Whyte Camper Van
How the Whyte Camper Van was built....
Whyte Camper Van
How the Whyte Camper Van was built....
What is the Whyte Camper Van?
The Whyte Camper Van is a project by Bill & Ruth to design and build a camper van for touring Europe.
Bill & Ruth were taken by the idea of a camper van while driving around Romania in the Summer of 2019.
Being able to stop and enjoy a mountain view sunset with a glass or two of local wine and salted covrigi before bed or just not rushing to a pre-booked hotel or apartment after a long day, was the stimulus to think of camper vans.
After many months debating the pros and cons, Bill watched a YouTube video by Nate Murphy on his conversion of a Ford Transit in 17 days! This was the inspiration needed to kick start the project. Nate's videos & ebook on how he transformed the van are very good guides of where to start and are full of ideas and tips. Nate is very practical and has an easy-going manner which makes every job look so easy! Anyone should be able to build a van with Nate’s book. He has kept his book updated with more information and topics.
From the initial enthusiasm to actually buying a van took about 4 months of design and planning. There is a huge amount of stuff to look at and understand before you take on a project like this. Bill has 35 years of design engineering experience and DIY knowledge, this has so far come in handy as you need to be able to modify a design in the vehicle, as paper and real life do not always match. You also need to know about 12V DC electrics, 240V AC mains, propane/butane gas, plumbing, woodworking, metalwork, painting, adhesives, solar loading calculations, insulation, heating, ventilation, ergonomics and patience!
This website documents what we did, when and how. There are many, many websites, and videos on the web of the next perfect design layout of the ultimate van. They are all great in their own way.
We don't claim that this is the best camper van or built in the best way. All the designs were based on experience and what we wanted.
This would never have happened without Nate and would have taken longer and not been so good without watching videos by Tim from the Restoration Couple and Greg Virgoe (he is a legend in camper van building world, trust me!).
I have added links to all the suppliers I used were appropriate. I'll add a section on suppliers and costs later.
Every day I worked on the van introduced a new challenge and a design change. The smallest detail was talked about and re-designed for days between us. Often, we tried 2-3 solutions and ended up back at the beginning but at least we were happy it would work. This constantly changing beast was often frustrating but ultimately it is what made it interesting and added personality to the van. We knew this was a unique van never to be replicated.
The basic layout we designed at the start remained throughout and the time spent up front was proved worthwhile to get a van that met our needs.
Latest Trip Posts
First Trip After Another Lockdown
7th May 2021
We managed to get away for a weekend after restrictions were lifted.
We travelled down to the New Forest and stayed at Mately Wood, a small site with no facilities apart from water, waste water and rubbish.
Just 2 miles from Lyndhurst with an easy walk across the heathland. There were many easy bike rides from the site across the forest to Brockenhurst.
Scotland NC500 + Covid
July 2021
We managed to get away at the endish of Covid but lots of places were still closed or restricted.
We drove most of the NC500 from east to west. This gave us a slowly increasing more rugged coastline every day. We took about 2 weeks to slowly explore the route and visit beaches and sites.
Details
Electrical
More details on the electrical system I designed for the camper van. We opted to go for AGM batteries and a roof mounted single solar panel with engine and mains charging systems. This will also cover the LED lights, USB sockets, 240V AC and the appliances installed.
Exterior
The external bits added to the van to help make life easy and the bits required to make other things work!
Interior
The inside of any vehicle is a very personal choice that reflects a bit of your personality. There are no right or wrong way to design the inside of a van as it is for you so any choice you make is right for you!
Tools
Getting the right tool can make the difference between an OK conversion and a great conversion.
You do need some tools and a workspace but you don't need every electrical tool in B&Q.
Suppliers & Costs
Finding a supplier for the part you need and at a good price takes a lot of time.
Amazon is great but is certainly not the cheapest way of buying parts for your van.
Gas
More details on the gas system I designed for the camper van. We opted to go for LPG in a locker. This will cover the cooking appliances and heater installed.
Safety
Let’s start by talking SAFETY.
There are certain regulations (legal requirements) that must be followed when converting a van to a camper van (DVLA also require certain things). There are also some caravan & Motorhome standards and trade practices, although are not legal requirements, it does make good sense to follow them as required.
Make sure you do your research and if in any doubt ask a professional. 240v AC and gas will be outside the range of many basic DIY enthusiasts and they can KILL - Be Safe and follow advice.
Personal safety seems obvious but I’ve seen enough in my working life and on YouTube to realise many people either don’t understand or choose to ignore basic safety.
Bill & Ruth
Bill & Ruth spent a year building a camper van.
The van is a 2020 Citroen Relay 35 L3H2 Enterprise BlueHDI 2.2 Diesel in ... White.
The project started in about September 2019 and the van was delivered in January 2020. Work started 1st February 2020 with the Coronavirus shutdown allowing more time to be devoted to working on the van. It was complted in October 2020.
We have been using for touring since then.
