Fiat Ducato Maxi L4H2 3.0
The base vehicle is a 2007 Fiat Ducato Maxi. The engine is the 3.0l 160hp Iveco chain-cam unit. Plenty of power and torque, it sails up mountain passes. There’s a six-speed gearbox for easy cruising. Economy is respectable – we’ve been averaging 28-30mpg, driven conservatively. We added cruise control, making it very easy to cover large distances.
The maximum plated weight is 3500kg, but thanks to the Maxi’s harder rear springs and larger brakes it’s capable of carrying more – if you need more payload, increasing the plated weight is just a paperwork exercise.
Bodywork is in generally good condition. We repainted the van with custom-mixed satin Rustoleum Combicolor in May 2019.
We bought the van in December 2013 with 78,000 miles on the clock. We have had it serviced annually, the last service and MOT was December 2020.
The interior is hand-made from birch ply on lightweight frames, freshly painted with Farrow & Ball paints for a relaxing, airy feel. There’s loads of natural light and ventilation from the Midi Heki rooflight over the dinette and double-glazed Seitz S4 windows – one in the sliding door, one opposite and one over the kitchen. There are additional rooflights over the upper bunk and the washroom, and a small window to the lower bunk.
At the front of the van is a seating/dining area, with a bench seat facing a pair of travel seats each with three-point seatbelts, mounted with spreader plates and high-grade fasteners as per VOSA guidance. Batteries, the heater, charger, solar controller, fuses etc are under the travel seats. The removable table is supported by a wall-mounted rail and screw-in leg. The bench seat can be configured as a L-shape to seat up to six people around the table. Overhead lockers provide storage.
The kitchen is on the sliding door side, offering substantial storage from four drawers (including a deep pan drawer) and a cupboard, as well as a pair of overhead lockers. Glass lids cover the two-burner stove and sink. A small waste bin is tucked across the aisle. A full-height unit towards the rear of the van has the 110l fridge at eye level with generous storage below and space above for lightweight items.
Opposite the kitchen is the washroom, containing a Thetford C4 toilet and wash basin with a mixer tap that pulls out to work as a shower head. There are shelves above the toilet and above and below the basin. A rooflight gives natural light and ventilation, and there is a heater outlet so the washroom can double as a drying room.
Behind the kitchen and washroom are bunk beds running across the van. Each has shelves at the foot end and is equipped with lighting and USB charging sockets. The upper bunk has a rooflight while the lower has a yacht window. The bunk area is decorated with a child-friendly mural. The upper bunk base is in sections and can be hinged up to add headroom beneath, forming a cosy additional lounging area for children.
The rear 500mm of the van is given over to a full-height, full-width garage area lined with PVC-coated ply. This was designed to take four mountain bikes on adjustable racks (it works for skis and snowboards too). There’s also access to the large storage space under the lower bunk bed large enough for inflatable paddle boards. A built-in shelf unit can store hook-up lead, fill hose etc. There is an additional cubby on the left. Storage pockets behind the bikes and on the right-hand door are ideal for odds and ends and shoes. The left-hand door has hooks at the top for wetsuits or coats. The garage has a mushroom vent at the top and a heater outlet at the bottom, so it can work as a drying room too – great for ski trips! You’ll also find 240V and 12V outlets at the back. An insulated hatch allows access to the garage from the living space.
The van is insulated with foil-faced PIR boards throughout, with 25mm under the floor, 40mm in the roof and 50mm in the walls, effectively maintaining heat in cold conditions. A lined and insulated curtain separates the accommodation from the cab, keeping the living space warm overnight. Combined with the blinds on the rooflights and windows, the living space can be fully blacked out overnight – you won’t be awoken at dawn!
The electrical system is based around a pair of 110Ah batteries under the rear travel seats. They’re charged by three 100W solar panels on the roof via a Tracer MPPT charge controller. There’s also a Numax smart charger for when you’re on hook up and a feed from the engine battery via a split-charge relay for when the engine’s running. All interior lighting is LED, with strip lights over the dinette and kitchen, spot lights in the ceiling, reading lights under the overhead lockers and lights for the bunks.
Controls for the solar charger and heaters are located on the wall over the travel seats, with light switches, tank gauges, a Bluetooth amplifier and speakers and additional storage for small items in a panel above the sliding door.
A Synergex 1000W inverter is used to power a 110L domestic fridge when off-grid. The inverter has a low-power standby mode that checks for demand every few seconds and only powers up if necessary, making a very efficient setup. The fridge can be powered directly from a 240V supply if you’re on site with a hook-up. The fridge is vented to the exterior with a pair of vents, with the upper vent being equipped with a fan for very warm conditions. A sprung plunger holds the fridge door shut.
An underslung 38L LPG tank saves space inside the van and keeps running costs to a minimum. Plastic-coated copper pipe brings the gas into the van via a stop tap and manifold that splits the supply to the air heater, water heater, external BBQ point and Smev stove. All internal gas pipework is copper, in continuous lengths with the only joints at the appliances. There are gas drop-out vents under the kitchen unit, travel seats and in the garage area and smoke/gas detectors in the living space.
Heat is supplied by a Propex HS2000 gas heater. An adjustable diverter flap directs heat between the main accommodation and the rear of the van, with outlets in the main living space, washroom and garage. A Carver Cascade water heater provides hot water to the sink and washroom either from gas or 240V if on hook-up (or both at once).
Water is carried in a 90l underslung tank and brought into the van by a Shurflo pump and Fiamma expansion tank to supply sinks in the kitchen and washroom. The sinks drain into a 60l grey water tank, with a large-diameter drain tap easily accessible on the driver’s side sill. For extremely cold conditions, there is provision for a secondary 20l water tank inside the van. With this fitted, the main tank can be drained to avoid freezing.
Externally the driver’s side has the LPG filler, fresh water tank filler, electric hook-up, drain taps for waste and fresh tanks and the water heater flue. The passenger side features a Bullfinch quick-release gas point to supply an external stove or barbecue, allowing outside cooking in warmer conditions. A 3.5m Fiamma F45s roll-out awning provides a large area of shelter outside the van.
Many more photos (including a full build diary) are available on request and video tours can be arranged.
We designed the layout specifically to give children their own spaces and to ensure that the adults still had somewhere to sit and relax after the children had gone to bed. There are two transverse bunks at the back of the living space, both 83cm wide. The lower bunk is 187cm long with 62cm of headroom. The upper bunk is 178cm long with 57cm of headroom. Both bunks have separate lights and USB sockets.
The adult bed is a 187x130cm double across the front of the van. The bed slides and folds out from the dinette bench – the additional cushions needed are stored inside the bench and behind the travel seats.
The contact details for this vehicle are no longer available because it has either sold or the listing has expired.
Quirky loves this style means that Quirky Campers would potentially approve this vehicle for hiring. However, Quirky have not approved a Gas Safe certificate, a Weighbridge certificate, or the vehicle's electrics. Buyers must check these themselves. For some tips on what to look out for read this. If the listing has no Gas Safe certificate, no unladen weight and no electrical sign-off please proceed with caution!
Insurance options are available through our partner, Ripe Insurance.
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