READER STORY
What to do when you’ve sold your caravan and then realise you’ve made a terrible mistake? You make a plan, say Johann and Jereline Kaalsen of Primrose Hill in Germiston.
Camping flows through the veins of the Kaalsens – for a long time they did so in a 1995 model Sprite Sport. But then, one Easter weekend a couple of years back, Johann decided enough was enough when he saw his teenage children, Diaan and Simoné, spending most of their time in the tent, busy on their phones. Because Johann also has a motorcycle, he decided that he and his wife Jereline would tour with the bike in future and leave the children at home – that’s what the kids wanted, after all. The caravan was therefore no longer needed, and so they sold it… but a year later Johann realised they should never have let the caravan go. Regret, as they say, comes too late and they needed to make another plan. Johann continues… I work in retail, and use a 2005 model Fiat Ducato 2.3 JTD panel van that has almost 800 000 km on the clock for deliveries. I bought the vehicle as a demo model for my late father back in the day, but I started using it rather than the Toyota Quantum – with a long wheelbase and high roof – that I used for work. The Ducato is no ordinary panel van and has been rebuilt with windows all around and 13 seats inside. It has plywood on the floor with rubber tiles on top. The interior walls are covered in plywood and a grey carpet. It costs around R50 000 to have your panel van rebuilt like this. The seats are bolted to the floor and
it’s quite a process to remove them, but we seldom use them. JERELINE AND I wanted a camping vehicle again, and because I’m skilled with my hands, I decided to turn the Ducato into a multi-purpose vehicle. Something I could use for work, but it could quickly be turned into a motorhome to go camping. It took many late-night planning sessions and we discussed many ideas about what our motorhome should look like on the inside. Jereline wanted certain things, such as drawers for clothes and the pantry, and then there had to be enough space so we could at least move around with ease. In my school days I won a trophy for woodwork, and my real passion is to restore furniture. I drew up a plan on paper and went to the hardware store with a comprehensive list. The plywood was cut according to my list, which made things much easier. I decided to build two cupboards to form the base for the bed. I built them in such a way that they can be easily put in place and removed. It takes me about 15 minutes to convert the van from a delivery vehicle into a motorhome. The cupboards aren’t bolted down and many people ask whether things roll around while I’m driving. But because the van has rubber tiles on its floor, everything stays in place. I also designed it so that the cupboards that form the bed fit over the wheel arches, further securing them as there’s only half a centimetre gap on either side. Each cupboard has two deep drawers that extend to the centre of the base. We use these for our clothes, towels and shoes. At the back, there’s enough space for the gas cylinder, braai, tent, ground sheet, camping sink and fold-up chairs. Our previous caravan’s custom-made mattress fits perfectly on the bed, and my mother-in-law, Ola, made the curtains to match our colour scheme. The ‘kitchen’ was next in line. I made a cupboard with two drawers and space for a bar fridge. The bottom drawer is for drinks and the top one for crockery and cutlery. The position of this cupboard was important. It’s right by the door, which means we don’t have to get in to get something. I also bought a microwave that sits on top of the cupboard. Next to it is another cupboard, with six drawers and a door on the right. The drawers are for food and our potjie, and behind the door we store the cassette toilet while we’re driving. We use it in one of those toilet tents when camping. I DIDN’T USE any special tools. I did make use of a bevelled saw and curvilinear, but never switched on my table saw. I also didn’t bother with setting up
plumbing or a complicated electrical system. The microwave, fridge and my ice machine work with good old 220 V external power, which is fine by us. Maybe I’ll consider onboard 12 V power in the future, but we’re not there yet. On the outside, I fitted an aluminium sliding strip above the door through which we thread the rally tent when we camp. The rally tent, which I bought second-hand, also has walls – I specifically wanted ons that I could use for work and didn’t want something in a bag that would flap in the wind while I work. My mother-in-law also helped with the awning at the back door – for when we need some afternoon shade for a nap. AFTER 800 000 KM, the Ducato’s engine gave up the ghost, and what a frustrating turn of events. I see many Facebook motorhome owners complaining about poor service when it comes to servicing and repairing their vehicles. We would like to go to Mbizi in June for the Kamp-Mal Facebook group’s birthday camp, and I hope it will be sorted out by then. Due to Covid-19, last year’s camp was postponed to this year, and if we can’t drive our motorhome by then, I’ll tow it there with my bakkie. Before the engine broke down, it gave me a 10 ℓ/100 km at 120 km/h consumption. The whole rebuilding project ended up costing us R15 000, which is much cheaper than a secondhand caravan – and we don’t have to worry about wood rot. We originally didn’t have blocks to help get it level, but that was only until our first camping weekend at Mbizi. I had to park the one wheel on bricks, and realised there and then I needed the blocks, so went out to buy some.
I RECKON THE most difficult aspect of the project was psychological in nature. You watch 5-10 minute videos on YouTube about people converting a bus, and then you think you’ll be able to do the same on a Saturday afternoon. You set off at full steam… and when you’ve completed about a quarter of the work, you realise you have bitten off a lot more than you can chew. But you can’t stop now. Halfway through, you want to throw in the towel, and when you’re about three-quarters done, you start praying. But when you finally finish, you wonder why you hadn’t done it long ago! The biggest element is the time a project like this requires. It may seem that it’s going to be real easy to build and install the cupboards, but then you see you’ve cut off an inch too much somewhere and now everything has to be adjusted. It is a time-consuming process and you’re in hell the one moment and in heaven the next because your mind alternates between cursing and praying. It eventually took us three months to complete because we still had our day jobs as well. AND YES, PEOPLE come over to check out our motorhome wherever we camp. As we pull up, they stare and then start wandering past our stand to get a closer look. Next, they start a loud discussion about the motorhome – in the hope we’ll hear them and invite them closer. But we don’t mind. We’ve been camping since 1978, and also did so as kids. Being hospitable is part and parcel of camping and that’s how you get to know your neighbours. People who want privacy should stay in hotels.