From panel van to camper van – a van tour of Europe

So where do you start converting a LWB Ford Transit into something you can sleep comfortably in?

Well you need insulation everywhere, there is plenty of room to fit an inch of Kingspan insulation between the ribs of the van in the roof and ceiling. I put hardboard panels covered in cheap cord carpet on the walls and ceiling.

I built 2 chests on each side of the van to store camping stuff and made some pieces of plywood to bridge the gap between them to support a double foam mattress. The problem with this is that it is hard to access the storage space under the bed when the bed is 'up', you can get round this by fitting small locking doors in the side of the van.

Initially I made a kitchen unit for a cooker and sink in the front of the van, but I pulled this out because it was a waste of space. If you're going to be staying on camp sites you will never be far away from a sink. If you need to cook you can always find a surface to set up a stove on and I was able to fit a pair of rear facing seats from a mini bus in the space that I saved.

At over £200 this Seitz S4 Double Glazed window is not cheap, but considerably more warm and secure than a standard van window.