Do you love travelling and sticking to the comfort of your home? Now you can have the best of both worlds with a campervan that only costs PKR 18-20 lacs and some hard work. Today, we have with us Mr Jawad, the owner of a beautiful and luxurious campervan, to talk about his journey of building this dream project for his family.
Purchase & Transformation
The owner of the campervan bought an LDV Convoy 2004, an England made bus, for PKR 12 lacs from Islamabad. Initially, it was a normal bus with passenger seats. The owner transformed it into a moving home all by himself. Every part and accessory used in the transformation process has been purchased from the local market. Hence, the campervan is wholly made in Pakistan.
Things started with new wheels and engine work that cost around PKR 1.5 to 2 lacs. Then came the seat replacements, woodwork, wiring, and many other things worth PKR 6 lacs. The campervan took a total of PKR 20 lacs and around six months to get ready. The owner took most of the inspiration and ideas from Pinterest and made this project a success.
Engine & Fuel Average
The bus has a 3000cc diesel engine that gives the owner a mileage of 9.5 kilometers per liter on a long route (equal to a Civic Reborn).
Electricity
The campervan uses solar panels as an electricity source for all the lights, exhaust fans, fridge, and even LCD. The air conditioning system is the only electric element that runs on the engine power. The solar panels are fixed on the roof, and the batteries are placed under a seat. Other than solar charging, the batteries can also be charged directly from a 240 volts socket.
Washroom
There is one washroom in the van, equipped with a commode and a wash-basin. Cans are available that can store 50 to 60 liters of water filled from an outside source.
Kitchen
The owner has also designed a small kitchen space in the van. You’ll find a stove, an exhaust, a fridge, a wooden tray, and some drawers in the kitchen. The drawers are used as shelves to place the dishes and other crockery and food items. The tray is to put food for outdoor dining. There’s a gas cylinder placed outside the van with a high-pressure pipe connected to the stove. You can use it to make tea and cook food.
Seating/Dining Area
Next to the kitchen is a seating/dining area where you can sit down, play games, and have meals. There are two wooden couches separated by a marble table, which is moveable. The best thing about this dining set-up is you can remove the table and join the couches to form a bed for three. There is another bed over this whole thing.
You can make another interesting use of the driving area by rotating the driver and front passenger seats. Add the marble table from before, and you’ll have yourself a small lounge in the campervan.
Availability of Parts
Since the bus is made in England, its original parts are not available in the local Pakistani market. However, most parts of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Ford Transit fit right into this LDV Convoy bus.
Other Accessories
The owner found a camper van accessories store called VANNCAMP, but unfortunately they don’t have any products that fit his van. However, he said he got some inspiration from them, and he’ll make something similar for his campervan later.
Final Statement on the Campervan
In the words of the owner — “It’s not as big of a deal as it seems to be. I think anyone can design this campervan. All you need is a bit of homework, dedication, and a budget of 18 to 20 lacs. If you put in some extra effort, you can build this motor home in even less than that.”
