Converting a VW T4 down under.
Discussion
Not a car as such, but thought this might interest some. I'm in Australia (Sydney) for the year - my other half came here to study and I decided that it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. I'm working out here - pay is good and we found some very cheap accommodation, and as I managed to sell a lot of my stuff in the UK, I've found myself with enough money to buy a van and convert it to a camper - something I've wanted to do for a while! We plan on taking it for weekend trips, mountain biking trips and hope to go away for a few weeks in the summer.
So the van - we found a 1997 hi top T4 with a 2.5 petrol engine and slushbox with 277,000km on the clock for $3300 AUD - it's a little rough around the edges, as is to be expected, but the engine seems good and it's fairly rust-free, which are the main things.
The idea with this one is to do it quickly and on the cheap, as we're only here for a year (probably) and so we just want to get it done so we can get out and use it. We're also hoping to make some money on it when we sell it, as we're doing everything ourselves. There are so many poorly converted s
tty campers out here that sell for stupid money that we can't really go wrong if we do it properly.
First things first, oil and filter change. We ripped out the nasty bulkhead, carpet and rubber mat and cut some 12mm ply for the floor, and laid some insulation underneath. We managed to get some wood-effect lino for free so that'll be going down very soon.
Next we pulled out all the nasty interior panels (they were black, mostly knackered and covered in stains), used them as templates to cut new panels using 3mm ply, which we then glued 3mm foam/foil insulation to, and then covered with some red fabric that we also got for free and mounted them (today's job). One of the panels needs re-covering, and then the floor will go down, hopefully in the next couple of days. The colour scheme will be red and grey (grey curtains, bed etc.) - we're aware that it looks a bit like a brothel made up completely in red!
The plan after that is to fit a pull-out bed with a folding futon mattress (we got a used futon for $20) that doubles as a sofa, and have a kitchen unit with sink, cooler etc. and a small table with stoves to use out the back under a covered area, a load of storage in the high top and under the bed, some curtains, 12v electrics (for lights, phone chargers etc.) with inverter and possibly change the front seats for something a bit more comfy, but we'll see how we go.
I can add costs if anyone is interested, we're up to $4419 at the moment, having had it in the garage to have some electrics repaired, bought about $500 worth of tools and the rest on materials and fixings (fixings cost a fortune!!)
I should add - I'm reasonably handy with the tools, however this is my first time undertaking a project like this, so it's by no means going to be super tidy - but we're learning pretty quickly as we go along!
I'll take some better photos soon. Comments/tips gratefully received!
So the van - we found a 1997 hi top T4 with a 2.5 petrol engine and slushbox with 277,000km on the clock for $3300 AUD - it's a little rough around the edges, as is to be expected, but the engine seems good and it's fairly rust-free, which are the main things.
The idea with this one is to do it quickly and on the cheap, as we're only here for a year (probably) and so we just want to get it done so we can get out and use it. We're also hoping to make some money on it when we sell it, as we're doing everything ourselves. There are so many poorly converted s
tty campers out here that sell for stupid money that we can't really go wrong if we do it properly. First things first, oil and filter change. We ripped out the nasty bulkhead, carpet and rubber mat and cut some 12mm ply for the floor, and laid some insulation underneath. We managed to get some wood-effect lino for free so that'll be going down very soon.
Next we pulled out all the nasty interior panels (they were black, mostly knackered and covered in stains), used them as templates to cut new panels using 3mm ply, which we then glued 3mm foam/foil insulation to, and then covered with some red fabric that we also got for free and mounted them (today's job). One of the panels needs re-covering, and then the floor will go down, hopefully in the next couple of days. The colour scheme will be red and grey (grey curtains, bed etc.) - we're aware that it looks a bit like a brothel made up completely in red!
The plan after that is to fit a pull-out bed with a folding futon mattress (we got a used futon for $20) that doubles as a sofa, and have a kitchen unit with sink, cooler etc. and a small table with stoves to use out the back under a covered area, a load of storage in the high top and under the bed, some curtains, 12v electrics (for lights, phone chargers etc.) with inverter and possibly change the front seats for something a bit more comfy, but we'll see how we go.
I can add costs if anyone is interested, we're up to $4419 at the moment, having had it in the garage to have some electrics repaired, bought about $500 worth of tools and the rest on materials and fixings (fixings cost a fortune!!)
I should add - I'm reasonably handy with the tools, however this is my first time undertaking a project like this, so it's by no means going to be super tidy - but we're learning pretty quickly as we go along!
I'll take some better photos soon. Comments/tips gratefully received!
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