Horsebox Living - help get me started

[OrangeAndLemon]

My new horsebox has no living, its just an empty box and I want to add to it but don't know how to start.

The walls and ceiling have some sort of MDF or other large wooden panels, coachbolted to the lorry.and painted white. The corners aren't covered.

The walls have plenty of holes where stuff has previously been screwed in. Can I stick insulation directly against this white wood surface then cover with another thin wood panel?

Could I instead simply just use some of that wall carpet to avoid the need for insulation or would this still need insulation underneath.

Any ideas?

 

[humblepie]

Ours was a complete shell so no lining. We put up polystyrene tiles onto the bare walls then caravan interior board over that so it’s all very lightweight and you can wipe the wall covering off. Not sure re putting stuff over existing. That’s getting into technical

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Ours was a complete shell so no lining. We put up polystyrene tiles onto the bare walls then caravan interior board over that so it’s all very lightweight and you can wipe the wall covering off. Not sure re putting stuff over existing. That’s getting into technical

At least I feel better about being a bit stuck! Thank you. I might have to go find my local Wickes and have a look around to get some ideas.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Just giving this a little bump in case the afternoon audience have any advice.

 

[sunnyone]

Have a look at the books and videos on converting a van into a camper.
Caravan and camping shops will give you lots of ideas too but try to keep it simple e.g. use a an aqua roll for water supply to sink, which will then drain into a another container that you empty each day.
My OH did just that. He added windows, electrics, insulation then wall and floor carpet, loo and shower compartment, mini kitchen and used eBay second hand caravan cushions for the seats/bed.
You end up spending as much or as little as you want.
Best of luck with the project.

 

[humblepie]

Echo sunnyone. Also scrap yards are good. We got an oven grill and four ring job for something like £30. We put a water tank under the lorry for the shower loo horse etc but obviously when full that does add to the weight.

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Whatever work you do always bare in mind that you're trying to keep the weight down . Even if you have a decent payload , the lighter the wagon the cheaper it is to run !
On our old wagon , which we mostly fitted out ourselves , we used B&Q wall cabinets ( the long ones ) for the floor units as they are much narrower , narrow larder units for wardrobes and small wall units on the floor to provide seating/storage . Units designed for bathrooms also tend to be smaller/narrower . Thin worktops on top to save on weight - I think ours were actually from the bathroom range , and a narrow strip/offcut of worktop used on the wall as a splash back behind the sink and hob .The sink was from B&Q and the tap ran off a separate battery ( rather than risk flattening the wagon one ! ) , the hob was from Currys , which you could run off both bottled and mains gas ( don't know if they still do them ) and the fridge ( dual bottled gas/electric ) was from a caravan supply shop . Carpeted walls help with insulation and condensation , we got both the carpet and glue off ebay . It was very easy to fit and hides a multitude of sins ! Don't forget about a vent if you have any gas fittings . We got a joiner in at the end to fit the work tops as that's the bit that really makes it look finished , and he also suggested we use the long mirror I had bought as a replacement for the top door of the wardrobe ( actually a two door larder unit ) to save on weight , he did that for us too and that worked brilliantly . I had foam cut to fit the benches from a local upholstery firm and covered it myself . Blinds on the windows from B&Q .
My friend , who had a much bigger/posher wagon than me , hired a guy who fits out campervans/caravans to do hers and he sourced and fitted everything for her . She had an oven , tv , heating - the works ! It was beautiful and he was very reasonable apparently . She had also got a quote from someone who fitted out boats and that was extortionate - I think they're more used to dealing with the mega rich bods !

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Thank you so much everyone, that is so useful.

 

[Annagain]

Could I instead simply just use some of that wall carpet to avoid the need for insulation or would this still need insulation underneath.

I'd say go for as much insulation as you can without losing too much space. We have a purpose built camper van which is obviously insulated and it's still pretty cold overnight on colder summer days and in spring / autumn. We've stayed in it in November and February and even with the heating on it was chilly.

I'd take off what you have, get as much insulation as you can stuff in behind it, put it back and then add the carpet or even put another layer and add the caravan boarding.

Really think about how you're going to use it when you're planning. Will be mainly for days out or will you be staying away quite a lot and for prolonged periods?

Will you need a hob, grill and oven or will a just a hob or a hob + 1 of them do? We don't have an oven and that fine as we tend to cook one pan meals like paella, curry, risotto or pasta and sauce etc. We only use the grill for toast so could take that out and use a toaster if we needed more space (the grill is about 3 times he size of a small toaster). We've even seen people with little air-fryers that they use as ovens. They're very cheap and can be packed away when not it use so are a better use of space / weight but they do of course rely on having hook up or a generator.