Campervan Conversion (Cammie the Camper) April 2025 Preparation The first task, is to get the base vehicle fully sorted, ready for the conversion. You know, all the niggley little things that need putting right or taking out. When researching these vans, I'd considered giving a 2" suspension lift and fitting larger wheels and tyres, giving an overall 3" lift. But lets face it, I wasn't going rock climbing in the van, I just wanted to be able to get out of wet and muddy fields. The stability on the road at speed and in the wind, the MPG and gearing for hills etc would be negatively effected. But what sealed it, was the effect on insurance of a modified van, some companies just wouldn't touch it. So stock size alloy wheels and some stock size all terrain tyres was what she would get. And so to work.......... Bulkhead and Cab Seating The van came with a double passenger front seat, that will have to go, as will the bulkhead. I want to be able to walk from the rear of the van into the cab and drive away. Before and after shots of the bulkhead removal, the after shot was taken when I had cleaned up most of the dirt that had accumulated behind and under the seats. Not to precious about it, as I will be doing it properly when the double seat is removed. There is more to a seat swap than just unbolting one and bolting the other in place. I was surprised how many cables were under the double seat, these need tidying under the single seat. The gear box control module on this AWD model, is mounted to the seat frame of the double seat, I had to attach it to the single seats base unit, using some riv-nuts. There's a plate bolted to the floor near the handbrake, that needs removing, as its in the new walk way area and has two large threaded studs sticking up about 35mm. I had to take the handbrake shroud off to gain access to one of these bolts and was amazed by what I found. The vans only 4.1/2 years old, but the metalwork around the handbrake was very rusty, probably because Ford had not bothered painting it. So I removed it, gave it a good clean up, painted and re installed it. Take note, the T55 Torx bolts holding the seat and the plate that has to be removed, are rusted and tight. They stick out below the vehicle and are open to the elements, I had to use a 30" breaker bar and it took a lot of effort to get them to crack. On to fitting the seat......... Before and after, its much easier to get through between the seats now. I managed to find a used single seat, from a 2021 Transit. Most of these vans had the same fabric, so as long as it was from a similar Mk8, it would be a perfect match. The rubber floor mat needs attention, as it has cut outs for the double seat, that aren't needed. Some stiff foam, inserted into the gaps and an over carpet will deal with that. I've seen some carpet sets for the cab on the Bay, which include a built in tongue to run between the seats. The drivers seat, while generally being in good condition, had two holes in the back rest, made by cigarette burns. I stuck a cloth badge over these holes and placed a similar badge on the passenger seat, so that the seats match. Dash Repair The van came with a badly broken glass (Plastic) on the instrument cluster, a few small cracks in the bottom edge and one big one. All the gauges worked, just a broken glass. I ordered a used instrument cluster off the Bay and swapped over the front cowl from this, which has the glass glued to it. This was to avoid unplugging the original unit, which could possibly involve having to use Fords Forscan software. Needed to get everything talking again and set the correct mileage, if the replacement pod was installed. I wasn't taking any chances, so I left the original plugged in and just swapped the Cowl/Glass while the unit was dangling on the harness behind the steering wheel. Tight for space, but I took my time and managed ok. I reassembled the broken glass on to my now, spare, replacement instrument cluster, to protect the dials/pointers. The original is now sporting good glass. If anyone is wondering how to remove the trim around the clocks, on one of these 2020 350 EcoBlue's, the trim is just clipped in. Start at the lower left corner and prise it off using a trim tool or screwdriver. This gives access to the four screws holding the instrument pod in place. Repairing the Roof Braces Several of the internal side struts that brace the roof, were bent and detached. It looked like they had been used to tie down loads. These braces are only glued to the sides, with a kind of foam adhesive. This was the worst one, with before and after pictures. I straightened all of them and glued them back to the roof with grab adhesive. I bought some Grey, acid etch primer and brushable White coach paint for this and other, internal body/rust repair. It will all be covered up when the lining is put in, its more about corrosion protection than appearance. I'm surprised there wern't more dings on the outside of the van, based on some of the dodgey things that were done inside. Reversing Cameras I got up a ladder to inspect the High level brake light and its housing, the roof looked as though it had never been washed since it left the factory. A bit of soap and water and it looked like new. The brake light had a cracked/repaired lens, I measured it and found a replacement sporting dual rear cameras. As can be seen below, the camera pointing at the tow hitch, for close maneuvering, has infrared lights, triggered in low light conditions. Quite a neat installation. Wheel Tidy The van will eventually be getting some alloy wheels and all terrain tyres. For now, some Satin Black paint on the steel rims and a cheap set of wheel trims tidies her up nicely. Straightening of rear door I noticed a gap between the offside rear door and its body sealing strip. About 6mm in the middle, tapering away about half a meter either side. Looking from the outside, this created a large panel gap near the rear light and it wasn't just the hinge that wanted adjusting. I could see there had been a welded repair to the door, using a straight edge, there was about 6mm more vertical curvature than on the other door. It looked as though a heavy load had slipped back and bent the door, or something was in the way when it was slammed shut. Either way, it was bent and I wanted it sorted. I bought a cheap 2 ton wire rope puller (£12) and attached this to one of the passenger seat securing bolts. I drilled a hole in the door frame, at the centre of the curvature and put a threaded lifting eye through this hole, and screwed it into a 20mm thick metal bar I'd tapped to accept it. The puller was attached to the eye and pressure applied until the door frame straightened and made even contact with the door seal. As can be seen from the before and after pictures, it worked extremely well, I now have nice even pressure on the door seal and a constant shut line that matches the door on the other side. Fuel Filler Trim The trim that's located just below the fuel filler flap was broken, with a corner missing. I got a replacement, painted it white and fitted it. Rear Hinges/Tow Bar The tow bar and ball hitch were in a rusty state, so I cleaned up/painted the tow bar. I renewed the Ball hitch with a combined ball and pin and while I was at it added a step, which will make access to the rear storage area much easier. The body coloured rear door hinges, in this case White, looked strange to me, set into the Black rear bumper. I sprayed the bottom pair Satin Black, to match the plastic bumpers. I'm much happier with the way this looks and as can be seen in the before and after pictures below, the rear is a lot tidier now. That's about it, I'm ready to start turning it into a Campervan.