Furniture - part 1

Furniture now, well part one anyway. After hours of measuring and thinking and drawing and measuring and …… eventually we agreed on a layout and design that suits us. Some key issues :

1) Rapid access to tables – solution stored between drivers seat and fridge
2) Camping chair storage – solution in high top over bed but 2 shelves to keep coats and chairs tangle free
3) Fridge, Porta potti and Heater needed
4) Pumped water stored in the van
5) Gas system – long debate on this but eventually chose Gaslow





All drawn up on Visio then PDF’ed off to Michael Goulden at

Jasmine Bathroom & Kitchens
Addingford Mills,
Addingford Lane,
Horbury,
Wakefield,
West Yorkshire
WF4 5BL
Tel: 01924 266674

Michael suggested a test build …. Cost a few bob more but I am so glad we did it !


Everything fits in place but getting the cut outs for the wheel arch and the rock n roll bed frame needed quite a bit of hacking. Being able to confirm that all the gubbins fits in its designed place is wonderful and adding a few millimeters here and there will make the job so much more perfect.

Roof and doors - Drivelodge & Jasmine

Well we went out for a drive today to visit a couple of the businesses that are going to be part of my conversion.

• Drivelodge
• Jasmine

Now I know I could just hand over the van to a company like Drivelodge for them to do the full bespoke conversion but there is just something special about getting in there and doing it for yourself. It gives you such a sense of involvement and ownership. Anyway - Drivelodge will be putting on the high top, roof light, side windows in the roof and Fiamma awning. The innards I will be doing.

And what about Jasmine ? Well my plan is for Vinyl Wrapped furniture in the van. I first came across this when I saw some pictures of a van with a contoured worktop with rolled edge that looked like granite and it was stunning. A bit more digging and I found these guys The Cutting Room and their prices seemed good but it’s a fair drag to travel from Yorkshire to Cambridge just to look at a door. Then Steve, a fellow converter (and joiner by trade) mentioned Jasmine near Wakefield.

Imagine my surprise as I explained my reason for visiting when Phil said "Oh yes we do them what kind of van? T5? Yes no problem we have a template right here. Would you like it in lightweight ply ?"

So we came away with a pack of swatches so we can choose the finish. First thought are platinum ash or pastel oak, both very pale timber effect with a bluey grey fleck in the grain to tone in with silver paint, and greys and blues in the upholstery department.