I have mentioned, more than once, our tiny camper van that has been a precious partner during our trips. And I have promised many times (especially to @riverflows) a post dedicated to it. But somehow I always neglect to take the necessary pictures to illustrate such a post. Nevertheless I think that the time has come and I should overcome any excuses and get into it!
The vehicle
The car itself is a Renault Kangoo, made in 2004, with a 1.9 diesel engine and 4 wheel drive. It is a commercial vehicle, meaning that there are not any back seats. Instead there is a big loadspace meant for transporting goods. The 4x4 edition has the capability of getting tough in the rough, although it is far from a really tough car like a Land Rover or any other original off-roader. But it has some unique characteristics that made it the ideal choice for @traisto and myself!
When we first moved to Crete we had an old Nissan Micra which was just fine while we were living in the city but it was rather inappropriate for our life as aspiring farmers. Buying a pick-up truck and keeping our private car would have been an obvious solution but it was out of our budget. So we searched for a vehicle that can be used as a private car, has a big loadspace and the capability to move off-road. All that in a very reasonable price. We soon figured out that there was really only one option. After a while it arrived at home :)
The challenge
Our Kangoo is a hard working fellow. Using it for agricultural duties has exceeded the manufacturer's wildest dreams. During winter we use it as a pick up truck, doing everything that has to be done in the farm. The idea of turning it into a recreational vehicle for the summer had a major challenge. It had to be easily turned back every fall. So any addition had to be removable in an easy and practical way.
After many hours of watching u-tube videos about mini van conversions, I decided that I had to find by myself the solutions that serve our needs. So I pulled apart a few pallets and I started the construction of wooden boxes that would fill the loading space of the car. You can see the result at the picture above. Not the most beautiful conversion but it give us a raised level to put our mattress on, plenty of storage room and most important I can put everything in and out of the car in a matter of minutes!
The insulation
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Again after hours of u-tube watching I admitted to myself that I can't do a proper insulation and I have to compromise for a lesser solution. So I just reinforced the thiner parts of the car's body with polystyrene and plywood. Anything more would have been destroyed during the hard loading of the next winter so I figured that it is better than nothing :)
Beautifying
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And then it was @traisto's turn to step in, adding some colour and female touch in my unrefined construction :)
After the painting of the plywood and the placement of the curtains it started to look like home. A tiny, moving home that will take us away :)
The cooking
When we are on the road cooking is an outdoors activity. We really enjoy preparing our dinner under a tree or under the stars and doing the dishes at the sea! Nevertheless sometimes it has to be done inside, usually when the wind is too strong. Our kangoo is up to the task, in any case :)
Nothing fancy in this field either. The whole kitchen is in a plastic box with a cover to keep everything clean and although it may looks chaotic to an outside observer, I know exactly where every spice and every cutlery lies (unless someone mess it up).
Enjoying
Sometimes when I look at it, I say to myself:
Who are you kidding, this is not a real camper van
but then I enjoy the scenery and I think of all the amazing places that this little piece of machinery has led us and I say (to myself again):
You know what, it may not really be a camper van but I don't care at all :)
All the rest, as well as the words, are mine.
Thank you for reading and if you want to know more about me you can check out my introduction post.
Commenting, upvoting and rebloging are highly appreciated!
Veews