I would go for a lwb, coures the 40 cm make a massive different, i have just finished my project after 3 month spending all my spare time on it. My budget was max 2 k, i managed to do it for £1800. Including R&R bed with belts ( non certivicated) and i used some stuff from my camping gear , so no cost on portapotty and i fittet just a coolbox ( from ALDI for £35) . Led stripp lights from EBAY and some skills, a waterpump and marina tap also ebay, a 25l plastic water container from a caravan and camping shop.  Do not try to save money on the insulation and linig, you only do this once at the van. For the heatin i have used a kitchen plinth heater, if i am on a 240v huck up. I have to say, i am a plumbing and heating engineer and master craftsman and also have electrician and carpenter backround scills, so exept the R&R bed i have ordered, i have dun every other things my self. Also have a sniff arount local car scrapyards, you will find a lot of usefull parts.     Regards. Mario

If you have to make your mind up regarding the best van for your needs and how to convert / design the van interior, best advice is : make a list of your priorities.

- how many sleeping in the van at a camp trip

- how long those camping trips would be? ( long weekends or full 2 weeks or...)

- do you use the camper also in colder month or for Scotland / Wales ... ( where the nights also in summer can be a bit nippy)

- are you going for camping in UK only or also abroad ?

- do you use the van for camping only or also as day to day transport / work?

- do you want the van to be registered with DVLA as "Motor home" or a stealth van ( un noticed from any one if you stay somewhere over night at a nice spot and not using campsites all time) ?

- and of course, the all important budged ( bear in mind, for a self build interior you need about  a min of £1000 including the insulation up to £7000 with all mod con and professional interior, depending your needs and Gadgets you want to fit in)

I am using our van also for my work ( self employed Gledhill Boiler engineer, doing repair and service work) , I also have to pick up my adult kits ( no grand Kitts yet / thanks Kitts/ from Airports once or twice a year and we ( my partner and me)use our van for max 7 days hiking / camp trips, course we also have a caravan  ( ABBY GTS 27 ft) at Exeter in storage, we use for the main holydays in the Dartmoor aria. We also used to tent camping for many years ( since the 1980's), so we was already kitted out with a lot of camping gear to use for the van.

Regards     Mario

If you are interested, I can send some pictures via e-mail and happy to reply to questions.

I have 95% finished my project ( like to fit different seats and a site window on my stealth Vivaro may on top £500 still to spend) But the van is fully functional and in use as camper now. The project tuck about 200h ( in 4 month all my spare time) and with a budget of about £2000 for the conversion so far, of my Vauxhall Vivaro (LWB from 2010 with 50k miles).

Regards     Mario ( mario.service@aim.com)