Buying an estate car to sleep on location in - stupid idea?

swanseamale47 said:
Theres getting on for 6 foot length but theres not much room really, time you get your kit in and not much head room.
To be honest your better off with a van, people can see inside a car, if they see you kipping you'll probably either get idiots banging on the sides or the police around.
A transit has a load of room in the back. If your thinking of converting it get it done by a specialist company. I'm told home madeconversations can't get insurance these days without loads of tests.
Wild camping is getting very popular, provided you arrive late, don't light a roaring fire and keep your head down chances are you'll be fine.
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You've been told wrong. As long as you take pictures of the conversion and adhere to the list of requirements you should have no trouble.
 
LojikDub said:
Is this common for photographers, or even a good idea??
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I don't it regularly but one or twice a year I do end up sleeping in back of my car (Honda Jazz) in a sleeping bag. I do it for couple nights consecutively.

p.s. don't forget buy good car air freshener and don't forget to carry your toothbrush :D
 
Yes, if you have a corinthia sleeping bar or similar superb high end mummy style bag.

I knew met office engineers who used to sleep in Saab 95`s and claim money for hotels.
 
GTG said:
Yes, if you have a corinthia sleeping bar or similar superb high end mummy style bag.

I knew met office engineers who used to sleep in Saab 95`s and claim money for hotels.
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I have sleeping bag i got from halfords for £30. nothing special
 
I’ve been looking at converting a VW Caddy, there’s some nice little micro campers out there!
 
I sleep in my transit custom a dozen times a month, if not more. When the weathers okay, I pitch my tent. I have used my wifes car too which was okay because I choose hidden spots that don't attract attention. Google is your friend for picking hidden spots.

One thing that I will say, especially if it's for a few days. Keep your stuff tidy! You must put stuff away when you're not using it, if not it'll bog you down and leave you 2ftx2ft to sleep and sit in. Another thing about car/van camping, you don't need lightweight stuff so even a duvet will do. It's great waking up at dawn to see otters and other wildlife 20ft from where you're sleeping. The big downside is when the weathers crap and you're relying on the vehicle as a bedroom and a shelter things get messy and miserable. Freezing weather isn't an issue either good bedding and sensible clothing fix that problem.

I've only been moved once by a ranger at Vyrnwy because they were having problems with chavs burning stuff and leaving piles of rubbish. He walked to the rear of my van as it was going dark and saw my kit in the back. I just drove to the carpark at the end of lake and pitched there.

People who know me have a good laugh because I tent camp or van camp, it's not the money for hotels etc., it's an adventure. Plus you can come and go as you please at any hour without causing problems.
 
This is my set up, not perfectly flat but good enough for me.

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I had landrover discovery. Didn't sleep in the back though, used the passenger seat with back down about 30 degrees. Also didn't use any bedding, instead I got an industrial freezer coat from work wear company. Very warm and comfy and fine fir one night or two. Certainly saves a lot of faffing about.
 
I use a Citroen Berlingo van.2.5 front seats. It is panelled and floored. I have a roll up mattress and a decent sleeping bag in the back. I usually get to my location a few hours before and have a sleep before i start my photography or get there on time and have a sleep before i head home again. Can get cold in the van though so a good sleeping bag helps.
 
I sometimes sleep in the front of my Skoda Yeti, just recline the passenger sear done and it's ok. When I do it's go somewhere for sunset, kip and then do sunrise. If I'm tired after that a couple of hours more kip and then drive home
 
mickledore said:
My bestest pal does a lot of hill running all over England, Scotland and Wales. He regularly goes away for a few days at a time and uses a Vauxhall Astra van. He claims insurance for private use is cheap as chips - once HD found a company that would cover him.
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Last time I owned a van, I found that commercial carriage of own goods insurance was cheaper than private.


Steve.
 
Re insurance:

One thing the commercial insurers WILL NOT do is business use for a camper van. And I believe there may be problems trying to insure a home-made conversion. One of the first questions they ask these days is

"has the vehicle been modified?" and your answer will have to be "yes". Saying "no" will nullify the insurance in the event of a claim (or possibly an accident?).

However there are specialist companies such as Brentacre (01792) 650933 who will insure conversions and I believe the premiums are quite reasonable.
 
jerry12953 said:
Re insurance:

One thing the commercial insurers WILL NOT do is business use for a camper van. And I believe there may be problems trying to insure a home-made conversion. One of the first questions they ask these days is

"has the vehicle been modified?" and your answer will have to be "yes". Saying "no" will nullify the insurance in the event of a claim (or possibly an accident?).

However there are specialist companies such as Brentacre (01792) 650933 who will insure conversions and I believe the premiums are quite reasonable.
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Always start with Adrian Flux and go from there.

Comfort are supposedly good too (Thomas Heaton recommended) and Campion do insurance for conversions.
 
cymruchris said:
View attachment 122911 View attachment 122906

The Honda SM-X (only available as an import) was good for this sort of thing - the insides converted into a double bed.
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Never seen one of these before until you posted it. I’ve just seen a sales thread on Facebook for one of these (1996 200k (km) for £1350), if we didn’t now have two cars between us I would potentislly think of buying it to use as a micro camper for photography trips.
 
There's also the Austin Maxi which famously had the great feature of the seats converting into a double bed. It took the wife and I to St Tropez in 1980 for a bit of wild car camping, with the oil light on too often, the things you do when you are young. Unfortunately, those very comfortable seats/bed were the only great feature of the Maxi, the rest was rubbish. Still got the wife though!
 
rob-nikon said:
Never seen one of these before until you posted it. I’ve just seen a sales thread on Facebook for one of these (1996 200k (km) for £1350), if we didn’t now have two cars between us I would potentislly think of buying it to use as a micro camper for photography trips.
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It's a little known car :) but although I owned one for about a year - I never used the double bed facility :) Nippy and reliable - like many other Honda's.
 
If using a van or a suitable estate look at getting a bedchair from a fishing shop, They are heavy duty sunloungers with adjustable legs and sprung and padded matress. Lots of anglers fish from backs of VW caddys and such like. Has the advantage of folding up or space underneath for storage. If warm enough and somewhere you feel safe camping can be set up outside with a bedchair cover
 
AgentOrange76 said:
If using a van or a suitable estate look at getting a bedchair from a fishing shop, They are heavy duty sunloungers with adjustable legs and sprung and padded matress. Lots of anglers fish from backs of VW caddys and such like. Has the advantage of folding up or space underneath for storage. If warm enough and somewhere you feel safe camping can be set up outside with a bedchair cover
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Might be OK in a van, but I couldn't set my bedchair up in the back of my Astra. :( I have slept outside the car on a bedchair a couple of times.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Might be OK in a van, but I couldn't set my bedchair up in the back of my Astra. :( I have slept outside the car on a bedchair a couple of times.
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Guess not but a mondeo or octavia should be big enough for the smaller models - I wasnt thinking Nash Indulgence or what ever the current models are called
 
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