*NOW BOOKED FOR 2024* Transitmania 15 @ Santa Pod 19th to 21st July 2024 *ALL DETAILS HERE*


Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Use this forum to post technical questions & problems about any Transit

Moderator: Luke

Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby pluto12 » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:25 pm

I have a 1994 Transit 100L luton style camper based on the chassis cab transit. All is well at the moment but it occured to me that it would be fairly easy to swap the camper body onto a later transit chassis cab, subject to a new frame being made twixt camper body and transit chassis.

This would be quite handy for upgrading the camper to a newer model at a 1/3rd of the price.

What do you think?
pluto12
Transit Addict
Transit Addict
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:07 pm

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby Luke » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:34 pm

when you say later do you mean mk6 :?:
User avatar
Luke
Site Admin
 
Posts: 44058
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:53 am
Location: Rotherham, Yorkshire!!

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby pluto12 » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:57 am

Later as in any year since 94 and in to the forseeable future. As long as the camper body, which is basically just a luton box, is servicable you can just keep upgrading as the years go on as neccesary. Each time adding fortunes to the value of your camper and certainly in line with current prices.

The chassis on chassis cabs is basically just a ladder with a cab, designed to have boxes bolted on. Be it flat beds, tippers, lutons etc. The chassis are completely self contained.

Cut the bolts off the old body, jack it up and drive the chassis out. Drive the new chassis cab in and bolt it on, rewire the connections and bobs your uncle. I cannot believe no one has done it apparently! The only problem would be the entrance from the cab into the camper which you can simply cut out as is done anyway, or you could even just leave it without access from inside, as to be honest the cab area is a let down for the rest of a well insulated camper, though it is more convenient.

So basically what I'm saying is my current 1994 100L chassis is worth about a grand on it's own. If the engine blew or something happened that needed lots of money spending it would be pointless spending it on an old chassis, when for 3k +vat you can buy a new shape 2001 chassis cab and instead of losing money you'd be adding value to a desriable camper van!
pluto12
Transit Addict
Transit Addict
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:07 pm

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby MrMPuk » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:04 am

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23623&p=220728#p220728

Bolting any camper body onto the chassis isn't a problem, it's fitting it to the cab.
MrMPuk
Transit Extremist
Transit Extremist
 
Posts: 27856
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:50 am

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby snobbie45 » Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:27 pm

Hi
I bought an Autosleeper Talisman last year 'for a song', the original cab and engine had been damaged in an RTA. The Motor Home body was virtualy undamaged. A second-hand Chassis Cab
with a 2.5 TD engine plus aircon,electric windows and Automatic (A4LDe gearbox) was obtained and the Fibreglass Monocoque body was fitted to the Chassis Cab. Not before the full Ladder
Chassis was fully cleaned and 'rubberised' and the front cab wings fully cleaned and undersealed.

With all this done, the final 'Grafting' took place, with the walk-through set up from the cab and the original captains seats with the matching upholstery and armrests. Finally conecting all the
Electrics. With the Chassis Cab having Aircon and Automatic, it had been specified with twin batteries for starting, so it only needed the 110 amp/hr leisure battery wired up to a Voltage Sensing
Relay. With a bit of care, it should now be good for at least 20 Years!
Snobbie45
snobbie45
Transit Addict
Transit Addict
 
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:43 pm
Location: Perthshire

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby Luke » Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:19 pm

nice one mate 8) got any pics :?:
User avatar
Luke
Site Admin
 
Posts: 44058
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:53 am
Location: Rotherham, Yorkshire!!

Re: Pictures of Chassis cab changeover

Postby snobbie45 » Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:31 pm

Hi Luke
Yes ,got plenty of pictures that I used to re-register it with DVLC. How can I post them?

Snobbie45
snobbie45
Transit Addict
Transit Addict
 
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:43 pm
Location: Perthshire

Re: Pictures of Chassis cab changeover

Postby Luke » Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:34 pm

snobbie45 wrote:Hi Luke
Yes ,got plenty of pictures that I used to re-register it with DVLC. How can I post them?

Snobbie45

make a new post in the gallery - instructions are in this post :arrow: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=23

:D
User avatar
Luke
Site Admin
 
Posts: 44058
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:53 am
Location: Rotherham, Yorkshire!!

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby snobbie45 » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:34 pm

Luke,
On my 24'' Monitor photobucket just seems to open in a tiny left hand corner, I have tried to reduce window but not having much luck. Is there any other way I can post the Photos?

Snobbie45 ( Brian)
snobbie45
Transit Addict
Transit Addict
 
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:43 pm
Location: Perthshire

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby Luke » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:39 pm

what happens when you click this http://www.photobucket.com :?:
User avatar
Luke
Site Admin
 
Posts: 44058
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:53 am
Location: Rotherham, Yorkshire!!

Re: Pictures of Chassis cab changeover

Postby snobbie45 » Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:20 pm

Hi Luke
Exactly the same, a tiny window in the extreme left topcorner which is too small to enter details. just the same as entering full details into Google.

Snobbie45 (Brian)
snobbie45
Transit Addict
Transit Addict
 
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:43 pm
Location: Perthshire

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby Luke » Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:48 pm

in the top right is there 3 squares a - a box and a x :?:

then if you click the box does it go to a big screen :?:
User avatar
Luke
Site Admin
 
Posts: 44058
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:53 am
Location: Rotherham, Yorkshire!!

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby Luke » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:31 pm

ive split the pics into a post in the gallery :D

here :arrow: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=26077&p=242557#p242557
User avatar
Luke
Site Admin
 
Posts: 44058
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:53 am
Location: Rotherham, Yorkshire!!

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby pluto12 » Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:30 pm

snobbie45 wrote:Hi
I bought an Autosleeper Talisman last year 'for a song', the original cab and engine had been damaged in an RTA. The Motor Home body was virtualy undamaged. A second-hand Chassis Cab
with a 2.5 TD engine plus aircon,electric windows and Automatic (A4LDe gearbox) was obtained and the Fibreglass Monocoque body was fitted to the Chassis Cab. Not before the full Ladder
Chassis was fully cleaned and 'rubberised' and the front cab wings fully cleaned and undersealed.

With all this done, the final 'Grafting' took place, with the walk-through set up from the cab and the original captains seats with the matching upholstery and armrests. Finally conecting all the
Electrics. With the Chassis Cab having Aircon and Automatic, it had been specified with twin batteries for starting, so it only needed the 110 amp/hr leisure battery wired up to a Voltage Sensing
Relay. With a bit of care, it should now be good for at least 20 Years!
Snobbie45


That's excellent news and just as I suspected.

I have just stripped the cab area of mine ready for rustproofing as it didnt appear to have any! I can see quite clearly that all the body builders have done is butchered a standard chassis cab with a cutter in order to fit the Luton camper body. These days I think they can actually buy the cabs with the relevant sections cut out properly from Fords which would leave a much more professional job. It's quite obvious the camper body just sits on the chassis with no bolts etc to the cab roof, the joins obviously covered with the camper fibreglass mouldings and seals.

Could you give a slightly more detailed story on how you did it please, and pics would be great. How long ago you did it and any developments since?

Be interested to see where you get salvage campers from as well? I went to an auction a month or so back and the 2001 on a Y BT Transits were still fetching over £3k +vat. Where did you do the work?
pluto12
Transit Addict
Transit Addict
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:07 pm

Re: Swapping transit chassis cabs onto an old camper body?

Postby mrtonybee » Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:07 pm

Hi Brian ,with reference to the refitting of your talisman do you still have pics (photobucket seems to have deleted them).I have a talisman on a Talbot express chassis ,no power steering etc ,body is getting ropey engine is wearing out. I cant work out (without stripping it) how the overcab is fixed nor how it fits to back of cab . I know its been 10 years since you posted but any advice would be very helpful .Many thanks tony b
mrtonybee
Newbie
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 7:41 pm


Return to Technical Problems & Questions



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

This site contains affiliate links for which we may be compensated.