How do you find the time for this, as well as life, bike rides etc?

Great work.

Matt… to be honest biking has taken a hit but it’s only short term, I want the van ready for a weekend away at the start of Nov so am willing to sacrifice a few weekend rides to make this happen. Managed to get a night ride in this week which was ace. I have no kids and no responsibilities so that helps! I only worked on the van on Sunday this week as did a car boot to get rid of a load of life crap on Sat, and donated a load of stuff to charity afterwards so I will not lose another day to selling stuff. Made enough to pay for the gas system and the charity were very grateful, win win! I have also been loaned a garage space so I can leave my materials and tools and keep going back each weekend, it would be taking me loads longer if I didn’t have that space, thanks to the MIL!

Haha, I love the picture of you just before you’re cutting the sky light: The look on your face!! 😆

Looking pretty good though.

Edit: oh, and offer still stands, if you’re doing the trails around Hebden Bridge, and you need laundry doing or whatever, just let me know.

Thanks Nick, definitely looking forward to the adventures once it is finished and will be starting with some bike trips further afield, Hebden would be one of those. 🙂

Got the start of the gas system in place, the tank is empty until the full system is installed and checked over, don’t worry! Have a 3 way manifold to serve the heater, fridge and stove with the option to add another outlet if I want in future. Re-made the gas tank box, far neater and this one has sealant on all seams to seal it, this will be open to the vents on the side of the van and has a gas drop vent inside the box. The lid had a foam seal, the weight of the lid keeps it sealed. Heater in place.

Created the front cubby holes for the tall unit, will be bright colours inside then the front will hide most of it, leaving splashes of bright fun.

Vents for fridge (cool air in, exhaust out) and gas filler ports added to side of van.

Ply lining complete, ceiling, walls, sliding door. Top bit of white showing will be hidden in the end stages.

Excellent stuff!

That tray is awesome, I had plans for something similar in the house but wasn’t sure if it would be doable in the space I have, what sort of footprint do the bikes take up once they’re loaded?

(forgetting the outer pedals and bar widths)

Thanks Alex

squireelking – I will measure it and let you know, but it’s about 4ft long as it is the width of the bed they fit under, and about 1.5ft wide, but could possibly be narrower and push the bikes closer together than I have there.

2nd leisure battery added, all electrics moved. Heater thermostat & electrics installed. Fridge back boxed so exhaust goes out the vents. Gas system almost finished. Painting continued.

Thermostat wiring

Fridge box, over complicated to fit in the space and around everything. Looks like there’s gaps but that is black foam seal. This boxes the fridge to the side with 2 vents, one to allow fresh cold air to come in and one to let the exhaust out. The vents on the fridge that are visible are part of the intake so not a problem that they are showing a bit.

2nd leisure battery added, moved electrics to sofa, still needs strapped down.

Heater in place, vents in, just need the gas now

Walls getting painted cream, leaving ceiling as wood for now, quite like it.

Waiting for another part to finish the gas, then get that filled and the heater and hob should be working for the weekend.

Showing some skills there Sazter, coming on a treat!
Just last week I fitted the very same propex in mine, all up and running now but not tested this weekend as it was too warm!
Have you sealed around the heater inlet and exhaust holes underneath? Doesn’t say to do this in the instructions but I’m concerned that the exhaust gasses are going to find their way in and get blown through the heater and into the van. I’m probably over thinking it but whats your thoughts?

Oh and definitely paint the ceiling 🙂

Twang, thanks for the positive comments, was getting a bit fed up the last few weeks with no riding etc but this weekend it all came together a bit so feeling miles better. That and I got drunk, dressed up as a tree and danced! 😉

I have not sealed around the holes, aside from a lick of paint to the raw metal edge, I figured they need some breathing room as the holes specced are bigger than the outlets, assumed this was because it will get hot? I think the hoses are long enough to take fumes far enough away from the holes to not be an issue? I still need to connect the pipes to the outside there and once I get the last part I can fill the gas and give it a trial run this weekend.

Planning on spending Friday doing some finishing to the gas, testing, CO detector, all that jazz. Storage and tidying if I have time, then getting out of Glasgow for the weekend! 🙂

Ha! I knew your face was familiar (both of you actually), my missus knows you through GRG. Damn that was annoying me…

How was the field test?

Just realised what day it is, that should really read ‘how is’.

Squirrelking – do tell more! Who is it? 🙂 The field test was great, have a few snagging things to fix but mostly just need to finish the storage and decorating, happy with that!

The gas system works great! £12 to fill a 21L tank with LPG, this runs the heater, fridge and hob.

Gas heater, was very warm at about 50% on the thermostat, only ran it to test really as it was not that cold even in Nov!

Front back on the unit, loads of storage. Will be creating two horizontal versions of this for more storage soon.

Curtain is made, dark brown blackout material facing the cab, pattern facing the inside, really heavy and insulating.

12v Socket and USB ports in the front of the sofa, another set will be in the unit at the foot of the bed.

starting to look homely.

Ignore the towel, protecting the kitchen from the heavy rain as it’s not yet finished, someone is happy for adventures!

Cosy and warm in the van with some beers, perfect Sat night.

Breakfast in the warm van whilst it was raining, yay!

Bit more insulation to do, thinking of wallpapering the ceiling with some nautical maps of Scotland that I have, might swap the lights for LEDs for a bit more energy saving, back to put on kitchen, fronts on kitchen and under bed storage. Going to put a shelf at the back of the bed, over the garage, hooks in garage for front wheels and helmets, a shelf for bike work stand. Need to paint the front of the sofa with a gloss or varnish. Almost there!

If you have an Ikea nearby, they do a good set of four LED spots that run off 12v, well, mains, but there’s a stp down transformer that you can get rid of. You would want to make sure you put a regulator in the way though to make sure that any voltage above 12v is capped. It will make them last longer.

I think I have a link to the circuit diagram for one somewhere. I made two for next to nothing.

Ah, found it: http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=140753 and this one as well: http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=172159

I have this other link bookmarked too: http://www.reuk.co.uk/LM2940-12V-1A-Low-Dropout-Regulator.htm

Thanks for the inks Willard, I prefer strip lights to spots, had spots in last van and prefer these, just flouro strips are a bit higher energy consumption so already taken 2 tubes out of each light but figure LED will save a wee bit more too.

Looks great! almost finished.

😀

Missus is (was) Felony Fae, on Beav’s Facebook, surname Squirrelking 😉

Vans looking good, a few more things and then it’ll be done. Or at least as finished as it can be till you inevitably decide to change or add something, all part of the fun!

nick, yes, getting there!

Squirrelking, will tell Beav once she’s out of the wilds! 🙂

Yep it is almost done, in addition to the list at the end of my post I have also ordered a solar panel and kit and am looking at getting two comfy captains seats with the passenger one able to swivel 180 degrees for extra space and seating in the rear and getting rid of the twin will make access to the rear from the cab miles easier. 🙂

Done loads of work but not got many photos as it was dark by the end, more to follow. Almost done!

Solar panel added and wired in, just need some sun now! 😉

Ceiling lined with Scottish Nautical maps, this was the base layer with the spaces you see reserved for the best maps we had put aside, so they are on top at the end.

Kitchen has a back, still some cupboards to finish but it’s liveable.
Have 2 captains swivel seats to go in, just need a plate made to adapt them to fit.

Great stuff! Any winter adventures planned?

Awesome work, it looks ace.
One thing I spotted, when you have 2 leisure batteries in parallel, it’s best to take the load off both batteries, positive from one, negative from the other. I know the link cables are really short but they still add a bit of resistance and mean that one battery would be providing more current than the other if you don’t.

Ahem, nautical maps are called charts.

AlexSimon – my winter plans were work and going to visit family, now maybe I will have adventures as work is no longer top of that list!

Colp – thanks, will change that!

Nico – thanks, ahem, sorry! 😉

Been a bit busy with life and not updated in a while..

Storage at the bed is done, ignore the mess, the middle hole is going to be a laptop shelf for movies and photo uploading etc. Left side is storage (currently all my unread issues of ST I am saving for my adventures) right side is books and some games, torches etc, all nice and organised under the chaos!

Kitchen is coming together, have added a sheet of steel above the left side here since this and put some magnetic tins on for spices etc. Also moved the heater thermostat to this side above the wire basket so it registers the temp better. Just need utensil hooks to tidy that basket (will also have an elastic strap over to stop them rattling about) and the right hand lower door is being replaced as the ply got damp and bent in the garage.

Tall cupboard is done and being used mostly as a larder, bathroom cabinet etc. (Rear cushion for sofa is no longer this old duvet cover)

All the lights are installed and working since this too

The rubber floor in the cab was causing water to drain into the rear when we had wet shoes, bags etc so I looked at various options and decided to carpet the cab myself, cheap enough to re-do as and when needed.

Seats swapped for 2 captains to allow freedom of movement between cab and rear, passenger one swivels 180 degrees.

New sofa back cushion

Few more things to fix, paint and finish still but I am living in it part time and it’s great, learning lots and tweaking bits as I discover new ideas. 2 months or so to go before we depart for our Euro Road Trip. Good photos will be uploaded once finished. 🙂

Great to see an update!
Seats and swivel easy to install?

Digging the roof papering 🙂
I’ve always fancied doing an entire wall in the house with OS maps…

I’ve always fancied doing an entire wall in the house with OS maps…

Me too. There’s a cafe near me with one down the stairwell. Looks great imo.

I was going to do some sliding wardrobe doors with them and it would have covered from Brighton up to just South of London in 1:50,000. I contacted OS to see if I could buy them flat but they only offered that with the bespoke maps where you choose where they are centred. I do have a toilet door done in shipping charts though.

AlexSimon – seats were a bit awkward but with a little help from my metal fabricator friend who made me 4 steel plates to adapt it they fit great. 🙂

I love the ceiling, was worried it might look cr*p but it’s turned out nice.

I contacted OS to see if I could buy them flat but they only offered that with the bespoke maps where you choose where they are centred.

Military issue ones are flat, not sure where you pick them up but they’re the ones you want.

Thanks squirrelking

I think I have most of the UK on flat OS 1″ maps up in the attic. They were throwing them out at Uni many moons ago so I rescued them. The mice have probably eaten them by now 🙁

It used to be possible to get flat maps from the excellent Stanfords in Long Acre.

Ferry booked – Leave the UK on March 15th, first stop Amsterdam then Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany (bavarian Alpine drive with some mtb en route), Czech Rep, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia (few weeks at national parks etc), ferry to Italy then drive up to Switzerland, France, then home via either France or Spain to Portsmouth.

Need a new starter battery and the inside of the van is being painted this week and next week. Have an ace book that lists loads of camp spots for motorhomes from free to a couple of euros up to megabucks like €30! 😉 Got locations for biking in Bavaria, Poland and Morzine…

Sounds ace! Very jealous indeed 🙁

Keep us posted on your travels. Was it you that had a blog?

Another jealous office worker.

So jealous! Got the van but rarely get away for an adventure.

Make sure you leave the van well ventilated before travelling, we used some gloss paint on ours and then drove to Scotland two days later, all the windows open and still got headaches from the smell!

Another vote for a blog, try WordPress, they have a mobile app so easy to blog whilst on the move.

Yeah thats me, my blog is here and I will try and keep it updated!