Vansformation: The podcast all about self-build van conversions

Welcome to Vansformation Episode 20! Following up from VF 19, which explored 5 reasons NOT to put a woodburning stove into your vehicle conversion, this episode brings 5 reasons you should consider it. This episode features: Safe installation and use of a solid fuel heater in a van conversion What woodburner size is right to keep you toasty warm in a campervan Considerations for the design of your space around the woodburner Why I unabashedly love it and personally feel it can be a safe choice if approached with some precautions

Merry Crimblewinter, the 2nd series of Vansformation starts today!    All rested up after the break, the show’s theme for the next year is more: more solo episodes, more interviews, more of the time.  Campervan builders self-builders, van converters and anyone who dreams of a land ship of your own making, welcome in. Almost a year after this podcast launched the podcast kicks off with one of two episodes on one of the dark arts of van conversion:  wood burning stoves.   Also known as woodstoves or multifuel heaters, they are beloved by some van self-builders and considered a sign of very poor judgement by others.   But, what are the real considerations behind whether they are a good idea for your vehicle conversion or not?  Today I talk about 5 very good reasons not to put a woodburning stove in your van.     Time stamps (one of the many cool things starting in Series 2) : Intro, including stating the obvious by way of a disclaimer - 1:36 Reason 1: Cost - 4:05 Reason 2: Monitoring and safety - 5:39 Reason 3: Fire fiddly-ness - 7:04 Reason 4: Weight 9:16 Reason 5: Campsite problems: 10:34 Stay tuned for the next episode for the opposite view – 5 good reasons it is to put a woodburning stove in a vehicle, plus installation tips and the science behind them.   And, we all know science makes a holiday tipple and a figgy pud even better.

Rob and Emily are a young couple who just completed a beautiful self-built nautical style Mercedes Sprinter van conversion.  Rob enjoyed the project so much he has started to take a few commissions to help others enjoy a custom campervan conversion. Their van was designed for long-term use from the beginning.  They plan to move into it this coming Spring for extended vanlife adventures as they travel the UK and Europe. Tune in to hear about their most important features on a campervan designed for extended travel, how they worked through a major build failure and their preparations for vanlife. Related Links Rob and Emily's website, The Road is Our Home VF Episode 18, Interview with Greg Virgoe on Insulation Tomislav Perko's TED Talk, How to travel the world with almost no money

Jon is a graphic designer with a history of interesting mechanically oriented projects, including building a close replica of a 1953 MG TF (from a Triumph Herald base vehicle). He’s now on his third van conversion, a Vauxhall Vivaro purchased as an unfinished project.   'Sylvester' the van is now complete, and was recently featured in Campervan magazine. Jon talks about making a medium size van feel spacious, adding upcycled vintage details to the conversion and his recent experiences renting out his van.  Tune in for creative conversion ideas with copper tubing, the charming awning his partner made and mounting solar panels on a pop-top roof.

No DIY Mojo, No Problem Pete and Alfie are the dynamic duo behind 'Pete's Pizzas', a mobile catering business that brings wood-fired pizzas to events.  Their wood-fired pizza oven is on a trailer towed behind a lovingly styled vintage aesthetic self-built campervan. All of this despite: Pete nor Alfie being formally trained pizza chefs and Pete himself describing past DIY attempts as 'grim' But, they took action, pulled in resources and knowledge from elsewhere and went after their van and pizza business with enthusiastic experimentation. We talk about converting a van as part of a start-up enterprise, how they did it and a little about good pizza. Listen in to find out the mistakes they learned from the most and how you can do this too. If you are ever in Suffolk, they often have their (delicious!) pizza at a farm café there, catch them on the socials to find out where they are going next. Relevant Links Pete's Pizza website Blue Rabbit Caféin Suffolk, England - where Pete's Pizza often makes an appearance Pete's Pizza: Twitter, Instagram, Youtubeand Facebook Want to van converting articles direct to your inbox?  Sign up for the Vansformation newsletter.

Mechanical Services Engineer Greg Virgoe and the Facts About Van Conversion Insulation Greg Virgoe is a engineer and designer with over 30 years of construction experience with a speciality in heating and cooling systems.  He's also just finishing a campervan conversion to travel Europe for a year with his partner, Lou.   The couple are setting off this August, be sure to follow their real-life accounts of extended travel in the campervan. This episode is a in-depth exploration of the technical and practical side of insulation, and the reasons behind what really works. Listen in for: What is the K value, R value and what do they mean to a van conversion self builder? All about vapour barriers What is the truth about foil lined bubble wrap, is it any good, and why? How can I choose the right materials for insulating my van conversion? What I learned the hard way about using expanding foam in a van conversion Relevant Links Greg's Youtube channel Greg's Youtube video"The Facts About Campervan Insulation" Vansformation planning guide blog essay Part Iand Part II so you put the holes in the right place before the insulation.  Like SketchUp?  It's big at Vansformation too, and Greg has made some cool plans in the 3-D Warehouse. 

Professional Food Truck Converter Andrew Coe Today's guest is the affable but very knowledgeable Andrew Cole, from FoCo Food Trucks in Fort Collins, Colorado. We talk base vehicles, regulations, sealing leaks, keeping a food truck cool and a fairly offensive sandwich (that I would definitely eat).  If you are planning or dreaming of converting a vehicle for use in catering, this episode is a must listen. Relevant Links FoCo Food Trucks Twitter,  Facebook and Website  Wikipedia article on my favourite frozen dessert: gelato!  Foodtruckr website (started by the same person who ran my podcast course #smallworld)

Anthony Bourdain was an top level flaneur, willing to wander and risk a long trip back for the rewards of discovery.   He showed us the world, and still dictates how I wash-up nonstick cookware.  There is wisdom in his writing, travel programmes and general hijinks for those of us creating self-built vans, for both the building journey and the journey after.   Show notes for Vansformation episode 13

Welcome to Episode 12 of the Vansformation podcast!   In this solo episode I discuss 8 practical ways to save your hard-earned cash on building the van conversion of your dreams.  These apply to your van conversion project no matter the type: motorhome, food truck, mobile studio, live-in campervan or any other.   I know these because have experienced the benefits of following this advice myself, and the consequences of not always applying it.  Consistently following all 8 of these would have saved me at least £2000 on my current van.   It actually would have saved more, but I stopped keeping close records of expenses at a certain point because it was a little too painful to watch.    They are definitely lessons which will be with me on all upcoming projects.  Listen in for all the details. Where to find the van building tips in the podcast:  8. Buy secondhand 4:10 7. Spread the build  5:19 6. A critical eye for forum advice 8:42 5. Borrow, responsibly 11:36 4. Resist buying too much, too soon 13:14 3. Use domestic 15:36 2. Minimise exterior paintwork 17:54 1. Practise (and yes, that's spelled correctly.) 19:09 Relevant Links Vansformation blog on top tools to invest in VF Podcast Episode 10, featuring Simon and his van, Finn Gone with the Wynns video on adapting dishes for 'RV' use

Today’s guest is Kate Powell, one half of the duo behind The Errant Stage, a mobile performance venue with drop down stage build on a bright red Iveco Luton van base.   Kate is a puppeteer and theatre facilitator who has done the van conversion herself, along with several friends and family.    The Errant Stage will be doing the Big Red Poetry tour at Wandsworth Fringe Festival next week, featuring live and pre-recorded performances as well as a creative writing workshop and open mic session. Kate talks about building a dual purpose van conversion which incorporates a public facing activity and private living quarters.  She also shares how she painted the van and gives behind the scenes tips on using crowd funding to enable a van conversion as part of a larger innovative service or arts project. Vansformation Episode 11 shownotes: http://vansformation.com/11/  

Today’s episode features an interview with Simon Newbury.  Simon is a designer who has been living in and creating gorgeous small spaces for over a generation. Even though you are unlikely to know his name, if you have ever looked at campervan builds on Pinterest, you will have seen his beautiful self built Mercedes Vito campervan Finn. This is the second of two ‘café conversations’ in the run up to the Camp Quirky handmade campervan festival. In this episode we talk making a van conversion budget stretch, creating an effective campervan design, heating systems and more from his generation of experience. If you are listening to this episode when it premieres, there is still a chance for tickets to see Simon at myself at Camp Quirky.  He will be discussing heating systems and I’ll be doing a workshop on van conversion planning.

Bit of a different format this week - one of two podcast cafe chat episodes over the next few weeks.   In this 'prequel' episode 8 I have a conversation with Cat Large.   She is the founder of Cat Upholstery custom trimming service in central Bristol, England.  (As she explains in the episode the 'trimmer' does all the elements of a vehicle's interior upholstery, not just cutting it!)  Together with her husband, John, she has converted a yellow delivery van into ‘The Honeybee’, a bee-themed campervan. We discuss partnering with a professional to outsource upholstery work in your van and top tips working with soft furnishings yourself in a van conversion. Cat also talks about how the bright yellow colour of the van became an inspiration to use their van to provide an educational experience. Relevant Links Camp Quirky: Handmade Campervan Festival 2018 tickets Cat Upholstery website and Instagram The Honeybee van:Hire it out here Youtube videos by Tiny House Giant Journey, featuring The Honeybee van, here and hereFeature in a Quirky Campers Blog

Graham Kelly bought his self-built LDV postal van for European adventures with his wife before having children, but soon found himself radically rebuilding the van to meet the needs of 3. He is also the club secretary and forum moderator for the Self-Build Motor Caravan Club (SBMCC). Graham met the challenges of multiple leak repairs, rust and completely reconfiguring his van with the support of his wife Gemma.   Now the van is still going strong and has become a 4th of the family (or is the son the 4th member, as the van technically came first?). He also talks about the SBMCC and how inspirational this group has been to him during the course of the van build. Highlighted Links Self Build Motor Caravan Club (SBMCC)  Blog post featuring Graham's van - look for the red LDV and the young model!

Episode 7: Interview with the builder of the UK's first American school bus to motorhome conversion This episode of the Vansformation podcast features an interview with Tim Brassey, who was starred on George Clark’s Amazing Spaces for his American School Bus to motorhome conversion.  Van conversions are a long standing British tradition, but Tim’s bus is the first ‘Skoolie’ officially registered as a converted motorhome in the UK. We talk about about design, overcoming build challenges, and a bit of improv when Tim had to figure out how to remove the steering wheel sharpish at the initial bus inspection.  He also dishes a little about what it feels like to be involved as the subject of a design-build television programme. Tim’s determination to find a solution to every obstacle has resulted a groovy rolling festival-ready retreat.  Listen in and enjoy the show. Show notes and highlighted links are at Vansformation.com

Episode 6: Spice it up with a goal setting and task management system created for van converters Staying consistent is the key to a successful motorhome or campervan build.   In this podcast episode we go into detail on the Spice Level Goal method: a quick, straightforward structure for keeping on track with a van conversion project. This method was designed just for van builders and other creative makers.   Many other systems were helpful but didn't have the flexibility, speed and accountability I needed when doing van conversions. Taking inspiration from neurology, business productivity models, coaching (and a love of Indian takeaways), this model has practicality in mind. The method has been enormously useful and is the one I use for managing tasks now on a wide range of projects. Listen in for an episode all about the Spice Level Goal method and how to apply it to your own self-build. Show notes and a downloadable file are available here. Highlighted Links A Life of Productivity: Chris Bailey's productivity experiment website Positive Change Guru: Practical mindfulness tools

Episode 5: Injured or unwell during the van conversion, now what? How can a self-build campervan or other van conversion project progress when you are dealing with an injury or illness? This podcast features three different options to minimise delays, make the most of the time and keep the project momentum going. In this episode I discuss a practical method to adapt your approach through what can be a challenging time. The method is based on principles from rehabilitation, experiments in productivity and personal experience with a significant back injury during building my current van conversion.  Listen in to find out the 3 options to manage a campervan self-build project.   If you would like to download this file to your computer, right click or cntl+click here Relevant Links If this was helpful, you may also enjoy the Top 10 Lessons for new campervan builders essays, part I and part II.

Episode 4: Interview With a Vanlife Filmmaker on Adapting a Westfalia for Full-Time Use This is an unmissable podcast episode for anyone considering converting a van for a long-term journey or indefinite home base.  Armando Costantino, the filmmaker of ‘Vanlife: Portrait of an Alternative Lifestyle’ tells us how he discovered and adapted the van which has become his home for the last several years.   He shares his mobile tiny home with his partner, Mel (who is also the narrator on the film).   It was a pleasure discussing his first hand experience of taking a pre-built campervan and modifying it significantly to meet his life and film making work demands.  This includes a creative, very space conscious shower design not quite like one I’ve heard of anywhere else. He also shares the 2 things you should do before starting a van conversion for full time living. Armando has made his film available in it’s entirety completely free on Youtube. If you enjoyed the podcast, would really appreciate if you could take a few minutes to review it in your podcast player.  This helps other current and future van conversion warriors find it.  Enjoy the episode! If you would like to download this file to your computer, right click or cntl+click here Highlighted links Westfalia Digital Nomads - Armando and Mel's website Essay on the story behind the film Vanlifers: Portrait of an Alternative Lifestyle Vanlifers: Portrait of an Alternative Lifestyle on Youtube

Episode 3: RoadPro Interview Lithium batteries are gaining progressively more attention as an alternative to traditional deep cycle options for van conversions.  In this episode of the Vansformation podcast I interview Andy, the owner of RoadPro who has been working with 12 volt electrical systems in campervans for more than 40 years. Andy owned the motorhome featured in the Haynes Manual Build Your Own Motorcaravan book for a while and talks about that build in detail. He also gives his perspective on lithium batteries, online forums and what really matters in a self-build campervan design. If you would like to download this file to your computer, right click or cntl+click here Subscribe to the Vansformation podcast via iTunes here. Right click or cntl+click here to download this episode to your computer. Highlighted Resources and Links Haynes Manual How to Build Your Own Motorcaravan by John Wickersham RoadPro motorhome and vehicle power systems and accessories

An interview with Quirky Campers, where self-builders can hire out their own van conversions. Excellent advice for anyone doing a van conversion, especially those considering renting it out in future.  Key Highlights: Techniques used in Quirky Campers’ original van, Bella What they want people just starting out with a van conversion to know What you must consider if you are thinking of hiring out your self-build van conversion Please give us a review if you enjoyed the episode, it helps other current and future van conversion warriors find the podcast. Highlighted Links:Quirky Campers WebsiteQuirky Campers’ Facebook group for van converters looking to hire David’s blog about gas (LPG) and weight April 2018 Camp Quirky

The first episode of the Vansformation podcast is here at last. There has been a lot of work behind the scenes to put the podcast together.  This is a day to celebrate here at Vansformation HQ!  It’s a shorter episode, but a  practical one. The topic of our first podcast episode is something which challenges every van converter, even professional ones: finding time.  The podcast features some actionable steps to analyse realistically where you could make time to do a campervan build, or if this isn’t the right time to start at all.  We also get into some ideas to fight some of the gremlins that make us feel we don’t have time. BONUS: Shortly after releasing this episode, I came across a really useful article on the Zapier blog with some specific time tracking app suggestions. Worth a butcher’s!