Ford Transit Custom Campervan Build – Part 1: Stripping Out the Interior.

Welcome to our family camper van build adventure! We’re transforming our Ford Transit Custom into our very own camper van, tackling every step together as a family. With our two young lads getting stuck in alongside us, this project is as much about bonding and learning as it is about creating something amazing together, for us all to enjoy. Join us on this exciting journey as we share every triumph, challenge, and tip along the way – don’t forget to subscribe and follow our story as it unfolds! 🙂

Sunday 19th January 2025. So, here we are! The campervan dream is finally happening! After years of “what ifs” and Pinterest boards, we’ve actually gone and bought the van. The plan is to convert it into a camper – with the “help” of my two boys (8 and 10) and my endlessly patient husband, who is probably rolling his eyes at yet another of my wild ideas. 

Things have kicked off quicker than expected. My first job was going to be the pop top and windows. For this I decided to chat with a local camper conversion company to see if they would do this task. They’ve agreed to work with me on a hybrid build basis (translation: they handle the stuff that I can’t do without accidentally breaking something, or anything safety related). After discovering that (shock, horror!) pop tops aren’t just sat on a shelf waiting for buyers, I resided myself to the fact that there wasn’t going to be much I could do while waiting 6-8 weeks for a pop-top roof to be made and delivered. Boo. 

But 6-8 weeks felt like a lifetime, and I didn’t want the van just sitting there looking pretty. So I asked if they could sort the windows while we waited. To my surprise, they said, “Why not?” and offered to fit me in on Monday! Suddenly, I had a reason to get started – and not much time to do it, considering it was already Wednesday, we’d planned a walk Saturday, and my eldest had football on Sunday morning. 

Luckily, I’d already peeled off the top layer of ply from the interior. All that was left was removing the original factory ply, which was held in place with trim clips. Easy job, right? Right! Thankfully, the boards were also in excellent nick, so I’ve decided to reuse them for carpet lining instead of cutting new ones – small wins! 

After my eldest’s freezing football match on the Sunday (2°C but “feels like” -2°C), we came home like icicles. Once the boys were thawing by the fire with their hot chocolates, I braved the chill and got stuck in. Despite wanting the boys to help, I thought better of it – they looked far too happy by the fire. 

The ply removal went smoothly, and with my husband’s help, we had it all out in no time, trim clips saved for later. Feeling ambitious, we decided to tackle the floor too. It wasn’t strictly necessary for the window work to be completed, but since the tools were out, we figured, “Why not?” 

The van’s floor had a pre-cut ply layer topped with an orange Altro floor that matched the van’s colour scheme perfectly. Lovely in theory, but not quite the vibe I had in mind for the future interior of our camper. A quick test corner came off beautifully with a hairdryer and crowbars. So, we dived in.  I’m sure this wouldn’t take too long…

Of course, as these things go, it turned into a slow, sticky battle. Two hours, one trusty hairdryer, a couple of crowbars, and buckets of patience later, we peeled off the last corner with triumphant cheers! My fingers are already protesting, and I suspect blisters are brewing, but it’s worth it to tick that job off the list. 

For now, the bulkhead is staying put until we’ve got a date for the roof install. On the plus side, it’s in excellent condition, so I’m planning to pop it on eBay – every little helps when it comes to funding this project! 

The van is starting to take shape, and it feels like the adventure has officially begun. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us – once we’ve regained feeling in our fingers, that is!