Ford Transit Custom Camper Van Build – Part 3: Pop Top Refit & Redemption (Part 3)

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! 🙂

Most of February 2025. If you’ve read part 1 and part 2 of our pop top ordeal, you’ll know I was feeling deflated and fed up with our van build. One month in and everything was going south. Was our van dream now over?

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I held off contacting Evolution Vans during the week, waiting until Friday before dropping them a message. I was sure the van would be finished by now, and I was eager to get a pick-up date. With a bit of luck, I could even collect her on Saturday – my birthday – and spend the day fitting insulation! 

But no, that’s not how it went. 

Unfortunately, due to their workload, they hadn’t been able to start work on her. Totally understandable – they had other customers booked in – but that didn’t make it any less disappointing. Once again, communication seemed to be the issue. I’d been told she would be worked on that week, and since I hadn’t heard otherwise, I’d assumed everything was on track. They assured me she’d be fitted in the following week, but this time, I made sure to check in every couple of days – just in case! I probably drove them mad…

During this second week, I got a message from the local fitter, who (finally!) made it up to Evolution for a chat about the van. He was about to head off on holiday for two weeks and wanted to see if Evolution could remove and refit the leaking window before he left. I was so grateful he asked because waiting another two weeks to start the insulation – when there was still a risk of water getting in – wouldn’t have been much fun. Of course, this added more work for Evolution, which meant the pick-up date was pushed to the following Tuesday. At least this was communicated to me this time 😅.

Come Tuesday, we headed up after work, thankful for the longer daylight hours, ready to inspect every nook and cranny of the refit. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to see a professionally fitted roof as we approached the van! The diffuser was neatly siliconed, and the exterior was free from any stray Sikaflex marks. Inside, the roof was raised for us, now a solid single piece roof with no skylight. The corners were neatly finished to the chrome trim, and – most importantly – there were no beams of daylight shining through! I was assured the roof and window had both been leak-tested, and based off what we could see right now, the difference from last time was night and day. 

I’d mentioned that if the work was done to a high standard, I’d be interested in getting a bed fitted in the pop-top. They wouldn’t have time until mid-March, but they were happy to take it on. As a goodwill gesture, they’d already started framing the bed, carpeting it, and finishing it off neatly in the cab. That rough, unfinished cutting in the cab had been one of my biggest disappointments on the first pick-up (after all the leaks!), so seeing it done properly this time made me really happy. 

Needless to say, I will be back to Evolution Vans. The whole saga has been an incredibly stressful nightmare – miscommunication at every stage, ending in shoddy workmanship. But in the end, how a company fixes its mistakes says a lot. And this time, rather excitingly, I finally drove away as a happy *van-with-a-pop-top* owner!

Hurrah! It’s time for us to begin our family project!