10 reasons why you should do an RV door conversion this year

DIY RV VW Crafter motorhome door conversion

Most van-based RV's you buy comes with a sliding side door, but that doesn’t mean that you are stuck with it. 

Indeed, many people in the vanlife and grey nomad community have realised that they much prefer a caravan style door & can’t bear the sound of the slider slamming shut anymore. 

Luckily, there is a solution!

Converting that sliding door to a durable fixed position fibreglass panel with a caravan style door or ADR approved motorhome style door is it, and the way it's done is even available it two convenient solutions. 

Keep reading to learn more!

Besides getting rid of that one thing that you can’t stand anymore about your beautiful motorhome, performing a sliding door conversion comes with a number of other benefits. 

Here are 10 reasons why a van sliding door conversion should be in your future this year.

1. Fresh outdoorsy air

Campervan doors like the Camec caravan doors still provide plenty of window and door space to let the air in your van, they even include a heavy-duty steel security mesh flyscreen.

What would be the point of living the vanlife if you can’t enjoy the clean, crisp natural Australian air? 

I could bet a pretty penny this is part of the whole reason you bought that RV in the first place.

And as you know, those Australian days and nights can get extremely muggy, and a good campervan door conversion can safely let the air in so you can cool off, plus, give your AC a rest saving you energy in the process. 

A hot and humid RV is not a conducive environment for a good night’s rest.

2. Keep those mozzies, flies (snakes and spiders) out

Open that van sliding door right now and tell me what you see? 

That’s right; there is nothing there to keep out all those pesky mosquitoes and flies or worse, spiders and snakes, while you let all that fresh air in. 

By performing a motorhome sliding door conversion, you’ll get a fine mesh security screen to keep out these unwanted guests when you leave the main door open.

3. Style baby, yeah!

The best part about performing an RV sliding door conversion is that the replacement panel matches the style and contours of your motorhome, just like the vehicle manufacturer intended. 

This can be especially useful if your existing van sliding door has a big ding, broken window or maybe the rollers needs replacing.

In fact, it can blend so seamlessly with the design that no one would be able to tell the vehicle manufacturer didn't make it at all, but a specialist aftermarket RV parts manufacturer instead. 

Just like this Mercedes Sprinter Motorhome

DIY RV Sprinter motorhome door conversion

We think it can significantly enhance the look of the van, making it appear more stylish and modern – who doesn’t like some style points?

4. It’s a little touch of home comfort. 

A caravan style door gives your RV that homely feel – a warm, welcoming and comfortable place while you’re away from home. 

It really helps to make your RV feel like home as much as possible, especially when you are taking an extended holiday or want to go off-grid for a while. 

After performing the sliding door conversion, you will be right at home that you can’t help but pop out the steps and roll out a welcome mat.

Read the guide on DIY motorhome sliding door conversion here.

5. No more noisy door slamming

Replacing your sliding door can save your relationship with the neighbours. 

They don’t call a sliding door a Wizz bang door for nothing, and I know you know what I’m talking about. 

Remember that time you set off on your big open road adventure? 

You put some much-needed tarmac behind you in a single day and couldn’t wait to hit the hay. 

Looking forward to a solid rest is an understatement, but once you started dozing off into dreamland…wiizzzzz-BANG! 

With eyes now wide open, you curse the person in the van next to you under your breath.

It stops for a moment and just as you finally start drifting off again…wiizzzz-BANG! All. Night. Long. Now imagine if you were that noisy neighbour.

Ask anyone in the vanlife and grey nomad communities and they will tell you that nothing can strain a relationship much like a wizz bang sliding door can. 

Don’t be that noisy neighbour who opens and shuts their wizz-bang slider door all through the night. 

Your poor travelling companions don’t need to be subjected to that level of disruption.

Invest in a motorhome sliding door conversion and the whole vanlife community will thank you for it.

6. Worn out sliding door rollers

Van sliding doors need to be handled with care due to the fact that the rollers might wear out, forcing you to carry out regular maintenance and repairs. 

In the worst-case scenario, they might force you to bring out that sliding door conversion kit for a complete replacement anyway. 

By performing a van sliding door conversion, you don’t have to worry about this ever again.

These doors have robust hinges, which are more durable and long-lasting than rollers.
It is a well-known fact that rollers are likely to fail you when you need them the most and way sooner than hinges ever will.

7. Keyless entry wristband

DIY RV Camec Keyless entry

Technology has come a long way that you don’t even need keys to unlock doors anymore. 

Camec is one of the market leaders in caravan style security doors. So naturally, we match our DIY door conversion kits with their odyssey premium door which just happens to now be available with a keyless entry wristband too! 

This means you will never have to worry about losing your keys in the sand, ocean or anywhere in between ever again!

8. More space

As everyone knows, RVs don’t provide so much space that one can be liberal with it – every inch of space counts

This is why space considerations are some of the most important things when fitting out your RV since a lot of sacrifices need to be made to fit in the essential stuff. 

A Mercedes Sprinter door conversion, on the other hand, can give you as much as 600mm of additional internal space. 

Those numbers may not appear to be much on paper, but you’ll see just how much that actually is in your RV.

It could mean that now you can install those gorgeous cabinets you have been dreaming about.

9. Becomes a professional-looking motorhome

While having your motorhome sliding door conversion professionally fitted is a great option, it’ll cost you slightly more overall. 

If your budget is critical, you can purchase a DIY motorhome sliding door conversion installation kit instead which means you save on installation costs.

A little bit of extra work, but on the plus side it will look like a professionally fitted out motorhome and stylish once you hit the road. 

Not to mention that it will add value to your van, which is extremely important when the time comes to sell it.

10. Steel security mesh to keep intruders out

A steel security mesh door adds an extra layer of protection while you’re off on your grand adventure. 

They can prevent break-ins due to their toughness while also letting in the much-needed air to cool off your interior. 

You can leave your van with peace of mind, knowing that no one can break in and that the inside won’t be a sauna by the time you return.

There you have it. After 15 years of making these awesome products, these are the 10 recurring reasons why our customers decide why they want to include a motorhome sliding door conversion in their next build.


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