Hii guys!
Corona changed all of our lifes a lot. Some lost there job, others could not see there familys anymore.
But the last year has not been to bad to me, I mean, I was supposed to work and travel in New Zealand by now and living the dream but it could not happen since New Zealand closed its borders, but it is up to me to spend my time well. Since I am a person who really likes learning new things, developing myself and of course traveling, exploring and new adventures, I did not see myself just waisting my time doing some restaurant of farmwork again over summer. No, I decided to build a camper!
The van! A Fiat Ducato from 2011 with 155.000 KM
It was already kind of an obsession through winter, buying a van and converting it, but my boyfriend always took it as a joke. I don't know how to build and I am probably the laziest person on this earth. I mean, I can work hard at work, but not at home. But I kept on looking for vans online.
They were crazily expensive in Holland, where I live. My budget could get me a van from 2006 with 220.000 km. But surprisingly, vans are cheaper in Belgium, especially the brand I wanted but did not look for in holland because it seemed just impossible to find. I found a van from 2010 in belgium, with 140.000 km in Belgium. I was so excited!
My boyfriend also found a van online in Belgium, some ugly van with lots of scratches. We went for a look but I was too much in love with the other van that I hated this one already and I just wanted to leave. But we did not end up buying the one when I was in love with. The seller lied about the age of the van. Good that I read the papers well. The van with scratches it is! Thanks to the boyfriend :)
Well, buying a van, importing it, that were all the easy parts. Building is more than buying some furniture at IKEA and drill it in. The first job was right away a scary one! I had to cut a hole in the roof for a roof window! It is such a scary thing to destroy the healthy van.
Now, we have a hole
Chilling on the roof in the sun
My boyfriend, Samuel is living in Austria for summer so he hasn't been so much around to help me. When he visited me for less than a week he did lots of painting work. It looks already so much lighter, brighter and better!
My boyfriend painted the kitchen
We are also gonna have a shower and a Compost toilet. I build the shower frame by watching youtube videos and am making it waterproof with glassfiber and epoxy, what is also used for boats and surfboards. After the layer of glassfiber I covered it with epoxy, let it dry and sanded it. Ohh man, that shit is so itchy, and annoying. My face felt like sunburned because all small pieces of that glassfiber came in my face, my clothes. I hated that job and I definitely did not sand it well. DIY can have some imperfections right?
The glassfiber in the shower, ready to be covered in epoxy
All shiny and supposed to be waterproof, I actually painted it white now but I have no picture yet. Next time!
The floor was definitely my favourite part! It is such an easy job and it changes the whole look of the van! From just some cargovan to little home in just a bit over an hour! I used Vinyl because it is waterproof, light(not unimportant in a can) and it just looks fucking good.
The floor makes it already much more like a home
It has been quite a journey. I mean, one of the first things I learned, a drill can turn to both sides. Than you know that I really started with two left hands, and all the builders would still laugh about my work probably, but I am still proud on what I reached!
Last week I went to the woodshop in the village to cut the kitchentop. I don't have the tools to make it look perfect and the kitchentop is the thing that attracts the eye first when you enter the van. They did a really good job and I am so glad that I did not have to cut that hole for the sink myself! A little bit cheating with my Self build should be fine.
This kitchen tile stickers also arrived! I am so excited to stick this on in the last days of my build! Decorating is gonna be so much fun! Are you curious how it will work out? I am!
The ceiling is also about to be finished! I only ran out of painted woods so half of the ceiling has to be still painted, but my boyfriend is the painting man so it will be waiting right here until he is back :)
I hope you liked reading about my summer project! Soon I will be back with some good progress, at least, I hope so.. :)
Love,
Sascha
