Fitting out a workshop that lives on conversion work differs from fitting out a service workshop at one point that governs everything after it: the dimensions of the incoming vehicle are not known in advance.
Vehicle conversion workshop fit out therefore starts by fixing the longest and tallest vehicle that actually comes in, and the chamber and openings are then built around it rather than the other way round.
The order of decisions
The wrong order picks the equipment first and then looks for somewhere to put it. The order that prevents redesign starts at the building and ends at the equipment.
| Order | What is fixed | What follows from it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Longest and tallest vehicle taken in | Internal size and door length |
| 2 | Approach and turning path inside the bay | Chamber position |
| 3 | Finishing material and acceptance requirements | Heat curve and filtration |
| 4 | Vehicles per day | Cycle time and air capacity |
| 5 | Supporting equipment | Services and electrical load |
The item that gets skipped
Services. The electrical load of a large chamber is not an extension of a service workshop load. Supply in this family is 380 V three-phase at 50 or 60 Hz, with delivered power running from 11 to 50 kW.
So the load is calculated before the equipment is approved rather than after — the single item that most often stops an installation once the equipment has already reached site.
What serves conversion work specifically
- A chamber built on the exception — because the exception is the business, not the rare case
- A separate prep station — conversion means longer preparation, and keeping it inside the chamber ties the chamber up
- Working space around the part — not around the vehicle, since parts are sometimes coated detached
Frequently asked questions
Do I build on the largest vehicle or the average?
On the largest, if it genuinely comes in. Building on the average leaves the highest-value work outside the chamber, which is the worst thing a number in a specification can do.
Are parts coated detached from the vehicle?
In much conversion work, yes — and the part then sets the size rather than the vehicle. That opens the option of a smaller chamber with more cycles, weighed against the alternative on part count.
Where do I start in practice?
With the site survey. Every custom booth starts with a site survey and a fixed internal size, then configuration sign-off before manufacture.
Related reading
- Custom booth site survey
- Workshop electrical load planning
- Modified vehicle refinishing
- Workshop floor slab requirements
What to do next
Send the dimensions of the longest vehicle you take in, the bay layout and vehicles per day, and we will return a fit-out order built on your workshop. talk to a specialist. Sector detail is on the Trucks & RV sector page.