Building Our Dream Campervan in Under 2 Months

Campervan build overview

• Converted a Ford Transit (medium wheelbase) into a camper called “Daphne”.
• Build time: a little less than 2 months (start in March).
• Purchased the van from Saints car dealership; it then sat briefly while waiting for:
  • Power windows installation
  • Van wrapped with film
  • Scheduling so wallpapering, windows, and electrical work could be done close together.

Electrical & power setup (aux battery + inverter + charging)

Installed:

• Auxiliary battery: 280Ah, 12V (listed as ~3.2 kWh reserve)
• Inverter: pure sine wave, usable on 240V (same as home)

Battery charging logic:

• After starting the van: ~1 minute delay, then the charger charges the aux battery
• On sunny days: solar panels can also charge the battery

Planning note:

• Routed wiring in advance to be ready for later connections (e.g., ceiling lights, USB outlet, water pump, diesel heater, etc.).

Floor build

• Removed the original floor first (helped by dad with tools).
• Because the van had concrete under the plastic floor covering, they cut and adjusted so they could continue the floor build.
• Made a “puzzle” grid for cutting foam sections:
  • Measured each square
  • Cut foam to fit each opening
  • Marked for correct placement
• Attempted to trace and cut the old floor in one piece, but edges were curved, so they switched to:
  • Cutting plywood in sections
  • Screwing plywood to pre-laid wooden floor joists
• Vinyl flooring:
  • Ordered vinyl online
  • Used a local vinyl/carpet specialist who installed it in ~15 minutes
• Finishing:
  • Used door sill pieces and scraps to create edging on the step.

Insulation approach

Used three-layer insulation:

• Vibration isolation plates
• Filled all gaps (including edge holes) with synthetic wool (ready-made sets specified by van model)
• Thermal insulation layer

Tip:

• The thermal layer was described as the “easiest” stage—mainly cover as much of the van as possible.

Planning & securing interior

Layout concept (initially rough/haphazard):

• Raised bed with garage space underneath
• Storage area/bench doubling as seating
• Kitchen area

Securing wood:

• Used van wall anchor holes plus hardware/fixtures to secure wood:
  • Riveted available holes so they could screw into the structure reliably
• If no rivet holes existed, they suggested using very strong glue to attach frame parts.

Walls, sheathing, and window covering

• Covered the interior with plywood sheathing.
• Windows required extra care:
  • Plywood installed on top, sides, and bottom to match recessed niches
  • Long plywood strips formed a box-like surround
• Partition build:
  • Targeted a wooden, sturdy, furniture-friendly partition
  • Encountered an issue where a part made the door not close, requiring sanding and re-fitting.

Bed system

• Built a timber bed frame and secured it well.
• Used IKEA bed elements (telescoping beams/brackets to adapt to van width).
• Mattress support:
  • Installed an IKEA slatted bed system (~£30)
  • Trimmed edges and attached slats
  • Used Velcro tape to keep bed slats from shifting
• Electrical cover:
  • Made a small insulated frame around electrical components so they stayed neatly hidden.

Ceiling & lighting

• Ceiling wood paneling:
  • Used tongue-and-groove boards
  • Key tip: plan where lights go before installing, because they had to remove sections mid-install to cut holes.
• Lighting wiring:
  • Even though they avoided major wiring “at that stage,” they still ran/positioned cables for ceiling lights while installing the ceiling.
• Decor:
  • Included LED lighting and decorative lighting near the foot of the bed.

Storage “bench/cave” and pet space

• Built a functional bench using a few pieces of MDF + slats.
  • Stored items like underwear, clothes, blankets, fleece, etc.
• Added a hidden dog bed alcove:
  • A small dog bed that pulls out from a cozy space under/near the passenger-seat area.

Cabinets & kitchen furniture

Cabinets:

• Built a side-wall storage run with a T-shaped drawer layout
• Used prefabricated/trimmed drawer elements, then installed doors

Shaker-style cabinet fronts with rattan inserts:

• Cut and painted cabinet fronts (from a lumber dealer)
• Ordered rattan roll from Amazon
• Trimmed/sandwiched rattan between frame parts
• Fixed with staples/nail gun

Magnets/door security:

• Noted that they lacked magnets on an earlier trip, causing chaos
• Added magnets so doors stay closed.

Countertop, sink, stove, fridge

• Countertop:
  • Obtained as scrap from a plastics/kitchen surface company; cut to size
  • Sink opening cut by them
• Sink:
  • Purchased from a camping supply store on eBay
• Tiles:
  • Used Amazon sticker tiles
• Appliances:
  • Two portable gas burners
  • Firmly fixed: sink and refrigerator

Finishing & durability

• Wallpaper:
  • Used Happy Wall wallpaper (mural-like)
  • Finished with varnish to make it stain-resistant and water-resistant for winter survival
• Paint:
  • Used exterior wood paint with multiple coats for durability.
• Final steps:
  • Planned small “tweaks” after living with the space—like adjusting in a house.

Build mindset / advice

Camper conversion is not easy—expect frustration and hard moments.

• If overwhelmed, use help:
  • Plenty of YouTube/tutorial resources
• It’s also okay to do things your own way:
  • They mixed advice + intuition and ended up happiest with their own design choices.

Notable locations / products / people mentioned

Van & conversion

• Ford Transit (medium wheelbase), “Daphne”

Dealership / build context

• Saints car dealership
• Work done near Fakenham

People

• Daphne (named speaker)
• Robert (electrical work)
• Alan (comment during floor/wiring work)
• Finn (often building/designing tasks)
• Mary Poppins (bench comparison)
• Dad (helped with tools)

Products/brands/items

• IKEA (bed elements, slatted bed system)
• Pure sine wave inverter
• 280Ah aux battery
• Solar panels
• Tongue-and-groove boards
• Happy Wall wallpaper
• MacAllister nail gun
• Amazon (rattan roll + sticker tiles)
• eBay (camping-store sink)
• USB outlet, water pump, diesel heater
• Two portable gas burners (for kitchen cooking)