Hello! Ah brilliant :D glad you enjoyed them! We were so happy how the van turned out, currently doing a few upgrades so make it perfect (for us), it never ends :P Cheers
Loved the series. Well done. Watched it with my daughter, she kept laughing when your heads were popping out from behind the curtains, and now she starts every morning saying "energy energy energy!!!" Gives me the inspiration to try something like this myself one day.
Oh wow! What have we done! 🤣🤣🤣 That has made us chuckle! Sorry about the swearing in the early days - we didn’t expect such young viewers! So lovely to know you are both watching! We highly recommend it... best decision we ever made! 👍😜❤️🚐
Fantastic! Watched all 3! You guys are such as inspiration. Thank you for making these videos, worts and all 😀you've done amazingly well. Enjoy your new and amazing adventures.
Thank you Eileen! Glad you found them helpful in some way. These videos were recorded a few years ago, and we've had many many fantastic adventures. All the effort we put in was repaid tenfold when we finally managed to hit the road and start travelling!
Thanks David! Glad you enjoyed it. We’ve been travelling in the van for 9 months now and love it. We wouldn’t say it’s perfect but suits us well! Had a blast concerting it... mostly :p cheers again, appreciate it!
Just watched all three of your build videos...amazing, just such a clever build! Can’t believe how much your DIY skills improved and how much it’s given me the confidence to try myself.
Thank you Alison 🙏 glad you enjoyed the videos 😊 yeah, very limited space in the van so not having a fixed sink seemed like a better idea. We love our tap too, it works like a charm 😉
Hi Ben! Glad you've found our vids helpful. We're still really happy with how the van turned out :) ah brilliant, how's the conversion going, got it all planned out or just seeing what happens? Is it your first conversion? Cheers!
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers yep first conversion, just got windows in the front and and barn doors, now stripped everything back , cleaned it all and started on the sound deadening. Quite a satisfying job eh! I'm definitely keen on a more rustic look, L shape or bench bed, big decision for me is pop top or not, I like the idea of extra headroom, light and ventilation, but obviously it's a fair chunk of money. Is it something you'd thought about? Once roof decided upon I'll crack on with electrics and get my final layout set! I bought one of the door stores after watching the video 👍
Sounds like you’ve got it mostly figured out! Which is a good start, we weren’t as prepared 😛 ah cool, the door store is a useful bit of storage for those odd bits and pieces! We’ve though about getting a pop top but we’ve never really seriously considered it, not yet at least. As you say they ain’t cheap 😛 plus we carry a fair bit of weight on the roof. But as we get older we may think about it a bit more seriously as the headroom would probably be handy on occasion!
Enjoyed watching you guys from the start, love the tap idea, and especially the upholstery design, looking forward to further videos have a safe journey
Absolutely brilliant job, stumbled across your van build the other day and what a fantastic job you have done. I love your seat coverings and your tap!! Great videos and I am now a subscriber to your channel. Well done
Really enjoyed the recap videos I've loved watching the built take shape i think i joined at about video 15 then spent an afternoon catching up on the ones id mist you chose a nice van to start with and turned it into something very special for what im guessing was not a lot of money a fantastic accomplishment in anyones book well done guys x
Thank you Richard! We appreciate you taking the time to leave such a lovely comment. Yes there’s certainly a feeling of accomplishment, knowing we did most of it on our own. Not much money spent on the build itself, we did have to buy some powers tools but we will have them for future projects. 👍😎
Very inspirational video series - the best I've seen on TH-cam on van conversions! Loved the recycle/upcycle approach, the seat covers, rustic yet very functional interior, everything really. One day...
Hello Stefan! 👋 thank you so much, appreciate the feedback! We were chuffed with how it turned out considering our HUGE lack of experience 😛 are you planning to do a conversion yourself?? Thanks again
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I've been bikepacking extensively in Norway and was always a little bit jealous on camper vans when it was pouring rain. l will definitely do it sooner then later - I don't wanna wait till I reach 65 like the vast population of camping sites.
Stefan A. Ah brilliant! Any must-see sights in Norway?? I’d love to go there next! Yeah, it’s a bit more comfortable in the rain 😛 best thing we did was to convert this van, so many happy memories made and many more to come! I’d tell anyone to go for it!!
I would go to Nordkap via Denmark, Sweden, Finland and back south keeping the west coast with Lofoten islands, Atlantic road and all the small fishing villages along the coast. The North is totally different compared to mainstream Europe. Very remote prestine and wild, expensive, but then you have the Nordic lights and midnight sun.
Thanks Deryk! Didn’t think we’d ever “finish” the van at times :p however, we pushed on and are currently exploring the Outer Hebrides. Worth all the effort 👍
Guys just finished watching your 3 part van series and enjoyed it very much. It has been great watching 2 novices achieve a great looking van to how you wanted it Now got to catch up on your travel blog and hope you're having a good time wherever you are at the moment. Safe travels Wayne x Now all I need to do is grab me a cheap reliable van🤔
Cheers Wayne! Hope the van search goes well! We were really happy with how the van turned out. But we've since made a few changes since starting our travels 😊 we've got a couple more upgrades to do, but it's perfect for us now!
Thanks guys, just finished watching your UK tour and you are just about to go down the eat coast to catch the ferry over to Amsterdam. It's been an enjoyable adventure for me just watching your videos as it has been for you guys making them! Keep them coming and I hope to watch all of them through soon and get up to date with what and where you both are now... Safe travels Wayne x
You must be a glutton for punishment 😜 however, the videos do improve the longer we travel for! We really felt like we hit our stride in sardinia 😉 cheers!
Oh no I didn't really want to here where or what you've been up to yet as I'm watching all your videos on TH-cam from the oldest first. I. E. Camper build and then your travels and I'm upto where you guys have left Dokkum in Amsterdam and then doing the modem review for the heater! Anyway got to go now And watch the next step of your journey.... Van life in the middle of nowhere Noordpolderzijl episode 13 Safe travels Wayne
Nice one guys, hope you are enjoying your travels, the missis and myself are just about to start doing up a Monavo and got a few good ideas from the videos, love the rustic feel you've gone for and I luv a bit of repurposing :) Thanks you for your effort and time 😊 enjoy your hard work.
Hello! Hope you’re well! Ah, that’s exciting, is this your first conversion? Not sure if you’ve seen his channel but I think Vanlife.TV has/had a movano that was pretty rustic looking. We found his videos very helpful. Yeah, nothing wrong with a bit of repurposing, has worked well for us :p cheers, glad you liked the vids :)
Wow guys! What a great series of build videos. I’ve now subscribed to your channel to see what you get up to in Flora. May you have many years of happy travelling and camping. Suggestion.... The NC500...... But take your time doing it. No need to rush. Stay safe and well at this time. 😊👍🏻🏴
Hello Sandy! Thanks for your comment, hope the videos have been helpful/enjoyable. We've now been in Flora for... 13 months! Haha, time flies! The conversion was worth all the headaches and stress :P Currently in Flora, up a mountain in Sardinia :) We did do a tiny slither of the NC500 but will definitely be heading back to Scotland to do it justice. Thanks again, hope you're well.
Bloomin' eck. What brilliant videos (Parts 1,2 and 3)! Thank you SO much for making. I am currently in the process of buying my first van to do up and your videos have massively helped (and were very entertaining). Will definitely be re-watching, as well as the individual vids too. All the best and thanks again.
Hello! Ah fantastic! :) we’re glad they helped. We didn’t know how useful they’d be as we didn’t know what we were doing. But we are happy with how the van turned out, been living/travelling in it for about 9 months now and love it 😍 let us know how your conversion goes! Thanks again :)
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Thanks for the reply. Mine isn't going to be a full time travel (at the moment...haha) but just want to be able to go away when I want. I am looking at getting a T5 hence my initial interest in your 'do it up' video. As SO many are the same design (Rock n roll beds...cabinets in a row on back wall) but i don't need a set bed, I just want a good, useful design. So literally watching your vids have inspired me with ideas etc. My mate is helping me chuck ideas together using CAD. Due to current circumstances the van I want to buy I've had to put on hold due to money constraints...but the guy is in no rush to sell so hopefully will still be able to get it (As it's a beautiful teal colour AND automatic...#RareAs). Keep up your work...and like so many others say, I really appreciate the non-click bait type style.
@@benjaminstubbs-mindsetcoac5871 Ah cool, hopefully you got some cool ideas to implement in your conversion. We're really happy we went with this layout allowing us to move a little more freely through the van, it just works better for us. Lucky being able to get the help of mates, we had to rely on a few too! Haha. Sounds good, fingers crossed the transaction goes ahead sounds like a good van!
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I finally bought one... Daisy... already a campa but going to make her my own... :D I've set up a insta for her... instagram.com/daisythecampavan
Complimenti, avete fatto un bel van, siete stati bravi! Mancherebbe un riscaldamento (webasto) e un frigorifero e siete al completo. A parte che sarete abituati al freddo su in Inghilterra. Ora ve lo dovete godere! Buona strada! By By!
Hi guys, what a great set of videos, very inspiring and accessible! Can you say a little more about your base van? LWB or SWB and why. Is it a 2.5 or 1.9 again any reason for it? Thanks
Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed the content. Flora (our van) is a LWB, this was a very conscious decision. We wanted all the space we could get, although the van is only about 40cm longer than the SWB internally it adds up to a fair bit more room! PLUS we can still park in regular car parking spots etc and drive about small towns without issue. The ending is a 1.9, in hindsight we should have thought more about the engine & mechanics. Although this van is solid, we could always do with a bit more power! 6 gears and cruise control would’ve been handy too 😛 we somehow overlooked these semi-important specs, but back when we bought the van we really didn’t have much idea of what we actually needed. That being said, we’ve not long been back from 13 months around Europe. We had a great time and the van never let us down. We’re home now and planning upgrades and the next adventure!
The awning is fantastic! We have used the sides, but only a couple of times. We’ve used them at festivals when we know we don’t have to move for a couple of days. But we haven’t used them since we’ve been travelling. We’re trying to be a bit stealthy and we’re moving too often. But will use them when we slow down and go on to sites etc
The person who did the upholstery,, does she mainly do car/van upholstery or more domestic stuff, I’m looking for someone who can do a bespoke boot mat for my Golf R,, and embroidery, thanks
I imagine she can do that for you, she does all sorts of stuff, she did megs sister beetle, our van, sofas, chairs - here her link to her page- send her a message with some pics of what you want ... (let her know we sent you 😜) www.jomaupholstery.com
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers guys ive got my vw t5 finally im so happy, thank u for being a inspiration, i got u on instagram this is mine @orangeisthenewvan_official. I wish u the best!!!
Love the opening scene. I think you have done a truly fantastic job. Superb. I ha ve a factory built VW T5 California, but I reckon you van is nicer. Save up and get a pop top fitted, then you can stand up to cook and dress. Any reason you didn't buy a high roof van? Lucky you have access to a blacksmith, welder, upholsterer and you both worked well together. How much did the van cost and how much did the fit out cost and how long did it take?
Haha, thanks! We had to re-watch the beginning of the video, it's been a while since we've seen it so forgot how it started! We were really happy with how the van turned out, especially considering our experience and skill set. I'm not quite sure why we didn't have a serious look at high-top vans. We had a look at a mid-roof T5 van, but that's as far as we went. So far it hasn't been an issue, yes there's times when you wish you could stand up to make life a little easier, but we've got used to it now. If we have the van for a long time I guess there's a possibility we'll look at adding a high top/pop-top. We consider ourselves to be very lucky when it came to getting assistance with the build. A lot of people chipped in to make it what it is, would certainly have been a different outcome if we tried to tackle everything ourselves. The van (including UK VAT at the time) cost us around £13,000 if I remember correctly. And the conversion cost us around £7,000. But that includes EVERYTHING, even new tools we had to buy etc. So certainly not cheap, we definitely could have saved money in places. But there were certain areas we wanted to splash out on, It took us a long time to eventually get it done. We found it hard committing time to it when we were both working alternative shift patterns. The longer it went on the less energy we seemed to have for it, so I'm not exactly sure how long it took. Luckily we weren't in a rush, we knew we had a while to finish it before we planned to travel. And we've still got upgrades to do, so I suppose it's never really finished :P
Thank you! :) Basically my understand is... you can get certain tools that allow you to create exact copies of say the contours of the van, or a particularly awkward part of your furniture. You can then use the tool to apply that shape/contour directly to your material, let’s say wood and cut it to be the exact shape required. I’ve probably butchered that! Haha, hope that makes a bit of sense? Basically it makes a template you can use to get the best fit!
Hi! The van cost us £13,000 (Inc U.K. VAT) and then we spent around £7,000 for the conversion (but that price includes ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, even tools we had to buy!). I don't know exactly how many days it took us, you could do it quite quickly. But we were in no rush and had clashing work schedules. We did it very slowly over the course of a couple of years or so. Hope that helps.
Really enjoyed watching the 3 videos, you have inspired me to have a go. Looking to purchase a Kombi as I am advised these are a good starter VW Transporter for converting. Did you have any weight issues with all that wood inside the van, I have read that the rear suspension can be upgraded if weight is going to be an issue.
Cheers Peter! Glad they helped :) ah brilliant, yeah we see a lot of people going down the Kombi route! We haven’t had any issues with weight. When the van is completely full of water, gas, bikes, food, everything basically put weight was 2.6 tonne and we had no problems or upgrades. The van is a T5 T30 which basically means it maxes out at 3 tonne, so we had a little room to spare! Biggest issue is the speed, or lack of, especially going up hills 😂 but it’s done us proud! Cheers
First of all well done with the van build! I'm now subscribed and look forward to seeing your adventures. I'm looking into starting a DIY van conversion myself, for the van and the conversion what would you estimate it cost?
Hey Damien! Thank you so much for watching & subscribing. We have created a specific video on this - th-cam.com/video/jNRe6deykpo/w-d-xo.html But I think it’s fair to say it can be as much or a little as you want it to be - especially if you use 2nd hand/recycled materials. Good luck on the van build, what base vehicle are you looking at?👍👍🚐😍
We definitely could have shed some weight, used thinner wood etc! Fortunately we still came in well -under weight when we left on our travels, we had all our gear, full diesel tank, water etc. We’d probably pay more attention to it on our next build though 😊 cheers
That's something we overlooked, fortunately we had no issue. However we will be rectifying this, but we may be going for an under slung gas bottle in the future.
Hi Adam! The foam was supplied by Ace Foam. We sent our dimensions and what we wanted (3 inch foam with a 1 inch memory foam topper) and they sent it straight to our door! Took a bit to get used to but we love it now 😊 May be worth tearing foam if you’re unsure? Cheers
Hey! :) Here's a list of our vanlife build materials and products www.amazon.co.uk/shop/florathenoviceexplorers
That's the best conversion video on TH-cam
A breath of fresh air…
All 3 videos watched with interest.
Now I'll start watching your journey's.
Really enjoyed the three episodes which I have just binged on.
Great couple and cool van 💪🏻👌🏻
Hello! Ah brilliant :D glad you enjoyed them! We were so happy how the van turned out, currently doing a few upgrades so make it perfect (for us), it never ends :P Cheers
Loved the series. Well done. Watched it with my daughter, she kept laughing when your heads were popping out from behind the curtains, and now she starts every morning saying "energy energy energy!!!"
Gives me the inspiration to try something like this myself one day.
Oh wow! What have we done! 🤣🤣🤣 That has made us chuckle! Sorry about the swearing in the early days - we didn’t expect such young viewers! So lovely to know you are both watching! We highly recommend it... best decision we ever made! 👍😜❤️🚐
Fantastic! Watched all 3! You guys are such as inspiration. Thank you for making these videos, worts and all 😀you've done amazingly well. Enjoy your new and amazing adventures.
Thank you Eileen! Glad you found them helpful in some way. These videos were recorded a few years ago, and we've had many many fantastic adventures. All the effort we put in was repaid tenfold when we finally managed to hit the road and start travelling!
It's not easy or quick doing a van build, but that sense of satisfaction is immense, your van and your build series is lovely ❤️ just like you 💕 👍🤗
Sending you much love Woolleycod’s x 😘
Flora & The Novice Explorers 👍🤗
Really enjoyed Parts 1 2 and 3. Now the fun begins, looking forward to sharing your adventures.
Thank you Carol! We appreciate the feedback :) plenty of adventures uploaded, many more scheduled and a lot more to film! Thanks again :)
Flora looks absolutely fantastic, well done guys!!! Amazing job xxx
Cheers! We were happy how she turned out! A few changes have been made since, but overall it worked out great
A cracking 1 and a half hours watching of all 3 videos new to the transporter world such a great watch
Thanks Steve! We appreciate you saying that! Has the seed of vanlife been planted yet? 😜👍🚐
I've watched all three parts of your build now, and I have to say it was a joy! Lovely van, lovely quirky rustic conversion, lovely people!
Thanks David! Glad you enjoyed it. We’ve been travelling in the van for 9 months now and love it. We wouldn’t say it’s perfect but suits us well! Had a blast concerting it... mostly :p cheers again, appreciate it!
Great congratulations and best wishes for safe and happy trails
Thank you very much!
Just watched all three of your build videos...amazing, just such a clever build! Can’t believe how much your DIY skills improved and how much it’s given me the confidence to try myself.
Thankyou Andrew! We look back now and think the same! It’s given us more confidence to do so much more! Thanks for taking the time to comment! 🤘👍🚐
You Guys presented in a comprehensive and eclectic style! Thank you.
Thanks Stuart! We appreciate you taking the time to comment 👍
Great series of informative info thank you so much👍👍👍
Cheers Jarad! Glad you found it helpful :)
Love your van build, really enjoyed your videos. Love the kitchen, especially the way the kitchen sink is not permanent. The tap is gorgeous.
Thank you Alison 🙏 glad you enjoyed the videos 😊 yeah, very limited space in the van so not having a fixed sink seemed like a better idea. We love our tap too, it works like a charm 😉
What a conversation you guys should be so so proud of what you accomplished I’m looking to do something similar well done 👍👍👍👍
Cheers Scott! Yeah, we were happy with how it turned out 😊 good luck with yours, do you have a van already?
Amazing job guys !
Thanks Julien, we were really happy with how it turned out :)
Great job on the upholstery. It's transformed the van. I love the piping.
Yeah, it really did transform the whole feel of the van. Turned out better than we ever expected, my sister did a cracking job ;)
Ace videos, I've just started on the same, a lwb T5 early days but seriously enjoying getting stuck in and found your videos super helpful 👍🙏
Hi Ben! Glad you've found our vids helpful. We're still really happy with how the van turned out :) ah brilliant, how's the conversion going, got it all planned out or just seeing what happens? Is it your first conversion? Cheers!
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers yep first conversion, just got windows in the front and and barn doors, now stripped everything back , cleaned it all and started on the sound deadening. Quite a satisfying job eh! I'm definitely keen on a more rustic look, L shape or bench bed, big decision for me is pop top or not, I like the idea of extra headroom, light and ventilation, but obviously it's a fair chunk of money. Is it something you'd thought about? Once roof decided upon I'll crack on with electrics and get my final layout set! I bought one of the door stores after watching the video 👍
Sounds like you’ve got it mostly figured out! Which is a good start, we weren’t as prepared 😛 ah cool, the door store is a useful bit of storage for those odd bits and pieces! We’ve though about getting a pop top but we’ve never really seriously considered it, not yet at least. As you say they ain’t cheap 😛 plus we carry a fair bit of weight on the roof. But as we get older we may think about it a bit more seriously as the headroom would probably be handy on occasion!
Winter is here. You look fine in the hat. Just as well really. Stay away from those clippers Meg. Poor Cal. Stay safe guys. X
IT LOOKS SO GOOD. FITS YOUZ PERFECTLY. LOVE YOU BOTH. 💋💋 CANT WAIT FOR NEXT VIDEO.
Thank you Lisa ❤️
Enjoyed watching you guys from the start, love the tap idea, and especially the upholstery design, looking forward to further videos have a safe journey
The upholstery really finished the van off well! Couldn’t be happier with it. Tap is also doing well :D
Brilliant! I love the first bit, I have those dungarees- they are so practical! Good luck on your travels. Can’t wait to see what happens next xx
Thanks Tina! Dungarees are the best! Much love 💕 M x
I really enjoyed all 3 parts, Well presented and easy to understand , I have subbed to your channel !
Thanks Graham, glad you enjoyed them 😁👍 are you doing a conversion yourself?
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Hope too next year !
Absolutely brilliant job, stumbled across your van build the other day and what a fantastic job you have done. I love your seat coverings and your tap!! Great videos and I am now a subscriber to your channel. Well done
Cheers Mark, sorry for the slow response. We were really happy with how the van turned out considering our lack of skills :P Appreciate it!
Looks lush guys! Enjoy your travels 🚐
Really enjoyed the recap videos I've loved watching the built take shape i think i joined at about video 15 then spent an afternoon catching up on the ones id mist you chose a nice van to start with and turned it into something very special for what im guessing was not a lot of money a fantastic accomplishment in anyones book well done guys x
Thank you Richard! We appreciate you taking the time to leave such a lovely comment. Yes there’s certainly a feeling of accomplishment, knowing we did most of it on our own. Not much money spent on the build itself, we did have to buy some powers tools but we will have them for future projects. 👍😎
Very inspirational video series - the best I've seen on TH-cam on van conversions! Loved the recycle/upcycle approach, the seat covers, rustic yet very functional interior, everything really. One day...
Hello Stefan! 👋 thank you so much, appreciate the feedback! We were chuffed with how it turned out considering our HUGE lack of experience 😛 are you planning to do a conversion yourself?? Thanks again
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I've been bikepacking extensively in Norway and was always a little bit jealous on camper vans when it was pouring rain. l will definitely do it sooner then later - I don't wanna wait till I reach 65 like the vast population of camping sites.
Stefan A. Ah brilliant! Any must-see sights in Norway?? I’d love to go there next! Yeah, it’s a bit more comfortable in the rain 😛 best thing we did was to convert this van, so many happy memories made and many more to come! I’d tell anyone to go for it!!
I would go to Nordkap via Denmark, Sweden, Finland and back south keeping the west coast with Lofoten islands, Atlantic road and all the small fishing villages along the coast. The North is totally different compared to mainstream Europe. Very remote prestine and wild, expensive, but then you have the Nordic lights and midnight sun.
You guys did an amazing job!
Thanks Deryk! Didn’t think we’d ever “finish” the van at times :p however, we pushed on and are currently exploring the Outer Hebrides. Worth all the effort 👍
Guys just finished watching your 3 part van series and enjoyed it very much. It has been great watching 2 novices achieve a great looking van to how you wanted it
Now got to catch up on your travel blog and hope you're having a good time wherever you are at the moment. Safe travels Wayne x
Now all I need to do is grab me a cheap reliable van🤔
Cheers Wayne! Hope the van search goes well! We were really happy with how the van turned out. But we've since made a few changes since starting our travels 😊 we've got a couple more upgrades to do, but it's perfect for us now!
Thanks guys, just finished watching your UK tour and you are just about to go down the eat coast to catch the ferry over to Amsterdam.
It's been an enjoyable adventure for me just watching your videos as it has been for you guys making them!
Keep them coming and I hope to watch all of them through soon and get up to date with what and where you both are now...
Safe travels
Wayne x
You must be a glutton for punishment 😜 however, the videos do improve the longer we travel for! We really felt like we hit our stride in sardinia 😉 cheers!
Oh no I didn't really want to here where or what you've been up to yet as I'm watching all your videos on TH-cam from the oldest first.
I. E. Camper build and then your travels and I'm upto where you guys have left Dokkum in Amsterdam and then doing the modem review for the heater!
Anyway got to go now
And watch the next step of your journey....
Van life in the middle of nowhere
Noordpolderzijl episode 13
Safe travels
Wayne
@@waynecurtis951 oh dear, sorry! I'll keep my lips sealed :P my bad
You are awesome!!!
I'm saving money for some time now.
I'm hoping to get my T5 and convert it in a similar way.
Hope it all goes to plan! Took us a while to get the money to buy the van and then save for our travels. But worth every single penny 😊 good luck
Nice one guys, hope you are enjoying your travels, the missis and myself are just about to start doing up a Monavo and got a few good ideas from the videos, love the rustic feel you've gone for and I luv a bit of repurposing :)
Thanks you for your effort and time 😊 enjoy your hard work.
Hello! Hope you’re well! Ah, that’s exciting, is this your first conversion? Not sure if you’ve seen his channel but I think Vanlife.TV has/had a movano that was pretty rustic looking. We found his videos very helpful. Yeah, nothing wrong with a bit of repurposing, has worked well for us :p cheers, glad you liked the vids :)
Wow guys! What a great series of build videos.
I’ve now subscribed to your channel to see what you get up to in Flora.
May you have many years of happy travelling and camping.
Suggestion.... The NC500...... But take your time doing it. No need to rush.
Stay safe and well at this time.
😊👍🏻🏴
Hello Sandy! Thanks for your comment, hope the videos have been helpful/enjoyable.
We've now been in Flora for... 13 months! Haha, time flies! The conversion was worth all the headaches and stress :P Currently in Flora, up a mountain in Sardinia :)
We did do a tiny slither of the NC500 but will definitely be heading back to Scotland to do it justice. Thanks again, hope you're well.
very well done! Great and fun videos to watch :-) wish you the best!
Thank you Vincent 😊 glad you enjoyed the content! Hope you’re well!
Bloomin' eck. What brilliant videos (Parts 1,2 and 3)! Thank you SO much for making. I am currently in the process of buying my first van to do up and your videos have massively helped (and were very entertaining). Will definitely be re-watching, as well as the individual vids too. All the best and thanks again.
Hello! Ah fantastic! :) we’re glad they helped. We didn’t know how useful they’d be as we didn’t know what we were doing. But we are happy with how the van turned out, been living/travelling in it for about 9 months now and love it 😍 let us know how your conversion goes! Thanks again :)
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Thanks for the reply. Mine isn't going to be a full time travel (at the moment...haha) but just want to be able to go away when I want. I am looking at getting a T5 hence my initial interest in your 'do it up' video. As SO many are the same design (Rock n roll beds...cabinets in a row on back wall) but i don't need a set bed, I just want a good, useful design. So literally watching your vids have inspired me with ideas etc. My mate is helping me chuck ideas together using CAD. Due to current circumstances the van I want to buy I've had to put on hold due to money constraints...but the guy is in no rush to sell so hopefully will still be able to get it (As it's a beautiful teal colour AND automatic...#RareAs). Keep up your work...and like so many others say, I really appreciate the non-click bait type style.
@@benjaminstubbs-mindsetcoac5871 Ah cool, hopefully you got some cool ideas to implement in your conversion. We're really happy we went with this layout allowing us to move a little more freely through the van, it just works better for us. Lucky being able to get the help of mates, we had to rely on a few too! Haha. Sounds good, fingers crossed the transaction goes ahead sounds like a good van!
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I finally bought one... Daisy... already a campa but going to make her my own... :D I've set up a insta for her... instagram.com/daisythecampavan
Ah brilliant! Hope you have many memorable adventures 😊
Brilliant very well worth the effort of all your hard work great to watch and learn thanks for showing 👍👏👏
Glad you enjoyed it
Complimenti, avete fatto un bel van, siete stati bravi! Mancherebbe un riscaldamento (webasto) e un frigorifero e siete al completo. A parte che sarete abituati al freddo su in Inghilterra. Ora ve lo dovete godere! Buona strada! By By!
Grazie :) Siamo davvero contenti del furgone. Non è perfetto ma funziona bene per noi. Guarderemo i frigoriferi per il futuro :)
Nice work :) ❤️
Thank you 😊
Hi guys, what a great set of videos, very inspiring and accessible!
Can you say a little more about your base van? LWB or SWB and why. Is it a 2.5 or 1.9 again any reason for it? Thanks
Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed the content. Flora (our van) is a LWB, this was a very conscious decision. We wanted all the space we could get, although the van is only about 40cm longer than the SWB internally it adds up to a fair bit more room! PLUS we can still park in regular car parking spots etc and drive about small towns without issue. The ending is a 1.9, in hindsight we should have thought more about the engine & mechanics. Although this van is solid, we could always do with a bit more power! 6 gears and cruise control would’ve been handy too 😛 we somehow overlooked these semi-important specs, but back when we bought the van we really didn’t have much idea of what we actually needed. That being said, we’ve not long been back from 13 months around Europe. We had a great time and the van never let us down. We’re home now and planning upgrades and the next adventure!
ARB Awning looks awesome. Have you used the sides option in real life yet?
The awning is fantastic! We have used the sides, but only a couple of times. We’ve used them at festivals when we know we don’t have to move for a couple of days.
But we haven’t used them since we’ve been travelling. We’re trying to be a bit stealthy and we’re moving too often.
But will use them when we slow down and go on to sites etc
The person who did the upholstery,, does she mainly do car/van upholstery or more domestic stuff, I’m looking for someone who can do a bespoke boot mat for my Golf R,, and embroidery, thanks
I imagine she can do that for you, she does all sorts of stuff, she did megs sister beetle, our van, sofas, chairs - here her link to her page- send her a message with some pics of what you want ... (let her know we sent you 😜)
www.jomaupholstery.com
it is beautifull
Thank you 🙏
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers guys ive got my vw t5 finally im so happy, thank u for being a inspiration, i got u on instagram this is mine @orangeisthenewvan_official. I wish u the best!!!
Ah brilliant! We’ll follow your journey on Instagram 😊 hopefully many happy adventures to come!
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers thank you guys!!!!! (L)
Love the opening scene. I think you have done a truly fantastic job. Superb. I ha ve a factory built VW T5 California, but I reckon you van is nicer. Save up and get a pop top fitted, then you can stand up to cook and dress. Any reason you didn't buy a high roof van? Lucky you have access to a blacksmith, welder, upholsterer and you both worked well together.
How much did the van cost and how much did the fit out cost and how long did it take?
Haha, thanks! We had to re-watch the beginning of the video, it's been a while since we've seen it so forgot how it started!
We were really happy with how the van turned out, especially considering our experience and skill set. I'm not quite sure why we didn't have a serious look at high-top vans. We had a look at a mid-roof T5 van, but that's as far as we went. So far it hasn't been an issue, yes there's times when you wish you could stand up to make life a little easier, but we've got used to it now.
If we have the van for a long time I guess there's a possibility we'll look at adding a high top/pop-top.
We consider ourselves to be very lucky when it came to getting assistance with the build. A lot of people chipped in to make it what it is, would certainly have been a different outcome if we tried to tackle everything ourselves.
The van (including UK VAT at the time) cost us around £13,000 if I remember correctly. And the conversion cost us around £7,000. But that includes EVERYTHING, even new tools we had to buy etc. So certainly not cheap, we definitely could have saved money in places. But there were certain areas we wanted to splash out on,
It took us a long time to eventually get it done. We found it hard committing time to it when we were both working alternative shift patterns. The longer it went on the less energy we seemed to have for it, so I'm not exactly sure how long it took. Luckily we weren't in a rush, we knew we had a while to finish it before we planned to travel.
And we've still got upgrades to do, so I suppose it's never really finished :P
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Excellent - thank you. Thanks for reponding too. Many van folk don't respond to questions.
No worries, we try our best to stay on top of comments 😊
Great job guys!
Was just wondering what exactly do you mean by a scribing tool?
Thank you! :)
Basically my understand is... you can get certain tools that allow you to create exact copies of say the contours of the van, or a particularly awkward part of your furniture. You can then use the tool to apply that shape/contour directly to your material, let’s say wood and cut it to be the exact shape required.
I’ve probably butchered that! Haha, hope that makes a bit of sense? Basically it makes a template you can use to get the best fit!
Very nice 👍, sorry how much money need for all ~ , and how many days work fiinnsh . Thanks
Hi! The van cost us £13,000 (Inc U.K. VAT) and then we spent around £7,000 for the conversion (but that price includes ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, even tools we had to buy!). I don't know exactly how many days it took us, you could do it quite quickly. But we were in no rush and had clashing work schedules. We did it very slowly over the course of a couple of years or so. Hope that helps.
Really enjoyed watching the 3 videos, you have inspired me to have a go. Looking to purchase a Kombi as I am advised these are a good starter VW Transporter for converting.
Did you have any weight issues with all that wood inside the van, I have read that the rear suspension can be upgraded if weight is going to be an issue.
Cheers Peter! Glad they helped :) ah brilliant, yeah we see a lot of people going down the Kombi route! We haven’t had any issues with weight. When the van is completely full of water, gas, bikes, food, everything basically put weight was 2.6 tonne and we had no problems or upgrades. The van is a T5 T30 which basically means it maxes out at 3 tonne, so we had a little room to spare! Biggest issue is the speed, or lack of, especially going up hills 😂 but it’s done us proud! Cheers
First of all well done with the van build! I'm now subscribed and look forward to seeing your adventures. I'm looking into starting a DIY van conversion myself, for the van and the conversion what would you estimate it cost?
Hey Damien! Thank you so much for watching & subscribing. We have created a specific video on this - th-cam.com/video/jNRe6deykpo/w-d-xo.html
But I think it’s fair to say it can be as much or a little as you want it to be - especially if you use 2nd hand/recycled materials. Good luck on the van build, what base vehicle are you looking at?👍👍🚐😍
Two words : Too heavy !A camper van is not a farm house . LOL
We definitely could have shed some weight, used thinner wood etc! Fortunately we still came in well -under weight when we left on our travels, we had all our gear, full diesel tank, water etc. We’d probably pay more attention to it on our next build though 😊 cheers
Drop vent for gas safety?
That's something we overlooked, fortunately we had no issue. However we will be rectifying this, but we may be going for an under slung gas bottle in the future.
Where did you get the foam mattress?
Hi Adam! The foam was supplied by Ace Foam. We sent our dimensions and what we wanted (3 inch foam with a 1 inch memory foam topper) and they sent it straight to our door! Took a bit to get used to but we love it now 😊 May be worth tearing foam if you’re unsure? Cheers
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