How important is having a van you can stand up in ?

[markallen5]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and am trying to decide on a suitable van to convert on my budget.
Someone I met who lives in their converted horsebox lorry said 2 things were a must, even if you were just spending a fair amount of time in it .
One was being able to stand up and the other was a fixed bed.
But there's plenty of vans out there that one can't stand up in so just how important is it ?
Vans I'm considering are ex Motability window vans , both SWB , first there's the Peugeot Boxer with enough width to have a bed across the back but only about 5' 4" headroom, the other is the Renault Master , slightly less width but around 5'8" height , still not quite enough to stand up in.
The other is an L1 H2 Sprinter with plenty of headroom and is just about wide enough to put a bed across the back.
The problem with the Sprinter is that for the same money as the others, I'd have to get a higher mileage one and it would need much more work to convert it . There seem to be a few ex Gas Board workshop Sprinters around.
I do like the idea of a van with factory tinted windows all round and a quality diesel night heater already fitted as in the Boxers or Renaults that I've seen , but that brings up yet another question , windows all round or not !
They are also low mileage and seem to me to involve less work to make into a decent comfortable space to enjoy being on the road in.
I'd be glad to hear some feedback from people who've already been there as it were to help me make the right decision.

 

[DDJC]

Yep, fixed bed for me. And yes headroom over 6'4".

Our rear bed is fixed, but it is also electric so can rise if we want to put tall stuff like bikes in the boot.
Our lounge area is high as we have a hump sort of thing above it. It make our MH look ugly IMO, but I don't care enough becasue when i am in it, I can't see the out of it.
We also have an adult sized and separate shower.
Bed is transverse and king sized. Scrapped the thin foam mattress and got a triple layer memory foam mattress.
And we are 7m, 15cm long and not a PVC.

If you have a long priorities list, you are going to struggle to get it all into a PVC, IMO.

 

[starquake]

Yep, fixed bed for me. And yes headroom over 6'4".

If you have a long priorities list, you are going to struggle to get it all into a PVC, IMO.

We were same, we had a priorities, list, visited the shows with all the PVC's and couldn't find one that met enough of our requirement.

We compromised on Kitchen in current van (it's very small) but got a full sized shower cubicle and seperate toilet with room to change in the toilet in our van. We lost fixed beds, but gained ability for us to actually have guests in our van when raining for dinner etc. We can seat 8 at a push, 6 comfortably around our table.
This is useful given we camp with friends quite often. PVC I couldn't even personally fit in bed!

We are 6.6m and not a PVC to allow this -> but still find we can park reliably in Supermarkets once you know the tricks. Corner spot, and good reversing skill allows into a single space with a small front overhang.,

 

[pappajohn]

Regardless of what you buy it will never be re-registered, after conversion, as a motorhome (motor caravan)
Best you will get is 'van with windows'.

 

[DJIT]

Regardless of what you buy it will never be re-registered, after conversion, as a motorhome (motor caravan)
Best you will get is 'van with windows'.

My T6 was re-registered as a Motor Caravan some years back, and my 6.4m Boxer conversion was re-registered as a Motor Caravan within the last couple of months.

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[tinkertaylor]

Regardless of what you buy it will never be re-registered, after conversion, as a motorhome (motor caravan)
Best you will get is 'van with windows'.

Its hit and miss but not impossible, trick is to make it look like a campervan with additional clutter on the outside or photoshop the clutter on........

 

[ChrisL]

Look for an ambulance to convert, high milage should not be too much of an issue if it has been serviced at the correct intervals which all ambulances should have been.

 

[pappajohn]

My T6 was re-registered as a Motor Caravan some years back, and my 6.4m Boxer conversion was re-registered as a Motor Caravan within the last couple of months.

But you wouldn't get that now.
DVLA now require that It looks exactly like a motorhome clone on the outside....even then you would be very lucky.
It all changed a couple of years ago.
As for the boxer conversion, it either looks like a factory built van or you were VERY lucky

 

[Grasmere9]

I started off with a Mercedes Vito that we converted... couldn't stand up and it was miserable...it even triggered my claustrophobia at night.
Now we have an A class and I love it!

 

[scotjimland]

You may be lucky and get it registered as a "Motor Caravan"

It took me two attempts to get my Timberland PVC correctly registered .. it had been wrong since new conversion in 2003 .. !

Do it exactly as asked on the Gov web site , with lots of good quality 6x4" photos , basically it has to LOOK like a motor caravan, windows graphics etc.. so easily identified by police and other authorities.

What you can't have changed is the Vehicle Category, mine is still N1.. .. it should be M1, this determines the VED .. that can only be done when first registered new as a Motor Caravan .. not afterwards ..

does it matter .. that's a moot point

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[Threeracers]

I live full time in mine and being able to stand up was one of the main criteria of me.

The others were a permanent double bed, a proper shower and a flushing loo into a black tank.

Mark

 

[tinkertaylor]

I live full time in mine and being able to stand up was one of the main criteria of me.

The others were a permanent double bed, a proper shower and a flushing loo into a black tank.

Mark

You have a right beast, do you tow the boat with it?

 

[markallen5]

Wow, I never thought I'd get so many replies to my question !
Thank You to all who took the time to reply .
I understand the need to compromise and will give thought to the points raised.
I've been going on the assumption that having a newer low mileage vehicle , that doesn't have all the campervan stuff in the back is the best option as what's the use of a fully kitted out van if it's near the end of it's life, rusting away underneath and breaking down all the time.
I'd hope to add things as I went along . Also I'd prefer a modern "cleaner" more fuel efficient engine than a 25 year old diesel or thirsty petrol engine .

Ebay is full of 20 something year old camper vans with all the stuff in them , on my budget of around £12,000 and guess what ?
When I use the DVLA MOT checker site they all seem to come up with years of advisories for corrosion underneath .
I really don't want to get anything bigger than a SWB Boxer or Sprinter as it'll only be myself in it , It will also be my only vehicle so be used just for trips in to town for shopping etc.
I don't plan on living in it but would hope to spend up to 6 weeks at a time travelling the UK and Europe .
Whatever I get should be roomier than sleeping in the back of my old Berlingo , sandwiched between my music gear and a Portaloo ! Thanks again, Mark.

 

[DJIT]

But you wouldn't get that now.
DVLA now require that It looks exactly like a motorhome clone on the outside....even then you would be very lucky.
It all changed a couple of years ago.
As for the boxer conversion, it either looks like a factory built van or you were VERY lucky

To be clear, the boxer is a factory conversion.
But the point is that if you want it to be registered as a Motor Caravan, then you need it to comply with the rules around a Motor Caravan - and yes those have changed a couple of years ago.
The main change, as far as I can tell, is the new stipulation that the exterior of the vehicle must be easily recognisable or distinguishable as a Motor Caravan in traffic - meaning there needs to be things like graphics and an awning.

 

[oldiesontour]

My T6 was re-registered as a Motor Caravan some years back, and my 6.4m Boxer conversion was re-registered as a Motor Caravan within the last couple of months.

Lucky you ! I ticked every box...awning body graphics on both side and back/front all show a campervan,it's a van with side windows final statement no appeal

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[starquake]

Wow, I never thought I'd get so many replies to my question !
Thank You to all who took the time to reply .
I understand the need to compromise and will give thought to the points raised.
I've been going on the assumption that having a newer low mileage vehicle , that doesn't have all the campervan stuff in the back is the best option as what's the use of a fully kitted out van if it's near the end of it's life, rusting away underneath and breaking down all the time.

It's a bit of a topic done to death here on newer Euro 6 vans (some people don't like them, others got them to avoid London CAZ stuff). We ended up getting the oldest Euro 6 aleady done motorhome conversion we could find with lowest mileage. You don't get those cheap unforunately at present, but it may be worth you considering things like clean air zones if you had not already thought of it. London for example in a non-Euro6 diesel motorhome can cost as much as £100 for each day you drive unfortunately. Bath and Bristol has some similar restrictions on which vans can use their roads. Adblue deletion and use are a common topic on here, but again I suspect you'll find some cities closed off to you in future years without Adblue, so it may be a necessary evil.

High milage van does not mean bad, and Euro 5 doesn't mean bad, however if you talking a 2010 model van do bear in mind the clean air stuff will come with some costs in some cities. Annoyingly that is now extending to outskirts of some of them!

Newer high mileage van (it's common for vans to be desposed of after 4 years, so 2019-20 models for conversion) I'd think NOTHING bad about getting, in motorhome/conversion use you'll put on 10k a year, and 100,000 is nothing for these vans. Just make sure it's been serviced well, and put a new cambelt on it as soon as you get it, as in 5 years it's doubtful some will have had this done -> the cambelt is another topic on here, and you should do in most Fiat/Pug vans every 100k miles or 5 years. Most motorhome use time out rather than milesage out. (and I may have the 100k mile too high, but as said, motorhomes rarely hit 100k miles in 5 years!).

A newer van that you convert yourself can be fun, shame you missed the campervan campout this weekend (festival/show) as there were a load of self-built conversions on display showing the art of the possible in both campers and motorhomes.

 

[oldiesontour]

I've said before on here a late repaired or unrepaired cat s is a very economical way of getting a very low mileage late van.

 

[starquake]

I've said before on here a late repaired or unrepaired cat s is a very economical way of getting a very low mileage late van.

Oh indeed, I saw a youtube breaker who allegedly got several Ford 2020/21 work vans for £4-5k that were unrepaired cat S's. One had under 2500 miles on it. They all needed work but repairs were £3-4k a van average for a end result of it being a £12-15k retail van so a tidy profit. All in if you done the work yourself probably £8-9k all in for a van body thats near mint and new.

Only thing I'd say is if you get a ford like ^ you may be advised to get a decent immobiliser fitted and uprate the locks.

 

[oldiesontour]

Oh indeed, I saw a youtube breaker who allegedly got several Ford 2020/21 work vans for £4-5k that were unrepaired cat S's. One had under 2500 miles on it. They all needed work but repairs were £3-4k a van average for a end result of it being a £12-15k retail van so a tidy profit. All in if you done the work yourself probably £8-9k all in for a van body thats near mint and new.

Only thing I'd say is if you get a ford like ^ you may be advised to get a decent immobiliser fitted and uprate the locks.

My boxer had front end damage no wing damage 2 1/2 yr old 21k miles fully repaired £13k had them put a year MOT on it even tho it wasn't due and still under pgot warranty ( don't know how I would have stood if tried to claim probably " The man from Peugeot he say no"

 

[cyberyacht]

In yachting circles the response to lack of standing room was "If you want to stand up, go on deck". Not a view I subscribed to although one yacht I had enabled me to just about stand upright and wedge my head against the roof lining. This enabled two free hands in a seaway which was quite useful.

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[Spriddler]

I'm only 5' 8" and couldn't put up with the claustrophobic feeling and stooping around inside if there wasn't ample headroom. It's tedious enough having to do it for 5 minutes in my under-stairs cupboard.