Touring caravan tent budget
This month, Lee Davey works on the bunks and the bath!
With new wallboard fixed to freshly repaired framework, refitting the furniture in your caravan project is usually a pain-free process, even if the occasional panel, beam, or runner needs some TLC. However, this was clearly never going to be a straightforward part of the Project Maru makeover.
During caravanning’s evolutionary process, a dazzling array of mod cons were fitted to make life on the open road that much more comfortable. As bizarre as it sounds, the humble bathtub made an appearance in several models – some at the turn of the century, others reputedly as late as the 1970s. Unsurprisingly, few modern caravanners fill their bathroom cabinets with rubber ducks or a bottle of Matey bubble bath, but thanks to Charlie’s favourite YouTuber, we think it’s time to bring back the bath.
The offside bed base in our
1977 Bailey Maru was completely missing and cried out for something to fill the void. Drawing inspiration from the fabulously bonkers Colin Furze, we thought a 4ft bath would fill the gap perfectly, doubling as a bed base when not in use. The tape measure deemed it possible, as did a main chassis rail underneath, so Charlie and I went bath hunting. A standard-sized household bath wouldn’t be suitable, not only due to its overall size, but also the amount of water required to fill it. A 4ft tin bath seemed the perfect solution, although with many being marketed as ‘outdoor drink chillers’, the price of a galvanised tub was outside our meagre budget. Fast-forward through multiple Google searches and we were the proud owners of a brand-new 4ft plasterers' bath from Toolstation for just £33.35 including delivery.
Not a scrap of batten, hinge, or bed base remained on the offside which meant we could fabricate our own fixtures and fittings, blank canvas-style. We’d need to reinforce the underside of the bath, allowing the weight to be evenly distributed across the floor, as well as serving as a mount for the waste from which the bath would empty. Luckily, we had a section of 12mm floor remaining from a previous project – a 1967 Bailey Maestro – which was cut to size. A framework of roofing batten encased the bath, with snug supports bracing its circumference. When we collected the caravan, a dilapidated