Conversion must have's

[RMowbs16]

Hi, new to this forum so apologies if this has already been asked

We have just ordered a SWB t6.1 through revolution Campervans, we have had a T2 for a few years so will be a big change!

Over the next few weeks we need to decide the exact details of the conversion, what are your conversion "must have's" and "waste of money's"

E.g. the standard conversion has a shelf above the sink and its extra for cupboards, Tamber or Standard doors, out side bbq point? solar panels, awning rail, led headlights, lowering?

Id appreciate your thoughts

 

[James1000]

1st on the must have list is a huge bank balance and access to more

 

[DXX]

How are you planning on using the van, it makes a big difference?
Long (weeks( or short trips (days).
Off site or on site?
Family, how many people?
Do you want to cook inside or outside or not cook at all?
All year around or just summer?
Keeper or selling in a few years, need to think about how much money you plough in and how much return?
Budget????????

 

[RMowbs16]

How are you planning on using the van, it makes a big difference?
Long (weeks( or short trips (days).
Off site or on site?
Family, how many people?
Do you want to cook inside or outside or not cook at all?
All year around or just summer?
Keeper or selling in a few years, need to think about how much money you plough in and how much return?
Budget????????

We are planning on using it as a daily van for my wife instead of a car,
there's 4 of us 2 adults and 2 teenagers and 2 small dogs

Planning on mostly weekends with at least 1 two week holiday and a couple 1 week trips, we are opening a "pop up" site this summer so will be spending most weekends there and if travel allows 2 weeks touring france and we had planned on taking the T2 but fancy a bit more comfort etc.

Mostly on site but we would like to do some free stuff too (pub car parks stop overs travelling through france etc)

Probably cook inside on occasion if the weather isnt good enough but mainly cook outside

Ideally keeping for 10 years

Budget!!!!???? more than we'd like to spend probably!

 

[Alan Ginger]

We are planning on using it as a daily van for my wife instead of a car,
there's 4 of us 2 adults and 2 teenagers and 2 small dogs

Planning on mostly weekends with at least 1 two week holiday and a couple 1 week trips, we are opening a "pop up" site this summer so will be spending most weekends there and if travel allows 2 weeks touring france and we had planned on taking the T2 but fancy a bit more comfort etc.

Mostly on site but we would like to do some free stuff too (pub car parks stop overs travelling through france etc)

Probably cook inside on occasion if the weather isnt good enough but mainly cook outside

Ideally keeping for 10 years

Budget!!!!???? more than we'd like to spend probably!

That is pretty much what we have done: bought a T6 in January my wife uses it as a daily car ( commutes to work and back ) and we plan to go away long weekends at least once a month throughout the year:

£6k so far
external paint work done
new head unit with reversing camera
brake callipers painted
Lowered the van springs and shocks
Comfort dashboard fitted
Cab carpets, rugs, interior footwell lighting
just purchased an easy to turn double front seat base MS Craft
Toilet tent
got it ceramic polished
Rainbow screens front, rear and round the pop top
lots of cushions?!,

All good- we intend to keep it for a good 10 years then I will be in some nursi home getting fed 3 meals of stuff a day.

 

[DXX]

We are planning on using it as a daily van for my wife instead of a car,
there's 4 of us 2 adults and 2 teenagers and 2 small dogs

Definitely LWB I’d say.

 

[MikeB]

LWB - and a reversing camera. If you haven't ordered the OE VW LED headlights, then you need to amend your order to include them!! As to other things, we have a grill / oven which I believe we've used twice in the 4 years we've had the van. Make sure you're getting a quality pop-top.

 

[Alan Ginger]

And given my experience of the last few days a heating system that isn’t poo. i will return to this very subject at a later date.

 

[Scruffy]

LWB - and a reversing camera. If you haven't ordered the OE VW LED headlights, then you need to amend your order to include them!! As to other things, we have a grill / oven which I believe we've used twice in the 4 years we've had the van. Make sure you're getting a quality pop-top.

Full disclosure, I've ordered LEDs with my new T6.1, but in the 5 years driving 50% at night, the standard headlights with Osram Nightbreakers installed, are perfectly fine. £1200 or £20 you decide.

 

[MikeB]

Full disclosure, I've ordered LEDs with my new T6.1, but in the 5 years driving 50% at night, the standard headlights with Osram Nightbreakers installed, are perfectly fine. £1200 or £20 you decide.

Perhaps. But as the forums and f/berk threads are full of people whinging about the standard lights, even with uprated bulbs, highlighting this massive shortcoming in the standard h/lights is a Good Idea me thinks. The majority of our night driving is long, fast, dark roads where we're usually "on a mission". We followed a T6 on standard h/lights across Rannoch Moor and down into Glencoe a few years ago on a moonless night. Once we were finally able to pass, the difference in light output between what he was trying to drive with and what we had available was very noticeable. That was a standard panel van on H4's. I understand Caravelles and Californias are fitted with marginally better H7 lights. I've put uprated bulbs into my various cars as a matter of course, but they still don't match anything I've driven with OE LED h/lights.

We're a Kombi conversion and all my research at the time pointed to the standard lights being woeful. My wife's aunt has a similar Kombi to ours and is very sorry they didn't spec the LED lights. And yes, they've tried all sorts of upgraded bulbs. They did ask about some of the after-market headlights but as none of them are actually LED and there are lots of tales of failure etc, perhaps that's not a route to go. I suggested they look at getting H7 units but even then there's faff-ery involved and it's not quite "plug-n-play" which might be hassle for people who don't want to play mechanics.