Expansion & DIY

This is how I built the floor - my very first T4

How it all began · approx. 5 min. reading time · from your Tussy

Hello, this is Justine from the Tussy Van! 💛 Today I'm taking you to the very beginning - to my very first T4, the silver VR6. My vanlife story began with him, and the first really big expansion step was the floor. Sounds unspectacular? But it is the foundation for everything that comes afterwards - and to be honest, the moment when a van slowly became my home.

Silver VW T4 Caravelle, my first bus, with a handwritten note June 22nd, 2020
The beginning: my first T4, the silver VR6 - "06/22/2020, it starts" 🙂

A VW T4 Caravelle, built in 1998, with you VR6 engine and roof rack on top. From the outside an inconspicuous silver bus - inside a white sheet of paper that was just waiting to become my rolling home.

Step 1: Stencils, stencils, stencils

The T4 floor is anything but a simple rectangular box: wheel arches, seat rails, sill edges and the sloping rear section destroy any straight panel. My most important tip right at the beginning: Take it Time for the stencils. I worked with old newspapers and cardboard, laid them piece by piece on the floor, folded them at the edges and traced the contours. This means you can get even the crookedest corners neatly on the paper.

Floor extension in the T4: newspaper templates, folding rule, cutter and square on a cut plate
Newspaper as a stencil, ruler, cutter, square - that's all you need for marking.

Step 2: Transfer and crop

I then transferred the cardboard templates to the click elements. Mark the contour, cut out with the cutter or jigsaw, test on the real edge, adjust. It's better to adapt more once or twice than to give away an element.

Cardboard templates and cut brown floor elements in the rear T4 area
The cardboard shape becomes floor: the click elements are adapted piece by piece to the bus.

Step 3: Work in segments

I am aware of the ground not laid in one piece, but in several segments. This has two advantages: you can get the elements into the car through the sliding door, and individual areas (e.g. above storage compartments or the battery) remain accessible. I worked neatly right up to the edge on the tailgate so that nothing would wobble or stick up later.

Laid floor in the rear of the T4 up to the tailgate, next to tools
Pulled right up to the rear edge - so there is no risk of tripping later.

Step 4: The heart - cork click floor with insulation

Now comes my favorite detail - and the reason why this floor can do more than just look good: I installed one Cork click floor in walnut decor. It is slightly thicker than normal click flooring and has a additional cork layer as insulation. That's exactly what makes the difference: it keeps more heat in the car and slows down the cold that would otherwise rise from below - in the T4 this is worth its weight in gold, especially on cool nights. And because cork is naturally warm and quiet, the floor feels pleasant even barefoot.

I moved the click elements directly to the original carpet of the car —of course thoroughly cleaned beforehand. The carpet stays in, saves effort and acts as an additional soft, Insulating base. No tearing, no sticking - just a clean, warm base for everything that comes later.

Finished cork click base in walnut decor in the T4, plus a black one Stabox
Done! The cork click floor in walnut decor - warm, quiet and easy to clean.
🔧 My learnings for the first time:
  • Stencils made of cardboard/newspaper save you expensive incorrect cuts.
  • Work in segments - fits through the door and remains accessible.
  • Cork click floor with cork insulation = warmth from below, quiet and easy to clean.
  • Laid on the clean original carpet - saves effort and provides additional insulation.
🛒 Material used: Cork click floor in walnut decor (slightly thicker, with integrated cork insulation on the underside) · Cutter & jigsaw · Folding rule, square & marker · Cardboard/newspaper for the stencils.
I am adding the specific product links (some advertising/affiliate) here Brevity.

This floor was the first step on a bus that has carried me through countless adventures. You can read what happened inside the VR6 - water station, dry separation toilet and electricity without solar - in "The T4 VR6 as an everyday camper".

See you soon and always have a good trip,
your Tussy 💛

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