2023-06-24 19:00:01
The trend of ‘camperizing’ a van is becoming more and more established in our country, but to do it safely and not affect the proper functioning of components such as brakes or shock absorbers, compromising driving safety, even generating short circuits, fires or explosions; A number of points need to be taken into account. “There are risks depending on the type of camperization and the weight that we are going to add to the vehicle, and this must never exceed the maximum authorized weight that appears in the vehicle’s technical sheet,” he explains. Javier Aparicioworkshop manager at Motorspeed (Burgos).
In this point, Javier Gonzalez, workshop manager at El Paraíso Car Service (Madrid), qualifies that “in the case of vans, for example, with a capacity for nine passengers, this risk does not usually occur, since they are vehicles that come with suspensions prepared to support the weight nine people, difficult to overcome with the weight of furniture and water tanks. Instead, he points out that if you’re going to do a bulky camper in a station wagon or 4×4, “the suspension and brakes should be beefed up.”
And to avoid risks in this case, Aparicio points out that “larger diameter brakes and shock absorbers with higher settings should be installed for more weight, making sure that the total weight, including passengers and luggage, does not exceed the maximum mass established by the manufacturer” .
Regarding electricity, the Motorspeed workshop manager points out that “it is important to have notions of electricity, place a disconnector, install fuses in each new wiring branch, and make sure that the cable section is adequate for the amperage that we are going to need, since if we do not calculate the cable section correctly, we can cause the cable to overheat, possibly causing a fire. In addition, González points out another risk: “If you do it, you may damage an electronic element that could be expensive by manipulating the car’s electricity.” Hence, the need to always go to professionals to make this type of adaptation.
In this line, González points out that, to avoid risks, “the best thing to do is to carry out a project with an electrician, then go to the ITV, pay for the modification and approve the change.” “Another option,” he points out, “would go to a camper company, which would carry out the installation and would also be in charge of the approvals.”
Another alternative that does not require approval, points out the workshop manager of El Paraíso Car Service, is, instead of carrying out an installation, “get a kind of giant power bank, from which to ‘pull’ for everything that is an electrical punishment , without connecting to the car battery, which is what we should never do, because the battery can last a while, but not too long, leading to the risk of running out at the most inopportune moment.
Likewise, when talking about plumbing, Aparicio recommends “making sure that the water tanks that we are going to use are completely watertight, and that they remain immobile in the event of sudden movements, since during heavy braking they can move and spill water”; And as for gas, if a fixed installation is carried out, there is only one option: go to a company authorized for its installation, since “otherwise, it will not be possible to approve or pass the ITV, in addition to the significant risks involved in doing it by our account, as gas leaks can occur, which can cause serious problems such as suffering a fire, gas inhalation or an explosion.
Regarding the paneling, they point out that “the panels and insulation must be well secured so that they cannot be dismantled with potholes and braking, and make sure that everything is well fixed, to avoid noise on the road; and in the case of installing skylights, take into account the pillars of the bodywork, since no reinforcement pillar can be cut and it should only be cut where there is a smooth sheet metal, making sure to seal it well to avoid water leaks”.
Lastly, ECEC’s collaborating workshop managers list everything necessary for the corresponding homologation of the van once converted into a camper: technical data sheet, vehicle registration certificate, van measurements, ground clearance measurement at all lights, weight in empty, photos of the installation of everything and CE marking of skylights. And if there is a gas installation, installation certificate by a professional. In addition, sometimes, depending on the plumbing installation, we also need the certificate of installation by a professional.
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