Salvage VW Crafter First Look! - (Crafter Camper Build)

Hi everyone and Welcome to the Channel.
Join us as we take a first look at a salvage VW Crafter van that we purchased at an unbelievably low price in the UK. Despite its lovely rear-end, the front is a little worse fo wear! We're determined to restore this van and turn it into an amazing camper!
We explore the van's current condition, finding missing parts and a damaged pumps, pipes and electircal connectors everywhere. We discuss the challenges faced and our plan to locate and replace the broken bumper, headlights, grill, slam panel, bonnet, and engine covers.
We examine the engine bay and identify various broken components, including the air box, timing belt housing, rusty parts exposed to the elements, air conditioning pipes, air compressor, oil cooler, and wiring harnesses. We discuss our plans to replace these damaged parts to ensure the van's functionality.
Let's get started!
👉 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭.
👉 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.
/ @craftercamper
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#campervanbuild
#vwcampervan
#salvage
#vanconversion
#vanlife
#mechanics

[@SonofSilas]

I feel like my birthday and Christmas have come at once... A crashed vehicle repair video and a camper conversion in one. KZbin gold!

[@thorstenfischer2672]

Best hoodie ever ❤

[@CrafterCamper]

😄 bought in Porto a few years ago when the wind got chilly

[@richardbroom4324]

I like your style. I bought my first van, a sliver crafter. Dent in the side, engine in bits in the back. Built an amazing camper for the family and made many memories. Never Built a camper before. How hard can it be.... have fun enjoy

[@CrafterCamper]

Exactly, you’ve got to Try to be able to Do, and you’ve got to Do to Learn from both failure and success!

[@DeSousm]

ahhh... that'll buff out pal. I'll sub for this series.

[@paulsprojects1]

good luck with the project, looking forward to watching the progress

[@vinnieatkinson7227]

Good luck with the project 👍🏼. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out 👍🏼👍🏼

[@LeeGMK]

Mate. This is crazy. Just had today a Citroen relay delivered from copart. I am useless when it comes to things like this it’s out my comfort zone and feeling positive. Then converting into camper aswell. You win as you are doing YT. Not a chance I’ll be doing this. Good luck to you. I’ll sub to see how you get on

[@CrafterCamper]

Yes, buddy!! I subscribed out of excitement and then read you won’t be YouTubing it. I think go for it, use your phone, entertain us idiots with a collection of Amazon bought tools and maybe get some cash from it too! Good Luck with it, mate - I’m sure you’ll do it well and learn a lot! I did it because I was suffering a bit of burn out at work, felt mentally like I wasn’t pushing myself or challenged so i decided to do this and reignite the spark - it’s up and downs in terms of positivity but it’ll be great! G

[@Jonbuildz]

Love seing another mad man take on a project similar to like myself. I'm watching from start to finish mate, hopefully an easy one for you!

[@CrafterCamper]

Cheers, mate! Parts are the main headache - even when you find them, the companies take forever to send them out!

[@mho111]

Nice content, I wish you success ❤

[@RodMatheson]

Great project, we were looking at them for a new camper conversion, best looking vans. Good luck with the project, you've got your work cut out for you... Will definitely be interesting 👌👍

[@pgmr1979]

Nice sweat. Super bock. Portuguese beer brand

[@AndyB-rh1gp]

This looks interesting! I’m in.

[@neils-running-journey]

Been so tempted to do it myself, have basic knowledge and used to work in the Honda factory in the uk and maintain my own cars. Only thing I’ve not ever tempted is engine ..

[@CrafterCamper]

Here’s your encouragement to get on eBay this afternoon! Only one way to try it! 😄 It’s actually simple from the top, the annoying bits are probably the bits you already know like the tough bolts down on the hubs, driveshafts, exhaust!

[@mattyc7681]

Good luck guys!!!

[@robswanson1040]

Good luck mate, looks a decent project, deffo worth a Sub! Hopefully that leg will pull straight again easily enough.

[@Connellski1986]

A1 vans in bury break a few of these so u may be able to get a meal deal off them

[@adeh503]

SRUK would have loved to get their hands on this one, good luck with the build buddy 👊

[@CrafterCamper]

Yeah, I could do with a collab! Haha.

[@clasrobinson6544]

Wow !! Gotta follow this build your very brave fella cos what your gonna spend on repairing the van alone you could have bought a half decent van ... Hope you do a cost ing at the end. Great video by the way!!!

[@CrafterCamper]

Thanks! I need to show folks what the van cost vs. Buying a non-damaged one. We paid about £10k less than the same van, spec, mileage, colour without a Cat-S title. Looking like it’s going to cost 13-14k all in so we should be still 3-4k saved against a non-damaged one (praying - haha).

[@enquire422]

Make sure you do the head gasket test!

[@rwest1818]

Looking forward to see your progress, you could do with a microphone

[@philhyde2635]

A nice project. Damage looks fairly superficial. Good luck.

[@CJAY3.1.6]

ALAW!!!

[@CrafterCamper]

Fingers crossed for tomorrow, mate

[@francismoon3201]

Very interesting I will be an avid viewer

[@daviewilson_1]

good luck with this , van is a cracker , cant wait to see the end result , ive just had my T6 writing off with not as much damage to it wish I could do the repair as currently looking to update it, but the prices are giving me the fear

[@CrafterCamper]

The parts prices aren’t too bad when you shop around. EBay seems to be the most expensive place! Price everything up on lllparts :) 🤟🏻

[@danielgolodnik7973]

Buttons usually fly out when the airbags go off. That might be a reason for your missing Buttons

[@CrafterCamper]

Cheers, bud. Airbags don’t look to have gone off - taken out the drivers steering wheel last weekend and it was pretty solid in there

[@eckythump6429]

Got some standard headlights which you can have if you want them…..

[@CrafterCamper]

Ah, man! I ordered a set last week to get me by or I’d have had those from you!

[@eckythump6429]

@@CrafterCamper no worries. You’ll probably end up doing the same as me and get the TransporterHQ LED once your build is finished.

[@CrafterCamper]

That’s the plan but they’ve been out of stock forever! Just got a cheap pair to get us through an MOT and out camping a bit in summer!

[@eckythump6429]

@@CrafterCamper I bought mine from T5 upgrades in Wales. Don’t know if they have stock. All the best with the build 👍🏼

[@lukeframpton3671]

You can buy the individual plugs and it will be alot cheaper my nipper works for vw if you get stuck send me the part number 😉

[@CrafterCamper]

Hey man - you mean the individual plugs for the wiring looms? If so, that will help loads!

[@lukeframpton3671]

@@CrafterCamper yes mate

[@Bob-hf1cd]

find yourself a big tree and a massive ratchet strap that will make that leg straight again 😂 I've done a similar thing with a motorbike chassis

[@CrafterCamper]

😄 we’ll see how it goes today

[@marcelh2341]

Where did you get the VW Service Manuals?

[@CrafterCamper]

Hey bud - I got them online from workshopmanuals.org

[@josephrowley2172]

Sure I saw this van listed. Heads up, if your hunting for parts try MAN, they've got a habit of being cheaper than VW/TPS for the same parts.

[@CrafterCamper]

Yeah, I’m finding that they’re the same VW part but sold under a MAN part no!

[@blastingweevil2968]

you cannot do chassis repairs on your driveway.. not if you want it doing properly it needs to be jigged and pulled correctly.

[@CrafterCamper]

It’s not very far out of line, maybe 1 inch. Now I’ve stripped down the front it’s clear where the bend in the side member is so it should be fairly simple to straighten or replace with a new section (about a foot). The saving grace on it is that it’s not pushed back at all, just pulled towards the centre of the van. The rest of the van is all in line according to the diagrams and dimensions provided by VW.

[@Mike_5]

Nice one was it ex Police?

[@CrafterCamper]

Hey man - no, private owner from new.

[@notrut]

Were the neighbours keen on that nuisance next door?

[@CrafterCamper]

It’s on my driveway 😄

[@notrut]

@@CrafterCamper You seem to have missed the point ...

[@CrafterCamper]

Yeah, I don’t understand 😄

[@an04ker]

I did this with a transit custom camper from Copart. Never again front end parts cost fortune

[@CrafterCamper]

Oh no! All good now though, enjoying campervan life?

[@sheledmikymo]

hi, when you have to remove the steering wheel, to replace the mfsw buttons, could you show the code on the back of the old switch's please? tia,

[@CrafterCamper]

Will post it here - pretty sure it’s the same one that goes in a Mk7 Golf :)

[@lukeframpton3671]

That leg is bent mucker I'd look a bit further back just to be sure

[@CrafterCamper]

Cheers, bud - sent it off for a look and putting straight so will see what happens

[@lukeframpton3671]

@@CrafterCamper don't let them mug you off mucker it might be it's just kinked up front but still probably wants cutting out might not have a crease and will push out get some pictures if you can

[@mechanicalnut7866]

I have some steering wheel buttons that I just removed from my (crafter same as yours) if you want them ?

[@CrafterCamper]

Cheers - I’ll give you a shout if I do. I managed to get just the plastic buttons but they’re on a long list of jobs 😄

[@mechanicalnut7866]

I don’t want anything for them if you need them, also when you put the new front end on if you need a new radar or if yours is damaged it will be Componant protected I can help programme new one

[@CrafterCamper]

@@mechanicalnut7866 cheers, buddy! I think the radar is still in one piece but time will tell. I was hoping to have it mostly back together this weekend but a supplier has let me down on parts.

[@Diced420]

someones looked after it sun viser etc

[@CrafterCamper]

Yeah, that was our thoughts when we looked - it had a good spec from new and some personalisation by the previous owner!