My 'new' caravan arrives tomorrow! Does anyone want to help plan it?

[KatyMac]

Straight to the workshop 😔

But that gives me time to plan it's inside

It is dual purpose, shop and living for marketa and festivals

So I need to keep the weight down to allow for stock but I'm a bit disabled so I need to think about ease of use as well as storage - so it'll be no problem sorting it all out 🙄

I'm prioritising these jobs first:

1. Check everything
2. Seal or replace the roof vent
3. Fix puncture/check ages of tyres (3)
4. Fix lighting
5. Fix battery/inverters/sockets/Hook up
6. Lock on the door

And I need to start thinking about my bed - maybe a murphy bed or something that folds up? Any ideas

My brother suggested a bench to sleep on with a section that lifts up for a small toilet.....hopefully at the foot end of my bed and only for emergencies!

So excited!

Ooh! How exciting. How big is it? What sort of layout does it have at the moment? Where are windows/door? What will you be selling? How will they be stored?

Questions, questions, questions sorry 😊

I like questions

It's about 4m in all plus the tow

It has nothing inside (which reduces the cost of conversion) all covered in those fuzzy carpet tiles

It has a door on the passenger side and a window at the front

I'm an Eco-Designer (I have myself a promotion from dressmaker) and I use vintage and preloved household fabrics to create costumes cosplay and wedding gowns so i'll need rails for storage and something different

The front window has a big flower picture on it (which I don't like and am considering removing if it's easy - to replace with my logo) and if I have enough money I'd like to put a window on the door side

I'm planning (if I can afford it) to cut a hole inbthe side opposite the door and making big doors to use with a shade to turn it into a 'stall'

I'm a bit excited

George Clarke's amazing spaces had someone who used a horse box as a vintage dress shop. Other projects as well , worth a look for ideas.

Main thing I found from my (slightly obsessive) internet trawls is that if you are living in it for a significant length of time s fixed bed is much more preferable.

There is some very clever design out there, the lagun table for instance.

I'd love to be designing a van !!!!

I'd look at secure storage features. If you're opening up the side of your van as a stall, where are you going to hide your bedding, breakfast dishes, TV or other devices so they're safe and secure? If you're going to be taking cash, do you need a strong box of some sort to store your float and takings? I'd maybe look at a curtain rail or similar so you can hide the living part of your van out of sight behind a curtain or screen when the side is open as a stall. Also think if you want ceiling hooks so you can hang items you've made to display them to best advantage e.g. wedding dress and train.

Oh you found one!! Brilliant!!

SO exciting!!

Definitely look at George Clark & there's been another program Unique B&B's that mostly been very small things converted. Like campers etc.

Personally I'd go for a bench seat that easily pulls down into a bed. On a solid base. These 'hanging' things are fine when you're young, slim & agile

Personally I would sacrifice the space for a shower over toilet combo if I intended to use it over night. It doesn't need to be huge.

Are you going to be seeing in there too or just selling?

Have you considered putting a 'drop front' along one side?

Are you painting the outside?

This is all reminiscent of double height cots 🤣

Oh wow so much to think about

I wondered about having a "wall" sort of level with the door so that the back of the caravan is private - probably a curtain

Then a bench with storage underneath - pull out rather than lifting up the bench

It should only be for the odd night but it must be a suitable mattress- I could sleep in the back of the car it's plenty big enough

& I think the glove compartment for any cash - I hardly ever took cash though before covid

@AmelieTaylor do you mean have a shower or have a loo? I'm thinking a loo bucket as I don't intend to use it unless caught short

I'd love a generator but not sure I can afford either the money or the weight I have 990kgs to play with

God those bloody cots!! I do like a project don't I?

I love the idea of ceiling hooks!

What is a drop front?

This is one I saw before and a sort of plan for mine

I originally hadn't planned on putting any permanent bed/loo etc but my brother thinks it will really help physically

I've no idea about rules and regs of where you would be selling but can you fit an awning? Then have that as your 'shop' and the caravan as your home from home?

Re the bed, I'd put it high up with storage underneath if you are up to getting on a high bed (you can fit drawers that are also stairs).

Alternatively if this is more a business than a tourer you could have a bed at the back, blocked off with MDF or curtains, with the emergency loo and not bother with things like a sink / cooker/fridge.

Definitely no sink cooker etc and not a very high bed - at least I don't think so

Look its leaving and heading towards me

The delivery guy can't get it on the lorry- I could cry!

If the side lifts (like an estate boot) then I'd need to add sides to my shop

If the side opens like doors I can use a shade/awning

I dont want anything too enclosed - but can you get a heated blanket that runs on leisure batteries?

Oh no!! Fingers crossed he comes up with a solution.

As for a generator I'm sure there are small ones suitable for camper vans or maybe you could have solar panels? (No experience just an avid viewer of van life vlogs!!)

I am hoping to have solar panels if I can afford them

I have a list of essential/important/nice jobs

Caravan jobs

Immediate:

1. Check everything
2. Seal or replace the roof vent
3. Fix puncture/check ages of tyres (3)
4. Fix lighting
5. Fix battery/inverters/sockets/Hook up
6. Lock on the door

Important

1. Big doors in the side
2. Awning/sunscreen
3. Solar panels & extra batteries
4. Rail for transporting clothes

Would be nice

1. Window in door wall
2. Remove flower on the front window
3. Bed/portapotty
4. Microwave

I cant believe it! The guy selling it is going to tow it to the workshop for me - it's an hours journey!

@KatyMac

I cant believe it! The guy selling it is going to tow it to the workshop for me - it's an hours journey!

That's nice of him! Thank goodness it's relatively close to home & not several hours away!

Yes, you do like a project, it's always fun to come along for the ride!!

One thing is for sure, the soft furnishings will be lovely.

I meant a combo space. You can have a shower over a toilet. But I suppose if you're not intending to overnight in it very often, if at all, you might not be bothered. I'm always one to want to multi purpose & do things to the Max. I'd want it to be multi functional so a loo/shower would be essential

Are you paying a workshop to do all of this or is it your workshop & you're doing it/getting nuts done?

The one you listed a picture of looks good.

Good for him. Could you look at opening the front rather than the side, so you get to close off a living area in the back, and still have a deep expanse for your shop? It could hinge up like a hatchback boot. That would get rid of the flower on the window and mean you can put your design on the larger canvas of the van side.

If you can sleep in your car, focus the van on living essentials, cooking area, clothes storage, stock, rather than including a bed. If you can manage with sleeping in the car, it would shrink the footprint you need for your area of the van.

I'm not sure about a shower - I'm not likely to be off grid for long I'll have a think

I hadn't thought about opening the end (the back end?) The front with the window is where the tow is so that wouldn't work

I am paying a workshop and I have a budget so I may have to do it on stages

Weight is vital so I need to think - I must get it weighed on a weighbridge ASAP I am working to 750 I think

I have a hook up cable already and one of those gas rings in a case with aerosols/cans of gas

I wondered about a tiny microwave, I can heat water for a cuppa easily or soup - probably eat out a lot of the time

Looking at the shape I might put a bed at the front by the window as its lower there and less use to me for hanging things

Aw, really pleased for you.
I think we are selling ours and staying in bricks n mortar, not worth the hassle for us after the law changes.
Do check them out, there's been a huge change in caravans, travelling, and sites

Really, I no nothing about any changes will they be written in the caravanning clubs websites or somewhere else?

Weight wise think about what you could have in your towing vehicle on route

E.g microwave, heavy stock, water etc in your car, transfer over on site

Opening up a side/ back would have considerable structural considerations as it has to still be ridgid enough to towed.

The structural reasons is why a coach building workshop is doing it (they are a bit expensive) as it needs to be safe

My whole stock, equipment and gazebo are 180kgs so ideally I need the caravan to weight 500kgs or there abouts leaving 70kgs for extra stock etc (ignoring the fact that I cam carry stuff in the car too
And it all fits in the car too so I am feeling pretty good about the weight

If you're only going to sleep in it occasionally, would an inflatable bed be a better option? It will be more comfortable than a thin mattress on a bench and will pack away into a trunk. Then you have more weight/space for everything else.

Possibly I'd need to have a self inflating one but it bears discussion

That's why fitting the bed etc is lower down on the list as it's less important