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Boxanne

Raggamuffin

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
Boxanne

Back in August of last year I was looking for a van. I found one that was near Birmingham and went for a test drive. The next day I got a few trains and bought the van for £2900. Since then, the mechanic and an auto-electrician have had the van for around 150 days. In that time, with £3167 spent, she's had the following done:

Service and MOT. Replace battery, earth cable, x2 bushes/links, flex hoses, brake cables, alternator, steering rack, glow plug relay, filter valve. Fix ABS fault, repair 5 roof leaks. Remove both doors, cut out rot, weld in new metal, filling and stone chip coating. Also did some rust repairs on the metal plate above the shutter door. His brother, the carpenter also replaced the floorboards in the back.

She was parked up infront of my house last night, and that evening I realised how much more needs doing, and it had me feeling a little disheartened.

The next day I set off early to visit the local commercial bodyshop. I listened to my gut, and once again I've found a lovely chap who takes real pride in his work. I could sense his good nature, and passion for restoration.

My budget for the rust and rot around the windscreen was realistic (in fact it was £500 less than expected). We talked at length about my project, and I know that this project needs to be done with an "all or nothing" approach.

He budgeted 4-5k (ex VAT) to repair all the rust, remove the rivets in the GRP panels, leave it in a heated room for a few days to full dry out, then fill and waterproof the holes left by the rivets, patch up and repair and issues with the GRP panels, and replace a couple of bent ally frames, along with a full respray of the cab and box in a hard waring paint used on commercial vehicles. He even said he could colour code the black plastic bumper and the bare metal framework of the van, along with removing the tail lift.

Not only will this future proof the van, but it'll ensure I can live in it for many years to come. I looked at various things he was working on, and I could see he was a thorough person. One bit in particular he showed me was a fabrication, and he said it was "probably overkill". There and then I knew my gut was right about him. This is a man who takes his convictions seriously. Get the job done properly, so it doesn't need doing again.

As for the tail lift, as the box is made of GRP panels, it doesn't have as much weight to play with as it's heavier than an aluminium box. Plus the tail lift is another thing to potentially go wrong. I worked at a place that did repairs on tail lifts and I know when they go wrong it's expensive, and another pain. Plus I'd get another 100+ kg to utilise on the inside of the camper van. I want this to be as simplified as possible. Less to go wrong is key here. Once the windows, roof and bodywork are done I'm going to get her down to a public weigh bridge to see how much kg I have for the conversion.

If a jobs worth doing, it's worth doing properly. So I'm going to half my therapy sessions, yoga lessons and Thai massage until the project is done. I'm going to pour every spare penny I have into Boxanne and get the project completed swiftly. Plus, as I've said before - going without spare money will help me to appreciate things in life that are free, and help me truly appreciate the value of money.

He said to get the windows fitted before he takes the van in to do the bodywork. So I called the local engineering company that specialises in horsebox conversions and was initially planning to visit them next week. But when I got home I figured why wait to Monday, and I visited the horsebox place. They're going to quote me to replace the roof with an insulated composite sheet, along with replacing the top ally rails with one's with curved edges and corner caps. Along with fitting 4 windows and a reverse camera kit.
They said the bodyshop needs to repair the front damage to the overhang on the Luton box first. So I'm just waiting on the bodyshop to come back to me. Then I can start getting bookings in for the next steps.

I got used to the van rather quickly. It's easy enough to drive, and on the whole when oncoming traffic sees a big vehicle approaching, a lot of people are nice enough to give you right of way. But, driving something so big - I'm extra cautious about speeds and braking distances, as this is a considerably larger vehicle than my i20.

Upon returning home my dad said what others have: "Why on earth are you spending all this money. You could just have bought another van."

Whilst I understand where people are coming from, I've encountered this spiel on all of my project vehicles. For a lot of people, some old, rusty van isn't going to inspire them to want to spend x4 or x5 what the vehicle is worth to turn it into something else. Why bother? Well, why not? Just because some people think it's pointless doesn't make it so.
Once again, the more that people try to throw doubt into the mix, the more stubborn and tenacious I become to see it through.

To all the naysayers - stop horsing around, and mind your beeswax. I can't wait to see the end result. She will be gleaming, all in white, looking brand new. Not bad for a 17 year old van.

Ed
 
On other forums I see an awful lot of vehicles where the person bought them, messed around then suffered an enthusiasm failure. So many vehicles sit decaying on driveways while the owner maintains the 'I'm going to fix it some day' mentality.

Reality is that this vehicle will decay to the point it is beyond saving. There is always that point of decay when things cease to be viable but there are people out there that will take on these hopeless cases.

In some ways you have saved Boxanne from this fate.

Well done!
 
The guy who owned it before ran it into the ground and then sold it for a pittance. The mechanic has done a lot of work and he said it's a good van, it just never got the love it deserved. The man at the bodyshop today echoed that, and said this era and model of van is very solid. Funnily enough, the prep before the conversion will cost more than the conversion itself.

The good thing is my folks said they'd loan me the money rather than go with a bank. That means I can have the project done within the next 2 or 3 months.

I'm aiming to live without spare money until the van is done. By May, this will pay off around £5000 of the loan. The other £7000 or so I estimate will be left over from the total amount is something that I will pay off a little slower. Probably around £500 a month rather than sending my parents every spare penny I have.

I know they'll not see any need to rush repayments. But I think it's important to go without until the van is done. To ensure I don't spend money on anything frivolous when I have a mounting debt to my parents.

Ed
 
Upon returning home my dad said what others have: "Why on earth are you spending all this money. You could just have bought another van."
So far you've spent just over £6000 and you now have a mechanically sound and trustworthy vehicle. That sounds pretty good to me.

Where it will really shine is when you no longer have to pay rent, then it's going to pay back every penny you spent on it and more.
 
We have a 1999 Toyota Tacoma truck that runs great. We bought it new in 1999, paid cash, and have always maintained it. People have tried to buy it but I love it and wouldn't consider selling it. It's my farm truck.

Does anyone remember the guy who bought an old school bus and moved it elsewhere in order to live in it? I think he may have bought it in Vermont. I've often wondered how it worked out for him.
 
My project car is a 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder. Finished up improving ducting to the front and rear rotors and installed high temperature pads. Next will be proper seats and harnesses which will put the weight below 2,000 lb. Next year I am dropping in a new engine and 6 speed tranny.
 
On other forums I see an awful lot of vehicles where the person bought them, messed around then suffered an enthusiasm failure. So many vehicles sit decaying on driveways while the owner maintains the 'I'm going to fix it some day' mentality.

These days the economy also makes it difficult, finding money for car projects can be difficult. With the monster electricity bills and food prices and rising interest rates and everything else. :fearscream:
 
So far you've spent just over £6000 and you now have a mechanically sound and trustworthy vehicle. That sounds pretty good to me.

Where it will really shine is when you no longer have to pay rent, then it's going to pay back every penny you spent on it and more.
This is a very good way to look at it, thank you. I think it's the debt that worries me most at this point.

I know I could just stick with the original plan of just doing the windscreen rust. But when I looked at the van yesterday up close, I realised I can't just cut corners with the box, as they're the walls and the main structure of what will be my home. I guess I felt disheartened because my gut was telling me there's still a lot to do.

The bodyshop said they're available from 24th Feb. I asked how long they'd need it, so I can tie in the visit to the horsebox place to coincide around a similar time. I'll probably just add 4 working days onto what turnaround time the bodyshop says. The mechanic over the road said I can park the van up in his yard inbetween now and the bodyshop date.

There might be a slightly longer gap between the horsebox place and the second leg of bodyshop, as I need to get the autoelectrician to fit the solar panels to the roof inbetween. I won't go for a huge system, as I know I can always increase the number of panels or capacity of the battery. In reality I'll ensure all electrics in the van draw minimal charge.

I don't use my phone a great deal and can charge it at work on weekdays and off my portable power bank on weekends. I'll buy a spare battery when I get a laptop. But selling my car, gaming PC and Macbook pro will fund the laptop, so I don't have to pay any of my own money towards it.

I'll continue to ask questions on the Luton camper conversion FB group and keep everyone posted on progress.

@Sherlock77 I'll get some more photos and upload them tomorrow. It's a 2004, VW LT35 with a 2.5 TDI engine. The turbo has a lovely whistle when you let off the gas.

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New floors fitted and sealed, and the struts underneath were wire brushed and waxoyled.

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One of the 2 doors the mechanic cut rot out of and welded in new metal. He did every step so it's ready for the bodyshop to paint. Hence why I asked if I could store it in the mechanic's barn until the van goes into the bodyshop. As I know it's not a huge amount of time, but I want her out the elements as much as possible.

324632963_1226612068211708_4306975988224256751_n.jpg


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Ed
 
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My project car is a 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder. Finished up improving ducting to the front and rear rotors and installed high temperature pads. Next will be proper seats and harnesses which will put the weight below 2,000 lb. Next year I am dropping in a new engine and 6 speed tranny.

What engine you going for? I've frequently looked at and pondered getting an MR2.

Ed
 
Boxanne

Back in August of last year I was looking for a van. I found one that was near Birmingham and went for a test drive. The next day I got a few trains and bought the van for £2900. Since then, the mechanic and an auto-electrician have had the van for around 150 days. In that time, with £3167 spent, she's had the following done:

Service and MOT. Replace battery, earth cable, x2 bushes/links, flex hoses, brake cables, alternator, steering rack, glow plug relay, filter valve. Fix ABS fault, repair 5 roof leaks. Remove both doors, cut out rot, weld in new metal, filling and stone chip coating. Also did some rust repairs on the metal plate above the shutter door. His brother, the carpenter also replaced the floorboards in the back.

She was parked up infront of my house last night, and that evening I realised how much more needs doing, and it had me feeling a little disheartened.

The next day I set off early to visit the local commercial bodyshop. I listened to my gut, and once again I've found a lovely chap who takes real pride in his work. I could sense his good nature, and passion for restoration.

My budget for the rust and rot around the windscreen was realistic (in fact it was £500 less than expected). We talked at length about my project, and I know that this project needs to be done with an "all or nothing" approach.

He budgeted 4-5k (ex VAT) to repair all the rust, remove the rivets in the GRP panels, leave it in a heated room for a few days to full dry out, then fill and waterproof the holes left by the rivets, patch up and repair and issues with the GRP panels, and replace a couple of bent ally frames, along with a full respray of the cab and box in a hard waring paint used on commercial vehicles. He even said he could colour code the black plastic bumper and the bare metal framework of the van, along with removing the tail lift.

Not only will this future proof the van, but it'll ensure I can live in it for many years to come. I looked at various things he was working on, and I could see he was a thorough person. One bit in particular he showed me was a fabrication, and he said it was "probably overkill". There and then I knew my gut was right about him. This is a man who takes his convictions seriously. Get the job done properly, so it doesn't need doing again.

As for the tail lift, as the box is made of GRP panels, it doesn't have as much weight to play with as it's heavier than an aluminium box. Plus the tail lift is another thing to potentially go wrong. I worked at a place that did repairs on tail lifts and I know when they go wrong it's expensive, and another pain. Plus I'd get another 100+ kg to utilise on the inside of the camper van. I want this to be as simplified as possible. Less to go wrong is key here. Once the windows, roof and bodywork are done I'm going to get her down to a public weigh bridge to see how much kg I have for the conversion.

If a jobs worth doing, it's worth doing properly. So I'm going to half my therapy sessions, yoga lessons and Thai massage until the project is done. I'm going to pour every spare penny I have into Boxanne and get the project completed swiftly. Plus, as I've said before - going without spare money will help me to appreciate things in life that are free, and help me truly appreciate the value of money.

He said to get the windows fitted before he takes the van in to do the bodywork. So I called the local engineering company that specialises in horsebox conversions and was initially planning to visit them next week. But when I got home I figured why wait to Monday, and I visited the horsebox place. They're going to quote me to replace the roof with an insulated composite sheet, along with replacing the top ally rails with one's with curved edges and corner caps. Along with fitting 4 windows and a reverse camera kit.
They said the bodyshop needs to repair the front damage to the overhang on the Luton box first. So I'm just waiting on the bodyshop to come back to me. Then I can start getting bookings in for the next steps.

I got used to the van rather quickly. It's easy enough to drive, and on the whole when oncoming traffic sees a big vehicle approaching, a lot of people are nice enough to give you right of way. But, driving something so big - I'm extra cautious about speeds and braking distances, as this is a considerably larger vehicle than my i20.

Upon returning home my dad said what others have: "Why on earth are you spending all this money. You could just have bought another van."

Whilst I understand where people are coming from, I've encountered this spiel on all of my project vehicles. For a lot of people, some old, rusty van isn't going to inspire them to want to spend x4 or x5 what the vehicle is worth to turn it into something else. Why bother? Well, why not? Just because some people think it's pointless doesn't make it so.
Once again, the more that people try to throw doubt into the mix, the more stubborn and tenacious I become to see it through.

To all the naysayers - stop horsing around, and mind your beeswax. I can't wait to see the end result. She will be gleaming, all in white, looking brand new. Not bad for a 17 year old van.

Ed
These are the types l look for in getting anything done anymore because they follow thru, they have a sense of professionalism in that they take pride in their work, and they usually are ethical to boot. It sounds like you found the perfect match to complete your van.

I guess it's a major undertaking and maybe that challenge keeps you moving forward and giving you a feeling of accomplishment. People often buy houses that are exactly one termite or one foundation crack away from being completely demolished, yet they buy the house, and put money, and sweat in to create their masterpiece, so this maybe a cheaper accomplishment then a house. Lol. Just explain that to people.

I just found a person recently who definitely has these tendencies and l can't wait to employ them. My car mechanic was wired so tightly, that you could eat of his garage floor, it was that clean, and he actually did pictures of your car getting repaired. However he blew a fuse, and sadly lost driving privileges and even his garage. So sad. I did wonder if he was undiagnosed NT.

An option is to secure solar panels on top as a alternative electrical source. I saw a stealth truck like this and they put a vent on the top that completely closed, and stealth vents on the side so as not to look unusual. This truck has a AC because it's in Florida, but l noted the solar panels on top, he discusses this about 3/4 of the way in. It was a truck that was redone. It took them 2 years to finish it.


The second one has a door and window, and he installed a fan in the ceiling of the truck and shows how he did it.
 
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I just found a person recently who definitely has these tendencies and l can't wait to employ them. My car mechanic was wired so tightly, that you could eat of his garage floor, it was that clean, and he actually did pictures of your car getting repaired. However he blew a fuse, and sadly lost driving privileges and even his garage. So sad. I did wonder if he was undiagnosed NT.

Was it this guy? :)

 
Ooh, this is neat.

For whatever reason I find "tiny homes" fascinating. But particularly so if they are vehicles.

I'm not quite sure why... I think I find the small enclosed area appealing. I've always lived in giant cavernous places, which often make me a bit uncomfortable... but put me in something small (like a hotel room for instance) and it's just immediately lovely.

I recently spent a whole bunch of time watching videos about this sort of thing... there's so many cool ones out there. I saw one that used to be an ambulance, and another that was this big (but thin) double-decker bus. Which ended up being a place for a family with 7 kids. I'm not sure how THAT works, probably some non-Euclidean space in there. They made it work though, and it was this bright, positive place.

It's interesting, very interesting.

I know I'd love to see photos of the completed thing once it's done.
 
Got the quotes back. Fitting 4 windows is just under 1k. Which is what I expected. Replacing the roof with an ally roof is just under 1k. Replacing it with an insulated composite material, along with replacing the ally rails with cant rails and corner caps is over 2.5k.

I'm going to go with an ally roof with supporting roof struts so that it can hold solar panels without bending.

Into the body shop on 24th Feb for 1-2 weeks. Replace front box panel and damaged ally frame. Also repair the rust and rot around the windscreen and replace the windscreen via a 3rd party.

Into the horsebox place on week beginning 13th March. Fit the 4 windows.

Into the body shop late March to replace the roof, repair the rust and respray the whole van. I said if he thinks it's more cost effective and adds to the future-proofing of the project, to quote for replacing the 2 walls of the box.

Then in mid-April the conversion will begin.

Ed
 
After work on Thursday, Boxanne is off to the body shop. The front box section and the rust around the windscreen will soon be good as new.

I will put my bike in the back, and go on my first sunset ride of the year.

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Ed
 
I dropped the van off to the body shop and speaking with him caused me more headaches. He said due to the age of the box (18 years) the plastic they use becomes brittle and starts to crack. He said he can repair the fibreglass cracks, fill, paint etc. But eventually more cracks will appear. It could be a case of ever 3 or so years spending 1500 or more to fix them and repaint.

I asked about alternatives and he said find a breakers yard and buy a newer box and he'd fit it. Or he could do the GRP panel repairs, then Tiger Seal and bolt on an aluminium second/outer skin.

I'm a bit perplexed with what to do at this point. But I need to decide by Tuesday when he starts doing the repairs to the van.

Part of me wants to continue with the original plan to keep the original box, repair the front of it. Fit the windows etc. Then if every 3 or so years the box needs some repairs - so be it. The ally second skin idea seems like the second most appealing approach. But he said it's a lot of work.

302980286_428162919294820_753741408013809707_n.jpg


This is the damage he's referring to that he said would eventually reoccur.

Ed
 
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