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Another bike van build
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2025 7:32 pm
by Transitionpilot
Hi everyone, just joined the forum and VW ownership, so am going to try and document my van build right from the start (hopefully!)
After almost 4 years of driving a mk1 Transit Connect

that was only supposed to be an emergency purchase for a few months, it's now probably on it's last legs with over 212000 miles in the clock, albeit not the best looking vans (I always thought they looked like a toaster!) it has actually served me well by surviving 2 small prangs by other people, 2 trips to the french alps without missing a beat and just generally being a solid workhorse as a daily driver and providing somewhere dry and sort of warm to sleep on weekend adventures but it's probably not going to pass it's next MOT in december so I thought I'd start looking for something else and as the VW vans are by far the best looking in the market (and a few mates have them) It was an obvious choice what to go for next...

Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 8:02 pm
by Transitionpilot
Thanks to this poxy weather going all over the place this week, progress has been slow as! But managed to remove the old ply and get the back cleaned out and touched up a few scuffs on the inner panels.
Overall this is probably the cleanest vehicle I've ever bought, just a few scrapes and didn't find anything in the nooks and crannies apart from a few pennies and some nails...

Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 2:03 pm
by Flog_TSC
Looking good can’t wait to start mine I’ve just been buying lots of bits
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 9:25 am
by Transitionpilot
Flog_TSC wrote: ↑Thu Sep 04, 2025 2:03 pm
Looking good can’t wait to start mine I’ve just been buying lots of bits
Cheers, I've been trying to ration my purchases as that's a very deep rabbit hole to get sucked into!
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 9:30 am
by Transitionpilot
Another major mod ticked off the list yesterday
Fresh button cover as I can only guess the previous owner had been chewing it or something

Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 11:54 pm
by Flog_TSC
Transitionpilot wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 9:25 am
Cheers, I've been trying to ration my purchases as that's a very deep rabbit hole to get sucked into!
Well it turns out more money today as it died while food shopping hahaha lucky I had a hammer in the back as the starter had died
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2025 10:20 am
by whelp
Flog_TSC wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 11:54 pm
Well it turns out more money today as it died while food shopping hahaha lucky I had a hammer in the back as the starter had died
pain in the arse!
always happens when you have missis / kids mithering around you!
that is a clean van though, i think mine had been used to mix concrete or something.
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2025 10:40 pm
by jakemcc97
Nice tip with the key buttons, looks much better, might have to do that to mine. Nice to see a few camper builds going on at the moment!
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 12:06 am
by stu_b
@ transitionpilot
Welcome aboard
Nice side little upgrade mod
I guess over time and use these things deteriorate
But makes it feel new and YOURS
was it an eBay special or genuine VW
Can add link

Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 10:17 am
by Transitionpilot
stu_b wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 12:06 am
@ transitionpilot
Welcome aboard
Nice side little upgrade mod
I guess over time and use these things deteriorate
But makes it feel new and YOURS
was it an eBay special or genuine VW
Can add link
Apparently genuine, I hope so for the price!
https://www.vanstyle.co.uk/van/genuine- ... -9864.html
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 10:19 am
by Transitionpilot
Flog_TSC wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 11:54 pm
Well it turns out more money today as it died while food shopping hahaha lucky I had a hammer in the back as the starter had died
A hammer and a few choice words of encouragement usually does the trick!!
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 10:27 am
by Transitionpilot
The first of many packages no doubt! - Also instead of paying the outrageous prices for a "sound deadening application roller" if you have a Hobbycraft store nearby and buy an ink roller for a quarter of the price
Using 1 sheet per panel and a box of 20 is more than enough for a maxi
Did the security panels with dodomatt and some 3mm closed cell foam as they are noisy as!

Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 7:25 pm
by Flog_TSC
Transitionpilot wrote:The first of many packages no doubt! - Also instead of paying the outrageous prices for a "sound deadening application roller" if you have a Hobbycraft store nearby and buy an ink roller for a quarter of the price
Using 1 sheet per panel and a box of 20 is more than enough for a maxi
Did the security panels with dodomatt and some 3mm closed cell foam as they are noisy as!

Really can’t wait to do mine I’ve managed to buy some of that recycled plastic stuff from bnq so far and some silver tape and that’s it
My brothers a trimmer so he’s gonna help with the carpet side of things
Any idea how much carpets needed for a maxi ?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 8:20 pm
by gazza31112
Looks like a good buy mate, it's so clean! Perfect base to work with!
Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk
Re: Another bike van build
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2025 12:00 am
by Transitionpilot
Flog_TSC wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 7:25 pm
Any idea how much carpets needed for a maxi ?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I haven't measured properly yet but as a rough guess I'd say 8m at least. When I did my connect I used 4m to do the side and roof without the doors and the caddy is 50% bigger + doors as well and then maybe adding on an extra 1 or 2m to be safe. Having some spare is quite useful as you will always find a use for it.