Tuesday, Nov 24, 2009 at 16:29
Hi there. Two points: if the tare is 900 kg, it is likely that the weight is at least 1000 kg by the time you fit the gas bottle, fill the
water tank and so on. Also, many items added by the owner will add to this before you start to add food, bedding, clothes etc.. Our van is 1000 tare, and we fight to keep the ATM below 1400 kg.
The second point is that you are talking as though the caravan is a self contained container which is then fitted with beds, cupboards etc. My understanding is that many vans, then and now, rely on the fittings for structural strength. The cupboards, partitions, etc are fixed to the floor, and then the cladding is added at the end, to keep the draught out!. If you 'gut' the van, you may
well find there's nothing left in terms of structure!. Your van is almost certainly NOT a structure with 'proper' stud walls such that you can gut the fittings, and start to refit assuming that the outside is a rigid, strong frame that you can fix to.
If you plan to gut and refit, then you will have to ensure you do not add to the bare weight of the van, which probably means using material half as thick as your brain tells you!
I think you should follow the earlier comment, and explore what other restorers have done.
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