selfbuild campervan | vw crafter | van build | fold out hidden step | part 41 | the crafty blinders

[@tanyaroyredcar]

great ideas - always on this channel; but I'm constantly wincing at the weight that you're adding. Furniture board and 18/9mm ply is going to push you over weight. Every YT builder is doing this. Even the good man Greg Vircoe's van is hopelessly overweight. You're a great innovator. Make it all lighter with glued framing and thin plies. Nothing more than Corex where it's not needed. You've got the tools and you've got the skills. 3kgs here, 2kgs there. I'll bet that you can save 260kgs on your build. Just saying

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Hi thanks for watching and commenting on the dreaded weight issue your right with everything you have said from the very start of the build knowing how I wanted the van to look and feel I knew that uprating the weight of the vehicle would need to be done, I'm right on the limits of legal as a standard van however all the suspension has been replace a 5t torsion beam to the front and Jones HD twin leafs to the rear & Bilstine P6 dampers all round, the ride and handling is awesome and we ended up with a 2" gain in height we have been using the services of SVTech and are awaiting the engineers assessment back it's took a little longer due to covid but fingers crossed it comes back favorable, We have also been look at weight reduction the bed frame is over engineered for what it is the tow bar will never be used and the bed base cold do with have a few ventilation holes put in just addressing these I belive could shave 100+ kg and then there's always me I could easily do with sheding a 100kg to 😁 On a positive though the Crafter/Sprinter was always designed to carry heavier weights 3820kg but was down plated to 3500kg to hit a larger target of driver which has lead to its success but nearly ever currier that delivers in my area would fall foul of the weigh bridge! a huge van with a 1t payload it's bizarre I was only yesterday talking to the asda delivery driver who is constantly reminding his manager that the payloads must include him as the they often over load his vehicle! R&T thank for raising the weight issue and I will be addressing it in a future video

[@tanyaroyredcar]

@@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife Thanks Sam. I wish that you lived local mate. i would love to see what you've done. I'm no van self builder yet. I saw that "Lookers" our local VW dealer had a XL high top crafter for sale. Too many miles for me but then saw that one of their group had one in dark silver, 66 Reg with 12k on the clock. I paid a £750 deposit and they shipped it up. Fell in love, sat there in the cab and thought... F***, I've done it, bought a van. Then I noticed the overspray on the nearside where it met the roof. It had been smashed and had a new side, well done job but the salesman was insistent that it was as new. He was telling porkies and I pulled out and got my money back and carried on looking. A month later, my missus said "I've seen a lovely old house for sale in xxxx. We bought it and turns out it was - old (maybe 1610) and I've spent the last 3yrs renovating it. Done it all myself. Nearly there. When finished I'm buying a van. Easier. My missus can go talk to herself if she has any more daft ideas. All that time, I've been following the van builds. Yours is without any doubt the best. No contest!!. But.. now I realise that I'd have made the same mistakes as everyone else: cleaned it, insulated it and boarded it and then fit everything. Masses of weight and work. Now, I'd fit the dividing walls, kitchen, bathroom, etc and insulate and board the sides after. Thats what the pro's do. It's also easier to fit the walls, cabs, lockers first and fit the visible sides last. Fit the electrics and plumbing etc in the middle - when you know where everything is going to be. Mate, I admire you for what you've done!!. I'm starting to think like the German and Polish converters are doing though. Use the space twice!!. Keep toilet small and fit a sink to the door. Open the door and extend the shower sideways into the bedroom to have a full width bathroom. Slide it back and go to bed. Who needs a shower after they've gone to bed? Wardrobe is parked over the shower 'cos the shower aint needed no more. Buzzing' lol. Need to get this old house finished first. In by xmas. cheers.

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

@@tanyaroyredcar your story sound very similar to mine I've spent the last 8 years building @ nights weekends all tge time still looking for a van to convert 😁 The van build was always going to be heavy weight as our plan is to do lengthy tours and my wife insisted on a shower/toilet my son insisted on wifi 🤣🤣🤣 we are heading south tomorrow on route to Dorset if we're passing you your more than welcome to have a look around where area do you live in

[@tanyaroyredcar]

@@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife we're up in the top right corner of North Yorkshire. Not quite on the way to Dorset - or anywhere else for that matter. Have a good trip

[@Dirt-Diggler]

@@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife I decided to start with a 4.7 T van, I've built a couple of campers over the years and staying under 3.5T is a struggle with any LWB 😭 especially if like me you want to carry tools 🤔 Awesome build and skills chap 👍

[@jansweeney1333]

When I get a van , I may nick this idea…grt stuff.👌🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@davidphilp490]

Love your videos, a normal guy explaining everything and great ideas. Thanks.

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Cheers 👍

[@Dirt-Diggler]

Love that action 😎 smooth with a capital SMOO 😁 Reminds me of a decent tape deck door from back in the day 👍

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Great comparison it really dose look like a tape deck now you've said it 👍

[@ziasiddique1800]

That is genius!!

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Glad you like it 😊👍

[@MultiOutdoorman]

That's really good. Nice to see the learnings too!

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Glad you liked it!

[@renzo9689]

Brilliant design! Cheers from Nova Scotia 🇨🇦👍

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Glad you like it 😁👍

[@richarddickson3211]

Sheer genius !!!!!

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Thank you kind sir 😁

[@jonathandilk5722]

Brilliant idea and workmanship

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Thank mate 😁

[@mark7218]

I'll steal the idea too , brilliant Sam

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Glad you like it 👍 it's been a game changer for us

[@harryredcliffe3356]

Well done another good idea

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

It works a treat too 😁👍

[@OverlandSea]

Cracking idea that one 👏

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Thanks 👍

[@andypickles9007]

great video ,can i ask where you sourced the step catch please ?

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

camperinteriors.co.uk/products/evo-design-evomatic-xl-flush-door-drawer-catches?variant=29405991370846**wi=off**&wi=off&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA-P-rBhBEEiwAQEXhH8stbhMpY9UqVO17d6UP7ENho2H1-dSnqTSZb_SsG2We2UfrCs77OhoCEbEQAvD_BwE

[@rickygreen3967]

Just come over from a recommendation from another van vlogger I bloody love these steps I don't think I have seen better this far need to go back and catch right up 👍 thanks

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Thanks for your kind words who recommended us to you please

[@rickygreen3967]

@@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife Neil from urban vanlife ? On a short.

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

@@rickygreen3967 cheers 🍻 I just saw it that's fantastic

[@rickygreen3967]

@@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife oh how nice you wasn't aware I subbed and hopefully more will. Your content is good

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

@@rickygreen3967 Neil is a diamond 😁

[@karlenadail]

NICE ENGINEERING

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Thank you sir

[@williamroyal5216]

Great idea, may have to steal this one 👏👏

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Steal away pal 😁 glad you like it

[@karlossmith3714]

That is genious!

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Cheers 👍

[@richardockenden8669]

Can`t beleive it that looks like Swiss Pear board too? Awesome job. I`m going to pinch this idea too its great. I`ve been using a plastic fold out step ( crap, polite version lol)

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

I had to replace one of the rams recently after a long trip we over loaded the laundry bag and the weight wax to much for it 👍

[@richardockenden8669]

Stripping the front end today got probs with air con pump bearings and the aux belt pulleys so I`m calling in reinforcements to help :) steady away we`ll do it.

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

@@richardockenden8669 slow and steady mate always the way

[@christinamacintyre9972]

Awesome work

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

My best work yet 🤣🤣🤣

[@gingercoastie]

Genius

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Simple and effective 😁👍

[@ginolibero7359]

Brilliant

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Thank you and it's still working now over a year latter with no issues 👍

[@allandevaux4123]

Brilliant job Sam. Loving the extra storage….bonus. 😎

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Thanks! 😀

[@robertprecious2614]

Looking like a factory fitted van, well done.

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Cheers it's getting there

[@ollydogtravels9465]

done one of these for the old boy (dalmantion) but as we get older we can use it

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

I couldn't live with out it mate

[@edwardvickers5506]

As you realised if you make it out of plywood or normal furniture board its too heavy. Mine came out to 15kg and the same struts couldnt hold it. I still used the door and frame i made and put a light weight aluminium step behind it.

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

Ours has been working great until recently we put to many wet towels in during a longer trip and snapped a strut bracket we looked for a stronger strut but it seams 150 nm is the biggest available to the uk How's it working for you?

[@edwardvickers5506]

@@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife i made everything and would have loved for it to work but the whole assembly was just too heavy and the 150n rams didnt slow down the step. i decided to use the door and frame only and house an aluminium step behind it. Your design was a great idea though 👌

[@andypickles9007]

fantastic idea and great outcome ,im gonna steal that ides, was wondering if you have the dimesions at all?

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

No are you in our Facebook group the crafty blinders van builds, if you ask the question in there I will but something to gether for you Andy 😁👍

[@tonyflanagan5682]

lovely job that Sam. What sort of cost are you looking at to do this and would you have used 9mm for the main base (apart from the actual step tops) if you did it again please?

[@TheCraftyBlindersvanlife]

It works a treat 2 years on and still going strong