2015 Citroën Relay Campervan – Off-Grid Conversion

✦ Citroën Relay Campervan 2015 – £17,000 (reduced from £23,000 due to weight – 3.88t – see note at the bottom)

A Brighton flat you can park anywhere
Why pay rent on four walls when you can own freedom on wheels?
This van has been me and my boys’ home in Brighton — our own moving base where we could swap four walls for sea air whenever we wanted. For my 7-year-old, it was pure adventure (he’d still live in it full-time). For my 15-year-old, growing up meant needing more space, so now it’s time for this van to begin its next chapter.

Converted in 2019 by a friendly couple of Brighton paramedics, I took it on in 2022 and made it our Brighton base — a flat that moved when we wanted it to. I financed it with a personal loan, and the repayments have been less than a third of Brighton studio rent — which makes this not just a home, but possibly the best financial hack I’ve ever pulled off.

✅ The Specs
Citroën Relay 2015

Mileage: Just under 140,000

Engine: 2198cc diesel, manual

MOT: Valid until 9th Feb 2026

Service history: Part history since I’ve owned it; most recent service early summer.

Ownership: Converted in 2019, I’m the third owner

🛋️ Conversion & Features

Double bed above cab (needs mattress)

Lounge/dining area seats 6 → converts into a double bed

2-hob gas stove + oven/grill

60L underslung LPG tank for cooker/oven (easy refill)

110L underslung fresh water reservoir for sink/shower (we topped up with a garden hose)

ProPax electric hot water heater feeding both kitchen sink and shower

Simploo waterless toilet

Built-in 12V fridge

Full insulation with 2″ Kingspan in ceiling, walls, and floor

Diesel heater (new glow pin fitted recently, heats quickly thanks to insulation)

Victron solar system with two large roof panels + engine charging leisure batteries while driving (plenty of off-grid power) – see below for full specs.

USB charging points under dining area and beside bed

Overhead dimmable lights + touch-sensitive interior lights by the door

Barn-door back opens fully → perfect for lounging in the sun

Rear hose for rinsing wetsuits/surfboards + dedicated surfboard storage

Plenty of storage under seating and rear section (see photo)

Key locker underneath

Driver + two passenger seats in front

Nest security camera

Skylight above bed (brand new, with LED lights ready to be wired in if you fancy)

Inline water filter

🌀 Quirks & Character

Parking light warning light: Dash says “check parking lights,” but they work fine.

Exterior lived-in look: Scuffs, scratches, bonnet sap staining, and some surface rust around arches (easy to treat).

Performance: A big, solid van — not a sprinter on hills, but steady and dependable.

Cushions: Some staining from everyday use; easy to re-cover if you fancy a fresh look.

Cupboards: A couple need magnets replaced and hinges adjusted.

Countertop: Water marks from use; a light sand would refresh it.

Bike rack: A little bent but still holds one bike securely with bungees.

Living space door: Slightly stiff, could do with a new seal at the top for winter.

Cab access: Door to living space currently blocked by a double passenger seat I fitted for my kids. You can easily swap back to a single seat for through-access.

📍 Location
Viewing in Fiveways, Brighton.

💸 Price
£17,000 or nearest offer.

To put that in perspective: I financed the purchase in 2022 with a personal loan, and my repayments have been around a third of what I’d have spent renting even the smallest Brighton flat. For less than £400 a month loan repayments, I gave my kids and me a stable, practical home in the city.

Running costs are minimal too:

LPG for cooking: about £60 every four months

Electricity: free from the solar panels

Water: free from topping up at a friend’s hose

Note: The van weighs 3.88t currently.

I had it weighed early October at Geo. E. Richardson & Sons Ltd in Brighton and it’s currently at 3880kg. It’s fitted with the heavy-duty multi-leaf rear suspension, so it’s an ideal candidate for uprating to 3,850–4,250 kg if you want extra legal payload. The process is straightforward — usually just paperwork through SVTech or Van Weight Engineering, and sometimes a tyre upgrade — with typical costs of around £300–£800 for tyres and paperwork. Many owners choose to uprate for peace of mind. The asking price already more than fairly reflects this weight consideration, making it excellent value for the quality and finish of the conversion.
I’d uprate it myself but I don’t have a C1 license (held automatically by most drivers who passed before 1997) and I still start and drive the van every few weeks to keep the engine battery healthy and all systems in good working order.

Solar and Electrics spec:

Two Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries, each:

12.8 V / 100 Ah (≈ 1.28 kWh per battery)
Total capacity: ~2.56 kWh

Max charge voltage: 14.6 V

Recommended charge voltage: 14.2 V

Float voltage: 13.6 V

Max charge current: 50 A per battery

Long lifespan (2000–5000+ cycles)

High usable capacity (you can discharge them to ~90%)

Safe chemistry (LiFePO₄ is thermally stable)
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☀️ Solar Charging System

Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 charge controller.

Handles up to 100 V solar input (from panels in series)

Can output up to 50 A charge current to the batteries

Has built-in Bluetooth for monitoring and configuration via the VictronConnect app

🔧 This unit optimises solar panel output, automatically converting excess voltage from your panels into extra charging current. It should be configured for “LiFePO₄ preset” or custom set to:

Bulk/absorption: ~14.2 V
Float: ~13.6 V
Absorption time: 1–2 hours (or per Victron’s LiFePO₄ settings)
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🔌 DC-DC Charging (from Vehicle Alternator)

Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30 (isolated DC-DC charger).

Takes power from your van’s alternator (starter battery side)

Charges the leisure batteries safely at 30 A

Fully programmable via Bluetooth

✅ This protects your alternator and ensures proper multi-stage charging while driving.

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⚡ AC Battery Charging (Mains Hook-Up)

Victron Blue Smart IP22 Charger (12 V / 30 A).

Used when you plug into shore power or a generator

Smart multi-stage charging (also configurable for LiFePO₄)

Bluetooth monitoring
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🔄 Inverter (AC Power Out)

There’s a Victron Phoenix Inverter 12 / 1200 VA.

Converts 12 V DC from the batteries into 230 V AC

Output: 1200 VA (≈ 960 W continuous)

Pure sine wave (safe for laptops, fridges, sensitive gear)

Efficient and fan-cooled
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🧰 Other Components

DC Isolator (between panels and MPPT) – essential for safety/isolation.

RCD/MCB Unit – provides mains protection (when on shore power).

Busbars and fuses