Toyota Hiace
The engine is absolutely bombproof. These are renowned for being reliable work horses. I have never had an issue mechanically. Starts first time, every time. I knew the previous owner personally and he had never had an issue either. I have looked after the engine (yearly services) as had the previous owner. Nothing more to say really, she’s an absolute beast of a motor! Why buy a Transporter and have the engine fall out when you can buy a Hiace?!
The bodywork is in good condition for a 20 year old van, a little surface rust underneath but nothing to worry about (happy to show you when you come to view). The lower half has been painted by myself (wasn’t so keen on the white van look!). This means its super easy to touch up if it gets scratched or damaged….no expensive resprays! When I repainted I did some light rust repair and treatment to some of the body work, but again, she’s in pretty good nick for a 20 yr old van. Chassis is solid and nothing to worry about regarding MOTs.
MOT until the 8th March 2023
3 of the tires have been replaced in the last year and the 4th still has plenty of tread.
Just plonk the details into the DVLA website if your interested in engine sizes etc!
I’m selling my much loved camper. Bought as a shell from a friend during lockdown, I converted it myself with all the extra time I had on my hands. I’m a cabinet maker so the quality of the work is top notch! Me and my girlfriend have had many great adventures in this camper including a 5 week trip around Scotland. We will definitely be sad to see it go but unfortunately we don’t use it as much as we used to so it is time to sell.
The first job was sorting out the exterior. As previously mentioned I touched up the bodywork and painted the lower half of the van to make it look a little more stylish. The lower half is hand painted which makes it really easy to maintain if you have any scuffs or scrapes.
Next to the interior! I love the simplicity of camping and wanted to keep the van as simple as possible whilst being comfortable, spacious and practical. The aim of the build was to essentially create a posh tent on wheels. I didn’t want any complicated electrics, gas or running water. I wanted a van you could drive to the coast with, have a campfire on the beach, cook on the fire or little gas stove and climb back into a comfortable double bed for a good nights sleep. If you want to sit in the back in an armchair and watch netflix then perhaps this isn’t the van for you….. If you want big adventures in the great outdoors and have a comfortable bed to rest up in at the end of the day then keep reading!
The van has a pull out double bed with three large drawers underneath and a pull out table to the rear, a “kitchen” with plenty of storage for food/plates/cutlery etc, shelves with a extra storage underneath and a small 12v cool-box that plugs into the cigarette lighter. I also added doors in the bulkhead to access the space behind the seats…… no space goes to waste! Battery powered fairy lights give a cosy glow to light up the van at night and I also use a couple of magnetic battery powered lights if more light is required to read a book etc. The back is fully insulated and the small window in the bulkhead is double glazed to keep the heat in when its cold and keep the heat out when its hot. The ceiling is classic camper tongue and groove and the majority of the interior furniture is plywood with a few nice solid oak details.
There are also roof bars which add even more storage to the van. Unfortunately the roof box is not included but i would highly recommend picking one up if you do buy the van as it is perfect for storing camping chairs, towels, wetsuits, muddy hiking boots so you can keep the inside clean and dry. It would also be really easy to fit a solar panel to the roof bars and power the cool box and/or add a few usb plugs if you wanted. There is room under the bonnet for a leisure battery so adding electrics would be really simple if desired. The only mod-con is a small solar powered vent to keep the inside fresh and dry.
The build was a true labour of love and the van always gets an amazing reaction when people see the back, so come and see for yourself!
Please send through any questions if you have them. Thanks for reading!
1 double bed that slides out from the bench seating, a pretty common design in the van conversion world. It currently has two mattresses, a memory foam one and an extra thin one also. The bed was designed so the mattress could fit into a single duvet cover, using the duvet cover like a bedsheet. This means it doesn’t slip off when you’re swapping between bed and sofa and can be easily removed and cleaned. And of course single duvets are super easy to get hold of if it needs replacing. Pretty clever eh?! 😉
The contact details for this vehicle are no longer available because it has either sold or the listing has expired.
Insurance options are available through our partner, Ripe Insurance.
