A recap of the whole process in acquiring and DIY fixing up our van!
Joe started researching secondhand vans on UK gumtree a few days before heading there whilst in Athens. We had a front runner pretty quickly in 'Mun Mun' - a 1988 Fiat Ducato. We made plans to inspect the van the day after arriving in UK and when we saw it, we knew it was the perfect van for us! It was the perfect size, had a shower and toilet (which we really wanted), had been well maintained by previous owners, recently had its MOT completed, was a left hand drive car and it had the bed up on top, leaving more room for the kitchen and table area. Luckily, the renos we wanted and needed to do were purely aesthetic and not structural which saved us time and money.
1. Demolition time - this included ripping up all the old carpet, taking apart the table, pulling off the headboards covered in a really unattractive 80's patterned carpet, removing the old window shades, giving everything a good wipe down and clean before the painting process
2. Painting all areas with an undercoat
3. Painting all areas of the van with either acryllic gloss white, matte white, bathroom white or a teal blue for the cupboards (we spent a decent 30mins at B&Q choosing the perfect teal hah!)
4. Floorboards and corner trimmings
5. Sealing up the bathroom to make it waterproof
6. Other wood work - including bed board side edge and table
7. Wiring the electricity up for the fridge, solar panel, inverter and power board. Joe was able to isolate the two front batteries to avoid a flat battery for starting the car.
8. Putting in new window shades
9. Upstairs deck (purely for sitting up there and enjoying views and potentially to house our summer tyres if we need to change to winter ones)
10. Reupholstering cushions for the sitting table
Then it was an exciting day to IKEA to fill our little home with glorious interiors! We used non slip mats and velcro to ensure things inside cupboards and on shelves wouldn't move around too much when the van moves.
Before and after shots!
