Oor Wullie Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Hi Folks I'm new to this forum game, and nearly new to motorhoming. I WILL be new to motorhoming if I can get a little help from this forum. We are looking to have a Mercedes Sprinter van converted and, as we live in northern Aberdeenshire, there are no converters nearby. As we will need to travel quite far, we have tried to narrow our search down using the MMM and the internet and are thinking of visiting two converters. S & L Motorhomes in Selby, and Nu Venture in Wigan. Have any of you got any experience of using these two converters? Would like to get some opinions before making the long journeys. Thanks Oor Wullie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camper69 Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Nu Venture have a very good reputation for quality conversions. MMM's Andy Stothert has one (his second) and the two I've seen seemed to be well built. Have you thought of Mill Garage, Duns, Berwickshire. They convert customer vans and advertise regularly in MMM but I've no personal experience of them - www.millgaragecoachworks.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhorsf Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 http://www.dotcomforce.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Worth giving this Company a ring & see if they can help. Much closer to home so you can keep upto date with progress. http://www.eastneukcampervans.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Nu Venture are the better known but that doesn't necessarily mean much. It's a big undertaking and if it were me I'd visit both, have a look at their workmanship (not the shiny bits they would prefer you to see) and get a general feel for the attitude and capability of the workforce. Better still, as others have said, if you can find someone closer you can perhaps be a bit more hands-on. All interior components are sourced from a handful of parent companies so the only thing that really needs bottoming out is how skilled the fitters are and more importantly how much they care about what they do. Oh, and the cost! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activecampers Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Do you already have the sprinter? If not - maybe reconsider as they aren't an ideal van to convert - the walls are curved (meaning less upper space) and the floor is sloping upwards to the rear, so conversions are costlier and you don't get in as much as you do in others. I've you've got one already, then no worries :) Are you after a quality conversion or a cheap conversion? On the quality end, (e.g. solid oak) then look up "Horizons leisure vehicles" in Tamworth (Birmingham). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oor Wullie Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 Hi Camper 69 Looked at Mill Garage website and wasn't too impressed. Fittings didn't look good quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oor Wullie Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 Thanks Flicka Contacted East Neuk but they couldn't do the job. Only do there own vans, eg Seville trio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oor Wullie Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 Hi Activecampers Already have the Sprinter. Currently using it for work. Liked the look of Horizon but the other two looked just as good and a bit nearer to home. Never noticed the slope to the rear in any my sprinters. If anything I have found the opposite. If I put in a reel of cable, it tends to role to the front. Prefer the sprinter as they are more reliable than the Seville trio. In the delivery business, nobody buy's any of the Seville vans unless they are dirt cheap. Too unreliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 camper69 - 2012-05-11 10:21 PM Nu Venture have a very good reputation for quality conversions. MMM's Andy Stothert has one (his second) and the two I've seen seemed to be well built. Wrong Nu Venture, the ones who did Andy's seem to be no longer trading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsea Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 HI try olearys they might be able to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chausson le mor Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 what about Devon conversions they list the sprinter in the vans they convert! Plus they carry out conversions on new and used vehicles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losos Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Oor Wullie - 2012-05-11 8:20 PMHave any of you got any experience of using these two converters? Would like to get some opinions before making the long journeys.ThanksOor Wullie I had a Sprinter converted to my own design and layout but the two firms involved made such a mess of the job that no way will I recomend them on here or anywhere. They are in Yeovil and Taunton so far too far for you thankfully. As someone mentioned above the Sprinter van sides do curve slightly towards the top but all this means is that the fitters have to scribe a slightly curved line to cut panels to, this is beyond the capabilities of so many UK firms. It's a shame there is no one local as you do really need be able to call in every couple of days other wise a disaster is guaranteed. I wish I had done the job myself because no one could make such a mess as the two who did mine. Have you thought about driving it to Germany and getting it done there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losos Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Oor Wullie - 2012-05-12 4:58 PMNever noticed the slope to the rear in any my sprinters. If anything I have found the opposite. If I put in a reel of cable, it tends to role to the front. There is no slope on the floor, at least not on the newer ones (Mine is 2010) Does yours have roof ribs??? If it does then you will have a problem getting the Heiki roof light fitted, it is designed to mount to a FLAT surface so a good engineer will fabricate a panel to go between the roof and the Heiki and waterproof the joint on that and only then mount the Heiki, once again most firms I talked to didn't have a clue, they just bung gallons of filler in the gaps and hope for the best grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. The sheer arrogance, ignorance, and incompetance of the British panel van conversion industry is mind boggling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsea Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 WE ALSO HAD A VAN CONVERTED IN 2009 RIGHT MESS THEY MADE OF IT AND WHEN WE CAME BACK FROM SPAIN THEY HAD GONE BANKRUPT SO BE VERY VERY CAREFULL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oor Wullie Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 Thanks folks Seems nobody has any experience of the two converters I'm looking at so I'll need to travel down myself. My Sprinter is a 2011 model with markings on the roof where a sunroof can be mounted. Cant understand the obsession in the motorhome/caravan world with Heiki rooflights. For one they dont have any lights in them. They also stick up causing wind disturbance and even admit air when closed. Whats wrong with a car style sunroof; they fit flush, so no wind disturbance on the road, and they seal fully when closed. Devon conversions are way too far and going to Germany wouldn't make any sense. I would need to travel back there if there was any problems. I am struggling to fit in a trip to Selby and Wigan as it is! Thats at least a 700 mile round trip. Hence asking for opinions here first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oor Wullie Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 Hi jonsea Never heard of O'Learys. Where are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Oor Wullie - 2012-05-13 12:02 PM Cant understand the obsession in the motorhome/caravan world with Heiki rooflights. For one they dont have any lights in them. They also stick up causing wind disturbance and even admit air when closed. Whats wrong with a car style sunroof; they fit flush, so no wind disturbance on the road, and they seal fully when closed. Car style sunroof are designed for a car, Heiki syle are designed for a caravan/motorhome, these are two distinctly different vehicles used in a different way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chausson le mor Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Devon Conversions despite the name are not in Devon!!! Bassed in Co Durham! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsea Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 olearys are not converts but they know a few people who are .www.olearymotohomes.co.uk hope it helps john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losos Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Oor Wullie - 2012-05-13 1:02 PMCant understand the obsession in the motorhome/caravan world with Heiki rooflights. For one they dont have any lights in them. They also stick up causing wind disturbance and even admit air when closed. Whats wrong with a car style sunroof; they fit flush, so no wind disturbance on the road, and they seal fully when closed. I wanted a car style sunroof above the driver / passenger but Mercedes told me that as I had a 'high roof' version they couldn't fit one and I have an Oyster Sat, system mounted behind the Heiki so a sliding roof can't go there. My Heiki does have lights by the way but you are right it does stick up a bit but with the sliding screen closed I can't say I've noticed any air comming in when closed. The Germany thing was a bit 'tongue in cheek' I just hope you can find a suitable converter, that post about converters going bust is also worth bearing in mind, I'm doing my best to ensure the muppets who did mine go bust !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oor Wullie Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 Yeah I knew about the non-availabity of the sunroof above the cab. Thinking more about over the living areas. We wont be having a sat dome so might be able to get sliding sunroof. Dont do TV while away so no ariels to worry about either. Had another look in the back of the van today and there is definitely area marked for one on the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyStothert Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Nu Venture campers, who converted our last two vans, ARE still in business. Stuart, the proprietor, is an honest bloke who does a good job. A businessman he is not. If he doesn't answer the phone it's usually because he is busy in the workshop so a littel persistence is needed. Tel 01942 492440 or 07808 713733. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Oor Wullie - 2012-05-13 9:08 PM Yeah I knew about the non-availabity of the sunroof above the cab. Thinking more about over the living areas. We wont be having a sat dome so might be able to get sliding sunroof. Dont do TV while away so no ariels to worry about either. Had another look in the back of the van today and there is definitely area marked for one on the roof. Further to my reply on sunroofs/heikivents, a car sunroof is designed to be used on the move and/or when the sun is out, a heiki syle roof vent is designed for use when a van is stationary whether it's sunny or peeing it down. The reason heiki syle roof vents have permenant venting is that living in a van creates large amounts of moisture and the air flowing up throu a roof vent helps disapate that when you've got all the other windows closed. One tip I would give is not to fit the vents that hinge at front, but fit a fourway vent which can be tilted to take account of wind direction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Not forgetting the gallons of condensation that would form on anything other than an 'insulated' construction like double glazed polycarbonate. I've known people put glass Houdini hatches in the hab. area and they need a bucket underneath them almost constantly. Lewmar etc hatches are a viable alternative though. I initially simply answered the OP's question but would advocate a self-build if that's practicable. If not, it's also worth trying an internet search for horsebox builders / race truck converters - there may be some closer to home and as earlier stated it is handy to be able to be on hand (read be a constant presence making sure everything is being done properly). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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