3 Campervan Project: Preparation

Time to get our hands dirty and start preparing our van – which, by the way, already has a name: Bästi, which means “The best of all”. Mia was the one who chose the name.

We’ve got 6 main steps ahead:

1. Remove everything to check the van’s actual condition

2. Clean everything thoroughly

3. Treat the rust

4. Paint with epoxy for protection

5. Fix the rear door issue

6. Do a full mechanical inspection and replace worn parts

   
   

   

   
   

1. Remove everything to check the van’s actual condition

• In the back, the walls were covered with wooden panels and there was a wooden structure on the floor. We removed everything and were surprised to find insulation on the side walls – but it’s not the kind we want, so we threw it all out.

• The wood panels were held in place with tons of screws, and each screw leaves a hole that must be treated to prevent rust.

• We also removed the seats and their bases, as well as the entrance steps on both sides.

• The rear bumper was broken, so we took it off. We’ve already bought a new one to replace it.

2. Clean everything thoroughly

• As you can imagine, the cleaning wasn’t easy, there were areas that no one had ever cleaned before. The worst part was under the seats, where there was a kind of dried-up mud that took ages to remove.

• In the rear wheel arch area, there was expanding foam that was quite tricky to clean, but we managed to get it out.

3. Treat the rust

• This step was the hardest and most time-consuming one. Of course, there are many ways to treat rust using different products, but here’s what we did:

  1. We sanded the rusty areas thoroughly

  2. Applied a rust converter that reacts with the oxidation and stops its growth

  3. Applied a waterproofing agent to keep the area dry

  4. Finally, we painted over it with epoxy paint, sealing everything properly

  
  

That was our approach, and it’s definitely a big improvement.

4. Paint with epoxy

• We painted all the rusted areas after treatment.

• We also painted the entire rear floor to ensure that if water ever gets in, the metal will still be protected.

• Finally, we painted the lower outer sides of the van, the parts that get constantly splashed with water from the tyres when the ground is wet.

5. Fix the rear door issue

Our rear doors have a problem: they don’t close properly. When “closed,” the top part stays open. We believe the van might have been hit on the back right side, since there's a dent and that door is the worst one. We took it to a garage, and they told us lots of parts are missing – like locks and guides. So, we’ve got two options: either we find and install all the missing parts, or we replace the doors with used ones in good condition.

Of course, getting new (used) doors would be easier, just remove the old ones and install the new ones but they’re very expensive.

We’re not sure what to do yet. If we find some doors at a good price, we’ll go for it. Otherwise, we’ll buy the missing parts and try to align everything. We’ll see how it goes.

6. Do a full mechanical inspection and replace worn parts

Despite the mileage, the van’s mechanical side is in great shape. But we don’t want surprises on the road, so we’ll do a full service: oil change, filters, glow plugs, cooling system cleaning, new suspension system (we want to raise the van a bit), and anything else that pops up along the way.

Inside, we’ll replace the steering wheel, which is very worn, and the gear stick has a lot of play (just needs a new mechanism, nothing major).

So that’s how we’re preparing Bästi to ensure the build starts on a solid and safe base.

At the moment, we still need to fix the rear doors (which will have to be done by professionals) and do the mechanical work (which we’ll take care of). Everything else is ready.

We’ll start the actual build soon, don’t miss a thing! And if you can help us with any of the challenges we’re facing, we owe you a big thank you.

Stay tuned!

Carlos Cunha