Small, but DUCATO

The year 2020 is an extraordinary year – that much is already clear. At the turn of the year, hardly anyone could have imagined that we would be spending our hard-earned holiday money on other things this year. It is a year for projects and ideas that have been put off for far too long. At the same time, individual and independent travel is becoming increasingly popular. More and more people are swapping hotels with all-inclusive buffets for the freedom of travelling on four wheels and the luxury of being able to stop wherever they like and enjoy their holiday. Of course, restrictions are still in place, and holiday homes and hotels are fully booked. What remains? Motorhomes.

The small campervan category is undoubtedly dominated by vehicles known as “Bulli” vans. The best-known examples are Volkswagen’s T models. They offer plenty of space, all the conveniences of a passenger car, as well as everything you need for camping and road trips. But the choice is yours: rent, buy or convert. Renting a Bulli is particularly suitable for those who travel for just a few weeks each year and do not want to worry about the vehicle itself. Simply get in, turn the key and drive off. However, after doing this for several years, you will quickly realise that the costs gradually approach those of owning your own campervan. And that is exactly where we, Redcar Manufaktur, come in. We offer our customers the opportunity to have a Bulli fully converted. And it does not even have to be a Volkswagen Bulli. Together, we look beyond the obvious and find the right vehicle for your budget! How about one of the best-known and most popular vehicles in the small van category – the Fiat Ducato? In this joint project with one of our female customers, we show how an ordinary, virtually empty Fiat Ducato can be transformed into a spacious, fully equipped and luxurious motorhome.

The Fiat Ducato first appeared in 1982 and has revolutionised the market for panel vans ever since. The Ducato I also paved the way for the many motorhomes that are still being built on this chassis today. For this very purpose, the Ducato is also available as a chassis with a single cab and as a chassis cab without a body, ready for integrated motorhome conversions. Versions with an additional cockpit, seats and an open front structure are also available. This makes it an ideal starting point, as the purchase prices of both new and used Ducatos remain affordable. For this project, the Ducato had already been converted into a campervan. The aim was to plan, design and install a modern and luxurious interior, naturally in close consultation with our customer, who also took part in the work herself. But first, everything had to go! The Ducato was completely stripped out. All previously installed components were removed, leaving a completely clean and empty space behind the driver’s cab.

Good planning is half the battle

This starting point allowed us to measure the available space down to the millimetre and turn it into a 3D model. As you can clearly see, this 3D model is an exact 1:1 copy of the actual conversion area, including the sliding door, rear doors and curved body panels. In addition, the 3D model already shows all the planned interior components that were later installed. These include a complete kitchen unit directly beside the sliding door, the bed system at the rear, overhead cabinets, additional storage units and a seating area with a table directly behind the driver’s seat.

The entire interior conversion is planned on a computer. The same applies to the design of every individual component, from a small shelf to the bed frame. One particularly important aspect is achieving the right balance between space, storage options and a versatile layout. The more that can be integrated into the vehicle, the less additional luggage is needed. For example, the cabinets were designed to make optimum use of the available space, allowing the drawers to provide as much storage as possible and making effective use of the areas both above and below the bed frame. To make the interior bright and inviting, the lighting was also planned down to the smallest detail, along with the integration of the existing windows, such as the small window above the bed at the rear of the Ducato.

Less talk – let’s get started!

Thanks to intensive and detailed advance planning, we were able to get started on the actual work quickly. As you can see in the picture, almost all of the previous conversion had been removed, meaning that we really did start from scratch – both with the interior and with the wiring and electrical systems. The corresponding after-picture gives you a first glimpse of the final result, but everything in its own time.

Now it was time to get to work – especially for our machines. Our 3D model is not just a great way to show in advance what is possible and what the finished result should look like. It is also used to calculate all the necessary cuts and openings. In other words, the model is the construction plan used to cut, shape and later assemble every individual component. From the first screw to the final spot of adhesive, everything is included in the model and the individual construction stages are specified accordingly. It is somewhat like buying a piece of furniture: all the individual parts are supplied, and all you need is the right tools to put them together. In this case, however, every component is precisely tailored to the Ducato.

By the way, we also offer custom-made interior components for a wide range of vehicles. This means you are free to plan and carry out your own conversion, without having to worry about building all the individual components yourself. We take care of that part for you.

The plan was ready, every component had been designed down to the millimetre, the raw materials were prepared and the machines were ready to go. The “kit”, as we like to call it, was drilled, cut and sanded to size. Every part had its designated place and each component was given the necessary cut-outs. These included the connections needed to join the individual parts together, as well as spaces for LED strips, allowing the built-in components to provide important interior lighting at the same time. This created a great combination of practical function and an attractive interior design. Gradually, the individual parts became high-quality, sturdy yet extremely lightweight cabinets, drawers and storage units.

As time went on, more and more components found their intended place in the vehicle. What had previously been an almost empty space was transformed into a versatile, inviting and decidedly luxurious living space on wheels, leaving (almost) nothing to be desired. Thanks to the use of modern technology and materials, this project was completed in a remarkably short time. The lightweight construction also ensures that the maximum permitted vehicle weight is not exceeded, while leaving enough capacity for luggage. This is particularly important in a project like this, where the vehicle has a maximum permissible gross weight of 3.5 tonnes. In this weight category, it is especially important to keep an eye on the total weight of the interior fittings. After all, the luggage and the people travelling in the vehicle have to be included as well. Nobody wants an unpleasant surprise when the vehicle is weighed during a roadside check.

We have therefore invested a great deal of time over the past few years in finding materials that offer the perfect balance between stability and weight reduction. It is also important that the finished components remain flexible and can absorb the movements of the vehicle – or adapt to them where necessary.

With a project like this, not everything always goes according to plan, but we are well prepared for that too. All components can be modified or adapted again in a very short time – practically in real time. This is not necessarily due to the dimensions of the vehicle’s interior; requirements and wishes can change as well. Unlike many others, we can therefore offer and deliver an exceptionally high degree of flexibility. For us, this is an extremely important point, if not one of the most important of all.

Every vehicle conversion is unique. No two vehicles are exactly alike, even if they share the same basic model and come straight off the production line, like this Ducato. The fact is that the requirements placed on a motorhome change regularly. This may be because more or fewer people are travelling, or because the destinations change. That is why we are particularly proud to offer you exactly the flexibility you need. Since our conversions are designed like modular kits, installed interior components can be adapted or simply replaced at any time. Is the cooking area too small? No problem – we can remove it and install an improved solution with more space! Would you like a larger dining table? We can simply replace that component with a new one. And the best part is that the previous components are kept and can be reinstalled at any time.

There was also an important adjustment in this particular project. As mentioned earlier, the requirements of a motorhome are constantly changing. This was also the case with our customer, who wanted a new and flexible solution for the gas supply to give her more freedom while travelling. Of course, space is limited in a Ducato, but there are still ways to move away from the conventional large gas bottle. Everyone knows the problem: one day the gas bottle is suddenly empty and you need a replacement quickly. But first you have to find somewhere that sells gas bottles. They are not always available either, especially in some countries outside Germany.

The simple solution to this problem is a gas tank – more specifically, a gas tank installed underneath the vehicle. The Ducato offers excellent space for this, so we installed an underfloor gas tank with a suitable connection that allows it to be refilled at an ordinary LPG filling station. The advantages are obvious. There is no longer a bulky gas bottle taking up space inside the vehicle that also needs to be secured. You no longer have to carry heavy bottles, and you are no longer dependent on places that sell gas bottles. There is also no need to take several spare bottles along on a longer trip. You can travel more flexibly, and in most countries you will find LPG filling stations at regular intervals.

A useful addition is a tank level indicator. This lets you know exactly how much gas is left and allows you to monitor your consumption, making it easier to plan when and where you need to refill. If this is exactly the kind of solution you need or are looking for, simply get in touch with us!

All in all, this project was a complete success. The results speak for themselves and give you an impression of how we work and what your future motorhome, Bulli or similar vehicle could look like. We are ready – are you? Then don’t wait: send us your enquiry today!