Picking the Right Van for a DIY Campervan Conversion | Best Models, Payloads Explained & Advice
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- AD| The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/nicroams07211
Watch The Road to Van Life Series: • EVERYTHING you NEED to...
www.anchorvans.co.uk/specific...
www.gov.uk/check-mot-status
hpicheck.com
www.warrantywise.co.uk
THE ROAD TO VAN LIFE - The ultimate van life series which will be your go to for learning everything you need to know when it comes to starting your van life journey. Each episode we will dive deep in to one topic at a time and be joined by other van lifers in the the community so they can share their experiences and knowledge too! Now let’s go get your dream life!
Join me on Instagram: / nicroams
If you enjoy my vlogs, join me over on Patreon: / nicroams
Or send a ‘thank you’ cider to: paypal.me/nicolakb?locale.x=e...
Shop my van: www.nicroams.co.uk/my-van-vau...
Shop e-books: www.nicroams.co.uk/ebooks/
Shop my creations: www.thegreencoven.co.uk/
------------------------------
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
PROJECTOR CINE LITE: cine-lite.com/?ref=-nicroams
DIESEL HEATER: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
THERMAL BLINDS: amzn.to/3mn9rsj
WIND DEFLECTORS: amzn.to/3leMozr
PORTA POTTI: amzn.to/2FMoECZ
CAMERA: amzn.to/2N6vHbQ
DRONE: amzn.to/2ShdLtf
CAMERA STAND: amzn.to/3ncLjbq
CAR USB CHARGER: amzn.to/3nlymMr
POWER BANK: amzn.to/38Zruzl
--------------------------------
MUSIC
All music is from Epidemic Sound, www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Sign up for a free trial where you can download the music!
--------------------------------
HELLO!
I’m Nic, I roam the world in my campervan! I self-converted my Vauxhall Vivaro aka LL Cool Van into a mini off grid beast so I can run away into the wilderness. I have been exploring the open road for 2 years and I share my tiny living and travel stories here, with the hope to inspire and encourage you all to grab your dreams and adventure around our beautiful world too!
--------------------------------
FOLLOW MY JOURNEY
Website: www.nicroams.co.uk/
Instagram: / nicroams
Pinterest: www.pinterest.co.uk/NicRoams/
TikTok: / nicroams
AD| The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/nicroams07211
Any van lifers out there? I'd love for you to share which van you went for and why in the comments below! Hopefully this will give even more insight to new van dwellers in to all of the vans out there! 🥰
P.s. licence weight change was 1997 not 1990 🤓
thank you for doing the video
Thank you for watching 🤗
Top vlog Nic! I bought a Vivaro B 1.6 CDTi(2015) just over a year ago and am very happy with the drive (like a car), the economy (6.5l/100Km) and also the squareness of the loading area made it dead easy to fit out. I bought the shortest, lowest one (L1/H1) because at 4.99M long x 1.97 high, it fits in normal parking spaces and is also cheaper to book onto ferries. Fully insulated and with wooden flooring, the interior height is about 138cm - a bit of a stoop but if you build a kitchen and design it so that you can sit in front whilst cooking/washing then no problems! My bed is transverse (upto 178cm long!) and converts into seating/dining area. Keep up the good work Nic and enjoy Ireland!
Love it, some great tips in here! And thanks for featuring our Van ☺️
Thank you and for sharing your epic drone clip! 🤗
Hi Nic. My goodness. What a lot of info you delivered there - absolutely word perfect, well done
Looks like being a very good series so we will look forward to seeing your next video
All the best. Mal, Dave and Sally the Lab aka The SilvertopMotorhomers x
Aww thank you haha. Yes there is so much to cover in each topic, I'm sure there is more bit I'm trying to keep it to the point so people can then go away and do research that is tailored to them 😄. Thank you for watching!
Content is always so good and informative 👌
Danke 🤗😄
A very complicated subject, but you have presented loads of really useful information brilliantly Nic...
Thank you! Not the funnest of videos but hopefully informative for when someone's decides they'd like a van in their life 🤗. The travel vlogs will be back next week 🥳
this is super helpful thank you :) im saving now for my van and conversion and looking into what kind of van i want and this video is super helpful
Woo so glad it has come in handy! Always nerve wracking putting yourself out there! I hope you find your dream van soon 🤗
@@nicroams definitely, i will be referring back to this when im ready to buy for sure! Looking forward to the rest of the series 😊
Great advice am looking to buy soon
Thank you! Good luck on the van hunt and build, any questions, always happy to help 🤗. Have a lovely evening!
Van prices have rose silly this last year or so, which is why I'm still going about in my beloved Ford Mondeo Mk4 Hatchback getting 57-61mpg but it's not practical with a Thetford 365 toilet behind the passenger seat on vacation😒 This video is great but doesn't cover everybody's scenarios obviously, it would take hours/days/weeks/months. you covered many of the main points though 👍 I look forwards to your future vlogs as always 😃👍England just lost on Pens, again 😒
Great vlog amazing beautiful vans at the start :) I did practically what you did. Plus when I was a driver for my job I had to drive sprinter crafter and boxers so it gave me which one I preferred to buy etc.
there was a few things I didn’t know so thank you for sharing these great tips. If I decide to buy another van in the future :) 🤗
Ohh that is good, so you got a feel of each van and probably a good idea of what issues the vans have too! Aww no, your van is amazing, stick with it and enjoy the travels that will be around the corner 🤗
@@nicroams I loved the sprinters but when it needed parts the price was ridiculous. The crafter went in same part and half the price dosent make sense to me. I was tossing between a crafter and boxer. But the problem I have with a boxer was it’s turning circle is poor to me where a sprinter abs crafter you can normally do it with one swing. Unless you bought the xlwb boxer then the turning was ok bettter to the lwb boxer. The other I miss with the Peugeot was the aircon. We’res the sprinter and crafter that’s like finding gold dust :( if I decide to buy a van I might go for the lwb boxer but have to remember that the turning circle isn’t great. Have driven Ford transit too, but I hated how low the side door was 😂
Have an amazing time over in Ireland :) 🤗
@@whippetsadventuresandoneman Can you rewrite this in English please?
@@jeh1333 what it is in English?
I can't see anything wrong with what he's wrote 🤔. Can you also please remember that English isn't everyone's first language and it is RUclips after all, not an English exam x
Thank you so much, woo lots.to think about
You’ve got this! Good luck with the van hunt ✨
Notes taken thankyou great help esp as im 5ft 11
Glad this has come in handy 🤗
Great tips cheers
Thank you! Hope they help! 🤗
Don’t forget… when you check the oil, it’s going to be dirty black on a diesel, it’s absolutely normal. Also, as for the MOT, It is true that goods vehicles over 3000KG are tested by class 7 mot stations, most variants of the Vivaro are class 4. Also when you convert your van to a camper, it is no longer classed as a van, it’s classed as dual purpose,and so therefore should be able to be tested by a class 4 station subject to the mot station altering the test class at the beginning of the test. For the purpose of MOT test classification any motorhome, even converted coaches, may be class 4. The size and weight has no bearing on the class, only the number of passenger seats. Obviously a coach based motorhome would be difficult to test at your local test station, it wouldn’t fit. It would most likely have to be tested at an HGV test station, but tested as a class 4 all the same.
Ah dam my signals rubbish ill have to catch up later Roamsy 🥳🥳
No worries at all! Enjoy your holiday and... the football 🏴🥳
**correction**, if you have passed your test after January 1997, you are only permitted to drive 3.5t, if before then 7.5t
I got the information from here www.gov.uk/old-driving-licence-categories. Maybe I've read it wrong, regardless hopefully this promts people to check their license and see what they can/can't drive prior to choosing a van 🤗
Weight change was 97 not 90. Also Mercedes sprinters and vw lt/crafter even transits if been mini buses can be over 3.5 ton here so need to be careful on them and kerb weight can Inc the driver depending on manufacture. Informative video non the less x
Yess someone noted this. I took the info from the gov.uk website but the graph unfortunately wasn't the most clear. Regardless, it should get people looking at what they can and can't drive 🤗.
And yep that's right as mentioned in the vlog I've just picked a few of the most popular vans, if I ran through every van out there we'd be here for hours so just trying to deliver key info for others to use as a base for their research 🤗. Than you though! 😀
@@nicroams keep it up, your enthusiasm is lovely 🥰
Hi Nic, thanks for the brilliant video! I’m considering the Vivaro for my first van build. Just wondering - can you stand in your van? If not, how do you find that? I think I may feel a bit claustrophobic if I couldn’t stand up, especially on those rainy days! However, I live near some very narrow country roads so could definitely do with a smaller van. Wishing you all the best in NI :)
The vivaro was a great van for nipping around, fitting under barriers and feeling incognito. However you can not stand and space is limited. I felt like it was fine solo even on a rainy day as in a house you'd just sit down anyway. Cooking etc just has to be done bent over or on your knees haha. You could always get a pop top added or go for a SWB of another van that has a high roof? 🤗
@@nicroams I’ll definitely look into a pop top! Might take your advice and rent out a van for a bit to see if I do need the standing room, or if cooking on my knees will be completely fine 😄 Thank you!
Yess definitely worth renting one first if you're unsure. Again pop tops are great but also makes the van look like a camper so you won't be stealth anymore. Lots to consider haha 🤗
@@nicroams True true! It would be great if a Tardis-like van existed 😄
When are u starting in ur new van nic
We are officially in it road tripping N.Ireland 🤗 the first vlog will be next week but I share up to date content on my Instagram 🤗
i want a vivrao, but with a fixed bed as i know i wont want to keep folding it in and out, whats the thoughts on that xx
The width of a vivaro is about 160 so it really depends on your hight/ your sleeping position if you were to do a traverse one. I spent a year in my vivaro, I would have loved a fixed bed but I value a bed at atleast 180cm. Could you do a fixed single bed/sofa that pulls out in to a double if needed? 🤗
@@nicroams thanks. I did see a LWB vivaro with fixed bed, and head room was limited. But I'm also really lazy haha.
But like the vivaro for easy parking and less concerns with height restrictions. But also have my dogs to think about as they will be with me and really its about their comfort!!
Thanks for the reply. Love your channel BTW been watching since u was green earthling 😇
@@sarahbee1425 maybe you could look at a Peugeot Boxer/Ducato/Relay SWB? That way the van is still small but wider so you can have a double 180 length bed at the back which will be perfect for you and your dogs. If I was to do a small van again, I would go for one of those, purely because I'd be able to have a static bed with little compromise 🤗. And thank you!
@@sarahbee1425 I‘ve got a 2015 Vivaro and my transverse bed measures about 178cm long by 140cm wide. I‘d send you a pic of the layout but I‘ve got no idea if that‘s possible within youtube comments?!
I'd love to know how you got a 178cm traverse bed in a 163cm width van? I don't believe the newer models are wider so have you added in sleeping pods? Very curious indeed as I didn't go for a traverse bed in my viv as I'd never have fit sideways 😩
✅
Thank you 😀
I wonder if someone lives in a Vw T5 & how its kitted out
I wouldn't be surprised if they did. I believe they are bigger than a SWB vivaro so I don't see why they couldn't 🤗. I don't think I've seen many DIY's though 😀
Nic, wrong night to publish this. Come on Harry and Co.
I will watch you tomorrow.
Best,
Sausage
Haha I had thought about waiting but tomorrow I'm heading back to the mountains where I get 0 signal. The video will be there for whenever anyone is ready!
🏴🏴🏴
@@nicroams I wish you well. We watch you as much as possible. We just bought a van. Grabbed it first day without seeing it. They are selling quickly.
Keep it up girl. You surf better than I could if that's any consolation.
J&S
If it doesn't come home tonight, so what.....Monday is coming. Enjoy roaming.
I still think the Iveco twin wheel would make the best all rounder.
I've driven a lot of motors over the years and the Iveco was by far the best apart from getting from london to durham quick and that would come back to the vivaro.
My friends have an iveco, such a beautiful build and a lot of space which is amazing! I think the only downside of one is that is is so big but if that doesn't bother people, a great van! 🤗
One other question that is worth asking.
'Is this or has this van ever been haunted?"
😂😂 the most important! I keep a pocket sized Ouija board on me at all times so I can ask the ghosts directly 😆. If they know anything about electronics, bonus!
@@nicroams This is true. So many switches and not enough time. Also, where's
my gas tap? Full gas bottle attached, no gas. There's a secret to it. It died with the last owner. We need your obvious competence in contacting the afterlife.
People I know have corn crosses in their windows to repel evil spirits. I tell no lies. In a Somerset Village.
Just bought an awning.....not delivered due to overwhelming orders cos of Covid.
Have bought the awning attachment kit. Which did come today.
I challenge you all to try fixing an awning to the van.
It looks simple in the videos. Out of breath men nearly having a coronary, trying to make it look simple. Hit this, pull that, tighten the jorrock straps, don't forget the tippers that are supplied.
Whatever you do, don't touch this.
Never pull on this!
The bit they don't mention is your slot on the van or awning.
I can't find my slot.
As with many things in life, if it's not used it disappears. Old age gets us all. I think moss is growing in mine.
When I was younger, coupling was easier.
Now I need help and an instruction video.
Nic, love your videos.
Enjoy wherever you are.
@@nicroams Update. The figure of 8 fitting kit and the wangle dangler do attach to our wind out awning and also connect to each other....it's a major result.
All we need is the Mother load of drive away awning to try to fit it to our danglers etc.
It's a right palather innit?
My Wife says she'd rather stop at home.
Can see her point, we have Sky Q and Netflix.
Hi Nic, you have a few good fans that prefer your company to watching football, lol, have you looked at the new legislation going through parliament giving the police new powers, they will be able to impound your van and hand out fines in excess of £1,000 for parking in lay-bys and car parks, or any land without express permissions from the owners whomever that may be, they are planning to get a lot tougher mostly because of the minority that don't act responsibly, but as always everyone else has to suffer the consequences. You could possibly look more into it and do a video on what the new laws are and how they will effect everyone planning short or long term periods away in their vans, as far as I can tell it will effect all of the UK. Have a great week Nic and enjoy the mountains, look forward to seeing the video.
Aww haha thank you for tuning in. I'm not a huge football fan but Sam does have it on in the background 🙃. I am aware of them and have shared it along with the petition multiple times across my socials but it isn't a topic I'd cover as a video my channel, purely because there are plenty of videos out there on it which will probably do a better job of talking about it than me haha. I'm sure mine would be full of bad language if I had to begin to discuss it 😄