DIY VW T5 Camper Conversion - Start To Finish, Van Life UK (2/3) Beginner Build

[@flybobbie1449]

Make sure you give the carpet material a good hoover.

[@KeyserTheRedBeard]

cool upload Flora & The Novice Explorers. I crushed that thumbs up on your video. Always keep up the good work.

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thanks very much 😊 we appreciate it!

[@in-the-vanpeter5157]

You know this already but totally love you two I could listen to you for hours. Floras birth has been a journey for sure but the end finish makes her one of the best out there .👍👍👍😉

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Haha, thanks as always Peter! :) appreciate your comments!

[@placestosea]

good idea using the Ikea slats, more people should do the same.

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thank you 😊 we think they worked out well! In fact we’ve got a video coming out this Friday reviewing our bed making as we’ve been sleeping on it for a year! The slats are a major positive ☺️

[@moklessvai303]

thank you very much

[@elainewillcox6053]

I keep rewatching you build videos to help us with our own build and every time the intro cracks me up! Energy, energy, energy :)

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hello Elaine :) haha, great! Hope the videos have been useful? How's your conversion going? Thank you =)

[@elainewillcox6053]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers we have only had the van (T5) a few weeks, it had after market back seats in which have been a bit of a pain to get out. So now to tackle the huge task of sound proofing and lining. We will only be weekend travelers as my partner needs it for work also. He has the task of working out a removable bed system at the moment :( Thank you for all your videos we love watching xxx

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Ah brilliant, first conversion? Oh dear, yeah we've seen people pulling out their hair trying to remove those seats! Sound deadening & insulation is a BIG undertaking but we did find it quite... satisfying :P but it did seem to go on, at least you only need to do it once. Have you got a removable design in mind or are you doing it from scratch, would love to see how it turn out :)

[@elainewillcox6053]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers yes first time and it would be fair to say no idea but we are watching lots of KZbin videos and we have some friends near by they have tried a basic frame that comes part so we need to have a look at it and see if it might work for us x

[@jerbiusha8207]

I like how you build the bed

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thanks Jerbi! It works well for us 👍

[@TubbyTrialTeam]

Nicely put together content Great van and great work well done

[@wosufvai5321]

Thanks for watching our video

[@graham8854]

Epic build 😀 Love your styling! We are looking to buy and convert a van and your video series has really helped. Thanks 👍

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hi Graham! Thanks a lot 😁 we were chuffed with how it turned out in the end! Glad that our videos helped somewhat, wish you luck with your conversion

[@richcurtis813]

I don't know if you know, but you can make your own chalk paint at a fraction of the cost of brands like Annie Sloane. All you need is emulsion of your colour choice and a tub of limestone flour ( it's basically crushed chalk, used as a mineral supplement for horses) available from most country feed suppliers. To each litre of paint add approx 2-3 heaped tbsn of limestone flour, it doesn't need to be accurate. Then add enough water to get a thick single cream like consistency. Voilà! Keep and use as normal chalk paint. Dries super fast and sands down brilliantly.👍

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

That’s good to know! And for anyone else who’s thinking of doing the same! Thanks you! 👍👍

[@richcurtis813]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers You're welcome, loving the videos.

[@leightonwatkins7253]

Really enjoy listening to you both on how you do the conversion so glad I came across you on KZbin you make some enjoyable viewing

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thank you 🙏 glad you’re enjoying the content!

[@earundurnumenisi5168]

thank you very much, it really gives me more knowledge on how to convert my van... really love this video that you shared.

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thanks for watching Earundur Numenisi! Lovely to know we have helped you out! If you have any more questions feel free to ask! 😁🚐👍

[@royandlorainenorthwood9971]

Very well done, an excellent job.

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thank you :) appreciate you taking the time to leave us a comment!

[@doit_vehicles]

great presentation , I like how you build the bed

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thank you 😊 yeah, we’re really happy with how the bed turned out! Slept on it about... 300 times now. Still comfy 😂

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hey! Thanks for watching our video :) Here's our comprehensive list of products we used throughout our build www.amazon.co.uk/shop/florathenoviceexplorers

[@nilagazi7935]

really love this video that you shared.

[@Taffy7974]

Wonderful. I’m looking for vw van and you guys have given me good ideas. Well done and enjoy camping !👍

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Ah brilliant, is it going to be your first van?

[@faconakter5741]

good work

[@ElitePreacher]

I really love the videos you guys make. Great format. Im trying pretty hard to get a van to live in. My biggest focus is the bed portion as well lol.

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hello! Thanks for your comment, we really appreciate it :) what stage are you at? Yeah, the bed is a biggy :P to be honest ours turned out much better than expected, we're recording a kind of "bed review" video tomorrow which will be up in the next couple weeks. But it's been 1 year and we can't complain, few things we want to tweak on the van but overall very happy. Good luck with yours! Feel free to ask questions etc etc :)

[@ElitePreacher]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I'm a bit of a super over thinker with a touch of clinical OCD so I like to plan things into the ground lol. I've drawn up sketches and written barely legible ideas. At the moment i am unemployed but i have a few "high-end" assets I'm attempting to sell off to make my van life dream come true. I have messaged 64 people on Facebook market place looking for the "perfect" van for me but it looks like I will have to travel out of state to do so (I live in the Midwest of the United States.) I'm really going to do whatever I can at this point to make my van life dream become a reality. Soon to get a job keep saving, sell more junk and get it all started. I think im going to go with a bed design a lot like the one you guys built but the underside will be used for clothes storage. Im leaning towards the Westfalia interior look but i havent quite decided. Ill need something contrasty to keep my depression at bay. 🤣

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

@@ElitePreacher There was definitely a few sleepless nights for us due to overthinking! It was all so new to us that we did a fair amount of research and planning on paper and in our brains. Got hard to switch off sometimes! Fingers crossed you find the right van for you, but you'll know when you find THE ONE :) We have plenty of trips/upgrades we want to do but unemployment is going to put a stop to that too. We voluntarily left our jobs to travel but intended to return home and start work again, but obviously the world has changed a lot since then and that is easier said than done! We have a few things to attend to once we get "home" but are really wanting to continue living the way we currently are so are going to explore as many avenues as we can to make that happen! Keep us posted don your progress, hope everything works out for you :)

[@ElitePreacher]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I appreciate all the kind words. I know it will work because I probably wont stop until I make it happen lol. Cheers to adventure!

[@dominicfoxwell1996]

Amazing work guys, very inspiring! Dying to start my own project. Oh and... SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE PRIZE FIGHTER INFERNO TSHIRT!

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Haha, you’re the first person to comment about the shirt, must be too niche 😛 cheers, have you got a van already or are you still on the hunt? We were very happy with how the van turned out, we’ve since reaped the rewards. Best thing we’ve ever done 😊

[@dominicfoxwell1996]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Coheed fans also? No van currently, still a pipedream at the moment but you guys have 100% inspired me into actually saving for one!

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Yeah big time! I (Callum) have been a fan for a long time, Meg had never heard of them before. But we’ve been to see them live, and we’ve been known to belt a few songs out during a long road trip 😛 neither of us can quite hit the same high notes Claudio manages though! 😂 the van was a BIG pipe dream of ours for a long time too, took us a while to get all the pieces to fall in place but as I said before it has been well worth it!

[@dominicfoxwell1996]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I'd love to have you guys join my Coheed fan group "Children of The Fence" always happy to have fans share their content! facebook.com/groups/CoheedRelated/?ref=share One day i'll start my own van adventure!!

[@frariyaurme9930]

fine

[@haronmia1447]

very nice

[@urmeurme918]

an excellent job.

[@clairedennis6697]

Great video guys, very professional and what an incredible job you have done on this van. Very inspirational for others who feel they do not have the skills or experience to undertake such a task. You filmed this in a such a way that made it all look very do-able. Really excited to see your adventures in the van....where you planning to go first? I’m hoping to take a van on the NC500 in October.

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thank you for leaving us such a lovely comment, we really do appreciate it :) we left home in Shropshire about 6 days ago. We’re currently in the Lake District. We are slowly heading north to do the NC500 too! We can’t wait, then a ferry to the Netherlands! Trying to make the most of every minute :)

[@donnainglis6529]

Nice one 3,3k subs everyone luvs Flora ,,good work

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thank you! :)

[@shakiln39]

! Love your videos!

[@FreeRV]

Hi 👋 you guys are funny great together adventures fun couple! Love ❤️ van and mountains ⛰

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hi! Thank you very much for your comment, we really appreciate it :)

[@nickclark7520]

Oh god, the bit at 23:00 watching that wood split 😱my OCD went off lol.

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Nick Clark haha... yeah, we got better at not doing that in the end. We learned from our mistakes 😛

[@nickclark7520]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Enjoyed the series though. Based on this I went for a full 6-window kit for mine. Got 4/6 bonded so far but too much rain today

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

@@nickclark7520 good choice! We're going to add a couple windows in the rear doors we think for a bit more light!

[@Pipboy83]

Van looks great! You guys should be TV presenters :)

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Haha, there would be A LOT of outtakes:p

[@Pipboy83]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers ha more content for us to enjoy though! Take care of yourselves and stay awesome! Looking forward to more future content and adventures

[@alofarbi312]

Wonderful.

[@sumners1]

Great thanks for sharing

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thanks for watching!

[@momimnokla5157]

nice

[@woolleycodwanderers4833]

Beginning ❤️🤣 ... middle 👩‍🔧 🛠👨‍🔧 👍 ... end ❤️ 🤣

[@raniohidul4174]

super

[@chloegriffiths6186]

Love your videos guys! Do you have a list of how much everything cost?

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Cheers Chloe! Appreciate it 😊 if you head over to our website and search for “cost” I’m sure a few blog posts will pop up! www.campcomforts.co.uk cheers!

[@chloegriffiths6186]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Thanks guys

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hope it helps! Feel free to ask specific ma if you can’t find wha you’re looking for! Just remembered... we have a video about this too! 😛

[@MW2ONLINEGAMER100]

Hey! Love your videos! I'm thinking of building my own camper and I'm getting great value from your videos so thank you. One question, when anchoring the furniture to the floor with brackets what did you screw them into? Did you have to locate the wooden lats on the floor and match them up?

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Thank you for your comment Brian! Glad our videos have somewhat helped you! Regarding the screws - we screwed the L shaped brackets into the 12mm marine ply floor, some would have gone into the Batons but not all of them. After a year of traveling Europe in the van we have had no problems with the furniture coming loose or moving! It’s been spot on! 👍👍🚐

[@cotswoldmobilemassage5007]

Hey guys, love your videos! I've watched just about all the build ones now in prep for my own first build :) Quick question regarding the pull out bed: I'm going to build a similar bed but would like to have a section that pulls out independently whilst doubling as part of the bed. I wondered if you think the slats are strong enough to be used as a seat in this design? So my pull out bed would consist of one longer bench with the pull out bit split into 2/3 and 1/3. The 1/3 bit being for the seat. Any words of wisdom appreciated! X

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hello! Thanks for watching and getting in touch! Ok, I think understand what sort of bed you want to build. You would want the 1/3 portion of the pull out for extra seating. The ikea stats are pretty strong but I couldn’t say for sure that in this configuration they would hold a persons weight (long term) - I think they would be fine for just legs “lounging” on the sofa. Idea 1- for the 1/3 for Sitting on occasionally, sit the slats as close as possible still allowing the fixed bed part to slide in between (when stored in bench mode) 2 - For the outside slats on the edge of 1/3 piece of the pull out bed use thicker wood planks instead of slats. More hardy. Only issue bed comfort if the height difference is too much. If you want any sketches/drawings showing this feel free to message us on Facebook or Instagram. @vw_flora Good luck on your first build ... if there’s any Other questions we can help with send them over! 🚐👍🚐

[@cotswoldmobilemassage5007]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers M & C, thanks so much for getting back to me - and so promptly! Service or what 😀 That's cool, this was my feeling as well. I think I need to have a sit down and figure out how to accomodate the height difference but I reckon this should be doable with enough tea and biscuits. Thanks my beauties! Happy vanning 🌞🚌

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

No probs! 😜 depending on what foam or mattress you have on it too. But as you say doable with a brew indeed! 👍👍🚐☕️

[@kristinasimons4842]

You are hilarious

[@gregbolitho9775]

nice work, are these activated glass matt batts sealed maintenance free?

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hi! Yeah, maintenance free. We used them every single day for 13 months and they did a great job 👍 we gave them a pretty good hammering too but always checked the voltage and never drained them too far 😊

[@gregbolitho9775]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers yeh, i'm looking for recessed posts trying to chase them in lithium in 110amp

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Ah brilliant! We’d love lithium! 🔋

[@elainewillcox6053]

guys where did you get the foam for your bed from please??

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hello Elaine! We got the foam from a company called Ace Foam. They create, cut and deliver it to your specifications! :)

[@elainewillcox6053]

@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers amazing thank you so much I shall take a look. Hope you are both doing well xxx

[@elainewillcox6053]

sorry one more what grade did you go for??

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

@@elainewillcox6053 it's 3-inch foam with a 1-inch memory foam topper!

[@Patryk.sledziu]

what is the name of this material from the walls?

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hi 👋 we call it “4-way stretch carpet”. Not sure if it has another name! But that’s how we know it ☺️

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hi 👋 we call it “4-way stretch carpet”. Not sure if it has another name! But that’s how we know it ☺️

[@connorlangley44]

Hey, are you guys on Instagram?

[@FloraTheNoviceExplorers]

Hi! Yes we are, @vw_flora Thanks :)

[@lisaandthekozykittykamperv7952]

❤👍😇❤

[@nokiacoling9871]

very nice

[@aloezbaki9881]

Wonderful.

[@alommia7871]

super