Layout of Bumble
Bumble has a fixed bed at the back of the van that goes from one side to the other. You can get into the living area through the sliding door on the passenger side. The back doors lead to a big storage area called the garage.
All the main electrical and water systems are neatly placed above the wheel arches in this area. On the driver’s side, another sliding door opens to more storage next to the grey water tank and diesel heater.
The kitchen is set up along the front wall of the living area and includes a large curtain-covered opening for quick access to the driving area if needed. You can control the water pump, hot water, heating, and main power from a panel in the storage cabinet overhead.
Ventilation, Heating, and Insulation
The living and sleeping area is completely closed off in an insulated box separate from the front driving area. The wall between these areas is also well-insulated, which helps keep heat in or out, depending on the weather.
Bumble is insulated with thick boards on the floor, ceiling, and walls, plus recycled plastic wool and bubble foil over any metal parts to keep it warm and quiet. Soundproofing pads help make the ride smooth and quiet. If you’re interested, we have photos showing how we added all this insulation.
Each side window has special, handmade blinds that fit tightly to keep heat in and moisture out when it’s cold.
In colder weather, a diesel air heater warms up the living area and safely vents outside under the van. We also have a carbon monoxide detector for safety.
The van has good airflow with a skylight that has a built-in blind and bug net, and a smaller window at the bed’s end. The side windows are tinted for privacy and can open on their own for extra air flow.
- 25mm Insulation Board All Over: We use thick boards to keep the van warm and cozy.
- Recycled Wool Insulation in Spaces: We stuff recycled wool into hidden spots to help with insulation.
- Therma Wrap Bubble Foil: This acts like a barrier to keep moisture out.
- Sound Deadening Pads: These pads stick on and help make the van quieter.
- Diesel Air Heater: It has its own tank to keep you warm.
- CO Detector: This device checks for carbon monoxide to keep you safe.
- Custom Made Blinds for Windows: These roll-up blinds have two layers for extra privacy and insulation.
- Skylight with Built-In Blinds & Bug Net: There’s a skylight that lets in light and air but keeps bugs out.
- Small Bedside Window with Bug Net: Next to the bed, there’s a little window with a net to stop bugs from getting in.
The lounge area is a versatile space with comfortable seating. The seats have custom-made, high-quality foam cushions for sitting and leaning back.
Two seats face each other, and there’s a slide-out table between them for eating or working. There are outlets for plugging in phones or laptops, and USB ports for charging them.
One of the seats can be pulled out to show extra storage space underneath. This makes room for a sofa or an extra bed. The other seat is built to hold a brand new Thetford 365 Porta Potti (a portable toilet), which is included.
You can also take out this seat to make more room if you don’t need the toilet.
Above, there’s a cabinet with a control panel on the side. This panel lets you control the main lights, water pump, fridge, power inverter, heater, and battery levels.
Here’s a quick list of what’s in the lounge:
- Seats that turn into a sofa or extra bed.
- Thick foam cushions on each seat.
- Storage space under both seats.
- A pull-out table.
- A dimmable light switch.
- Switches for the water pump, fridge, and heater.
- A switch for the inverter, which provides main power.
- A brand new Thetford 365 Porta Potti.
Kitchen Layout
The kitchen is shaped like an “L” and goes across the end of the room. It has a fridge that runs on 12 volts and is low to the ground. Next to the fridge, there are places to keep pots and pans. These spaces are open and easy to reach.
We use a small stove that you can move around for cooking. This stove uses electricity and can cook things very quickly—it even boils water faster than the stove we have at home!
Storage and Features: Above the driver’s area, there’s a storage spot covered with carpet. There’s also a small window with a curtain that lets you go to the driving area without getting out of the van, if you need to.
Sink and Water: There’s a big sink made of stainless steel with a special faucet. This faucet can change how it sprays water and can give both hot and cold water. The machine that makes the water hot is in the back of the van, and you can turn it on and off from the kitchen.
Power Outlets: The kitchen has several power outlets for using different appliances like blenders, juicers, toasters, slow cookers, and small kettles.
Quick List of Kitchen Features:
- 12v fridge: Runs most kitchen tools
- Flexible faucet: Has settings for spraying water
- Temperature control: Both hot and cold water available
- Big sink for washing
- Easy access to the driving area
- Extra storage space above the driver’s area
Water System in the Van
- Where the Water Comes In: There’s a lock you can turn to open or close where the water gets into the van. This water goes into a big tank under the van that can hold 50 liters of water.
- How Water Moves Around: A pump moves the water through a filter to clean it. There’s also a special tank that helps keep the water flow smooth and the pressure even.
- Making Water Hot: There’s a heater that warms up the water so you can use hot water in about 12 to 15 minutes. If you want it really hot, it takes about 20 minutes.
- This hot water can stay warm for a long time without using much electricity. It has a safety valve in case the pressure gets too high.
- Using Hot and Cold Water: Both hot and cold water go to the kitchen sink and an outdoor shower. The shower is in a cupboard that you can get to from a sliding door on the driver’s side. The hot water tank has enough water for a nice, warm shower.
- What Happens to Used Water: Water from the kitchen sink can be stored in a tank or it can flow straight out through the bottom of the van to the ground. This lets you choose how and where you want to get rid of the used water quietly.
List of Parts:
- Lockable Water Inlet
- 50L Underslung Fresh Water Tank
- 1.5kw 240v Hot Water Heater
- Outdoor Hot Shower
- Fresh Water Filter
- 12v Seaflo Pump
- Seaflo Accumulator Tank
- Overpressure Safety Valve
- 20L Grey Water Tank
- Optional Through-Floor Grey Water Drainage
Bumble has a big battery called a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. It can hold 520 amp hours of power, which is a lot, like having 10 big car batteries. This battery lets Bumble heat water and cook food without needing space for propane tanks, which can be less safe.
The battery is kept safe by a system called a BMS (battery management system). It makes sure the battery works right and lets you check on it with your phone using Bluetooth.
Bumble also has a very quiet 2000-watt inverter that powers all the electrical outlets and the water heater. The system is strong enough to handle an even bigger, 3000-watt inverter later if you want, without changing the wires.
There’s a plug on the outside of the van to connect to electricity when you’re parked. A switch lets you choose to use this power or the inverter.
All the electricity from the plug or the inverter goes through a safety device called a circuit breaker. This splits the power to different areas like outlets, the water heater, and charging spots. Every 12-volt device is also protected by its own fuse.
The battery can be charged in three ways: from solar panels, the engine, or a plug. The solar panels can usually make enough power for everything during the summer.
In the living area, there are fast-charging USB ports for your devices. You can use them without turning on the inverter. There’s also a spot in the kitchen with a 12-volt outlet and a spot to charge things wirelessly.
All the power use is tracked by a battery monitor, which shows how much charge you have. You can see this information on a screen in the living area or on your phone.
You can turn everything off with the BMS’s Bluetooth feature, even stopping the battery from charging or giving out power.
If you need it, we can give you a diagram of the electrical system and other guides on how to use everything.
Specifications:
- 520ah 12v Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery
- Maximum Discharge/Charge: 250A / 125A
- BMS with protections for high/low voltage and temperature.
- Equipment includes various chargers and inverters for managing power.
Lighting Options in Bumble
Bumble has many choices for lighting to help you make the perfect cozy space. There are three main types of lights you can use:
- Ceiling LED Strips: Two high-quality LED strips run along the ceiling. They give off bright, warm light whenever you need it. You can turn these lights on, off, or dim them using a button by the main entrance.
- If you hold the button down, it will make the lights brighter or dimmer. There’s also a wireless remote control, so you can adjust the lights from your bed or when you’re coming up to the van from outside.
- Spotlights: There are four low-power spotlights built into the ceiling. You can turn each one on or make them dimmer just by touching them.
- Reading Spotlights: Right above the bed, there are two small spotlights for reading. You can turn each one on or off separately.
Additional Lighting:
- Garage: The garage area has its own lights, which is great for when you need to find something in the back at night.
- Control: There is a magnetic remote that you can use to control the LED light strips.
This setup makes it easy to have the light just the way you like it, whether you’re inside the van or coming in from outside.
Storage and Cabinets
Our van, named Bumble, has a big storage area under the bed. This space fits all the electrical and water systems neatly above the wheels to use the most space possible. The walls are made of plywood and the floor is wooden, making it easy to add more storage parts if you want.
On top of the van, there’s a special, custom-made roof rack made from light aluminum. It holds two solar panels and has some extra room at the back.
The solar panels are set up so you can put things across them without harm, and use the whole roof rack. There are hooks around the edge for tying things down, and you can attach other items using channel nuts.
Right now, the van doesn’t have a ladder, but we can add one if you ask for it.
The kitchen and the divider that separates the living area are built with super light boards and have a smooth varnish. All the drawers close softly and lock for when you’re moving.
There’s more storage near the second sliding door, where you find the diesel heater under a panel that you can take off. There’s even a hidden spot for very important things, hidden under the bottom drawer.
The cabinet above your head is made with thin plywood to keep it light. The ceiling is also made with thin wood and plywood, all put together on strong wooden beams to stay light but sturdy.
There’s extra storage under the seats in the living area. One seat has a sliding storage and the other has a top that lifts up with doors. If you don’t need a toilet, you can use this space for more storage. Both seats are custom-made with recycled wood and treated with Boiled Linseed Oil.
The back of the kitchen units also uses this setup and is easy to reach from the second sliding door, perfect if you need to add hooks or other storage.
Here’s a quick list of what’s included:
- Large storage area under the bed
- Overhead storage unit
- Headliner storage above the cab
- Drawers that softly close and lock
- Angled cabinet for pots and pans
- Stylish hooks for coats or towels
- Plenty of room to add more hooks or catches
- Lightweight materials used everywhere
The van has had some work done on it recently including:
- Adding some simple decorations on the outside
- Painting the wheels
- Installing a new front bumper and an engine cover underneath
- Recharging the air conditioning
- Putting in new sliding door rails and wheels
- Adding new mirrors on the sides
- Replacing the back parts of the van
Bed Description
The van has beds that can sleep up to three people:
- One fixed small double bed with a brand new, very comfy memory foam mattress.
- One small single bed that changes from seats. This bed is good for a child.
The double bed is extra comfy because you can adjust the head part to sit up and relax. The ends of the bed are soft, and it’s set into the wall to give you as much room as possible. There’s a pretty piece of white oak wood along the front of the bed and two small reading lights above.
The lights have switches easy to reach from the bed. You can store books, phones, and other small things in a space built into the back doors.
Conversion Features
- A big battery that can hold a lot of power.
- A custom roof rack with solar panels that generate power.
- Electric water heating and cooking without needing propane gas.
- A large storage space under the bed.
- Insulation all around, including the front, back doors, and ceiling.
- Outlets for USB C and regular power throughout the van.
- A wooden ceiling made from slow-grown Siberian Larch.
- A diesel heater that blows hot air.
- A shower outside.
- An emergency toilet.
Bumble is a special van with two cool features that make it different from most vans. First, it has twin sliding doors. This is really unusual and great because you can open up the living area wide and easily reach extra storage and utility spaces that most vans don’t have.
Second, Bumble doesn’t use propane gas for heating water or cooking. Instead, it uses solar power. Bumble’s hot water and cooking systems are all electric. Thanks to a big 520ah LiFePO4 battery, you can live in it for several days without needing to charge the battery.
Bumble also has a strong system to make power. It has 540W solar panels on a custom roof rack, can charge 40 amps from the engine, and 30 amps from a hookup, allowing it to get up to 115 amps in total. A 2000w Renogy inverter gives the van regular house power and 12v power.
Inside, the ceiling is made of slow-grown Siberian larch wood, and the lighting includes COB LED strips and LED spotlights, making it super cozy at night. Bumble is one of the coziest vans we’ve ever stayed in.
Details about the van:
- Model: Renault Master L2H2 (MWB)
- Year: 2012
- Mileage: 80,740 miles
- Sleeps: 3 people
- Sold for: £32,000
For more information, visit www.quirkycampers.com
