Australia has an enormous market of campervans which are run to the ground by backpackers until they become a bomb and eventually burn or simply become a flower pot. Noticing it was particularly hard to find a properly maintained campervan, I decided to purchase a working van and make it a campervan myself.

I had to travel 300 km northbounds from Melbourne to get this 1999 beauty by Mazda, a SWB E2000 van. 

According to the previous owner it had been a bakery van, then he, a car mechanic and trailer welder, bought it and kept it mostly collecting dust in his backyard until I happened to become its happy owner.

The van was fairly scratched and dirty inside, so a good cleaning and painting session was done, followed by laying some new flooring, made of a thick yoga mat, also lessening the bumps from the corrugated floor.

A vinyl flooring was then installed and the side and top finish received a new fabric to hide scratches and dents.

In Australia I had nothing but a Swiss knife and a cheap battery powered drilling machine, so the design had to be as simple as possible. A great aid was that the hardware store Bunnings had a service of sawing wood in straight lines.

The internal space was measured and the furniture was designed according to a few constraints. The height of the bed was made high enough so as to fit a plastic container or a water jerry can below it, but also not too high allowing someone (me) to sit comfortably with no neck pain. The other requirement was to have a bed length of at least 2 meters, and the remaining space would be used for a little wardrobe.

Planks were laid on thick wooden pillars, allowing the middle boards to sit on without the need of long rims. To make the bed layout you just need to slide the middle board.

And flip the mattress.

Ta-da!

 

The van was carrying: 10-cube wardrobe, a 130x200 bed, two times 10 litters jerry cans of water, spare tire, ukulele, surfboard, two solar showers, esky, portable stove, a toolbox and two underbed boxes for a complete kitchen set and food storage.

 

I had it for 8 months and drove all over Victoria and New South Wales with it, but used it mainly for weekend surf trips to the Great Ocean Road, summing up to 8'000 km.

 

I really miss this van!