Berlingo Microcamper conversion for £150?! Did I get a bargain? Boot jump time!
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- Bargain?I test a Facebook Marketplace boot jump in my Citroen Berlingo. Is this the cheapest camper conversion ever?
HubNut merchandise is available at hubnut.org - thanks.
#microcamper #berlingo #carcamping
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Put a streamlined roof box on it. It reduces the sound of the rain and gives you somewhere to keep paraphernalia off of the floor.
I like the sound of rain .....
Why on earth would you reduce the sound of rain?
Somewhere to temporarily store the spare wheel, perhaps?
@@TheCarTakerGarage It can get be very noisy when you're trying to sleep in a heavy storm.
Love the sound of rain.
My friends daughter made a micro camper out of a Skoda Roomster 1.2 12v.
It’s her first car and she likes to go to music festivals and surfing.
I would love to get one of those and do the same
I mentioned it before but I highly recommend getting some Heko wind deflectors for the front windows, or just cheap ones. You will find if its raining you can't have the windows open to breathe as the rain comes in and soaks the inside of the door and seat otherwise. Also a small block of wood works well as a tailgate standoff, just place it where the lock is and rest the tailgate on it. You can also buy lockable metal tailgate standoffs sold for keeping dogs cool for about £10. Oh and get a camping lamp of some sort, or lights that plug into a USB powerbank. You could strengthen the box by screwing a length of timber placed front to back into the corners. For the hinge you can sometimes just use gaffer tape depending on how the forces are on it, it doesn't last forever but it can work quite well as a hinge and can be replaced in 5 minutes.
Here's a few ideas. A little stove with disposable gas cans, for washing up use 2 sparay bottles, one with soapy water and one with clean water, use paper towels to clean cup and bowl. that way you can make a tea in the morning. take a mat to chuck on the ground under the tailgate to leave your shoes on and stand on barefoot. bead type battery powered fairly lights, velcro on curtain to block off driving area.
I’ve had lots of campers over the years and my favourite was a Wheelchair accessible Kangoo 1.2. It was amazing for stealth camping in London and Cornwall and cost virtually nothing to run. I now have a 2017 Partner which is the next project. Looking forward to seeing Bella’s travels.
The dogs are not meant to help, they are supervising ❤
and Ian ir right - they are cute pooches.
13:01 change your bulbs for LED one Ian it will use minimal electric and not drain the battery like traditional incandescent bulbs or fit a separate LED to a continuous, but switched power supply....experience from my camper rebuild 👍
Thus will certainly save on the old Travel Lodge bills.
Whilst this is true, Berlingos (and many other PSA vehicles) go into ECO mode after a short while and shut off all the auxiliary power. I believe this can be disabled somehow in the ECU/BCM. Or, you could rewire the lights direct to the battery.
What a super camper conversion. Firm coil springs on the back and you're ready for the weekend. At car events.
I built a similar setup for my Alhambra a few years ago. Me and dad used to go to airshows and, living in Plymouth, they were all bloody miles away. So, we usually slept in the car the night before. My dad could fall asleep anywhere, regardless of comfort...I never could. So, I built a bunk bed setup. :) You could fit near enough a full 8'x4' sheet of 18mm MDF in the back of the Alhambra. I rounded the edges and put a few grab holes in it and sat it on 6 2"x2" legs that could be folded flat when stored at home. The bunk came just around the bottom of the window line allowing enough room for an inflatable bed up top and a foam bed at the bottom, for dad who, as I mentioned, could sleep on anything. It was a great success after we had about an hour of me and dad laughing and taking the piss a lot out of the situation and we enjoyed the airshow quite refereshed for once. :)
£150 is indeed a bargain! I'm assuming it's a homemade bootjump? I was going to get an Amdro one when I had my Berlingo, but they were about £1500, So I bought a Mazda Bongo for £1600 instead!
Incidentally, I've just seen, Amdro do blackout screens for the Modutop windows, on sale at £10!
Edit: I thought yours had the Modutop. Still, I'll leave the comment there for those that have.
Further edit: I wrote all of this before the end of the video, I see now that you know about the Amdro one!
Magnetic base lights that charge via USB... I have one inside my gun cabinet, works a treat!
Score Mr S. In the summer I hired a VW camper van for £425 for three days and while it had everything I could want (fridge, dual gas cooker, electric hook up, fold out double bed and captain's chairs) what you have there is excellent value and is certainly a viable camper for one or two people. I would chuck in a little gas cooker for delicious bacon and eggs in the morning, a heavy duty portable charger to keep the gizmos charged without relying on the car battery, and (for the summer months) a little fridge you can plug into the 12V socket. Happy camping!
Fantastic. My mother in law has a converted Berlingo Van. It is a crew van who's seats fold forward a single bed the folds out. It's awesome. This is such a brilliant idea in the car version. I definitely want one.
It's a Winnebeylingo!
How many horses?
Very clever. Love it 😂.
I built a series two Peugeot Partner Microcamper a couple of years ago and sold it to one of my customers. She absolutely loves it. There are five episodes of the build on my RUclips channel if anyone is interested.
£150 for what you have got is a bargain Ian.
Introducing the Hubdogs! Scene stealing cute they are too. What a handy, versatile car the Berlingo is. It ain't a Hilton, but what fun for the occasional overnight getaway.
For heavier battery use, if you happen to have a corless drill/grinder etc you can get adaptors that fit on to many of the batteries and convert them in to lamps with usb phone charger outlets. You can get other adaptors that turn a drill battery into a jump starter.
A really interesting video , look forward to the test now of the sleeping arrangements 👍👍👍
Excellent stuff, great fun.. and you can customise as you like ... I use a roomster for camping. Something that would help you which is cheap is to fit window wind deflectors so you can have ventilation at night. Also cheap led stick on lights for the ceiling,
For the rear tailgate there is a modification you can do that wires into the boot lock solenoid and has a button on the inside rear wiper motor cowling to enable you to open the tailgate from inside the car, I have seen it on youtube somewhere. You might also find a roof box useful to store things while you are sleeping in it.
Mine hasn't got a solenoid... I believe there is a way to manually actuate the lock though apparently.
@HubNut Could you use an old choke cable to pull up the latch lever maybe?
Great job. Finding a way to make it work with the tipping front seats will be great. A small suggestion would be to invest in a portable power / jump pack - I love mine and its great for a number of uses from charging devices to running lights and even allowing for boiling a pot of water. good luck with your adventures in Bella and let us know how your nap went. Cheers
Quick little suggestion, get some velcro strips for those cushions to keep them in place when you set it up. If they can move about freely it'll be really annoying when you actually go to sleep in it.
I love mine. I have added the whole leisure battery, solar, roof box, cupboard. Its great. I think you will love it.
My best tip would be fit a diesel heater to it. It will transform any time you spend in it and make winter even better. Can’t beat getting into a pre heated car
My other half has a (later model) Peugeot Partner, the same car as the Berlingo, with a similar Conversion. We do have a tailgate awning/tent which gives you a 'base' if you are on a longer trip and you want to use the van to explore, but not lose your pitch when you get back to the campsite.
Rain is always a problem when setting up a tent, caravan, motorhome or camper van. So a waterproof (ish) sheet is advisable in most instances.
The big advantage of the Partner/Berlingo 'boot-jump' conversion is that you can get a cheaper 'pitch' as a tent, rather than as a camper. So we often take a three-man tepee style tent which has one pole and about fourteen pegs. It goes up really quickly and you 'qualify' as a tent, but you sleep in the van. It's a wee bit 'stealth'.
The tepee can be used for cooking; it's not conducive to travelling comfort to cook out of the back of a van, and you can change your clothes standing up and store all your other clobber in the tent overnight.
I hope I haven't 'blown the gaff' on anyone already doing this little hack, but it's worked so far for us!
The stickers on your Berlingo give it away as a 'camper', so you might need to be a bit more discreet.
Take care. Love and peace.
Great find, give is a couple of coats of varnish to protect it and lift up the main section on the mats. Possibly tape over the hinges to protect fabric. Gas boiling ring would probably be worth it.
Surely it was your excitement that allowed you to forego a "pttcchhhooo".
Looking forward to your overnight adventures, sleeping in the Berlingo, and hoping that adventures in Bob will not be compromised.
I used to sleep in my Berlingo and then my Expert. So much better than a tent. Full length comfy bed with all required facilities. I never bothered with a table either. I’d just use a convenient picnic table or rock for the stove.
Thanks for this! I recently moved back home from America and I bought a Van Berlingo that was recently converted into a camper and I’m not gonna lie, I am honestly really impressed.
I’m really tempted to buy a second, except the car version.
I built one almost identical to that for my Berlingo, based on the
' Boot Jump'. My Berlingo had a lot of windows in the roof so I had a bit more headroom. I was going to do a sort of shower curtain style thing for the back hanging off the tailgate but never got round to it. This is so Hub Nut. Love it.
In the ‘80’s my b in law and I drove from Gwent to France/ Monaco/Italian Alps and back in
a Mk1CooperS slept in the front seats , ate using camping gas stove , so your Berlingo is like the Ritz for going away!
I built one for my Kangoo, tailgate tent is a godsend when trying to assemble the bed in horizontal rain! I opted for a self inflatable mattress in the end, stored up at headlining level.
Absolutely brilliant idea Ian you can just go were you want and camp at side of some free spots love it ❤👍
Table lift up section for muddy shoes.. umbrella etc.. accessable from inside...and obviously..no matter how cold..don't run engine while sleeping.
A nice bit of kit, it will be interesting to see how you go in the wild. Two cute border terriers . I have a border terrier he has just turned two. They are such a great breed and so very entertaining.
Back in the day I went camping without a tent and slept in a K10 Micra for a week. I just curled up like cat.
Small camping gaz cooker would do for a cup of tea
HubNut attaching a hinge , that I want too see.👍🏻🏴🚙⛺️
All good stuff Ian, I absolutely agree trying a proof of concept first before adding additional costs. Back in the day when I had my MKIII Mondeo estate I was pondering camping options as I could fit flat in it I didn't actually try even though I had that car for a decade. As for the hats, I'll stick with my few year old embroidered HN hat on for now. Many thanks for sharing.
Another advantage is that when you take Bob camping, as a family, you will have an extra bedroom, perhaps for one of the kids, as they are getting older now.
So practical for such a small car!
Micro projector mounted to the roof lining facing rear wards. Small pull down projector screen mounted to the roof just inside the tailgate. Pull the screen down and connect to the projector with the bed raised to the reclining sofa position. Your own personal cinema.
You can probably get a tent with groundsheet that fixes to the tailgate with the boot open. In the nicer weather it would give you an area to climb in and out of the back without having to open and close the tailgate.
Fine idea, and you could probably add a streaming service for movies and Best of RUclips oldies but Goodies. Don't see a place for a litter bin, but first things first.
Strong magnetic hooks for the tailgate as cheap roll-up projectors out there with brackets. Buy a head rest rig to connect the projector to the front headrest bar with the clamp. Easy fix with no permanent fitting/holes.
Made one for our Yeti, been away for a week in wales with it and it was one of my favourite holidays I've had.
Absolute steel for 150 quid. Any weaknesses in the wooden structure could be repaired or replaced. You can take a small one ring gas burner and cartridges with you and at least boil a kettle for a hot drink or heat some soup. If you only go for a couple of nights take enough mugs, spoons etc and wash up when you get back. Take some paper plates and dishes forcthings like sandwiches, tin of fruit etc and chuck em away once used, they are dirt cheap to buy. Use powder milk so keeping fresh milk chilled removes the need for a fridge. Breakfast cereal, porridge etc is also a possibility to keep costs down. Look forward to your adventures.🙂👍
Also keeps the sun of your roof, that really makes a difference in summer.😃
Hubnut Hounds! Just adorable. Looking forward to seeing you camp in Bella.
I've been using my 2016 Berlingo as a micro camper this year and it has worked very well I've only got a single bed box but I need more room for longer stays away it can be a little cramped even with an awning that I used in the summer I will use it for 1 or 2 nights away but I've recently bought a caravan so I'm hoping to use that instead and some campsites won't allow the Berlingo on to use as a micro camper because it's not a manufactured converted vehicle
Get some vinyl stickers made up in the name of some (probably defunct) conversion company
I saw someone use a couple of weighted shower curtains and magnets attached to the rear door to offer extra shelter and privacy but even an oversized tarp, poles, bungee cords attached to a roof rack rails and tent pegs can offer the same too.
Fantastic, I can see you seating in the camp chair under the tail gate having a cuppa, go could get some battery operated led strip lights for the rear😊
I had a 2ltr TDI Berlingo (Bettie after Bettie Boop!! ) same year as yours, What a smashing car it was, I was very surprised. Not my original choice but with a MIL in a wheelchair it was ideal. I had thought of making a box/bed like that but never got round to it unfortunately. Might I suggest if you go away solo or just two then remove the rear seats entirely your bed will lie flatter and you will have more storage space too? Just a thought. Good luck with your trip when it happens.
If Bella is rocking, don't come knocking 😂😂
Sorry but the dogs were too gorgeous to not be a distraction. No idea what the video was about. 😂
I suspect being terriers, they're ratters.
That's a great bit of kit Ian and it's all you for a couple nights.
What a bargain as well.
I'd put some timber in the corners, just to strengthen the base. LED strip lights that could run off a rechargeable battery pack. Good video as usual
Hi Dot and brother! I like simple and basic. No need to overcomplicate things.
Love your stuff. Look forward to every video. Keep it up. You're right about the dogs. What a pair of beauties. More of them little rascals pls xx
I didn't realise this was now a comedy channel!
...and that, Ian, is why I bought the 7-seater Berlingo! I have an extra 14" bed length!
That weird bit, once you put the hinges back on, rest against the seat headrest struts and put the back into sofa position as a backrest. I bought one last year for my Fiat Qubo but haven't been able to use it yet due toʻ breaking my wrist and rìbs. Looking forward to the spring now so I can finally get away.
The biggest issue with things like these and truck shell campers is some campsite wardens who get peculiar about anything that's not a conventional campervan or caravan. For some reason "sleeping in a car" (or van) is a huge no no despite the same base vehicles in some cases being professionally converted to campers. Plenty are fine with it but be prepared to have to argue your case or be turned away.
I'd wondered about that issue too. I've tried camping in the back of an estate car and found it much more comfortable than a tent, and to avoid arguments positioned a little pop-up tent next to the car so that the camp commandants thought I was in that and suffering the required amount of discomfort!
@@jb3222 I've found it's easier with sites where most people are camping as a means to an end such as walking in the area rather than the sort of sites where the majority just want to sit in their expensive units watching TV all day as an end in itself.
I bought a Toyota Auris 2014 1.4d Estate or Touring Sport as the Japanese called it. I've been camping in it a few time's and hope to go away much more in the future. it's really easy just fold ⅓Rd of the back seat down and pop my sleeping mat and bag under the rear load cover 😴 sleep really well in it and no messing about with wet Tent on a rainy day.
I have a 12volt kettle for Cuppas and a little 2 Burner gas cooker Camping Table and Camp chair 💺.
Absolutely brilliant warm dry and comfy.
Looks good those pups were cute
another great video has always Ian and Carly miss/mrs hubnut and hublets and hubmutt 👍
Just a thought on exiting the rear hatch from within the vehicle. On another RUclips channel I watch, the person lives in a Honda Element (a small SUV type vehicle not sold in the UK) and travels across North America (USA & Canada). She had a garage fit a manual release for the rear hatch which she can work from within the vehicle itself & which works really well. Just a thought as you know some exceptional garage type people 👍
If you look up the Amdro Bootjump, it shows the 'U' shaped piece is hinged where you think it should be, the 'legs' then are supposed to go up against the headrests of the front seats, making a U shaped seat.
- look up 'amdro boot jump showcase'
Not sure if they have them over in the UK, but a retractable awning would be a good addition to the side of your van. They usually attach to roofracks and work well when you're parked up to provide extra shelter if you don't want to be stuck in the car all the time.
The support piece when you have fitted a hinge will slot between the front headrests to give you an upright seating position, as for noise insulation try some self adhesive sound deadening panels to take the echo out.
Have a small awning made from a gazebo off the tailgate, then make use of included table with new base or get another one with camping chairs outside for eating/working arrangements on a camp site - only bit that does not work
For £150, it's the biz. USB mag lights for inside, and jetboil for a brew. I was able to make a v.passable awning from a tarp and some f.glass poles from the camping shop. At night, be sure you can reach the central locking button for security.
Dot is a sweetie!
Central locking?! I wish.
this one answers my spacing question about the berlingo/partner. have it on the map as a low budget working vehicle that can serve the weekends as well.
drop in solutions come in handy if using the car everyday, but they have some disadvantages since it seems to leave much unused space. if going for a serious trip i'd remove the back seats for storage. but its cool to see how easy it is to cover core needs.
A very good idea would be to dissect it all & use them as templates & make your own kits up out of marine plywood, profit profit profit plus you end up with a kit made out of hardier materials👍
This is why I love practical cars, and it sure looked better than sleeping in the front seat of a Volvo 745 or in the middle row of a VW T4 Caravelle. I tried both, but I don't know if it could be classified as actually sleeping... 😅 - Also: extra ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the dog-action! Aww, I can't get enough of the furry friends (as my profile-pic clearly demonstates)😉
When we used to go watching the rallying we used to take my old Ford explorer as there was loads of room to stretch right out with the rear seats down
For tea making - keep a jetboil handy - compact and fast for a cuppa off grid
This is so completely Hubnut it reminded me of the Monty Python crew in one of their zanier skits.
Mind you, with seat cushions and blankets weighted down with encyclopedias to remain taut, we used to build underground forts in the sitting room as kids of 7 to 10.
Where are the custom drinks holders, the potty, and a good spot for cellophane covered snacks and biccies? Rummaging around in bins up near the roof seems a bit of a palaver, after all.
Yes, I approve. Hope it doesn't snow on your travels, and I would suggest a rooftop solar panel array mounted on stick-on tarry sound-deadening mats on the roof as a custom addition. In the rain it would damp out the sound of drops, plus in the sun, it could give a much needed boost to the car battery to keep the phone and mics charged.
Of course, the prime advantage of being an all-in-one roach motel bedroom is, if it's damp or chilly, one can drive the room over to the ablutions block for a quick shower etc, instead of hoofing it by foot from something like Bob.
No downsides to this little charmer at all.
a little fettling and finishing of the unit and it'll be a gem.
you could change those rear interior lights to LED bulbs to eliminate battery anxiety. there must be a way to remote trigger the lights back on again once the timer ends.
A portable power pack - like a small briefcase size - is worth getting. Can jump start your car and power a tent and it's things for a very long time - often comes with a light and charge indicator and various ports and weather proof and can be charged via various methods. Worth while having. An inverter type car run/charge sensitive equipment.🤔
Oops - commented before continuing the video - mentioned leisure batteries - don't know what they are in Australian, but presume what I've just recommended - but still a worthwhile thing - saves any car battery problems and solves them 😊
Could get yourself a Jet boil for making tea, they are small, easily stowed and very quick at bringing water to the boil and one of those Anker portable power stations for charging and powering lights and you can charge it off the cigarette lighter socket whilst driving.
12v travelling kettles have been around for years, even Swan made/makes one, or there is a 12v element that can be placed in a mug to boil water or heat milk for the night-time Ovaltine or Horlicks.
Twelve volt kettles can take an age to boil, gas is always going to be quicker, jet boils also incorporate a mug as well.
I'm really keen on doing something just like this. I think it would be a wonderful way to get into motor caravanning without spending a fortune, and have something really practical. You are much further ahead than me, I need the vehicle, boot jump and somewhere to store said vehicle but I'm really keen to see how you find this over perhaps bob.
That is brilliant Ian !! Really great kit 👍
I made a similar set up for my Shogun Sport . I might suggest one of those springy curtain poles with a inexpensive black bed sheet to reduce the light through the windscreen and a four season sleeping bag if you are using in winter . Also as others have suggested a single burner camping stove for those morning cuppa's and buy water from a super market. Also wet wipes !
I have a full blind set for the entire car.
£150? Can't really go wrong can you? It looks a superb solution and I'd love something like that. All lovely and cosy listening to the rain on the roof, not giving a damn what the weather decides to do. A lot less messing about than a trailer tent or caravan. Sometimes the full-on Bob touring ensemble would be overkill for the sake of a night or two, this is ideal!
If you want to make anything better?
Just add a few cute adorable puppies ❤.
Bella certainly is showing her practicality. Too bad drive-in movies are out, would be the perfect vehicle for it
When we had a berlingo with boot jump we found it easier to sleep with head at tailgate end and use side doors to get in and out
Bella, Bob and a (maybe) cheap, Roof tent full family maybe a friend, i bet the aussies are giggling with their truck beds and tops with slide out cooking facilities etc, Something i'd love to find is one of those 90s Citroen campers, (C15 Autostar??) as they seem to take car of this idea quite well(if they haven't rusted to peices..) With a little oven etc tucked away, i think that would be a wise first car for travels, would save a lot vs hotels and premier inns and im sure some reupholstry and other modernisations could make for a lovely little thing..i just so happen to walk past one after work that seems like its been sitting a bit..perhaps i should find out more about it!
What a bargain.. maybe make some hinged back rests to the seating area to keep the cushions in place day and night...
I just adore border terriers! ❤
We had three of them in my family. Sadly no more. 😢
You can buy boot tents that can clip on the back Ian if you had one of those you could have your seating in there and just use the bed as a bed
9:24 What you can get is one of those tents that clip on the back of the car to give you even more room.
Got my 2025 Calendar, Thank you! 👍
If the Car Is Rocking, Don't Come Knocking 👍
Hoping to see these on Bluesky soon! 😉
Bob and Bella going to have a falling out 😂
Love the vicious guard dogs!
I have the next version up from your Berlingo which I use as a Microcamper (my own design just for 1 not a boot jump) and its very comfortable to sleep in .. Handy tip get a good flask get a coffee to put in it some cafe's or pubs will do this for you then you have a hot coffee in the morning and don't even have to get out of bed to make it
the berlingo is a great camper! i bought a cheap work torch for mine which has a magnet and a hook on it so you can stick it in various places. can also charge on the stereo which is handy
Watch it without the sound on and its even funnier. Just the angle of the ‘table’. Lol
Looks good to me. If you're on your own, you won't need to book in at an Airbnb. Bob is still good for more extravagant camping adventures though, with his awning!
Genius! Might be a good idea to look at getting a night heater or a top end sleeping bag, especially if you want to camp out overnight at this time of year.
Looks like there might be enough space for a porta potti, but perhaps no space to use it!
Absolute bargain, looking forward to your adventures.
Having been in a tent next to people in van life campers, I can confirm that you are allowed to endlessly use your sliding doors at all times of night especially if they squeak or need a good slam to shut properly, also have your noisy diesel heater running. Lastly make sure your sound from your TV can be heard outside the van😢
Gawd... People.
An absolute bargain and the dogs seem to approve too.
I've seen a few of these in Berlingo's increasing the already impressive versatility.
I expect for short trips alone with the odd overnight stop you may well end up leaving the bed partially set up.