Building a campervan can be an overwhelming process. How many Youtube’s have you watched of how to make a bed from plywood, how to glue and screw panels to the van, what type of wood to use?
There’s some incredibly creative van builds out there - we particularly like the work of Ladi and Margaret and their ultimate camper complete with onboard 3D printer and loads of custom components. But lets be honest, this is a super van built within an influencer busines model - not your everyday person who just wants to get outdoors.
So, how should you build a van to go camping?
1. Pick a Vehicle
Perhaps you’ve already got a van - great! Move onto step 2! If not, utilise all the mediums to research available vehicles, budget, mechanical factors to be aware of and of course features that make it useful for camping. A couple of tips from us:
- Consider the width between wheel arches. Some vans have a full 1200mm between the rear wheel arches which allows maximum bed width and storage space. Here’s a list of vehicles to get you started:
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Volkswagen Multivan
- Volkswagen California
- Toyota HiAce (2019+)
- Ford Transit Custom
- Hyundai iLoad M
- ercedes Vito
- Renault Trafic
- Hyundai Staria Load
- Hyundai Staria Highlander
- LDV G10
- Consider how many passengers you want to carry, both now and future. For example VW Transporters typically allow 2-3 pople in the front and no passengers in the rear, wheras the Multivan is equipped for 7 people.
- Some models come with Long Wheel Base versions (LWB) this will obviusly give you more interior room but can be a little more difficult to drive in carparks etc.
2. Pick a kit from Kitle
We offer two base models, the Kitle Flex and the Kitle Multi. The Flex is built around a full length double bed that folds up and down easily. To enable this you can’t have any seats in the back (some LWB versions might be able to but check before buying).
The Multi is a short unit designed to fit behind the rear seats of the VW Multivan. This allows you to keep the seats in the back for extra passengers and have a little more flexible cabin space for you to do what you like. The Multi can fit into other vans too, with its main advantage being a full kitchen with a small footprint.
3. Place an Order and Receive Shipment
On receiving your order we either ship a kit in stock or put the order in our manufacture system. We hand build each kit and ship in a matter of weeks. Feel free to contact us to if you want to talk through your options and order process, we’re here to help you get a camp kit setup and onto the road.
4. Install
Our kits are very easy to install - they simply attach to vehicle mounting points with either bolts or straps, depending on vehicle and kit choice. We provide clear instructions, are here to help and can install in Melbourne if you prefer. Depending on your van, you may need to remove or add seats, change or clean the lining or remove other accessories. A Kitle kit just requires the footprint of the kit to be clear with access to mounting points - the rest is up to you on how you want your van to look and function.With your kit installed you will now have:
- Slide-out kitchen with sink, storage and stove area
- Rechargable water system and on board refillable water containers with 22L total storage
- Fridge (if selected) or storage area to hold a fridge of your choice 4. Storage areas
- Bed with mattress (if selected)
5. Other components
Whist our camp kits have loads of features, there’s a bunch of other stuff you’ll need to complete your camp setup.
Fridge
A powered fridge just makes so much sense. Food safety is critical - no one wants to get sick on the road, and with the variance of temperates, the safest approach is to use a powered fridge. Our Flex AirFrame is built with the Dometic 30L Drawer Fridge in mind. Other drawer fridges can work, just check dimension before getting one or chat to us to check. The Multi AirFrame will fit any cooler that will fit within the drawer dimensions of 425mm wide x 710mm long x 410mm high. The Dometic CFX3 35 Fridge fits perfectly.
12V Power
If you bought a fridge with your kit, you’ll need a power source. The world of 12V systems is quite diverse and it can be tricky to navigate, so we recommend enlisting a professional. We currently supply an all in one system from Dometic. Other all in one systems are available and offer the convenience of portablility and reay to go off the shelf.
Stove
We’re really proud of our ktichen and see it as the heart of our camping kit. We decided to not build in stove so that everyone can have the option to choose their own. Our favourite stove at the moment is the Dometic Cadac 2 Cook 3 Pro Deluxe and are really excited to offer this direct. We’ve allowed a space in the kitchen to strap a stove to allowing for quick setup when on the road.
Window Shades
Sleeping in your vehicle comes with the challenge of windows. There’s a range of ready-made window shades available or you can get creative and make your own - consider ones with thermal insulation and quick attach systems like suction caps.
Other Accessories
You’ll of course need a range of other accessories, including chairs, tables, lighting and cookware. Keep in mind how and where you want to store all this stuff amd keep your camp system organised. Check out our range of quality accessories to get you started.
Let us know if you need any advice on how to build your camp system - we’d love to help you out. If you do get a Kitle camp kit share with us how it went on Instagram, we’d love to see it!
