For van #2 index, see HERE
No doubt, any avid readers (lol!) will be asking, why are we thinking of Van #2 after just building the NV200 campervan – and no doubt assuming its not working, or is wrong, etc etc.
So just to clarify 🙂 ….
The NV200 was built with a 5 year plan in mind and was designed for a mixed life
- Being used as an every-day car, with business use
- Being used for short discreet escapes, and a few long holidays
- Not to get upset when neglected if we are backpacking or cycling 🙂
And for that need, it is actually working incredibly well. We use it as a car (as it is car size); we have lots of short breaks; and we’ve taken it on long trips of 4/6 weeks already with more planned.
Due to its design, it is compromised, always will be, and in its current role its compromises are acceptable.
However… its almost 3 years since we started, and being a 5 year plan, its over half way! Eek. So its time to think and plan from 2020 and beyond. And for this, we expect (hope) to be taking more longer van trips and undertaking more slow exploring of places, longer mountain biking in the mountains, long snowboarding trips etc.
And for this purpose the NV would struggle, and hence the plan to go back from “campervan” to “mini motorhome” – with large living area, better insulation, onboard garage, shower etc. None of which are possible in the NV.
Van #2 would not need to be a car, nor would it need business use, but would need to be used on lots of trips to make it viable……
In effect, shows that there isn’t one correct answer for us, let alone any two people! A bigger van would not be viable for us now (hence the NV) and a smaller van probably won’t be viable in a few year (hence the plan for Van #2)
Its a plan, its an idea, and fits in with our bigger plans from many years ago……..! Current just an enjoyable research project, but who knows…… 😀
Hi Ryan & Mel
Wow, what a van and what an inspiration you are. My wife and I have been camping and using as a works car our NV200 for the last 3 years, not a patch on yours but it has proved superb, its on about its 3rd design!now with a raised rear bed with storage below and passenger swivel, its just completed 2 months tour of France,Spain and Portugal. However, like you, we intend to spend more time touring since off loading our business and are now contemplating a bigger van to convert maybe a Ducato mid size, however we’re so reluctant to give up the NV its so cheap to run and so easy to get about. We used your site for guidance before and so now are watching to see which way you decide to go. That said as a last attempt to squeeze more room out of this great van, we are considering adding a removable side panel to allow us to sleep across which I think I’ve sorted and with the extra space this gives us I want to swivel the drivers seat but cannot find out how to either move or lower the handbrake to allow the seat to spin, I just can’t spend £400+ on a zooom design which I think rises over. Any advice?? Either way many thanks for your advice and stories, genuinely.
Hi
Thanks for the kind words!
Our drivers seat doesn’t rotate – it would not work for our build. I don’t know if its possible without Zoom… Are you on the NV200 facebook groups – loads of conversions there and I’m sure someone will know if it is possible….
Lovely to see someone else using and abusing them! Ours will get another months outing shortly….
We are seriously considering van#2 in September 2020 – life is too short to delay and all that. But we have an improved design on L2H2 which can take bikes and boards and slightly more internal room than the CAD you see on this page. Presently just designing each join in my head so I know what is doable (by me) and designing out things I can’t do. We’ll know mid next year if we’re going to as we’ll be ordering new and getting it on the Sept registration…. The NV will be 4.5 years then, but undecided what we’d do – keep or sell… Problem is its probably worth more <5yo with the Nissan warrantee than 5y1m with no warrantee.... But the bigger van would not be usable as car#2 so we'd either need another car or less work. The latter is preferred 🙂 Time will tell....