DIY motorhome campers. Using a Gazelle and an old bus

A mobile home is the dream of many travel lovers, since there is no connection to one vacation spot, no need to book hotels and purchase tickets. This is both housing and a vehicle that allows you to travel anywhere with maximum comfort. The price of such a product on the market is high, so many are interested in how to build mobile homes with their own hands.

Types of mobile homes

It is much cheaper to make such a vehicle yourself from an old car or completely from scratch. Besides the vehicle, you need to prepare different tools. Moreover, to make a mobile home you will need work experience, a lot of effort and free time.

Before investing in such structures, it is necessary to find out from the regulatory authorities the legality of the movement of such a vehicle in order to avoid any violations. Otherwise, you won't be able to travel with him.

A large home on wheels can be made from a van, but the price will be too high. More cheap options can be made from:

• bus;
• gazelles;
• an old but still durable trailer.

To build a mobile home, it is necessary, in addition to the vehicle, to make a plan for the future construction. Planning will help you make your motorhome as comfortable as possible. It can be simply drawn on paper or designed on a computer.

Communications in the motorhome

If there is no electricity, gas or water in a mobile home, then it can hardly be called comfortable travel. To supply electricity, batteries and chargers are used. How the electrical wiring will go in such a house must be planned and displayed in the drawing. You also need to think about where the external connector for charging the battery will be located. They come in different capacities. It must be selected in accordance with the expected travel range and the load on the electrical network.

Gas cylinders are often used for cooking and heating the van. If you use electricity for this, the financial costs will be much higher. When a mobile home is equipped with a kitchen, it is necessary to install an extractor hood with a ventilation system. This is especially important when using gas.

It is not recommended to install the gas system and electrical network yourself unless you have the appropriate experience. Such work should be done by professionals. If not installed correctly, it could result in injury or death to the traveler.

Such a kitchen cannot be as comfortable as possible without a designated place for storing water. Usually a special container with a pump is used to supply water to the tap. A container is also used as a sewage system indoors under the sink or outside. Sometimes such a motorhome is equipped with a shower. It will be difficult to make a bathroom in it, and for this they use a dry closet.

Furniture must be installed small and compact, since there will be little space in such a house. To save space, you can use folding beds, sliding tables and the like. Such structures must be well secured to the walls to ensure safety during movement. Furniture for a motorhome can be bought ready-made in a store, but if you have a strong desire to save money and learn something new, you can easily make it yourself, taking into account the size of the room.

Sometimes car seats are used as a sofa and chairs. It is quite possible to make a mobile home from a trailer with your own hands. Before this, you need to prepare the room. Depending on what base is taken - a minibus or a homemade trailer - the stages of work will differ.

Using a Gazelle and an old bus

It is necessary to begin remodeling a minibus by completely cleaning the body from seats, upholstery and dirt. After this, you need to cut out all the holes for windows, ventilation, and so on.

The further sequence of actions will be as follows:

• Leveling and cleaning all damaged surfaces. To do this, use a metal brush, hammer or special equipment to level out dents. If necessary, you need to weld the corrosion areas where holes have formed. Then they are cleaned and primed to prevent further rust formation.
• The interior is carefully insulated, including the floor and ceiling.
• After the thermal insulation coating, it is necessary to sheathe everything with waterproof plywood.

After such work, you need to install gas, electricity, water supply, install a bathroom and furniture. To securely fix the furniture, it is necessary to install thick plywood on the walls in advance. Furniture needs to be attached to it. As an option, you can install reinforcing strips on the floor and fix the set to them.

If such a house is made not from an old trailer, but from a gazelle or a bus, then the chassis needs to be brought into working condition. Then such a structure will actually be mobile.

Trailer as the basis of the design

You can also make a motorhome from a trailer yourself, but there will be a lot more work involved. First you need to clean the chassis from corrosion and other defects. Then all the holes, just like in a minibus, need to be welded, cleaned and primed. This is followed by painting.

When the base is ready, you need to start building the floor, walls and roof. You need to act in the following sequence:

After this work, you can begin to install gas equipment, wiring electricity, organizing the kitchen and toilet, as well as installing furniture. Then you should install the headlights, license plate and fenders. The trailer is ready for travel.

Before you start work, you need to think carefully about the possibility of doing them efficiently. They require special skills and a lot of funds. But in any case, you can make a trailer-house on wheels with your own hands if you have a great desire to learn how to do it.

Comfortable movement

Although such a structure is not intended for permanent residence, the need for comfort on the road and travel has not been canceled. Today there is a lot of technology that can make living in a mobile home easier.

Indoor light

To ensure the availability of constant light and electricity, you can use a battery or accumulator, a charger, electrical wires, or an electricity supply control panel.

Heating in the house

For these purposes, you can use several types of heaters. It is preferable to use a gas cylinder, as this will also provide the possibility of cooking.

If the gas supply installation technology is quite complex, then you need to seek help from a specialist. Constructing such a vehicle with your own hands is commendable, but the safety of its inhabitants must be taken into account above all.

Water supply, kitchen and bathroom

Any housing will not be comfortable if it does not have basic amenities, such as a bathroom, a well-equipped kitchen and the availability of water. At the planning stage, you need to carefully consider their location for maximum comfort. Do not forget about the automatic water supply system and tanks for it.

Furniture installation

When installing furniture, certain difficulties may arise, since it should be located as compactly as possible around the entire perimeter. They mainly use folding furniture that can be unfolded if necessary. This allows you to significantly save space. It can only be purchased to order, and it will not be cheap.

It is better to have at least 2-3 windows. Thanks to them a large number, there will be no need to turn on the light during the day.

Legality of construction

If we talk about the legality of movement, then such a vehicle will not have any special status as a vehicle. A mobile home in the legal field is no different from a regular trailer. All that is needed is the presence of headlights and dimensions on the rear side, as well as a license plate.

An additional permit is required if such a trailer exceeds the following dimensions:

• 4 meters high;
• 2.55 m wide;
• 10 meters long.

If the dimensions are larger, then such a vehicle can move according to special rules: the presence of flashing lights and police escort. You can make good money from such structures by organizing a business. There are quite a lot of options for such entrepreneurial activity.

Alternatively, you can make such houses to order in order to summer holiday and temporary residence in the country. This does not require large initial investments, since small, economical motorhomes can be manufactured without insulation.

Such houses can be rented out. Entrepreneurial activity of this kind is new. The market value has not yet formed, and, accordingly, you can set your own price. The number of such structures needs to be increased as the customer base expands.

You can also make your own car park and use it as hotels. An important factor here is their division into economy, middle and vip classes.

If you decide to make your own motorhome, you will need some basic knowledge, tools, a lot of patience and even more free time. And, of course, a reliable vehicle for creating a campervan.

This article contains some photographs of a mobile home built with your own hands on the basis of a Volkswagen car. Most of the tips can also be applied during the construction of motorhomes based on other cars.

Before you start, it is very important to read the next paragraph!

IMPORTANT! Before you start creating a camper with your own hands, it is necessary to legalize the implementation of such a procedure. In this case, you will be able to prevent various legal difficulties. Rules vary depending on the country, so we cannot publish uniform recommendations on this matter.

First steps

Building a mobile home with your own hands consists of the following steps:

• Exterior works
• Interior work
• Water supply works
• Gas and electricity
• Furniture
• Other

If the van will only be used by two people, there will be really plenty of space. If you are planning a trip for 3 or more people, you need to consider the number of seats. Remember that seats must be equipped with appropriate seat belts.

How many sleeping places will you need? One option is to arrange a bunk bed for children. If you have extra space under the roof, you can make a “drop-down” bed.

At this stage, you should have a clear plan for further action. Of course, you can improvise, but it's much easier to have a well-thought-out plan on paper.

Exterior works

The first thing you need to do when preparing a base vehicle is to thoroughly clean the inside of the car.

At this stage you also need to think about the shape of the body as a whole. It's time to deal with body damage and rust. Local or complete painting of the car will help.

Typically, vans do not have windows, so you may want to consider installing them. They are needed to ensure the flow of fresh air and sunlight into the motorhome. Windows come in different shapes and sizes, the choice depends on your preferences and body features.

During the construction of a motor home, you will have to make several holes in the body of the car. We are talking about openings for ventilation, gas outlet (in case of leakage), heater exhaust gases, water fillers, etc. Some of them may be done later, but it is much easier to solve the issue now if you know exactly where they will be.

Remember to apply primer in any areas where there is bare metal to prevent corrosion.

Build your own motorhome the right way!

Interior work

The van will most likely have a partition behind the front seats. Some partitions are attached with screws, others are welded to the body. A grinder will help solve the problem.

Remember to use protective equipment. Sparks can leave nasty stains on glass that are impossible to get rid of.

The fun begins. The insulation layer is very important as it will protect your camper from outside noise and temperature. There are many materials that can be used. The choice is up to you.

In this case it was used Armaflex material. It should be cut into pieces and glued. The main point is protection from moisture. If the insulating material does not protect against moisture ingress, it should not be used.

It is necessary to prepare insulating material, lightweight and moisture-proof plywood, as well as soft and flexible carpeting.

For the side covers, thicker plywood should be used, since furniture will be installed on them in the future.

Use a wide temperature range adhesive or sealant to secure insulation and carpeting to the sidewalls. Because the RV will be exposed to both freezing temperatures and the hot summer sun. The heating operation will also be affected. If you use low-quality glue, the work will have to be redone after some time.

Where to begin? Start sheathing your motorhome, from the roof to the flooring. First, we install the insulating and cladding layers on the ceiling, then we move on to the side panels.

Use wood strips on the floor to create enough space for insulation. The slats are secured to the floor using appropriate sealant. Then a layer of insulation is laid, after which it must be covered with plywood. The plywood is secured using sealant or screws.

Remember about the water supply, as well as the need to lay electrical cables and gas pipes. Wires and hoses can be routed through the insulation or under plywood covers if you already know where all the fixtures will be installed.

Water supply works

The RV must have a cold running water supply. To do this, place two cans of water under the sink. A submersible pump supplies water to the tap.

If you need warm water, an additional sink or shower, the system will be more complex. You can install large water tanks in other places, for example, under the van. You will need hoses to connect the entire system.

When you make a motorhome yourself, you are limited only by your imagination.

Don't forget about wastewater. You can install a suitable reservoir under the car or run a hose through the floor to drain the water into a portable tank or regular bucket.

Remember that used water smells terrible in summer and freezes in winter. Therefore, you need to get rid of it as soon as possible, so a bucket can be the ideal solution.

What about the toilet? You can install one of the convenient portable toilets.

Gas and electricity

IMPORTANT! Gas supply hoses and electrical wiring must only be installed by qualified personnel! If installed incorrectly, they can pose a serious hazard. Make your own motorhome, but don't put other people at risk.

Propane in the camper can be used for cooking, heating, and also connecting a refrigerator. You can do without it, using an electric stove and refrigerator, as well as an independent Webasto heater.

The gas cylinder must be stored in a separate place with holes in the bottom. Why does there have to be holes at the bottom? Because propane is heavier than air, it will always go down.

You could even make a valve to connect the gas stove to the outside of the car so you can cook outside the van in the future.

Again, build the camper properly for your own safety!

Electricity necessary to start all devices designed for 12V. The system consists of a battery, charger/converter, control panel and many wires.

Don't forget about the external connector for charging the motorhome battery from a regular electrical outlet (110V or 220V). You can also use it at home by charging the battery during winter storage.

In order to determine how much battery capacity you need, you will have to perform simple calculations. Let's say you will use the following:

• Halogen lamps: 2×20W 2 hours a day = 80 Wh
• Refrigerator: 45W 12 hours a day = 540 Wh

The total power consumption is 620 Wh per day. Now divide 620Wh by 12V and you get 52Ah. This is your daily power consumption. As a rule, a 100Ah battery will last about two days of battery life.

Make calculations taking into account the energy consumers you use. This will help you get the average daily electricity consumption figures.

Gas and electricity are very important issues to consider when building a campervan. If you plan to use the motorhome for traveling far from civilization, autonomy should be maximum. Take your time, think through everything carefully and calculate it.

Furniture

In this matter, nothing limits you either. You can confidently realize your dreams. There are many ways to make and install furniture.

Sometimes quite suitable furniture can be found at various disassembly sites, we advise you to search. Good offers sometimes appear at online auctions, and furniture is sometimes sold at a very affordable price.

You can also design everything from scratch. Some companies sell ready-to-install parts, covered with veneer. All you have to do is apply varnish (if necessary) and install the furniture. You can also contact a professional who will help you in this matter.

Making a camper yourself is not too difficult a task for an experienced craftsman. But the timing of such construction can be very delayed due to the constant improvement of the design. To avoid getting into such a situation, you should think through the interior in advance, abandoning obviously unnecessary elements. This is especially important when equipping small cars, for example, when creating a motor home from a GAZelle with your own hands.

A mobile home has undeniable advantages - comfort, coziness and mobility. Moscow is a noisy city that you sometimes want to leave. Trailer owners do not have to look for a place to stay overnight, and travel becomes very economical. If you haven’t had the opportunity to use this original housing before, you should first familiarize yourself with their classification.

Types of motorhomes and their classification

When choosing the type of future mobile housing, you can be guided by its division according to:

• in appearance - there are trailers, vans, or mobile homes combined with a car;
• class – there are three classes of comfort for motorhomes;
• trailer type - there are trailer trailers, hybrid trailers and fifth-wheel trailers.

If everything is clear with the trailer type of mobile home, then the difference between a van and a combined motorhome is not immediately visible. In the first option, the living space is located in the car van and is separated from the driver's seat.

This option is suitable when traveling as a couple, when no one stays at the “house” during the move. Thanks to this design, it is possible to fit in more functional furniture using a blank front wall.

Motorhomes converted from GAZelles or minibuses are precisely combined.

The comfort class can be called conditional. Thus, Class A motorhomes include spacious trailers made on the chassis of large trucks. Outwardly, they resemble a bus, can have folding structures, and inside, in terms of functionality, they do not differ from a small apartment.

Please note that the driver must have a category “C” license to drive this vehicle.

There is much less space in it, but it is still convenient to travel in them. What is important is that you can drive such a car with a category B license if the weight of the car or the total weight of the car with a trailer does not exceed 3.5 tons.

Class "C" indicates the most basic motorhomes. This could be a small trailer or a minibus converted into a camper. There is no separate sleeping place - its function is performed by folding sofas or armchairs. But by equipping such a mini camper with a trunk-tent, a folding canopy and a set of camping furniture, you can get comfortable stay with a minimum of costs.

Such construction trailers are also called hybrid trailers to distinguish them from simple trailers. Separately, it should be noted fivesville trailers, the shape of which is designed for use in conjunction with pickup trucks. Thanks to this, it is possible to reduce the length of the entire caravan, because part of the trailer hangs over the car body.

Mistakes when building mobile homes with your own hands

Prices for mobile homes are noticeably high. It is not surprising that skilled family heads want to save money and do everything themselves. It’s important to be wise and learn from other people’s mistakes:

• you shouldn’t make everything from scrap materials - you’ll have to live in the house for at least a week and you want to spend your vacation in comfort;





• serious modifications to the body, heating system, wiring will be required - you cannot do without the skills of an auto mechanic;



• if you still managed to fit in a shower and toilet, do not forget about the drainage tank - pouring dirty water onto the asphalt or lawn is extremely unethical;
• It’s better not to forget to make a connector for connecting 220V to campsites, and a converter for 12V from a car battery.

Making your own trailer

If difficulties do not frighten you, and the desire for action is unstoppable, you can try your hand at building a house. And whether to remake a GAZelle or build a trailer from scratch - the choice is strictly individual!

DIY mobile home from GAZelle

To work you will need a grinder, a welding machine, a hand saw for wood and a lot of patience. The gradual modernization of the car looks like this:

1. The seats are taken out of the cabin, the old trim is removed. All metal parts are treated with a special solution that prevents rust. The walls and ceiling are insulated with foamed polyethylene, and sheets of plywood are laid on the floor. All wiring runs under the floor and wall cladding; this should be thought out in advance.



2. The frame for the furniture is welded right in the body. If the car cannot be leveled, you can use a pipe as a level, its ends resting against the lower edge of the window openings. After rough welding, the frame is removed and everything is welded, cleaned and brought inside again.



3. Window openings are covered with carpet. Ceiling panels covered with carpet are also installed. After completing the interior trim, you can attach the slats under the mezzanine and mount the furniture frames.



4. A swivel mechanism can be made for the front seats. To do this, you will need a front hub, for example, from a VAZ, and part of a rotary strut. The scheme is quite simple.





5. The final stage is installing furniture on the frame, connecting lighting, installing a pump for the kitchen washstand, covering the mezzanines and minor interior improvements. For cooking, you can put a small gas stove on one burner.



6. Instead of welding the furniture frame, you can use ready-made sets, reinforcing them from the inside with corners and additional screws. The kitchen also needs to be attached to everything - the floor, the sofa, the wall. This is done to protect the furniture from becoming loose while driving on bumpy roads.

We should not forget that such a modification of the car requires registration with the REO. To do this, you need to write an application and receive a resolution from the technical department of the traffic police and a protocol from the authorized organization.

Stylish plywood trailer house

If your car has a tow bar, it would be a sin not to take advantage of the situation and not make a nice “drop” trailer for overnight stays outside the city. For this:

1. The side walls of the future van are cut and attached to the base. All holes for doors and windows, as well as to lighten the frame, must be cut in advance, so it is better to think through the drawing carefully.



2. Shelves are assembled from furniture panels and installed on the base. These same shelves will serve as the front and rear walls of the van.



3. According to the shape of the van, a plywood sheet is bent above the shelves on both sides, and a power frame made of timber is fixed on top. One side is made liftable, providing access to the kitchen.





4. The top hatch and skylight are cut out. The entire frame is insulated and the wiring is installed.



5. Everything is covered with veneer sheets on top. Once the door and window openings are cut out, you can begin exterior painting and varnishing.





6. Doors, an overhead hatch and supply and exhaust ventilation are installed. After securing all the fittings, side lights and wheel fenders, you can safely set off on your journey!

And the video shows the detailed assembly of the motorhome with the installation of solar panels:

This type of vacation and travel option is used by lovers of freedom and independence from tickets and flights. This is a good solution - to have both a car and housing at the same time on a vacation trip. Thanks to the presence of a mobile home, a family can travel in comfortable conditions and stay where they want and when they want without being tied to time. Camping became popular at the beginning of the 20th century.

DIY mobile home

Through such an independent holiday, you can see the places on the way to your destination that not accessible from plane or train. In addition, camping during renovation of an apartment or construction of a house on the site can serve as temporary housing. You can also rent it out when you don't have plans to travel.

The cost of such a pleasure is rather high, some options reach the price of an ordinary apartment, but to save money you can create a campsite yourself.

Options for large campsites are converted from buses and large vans, but this is too expensive for those who do not mind spending a lot of money on such mega-comfort.

Camping options

There are three budget options for self-taught:

To build a motorhome with your own hands you need:

1. Have wheels.
2. Visually draw a plan of the camping house.

When drawing up a plan, you need to think through all the comfort details that are found in an ordinary apartment.

Internal communications of the motorhome

Just like in any ordinary camping house too communication is needed- this is electricity, water, gas, toilet and possibly shower. Without these amenities, mobile housing will not be comfortable. In order to have light at the campsite, it is advisable to purchase a battery-powered battery and a charging device. It’s worth thinking carefully about the internal wiring in advance. You also need to take into account the external connectors when charging and the fact that they have different capacities.

To drain waste through a hose hidden in the floor, it is easier to use a regular bucket, placing it under the body of your motorhome. Water for the kitchen can be stored in large containers, immersing pumps in them to supply it to the tap. To drain used water, a tank is also used inside or outside the room. A small shower can be built as a faucet, attached, for example, above the sink.

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to build a conventional toilet in a mobile home, since there is no space and it is difficult to drain the waste constantly. A dry closet is perfect here.

For a camping lighting system you will need :

• battery;
• charger;
• wiring.

What do you need to heat your motorhome?.

In addition to an autonomous heater, you can purchase a battery and a gas cylinder, because it will also be useful in the kitchen and for running the refrigerator. You should not use a lot of electrical appliances and equipment for two reasons - this is additional energy consumption and the load on the wiring, since this is a small room compared to a house. You should use the services of an electrician when working with gas, since doing it yourself is extremely risky if you are not an electrician.

Interior arrangement of the campsite

Ventilation system.

It is also important to sort out the ventilation so as not to pollute the room with odors.

The location of the holes is important, as it is better not to expose them in plain sight for reasons of beauty. It is best to place them at the bottom of the walls above the floor; you can also place a gas cylinder there.

Furniture.

Practicality and compactness when arranging furniture is the key to comfort in a campsite given the small space. Folding or pull-out beds, tables with attached stools and everything like that will create the necessary comfort and desire to relax in a self-made motorhome. There are special compact sets on sale, but if you have the desire and time, then it is quite possible to make furniture yourself using old boards, tabletops, and for a sofa and chairs, take seats from the same car or old wheels can also be converted into chairs or stools.

Carpentry at the campsite.

In such a dwelling, if it is one-story, it is recommended to make two windows so that you do not have to use electricity during the day. It is better to make a double door so that it does not sag and the wind does not blow into the room.

Minibus or trailer, let's look at the principle of converting each.

To begin transforming a Gazelle-type minibus into a camping site, you need to clear the body, remove the seats and upholstery, make holes for windows and gas supply valves:

Body preparation

To process the body you need:

• a primer is applied inside against corrosion, and then you need to insulate the walls, floor and ceiling with thermal insulation;
• cover with plywood or carpet;
• whether glue or plywood needs to be selected good quality so that the insulation serves you for a long time;
• after the insulation stage, you can proceed to electricity and gas, then move on to the kitchen, think about a place for the sink and oven, install water tanks, a bathroom, and finally arrange the rest of the furniture for relaxation, beds, chairs or stools, cabinets and shelves, depending on what is available space.

A house made from a trailer is different in that it only has wheels and you need to do everything from scratch, like on a plot, first build a box - the future room.

Housing from a trailer is made as follows:

To make a roof for a motorhome, you will need :

• assemble a frame from load-bearing structures - beams, if you want a triangular roof;
• Next, we cover it with plywood;
• it needs to be covered with a water-repellent material.

After this, you can make and attach a rain gutter to the back wall on the outside and on the inside to drain waste. External walls also need to be lined. Internal electrical wiring and thermal insulation need to be covered with fiberboard and then the stage of manufacturing one or two doors.

To protect the wood from drying out and pests, you need to coat the outside and inside of the wall with a primer and apply a layer of paint on top. For an aesthetic appearance, you need to close the threaded holes and also cover them with paint. All these procedures will reliably protect the house from the influence of external harmful factors. At the end of the work, since this is a trailer, you need to install the lights and fenders.

Similar mobile houses are divided into three categories:

Traveling in your homemade motor home, of course, nice and comfortable. However, you need to decide for yourself whether you can handle all the work on building a motorhome yourself.

Mobile home - video