Man Hours: 9
Cost: £18
Tools & Materials: Drill, Metal Primer, Abro Steel Epoxy Putty
Let's Get Started
The first stage of the build is always the most exciting! You get to see what you're working with and really start imagining and planning how you're going to turn this shell of a van into your dream camper.
The initial prep for us was getting the van gutted, cleaned and primed. We unscrewed all the boards, lifted the floor and removed the bulkhead. This way we could get a really good look at what we're going to be working with. We checked for any rust that needs to be treated (thankfully, none that we could see) and gave everything a good clean. The boards seemed in good condition so we kept hold of them to use at a later stage.
As with a lot of vans, there were a lot of holes in the floor left from the screws that we removed when we lifted the floor. We treated the holes with a metal primer to prevent any rust and filled them with Abro Steel epoxy putty. We love this stuff! The tube comes with two puttys and when mixed together they set hard like steel. If you are working with a visible area then you can sand the putty down smooth to create a flawless surface.
And then we were left with a beautiful blank canvas. Now the head scratching and real work can really begin!
We don't have a fixed plan in mind, we'll start with one thing and let the build evolve naturally. This was our approach on the last van build and it really worked for us. We'll aim to start at the top and work our way down. If the weather permits, the jobs which involve cutting and drilling into the metal work will be our first port of call such as skylights and windows. Then it's a case of getting wiring mapped out, the wood batons glued in as the base for the ceiling and walls and then the oh so fun job of insulating. And then let's see where the rest of the build takes us!
To see more of The Grizzly and the initial stages of the build head to our You Tube page. Don't forget to subscribe to be the first to know when our next blog and vlog is live.
Total Man Hours: 9*
Total Build Cost: £18*
*Hours includes labour but not the many many hours of head scratching, planning and shopping.
*Cost covers all materials used but not the cost of the van, tools or shipping expenses as these things will vary for everyone.