{"id":32325,"date":"2024-04-14T16:41:38","date_gmt":"2024-04-14T04:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www..com\/nz\/?p=32325"},"modified":"2024-07-11T13:00:51","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T01:00:51","slug":"converting-giovanni-will-and-tillys-gorgeous-fiat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www..com\/nz\/converting-giovanni-will-and-tillys-gorgeous-fiat\/","title":{"rendered":"Converting Giovanni – Will & Tilly’s Gorgeous Fiat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Proud owners of Giovanni<\/a>, Will and Tilly spill the highs & lows of their second van build and their top tips for aspiring converters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bertie, Will & Tilly’s adorable terrier, stole the show at Giovanni’s Port Hills photo shoot!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Getting Giovanni<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why did you choose to take on Giovanni and convert him yourself?<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re from the UK, and when we decided to make the move to NZ we knew we wanted to maximise our time exploring the country when we arrived, and like many others we knew that one of the best ways to see NZ is by van.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having converted a VW T4 in the UK, we knew we wanted something a little bigger over here that could comfortably fit two humans, a terrier (Bertie!), a bike and all our other kit that we\u2019d moved to NZ with. It needed to be comfortable enough to live in for 5+ months and be suitable for winter, as we arrived in May. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding an existing conversion that fit all these criteria was going to be tough within our budget, but we weren\u2019t afraid of making significant changes to improve and beautify an existing conversion, with the hope that we could rent it out down the line when we settled and found work in NZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A quick cuppa between jobs!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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How did you find Giovanni? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On day 3 of being in NZ we saw the Facebook Marketplace ad for a Fiat Ducato which had good bones but was pretty tired and very dated on the inside. Initially we dismissed it as we hadn\u2019t been looking at Fiats and because of its beige\/white box motorhome style. Eventually we decided to go and view it, and were pleasantly surprised – it was big, already self-contained (and will remain certified under the new self-containment law<\/a>), insulated and solar powered. Although the electrics and gas both needed work, and it had leaks in the roof which had caused some rot, we could see that it had generally been well cared for and was mechanically sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, we decided that we could handle the level of work needed to make it suitable for us, and knew that we would be able to rescue it from its serious lack of character and “quirkify”<\/a> it a bit, without it being so much work that we couldn\u2019t get it all done in the driveway of our Auckland Airbnb (which we only had for 12 days so the clock was ticking!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bertie being oh so helpful <\/em>\ud83d\ude04<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Planning the Build<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you have any initial hesitations about converting Giovanni by yourself?<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s always trepidation at the beginning of a conversion, and arguably more so with a renovation like this as you can never be sure what\u2019s lurking beneath the surface! However, there\u2019s no point getting too hung up on what might be, the best tactic is to get stuck right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Looking back, were those concerns valid? How did you overcome them?<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We did find a little more rot than anticipated which put us behind schedule, but nothing wood hardener and silicone couldn\u2019t handle. The old veneer panels required lots of prep and primer to make sure the topcoat would stick properly without chipping, but we knew we needed to make sure Giovanni was good for the long run so all the effort was worthwhile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main challenge for us was the lack of proper facilities, so if you\u2019ve got a garage and tools on hand you\u2019re in a great place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What resources did you use to answer any self-build questions you had throughout the build?<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I can recommend an excellent conversion book\/website called the Van Conversion Bible written by Dale Comley and Charlie Low. I used to work with Dale at Dyson and he has an excellent way of conveying complex information in a methodical and clear manner which anyone can absorb. Having a physical book when your hands are getting mucky mid conversion is also very useful!
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Quick-Fire Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n