[GuyT]

There's a new RV manufacturer out, called GalaRV:

http://galavr.com/modelesspecifications.html

Looks like it's pretty new, they have yet to put out the English version of the web site.

It is not exactly my cup of tea, but one thing for sure, they are aiming for the high end market, check out the pictures:

http://galavr.com/galleriephotos.html

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Wow I spotted cookies in the cupboard! Thats what I call upscale!

 

[keeponvaning]

Nice, but in the end is it really any more functional or useable than any of our own projects? I'd have to say NO! The price which, most likely, is several times higher than what most of us have spent on our conversions makes this and most other conversion vans like this a rich mans toy and certainly not something I would care to invest in, much less own.

Lots of interesting ideas, however, even with such poor food choices in the pantry I found the bathroom and outside shower, in particular, very appealing!

 

[Chance]

Very nice indeed. I like the floorplans which should feel fairly open for a van; appearing tailor designed for a couple.

On the other hand it just confirms that having twin beds even in an extended ProMaster eats up too much room if you want to ever travel with others, whether children or grandkids.

 

[sidecarnutz]

They had me when I saw the Rice Crispies. ;-)

 

[GuyT]

Heard that the price range for the RV based on the Diesel Promaster 3500 is around (100K CAN), that is aprox. 76K US.

It's not that bad for a retired couple that wants a ready to go rig.

Also, they seam to have more flexibility than some, when it comes to modifications from the original design, or at least, compared to the other manufacturer from Québec, Safari Condo:

http://www.safaricondo.com/en/motorises

 

[MsNomer]

KOV, never forget that we are the lucky ones. Most people can not imagine doing for themselves what we have done. They would have neither the skills nor the tools. Certainly, most would not have the time luxury that I have had. So they buy these ready-made conversions and can only dream about how nice it would have been if they had been able to design their own.

 

[Chance]

Ideally you'd want a lot of space too to build your own. I ended up doing too much of the work on driveway because my van wouldn't fit in garage. That makes it tougher.

Also, for some people buying already-made may be easier to afford (initially) because they can finance over a period of up to 20 years.

Right now I personally don't have the time or space to start another major project. Other than that I'd love to do another van like many of you have done.

 

[jostalli]

KOV, never forget that we are the lucky ones. Most people can not imagine doing for themselves what we have done. They would have neither the skills nor the tools. Certainly, most would not have the time luxury that I have had. So they buy these ready-made conversions and can only dream about how nice it would have been if they had been able to design their own.

I feel lucky to have spent almost a year on my DIY. Just kidding.

Make no mistake that to recreate what is posted above would take a DIY well over 1000 hrs. Even then it would not look near as polished.

 

[keeponvaning]

Ideally you'd want a lot of space too to build your own. I ended up doing too much of the work on driveway because my van wouldn't fit in garage. That makes it tougher.

Also, for some people buying already-made may be easier to afford (initially) because they can finance over a period of up to 20 years.

Right now I personally don't have the time or space to start another major project. Other than that I'd love to do another van like many of you have done.

Actually, I have a huge garage with a 10' X 10' door and I did more work outside in the driveway in front of the garage than I did inside (including making the cabinets).

 

[Chance]

Actually, I have a huge garage with a 10' X 10' door and I did more work outside in the driveway in front of the garage than I did inside (including making the cabinets).

Nice. An RV-size garage sounds great. I almost want that more than a new RV itself but my lot is too small to build one.

Do you park your van in garage? I struggle with idea of putting $50k to $60k plus lots of work in a camper van project and then park it outside. And offsite covered parking is a pain, plus you don't end up using the van when you'd want.

My build years ago was relatively simple, but I still had to deal with weather. We get a lot of thunderstorms that would make installing windows, roof vents, or air conditioner a little tougher to plan. Granted that's a small part of total project.

 

[MsNomer]

"I feel lucky to have spent almost a year on my DIY. Just kidding."

I'm not kidding at all. I have truly enjoyed this process so much that it's a bit of a downer to see the end approaching. I wake up every morning that I am home excited to be accomplishing something new. I know I have well over 1000 hours, but those hours were spent having fun and creating an environment we can enjoy for years. The icing is the test trips interspersed throughout the project.

2015 was truly one of the best years of my life. Coincidentally, it was also 20 years after my oncologist said he might be able to get me 5. You bet I'm feeling lucky.

 

[keeponvaning]

Nice. An RV-size garage sounds great. I almost want that more than a new RV itself but my lot is too small to build one.

Do you park your van in garage? I struggle with idea of putting $50k to $60k plus lots of work in a camper van project and then park it outside. And offsite covered parking is a pain, plus you don't end up using the van when you'd want.

My build years ago was relatively simple, but I still had to deal with weather. We get a lot of thunderstorms that would make installing windows, roof vents, or air conditioner a little tougher to plan. Granted that's a small part of total project.

No, I only park it in the garage when snow is in the forecast. This winter probably 3 or 4 days max.

I did park my Sprinter in there in really cold weather but only to insure it would start in the morning - then I put an oil pan heater in it and I didn't have to worry about that problem anymore or park it in the garage!

 

[keeponvaning]

"I feel lucky to have spent almost a year on my DIY. Just kidding."

I'm not kidding at all. I have truly enjoyed this process so much that it's a bit of a downer to see the end approaching. I wake up every morning that I am home excited to be accomplishing something new. I know I have well over 1000 hours, but those hours were spent having fun and creating an environment we can enjoy for years. The icing is the test trips interspersed throughout the project.

2015 was truly one of the best years of my life. Coincidentally, it was also 20 years after my oncologist said he might be able to get me 5. You bet I'm feeling lucky.

Congratulations! Doc Martin is the only Doctor I trust

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

MsNomer,
Our recent trip to NH was to support our Son's wife who was diagnosed in September with stage 2 breast cancer. She is a wonderful woman, strong and matter of fact. Thankfully the oncologists seem to avoid those predictions now as the treatments have developed so fast it is truly a new World. All Kristi's family and friends accept each day as a gift to be lived to its fullest. Cancer treatments will radically change in the next few years as immunology replaces chemotherapy and radiation. Her (any your) prognosis improves almost daily!
I hear you about the sense of sadness when the conversion is over. Thankfully we can tweak the small stuff and try out our improvements for as long as we use the van. I plan a solo trip to Death Valley next week with the bed configured as a single, the triangle tarp for shade, Variable speed for my Fantastic Vent, my quieter Norcold NR 751 refrigerator, carpet for my bare feet, and an Ice filled cooler for AC. All these were done since I "finished" the campervan.

 

[jostalli]

No reason to be sad as the DIY camper van is never fully "finished". I will be tweaking and improving mine almost every day.

 

[MsNomer]

You may be right. No telling how long before the solution for those C-Pillars drops into my brain. Those are a bear, especially since I have learned that bare metal surfaces are great for magnetic stuff. Then I remember the panels that came out for the windows?surely there's a use for them somewhere. And the window surrounds I've been saving for later.

Here I am sitting in gorgeous Portugese mountains and what am I thinking about?? At least when I proclaim, "****, that's gorgeous," my husband knows I'm looking at a van, not a man. Now that Easter is approaching, the camper vans are hitting the road.

 

[Ghosting]

We just bought a Winnebago Travato. I've done a lot of DIY stuff to our house over the years, and tried to talk my wife into doing a camper van that way. However, she said that I would: a) frustrate myself beyond belief trying to make it perfect, b) lose patience and start breaking things, and c) never really finish it.

In the end she was probably right. We've had the Travato for slightly more than a month, and I've already done a lot of modifications, but the truth is I'm probably not cut out to do my own build from the ground up. I do envy those of you who have the skills, facilities, and temperament to do it, though.

 

[medicineman4040]

I had no skills, no facilities, no temperament, and no tools 9 weeks ago.
Now that Hiyo Silver is functional I've added a few skills to a super minor degree, a tempered temperament, but a plethora of tools
that will now gather dust.
In the end (though not there yet, it's the little trim things now) we were more MIY'ers=manage it yourself, in that a lot of our build was farmed out, e.g.
we hired the cutting of the holes for the windows and their placement, the aircon, the fan (though I did wire the aircon and fan) and we enlisted friends
with expertise in various areas to get us over the humps of basic wiring, running board installation and others.
We did meet lots of small businesses in our area we never knew existed...like the welding shop when we were working on the platform bed and City Electric
when looking for odd or weird electrical parts (though not odd at all to anyone electrically minded).
What we did get in this whole process was hands on almost every part and piece that was installed which means I know where my shunt is for the batter monitor, I
know where the breakers are for all the batteries, the solar panel, and so on.
The best part of the process was going through the mental process of self inspection of actual need/desire and intended use and applying this to a Sketchup model
before actually beginning the various installs---the result of this was a campervan conversion with what we wanted, not what a manufacture thinks we want.

 

[proeddie]

We just bought a Winnebago Travato. I've done a lot of DIY stuff to our house over the years, and tried to talk my wife into doing a camper van that way. However, she said that I would: a) frustrate myself beyond belief trying to make it perfect, b) lose patience and start breaking things, and c) never really finish it.

In the end she was probably right. We've had the Travato for slightly more than a month, and I've already done a lot of modifications, but the truth is I'm probably not cut out to do my own build from the ground up. I do envy those of you who have the skills, facilities, and temperament to do it, though.

I was seriously interested in a Travato, after deciding a full size RV was too much of a hassle (storage, parking, dumping tanks, winterizing). The idea of a DIY Promaster just dawned on me one day and the rest is history. I really wanted something to park at home under our carport, and an RV just wouldn't fit. My PM, with nothing sticking up on the roof, fits fine. (with 3 or 4 " to spare. There are times when I wonder about me resembling your wife's points A and C !

That being said, my PM "project" is past year two and I really like planning, designing and working on it. I have made more sawdust in the past two years than in the rest of my life... and I was a shop teacher for 10 years!

Ms., I spent the last two or three weeks working on a C pillar solution... almost done! Pictures to follow....