Lune: A Self Conversion Adventure

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Hey all! Thought I’d start a thread to share my self-build journey and hopefully pick up (and share) a few tips along the way.

About Me​

I’m Peter, 34, from Hayling Island on the south coast of the UK. I’m half French, my wife is fully French, and we actually spent most of the last 20 years living in France before moving back to the UK just before Covid hit.

We’ve got two young daughters and I split my time between Property Development and IT work (don’t ask). My wife used to teach MFL but is now a Head of Year in a local school. We’re building this van not just for UK weekends away, but also to visit family in France and travel around Europe—because flying anywhere during school holidays is borderline robbery.

Why a T6.1?​

I went for a T6.1 because, as far as I know, they stopped making them last year—and I’m not keen on the styling of the T7. I figured I’d grab one while I still could, and I’m hoping they’ll hold their value well over time.

The Van​

• Model: VW T6.1 Transporter T30 Highline 150ps
• Reg: 73 plate
• Age: About 18 months old when I bought it
• Mileage: 22,000 miles
• Spec: Silver, Tailgate, factory ply-lined
• Price: £33k from Breeze VW
• Condition: Good, clean slate—nothing modified before I got it

The Plan​

This will be a daily driver during the week and a family camper for weekends, holidays, and cross-Channel escapes. I really like the layout of the CamperKing Le Mans, so I’ll be building something similar. It’s my first camper conversion, but I’ve got a sailing boat so I’m hoping some of the space-saving and electrical knowledge will transfer nicely.

Build Steps (so far and to come)​

1. Buy the van
2. Remove the bulkhead and strip down
3. Install side and rear windows
4. Install new head unit, speakers, reverse & dash cam
5. Pop top fitted (just done!)
6. Insulation & carpeting
7. Flooring
8. RIB bed installation
9. Electrics – leisure battery, lighting, USB, etc.
10. Kitchen pod install
11. Final touches and first trip!

I’ve always loved trawling through other people’s build logs for ideas and inspiration, so I thought it was time I contributed one of my own. Let me know if there’s anything I’ve missed—I’m always open to advice or suggestions!

 

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Bulkhead Removal, Strip-Down & Window Install

After picking up the van, I got stuck into stripping it out and fitting the windows—both really satisfying jobs that made the van start to feel like a blank canvas.

Removing the Ply Lining & Bulkhead​

Part 1 – Bulkhead Out​

Removing the bulkhead itself was fairly straightforward. Just a handful of bolts hold it in—don’t miss the sneaky ones tucked up behind the roof trim in the cab. Once they were out, it came away cleanly.

Before that, I had removed the factory ply lining, which was easy—just a few self-tappers holding it in. However, I was not impressed to find the screws had gone straight through the wheel arches without any sealant, risking water ingress and rust. I treated every hole with windscreen primer to seal them properly.

Part 2 – Stripping the Bulkhead Mounts​

This part took a bit more effort and required removing the front seats to access the welded mounting strips properly.

Here’s what I had to do:

• Remove the captain’s seat (4 bolts)
• Remove the double passenger seat (6 bolts)
• Unclip the wiring under the captain’s seat
• Unbolt and unclip the fuse holder under the passenger seat
• Unbolt the seatbelts with an M10 spline tool
• Remove the B-pillar trims
• Fold the cab mat forward and prop it up with some CLS timber to keep it clear of the grinder

Once everything was out of the way, I could get to the welded bulkhead strips. I used a grinder to eat through the welds and followed up with a mini belt sander to tidy things up. I'd strongly advise not using a chisel or air chisel here—the van’s sheet metal is thin and can tear easily.

After the welds were gone, the strips were still bonded on with mastic. I just used a bit of leverage to peel them away. Again, I finished the job by sealing the bare steel with windscreen primer.



Highly recommend watching this video from Coombe Valley Campers if you're attempting this step:
Bulkhead Strip Removal Guide – Coombe Valley Campers

Window Installation​

Next job was cutting holes in my shiny new (to me) van... no pressure

I ordered flush-fit privacy glass sliding windows (both sides) from Van Window Specialists:
The Van Window Specialist based in West Yorkshire Delivery was excellent—super well packaged, honestly felt like £100 worth of bubble wrap!

Fitting Process​

Cutting the Aperture - No need to measure or mark anything—the T6.1 has an inner skin that naturally outlines the window cutouts, which made life a lot easier. I used a grinder to make the cuts as it keeps the panel flat and avoids distortion. After cutting, I cleaned up the edges and used a scissor blade to remove any remaining swarf.




Edge Prep - I sealed all the bare edges with windscreen primer, applied with a primer bud.

Cleaning the Bonding Surfaces - Gave both the van and the window bonding faces a wipe down with panel wipe (99% IPA), then followed up with more windscreen primer.



Bonding the Glass - Ran a nice tall bead of windscreen adhesive around the cutout and pressed the glass straight into place. Everything aligned beautifully.





Note: You might spot a few inconsistencies in the order things were done—as with most self-builds, I’m doing bits as time allows. All the small misc mods (like USB sockets, cab tweaks, etc.) will be grouped together in my head unit and electronics write-up, coming soon.

Happy to answer any questions—and always open to tips from anyone who’s been through it before!

 

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