Dream Camper Conversion - The Ply Guys Should Be At The Top Of Your List!
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- I bought my van last year and had goals of turning it into a great little camper to help with my travels. I've done a couple of conversions my self in the past but my woodworking skills are lacking and the end results were always a bit...shite.
I then spotted The Ply Guys online and loved what they were doing but assumed they would be down in Cornwall where a lot of companies seem to be based. I was pleasantly surprised to find they're based in Scotland only a 40min drive from me so it was a no brainer to get in touch to see what was possible.
www.theplyguys...
@theplyguys
Instagram @ theplyguys
I feel I have to include a disclaimer here now, this has been a sponsorship/collaboration. I like to be transparent in these regards.
That said, I only work with companies/brands whose products I like and have personalities I get on well with. The Ply Guys ticked both boxes!
Firstly the products really are top tier but I was really impressed with the characters there, they are all passionate about the work they do, the sports they partake in and other hobbies they might do too. I felt really taken care of and witnessed the same treatment to other visitors so it was nice to know I wasn't getting preferential treatment.
Because the systems are modular and can be built ahead of time the installations don't take too long so even if Scotland is far to travel, they'll get you on the road quickly saving costs time-wise.
They obviously do the usual vans and vehicles but can do bespoke work if you have a particular vehicle or space that's not listed on their site, Hamish and the team love doing unique work so I'm sure they'd love to talk with you if you had an interesting project idea.
I'm looking forward to getting out and about in my van and I'll post updates as I spend more time in it.
Carpeting, insulation, side window and heater fitted by North View Customs in East Kilbride Glasgow:
www.northviewc...
Bike mounting hardware by Loaded Bikes:
loadedbikes.co.uk
Thanks for watching!
Referral link to the DJI Oslo Action 4 camera we used to film this with:
click.dji.com/...
Cheers!
Patreon / aliclarkson
Instagram @aliclarkson
Merch: aliclarkson.com/
Paypal: paypal.me/AliC...
Pivot Cycles global.pivotcy...
Saddleback saddleback.co.uk
Troy Lee Designs troyleedesigns...
Inspired bikes www.inspiredbi...
Light Bicycle Carbon Rims https:bit.ly/lightbi...
Pinnd Components www.pinnd.co.uk
Schwalbe Tyres www.schwalbe.c...
Hayes Brakes hayesbicycle.com
Industry Nine industrynine.com/
Ride Concepts rideconcepts.com
Rimpact Tyre Inserts www.rimpactmtb...
#camper #theplyguys
Welcome to the farmily! 😂🤘
Thanks for having me! 😊
What a great build! Looks like a worry free, low-maintenance setup that you can count on whenever you need to
Glad you like it :)
It was amazing meeting you, and what a nice video! Hope you enjoy the van and pop in sometimes for a chat and some drone flying 😜 have a good one, man! 🙌
Thanks Ricardo, keep up the good work both with TPG and the drone stuff :)
After doing a conversion that you saw years ago in cumbernauld - id say this is the perfect conversion! All the lessons I learnt from spending 100 nights in mine, this is the answer to everything! It's perfect!
Glad you approve 😊
What a splendid conversion, impressive stuff. It's great to see a really functional, flexible and well put togther conversion that is not all over the top, blingy and super expensive. Well done to The Ply Guys!
Many thanks!
Wow the ply guys applied some Clever and amazing stuff in here well that slide out bike rack is sick 220 kg that’s about half of my glory lol
Yeah they did a great job!
@@Ali_Clarkson yeah definitely Plus when you have a job that makes people happy for your hard work you can do it for decades and decades which property what is going to happen with these guys they were working till they can’t work anymore 😂😂
That bike system is cool 👌 nice build
Spoiler is a must for when you're driving at 250 km/h in your Renault Traffic.
Haha not sure it’ll go that fast 😂
Get some thread lock for the screws coming loose. 👍
An excellent build! The Ply Guys certainly know what they're doing :) Looking forward to seeing the finishing touches and the adventures to come!
You and me both!
Really clever conversion, hopefully see you in even more wild places now
It looks sweet Ali! The work and design look great.
Thank you! Cheers!
What a fantastic company with really ingenious, well thought-out units. Great to see it tailor-made for the customer, rather than the usual "where's the flat screen going to go" bollocks. Nice work Ply Guys and good luck Ali on your future adventures. I'll be watching...
Awesome video Ali! And very cool set up from The Ply Guys!
I can see why you like working with them! I’m loving the bike mount too…might have to get another!
Been following both of you on RUclips for a while now, absolutely love what plyguys do, your a lucky man ally
Thanks very much :)
Checking the website now. Its amazing!!! Will definetly order something for my Proace!!❤❤❤
Nice one! Tell them I say hi if you go ahead 🤘🏻
Amazing video, nice project & great company! Very interesting!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a place and what a team! 🙌
I know right!
Very cool conversion, finally something that makes sense. It feels like people usually want to use 100% of the vehicle's internal volume for stupid garbage they don't need.
Yeah you need to be smart with a smaller van, there’s always going to be some kind of compromise and I think the guys nailed it with this layout!
Fantastic video dude! I'm keen to get a van kitted out in time for Fort-Bill next year, so it's really interesting to see what you have done and what these guys can offer. Particularly the ability to take everything out and use it as a normal van. You just need a rack for the hot sauce now😅Van looks great! 🔥
lol that would be a unique touch wouldn’t it 😂
very nice, well done PlyGuys.
Thank you kindly!
Great and very informative video lacking one piece of very important info - how much did the PLY GUYS charge you for your build?
So I’m in a lucky situation that I got this system free in exchange for videos and other promotion.
I asked how much this would normally cost and they said it would be a touch over 5k
Thanks for your honest and prompt response
That's a pretty badass setup! I feel the only thing missing is a table so you can do some editing in there aswell
A table would be cool but then I’d need to store it when not in use which would take up space…I’ll use the van for a while and if I feel I really need one then it’s a pretty easy thing for TPG to add in 👍🏻
They will probably be stretch bolts on the subframe and should be replaced probably
Noted 👍🏻
Here, that Hamish fella is a handsome chap, good looking and talented eh 😉
That is so cool 😎
Nice Video 🎉
Thanks 😁
I really missed that kind of Vlog from you building stuff and seeing the progress of projects you have. Awesome van, when will we see the next bike cave video?
Thanks buddy, garage update coming very soon (I hope)
@@Ali_Clarkson looking forward to it then! And excellent video about the van. Really made me want one!
Looks great, i can't believe you guys have vehicles that size that get 50mpg. I have a gas naturally asperated Toyota seinna in the USA it's awesome, but i get like 20mpg on a good day.
Cool van interior Al
It’s even nicer in person! ❤
Nice setup!
Glad you think so!
Woah, that looks super sick Ali! This really gets me to want to make my driver license....😅
You can do it!
Great Job 👏…Enjoy it 🚲
Thanks! Will do!
New subframe bolts and get some loctite on them 👍
Not a bad idea
So very interesting. Thank you 👍👍
Didn't realize you had an MX5. Pretty gutted you sold it
It was a great car, 1990 mk1 Japanese imported in 2000 with one elderly owner since. It was kept indoors and never driven in winter, well maintained and under sealed etc, sadly I couldn’t afford to have to vehicles nor the space plus I couldn’t keep in indoors and a couple of rusty spots started to form, I didn’t want to be the one to wreck it after being well looked after for 30 years
Nice ❤
Thanks 🔥
Great video and what a lovely guy 👍
Looks sweet Ali. Always fancied a van to shift my bikes around too.
One question though. Where does the cute thief sleep?
I should get him a custom hammock although I think he’s prefer to snuggle up under the covers like at home ❤
Not sure if it works here, whether your allowed to add these or whether there is room but there is a company called nordlock who make anti-rotation washers. Might work for your subframe. Another great video btw
Sick van Ali!
Cheers dude 😊
Stunning build, the craftsmanship and ingenuity is amazing!!! Can i ask how you power your diesel heater? Does it run of the power bank? Thanks.
Thank you! I’m glad everyone is liking it :)
So the one disadvantage with the power bank is that it doesn’t power the heater, that’s run off the main battery. It’s not ideal but everything has a compromise somewhere I guess
No this sounds perfect, I just wasn't sure if it ran of the power bank but thanks for clarify. Great build and enjoy it!
Hard to research from the US but there are apparently a few drivetrain and suspension loose bolt recalls on that van. Not sure if the loose rear axle bolts scare me more than the loose subframe bolts, but it's almost Halloween, and Friday the 13th. I'm guessing they used crap torque to yield bolts, but it could just be a lack of loctite. Either way those should be free fixes from Renault.
Ah that’s good to know! I’ll let the garage know this too and hopefully I can get this sorted once and for all…cheers for the help 👍🏻
lots of redlock tight, and if you cross thread it you have double the number of threads to hold
@@Ali_Clarkson
Have the wheels aligned, could be the reason(or a contributing factor) as to the sub frame coming loose.
Poor alignment can cause weird issues so worth checking, if not get the garage to install new bolts and fit them with locktite, bolts should be available from Renault for a few quid and there is a good chance that they have been overtightened and stretched or have corroded so new ones won't hurt
Im not getting notifications of this channel? why? been following for years!
Wheres your pimped out camping van?
Great promotion though for small independent companies 👍
You can thank RUclips for that 😑
The camper van got returned in 2021, the sponsorship ended
Very clever setup. Does it come with an instruction manual? As for the aesthetics, you could paint some flames on the side.
I’ll get some decals added 😂
Love reno Van's! So cool bud!
Do they use red lock tight when they tighten the subframe?
Not sure, the vans booked in for it to be looked at so I’ll see what they say
19:02
Nice idea but a LED strip with a remote control would be better
Just ON/OFF plus changing colour
Lovely look - very similar to my plan. Can I ask what make of diesel heater do you have and is this powered off the battery pack or the vehicle battery? Thanks
What power supply are you using?
Love this build, great design and well thought out for the purpose. Gotta find someone that can do this in Australia!
Yeah, van, lovely, but that blue Series 3 in the background…
Classic ❤
absolutely awesome - what weight can the bike slider take. I carry a 110kg KTM 300
very nice Ali, the CNC stuff reminds me of a manual machine I bought from Sender Ramps, who I believe are also in Scotland. Sorry if I missed it, but have you got a diesel heater, and what about refrigeration for keeping the beers cold?
Thought you were in portland for a minute.
Not quite😋
Your front subframe issues may be caused by worn front subframe bushes.
Just had that come up on mine at only 35k miles/2016 so definitely possible
How do you find having the single window in the back? I'm torn between 1 window and 2...
Red locktite the bolts on the subframe
And lock washers.
Was the van soundproofed and insulated prior ?
Yes it was but by another company as TPG don’t do that themselves
Very nice e conversion. What’s the bike mount you have?
Loadedbikes
Do you know if they do Toyota Proace?
They seem to be able to customize for most vehicles but I’d pop them a message and check to be safe 👍🏻
Interesting how the 6.5mm birch will handle the Scottish moist climate.
Well I’m hoping the inside of the van isn’t going to be soaking wet Jags
You know you can still see your number plate
Oh well haha 😂
What’s going to happen? Someone pay his insurance?
what happened to the big white motor home you were sponsored ?
XLnt!
What does the cute thief think about not being involved in the build?
He’s cool with it, he’s been very busy with other things 😉
Was that really necessary to put a child-sized bike on a slider?
Amazing products and company but please don’t waffle about making small interiors brighter, it’s an old wives tale lol
I think I only mentioned it once briefly lol 😂
@@Ali_Clarkson briefly is enough 😂
That's genuinely amazing craftsmanship.
Too late now, but could you have found a van and a heater that's not burning diesel? Maybe get an electric camping cooker instead of a gas one. I see most serious bike athletes drive big SUVs, pickup trucks, or vans, but not electric ones. It's a bit disappointing that this hobby/profession which is so tied to nature doesn't also reflect in their choice of climate friendly vehicles.
So I’m not fully convinced by electric vehicles, I think it’s better for the environment to maintain older cars as long as possible rather than spending the energy to build new ones, I’m also concerned about the slavery involved with cobalt mines (which is hypocritical of me considering I’ve got an e-bike and iPhone etc).
I don’t think the solution to global warming is EVs, I think the biggest impact would be with industries cleaning themselves up first.
@@Ali_Clarkson I understand your concerns, many have them, and you will agree that they are based on not yet sufficient knowledge on the matter. This is the wrong time and space for a lengthy discussion (check out Fully Charged Show and Everything Electric Show channels for in depth electric topics and reviews), but let me just say this
1. yes, running old gas cars till they die is OK, if they meet legal emission standards
2. but driving fully battery electric cars BEVs (not electric-gas hybrids PH/EVs) that don't emit toxic fumes is always better, even when their production does produce pollution, because you effectively stop tailpipe pollution once they are on the road
3. MUCH more cobalt is used to refine oil into petrol since forever, Tesla and some other car brands already use cobalt free batteries where possible, and most good tech brands only use cobalt from certified child labour free mines or help to pay mining families fairly to reduce child labour, like @fairphone
I hope this helps opening your mind a little for a cleaner future, if you have any more questions don't hesitate, cheers. :)
Very nice, 🫡
think I’ll be giving them a call 🤔
Gonna make camping trips doubly enjoyable 👌🫶
Dude that would be sick! Let me know if you do and we’ll hang out 👍🏻
Looks amazing dude I defo need something like this 🫡🔥
Prefer a van with a tailgate myself if available
Yeah me too, beggars can’t be choosers in this case unfortunately
@Ali_Clarkson Had to wait a long time for a second hand van in my price range with a tailgate. Didn't get the colour that I would have liked, but as you say, beggars......