Does anyone know much about Luton vans?

[Run to the Sun]

I think you are going to struggle to keep the weight below 3.5T. You should look at Iveco, much better for overlanding. Plus you have options from 3.5T to 7.2T. I built an MAN 18T, I bought the truck direct from MAN, had the body made in Austria, into Germany for engineering bike rack works and then back to the UK for internals. My advise is to plan, plan and plan, and then re-plan. 6 months planning is not uncommon.

These guys are good, they do lots of work for overlanding as well as supply the bigger oufits. Very helpful. https://boxmanufaktur.com/en/home/

I have attached a couple of pics of my 5 metre I had done, in construction and then into the paint room.

 

[Gromett]

I think you are going to struggle to keep the weight below 3.5T. You should look at Iveco, much better for overlanding. Plus you have options from 3.5T to 7.2T. I built an MAN 18T, I bought the truck direct from MAN, had the body made in Austria, into Germany for engineering bike rack works and then back to the UK for internals. My advise is to plan, plan and plan, and then re-plan. 6 months planning is not uncommon.

These guys are good, they do lots of work for overlanding as well as supply the bigger oufits. Very helpful. https://boxmanufaktur.com/en/home/

I have attached a couple of pics of my 5 metre I had done, in construction and then into the paint room.



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That looks very, very nice. But not for me.
I am not overlanding at all. I am not going over 3.5T for license and medical reasons.
I am used to building lightweight as I have been fulltiming for 15+ years. I have built a few before

 

[CheifW1ggum]

Have you started on this project yet? I'm looking at doing a similar thing so am curious to see where you're at.

 

[pappajohn]

Much easier to get a flatbed and a caravan.
You could have it all up and running in a weekend!

View attachment 935677

Long gone now.
The old fella curled his toes up.

 

[Brains]

That looks very, very nice. But not for me.
I am not overlanding at all. I am not going over 3.5T for license and medical reasons.
I am used to building lightweight as I have been fulltiming for 15+ years. I have built a few before

Check the new rules coming in.
Due to the weight of EV's it looks like the weight on a standard licence will be increased to 4.2t as soon as March 25.

No doubt the devil will be in the detail, but I'd do some research ASAP before you buy.

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[Gromett]

Have you started on this project yet? I'm looking at doing a similar thing so am curious to see where you're at.

It will be middle of next year at the earliest before I can afford to buy the van.

I like to plan early though.

 

[Gromett]

Check the new rules coming in.
Due to the weight of EV's it looks like the weight on a standard licence will be increased to 4.2t as soon as March 25.

No doubt the devil will be in the detail, but I'd do some research ASAP before you buy.

I can only plan on what is possible today.

 

[Drewbles]

I am going to be buying and converting a Luton van next.

I have a few questions.

The main one is this. How interchangeable are the boxes?
For example will a Box off a Ford fit on an Iveco, or a box off a Merc fit on a Fiat?

ok. Reasoning. I am looking at a Luton for 2 main reason.
Nice big square box is easier to build in than a panel van.
If the van lets me down I can swap the box onto a different chassis.

If the boxes are interchangeable I won't be too fussy about my first van and pay more attention to the box. I have the space and means to swap boxes here so I am not bothered about the actual swapping if it becomes necessary.

Thanks in advance.

Hello. I have just come across this thread and have read it all, and as far as i can see, no one who has answered actually has one! So i thought i would join and answer your questions, as I do have one, and its great!
I have a 3.5t Iveco Daily. She is 1996/7 P reg, and has very little rust. Granted, she has been looked after and has been repainted every year. I am currently replacing her throttle cable and the bolts that go with the mounys around that area as they are looking a little rusty now and I'm here, so why not. Anyway...I have a 20ft box and its lovely. I stripped her right down to the bones when i got her (in 2019). I pulled out the base, sanded and painted all the metal, put a layer of sealant (CT1) on the metal edges and replaced it with similar ply(i think it was a couple mil thinner, but not much). Paint the underside with concrete floor paint...it lasts years. The walls then got 2 inch Kingspan/ecotherm in every square that was created from the structure of the framing of the box. Be aware they are not all the same size, so measure and cut for each one individually. All the walls, the roof' the overhead compartment, everything. Then I put 2inch kingspan/ecotherm on the floor and put 12ml ply on that. Every floor panel has sealant along the edges, above and below. The walls have 6ml ply, with the silver bubble wrap stuff glued on the back. ( do 2 at a time, and use a pole or 2 widthways across the van to hold them up while you screw them on.) Again, every edge has sealant and every screw hole has sealant. You are screwing into the metal and dont want to create a damp bridge. I also painted the edges of all the wood i used, so that damp cannnot pentrate down the open grain. Then cover every place the ply boards meet with strips of thin wood...i just CT1 them on. I have had to put small screws in the ones that are on the ceiling. The bedframe is slatted and built with only 2 legs...the rest of the weight is taken on the 3 walls. I felt i didnt have enough space in the overcab for a bed place so i built the bedframe 4ft off the floor. I am actually going to change it very soon and put it on a pulley system to raise it and make below a seating and table area, with the storage set into, rather than a ridgid bed, and having to crawl under. The woodburner is set opposite the bed, with the roller door and gas bottle storage behind. I have a full size kitchen on the opposite side from the door. I have a storage box/seat/ step up to bed next to the door. I have a pull out table that rolls back under the bed ( which is 5.5ft wide and the whole breadth of the van btw...the bed, not the table). The overhead cab bit is storage and has a drop down hatch that i cut out and goes through the roof into the drivers seat. I used fibreglass matting with chicken wire and aluminum mesh, to create the drop space. Only used it a few times, its just nice to have a quick get out of the cab, and an emergency exit. I have followed the framing in the roof and put wooden 2x2 over them in the outside to create a frame that has 12?ml ply ( cant quite remember) covered with shed roofing felt and then 50cm wide strips of bitumen flashing tape..oh i cut a skylight above the cooker, bed, and hole for woodburner before insulating! The solar set up lives in the step/seat/box well away from the sink ajd water set up. I have a foot pump system for the sink, and a 40litre gray water tank underneath...not underslung...just underneath. I have 3 25l fresh water Butts that i fill up and put in there too. I will undersling the tank at some point, i just havent yet. Its only been 5 years..theres time. The only thing i want to do is lift the box off and give the space between the cab and box a good clean. The cab itself this year needs a panel on the left welding, which isnt much. I painted the sills with hammerite and acropol 5 years ago and they are still good. I had to reconstruct the metal that holds the seal at the back of the bonnet with aluminum mesh and fibreglass when i got her, so that is never going to rust again. Oh and the only silly design flaw i have found is the water run off from the top of the cab is directed down and onto the battery box mount area so i had to rebuild the battery mounting pad. Other than that, she has been solid! Hope this helps a bit and feel free to contact me for more in depth stuff. As to weather they are transferable, apparently they can go on any that is the same length as the one it is on now, no matter the model, but i havent done it...i am speculating wether to put it on a trailer or not....

 

[Gromett]

Hello. I have just come across this thread and have read it all, and as far as i can see, no one who has answered actually has one! So i thought i would join and answer your questions, as I do have one, and its great!
I have a 3.5t Iveco Daily. She is 1996/7 P reg, and has very little rust. Granted, she has been looked after and has been repainted every year. I am currently replacing her throttle cable and the bolts that go with the mounys around that area as they are looking a little rusty now and I'm here, so why not. Anyway...I have a 20ft box and its lovely. I stripped her right down to the bones when i got her (in 2019). I pulled out the base, sanded and painted all the metal, put a layer of sealant (CT1) on the metal edges and replaced it with similar ply(i think it was a couple mil thinner, but not much). Paint the underside with concrete floor paint...it lasts years. The walls then got 2 inch Kingspan/ecotherm in every square that was created from the structure of the framing of the box. Be aware they are not all the same size, so measure and cut for each one individually. All the walls, the roof' the overhead compartment, everything. Then I put 2inch kingspan/ecotherm on the floor and put 12ml ply on that. Every floor panel has sealant along the edges, above and below. The walls have 6ml ply, with the silver bubble wrap stuff glued on the back. ( do 2 at a time, and use a pole or 2 widthways across the van to hold them up while you screw them on.) Again, every edge has sealant and every screw hole has sealant. You are screwing into the metal and dont want to create a damp bridge. I also painted the edges of all the wood i used, so that damp cannnot pentrate down the open grain. Then cover every place the ply boards meet with strips of thin wood...i just CT1 them on. I have had to put small screws in the ones that are on the ceiling. The bedframe is slatted and built with only 2 legs...the rest of the weight is taken on the 3 walls. I felt i didnt have enough space in the overcab for a bed place so i built the bedframe 4ft off the floor. I am actually going to change it very soon and put it on a pulley system to raise it and make below a seating and table area, with the storage set into, rather than a ridgid bed, and having to crawl under. The woodburner is set opposite the bed, with the roller door and gas bottle storage behind. I have a full size kitchen on the opposite side from the door. I have a storage box/seat/ step up to bed next to the door. I have a pull out table that rolls back under the bed ( which is 5.5ft wide and the whole breadth of the van btw...the bed, not the table). The overhead cab bit is storage and has a drop down hatch that i cut out and goes through the roof into the drivers seat. I used fibreglass matting with chicken wire and aluminum mesh, to create the drop space. Only used it a few times, its just nice to have a quick get out of the cab, and an emergency exit. I have followed the framing in the roof and put wooden 2x2 over them in the outside to create a frame that has 12?ml ply ( cant quite remember) covered with shed roofing felt and then 50cm wide strips of bitumen flashing tape..oh i cut a skylight above the cooker, bed, and hole for woodburner before insulating! The solar set up lives in the step/seat/box well away from the sink ajd water set up. I have a foot pump system for the sink, and a 40litre gray water tank underneath...not underslung...just underneath. I have 3 25l fresh water Butts that i fill up and put in there too. I will undersling the tank at some point, i just havent yet. Its only been 5 years..theres time. The only thing i want to do is lift the box off and give the space between the cab and box a good clean. The cab itself this year needs a panel on the left welding, which isnt much. I painted the sills with hammerite and acropol 5 years ago and they are still good. I had to reconstruct the metal that holds the seal at the back of the bonnet with aluminum mesh and fibreglass when i got her, so that is never going to rust again. Oh and the only silly design flaw i have found is the water run off from the top of the cab is directed down and onto the battery box mount area so i had to rebuild the battery mounting pad. Other than that, she has been solid! Hope this helps a bit and feel free to contact me for more in depth stuff. As to weather they are transferable, apparently they can go on any that is the same length as the one it is on now, no matter the model, but i havent done it...i am speculating wether to put it on a trailer or not....

Thank you for that comprehensive post. Welcome to fun