VW Crafter LWB Family Campervan, 4 belts, 4 berth (incl. full sized bunks)

We had so much fun building and exploring in our first van we decided to build another, having a second child also has something to do with it. We began converting the Crafter in April 2021, the idea was to keep all the things we liked about the first van while providing additional space for two children that would provide a permanent area to play and sleep in- the bunks offered this perfectly.

The full build and adventures are documented on our Instagram @beyondthehighway – every stage of the build, the process of fabricating, crafting and designing all shown through hundreds of photos and followed by 6,000+ other enthusiasts – this makes us very proud.

As shown within the build photos on Instagram, the van is fully insulated including the floor using a combination of vapour barrier, Celotex and Earth Wool.

—Electrical —

Photonic Universe 2x 100W solar panels with High efficiency 20A MPPT solar charge controller with LCD display
Photonic Universe MT50 Remote control and display unit
2× 115 AH AGM deep dis-charge leisure batteries
Projecta I5000 50 amp intelli battery charger
Victron energy – Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-18 DC-DC isolated charger for on the move split charge – with Bluetooth capability
240V External Hook up
Single gang 240V 3 pin socket fitted in the centre of the van for appliances.
Digital level gauges for both fresh and grey water tanks
Multiple USB sockets (second row seating, overhead locker, bunks and rear bed area.
LED lighting throughout
Control panel for lighting and accessories located above the 2nd row seating.
Multiple 12V accessory sockets (bed and overhead locker area)
16” full HD 12v TV with built in DVD player and associated brackets

—On-board Water facilities—

CAK Tanks 70L fresh water tank mounted under vehicle behind rear axle– external filler cap in rear RH quarter panel. Drain tap behind rear RHS wheel.
CAK Tanks 50L grey water tank mounted under vehicle floor on RHS. Drain tap behind driver’s door for easy alignment at drain points
Shurflo pressurized pump and filter
Fiamma A20 accumulator for steady water pressure
Truma Ultrastore Rapid SE 10L water heater- operating on either Gas or 240V
2 sinks with hot and cold mixer taps (bathroom and kitchen)

—Gas Supply—

6Kg (12.5L) ‘Gas-it’ LPG tank. Fitted inside a sealed enclosure in the rear loadspace area with an external filler under the rear quarter. This is a very simple and effective setup, very cheap to fill (approx £7) with zero maintenance. The bottle provides gas via correctly fitted and tested copper lines to a valved manifold distributing gas to the oven, hob and Malaga hot water heater – all circuits can be isolated separately.
Note: this system has been correctly tested using pressure testing equipment available and used by me at my place of work – however there isn’t a certificate provided.

—Heating—

Autoterm Diesel 4KW air heater, fitted under the lower bunk, ventilation pipes have with direction valves to distribute hot air to either the main living space or the bathroom (very useful for drying wet clothing).

The diesel heater is standalone it has its own bespoke 1 gallon aluminium tank under the kitchen area with easy access filler. Unlike other setups this does not use the gas required for cooking and hot water, nor does it take from the vehicle main fuel tank. Keeping it as a separate system made sense to us and works very well. A digital controller can be found in the centre of the van.

—Kitchen—

Functional and attractive kitchen area that extends past the sliding door opening. The wooden worktop has a large stainless sink with rotating feature hot/cold mixer tap, all fitted with waste pipes and traps. Multiple cupboards and slide out end boxes provide plenty of storage options.

Twin gas hob fitted at one end, near the door and sliding window opening to allow ventilation – easy to keep clean
Thetford Duplex 700 Oven/Grill with 12v igniter correctly mounted and vented.

Totalcool 35L compressor cooler fridge – Probably the purchase we are most impressed with. It takes no time to get to temperature, it’s almost silent and uses less than 7amps. We fitted this on a sliding platform in the walkway. It can also be disconnected and taken outside for a picnic if required – it’s brilliant.

—Bathroom—

In our opinion a bathroom is essential and we would never be without this in a van. The flexibility it provides and freedom to get on with your adventures and route is unquestionable.

This van is fitted with a small, but perfectly manageable bathroom with Aqua Board walls, a bespoke aluminium shower tray and a sliding tambour door.

Inside is a Thetford 365 Porta Potti with a capacity of 15L, a small corner sink with a hot & cold mixer tap. On the back wall is a shower mixer unit and detachable shower head unit.

Additionally the bathroom has its own blown air inlet from the diesel heater, this means you can heat the bathroom before use or use this room as a drying room for wet clothes or gear.

—Dining area and seating—

The driver and passenger seats are mounted to modified lowered seat boxes to give a better driving position when fitted with swivel bases.

When rotated to face rearwards the front seats become part of a dining area with the twin second row seats. A table stored behind the second row seats locates into a sliding rail below the window and has a fold down leg.

—Rear Loadspace—

The rear of the van has a huge loading area, the RHS corner has the gas bottle enclosure box that can also be used to store spares or other items.

The remainder of the L-shaped load area is vinyl lined and 4ft deep , there’s plenty of room for water containers, outside seating, tables, pushchairs and windbreaks.

—Exterior and Roof—

The vehicle roof has two opening vents including a ‘Maxx Air fan’ above the centre of the van , this is an excellent fan and something we are very glad we fitted. It has various speeds and can be controlled remotely and set to push or pull. The fan operates quietly and can be used through the night to offer fresh airflow through the van, additionally it draws very little power from the batteries. .
The bathroom also has a opening roof vent.

The roof is also fitted with 3 aluminium brackets to locate a Dometic 4m awning ( not included in sale).
The solar panel aluminium frame also has a custom fabricated wind deflector to reduce drag and noise.

There is also a custom built aluminium ladder to access the roof for cleaning or general view admiring.
Above the rear door there’s a rear view camera linked to a screen at the front, this helps greatly when manoeuvring and towing.

Additional items provided with sale: Crafter external windscreen cover (black) and internal night time window covers. Sliding door mosquito net with attachments.