It is one year ago today (at day of post) that I purchased a 2017 Kombi to convert. I still have to finish the door to the rear cupboard and a other few bits and bobs but thought that it is near enough finished to post a few pictures. When I was planning my conversion I was desperate for ideas so thought that I would create a thread where hopefully a few others might show pictures of theirs which I am sure will be helpful to other masochists like myself.
For the furniture I used 2 sheets of 15 mm Garnica lightweight ply and 1 sheet of 9 mm. To this I applied fiddleback sycamore wood veneer with solid sycamore edging. This was extremely labour intensive and not to be recommended for anyone without time on their hands. It is finished with Fiddes wax oil which is a fantastic product (similar to Osmo). The darker wood is all recycled and is a mixture of various types of mahogany. (Utile, Sapele, Afzelia) The worktop was a single 450 mm wide plank 20 mm thick which was once a counter top in a sub branch of a bank. The floor is Mamoleum (lino)
My original design was hampered by wanting a cooker with a grill. The only available one that I could find was by Thetford. The original intention was to install it where the sink is now fitted but when it was delivered the sizes on the fact sheets did not correspond with the amount of space actually needed and there was no way that it would fit so a redesign was necessary. This meant a sink needed to be sourced. I could only find one with a lid that would fit. Again, the fact sheet dimensions didn't include the connection. It is this sort of issue that provides such headaches for self builders. Water storage was another problem as a diesel heater and underslung gas tank filled the available space. I eventually opted for a wheelarch tank which was not the good idea that it originally seemed. Considering the number of Volkswagen's that are converted I find it frustrating that there is such a limited choice of hardware like individual sinks and cookers that would fit a 400 mm wide space and also why is there no water tank that is moulded to fit that difficult to access area in front of the wheelarch?
To carry out the conversion there were two items of equipment that I found invaluable. The first was a plunge track saw and the other was a vacuum bag and pump to press the veneer. This cost me about £900 so coupled with the cost of materials meant that my furniture cost was probably approaching the cost of using an Evo kit. I did the insulation and lining but employed Camperworx of Newton Abbot to install the roof, the Vanshades, replace a leaky window and supply and fit the bed. I intended to install the electrics but had one of those bugger it moments and let them do it. I can't praise them highly enough. It is only a small company of 3 or 4 employees but their patience and willingness to help me went far above and beyond anything that I could ever have expected. Others that I found helpful were Adam at Oakdale Crafts who supplied my veneer and gave me hints on how to apply it and Propex and Evo Motion Design who supplied various bits and pieces.
For the furniture I used 2 sheets of 15 mm Garnica lightweight ply and 1 sheet of 9 mm. To this I applied fiddleback sycamore wood veneer with solid sycamore edging. This was extremely labour intensive and not to be recommended for anyone without time on their hands. It is finished with Fiddes wax oil which is a fantastic product (similar to Osmo). The darker wood is all recycled and is a mixture of various types of mahogany. (Utile, Sapele, Afzelia) The worktop was a single 450 mm wide plank 20 mm thick which was once a counter top in a sub branch of a bank. The floor is Mamoleum (lino)
My original design was hampered by wanting a cooker with a grill. The only available one that I could find was by Thetford. The original intention was to install it where the sink is now fitted but when it was delivered the sizes on the fact sheets did not correspond with the amount of space actually needed and there was no way that it would fit so a redesign was necessary. This meant a sink needed to be sourced. I could only find one with a lid that would fit. Again, the fact sheet dimensions didn't include the connection. It is this sort of issue that provides such headaches for self builders. Water storage was another problem as a diesel heater and underslung gas tank filled the available space. I eventually opted for a wheelarch tank which was not the good idea that it originally seemed. Considering the number of Volkswagen's that are converted I find it frustrating that there is such a limited choice of hardware like individual sinks and cookers that would fit a 400 mm wide space and also why is there no water tank that is moulded to fit that difficult to access area in front of the wheelarch?
To carry out the conversion there were two items of equipment that I found invaluable. The first was a plunge track saw and the other was a vacuum bag and pump to press the veneer. This cost me about £900 so coupled with the cost of materials meant that my furniture cost was probably approaching the cost of using an Evo kit. I did the insulation and lining but employed Camperworx of Newton Abbot to install the roof, the Vanshades, replace a leaky window and supply and fit the bed. I intended to install the electrics but had one of those bugger it moments and let them do it. I can't praise them highly enough. It is only a small company of 3 or 4 employees but their patience and willingness to help me went far above and beyond anything that I could ever have expected. Others that I found helpful were Adam at Oakdale Crafts who supplied my veneer and gave me hints on how to apply it and Propex and Evo Motion Design who supplied various bits and pieces.
