Volkswagen, 800 SPECIAL TD SWB, 1998, 1896 (cc)

Description

Welcome to the Aquavan, our beloved campervan we call Dorey.

The Aquavan is a 1998 VW Transporter T4 1.9l TD. The Aquavan is ideal for between 2-4 people looking to get away from single overnight stay to a week or longer by making efficient use of the space available. We hope you will enjoy this unique and characterful campervan as much as we always have done!

Aquavan was renovated as we wanted to create the coolest van from the outside and a practical, cosy and fun van from the inside. During the renovation we thoroughly thought through each area to accommodate for different travelling needs, creating as much storage space as possible and optimise the layout.

Fridge. As you enter the side door of the vehicle, the fridge is on the left hand side allowing access to it at anytime, even when the rock ‘n’ roll bed is rolled out. This powerful 50l fridge/freezer is probably the best campervan fridge on the market right now (Dometic/Waeco CRX 50 Fridge coming in at £599). Unlike may others out there, this compressor fridge will both start and cool from room temperature using only 12v electrics. Most others require a shore power connection to get them going. With plenty of room for keeping your beers cool and the salad chilled, it will also freeze water into ice, ideal for that well deserved G&T on arrival.

Cooker. You have a two-hob cooking station and sink, which are covered by two independent glass tops, so you can also use it as a prep area when cooking. The cooker runs from either a propane or butane gas bottle which is situated in the boot. Gas is fed via stainless steal rigid pipe along and into the cooker. This frees up the space where you need it most, in the kitchen and front of the vehicle. The flexible hose at the end of this has a quick fit adaptor to suit whichever type of bottle you are carrying. This means that you can head over to the continent for longer trips and not have to worry about getting gas to the cooker.

Water. A large storage cupboard beneath the sink houses a 10l fresh water container and 10l waste water container, but still has plenty of space for other pieces of luggage. The fresh water is drawn up to the tap by a submersible pump and gives ample flow for filling a stove kettle, cleaning your teeth or washing fruit and veg.

Bed. The Aquavan is fitted with a 3/4 rock ‘n’ roll bed which has a securely mounted steel frame. The rock ‘n’ roll pull out bed provides seating for an addition 2x people. Included is a mattrass topper changing the leather seats into a luxurious 3/4 bed suitable for two. There’s certainly space for trips away with more people with ample storage for tents, fold out tables and camping chairs underneath the bed.

Storage. Next to this are two really good-sized storage spaces, the top one designed to hold cookware, dinnerware and space to store groceries on two internal shelves. The lower one, which is significantly larger than just the door (dark blue) is perfect for storing bedding, clothes or other luggage. This has been designed to open with the rock ‘n’ roll bed either out as a bed or in the upright seated position allowing easy access when you need it most – getting into bed and preparing for the day.

Built into the back of the unit is a secret storage cupboard which is only accessible when the bed is pulled out. Anybody unknown to the vehicle wouldn’t know it is there and so valuables (passports, laptops etc.) can be stored safely whilst you spend the day out adventuring. When the bed is folded out, this acts as a bedside table with two USB ports and a 12v socket so you can have your phone charging nearby. We also made sure the cupboard was tall enough for a glass of water (or flute of fizz anybody?).

In the kitchen there are two smaller drawers, one for cutlery and the other for miscellaneous items such as pens, notepad, deck of cards etc. The taller cupboard has plenty of space for spare bottled mineral water, packaged foodstuffs or other groceries. A wide and deep draw below the sink is ideal for storing glasses and mugs as well as herbs, spices and brew kit.
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Diesel Heater. There is a Webasto Diesel heater immediately behind the front seats. This little powerhouse can adequately heat the entire vehicle within 5 minutes from even the coldest temperatures you’d want to be camping out in. With the controls place conveniently in the passenger side wall, it can helpfully be turned on to make the whole camper as toasty as you are whilst still in bed.

The heater draws fuel directly from the main tank, so no need to have another tank of loose fuel sloshing around. It’s been designed so that it draws fuel from higher up the tank than the main fuel pipe, so there is no chance for the main tank to ever run out of fuel from using the heater.

Electrics. With 2x 110Ah AGM cells installed during the refit in 2019, the Aquavan has a well thought through system to make life on the road easy and comfortable. The leisure batteries are charged in three separate ways. Firstly via a solar panel fixed to the roof which has adequately kept our batteries topped up, even when the vehicle isn’t in use. The electricity generated flows through an ever reliable e-Pever MTTP charge controlled which protects the batteries and maximises the charging of the cells.

Secondly, when the vehicle is running, it will top up the main starter battery but then use a voltage sensitive relay to divert excess electrical power into the leisure batteries, meaning that your batteries are always full when you arrive at your destination.

Finally, with an external campervan 230v electric hook up socket, you are able to charge the leisure batteries via an extension lead with shore / mains power. This can be used for longer stays when using larger amounts of electricity and keep the batteries topped up. It also connects directly (no loss through inverters) with a pair of 230v sockets within the vehicle. This means you’ll be able to charge your laptop or use a coffee machine drawing mains power directly like you would at home.

The electrics are wired through a Sargent PMS EC160 Camper Van Power Supply Unit with easy access to fuses and switches to make sure that the batteries aren’t drained when left. The Aquavan is fitted with LED lights wired into a single circuit for ease of use.

Engine. The Aquavan had its engine reconditioned 3 1/2 years ago. So although there are over 188,000 miles on the clock, the engine itself was reconditioned just 22,000 miles ago. Since then, it’s had a new set of tyres which (unlike some vehicles out there) are properly rated for the load carrying capacity of the vehicle and various other bits of maintenance and upkeep. It has also had a brand new shiny exhaust fitted in 2024.

Awning. The Aquavan has a Fiamma F85 awning in good condition fitted and ready to use for making the outdoor space your own.

Swivel Seats. The front passenger bench seats are mounted to a swivel plate enabling them to rotate through 180 degrees to create a large and comfortable living space. When not used for seating, they are an ideal place to put your bag or clothes keeping your stuff off the floor.

Internal Fit out. The conversion was done with the aim of maximising the space and functionality available. The kitchen side window slides open to allow fresh air in whilst cooking and all the other windows in the back of the vehicle are also tinted. The main front windscreen was replaced 6 months ago. There are curtains on all the rear windows that help keep the warmth in as well as nosy neighbours out. The body and ceiling have been well-insulated.

The cupboards are made of 12mm MDF and have several layers of paint applied before a varnish protective coating. Using paint as opposed to laminated plywood, means that the interior could be re-decorated to suit your person taste.

The Karndean flooring is a very hard-wearing flooring material laid onto a rigid floor. The Karndean is waterproof and readily cleaned with a quick sweep and wipe down.

External bodywork. The Aquavan clearly gets its name from the beautiful exterior paint job done by renowned artist, Luke Brabants. This is a +20 year old vehicle which has been regularly used for weekend and day trips so there are some signs of wear and tear despite how carefully we’ve looking after the vehicle. Please see pictures for more detail.

Rental, now is the perfect time to invest in a campervan which can be used on the rental market. The vehicle has been used for rental purposes for between £60 – 90 per night (income after website fees) with a minimum 2 night rental during the spring, summer and autumn months with extra income for renters wanting to do more than average 100km / 60 miles per day.

Typical revenue without any individual advertising or promotion is £2-3k per annum of passive income (2018 and 2019) when made available for 50-75% of weekends. It hasn’t been made available for festivals before but typically prices are +25% more covering the big events such as Isle of Wight, Bestival, Latitude and Parklife, giving rise to greater earning opportunity and letting the Aquavan effectively pay for itself.

A good place to list the van which was done by a previous owner can be found below. This is where the van has been rended out before with some very happy renters at escapa motorhomes

Camping is one of the most fun experiences and therefore we have really done our best to create a van that makes travelling easy, enjoyable and fun. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us as we are more than happy answer your questions and provide any more information.

The Aquavan is looking forward to the next journey with you!

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Exact specification may vary from the details on this page. Please contact the seller to reconfirm any details before purchasing. See Terms & Conditions for further information.