#VanLife with our VW T5 Camper Van

I have posted about our camper van and thought I would share some info on our set up that others may find useful. After all it is the year of the staycation!

We got our van from SW Vans in Wales. They came recommended to us and offer vans for you to convert yourself, that are already converted, servicing and parts. We cannot recommend these guys enough! They have been helpful from the start, through the purchase process and post sale as they help answer all of our many questions and completed further work that we wanted done.

The Van Spec

We got a VW T5.1, 4 berth, short wheel base converted camper van, which included:

rock and roll bed
fridge freezer,
sink with water pumps
2 gas hobs with gas pipe
12 volt leisure battery
pop top with roof bed
folding/removable table
VW box buddy for additional storage
LED lighting
240 volt hook up with sockets
USB 12v and 3 pin sockets
new MOT
gas and electric certificates
2 year warranty

Upgrades We Have Made

During lockdown our first adventures were understandably cancelled and with money refunded we decided it was the perfect time to invest a little more and do some upgrades ready for later in the year when hopefully we can travel again and so we have since done the following:

solar panel added to the pop top roof (185 watt with Victron bluetooth controller) – installed by Planar Pete
internal 2kw diesel heater (taken directly from the fuel tank) installed – installed by Planar Pete
new sliding door panel with additional table integrated – purchased from iCamper Solutions
removed the double passenger seat and replaced with a single swivel captains chair – installed by SW Vans
additional leisure battery
side steps installed on both sides of the van
added an anchor point above the fridge freezer for the dog when we are travelling – a minor change but then she is closer to us rather than right at the back if we use the seats as an anchor point
new bumper sprayed with protective Raptor spray
awning installed on the side of the van – purchased and installed by Hill View Awnings
purchased the Thule Residency room to attach to the awning – purchased from Hill View Awnings
had a tow bar installed
purchased the Thule Velospace towbar bike rack and also the Thule Backspace carrier that works with it
purchased a Bike Inside mount, which is so easy to use and you can purchase different adaptors to allow through axle to be mounted