{"id":30980,"date":"2023-03-29T20:47:02","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T07:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/?p=30980"},"modified":"2023-04-17T13:56:26","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T01:56:26","slug":"fred-van-build-rookie-converters-get-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/fred-van-build-rookie-converters-get-real\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Fred the Fiat &#8211; A Quirky Conversion Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proud owners of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/campervan\/334308\/?wb-currency=AUS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fred<\/a> Jess and Kaj spill the highs &amp; lows of their first ever van build and their top tips for aspiring converters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-30991\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-1024x683-jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-768x512-jpg.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"838489\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #838489;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30991 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-90x60.jpg 90w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3084-1-3-135x90.jpg 135w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ideabox-toc ib-block-toc\" data-anchors='h2,h3,h4,h5,h6' data-collapsable='true' ><div class=\"ib-toc-container ib-toc-list-style-bullets ib-toc-hierarchical ib-toc-expanded\"><div class=\"ib-toc-header\" style=\"font-size:26px\"><div class=\"ib-toc-header-title\"><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"ib-toc-header-right\"><span class=\"ib-toc-icon-collapse\"><span class=\"dashicon dashicons dashicons-minus\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"ib-toc-icon-expand\"><span class=\"dashicon dashicons dashicons-plus\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ib-toc-separator\" style=\"height:2px\"><\/div><div class=\"ib-toc-body\"><ul class=\"ib-toc-anchors\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br>Finding Fred<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>First things first, why Fred? Tell us how you chose to take him on.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jess had followed vanlifers for a few years and loved the look of travel, freedom and adventure. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/two-week-campervan-itinerary-south-island\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">South Island<\/a> has so much to offer but many people get stuck in their \u201cbubble\u201d or local area. So, we thought having a campervan would give us a lot more incentive and ability to get away somewhere remote for a weekend, rain or shine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We looked into buying an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/campervan-conversions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">already converted campervan<\/a>, but this wasn\u2019t financially feasible on our student budget. Buying an empty van to convert meant we could spread the costs out (rather than one lump sum as a campervan purchase) and also meant we could lay it out and have features that we wanted, completely customised to our needs and desires. After weighing up the pros and cons of both, and spreadsheeting different costs for each, we settled on a conversion and started our hunt for a van!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>Why did you choose a Fiat?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each larger campervan has pros and cons &#8211; height, width, length, even something like the curve in the walls. We found that a Fiat had the straightest walls which would make building a bit easier. We knew we wanted something with low KMs, newish, a reliable engine, and looked nice inside and out. It also mattered that we&#8217;d be able to stand up in our van (especially for the taller Dutch!) so he could be comfortable in all seasons, and auto so that friends and family could use him too when they came from overseas to visit. Man, it was hard finding a van that hit all of those criteria (esp automatic!) within our budget!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After weeks of hunting various sites, we came across the Fiat at a good price, good KMs, looked nice, and was just up in Christchurch so we took the leap and went up for a visit. After a test drive and pre-purchase inspection, it just felt right and we drove Fred back to Dunedin that day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-31022\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-768x1024-jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-scaled-jpg.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"767875\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #767875;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31022 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-135x180.jpg 135w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-23-09-21-12-58-43-PM-1-1-scaled.jpg 1920w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><br><strong><em>Was it hard to find a van you wanted? <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It just took some time! We looked at other vans but they weren\u2019t quite right or something felt off. Some showed previous leaks and signs of internal water damage. Others had sellers that gave us a strange vibe &#8211; one ghosted on us completely. We had everything squared away with another seller, but when it was time to pick up the van, he messaged to say that he had sold it to someone else who offered more money. He then tried to turn it into a betting match, which we had no interest in (especially as it seemed already overpriced). We were pretty gutted, but a week later, Fred popped up and was so perfect.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-30982\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-768x1024-jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-scaled-jpg.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"787e84\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #787e84;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" data-id=\"30982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30982 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-135x180.jpg 135w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-45x60.jpg 45w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-68x90.jpg 68w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-3-10-21-11-28-37-AM-1-scaled.jpg 1920w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First-timer Fears: Planning the Build<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Converting a van from scratch is no small feat..<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>What initial concerns did you have about building Fred?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>I\u2019m not sure which was our biggest concern &#8211; cost or lack of skills.<\/strong> It was a huge feat compared to something either of us had undertaken before, and was our first big investment as a couple, so that challenge alone (the \u201coh my gosh we\u2019re building a campervan!?\u201d) was pretty daunting. <br><br>And then certainly the costs\u2026 We could budget based on what people outlined online, but NZ costs of building materials can be significantly higher than in the US. <strong>We could make a rough estimate and add X%, but at the end of the day it was still a gamble. And we took it on!<\/strong> Although the initial costs, such as purchasing power tools, were a bit of a financial strain, dividing the construction process over time helped distribute the expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We also had no serious building experience.<\/strong> We\u2019d done some odd jobs or our dads had shown us a couple of things, but nothing like doing a van build from scratch. Essentially we watched as many Youtube tutorials as we could and then just took the plunge. Certainly some trial and error and a big learning curve. It was completely different to our day-jobs, which made it interesting and exciting. And sometimes there was the definite \u201cfake it till you make it\u201d. <strong>But we just backed ourselves knowing that the only way to learn was to do, and we got there. \ud83d\ude42<\/strong> I think we also had the mindset that if it didn\u2019t work, then we\u2019d just take it out and try again.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-30988\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-1024x576-jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-768x432-jpg.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"665b52\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #665b52;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30988 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-107x60.jpg 107w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-4-12-21-4-33-07-PM-1-160x90.jpg 160w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><br><strong><em>Looking back, were those concerns valid? How did you overcome them?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite budgeting and planning well for costs, we&#8217;d gone over by the time Fred was fully finished. However, we kept track of all receipts and costs, and spreading the work over several months helped us manage our budget and minimize the impact on our bank accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>As first-time converters, you must\u2019ve had a ton of questions along the way. What resources did you use?&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We did HEAPS of homework before we even began the van build. Jess mostly researched design (Kaj didn\u2019t really mind what design as long as it had the essentials) and picked out various aspects that she liked from the years of following vanlife online.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Youtube was our main source of knowledge.<\/strong> We watched loads on there before we started and before getting into the bigger jobs (e.g. electrics, cutting holes in the van). We actually never intended to build Fred with the purpose of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/rent-out-your-campervan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">renting him out<\/a>, so we figured we just had to make it work for us and family\/friends. But Kaj is very pragmatic and Jess is a perfectionist, so a lot of the work, care, and thought that went into Fred paid off in the end by being able to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/campervan\/334308\/?wb-currency=AUS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">share him with Quirky<\/a> and visitors keen to experience New Zealand!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But take caution: I think the downside of Youtube tutorials is that it makes some things look so easy and quick to complete, \u201cyeah, we\u2019ll be able to do this in a weekend!\u201d. In reality, it was certainly frustrating or disheartening when things weren\u2019t easy or took longer than expected. But give yourself some credit and grace &#8211; it\u2019s a huge learning curve and you\u2019ve got to start somewhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Do you have a handcrafted campervan or want to create one and are interested in having it pay for itself? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact us!<\/a><\/em><\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-30987\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-768x1024-jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-scaled-jpg.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"826c5a\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #826c5a;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" data-id=\"30987\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30987 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-135x180.jpg 135w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-45x60.jpg 45w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-68x90.jpg 68w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-01-22-1-08-24-PM-scaled.jpg 1920w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-30986\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-768x1024-jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-scaled-jpg.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7e5a3f\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7e5a3f;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" data-id=\"30986\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30986 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-135x180.jpg 135w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-45x60.jpg 45w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-68x90.jpg 68w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-29-01-22-3-53-07-PM-scaled.jpg 1920w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick-Fire Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>What inspired the name &#8220;Fred?&#8221;<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think it\u2019s an American thing to name cars\u2026 Jess inherited a car from her grandmother after she passed and gave it her grandmother\u2019s name. \u201cFred the Fiat\u201d was a nice alliteration, and Fred was her grandfather\u2019s name, so it just worked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>Who did what?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jess did the design, and both Kaj and Jess built. Once NZ borders opened, Jess left to go see her parents in America for 2 months and Kaj kept building Fred and taking him on some early adventures when he had the basics done (meaning it had a floor and walls installed). Kaj smashed out a huge amount of work on Fred over the summer, and then Jess and Kaj finished Fred off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>How long did Fred\u2019s conversion take?<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ooh, from start to finish, <strong>everything but the final details of Fred was done in 6 months<\/strong>. Fred was a weekend job for us. Kaj had recently finished his PhD and started work, and Jess was in the middle of hers during the van build, so the focus on Fred was for the weekends. This certainly slowed things, but it also helped us spread out costs&#8230; There wasn\u2019t a need to buy a gazillion things to build with or put to use ASAP.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s interesting &#8211; building the big things over the first 3 months made it seem like we were making good progress each weekend. You could see a floor, framing, insulation, walls&#8230; \u201cThe bones\u201d. But then the smaller finishing details &#8211; which seem menial compared to something like plumbing or electrics &#8211; took longer than anticipated. We were also super busy work-wise towards the end of the van build, so there were a couple months where we just didn\u2019t work on Fred. I think <strong>all up, Fred took<\/strong> <strong>9 months to finish<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>What&#8217;s Fred&#8217;s funkiest feature?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019d like to think <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roaringmegfires.com\/roaring-meg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fred\u2019s fireplace<\/a> is pretty funky! A very unique feature in a campervan but we\u2019re so pleased we went with it! We wanted Fred to be able to be used year-round and winters get colldddd down in Otago, so having a cozy wee fireplace was a neat quirk that was also practical. And it adds a romantic ambience to our travels. \ud83e\udd70 Man, it gets toasty! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-31020\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-1024x683-jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-768x512-jpg.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"6a5651\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #6a5651;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31020 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2726-2-600x400.jpg 600w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><br><strong><em>Is DIY really in our DNA? \ud83d\ude09<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heck yeah! As a builder said to me, you can learn anything off Youtube these days if you want to. We would definitely build another in the future and feel WAY more confident in our knowledge and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting Stuck In: The Van Build<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>Talk us through the build<\/em>.<em> How did you do what?&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fred was previously used as a carpet layer\u2019s van so was in good nick and completely empty. This gave us bare bones to start with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before we took off the subfloor, we <strong>taped out what we wanted there<\/strong> to help visualise the space and imagine functionality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-30992\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-768x1024-jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-scaled-jpg.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"78756e\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #78756e;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30992 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-135x180.jpg 135w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-45x60.jpg 45w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-68x90.jpg 68w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-19-09-21-1-06-44-PM-2-scaled.jpg 1920w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once we were happy with our layout, we <strong>took off the subfloor<\/strong> and thoroughly cleaned and primed with a rust-preventer underneath. We then <strong>laid the timber framing<\/strong> along the floor, put down insulation boards, and re-installed the subfloor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We then could <strong>install the extraction fan<\/strong>, and we knew we wanted a <strong>skylight<\/strong> <strong>in the rear,<\/strong> so those went in next\u2026it was super scary and a bit counterintuitive to cut a massive hole in the roof of a perfectly good van. But we\u2019re so pleased we have those, especially the natural light over the dining\/bed area!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-30993\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-768x1024-jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-scaled-jpg.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"808484\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #808484;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30993 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-135x180.jpg 135w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-45x60.jpg 45w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-68x90.jpg 68w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-10-10-21-10-42-46-AM-scaled.jpg 1920w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>We put <strong>spray foam insulation<\/strong> wherever we couldn\u2019t fit other insulation &#8211; in joints between the battens or in the structural metal parts of the walls and ceiling. We then <strong>framed the walls<\/strong> with timber battens, and <strong>installed thick sheep wool insulation<\/strong> from a provider in Christchurch in the walls, doors, and headliner shelf. Being as far south as we are, we knew we wanted Fred to be really well insulated, so made sure every nook and cranny was covered!&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1080\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1080;\" width=\"1920\" controls src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Video-17-10-21-2-44-50-PM.mov\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>We <strong>laid the final floor<\/strong>, put our conduit through the walls for the wiring, and installed the walls. After then doing the <strong>solar installation<\/strong>, it was almost like <strong>building lots of boxes<\/strong> of various sizes &#8211; building a box that became the platform, boxes for the benches, shelves and cupboards, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em><strong>How did you find it overall?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We really enjoyed the experience and looking back, being able to say WE built Fred is pretty awesome! There were definitely frustrating parts along the way and maybe some tears, but the experience of building has been epic. Youtube seriously has everything and was probably our biggest source of knowledge! We could watch so many different videos and merge ideas about design or build order or different ways to construct things for XYZ final result.<br>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/WvoA9B5pHVfXNx5a-4F-EGd1zbPrstDV7_SyVM0gMyaF6HHRFa5EDuEJ29euGDXibBXbw3qCwy8OuaST51Rs2n0UMOY6bFRiNpr65T9aowCxlB2fMOMsEOwlYj7kAD9oFB0IsJ36Coil6BpRxEERH1s\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/bMFVsrNfALSEtVadCA6FLaViXxwMhoiMwd_j8SGm36OlqA0Sh0c7yHD5zo_o6D0e9kF0mw9DgFruw11lpo42w4pPOSt7ABtuUyM3o7YMknZOJd45ivhO8UpvfTf8-604teNJga4xDkYLIDN3JvLslgE\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Highs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>What was the most satisfying aspect of the van build?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a few aspects we\u2019ve been stoked with\u2026 successfully wiring all the electrical (completely out of our knowledge depth to start with), the fireplace (*dreamy*), and when we could actually step back and take him in wholly and be like, \u201check yeah, we built this!\u201d was pretty damn satisfying.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>What was the most challenging?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think the most challenging part was <strong>not getting carried away and overspending<\/strong> because it needed to be perfect and \u201cInstagram-worthy\u201d. We had to keep reminding ourselves (well, Jess) that ultimately it just had to work and look nice. There was no need for fancy frills, just keep it practical and functional.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/4MDCHLa2FGzO2_76DKGXSRPFcph6zu0UQ396aTu3o1QKqtmtywQ74j5RwkSNfamMJj2aBmtegU2ApeJgILZ41wWJ7JVE_Q31c01bIgmgdZK0NG9yJGvtAvDpfEPXQpn49cKV7joBWSmqPtTlgnD6Rzg\" alt=\"\" width=\"841\" height=\"630\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Lows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>What was the most frustrating part?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The electrical system was definitely the most daunting part of our van build, and we put it off for weeks. After hours (no joke) of watching and rewatching Youtube tutorials and making sure we were 150% sure about it all, we hit a point where the build couldn\u2019t progress without the wiring being done. We finally cracked into it and completed the wiring, flicked the light switch and\u2026 nothing happened. Turns out one of the fuses was manufactured incorrectly. An easy fix and the company sent us a new part, but at the time Kaj cried a little. We were certainly happy when we installed the replacement part and all worked perfectly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong><em>L<\/em><\/strong><em><strong>ooking back, is there anything you would have<\/strong><\/em><strong><em> done differently?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re pretty pleased with our final result! But I would say that we only discovered the magical concept of pocket holes towards the end of our van build. Jess brought a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kregtool.com\/shop\/pocket-hole-joinery\/pocket-hole-jigs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kreg pocket hole jig <\/a>back with her after visiting family in the States and we\u2019ve used it on other projects &#8211; it makes such a difference and in hindsight, it would\u2019ve been great to use during Fred\u2019s build.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-31016\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-1024x683-jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-768x512-jpg.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7a7f85\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7a7f85;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31016 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF3038-2-600x400.jpg 600w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top 5 Tips for Rookie Converters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>1. Do your homework on van type<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Look at pros and cons of each van, think about what you value or features to prioritise, and what it is you\u2019re looking for in your final result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>2. Break it down into manageable stages<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Break it down into manageable stages. Tape the layout, lay the framing, then insulation, then flooring, then walls, etc. This makes it WAY less daunting and gives such a sense of accomplishment when you have achieved a \u201cstage\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>3. Do the mahi, get the treats<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It may seem tedious and is definitely time-consuming, but try learn as much as you can before diving into something. Having that knowledge makes things go a lot smoother, rather than stop-starting each part while you research \u201chow tos\u201d and look at various ways of approaching a task.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-31002\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-1024x768-jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-768x576-jpg.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7d7065\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7d7065;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31002 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Photo-30-10-22-6-01-27-PM-120x90.jpg 120w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><br><strong>4. A classic, but measure twice, cut once<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And remember that if you make a mistake, it\u2019s okay and can be fixed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>5. Plan for a few steps\/stages ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\">For example, when you\u2019re framing and insulating the floor, think about where the lower cabinets will eventually be. Take this into consideration when you lay the framing under the floor so that cabinetry has a point to be secured into.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bonus tip: you don\u2019t need the fanciest tools or lots of different things! We basically built Fred with just a jigsaw and a drill and that got us through just fine \ud83d\ude42<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Want to experience Fred the Fiat for yourself? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/campervan-hire\/?wb-currency=AUS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here <\/a>for more info, pics and pricing of all our vans available for hire. <\/strong><\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture class=\"wp-picture-31017\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-1024x683-jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-768x512-jpg.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\"><img data-dominant-color=\"848997\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #848997;\" data-wp-picture-wrapped loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1536px) 40vw, (min-width: 1280px) 60vw, (min-width: 960px) 70vw, 80vw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31017 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DSCF2812-2-600x400.jpg 600w\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Proud owners of Fred Jess and Kaj spill the highs &amp; lows of their first ever van build and their top tips for aspiring <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":31031,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,71],"tags":[69,108],"class_list":["post-30980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-knowledge-hub","category-tips-for-converting-a-van","tag-campervan-conversion-story","tag-south-island"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.5 (Yoast SEO v28.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Building Fred the Fiat - A Quirky Conversion Story -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Proud owners of Fred spill the triumphs &amp; challenges of their first ever van build and their top tips for aspiring converters!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quirkycampers.com\/nz\/fred-van-build-rookie-converters-get-real\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Building Fred the Fiat - A Quirky Conversion Story\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Proud owners of Fred spill the triumphs &amp; 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