CADDY Maxi LIFE Off Grid CAMPERVAN Conversion TOUR

I converted my 7-seat VW CADDY MAXI LIFE into a MICRO CAMPER, complete with 5 belted seats, two berth bed, toilet and tap and sink. It's completely off-grid with Solar power and a single burner hob.

And what's more, I'm not a professional van builder, just a landscape photographer with a plan.

I'm a passionate Landscape photographer and this van is my ticket to bigger adventures, allowing me to travel further from home, a shelter from the unpredictable English weather.

Chapters:
00:00 Why I converted my VW Caddy Maxi
02:20 The key features of the van build
03:05 5 Belted Seats
04:00 Camper seats
04:35 Toilet Installation
05:40 Sink, Tap & Water
06:47 Cooking in the van
08:00 The Fridge
08:40 Power, the Jackery 1000
11:00 The Bed
13:40 Final Thoughts and Thanks for Watching

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Parts & Materials.
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I’d like to hear your thoughts on my photos, have you join me on a workshop or just chat about photography I am easy to find at:

[robbierobinson]

Thanks for all your videos on your campervan conversion.watched all of them. Fantastic well done and nice job. For a first attempt you should be more than pleased with yourself. Gonna have to look at your pictures now. Thanks again.

[anitanicholson]

Brilliant videos, Brian, thanks for sharing your caddy conversion! I've just started out with an old standard vw caddy to see if I even like driving a van - I love it but it's very small, you are spot on re the toilet being the key design issue! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a caddy maxi I think.

[juno]

Very useful set of videos, especially the revealing of what is under the carpet and behind the plastic trims! And also it is the first I've seen that gives a good idea of the actual headroom in a caddy. You sitting on the folded down seat was very helpful.

I'm planning on making a micro camper in a VW SWB Caddy Life. It will just be for one person, and I'll be taking out the 2 person bench seat, and designing it to work with the single one kept in, so I can accommodate a passenger in the rear if needed, though that can be easily removed and slotted back in as required, for more space for longer trips. It has to be my daily vehicle, and I need to keep it small as I don't like driving larger vehicles.

Fixed bed on one side, though part of which is easily removable should I need to put the 2 bench seat back in temporarily, and low enough so I can sit comfortably upright on it. Fixed storage unit to fit a Bluetti AC180, with sliding table top on the other side, with a space between the two. Nothing taller than the window sill - I want full vision all round, for safe driving! Space to get changed in the vehicle, use the toilet etc, cook inside as needed. I have decided on a collapsible basin, and a collapsible WC using bags. As you say, the width of the Life model is restricted so I'm having a 100mm gap between the floor and underside of cabinet so my feet can slide under, and am recessing the storage area 100mm behind the bed edge, so I can sit with my heels back a bit. I had been thinking of using 30x30 (my design on paper is with that), but I'll take a look at the 20x20, see how that might work. Every millimetre counts in a space so small! Good to hear that it is strong enough. It is an interesting design challenge - as an architect I'm used to designing buildings, but I am also a trained furniture maker, and am finding designing at this scale very enjoyable. Still trying to find the right vehicle though - SWB Mk4 Life models in good condition with manual gears are rare.

[Nordkapp]

Really great work and the bed is a great asset to have

[karlbyrne]

I use an alpicool 15ltr compressor cool box in my fishing van low power consumption and can even be used as a freezer .This runs through my leisure battery and solar panel holds enough food for me for a weekend

[cloverstoran]

Thanks for all the helpful advice! We've just bought a caddy maxi life and want to start converting so i'm sure these videos will be invaluable 🙏 As we're approaching winter, we're keen to get insulating...did you see a big difference before and after the insulation and soundproofing was added?

[ferencczuczor]

Great video, how does this work during the winter times? Do you have heaters? How about the big windows? Thanks a alot

[KresimirKos]

Check videos of people testing Dometic compressor fridges out of Bluetti EB3A (268Wh battery) - it runs for more than 24h hours because compressor fridges use far far less power then Peltier-element cooling boxes

[BarenakedFi]

Really useful to see someone else with such similar needs to myself. Still in the planning stage, but I'm looking at getting a Maxi for trips away (a couple and a dog), longer holidays where we'll use a tent for the daytime and for the 2 of us travelling on gig tours, stealth camping along the way. Because of parking space, fuel costs and the general costs of running a vehicle, I want it to be our sole vehicle, so it needs to be about as economical to run as a car, have at least 4 belted seats for day-to-day (when adult step sons are with us) and enough space to camp in the back. We don't need a fridge (we only use Coffeemate for drinks, and we'll use dry/tinned food or buy fresh as we need it along the way), and no plans for a sink. We'll cook with a similar burner as yours. The only difference is, and I know it sounds crazy in such a small camper, I want an enclosed space for a composting toilet (this is an absolute essential for me - I'd ditch the plan before I agreed to use a loo in a shared space!!!), which I think can only be achieved where the single back seat lives. I'd like to build a simple cubicle, utilising the door window for ventilation. I think we could do this with the seat/bed at the back, sleeping across the van (we're both short, so this might work!). I'd like to keep the double set of rear seats, that we can fold forwards to provide some extra space and access to the back via that door (perhaps removing them for longer holidays - I think they're quite easy to remove/put back). The only alternative is having the bed settee fitted with lap belts, but that seems more complex (and more expensive) to achieve, as I suspect we'd need a professional build of the belted sofa bed unit to meet safety regulations