The idea of motor homing began to form in July this year. By the beginning of August, I had decided that it was possible and begun to think about how it could be achieved. I started to research what others had done, and been kind enough to publish on the web. Almost immediately I came across someone who had done almost exactly what I was thinking of doing. He had loaded a series of short video clips onto YouTube showing the stages of building his motor home (see below). Once one has a starting point, then research goes off in all sorts of directions, not all of them useful, but in doing so he builds up knowledge. Over the next month, I looked at hundreds of articles and blogs, some of the most useful of which I have referenced below.
My choice of van was easy. Currently, I work for a motor dealership that has both Vauxhall and Ford franchises. That makes both the Vauxhall Movano and Ford Transit available. Having looked at both, I have settled on the Movano. I shall buy the Movano long wheel base, high roof version. That gives me a good sized interior and a well built van.The engines are solid and good for several hundred thousand miles and under the Opel banner are sold in quantity in Europe, so repairs and servicing should be straight forward. Knowing what van I shall buy has allowed me to park that issue and to focus on the detail of the interior design. By the middle of October, I was settled on the layout and most of the equipment I shall use. Time to head off to the Motor Home and Caravan Show at the NEC.
Confronted with a plethora of motorhomes, I concentrated on those with a similar layout and of a similar size. Little point, I reasoned, in studying vast motorhomes that had far more space and so much wider options of layout and which I could not afford to buy, or run, probably. I was encouraged to find that in essence the layout was an industry standard one. Minor variations occured mostly depending on where one wants the kitchen. That drives the location of the bathroom, the other major variable. I love cooking and eating and so, for me, the kitchen needed to be on the side with the sliding door. That would allow me to be looking out while I prepare and cook. I studied the various manufacturers details and have cribbed as much as I thought useful.
Before I went to the show, I created a spreadsheet on which I itemised every component I could think of. It has continued to grow and is very much a living document. Whenever I search for a component, or read about something new, I record the item, its price and where I can get it from. When I find a better supplier, I amend it. It will be very interesting to see how it compares with the actuals when I start buying. The other real value at the NEC show was the accessory suppliers. Having decided on what I needed, I was able to go and talk to the suppliers, learn about new products and get technical guidance. All of that was really helpful.
This planning phase will last until about the middle of next year when I shall buy the van. There will then follow, what seems to me at the moment, the most difficult aspect of this project, the transition. But I will post separately on that later. My next posts will be discussing the design of the various 'rooms'. I hope that you find them useful.
William's video-clips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS9EwRJ0Rmk
www.motohomeplanet.co.uk
www.deepredmotorhome.com
