DIY Mercedes Vito Camper Van Conversion! // START TO FINISH // STEP BY STEP // HOW TO

AND FINALLY, 4 months later, our self build, DIY camper van conversion is fully complete, and here's exactly how we did it! From the pallet wood walls, to a pull out bed and fully functioning kitchen! Hopefully there's a good idea or two that you can take away from the video - leave a comment below to let us know!
Read our van conversion guide, tips & regrets:
www.bythecompass.com/post/201...
Van Build Video Series:
• Converting A Camper Va...
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In Our Van:
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Containers: ebay.to/2NElssE
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Van Build:
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[@ByTheCompass]

🙌Check out our blog post for a list of all the products we used and a tonne of IMPORTANT EXTRA INFO! 🙌 www.bythecompass.com/post/2019/03/05/diy-mercedes-vito-van-conversion-how-to

[@melancholymitch7798]

Finally a decent Vito conversion video!🙌🏻 Really awesome, looks great guys

[@blackwhite9177]

Wow just wow, u did a fantastic job my friend. Let’s the journey begin

[@cassandram4259]

Omg. This is awesome. You did great. Would love to see more. Didn't know you could get a kitchen sink in this. Thanks guys.

[@abdalraoufasker9757]

Wow❤️😎great job and what an amazing video

[@Vic-ng8if]

Great job. Well done folks.

[@sinetwo]

That's really impressive!

[@tunercamp]

The white car inside is so pretty, I'm making it in Korea, so it's helpful

[@sevimtacyildiz9046]

Congralations. Maybe best of the camper project ! 👌👏💐

[@grzegosz6151]

love you and your van :))) great job!!!

[@murrayforbes]

Great work guys!! Enjoy it!!

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks a lot Murray!

[@jatorresrv]

WOW! Well done! Thanks for sharing!

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate that ❤️

[@gornmusic719]

So nice!

[@zm2721]

Great video 👍🏻

[@elenaalvarez2018]

Amazing work!! Thanks for sharing :)

[@ByTheCompass]

Thank you! Really appreciate it!

[@jayjay84878]

Beautiful well done 👍

[@AngelDebstar316]

Mad Build! thanks for sharing!

[@ByTheCompass]

Thank you!

[@THISORGANIZZATI]

Top guyss🎉

[@014london70]

Inspiring! Great stuff.

[@ByTheCompass]

thanks a lot!

[@myindiefilms]

amazing work and a creative couple

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks a lot Alexandre!

[@schmidaaron]

Hello very nice Camper expansion greetings from Switzerland 🤠

[@SewCool-Ideas]

Amazing!

[@samsungpapasouzas3163]

So great.. it needs a lot of personal time to achieve but it is worthy.. I'm in the same condition.. in searching to find my new camper van as you.. me and my wife we love travels..

[@Mrhaydentv]

Greta video!

[@tye6090]

Always interesting watching an amateur using tools. Looks great

[@ByTheCompass]

haha love that! and thank you!

[@paulc3482]

Nice very impressive got a nice beach hut vibe going there. nice cheap innovative design

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks a lot! Super comfy and cosy to stay in, and all works really well!

[@zbudujsamdom]

Superb 💪

[@ByTheCompass]

thank you!

[@nogerboher5266]

Skoda

[@esotericist]

Great video. I lived in a Citroen Xsara Picasso for 18 months. So I'm an expert at the living in a car business! I'm now contemplating a Vito. Here's my question. WHAT are you drilling in to when you are doing the ceiling? Is the roof double skinned or something? So thge screws don't stick oout of the roof on top of the van? (I know. silly question. Self tapping screws I assume?). Ditto the floor. Drilling straighrt into the metal. What's on the other side? Thanks.

[@pedronunosequeira]

Hi , congratulations for your fabulous van. Can you tell me witch mercedes Vito model is, and year? Thanks

[@georgefarmer1759]

Do have dims of the bed and kitchen framing or even a sketch with dims on please?

[@mart446]

What is that alufoil insulation you installed on top of the rock wool ?

[@elju8854]

Wow ! It's beautiful, is hit possible To see the plans ?

[@sobibati]

well done !!!

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks a lot!

[@helenmartin7368]

Hi, What's the internal measurements of your vito living space? Thanks!

[@coldflame999]

amazing !

[@ByTheCompass]

Thank you!

[@theabandonedhunter3604]

Just come across your video and wow, great effort guys!! I’m thinking of getting a Vito and getting it converted. Is yours a SWB? I’ve looked at other brands of vans but people keep telling me a Vito would be the best option if I am clocking up a lot of miles…

[@samsungpapasouzas3163]

I want some opinions about 2 models which one to choose as a result of qualities and total parts and prices of them when needed.. Mercedes benz vito '00 -'04 , '05 -'10 and second choice vw transporter t4 vs t5..? Also i intend to install a lift up kit because we love mountains and snow not molds..

[@lollipopper7878]

How did you insulated the wheel houses?

[@information7288]

Good Job friend

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks a lot!

[@raraavis7782]

Well, that’s some serious isolation, you got going there! Planning to head north? I‘m just considering the pros and cons of isolation and a separate heating system. Like your built a lot...looks very ‚doable‘. Would love to see more.

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks for the kind words! For us, it was a bit of a no brainer and we don’t think we would have done it much different, so we’re happy :) We didn’t really consider a heater though - that would be a game changer for the winter!

[@_samarajoyce]

Love this! We just bought a Mercedes Vito and this is so helpful! Love your design! What did you do in terms of a fridge or cooler?

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks, that's awesome! An 12v electric powered cool box from Halfords fits nicely under the kitchen/cooker overhang bit!

[@rubencaballerogonzalez553]

Estaría genial que aportaras las medidas

[@roadboogie]

awsome 🤙

[@ByTheCompass]

Thank you!

[@sobibati]

naice one !!!

[@craigmarks4556]

Hi, Can you tell me if you have screwed in to the metal work? if you have what have you done to stop moisture getting in to the metal work?

[@the_useless_photographer]

I suspect it was a bodge job that will rust to death in 3 years. It wasn't done properly. The insulation will trap water and moisture and rot. No sound barrier first.

[@anitarichins9770]

Just wondering where you housed the spare wheel? We are about to convert a 2006 Vito

[@ByTheCompass]

Awesome! Good luck with it 🙏 we didn’t have one and luckily haven’t needed one. Think with the weight and space of it, I wouldn’t have kept it in anyway

[@neilcross7924]

Looks great !! Can I just ask what do you screw to when doin the roof , obvs you don’t just screw right thru the roof???😂

[@ByTheCompass]

Hey Neil, thanks! No definitely not - you should check out our blog post and other videos here: www.bythecompass.com/post/2019/03/05/diy-mercedes-vito-van-conversion-how-to

[@matt.banton]

Awesome build! Just wondered how the Vito is going, have you found it to be reliable? I will be buying a van to convert soon, considering a 2008 - 2011 Vito

[@ByTheCompass]

Hey Matt. Thanks a lot and sorry for not responding sooner! Even with close to 200k miles the van runs great! No mechanical issues at all (*touch wood*), although I did wake up to a flat battery a few days a go! haha... I believe ours is a 2012, but I could be wrong... it's 2008-2012 anyway.

[@shakers4u]

I've been looking for one of these vans... Is it a 'van' on the DVLA form and for the insurance? I hear that it is now harder to change the status of a vehicle from van to camper but that if you do this you can get cheaper insurance?

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks for the comment Ben & sorry for not responding sooner. It is classified as a van, or light goods vehicle. I've heard the same thing about it being harder to change to a camper. But at the same time, the process to give it a go doesn't look too hard to do so may be worth a try. I think the issue is that a lot of people go down the 'stealth' route when converting which the DVLA don't like.

[@odisey95]

NICE

[@ByTheCompass]

thank you!

[@burhamkarimb560]

❤️

[@victoriasanchez1960]

I'd like to see the bed extended... is there much space? Does any one know how these do in the snow, and are they ever warm enough to overnight in at the ski slopes?

[@ByTheCompass]

Hey Victoria! The bed is about 1.2m wide when extended, just enough for us two, plenty for one. The van has been to the Alps before it was converted and was great. With a heater and decent insulation to retain the heat, I think you’ll have no problem... Although with lots of gear you’ll likely want a roof box or something.

[@SsSpeedySpice]

No sound deadening ?

[@KevDerBackpacker]

What a skip at 4:08.. How you do it with the water?

[@ainik20]

Silly question - but when you drill the wood beam to the metal floor of the van, do you need to drill through? Do you need to seal it somehow?

[@MrScart35]

Yes you do need to seal the bare metal. Their work looks nice on the video but it will start rust underneath as soon as the first rain hits and moisture in the air increases.

[@ainik20]

@@MrScart35 That's what I suspect. Thank you so much for answering that!

[@the_useless_photographer]

@@ainik20 most proper builds glue the wooden batons to the flooring to stop rusting. This job wasn't done correctly and I pity a future unsuspecting buyer who thinks that they're buying a properly done camper.

[@DeepSideLow]

did they just screw the wood in the metal frame??

[@Watcheswhileeating]

I wondered that too

[@michelpouk]

Hi guys! Nice Job with the Vito. I'm interested in buying one to convert it. Can you give me the size of your Van? Here in France, we have 3 differtents lenghts (L1,L2 or L3). Is it the same in the UK? It will help me get a better idea of how I can convert my van. Cheers.

[@ByTheCompass]

Thanks a lot! I believe that ours is just standard... Shortest out of the lot I would say. About 1.6m width by 2.2m length from the back doors to the front seats (main area only) from what I can remember! Hope that helps!

[@suzukis600r02]

super........

[@ByTheCompass]

Thank you!

[@Adam_Adam_Adam_Adam]

Nice build! What was the total cost of the conversion?

[@ByTheCompass]

Thank you! Only about £1k all in - have been meaning to do a break down of the costs on our blog for a while so will hopefully do that soon.

[@ByTheCompass]

I say “only” as a comparison to some of the other builds I’ve seen on youtube... It’s obviously still a fair bit of £££

[@Adam_Adam_Adam_Adam]

Sweet, that's a tidy van for not a lot of cash 👌

[@burhamkarimb560]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@yasinkun6486]

👋👋👍👍👍

[@itisaisyah]

What year is this van?

[@ByTheCompass]

2009 :)

[@maxl308]

The car definitely can’t breathe.

[@peterstone172]

Good, except gas inside? Carbon monoxide poisoning? I wouldn't be having that butane burner inside, outside yes.

[@georgie4808]

But you didn’t show it with the bed out. 🤯😱😤😢😭

[@jj8526]

I've watched countless van builds and I can't for the life of me figure out the reason van builders install the wooden walls and roofs....🤔🤔

[@tobiasbaumgartner3108]

First i saw two Girls, later i saw that one of the girls have haire in her face...

[@teflonpan115]

seriously, what's the point of an electric water source? Isn't that just a waste of battery? Just hang a water tank at the top and let the water pour down. Done. I mean, am I missing something here? I'm not trying to sound mean.

[@ByTheCompass]

Hey, I know what you mean! I'm not sure why we went down this route... When we looked into it, it didn't seem too hard to do so it just ended up this way. I think for a van of this size, we were already battling with limited space, and limited counter space. Im sure it would've been possible to work out if we thought about it more though.