meantime ...
The, 'D', in LEDs, (diode), means they have to be put in a certain way for them to work! That's a lesson I learned, once.
What about building in a whirlpool tub? That would be extremely cool for sure.
Doing well will. Thanks for the entertainment van build.
Well done will it’s baby steps mate.. keep up the good work
Just a tip. Disconnect the battery when cutting wires 😊 i blown a few fuses before. not doing that 😁
It’s good to see you smiling, mate ;) Little victories all round and that. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😎👍🏻
Keep the videos coming you are doing well with it as some things are here to test us
Looking good mate - keep it up and yes -Patience and Perseverance - got to hate it! 😂
This video is really helpful! I want to get a van soon and I don’t have much experience with any form of engineering but seeing you learn while you fix up your van inspires me to keep moving forward, so thank you!!
As someone who really wants to build out a van some day, this is incredibly useful and informative as to the real processes and time it’ll take!