Tin Tent 2

Hi, the project for “Tin Tent 2” was to create a single berth (or 2 berth it you are very narrow) campervan inside a Suzuki Carry 2005 van.

Because of the van size (especially width), just about the minimum was possible – in fact, quite cosy.

A few of the initial requirements are listed here...

* Under 2m high to allow access to normal car parks
* Seating/bed available without lots of fiddling with converting seats etc
* Built to DVLA standards * (I’ll talk more about this later grrrrhhh!)
* Cheap to run, and “reasonable looking” – it’s my only vehicle, so has to look OK on the drive and at work! (no converted busses for me – yet).

Project Task Write-ups:

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  Base Vehicle

  The van had already been partially ply lined. Some of which was re-used, some was replaced.

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  Panels & Lining

  Vehicle carpet lining was put on just about everything. It hides the dinks and scratches from the van’s previous life, adds a warm feel when resting against the walls, and some insulation. A w...

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  2nd Battery

  I wanted a leisure battery, but I already had a Halfords all-in-one battery/air pump/torch/240v unit. So I decided to use that unit as my leisure battery. The unit can be charged via the mains a...

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  Wiring & Electrics

  It's a little unconventional as it doesn't use the usual split-charge relay and leisure battery. The battery is a Halfords Power Pack. It has a 20ah 12v battery, inverter, 250psi compressor, jump ...

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  Flooring

  The Suzuki Carry comes with 2 sections of floor that creates a flat load space. The first section originally hinged to allow taller items to be carried between the doors. The section easily (!) unb...

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  Bed System

  The seats have an additional "lid" to the box section. This second lid is hinged so it opens out to make the bed wider. A supporting “leg/support” rests against the seats and can simply be plac...

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  Lighting

  The van has lots of lights – I bought several different types as I wasn’t sure which was best – I ended up using them all!!! 1 fluorescent lamp over the sink/cooker – good bright light 1 ...

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  Windows

  The windows were installed by a local window specialist. There are already frames for the Carry. One side opens to allow a draft through in summer time. In addition to the windows, I had a sunro...

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  Units & Furniture

  The cupboards and storage areas are basically built as a frame. The faces of the units were initially built using cheap chipboard. This was used to work out where doors could/should be, allowing fo...

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  Kitchen

  The kitchen consists of a Smev 911 combined double hob and sink. The unit can come with the sink on the right or the left. I decided I wanted the kettle nearer to the main sitting position rather t...

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  Water System

  The water for the sink tap comes from a submersible pump in a 10 Litre water tank housed under the bonnet. The tap has a switch built-in which activates the pump when the tap is opened.

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  Gas

  The camping Gaz cylinder is strapped into its own locker at the base of the main cupboard. This area has ventilation through the floor - just in case!!!

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  Miscellaneous

  I was wondering if the space under the back seat of the van was really worth having or not. Its not very high so nothing much can be stored under there – or “can” it?!!!

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• Project Plan

  There were a few things I wanted from the van as a project: A single berth (or cosy 2 berth) day/camper van that would be my only vehicle so had to be cheap to run, and not look too out of place...

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