Have there been any progress on the truck? Would be fun with an update!=)
Hello!B Bertil Hagel said:
Yes, something happened
Ended up with a rather basic framework inside the cabinet with 70x28 studs, then 50mm xps inside the studs everywhere, followed by 3mm white-lacquered board from Bauhaus. All the electricity was run inside, and then I built kitchen frames and a bed from 22x45 studs left over from a fence replacement. I'm going to make some changes now, run electricity on the outside instead, place the floor on studs and lay 4mm directly against the insulation instead of a 2 cm gap =)Fun! Do you have pictures? What do you gain by running the electricity on the outside? I've been thinking that a light truck might be the ultimate for building your own camper van since it's essentially just a big box.
Hi Anders! I am also going to build this kind of camper van. I would really like to know more about your build and whether it became as heavy as you feared. I think it won't become that heavy. So, I thought of keeping the tailgate lift, and if it starts getting heavy, I might have to sell it and create a lighter balcony. Please get in touch with me, it would be valuable to brainstorm some ideas. /Fredrik SvedbrantAnders.Pettersson said:
Hello!
Yes, something came of it
I realize that this thread is from 2022, so the original poster has probably already finished building, sold the car, and managed to build another one 😄 But I ended up here anyway when I was looking for Swedish info, and if more people do the same, it might be worthwhile to leave some general tips.
Blocking paint/primer: There are often marks/paint peeling already in an old car. The risk of trapping moisture/condensation behind the insulation is also high, so try to address and paint over as much as you can. (sand down, primer + topcoat).
Plan ventilation and electricity early condensation is often the biggest problem in van builds, and once the walls are in place, it's too late to add electrical cables.
Think order of operations: floor plan → ventilation → electricity → insulation → walls → interior.
I myself had trouble finding good Swedish guides (and it shows a bit that the latest comment here is from March 2025...). So if someone else ends up here, like me: we learned a lot from both Explorist and Camperpals. These two Swedish sites are good starting points:
- Building the basics in campervan: https://www.camperpals.com/bygga-campervan/
- Electrical systems (plan right from the start): https://www.camperpals.com/elsystem-i-campervan/
For wiring in video form, though in English
How to Wire a Camper Van with Greg Virgoe:
Hope this helps the next person who happens to stumble into this "time capsule" of a thread
Blocking paint/primer: There are often marks/paint peeling already in an old car. The risk of trapping moisture/condensation behind the insulation is also high, so try to address and paint over as much as you can. (sand down, primer + topcoat).
Plan ventilation and electricity early condensation is often the biggest problem in van builds, and once the walls are in place, it's too late to add electrical cables.
Think order of operations: floor plan → ventilation → electricity → insulation → walls → interior.
I myself had trouble finding good Swedish guides (and it shows a bit that the latest comment here is from March 2025...). So if someone else ends up here, like me: we learned a lot from both Explorist and Camperpals. These two Swedish sites are good starting points:
- Building the basics in campervan: https://www.camperpals.com/bygga-campervan/
- Electrical systems (plan right from the start): https://www.camperpals.com/elsystem-i-campervan/
For wiring in video form, though in English
How to Wire a Camper Van with Greg Virgoe:
Hope this helps the next person who happens to stumble into this "time capsule" of a thread
Hello! I've probably always dreamed of being a time capsule to the thread creator and appearing on Google
The car is still around and has been modified in various stages, mostly on the inside!
Basically, it became:
Siliconed/sealed/repaired all strange drill holes and damages, then built frames on the inside, insulated with 5 cm XPS, then 4 mm pine plywood. The kitchen got some Ikea doors but with a lightweight built frame. I've tried different designs over the years.
But just as you say, sources on similar builds don't grow on trees!
The car is still around and has been modified in various stages, mostly on the inside!
Basically, it became:
Siliconed/sealed/repaired all strange drill holes and damages, then built frames on the inside, insulated with 5 cm XPS, then 4 mm pine plywood. The kitchen got some Ikea doors but with a lightweight built frame. I've tried different designs over the years.
But just as you say, sources on similar builds don't grow on trees!