LDV minibus as campervan?

[slinkycat]

Thinking of buying a used LVD minibus to convert into a campervan, have had a look at a couple of forums, which are full of enthusiasts, and have checked out some cons, ie LDV not in existence any more so spares may be hard to come by in the future.
Anyone on here done a similar conversion, and any thoughts on what sort of van/minibus would be best for a two person + dog conversion?

[oldexpat]

do you know how much work is involved?

[oldexpat]

I would personally get a Ford Bongo but they are extremely thirsty.

[slinkycat]

Not too much work to get it the way I would want it, I'm not after an all singing all dancing campervan with hot & cold water & loo etc! Just want to have something you can stand up in, with a bed, and small cooking area, basically a hard sided, weatherproof motorised tent!

[jomifl]

If you are thinking of taking it abroad then you will have problems wth spares repairs for an LDV. I know someone in SW France who had to wait weeks for spares.
Mercredes vans are almost universal and there are dealers all over Europe. The Standard sprinter van has headroom of about 5'10'' and is fairly economical especially the later models.

[chas2008]

im fairly sure LDVs used Ford Transit engines/gearboxes

[richtee]

Hi Slinky,
If you are thinking of buying one of the ex Post Office Pilots, make sure you drive one first- they can be very noisy to drive.
Best bet in my opinion is to go for a Transit- smoother, quieter, spares available anywhere. To do a minimum conversion is still a fair ammount of work, and gas and electric bits need skilled installation for safety.
Good luck
Richtee.