If I had 43K to spend on a van Will, you know what Id do? I'd spend 20K on buying a van and converting it to my own taste and the 23K left I'd have a bloody good time touring everywhere in it without fear of not being able to afford to use it. Nuff said 😊 BTW, I prefer yours to the soul-less clone you stayed in. Much respect- Kenny
If your in the UK, you want the sliding door on the passenger side,, that's the side you also wanna sleep on,, unless you fancy a 32 tone truck hitting you in the night. Sliding door because when you're driving the park ups are on the left so you don't wanna get in the back from the road side of the van. It doesn't take a year, I did mine in 4 weeks full time. Most of that was planning. Is a toilot worth 30 grand.. I never use a shower as it's a waste of water, can use a flannel and sourspan. Same with washing up sink,, don't bother, park and dump that water. So no grey water.. Most self builds I've seen are far to heavy,, ie too much wood.. Use 5mm ply. Been full time 6 years.
As a technician or if u have a friend or family member who is one, you can save so much money by rebuilding everything yourself and it is of high quality despite your own conversion
If I had the money, time and expertise, I’d do it myself. If I had the money, I’d get someone to do it for me to a bespoke design with me “helping/hindering” so I was involved and could learn.
I built a couple of vans myself and have always been a stickler for details! Your van is way better than that lol. Also if you broke it down you’d find they really are not that good. At least with your own build you know exactly how everything works! Building your own van will always be better 😊 p.s that dinning area is as good as useless!
Definitely paying for the convenience and warranty etc on the prefab. I’ve never really like them, as they seem to aimed at family of 4, so they cram too many beds and chairs in.
The door on the driverside...is actually because they are built on the European chassis....same as all eu. Caravan s are doors on the wrong side ... so kerbside.
Sliding door on the curb side of the van is better so you can get in and out from the curb and, when you have the door open, it's not open to traffic driving past the van. So for right hand drive vans, that's the passenger side, i.e. win for your van, not the professionally-built one.
Uuummm.... Those are both 5.4m long vans, L2H2 variants. Not that hard to notice just by looking at them. The 6m long L3H2 variant has much more paneling between the wheel axles.
we converted ours in a month but i did all the planning and purchasing for my dad. we ended up with mostly 100mm wool insulation mixed with some of that foil foam board stuff. bubble foil for vapour barrier and then cladding the walls , ceiling. has a shower in it too as well as permemnant single bed with under stoage, chest fridge. stove top and running water - ford h3 l4 van we put the diesel heater under the sink counter and raised it up put windows in the back doors and the sliding door. took the bulk head out and replaced that area with curtains (shower toilet behind the drivers seat) and a maxxvan for ventilation cost around £4000 for the interior - between the bed and a shower theres a kitchen pantry cabinet with a microwave on it and a weird ottoman type thing with arms on the sides but no back on it, but has storage in it (this sits over the wheel well) - good thing about the ford transit l4 we have a full width single between back door and wheel wells then sofa and kitchen cabinets are built around them i am terrible at diy but i'll upload the video i took near completion
Really I’m so surprised by this because I was almost certain the Weinsberg was an L3 and it even looked longer on the outside and felt bigger inside because it had more facilities!
Self build every time for me. Though I confess mine is more basic than Mary & was bought already done. Spending a year working out what I really need for mine & how I want it to look before a little renovation. Already love her. Channels like yours are so helpful. Thank you!
Money and time IS the deciding factor! If you have no money, but enough time, build your own. If you have enough money, but no time, buy one. If you have both money and time, buy one and improve it. If you have neither money nor time, what do you want an camper for?!?
I have the manufactured and then added my own things but would love to do my own van as imagine there is something magical for the effort you put into it that it gives you back - so Mary gets the vote from me 👍 Great video as always, have a great week, David 👍
First time on your channel. Mary is a very nice short van, unique, with the best kitchen unit. Still though, if money was no object, I'd buy from a local professional converter and go as bespoke as possible with them. Then I'd rely on their expertise and warranty to fix what goes wrong during ownership. Hold on... Maybe I would be better off converting a van myself, so that I could fix anything that goes wrong myself. Yeah, diy is probably best.
This is what I’m doing - I have zero van converter skills so employing a builder two hours away whose van designs I love. I’m adding so many tiny details - like perfectly placed coat and dog lead hooks for after wet walks, hidden shower etc. I figured it would cost me a lot more time and money to buy tools, learn skills and pay later for my mistakes 🥴
Not really a true comparison, when one is bigger. Also, if you don't need the extra 2 belted seats, it's a waste of space, and I've never found those seats comfortable to sit at for any length of time. The reason i went self build is because manufacturers try and fill every space with something, making so many feel cramped inside.
Self build every time for me..........I have a Renault Trafic which I spent 6 months converting in 2012...... since then have had over 330 nights in it and has many changes and upgrades over the years.
The down side of the offside sliding door is that if you get out of it and your parked on the road correctly you are getting out into the traffic. It built like that because the interior furniture is designed for left hand drive.
Lovely video Will! But are you sure the Fire is longer than Mary? In every angle (of this video) Mary looks longer, bigger and taller. And maybe a silly way to compare but at 1:31, if you measure it with a ruler, Mary is 8.2cm and the Fire is 8cm, so u sure about the 2 feet difference in length?🤣
I could have sworn the Weinsberg Campervan was bigger just from the way it looked in real life and how it felt longer inside the vehicle but I think from the comments I must be wrong 😂
The main reason we did self build was after looking at a lot of off the shelf vans, nothing had everything we wanted and where we wanted it. The layouts didn't work for us. So after months working on our self build in 202/201 we are very happy with Glo or being in Wales and fans of Gavin & Stacey known as Glo'lar. We did our first long haul trip to Scandinavian this year which was awesome.
We’ve got a self build and we love the manufactured ones way too cramped and specs aren’t that high for the money self build all the way ❤. Great video love the cooking segments ❤
I'd have to go the "professional" route, ONLY for the bathroom. That's something that could have been added to yours though. Just a personal preference for me. Love Mary too.
I would have to go for that already finished Van because of the toilet and shower. I've never get my girlfriend in a self build Van without one . But value for money definitely the other and the other one is probably more durable
Gotta say, I would prefer Mary over the Fire. Yes, it's new and shiny, but the colours are boring and it looks really cramped. I honestly don't believe you need to spend tonnes and tonnes of money to get what you need. I'd rather spend a little money doing up a van to the way I like it, than spend 50k and then have to fork out more money to adapt it to my liking. Mary gets my vote. Aside from a shower, she has everything you need. Keep up the great work, Will :)
Hey Will........geeze......was about ready to go through Will withdrawal there.......thank goodness you saved me today. Well its too bad you can't throw parts of each one in pile and create another one. Well I guess you could......but to answer your question I would take the new build simply because I'm 5'1....115lbs........and more importantly 70 years old. So I would be fine in the dining table.....rotating chairs....and for sure the full bathroom. The romantic bedroom is not necessary, unless of course Robert Redford was with me. I think you will probably get mixed thoughts on this from people just based on their height and weight honestly. Thank you for making my sunday a bit more interesting and bearable. You are such a dear!
I've always said, yours if one of the most beautiful, functional, and practical van builds I've ever seen. And the fact you did it all for 12 GBP? Insane!!! I'll take Mary for the win.
Actually the vote is very subjective and wrong. Few things to take into account, the work he done and seems that was not alone value some money for which in the end the VAN values more than 12k GBP depending on each one hourly rate (in my case would not worth a DIY VAN, as I could buy a comercial one in 2 years and have no additional headache, while with a DIY one based on other experiences you need to do fixes all the time which in the end means more money and possible bad time in your trips. Another very important aspect, the DIY VAN has no warranty, no quality test passed, you can expect everything at any time. The fact the the comercial VAN has a shower is way more valuable than an oven, especially in the winter :P (in both VAN you need an Thermomix to make your life easier) ... entertainment is subjective too, you use the VAN to explore the world not to waste time watching TV / play games ... and if you really want to watch something during the night you can also have an Oculus VR, a laptop or a portable laser projector. Idk how he reach almost the same score with the Fire VAN, objectively talking is far away in many aspects, build quality, reliability, design (the way it looks and montage). Btw, you can bring various customisation to a comercial VAN too, but usually is not required as they are already well designed. Should we talk about ITUV? ... Not sure his VAN will pass it in various of EU countries. Not a hater but a realistic point of view. If you are a mechanic / electronist, is a hobby project and it happens to not have enough money for a comercial one, of course a DIY is the best to go, but for 90% of us which no real knowledge I think if you really enjoy camping then get a comercial VAN or a rulote/caravan (is cheaper).
I just bought a van for $7,000 AUD (about 3,500 pounds). It's brilliant, a mercedes with plenty of kms left in it. I've already put a Queen bed in it and a massive 12v fridge! I don't have a lot more room so will have to have some big storage containers on part of the mattress.
Great video... I built my own camper from a 5ton Merc school bus.... Compared to the £48,000 campervan... I'm glad I built my own. Especially, the shower and toilet. Mine was far better, as was the kitchen. Definitely sticking to "self-build"... 👍
Don’t do yourself down mate, with a factory build you get stuff you’ll never use. I like it, you only put in what you need. Who needs fancy. As for reversing get yourself a tow bar stick it in reverse an wait for the bump, jobs a good’n 💪😎
I much prefer our self-build creations - they will never lose the love we put into them and feel 100% more homely and sorry to say but a bit more trendy too...I keep the change for petrol and spend the money to explore sunny Europe.
If I had 50000, I'd get myself a decent rig for ~ 20k, built the interior according to my needs & ideas die ~10 - 15k and..... spend the money left travelling. Both Set ups shown have pros & cons. Both have stuff I do not need, but the Weinsberg feels way to stuffed.
I personally wouldn't care about a toilet and shower in a camper, 9/10 you'll be staying at a campsite with facilities, I'd much rather a spacious shower facility than a cramped one on a van
You spent a year transforming your van. Was that full time? How much money did you set aside to pay yourself for all that time that you were working on the van and not working for income? So if you need to pay yourself 25,000 a 30,000 for a year and then you pay 12,000 for the van and materials, that is essentially the same price as the ready made van.
I just don't understand the attraction of those traditional, commercially manufactured motorhomes. All I see is obviously fake wood-print manufactured 'wood' and plastic. They are ugly and totally charmless. On top of that, they are more expensive.
U forgot to give your van a point or two for better isolation compare to the factory build one....;) I have a Burstner city car (ducato) 6m, 2017 mod, and it have really poor isolation...most factory builds are basically summer camper !! for vinter time/fulltime living, u will burn a lot of propane
Realistically buying and converting your own van with prices how they are then going through the process of buying everything and fitting it plus extras you don’t add into the cost. plus you would need to change its use and meet the DVLA criteria to register it as a camper otherwise it’s always a panel van and valued as such add onto that mot & insurance may not be as water tight as you’d like when it’s a camper but the logbook says panel van 🤷🏻♂️ . the £’s quickly ad up to more than most would like to admit, it’s not quite a like for like comparison.
Great build ! I did my own t6 and its been great. Away everyweek . Looking to do bigger van now possibly a crafter. But i dont think i would sacrifice my own time to self build again. Its cheaper , but i think about how much fun i could be having getting one already done and not spending probably a good 4 weeks or more to get my own built. You forget just how long it takes to get it done and its still an on-going project! Always new bits to add!
Self build 100% cos you get to know your van and bond with it XD, and ofc you can make it as how you what! me being so picky I really don't like a lot of the professional vans, don't get me wrong they look neat and fancy but it just not for me. :)
The opening side door on the "Fire" is actually a bad thing, it means that you have to match it with site rules on occasions. Putting your vehicle the wrong way round for hook ups etc. Also it is dangerous when parked at the roadside for loading your shopping in, as it is "in the path of passing vehicles. The internal dimensions of the Fire are diabolical, and I cannot imagine anyone buying it, very cramped and poorly designed. The rear riding seats look totally uncomfortable for any purpose. I prefer to convert my own van for that very reason - it is made to MY choice.
5 месяцев назад
I prefer a self built van because, first of all, those “commercial clones” are completely soulless. Second, every person is different, so a self built van will cater to one’s needs, taste an priorities far better than a prebuilt “one size fits all”. Last but not least, being able to say to myself “I built this” gives me a enormous satisfaction 😊
i want to buy a good size van and convert to a motorhome to my taste purely as an fall back plan in case anything happens. I am renting and i'm gonna get kicked out? I got my motorhome to sleep in until I can find another place to rent!
How are RVs so cheap over there. You could barely get the unbuilt chassis for that kind of money in the states. And that includes the Transit which is built here, so it's not import fees. That van would cost at least twice as much here. There are 'conversion companies' that will do your build in a used van, but I don't think that's what that fire van is.
Your van and the Weinsberg are both H2 L2 vans, 5.4m in length, i have an H2 L3 Ducato which is 6m in length, you can tell easily enough as the side loading door gets close to the rear end when opened.
if i ever do this im doing some outdoor shower attachment, shitting in field dig a hole spade or using leisure center or ocean im never faffing having some uncomfortable tight toilet shower in the van im living in. i wanna save space live move in the van even if is mainly a glorified bedroom room on wheels. the toilet shower stuff, im doing leisure center or outside
I wouldn't give the point to Fire for sliding doors on the drivers side. It's better to have it as is in your van just in case you park by the pavement in a correct traffic direction and easy to access from the pavement. That's my opinion. Also your van is just better value for money.
I never buy a pro one, you need to know where things are and how they work in these things unless you're the type to just throw it a a specialist for any little problem. Building your own does depend on your ability however, you will be able to chose and know where everything is routed
Self build if I had plenty of spare time, however time is precious.. I would go for a part self built. Let someone else make the cabinets and install some of the components.
I dont like that the sliding door is on the offside - in a real world situation where you might need to stop on a layby or roadside, you would need to come and go on the road side of the vehicle. That would be especially worrying if travelling with a child, which it seems is the only type of person who could sit in those back seats.
sliding door on the drivers side is a negative for me as it means it opens out in to traffic when you stop roadside or at lay-bys. Door on passenger side opens out on to the pavement. Dangerous in fact if you have dogs/small children. 1 point to the self build for me!
It sounds like the fire is a better deal, if you factor the cost of your labor over a year and a half… unless it’s a hobby for you and you love doing it.
Most of us love your Camper van Mary more than the professionaly built Camper van 💝 And we all appreciate you and your friends effort for building Camper van Mary and giving it a personal and special touch 🤍 Thank you Will 💙 Viewer from Nepal 🇳🇵
If I had 43K to spend on a van Will, you know what Id do? I'd spend 20K on buying a van and converting it to my own taste and the 23K left I'd have a bloody good time touring everywhere in it without fear of not being able to afford to use it. Nuff said 😊 BTW, I prefer yours to the soul-less clone you stayed in. Much respect- Kenny
U put my thoughts into words! Agreed! 😊
Hah cheers Kenny and yep I would do the same for sure
Soulless clone 🤣
Time is money. Also need to consider resale value
You would be a fool if you do that .
If your in the UK, you want the sliding door on the passenger side,, that's the side you also wanna sleep on,, unless you fancy a 32 tone truck hitting you in the night. Sliding door because when you're driving the park ups are on the left so you don't wanna get in the back from the road side of the van. It doesn't take a year, I did mine in 4 weeks full time. Most of that was planning. Is a toilot worth 30 grand.. I never use a shower as it's a waste of water, can use a flannel and sourspan. Same with washing up sink,, don't bother, park and dump that water. So no grey water.. Most self builds I've seen are far to heavy,, ie too much wood.. Use 5mm ply. Been full time 6 years.
Best not stay on side of motorway anyway
Self-build for sure. But with a bath/shower compartment. Ace video, thanks!
That Weinsberg isn't 6m long, both vans are 5.4m versions
I was thinking that as I was watching the vid as Will keep saying about his van is longer , but it's the same size Will !
Really what’s making you say this 😂, I’m certain the Weinberg was a L3H2 and mine is a H2L2
@@WillsWhereabouts nope im sure both vans are L2 5.4 metres , gadget johns is a L3 6 metres and mandys is a L2 5.4 metres 👍
Same size L2
As a technician or if u have a friend or family member who is one, you can save so much money by rebuilding everything yourself and it is of high quality despite your own conversion
Weheee….the clumsy Will has improved his cooking skill!!!!
Hah just about
Definitely prefer Mary. The Weinsberg looked very claustrophobic despite being 2’ longer.
Someone, please, show him how to open a beer…lol. 😊
I prefer ur Mary shes got character the fire doesn't.😊
Mary every time. I really dislike how manufacturers make everything so cramped.
If I had the money, time and expertise, I’d do it myself. If I had the money, I’d get someone to do it for me to a bespoke design with me “helping/hindering” so I was involved and could learn.
48k vs 12k? bruuuh its no competition LOL! the margin on those vans must be like 300% (so pretty much the same as most products sold in stores)
Marry all day long for me as i worked on her and being a self build easy to fix as you know how she went together , get video mate 👍👍
Hi Sean 🙋♀️ Yep self-build every time 👍👍💯💯😊
👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻
I prefer your one. I like space
Love it bro!
I built a couple of vans myself and have always been a stickler for details! Your van is way better than that lol. Also if you broke it down you’d find they really are not that good. At least with your own build you know exactly how everything works! Building your own van will always be better 😊 p.s that dinning area is as good as useless!
The only non fixed bed worth of is Westies sofa bed, otherwise fixed or bust.
Definitely paying for the convenience and warranty etc on the prefab. I’ve never really like them, as they seem to aimed at family of 4, so they cram too many beds and chairs in.
It would have been better if Will had compared like with like and borrow a UK spec 2 berth.
Self build every time also think there be bigger and better for £50,000 out they looked very cramped .
The door on the driverside...is actually because they are built on the European chassis....same as all eu. Caravan s are doors on the wrong side ... so kerbside.
That’s interesting I didn’t know that but now I do, thanks! ☺️
Prefer your van mate
😊
Na
I've never owned either of these type vans, but for cost, personal touch and satisfaction, I would have to go with the DIY option 👍
Sliding door on the curb side of the van is better so you can get in and out from the curb and, when you have the door open, it's not open to traffic driving past the van. So for right hand drive vans, that's the passenger side, i.e. win for your van, not the professionally-built one.
Uuummm.... Those are both 5.4m long vans, L2H2 variants. Not that hard to notice just by looking at them. The 6m long L3H2 variant has much more paneling between the wheel axles.
we converted ours in a month but i did all the planning and purchasing for my dad. we ended up with mostly 100mm wool insulation mixed with some of that foil foam board stuff. bubble foil for vapour barrier and then cladding the walls , ceiling. has a shower in it too as well as permemnant single bed with under stoage, chest fridge. stove top and running water - ford h3 l4 van we put the diesel heater under the sink counter and raised it up put windows in the back doors and the sliding door. took the bulk head out and replaced that area with curtains (shower toilet behind the drivers seat) and a maxxvan for ventilation cost around £4000 for the interior - between the bed and a shower theres a kitchen pantry cabinet with a microwave on it and a weird ottoman type thing with arms on the sides but no back on it, but has storage in it (this sits over the wheel well) - good thing about the ford transit l4 we have a full width single between back door and wheel wells then sofa and kitchen cabinets are built around them i am terrible at diy but i'll upload the video i took near completion
I think both vans are L2. We have an L3 and the sliding door doesn’t completely cover the rear wheel.
Yeah, these vans are both the same length.👍
Really I’m so surprised by this because I was almost certain the Weinsberg was an L3 and it even looked longer on the outside and felt bigger inside because it had more facilities!
Self build every time for me. Though I confess mine is more basic than Mary & was bought already done. Spending a year working out what I really need for mine & how I want it to look before a little renovation. Already love her.
Channels like yours are so helpful. Thank you!
Money and time IS the deciding factor! If you have no money, but enough time, build your own. If you have enough money, but no time, buy one. If you have both money and time, buy one and improve it. If you have neither money nor time, what do you want an camper for?!?
👊🏻👊🏻
Not too keen on the Fire but generally prefer a professional build. Got an Adria Twin and love the shower and design
I have the manufactured and then added my own things but would love to do my own van as imagine there is something magical for the effort you put into it that it gives you back - so Mary gets the vote from me 👍
Great video as always, have a great week, David 👍
Cheers David and there’s certainly a bond that’s made during the build process that you don’t get from buying one off the shelf 😃
First time on your channel.
Mary is a very nice short van, unique, with the best kitchen unit.
Still though, if money was no object, I'd buy from a local professional converter and go as bespoke as possible with them. Then I'd rely on their expertise and warranty to fix what goes wrong during ownership.
Hold on... Maybe I would be better off converting a van myself, so that I could fix anything that goes wrong myself.
Yeah, diy is probably best.
This is what I’m doing - I have zero van converter skills so employing a builder two hours away whose van designs I love. I’m adding so many tiny details - like perfectly placed coat and dog lead hooks for after wet walks, hidden shower etc. I figured it would cost me a lot more time and money to buy tools, learn skills and pay later for my mistakes 🥴
Not really a true comparison, when one is bigger. Also, if you don't need the extra 2 belted seats, it's a waste of space, and I've never found those seats comfortable to sit at for any length of time. The reason i went self build is because manufacturers try and fill every space with something, making so many feel cramped inside.
Self build every time for me..........I have a Renault Trafic which I spent 6 months converting in 2012...... since then have had over 330 nights in it and has many changes and upgrades over the years.
For 40k I can do 5 years of airbnb all over the world.
That’s exactly the point my partner and I always get to when we think about camper vans. That and the hygeine aspect. Still want one though 🤔
Your van for sure and save a bunch of money that you can use to make another 3 cans you could rent out
The down side of the offside sliding door is that if you get out of it and your parked on the road correctly you are getting out into the traffic. It built like that because the interior furniture is designed for left hand drive.
I was just going to mention this but I now don't need to. Safety first 👍
@@darrenbailey27a few UK campsites will not allow 'continental' door arrangements on site.
Yes. First thing I thought when WIll said its handy being on the drivers side. UK vans have the sliding door on the left for a reason.
Lovely video Will! But are you sure the Fire is longer than Mary? In every angle (of this video) Mary looks longer, bigger and taller. And maybe a silly way to compare but at 1:31, if you measure it with a ruler, Mary is 8.2cm and the Fire is 8cm, so u sure about the 2 feet difference in length?🤣
I could have sworn the Weinsberg Campervan was bigger just from the way it looked in real life and how it felt longer inside the vehicle but I think from the comments I must be wrong 😂
Good vidio certainly prefer your van 😅 recognise the camping spot as well a loverly place lol
The main reason we did self build was after looking at a lot of off the shelf vans, nothing had everything we wanted and where we wanted it. The layouts didn't work for us. So after months working on our self build in 202/201 we are very happy with Glo or being in Wales and fans of Gavin & Stacey known as Glo'lar. We did our first long haul trip to Scandinavian this year which was awesome.
We’ve got a self build and we love the manufactured ones way too cramped and specs aren’t that high for the money self build all the way ❤. Great video love the cooking segments ❤
One major thing which your missing out is putting a cost on the time you spent building your van. Those costs can't be cheap 😊
I'd have to go the "professional" route, ONLY for the bathroom. That's something that could have been added to yours though. Just a personal preference for me.
Love Mary too.
For sure in another build I’ll add a bathroom of some sort
I would have to go for that already finished Van because of the toilet and shower. I've never get my girlfriend in a self build Van without one . But value for money definitely the other and the other one is probably more durable
A toilet and shower seems to be a must for a lot of people and is definitely a nice feature to have
Self build every time ... I'd get claustrophobic in the ridiculously priced one 😂
Gotta say, I would prefer Mary over the Fire. Yes, it's new and shiny, but the colours are boring and it looks really cramped. I honestly don't believe you need to spend tonnes and tonnes of money to get what you need. I'd rather spend a little money doing up a van to the way I like it, than spend 50k and then have to fork out more money to adapt it to my liking. Mary gets my vote. Aside from a shower, she has everything you need. Keep up the great work, Will :)
Hey Will........geeze......was about ready to go through Will withdrawal there.......thank goodness you saved me today. Well its too bad you can't throw parts of each one in pile and create another one. Well I guess you could......but to answer your question I would take the new build simply because I'm 5'1....115lbs........and more importantly 70 years old. So I would be fine in the dining table.....rotating chairs....and for sure the full bathroom. The romantic bedroom is not necessary, unless of course Robert Redford was with me. I think you will probably get mixed thoughts on this from people just based on their height and weight honestly. Thank you for making my sunday a bit more interesting and bearable. You are such a dear!
Thanks matey for sure both types of vehicles have there pros and cons and if there was a hybrid out there then I would certainly go for it! 😃
i want to start a van life. can i know where to start.
Galik: Find a van ‼️‼️
I've always said, yours if one of the most beautiful, functional, and practical van builds I've ever seen. And the fact you did it all for 12 GBP? Insane!!! I'll take Mary for the win.
💯 Agreed me too i love Mary
Actually the vote is very subjective and wrong. Few things to take into account, the work he done and seems that was not alone value some money for which in the end the VAN values more than 12k GBP depending on each one hourly rate (in my case would not worth a DIY VAN, as I could buy a comercial one in 2 years and have no additional headache, while with a DIY one based on other experiences you need to do fixes all the time which in the end means more money and possible bad time in your trips. Another very important aspect, the DIY VAN has no warranty, no quality test passed, you can expect everything at any time. The fact the the comercial VAN has a shower is way more valuable than an oven, especially in the winter :P (in both VAN you need an Thermomix to make your life easier) ... entertainment is subjective too, you use the VAN to explore the world not to waste time watching TV / play games ... and if you really want to watch something during the night you can also have an Oculus VR, a laptop or a portable laser projector. Idk how he reach almost the same score with the Fire VAN, objectively talking is far away in many aspects, build quality, reliability, design (the way it looks and montage). Btw, you can bring various customisation to a comercial VAN too, but usually is not required as they are already well designed. Should we talk about ITUV? ... Not sure his VAN will pass it in various of EU countries. Not a hater but a realistic point of view. If you are a mechanic / electronist, is a hobby project and it happens to not have enough money for a comercial one, of course a DIY is the best to go, but for 90% of us which no real knowledge I think if you really enjoy camping then get a comercial VAN or a rulote/caravan (is cheaper).
How much ? And no reverse camera ? That taking the piss😂
I was a bit surprised by this 😂
It's not longer!!! Both are L2 versions, look at the door rail ;) so Mary should get one more point! Otherwise great video as always
+1
I think I got this wrong 😂 I could have sworn that the Weinsberg was the bigger vehicle
I just bought a van for $7,000 AUD (about 3,500 pounds). It's brilliant, a mercedes with plenty of kms left in it. I've already put a Queen bed in it and a massive 12v fridge! I don't have a lot more room so will have to have some big storage containers on part of the mattress.
Great video... I built my own camper from a 5ton Merc school bus.... Compared to the £48,000 campervan... I'm glad I built my own. Especially, the shower and toilet. Mine was far better, as was the kitchen.
Definitely sticking to "self-build"... 👍
Will, they are both the same length, why did you not realise?
They looked different in real life and the Weinsberg certainly felt a lot bigger inside because it felt like it had more facilities like the shower
Definitely your van, self built campers are better in my opinion
Don’t do yourself down mate, with a factory build you get stuff you’ll never use. I like it, you only put in what you need. Who needs fancy. As for reversing get yourself a tow bar stick it in reverse an wait for the bump, jobs a good’n 💪😎
I much prefer our self-build creations - they will never lose the love we put into them and feel 100% more homely and sorry to say but a bit more trendy too...I keep the change for petrol and spend the money to explore sunny Europe.
Never have liked the factory built junk.
I hate claustrophobic vans .
My van is still being perfected so everything is easily changed.
If I had 50000, I'd get myself a decent rig for ~ 20k, built the interior according to my needs & ideas die ~10 - 15k and..... spend the money left travelling. Both Set ups shown have pros & cons. Both have stuff I do not need, but the Weinsberg feels way to stuffed.
I personally wouldn't care about a toilet and shower in a camper, 9/10 you'll be staying at a campsite with facilities, I'd much rather a spacious shower facility than a cramped one on a van
You spent a year transforming your van. Was that full time? How much money did you set aside to pay yourself for all that time that you were working on the van and not working for income?
So if you need to pay yourself 25,000 a 30,000 for a year and then you pay 12,000 for the van and materials, that is essentially the same price as the ready made van.
You understand that there is no 60cm difference between them in length, right? They are both L2.
I just don't understand the attraction of those traditional, commercially manufactured motorhomes. All I see is obviously fake wood-print manufactured 'wood' and plastic. They are ugly and totally charmless. On top of that, they are more expensive.
Self build every time.
You get to choose the layout, features and colour scheme.
U forgot to give your van a point or two for better isolation compare to the factory build one....;)
I have a Burstner city car (ducato) 6m, 2017 mod, and it have really poor isolation...most factory builds are basically summer camper !! for vinter time/fulltime living, u will burn a lot of propane
Realistically buying and converting your own van with prices how they are then going through the process of buying everything and fitting it plus extras you don’t add into the cost. plus you would need to change its use and meet the DVLA criteria to register it as a camper otherwise it’s always a panel van and valued as such add onto that mot & insurance may not be as water tight as you’d like when it’s a camper but the logbook says panel van 🤷🏻♂️
. the £’s quickly ad up to more than most would like to admit, it’s not quite a like for like comparison.
Great build ! I did my own t6 and its been great. Away everyweek .
Looking to do bigger van now possibly a crafter. But i dont think i would sacrifice my own time to self build again.
Its cheaper , but i think about how much fun i could be having getting one already done and not spending probably a good 4 weeks or more to get my own built.
You forget just how long it takes to get it done and its still an on-going project!
Always new bits to add!
Professional.
Holds resale value much better.
Others models have oven ect at similar price.
Lower mileage.
Buy a Mercedes Vito W638 👌👍 Cheap, Reliable, German Engineering.
The Engines and Gearbox will do a million miles.
Self build 100% cos you get to know your van and bond with it XD, and ofc you can make it as how you what! me being so picky I really don't like a lot of the professional vans, don't get me wrong they look neat and fancy but it just not for me. :)
The opening side door on the "Fire" is actually a bad thing, it means that you have to match it with site rules on occasions. Putting your vehicle the wrong way round for hook ups etc. Also it is dangerous when parked at the roadside for loading your shopping in, as it is "in the path of passing vehicles. The internal dimensions of the Fire are diabolical, and I cannot imagine anyone buying it, very cramped and poorly designed. The rear riding seats look totally uncomfortable for any purpose. I prefer to convert my own van for that very reason - it is made to MY choice.
I prefer a self built van because, first of all, those “commercial clones” are completely soulless.
Second, every person is different, so a self built van will cater to one’s needs, taste an priorities far better than a prebuilt “one size fits all”.
Last but not least, being able to say to myself “I built this” gives me a enormous satisfaction 😊
i want to buy a good size van and convert to a motorhome to my taste purely as an fall back plan in case anything happens. I am renting and i'm gonna get kicked out? I got my motorhome to sleep in until I can find another place to rent!
I am looking for a van like this but I cannot find a deal like that 6k gets you a L1h1 Vaxhual with 140k miles on it and MOT next week.
I'm a lazy 💩 so I would go with the professional van. That said if I had time to do a DIY van then I would do that. Confused? Me too obviously 😂😂
How are RVs so cheap over there. You could barely get the unbuilt chassis for that kind of money in the states. And that includes the Transit which is built here, so it's not import fees. That van would cost at least twice as much here. There are 'conversion companies' that will do your build in a used van, but I don't think that's what that fire van is.
Your van and the Weinsberg are both H2 L2 vans, 5.4m in length, i have an H2 L3 Ducato which is 6m in length, you can tell easily enough as the side loading door gets close to the rear end when opened.
if i ever do this im doing some outdoor shower attachment, shitting in field dig a hole spade or using leisure center or ocean im never faffing having some uncomfortable tight toilet shower in the van im living in.
i wanna save space live move in the van even if is mainly a glorified bedroom room on wheels.
the toilet shower stuff, im doing leisure center or outside
I wouldn't give the point to Fire for sliding doors on the drivers side. It's better to have it as is in your van just in case you park by the pavement in a correct traffic direction and easy to access from the pavement. That's my opinion. Also your van is just better value for money.
It is very obvious that they are both 5,4 m. The sliding door opens all the way to the back. On the 6m long version there's still some space left.
The table arrangement on the New Campervan was terrible. Not much room to manoeuvre. I like space to move around. Think i prefer yours Will. ❤
It’s a fairly easy job, about 60 hours of easy interior construction (for basic job) is obviously not worth 20,000 euro.
Sounds like many of the pro's for the professional version mainly stem for picking a beter base vehicle.
I never buy a pro one, you need to know where things are and how they work in these things unless you're the type to just throw it a a specialist for any little problem. Building your own does depend on your ability however, you will be able to chose and know where everything is routed
I much prefer Mary as it's much more spacious, I don't like them too crammed in, maybe you could fit another window to look out off in the mornings?
48k van and not even a reverse camera😂
I'd go with a ready-made van - not this one in particular, something more suitable for fat people. I don't yet know if I like this as a way to travel.
Self build if I had plenty of spare time, however time is precious.. I would go for a part self built. Let someone else make the cabinets and install some of the components.
48k pounds...god damn class B vans are over priced in the US. That would have cost 100k+
I dont like that the sliding door is on the offside - in a real world situation where you might need to stop on a layby or roadside, you would need to come and go on the road side of the vehicle.
That would be especially worrying if travelling with a child, which it seems is the only type of person who could sit in those back seats.
sliding door on the drivers side is a negative for me as it means it opens out in to traffic when you stop roadside or at lay-bys. Door on passenger side opens out on to the pavement. Dangerous in fact if you have dogs/small children. 1 point to the self build for me!
Profesionally campervan ducato steering wheel right and right sliding door is popularity in japan review features interior campervan.
Those vans are the same size! You can tell because the door sliding rail goes to the end on both models, the 6m Ducato has a gap after the slider.
DIY all day, where the hell did the extra 38k go???? Ridiculous pricing.
Will: Every inch counts. Me too right every inch makes a difference. 😂
It sounds like the fire is a better deal, if you factor the cost of your labor over a year and a half… unless it’s a hobby for you and you love doing it.
Most of us love your Camper van Mary more than the professionaly built Camper van 💝
And we all appreciate you and your friends effort for building Camper van Mary and giving it a personal and special touch 🤍
Thank you Will 💙
Viewer from Nepal 🇳🇵
Mary definitely appeals to me more. I hate the blog std, no character vehicles. Mary seems way more practical to me
Buying a camper van is the same as buying a pc pre built will always cost more then doing it yourself.
If money and time wasn't an option, I'd have neither, for a lack of money and time.
thats crazy rediculous no actually kitchen in a van camper so expensive id not spend 20k on that