The ULTIMATE biking van conversion - Ford Transit Custom

I've been slowly doing a Ford Transit Custom van conversion to cater for different hobbies and road trips! The best solution for this was to have a fold down bed. It saves a lot of space and means that I don't always have a bed to dodge when loading the van with bikes, surfboards, people, beer, and more bikes. Hopefully this will give others that want to do something similar a few ideas!
Massive thanks to all that helped with this mini van conversion. Dad, Andy (Edge Carpentry), Adam & Ben, Kiki & Henry (small amount of carpeting but every little helps), and Bermick (leisure battery)
.....Links.....
Sound Deadening/insulation - www.deadening.co.uk/
Stretch Carpet - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Curtains - van-x.co.uk/product/ford-tran...
Inverter - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Tie Downs - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...

[@a.w.thompson4001]

Great video and sound editing and music telling us about and showing your van in a fun way!

[@christalkslots]

This is sick, nice work 👏

[@rebel1052k]

Great video, great editing. Makes me wanna give it a go myself!

[@garyoneill8868]

Great video mate.

[@jamesmagee5577]

Hi great video well done young man enjoy your van. Take care

[@ryangoulding9980]

Looks class. Might have to get one now 👀

[@CoolEyeColorado]

Sweet build! Been thinking of getting one like that to haul my dirtbike and do weekend trips.

[@TraverseOfficial]

Sick! 🔥

[@JohnPhan1]

AWESOME build ...

[@brianbathgate4944]

Crackin video! Nice one

[@deanwellerassociates]

Cool van my friend

[@moonchildkikii6679]

Awesomeee 🔥

[@fernandesloyal]

Well done mate , 🎉

[@bikevault2302]

awesome - new subscriber - now looking for a Transit Custom

[@hilaireoloughlin]

Great job.

[@jasoncheetham577]

nice one Harvey just bought myself a similar truck, simple and functional

[@kevinfletcher7471]

Nice job young man , you remind me of taz mackenzie, same sort of attitude 👍

[@dunin.majewski]

impressive!

[@advantagemarine7305]

Cool mate, you should think about installing a side roller awning, perfect for race days, you can keep the bikes under it dry and if you need to work on them, can have a couple of folding chairs and sit in the shade on sunny days, gonna start a similar project with my vito soon

[@kaykrochet9099]

Cool bed

[@igfbiketrial]

Good job 🤟🤟💪

[@jsagabaenmd]

Hope Ford Transit Custom will be available in the Philippines

[@Beckvtr]

I really like the idea of the flip down bed been trying to work out a way for mine so I can still fit my E bike in it when camping great work where did you get the tie down points

[@terryhere7178]

Harvey great video love the van too can I ask the caps that hide the D rings in your floor where did you get them from? Many thanks Terry;)

[@dawidnowik2058]

Great video mate. Do you think you would be able to fit a motocross with second row of the seats on?

[@andyh126]

Harvey, Excellent videos, keep up the great work. May I ask the thickness of the flooring ‘buffalo’ board and the fixings used, looks extremely solid.

[@harveybeardsell4264]

Hey Andy, the buffalo board is 18mm in thickness. It's literally cut perfectly to size so it just slots in with no fixings. Still going strong almost a year later. It's ideal as I can just sweep and mop it clean.

[@chrisearnshaw7865]

Nice work, what did you use for the van flooring?

[@JammyDodger45]

Nice work Harvey. I've self converted a couple of vans for mountain biking/mountaineering trips and I'm just about to get another, I thought I was set on a Peugeot Expert but seem to have watched about 20 Transit conversions over the last week so now I'm undecided! 😆 As an aside I've always put a roof vent in my vans (funnily enough I always seem to get soaked in UK mountains) and it's a must for keeping things from getting smelly/damp and the only other thing I prefer is a less wide bed, mounted higher up the wall as this allows me to fit a bike inside with the bed down (I imagine it's wouldn't be possible to fit a crosser in with the bed down on my builds though).

[@harveybeardsell4264]

Sounds awesome. I’ll keep this in mind for the next conversion when I decide to go bigger 😆

[@JammyDodger45]

@@harveybeardsell4264 - going bigger puts you in long wheel base Sprinter and Crafter territory and then you can really go wild, my mate has a Crafter with a full on shower cubicle inside and a powered bike wash ... I'm as jealous as f#^k! Loving your other videos, you're living life to the full. Respect buddy.

[@k-mac5511]

I’m looking to make a Transit bike n bed conversion. When bike is loaded, do you make bike adjustments... remove wheel or turn handlebars? What height did you build your bed? Looking for ideas and specs. I have no carpentry skills. Learning as I go. Thanks for sharing.

[@JammyDodger45]

@@k-mac5511 - I've converted a VW Transporter and a short wheel base Sprinter in the past and both are slightly different shaped loading areas to a transit (narrower but taller). The beds I've put in have been about 2/3s as wide as his and have been mounted at about hip height when standing up. On both fits I've removed the bike wheels so it fits right under (although when I was riding 26ers it would fit with the rear wheel still on). Your carpentry skills will really improve so don't stress it, you're not building complicated joints just solid ones! Don't scrimp on the sound proofing/insulation and don't forget to de-grease and re-grease your door hinges if the van has been used commercially as all the crap in there makes them the noisiest things in the world when you open them at 3a.m. for a P! Most of all just embrace the challenge, it's well worth it in the end!

[@k-mac5511]

Thank you Jammy. I feel encouraged and motivated. Off to Lowe’s for supplies to get started. 😃

[@123yyynot]

Hello, nice finish, I left the partition on my Ford and my mtb fits sideway, without the front wheel, against it. I am curious about your wheels/tyres what type and dimensions are they? Mine are 215/65 R15 T 104. Cheers

[@anthonywhittle3836]

Cool mate.Did you fit the motocross bike in with the bed down?

[@emartificial]

Cool video mate :) whats height would u say in the van I'm 6ft 1 could I stand up in it

[@bensmythe7789]

Great video mate, I’m currently trying to do something similar. What size mattress did you go for? Cheers

[@harveybeardsell4264]

Cheers mate. Can't find the exact size but it was a custom mattress, as wide as it could be with the bed folded up. Somewhere between a single and a double size.

[@ryanleeds2110]

Did you sell your bulkhead? I have just brought one but just want a spare as I want to cut a pipe tube in the top

[@andrewholton5317]

Have you still got those seats for sale for the Ford transit custom

[@green-ch6qj]

💯🤘

[@Sketchy_magee]

What are using to hang the pump and bike stand ?

[@boldmeregarden637]

Can i ask what size bed did it end up as?

[@albert5326]

How have you found the van since you bought it? Fairly reliable?

[@this-is-slammin-549]

Why are those vans not available in the USA?

[@Mcfc2Rich]

I've got a transit custom an a Kenevo SL I wanna put in the back to go travelling with. How much would you say it cost you to convert it?

[@harveybeardsell4264]

I think it was a little over 1k. Can defo do it cheaper, started off as an idea of throwing a camp bed in the back 😂

[@Mcfc2Rich]

@@harveybeardsell4264 it looks top tbh. Better than the other 3 I've just watched! Might have to do this myself 👍🏻

[@tonydenial1485]

Just been watching Utube on transits being broken into, hope you've got aftermarket locks on because they can twist the door locks with grips and then it's open !!!

[@harveybeardsell4264]

Yeah I got aftermarket locks fitted as soon as I got the van!

[@ellis2792]

Probably worth mentioning to notify dvla and your insurance that the van is now a 3 seater not a 6 seater

[@kevinmoore2696]

Yea probably. Thanks grandad

[@tomjackson6825]

11:50 where did you get those little eye hooks from mate?

[@harveybeardsell4264]

They don't seem to stock them on Amazon anymore, here's the old link.. It might help you find some similar: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07T3DFLZ1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@tomjackson6825]

@@harveybeardsell4264 Thanks bud

[@shaunbevan3416]

Does taking the bulkhead out ruin the strength of the structure does anyone now? Awesome job though mate

[@harveybeardsell4264]

It doesn't with my van, literally just bolted in.. Just takes some heat out of the cab on cold days

[@garyoneill8868]

According to my Ford dealer it's non structural.

[@revivemtb5961]

It's not structural but and more importantly stops you getting killed by all the stuff in the back sticking in your head if you have a crash.

[@Ry_Rides]

So where do the bikes go when you go to sleep?

[@harveybeardsell4264]

I don't stay in the van full time, I try to not sleep with the motorcycle in the van as I'd wake up with a savage headache.

[@jamesbailey4798]

Great job, how does the sound proofing stick to the metal?

[@harveybeardsell4264]

Just peel off the paper at the back and it sticks on like a sticker would

[@billymcgarry4545]

Most weekends lol 😂 actually

[@andrewholton5317]

Need some seats

[@roddas26]

No man looks cool in Crocs. Sorry.

[@carbonspork]

and you even made it to Vestmannaeyjar on your visit :) Nice work!