Volkswagen, CRAFTER Camper Brand new conversion

2012 VW Crafter 2.0 TDI MWB camper conversion

Mechanical bits
Diesel
Low Mileage 78’791
MOT until 23.07.22 Open to getting a new MOT if offered close to asking price but shouldn’t be any issues as it’s been pretty much not moved whilst doing the camper conversion.
New camp belt and water pump at 75763
New gasket Jan 2022
Logbook with service history last service June 2022 again not had it serviced as it’s not been driven much whilst doing the conversion.
New Battery Feb 2022

You can see the whole van conversion from start to finish documented on Instagram @surfvanlving

Log description to give you as much info as I can about this camper conversion

The Good bits

It’s a brand new conversion sadly I won’t be enjoying it as I have to sell as I just bought a house in Wales so planning lots of adventures there. I converted this van in lockdown with a plan to travel UK and Europe.

My favorite bit about this van is my decision to clad the whole van. The wood used is a good quality marine ply under the cladding. Then for the cupboards, I used some salvaged timber and hessian for the main section in the frame to keep the weight of the van down plus I think it looks pretty cool.

It’s able to be used fully off the grid with two leisure batteries which power hair straighteners dryers etc and lights laptops for 5-7 days. There are two batteries and a split charger so they charge whilst you drive too and are not connected to the van’s main battery so you never have to worry about it draining whilst parked up. There are led lights in the ceiling and bed light and two spare leads left if you want to add any more lights. There are 4 sockets to plug things in plus an inverted in the van. There are also 2 USB ports on the fridge for phones etc. the electrics are controlled from the main switchboard located above the sink in the pics.

Comes with thermal stick-on curtains for all windows in the van. Again brand new cost £200.

It has a hook up so you can also run off campsite hook-ups when available.

It’s insulated super well you can see in the pics on Instagram and has a raised floor which means it has extra heat and cooling properties – so glad I did this as it makes a huge difference.

The heating is mobile I originally installed a diesel heater but it wasn’t very good and you could smell it a bit. After lots of research and a trip to Canada where I met van owners and they all use Buddy heaters. You can see the Default heater again brand new in the pics. It has an auto cut-off if it is knocked so you do not have to worry if you knock it. You can set a timer to fall asleep to it. It also works off a big gas bottle or small ones. The small bottles last around 9 -12 hours on max heat and cost anywhere between £5 and £10 depending on where you get them from I’ve found. I will sell the van with a good stock of them so it’s ready to use.

-High-quality wood effect Vinyl floor throughout. I’ve had loads of comments from people who love it It’s super easy to clean and also great for insulation again.

-Storage under the bench as it lifts up. Loads of cupboard space above beds and under the sink. You could put shelves in the under-sink cupboard to I just haven’t got around to it. Then the back is very open and is a massive space. I have lots of sports kit surfboards bikes etc and so designed it so bikes fit under the bed and you can slide boards through the middle.

– Brand new fridge freezer Alpicool a50L Portable Freezer 12V 24V Car Refrigerator Fridge APP Control. It’s the best Found for a fridge and freezer lots of room and the fridge and freezer really work very well. It plugs into the electric. The power it uses is equivalent to a sat nav – 60W cooling range is -20oc – +10oc and super quiet so you don’t hear it so good when you are trying to sleep.

-Brand new memory foam mattress. I used a boat mattress company and it’s super comfy as good as your bed at home. Sold with mattress protector and it has been protected with a casing too.

– Sink is stainless steel and big enough to put a plate in When I was designing it I saw so many small round sinks that you can fit anything in so this is a home sink so big enough to actually wash up in. I used a marine foot pump for the water as it’s simple and won’t drain the battery and I lived in a boat for 2 years and they work great. There is door access to the fresh water and drainage from the sink so you can easily access to fill and empty. The tap is a single faucet made from copper pipe. Handmade by my Dad:-)

– I’ve designed the van really thinking about the way I wanted to use it. I kept it as a removable dual stove and grill as I thought most of the time I used the van I want to cook outside if the weather is good and not small the van out although you can use it on the sideboard as it is raised and has legs. It again is brand new and connects to small gas bottles or the biog one.

– Comes with a brand new filled gas bottle and attachments to convert to European bottles if traveling as they are slightly different attachments there.

-Low mileage for van of its age

– I had the windows fitted to the van it was one of the first jobs I did the sliding door one slides open and they are all black our so you can’t see inside the van My favorite is the skylight. Even the guy who fitted it wants to know where I got it as it was so big. You can lie in bed and see the stars and when full open get onto the roof of the van. It also had a built-in mosquito net so you can sleep with it open and a black-out blind so you don’t get woken up by the light.

– The shower is made again from Marine ply the wood has been tanked the same stuff as they use on boats to protect the wood from water. I then used a grey rubberised pool paint as I thought this would again keep the weight of the van down and is fully waterproof. I have not fully finished the shower as I’ve decided to sell I thought the next owner may have other ideas..might even remove it altogether for more space in the van I ordered a Joocla Hot Tap from the states. It’s brand new and that’s what’s in the box in the pictures. They are really cool you can connect them up to run from rivers or lakes or a tank. Again I wanted a hot shower as I wanted to travel with luxury and not just rough it in my van however I wanted to be able to shower outdoors naked by an amazing remote spot or wash my surfboard to the dog down or have the option on a cold day to shower in the van. So I didn’t connect a fitted shower. The best way to check out how this works is to check the website out below. Joocla and its the HOTTAP V2 OUTING Portable Hot Water Kit.

The drainage for the shower sits under the floor I have tanks and the shower tray is all fitted but the drainage needs connecting and an attachment will be required. I can help show this in more detail to whoever buys the van.

The shower is also fitted with a wind-powered extractor fan so again works without power. I’m really pleased I did this as tried a solar one and it was rubbish and electric ones can fail then you are ripping your shower apart.

The seats swivel and I made a hand-made swivel table the idea was you could sit and have a drink looking out at the sunset.

It has a tow bar.

We built an extension for the bed so you can lie in both directions as if you are really tall or maybe even have small kids you can extend the bed to go out as far as the shower. There is a pic of the board for this and the leg. The rest of the supports are built in the van. I will show anyone who buys it how to set it up. Then you will also need to order a custom foam mattress for this section again I can share where I bought the main one so you get the same height and quality as they are cut to size.

The van comes with loads of spare wires, paint, flooring wood etc.and all the receipts for all the stuff I bought so you have guarantees and know where to buy parts if needed.

Also comes with a steering lock with 2 keys.

Things to note:

The exterior of the van needs some love and attention. You can see in the pics there are some rust spots but overall it is in pretty good nick nothing major or structural wrong with it.

It could probably do with a new sliding door. I spent £600 on fixing the door mechanism which is brand new but the panel is dented although works.

The front cab is the original seat they are fine but the driver’s back adjuster handle has snapped although still works.

The passenger window does not do up from the driver’s side. It has been like this since I got it and works fine from the passenger side controls probably just a pause or wire but wasn’t on my list of things priorities.

I’ve tried to be as honest as I can like anyone who has owned or converted a van before knows they are a labour of love. I am sad to be selling it but I’ve got a lovely house in Wales to look forward to. It’s done up so ready to go but also someone can do more and put their own personality and ideas into it if they wanted.

Please feel free to call to ask questions.