Buying Things – Best Budget Suppliers
There’s always something to buy when converting a van. I tried to find products at the best price I could when ordering bits in. The sites I used most are described below.
Amazon
Needs no introduction really. Love them or hate them they are here to stay. They often have products cheaper than available elsewhere and the reviews are really useful. They are the main reason I’d choose Amazon over ebay for certain products as whilst ebay has a bigger selection the reviews are really handy. If you join Amazon prime they give you a free 30 day trial, it’s well worth doing this as you can order until around 10pm and still get what you need delivered the next day.
Ebay
You can find almost anything on ebay. If you are happy to wait you can get some really good prices on things shipped over from china. I found saved searches useful to find unusual items and get the odd bargain.
Toolstation
Toolstation offer free next day delivery if you spend over £25 and their prices are consistently the best you can find for many DIY materials. Get all your screws, sockets, switches etc here. They also have stores dotted around the country. Don’t make the mistake of using the highstreet DIY stores unless you can’t avoid it.
Screwfix
They carry some products that Toolstation don’t and they have more stores so if you need something fast and there is a store nearby give them a go. Their prices aren’t as good as Toolstation but they are a lot cheaper than B&Q or Homebase
Hamilton Gas Products
These were by far the cheapest place for all my gas pipes and connectors. You have to pay for delivery so go through everything you need and try and get it in one order
Wickes
When you need to buy timber then Wickes aren’t bad. Not as cheap as a timber merchant might be, but convenient and not as expensive as B&Q.
Leisure Shop Direct
Is a specialist leisure supplies store. They are the cheapest all round I found for leisure supplies and they stock a few hard to find bits. I used them to get some new trim for the inside of my window seal and some exterior door trim. I also purchased my water tanks for the van from them
CPC
CPC stock a ridiculous number of things, try them for electrical and DIY products. I bought my 12v fuse box from them and it was half the price of the cheapest elsewhere. They have free delivery if you spend £10 but delivery can take up to 5 days
