The dream of owning your own motorhome has long been a reality for some, but for others it is difficult to achieve. Because even old, used vehicles often have a considerable price. So it's no wonder that more and more people are converting a simple van into a motorhome themselves. This requires, above all, technical skills, a hall or a spacious place for the work and patience. Many instructions, tips and tricks for self-assembly can be found online. It certainly helps to invest a lot of time in planning before the expansion begins and, ideally, to have someone who has experience in the expansion and can give you a little support. There are now also many small workshops and individuals who expand to order. But the feeling of driving from pitch to pitch in a self-built camper is indescribable and you know exactly where what works and how. This can be a big advantage, especially on long tours .
Vacation in times of pandemic
Since the Corona pandemic, interest in camping has increased enormously. There was an explosive increase in new registrations of camping vehicles this year. According to Statisik Austria, almost 84 percent more mobile homes and 34 percent more caravans were newly registered in Austria in August than at the same time in 2019. In Germany, almost 70,000 mobile homes were registered by the end of October 2020. This trend can also be seen in used camping vehicles. The reasons are obvious: social distance and spending a lot of time outdoors can be optimally combined with a camping holiday. You can also organize your time out in a very individual way. However, many people discovered camping before the corona pandemic. The independence and proximity to nature are fundamentally fascinating for camping enthusiasts.
Build your own camper
The base vehicle is of fundamental importance for self-assembly. This depends on what the room layout can be and whether there is still space for a kitchenette or even a small wet room. The interior should be particularly well thought out and every corner should be used cleverly so that it can be used as storage space. Lots of cabinets, drawers and holders are needed here. All materials required for this can be obtained from hardware stores and home improvement stores . It is important that a materials list is drawn up in advance. In addition, you should carefully consider which requirements the mobile should also meet in everyday life as a classic vehicle. It may then be important to plan some buildings so that they can be easily removed again.
Rules so as not to lose approval
In order to be able to increase the vehicle's standing height, the roof can even be converted. Here it is necessary to remove the roof as a first step and then re-cover it with a tent-like structure. However, this change cannot be reversed, which is why support from an expert is particularly important here. It must also be noted that permanent modifications may require TÜV approval . This is the case in the following situations:
- The structure of the vehicle was changed, for example by converting the roof
- Safety-relevant components have changed as a result of the renovation
- The weight of the vehicle is significantly higher than before
- The name of the vehicle no longer matches the documents (in the case of a permanent conversion as a camper)
If in doubt, it is advisable to present the vehicle to the TÜV after the conversion. If serious changes are to be made, early coordination with the TÜV is important so that the vehicle's approval is not lost.
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