Our Campervan
How It All Started
HOW IT ALL STARTED
We have been camping for over twenty years in various tent sizes from small to very big. This isn't your normal camping, this is camping with a difference or I like to call it glamping. No roughing it here just pure luxury. No battery operated lights, no sleeping on the floor and no running to the campsite fridge to get your milk. The is Glamping...
Six beath tent for six people loads of space for just two people, with bedrooms, living room and kitchen area. This is an airbeam tent so there are no poles. An electric pump gets plugged into the tent to blow it up using the Kampa Gale pump. Just stand back and watch it go up. The tent is inflated under 6 mins. The tents got electric. The tent gets plugged in using the electric hook-up which gets connected to the campsite electric just like caravans and motorhomes. Inside the tent, we have all the normal items you may find at home.
In the Living room
Tent Carpet, blow up Sofa, 19inch Television/DVD/Radio with Roku streaming device for Netflix, iPlayers and other streaming TV channels. A storage cupboard. Kampa tent lights, one in the living room and one in the kitchen.
In the Kitchen
40L fridge great for keeping food and drinks cold. Kitchen unit with worktop, stove worktop with gas hob, toaster and George Foreman food grill. Larder with two shelves and two useful lower shelves under the hob. Table and two.
In the bedroom
Full size extra high blow up comfort double bed with mattress topper, fitted sheet, duvet, blankets, and soft pillows just like home. Bedside tables, lights, and a wardrobe. Plus heating for those chilly summer evenings. All neatly packed into a camping trailer. Making this a better camping experience.
We have been camping for a very long time now, but we feel that we need something a bit more user friendly now we are getting older. Like a campervan.
The Diary of Our Campervan
The Campervan Factory.
Unit 5, Canterbury Works,
18 Ashchurch Road,
Tewkesbury. Glos. GL20 8BT.
September 12th Thursday 2019
Our first visit to The Campervan Factory in Tewkesbury Gloucestershire. Meet Jamie to have a guided tour of the factory and the campervans they have worked on.
September 19th Thursday 2019
Meeting with Mark. We have decided to let The Campervan Factory team convert a van for us. This meeting is to choose interior colours for cabinets, flooring, lights. Mark will search for a van for us. Signed paperwork. No going back now. Mark's got a van coming in, in the next few days.
September 23rd Monday 2019
Telephone call from Mark at 8:30 in the morning. Van's arrived. So off to meet with Mark and check out this van. White T5 Transporter TDi Bluemotion. The van is a builders van, which the team will transform into a camper. No scratches on this van, just a few stones chips that Mark says he will sort those out. We are pleased with the van and the conversion will start very soon.
October 3rd Thursday 2019
Visit to The Campervan Factory to see our van. Bit of a shock, the van is nearly finished. Just the bumpers to fix on the front and rear, front seats to be put back in. It's looking amazing.
October 9th Wednesday 2019
At 15.00 Today, Mark telephoned to say our van is now a Campervan and passed all it's checks and tests. Ready to pick up on Thursday 10th October at 10.30 am.
October 10th Thursday 2019
VW T5 Transporter Campervan. Ready to pick up. Money transferred from bank, Van taxed, Van insured with Safeguard UK. Campervan looking great. Guided tour by Jamie to learn how everything works. And that's it. We are now the proud owners of a VW Campervan.
Our VW T5 Campervan
This is what we have in our VW campervan
VW T5.1 Transporter TDi BlueMotion Campervan
Bluemotion Technology
The BlueMotion is a range of innovative energy-saving technologies, from the automatic start/stop to low rolling resistance tyres. They work alongside the diesel engines and gearboxes to cut fuel consumption and reduce harmful emissions.
THE FRONT CAB
Seat 4 inc drivers = 5.
Sleep 4 berth.
Remote central locking on all doors with deadlocks.
Anti-theft alarm - Engine immobiliser.
Stop start system button on/off.
ESP, ABS.
Daytime running lights.
Automatic headlight & wipes.
Electric front windows to the cab.
Exterior mirror control L & R.
Exterior heated mirrors with blind spot mirrors.
Leather trimmed steering wheel.
Up/down & reach steering adjustment.
Storage & bottle compartment in both passenger & driver’s doors.
Main controls on the dashboard.
Drinks holders & 12v socket & adaptor for mobile phone charging.
Climatic control heating & fresh air system. Air conditioning system.
Lockable storage compartment.
Map reading light.
Cruise control.
Driver captain seat with armrest - 8 way adjustable, armrest & lumber support.
Storage below driver's seat.
Passenger twin seats that swivel and storage base below.
Black Heavy duty rubber flooring.
Driver & passenger airbag.
Passenger air bag on/off switch.
Trip computer.
Fully re-upholstered seats.
Cab Carpet/Mats from Carnap's.co.uk.
Cab Blinds (VanX) from Creative Covers Ltd.
VW Media & Navigation system touch screen with Radio, Telephone Control with voice activated. Media - Bluetooth - CD Player - Aux input - SD card reader. Sat-Nav, Live traffic reports. Sat-Nav display on driver’s display & media screen. Revering screen.
MFD Multi-function display Driving time - Current fuel consumption - Average fuel consumption - Fuel range - Distance - Average speed - Digital oil temperature display - Speed warning function - Outside temperature display.
OUTSIDE
Body colour coded rear parking sensors.
Body colour coded elevating roof.
Body colour coded bumpers. rear number plate trim and wing mirrors.
Witter Tow bar with can-bus bypass relay.
240v Electric hook-up socket with cover flap.
Barn doors to the rear of the van.
Inside day seat.
Second access to the wardrobe and lower cupboard with electric hook-up cable on a reel.
UK 13amp plug adapter. Mains 2 way electric hook-up splitter.
Set of Fiamma yellow lever system.
Spare wheel under the van.
Two outdoor chairs.
Vango Kilda Low Air Awning. Magnate Awning Bar. Shower/Toilet Tent. Gazebo.
ROOF
The elevated roof bed with full front, rear and side steel strengthening support frame and installed with a Reimo Elevating roof bed with mattress and storage cupboard when raised. (Gas strutted).
Upper Mattress.
LED Low Energy Lighting.
WINDOWS
N/S/F fixed window and an O/S/F Slide opening window by the cooker and sink area, 2 x barn door window and one n/s/r These are black limo tinted windows (tint within the glass not the lower standard film tinted windows).
INSIDE
INSULATION
The vehicle is fully insulated firstly with thermal foil and then with plastic hollow fibre insulation (we never use rock wool as it can rot and start to smell a few years down the line). All internal channels in the vehicle side construction are fully insulated to stop massive heat loss which can occur.
CARPET LINING
The campervan is fully carpet lined in the colour grey. Even inside the cupboards.
FULL ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
Installed is standard VW T5 wiring loom in the vehicle.
Controlled by a full Power Management System PMS 3 (made by bonus systems) with built in battery charger.
240v hook up point fitted.
Fit with 1x twin 240v power point.
1x 12v power point.
Energy efficient LED lighting
1 twin 240v power extension cable stored behind the driver's seat inside the vehicle for extra plug sockets.
Fitted with 1x flexi LED strip light behind the driver's seat (this is used to illuminate the roof space)
3x LED downlights on the passenger side.
2 x LED downlights on the drivers side.
A LED strip light above the under the kitchen cupboards.
All cupboards have a push button LED lights
1 x LED push button light above the seat/bed with remote control for easy on/off.
3 x LED blue spotlights on the step inside the side door.
2 x pioneer speakers in the rear and wire radio to leisure battery able to listen to music without flattening the starting battery.
Mains electric Hot or cold blow air heating.
240V plug socket adaptor with twin USB sockets.A 110 amp high quality leisure battery is installed with a smart-com intelligent charging system that charges when the engine is running (and the main vehicle battery is fully charged) - so no chance of a flat battery in the morning!! The leisure battery is also charged when hooked up to 240v on campsites via the power management system. All wiring is with automotive thin wall grade wire.
TV
Logik 19" HD LED Freeview digital with DVD player. USB - HDMI
With Roku Streaming device.
FLOOR & COVERING
The floor covering is upgraded to 12mm (we find that 9mm floors are not sufficient) and covered with hard wearing Altro flooring and in the colour grey. All the edges are finished in alloy covering trims.
FULL SIDE CONVERSION
Kitchen unit is fitted with a cutlery compartment.
A food storage cupboard.
A large storage area with a front cupboard door hosing gas locker, clean water bottle and storage area.
20 litre easy fill fresh water tank.
Dometic combination sink and 2 burner hob unit.
Overhead kitchen storage unit of three cupboards.
Wardrobe/Cupboard unit with a mirror fitted on the inside of the door and access from the inside and rear of the van.
2 x cupboards in the rear of the campervan.
All the furniture in this conversion is made from caravan/motorhome lightweight grade ply light wood furniture and dark marble effect worktop.
All cupboards have a push button LED light.
10L Toilet. Rechargeable Shower. 1.9L Hot Water Flask
DOMETIC HOB & SINK
2 burner hob - Sink with cold water tap. Both with separate smoked glass covers.
DOMETIC CRX 50 COMPRESSOR FRIDGE
A top of the range compressor fridge which will last 1-2 days charge when using the leisure battery. Also powers via 240V.
SEALED GAS LOCKER
A gas bottle is installed in a gas locker with a drop out vent in the floor - so any gas will escape out (gas is heavier than air) and two gas isolation valve. Comes with a GAS SAFE certificate.
TABLE
Table and sliding rail system. The table is securely stowed behind the driver's seat when not in use using the clips provided.
SEAT & BED SYSTEM (WITH EEC CERTIFICATE- EC DIRECTIVE 76/115/EEC FOR M1 LOADING) Sliding seat and bed system with 2 x 3 point seatbelts secured to the underside of the vehicle with a steel supporting frame. The bed/seat is upholstered in INCA fabric to match the front seats, the bed/seat base is boxed in to match the side units with a rear access door. Under seat/bed cupboards with access to the front and to the back from the rear doors.
VAN X CURTAINS
Top of the range curtains in the colour black have been fitted to the windows in the campervan. The front windows of the cab area a VW screen cover made from delux fabric full black out screen and constructed from fully waterproof nylon. The cover wraps around the front windscreen and over your doors, and with a close fit they will not flap around in the wind. They also have two strong nylon fasteners to attach to your door mirrors. Stored in a bag that can fit under the driver's seat. Or cab interior blinds made from VanX.
OUTDOOR SEATS
Two camping chairs stored in cupboards under the seat/bed. Access from inside and rear of the van.
