Someone must have a filthy mind.

The only bad thing I can see is that it keeps giving me ideas about getting a van to be a place of abode and bike and ski transportation, whilst not having anywhere to store and build said van.

Of course, being in Germany, I’d be acquiring a VAG based bus 😉

Need more build pics…

no_eyed_deer… yes I did, I have no idea why this bothers you so much…. also I think your keyboard is broken. I also named my new van, and my pet chinchilla… ah well, each to their own! 🙂

Build pics to follow after I get some more work done this weekend!

haven’t virgin been naming their crew vans for a while now? always amused by those, y’know, van diesel, that sort of think. Iname my bikes, I’d name my van if it wasn’t such a shit heap.

oh, look, I’ve said virgin, sounds a bit like…..;-)

lovewookie you actually made me laugh there, spilled my chilli! 😀

I noticed the word cockwomble is used a lot around these parts, is that allowed?!

What’s odd about that, I named my Vagina Transit

@lovewookie – I think u may have just named ur van shit heap :p

Doesn’t everyone name their van? My T5 is called Jimmy (because of the number plate).

@lovewookie – I think u may have just named ur van shit heap :p

maybe I have…

I named my bike Flossy, which got a bit weird as when I was 17 I had a girlfriend who’s nickname was flossy. Confused the hell out of folk (not to mention her parents) when I’d been out riding flossy all day and still had mud in my ear.

The new van is called Farrah because it’s a Mo-Farrah-vano, and it takes us Mo – far – away. My last bike was called Rubix as it was a Cube, my current bikes just use their model names, need to have a think about this!

The new van is called Farrah because it’s a Mo-Farrah-vano, and it takes us Mo – far – away. My last bike was called Rubix as it was a Cube, my current bikes just use their model names, need to have a think about this!

Whatever you do, please promise that you’ll never buy a Cove.

Ours is called Abi after our daughter, the number plate and just to wind her up.

Haha, I can never buy a cove, no way, it would offend people everywhere I go.. wait… ooh!

Winding kids up is the point of being a parent, no? In that case you’re parenting right! 🙂

I’ve got a yellow Cove HandJob – watching my brothers explaining the name to my nephews is nearly as much fun as riding it

(Spot the overgrown child who’s not a parent)

My Renault Trafic camper is called Vincent

Update from Saturday – the goal was to build the sofa frame, install the skylight and make the tray for the sliding bike store. Two out of three ain’t bad, making the bike tray tonight.

First job, cut a blooming big hole in the roof of the van. We decided to install the skylight right at the back of the van, this is because the front already has loads of light from the windows in the cab and the sliding door and it should also aid ventilation by creating a bigger stream for air to flow through. Plus if it was at the front we might have kept bashing our heads getting in and out of bed. So now we can lie in bed and star gaze, awesome. [img]https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12049491_10156061083005203_8175728785509610132_n.jpg?oh=7da5462cdd832b0e0f7c79d02b9d81d3&oe=566055ED[/img][img]https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11998939_10156061083160203_6461201118846210056_n.jpg?oh=475b47fefaf99ad1a81dd1e83645bee1&oe=565D291F[/img][img]https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11057737_10156061083350203_8444303322271701529_n.jpg?oh=6c55cd32d03de2d8466a726e3ff86ff0&oe=565F4422[/img]

The sofa has a longer front edge to allow it to wrap around a beam at the back, then the main body is to be for storage, it will be clad with ply and painted or covered once we decide on the interior decor. For now this is the frame, nice and solid with a hinged lid to allow access. For the short term I am just using the cushions from the old van, but have a big cushion to trim down and upholster to fit this one soon.
[img]https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/12036807_10156061083535203_1995590992822844401_n.jpg?oh=e3ea20cc81f6daeed5eca0dd7aa6c565&oe=569926FD[/img]

Tonight I will be making the start of the bike tray, unsure if I will get it complete on rails yet or just fixed to the floor for temporary use.

I’m well impressed! I’m also not sure that I would have the stones to chop a hole in the roof of my van like you just did, good work! Looks a nice tidy job as well.

Any plans for a solar PV panel up top to keep the battery charged?

willard, thanks, it was scary, but measured a few times, inside and out, squared up, drilled pilot holes and kept the saw nice and slow. The insulation on the inside helped reduce vibration and helped loads. The worst part was the roof is very flexy, so after sealing it I had to get off the van via the front to avoid breaking the seal. 😉 It has rained all night here and I checked this morning and all is dry! 🙂

Am holding fire on the 2nd battery and solar for now, having gathered my parts for the install it seems most of my stuff is running on gas, so have a refillable LPG tank and all the gubbins, this will run the fridge, heater and hob. Everything else I am planning on using in the van can run on 12v, so the single battery should be sufficient now. The only issue I have at the moment is my camera, an Olympus Pen which seems to be impossible to charge without mains power, but it seems crazy to get a 240v inverter and all the gubbins for that, so am still investigating. 🙂

Nice one Sazter…looks like you’re doing a cracking job.

Thanks dooosuk 🙂 Was so happy this morning when the van was dry inside! 🙂

Last night I got the bike rack frame built. This will be on sliding heavy duty ball bearing runners, these will be added later as I need both bikes on to get the positioning right, for now it is held in place in a fixed position as I need to take the bikes to foxhunt at the weekend.

12mm ply for the base, with lino off cuts for waterproofing

Edge to keep dirt and bits from rolling all over the van

Sealant around the edges and down the middle seam, practical over aesthetic!

Two 15mm fork mounts and one QR adapter so I can carry other bikes too, just don’t come to me with your 20mm axles! 😉

First injury of the build… Attacked by a rogue high speed bungee… OUCH!

Looks like it’s coming along nicely.

Do you know where you are getting the bearing runners from, for the bike tray?
I used to use a company called Accu-Ride at the last place I worked for heavy duty 100% extension runners. They are pretty well priced & sturdy.

seahouse – Member

What’s odd about that, I named my Vagina Transit

Erm, is that because of all the stuff you could cram into it?
Sorry, I tried, but couldn’t resist. 😆

stumpy – I got the runners last year for my old van conversion but didn’t end up using them, I bought them from screwfix and the were actually more heavy duty than I wanted but never got round to returning, they’re perfect for this!

Nevertheless, the title word is reminiscent of vagina, or vagazzle, which is somewhat unnecessary. Can’t wait till the thread disappears entirely.

Gutted I missed this classic post, still it’s an opportunity for the post to hit the front page again 🙂 What a dirty little man.

Van looks great.

Haha thanks Gary!

Damn how this forum works – I missed these latest updates!
Hopefully this will bump it nearer the top of my list, so that I don’t miss the next lot!

How did you do at the Foxhunt?

Alex – Update to follow right now. 🙂 I finished 95th, a tiny bit better than last year, but I still need to learn to relax and not brake so much!

Bike rack finished and now on rails, kitchen started (no photo), sofa seat cushion made, has pegs in base to line up with slats so it stays put, it snaps into place but can be removed. Sofa base boxed in. Gas tank in place though not yet installed, needs to be boxed in, add drop vent etc. Good weekend of work whilst everyone was having fun on bikes! I’m not jealous at all!

[img]https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12108040_10156105664295203_7372793276082458466_n.jpg?oh=2fd6dbda049daf82f6d6a3b90cf08143&oe=56D1D34F[/img][img]https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12049431_10156105665335203_4908213962907950662_n.jpg?oh=2ce9e2fb7cd91a8b3e9c141ef84937ea&oe=56A4A08B[/img]

Perfect timing! 🙂
Bike tray looks perfect.

Forgot to add I also tidied the electrics, no more twisted together cables and tape, used proper crimps etc, my reversing camera screen is clear now, no more flickering. Everything had inline fuses from the previous owner so now I have a central fuse box instead. Conduit running along the van, opening at the kitchen and along and down the trunking to the leisure battery under the passenger seat.

crimps will only cause you heart ache long term. Theres no such thing a propper crimp – there all a bodge 😀

Get em soldered and heat shrinked before you hide them out of sight and hard to get to…..

trail rat, is that something I can do myself? I am trying to have less stuff, so is soldering kit something that can be hired?

might be worth seeing if anyone local has the kit and time to do it for a small fee….. I hate soldering but always make the effort over using goddam crimps even though my solderings shite.

Loving the slidey bike thingy, good work!

thanks trail rat, will ask about.

monkeyfudger, it was an idea I pinched from another conversion and I already had the runners bought but unused from my last conversion. Works really well and nice and solid in transit.

Got some foam protection on the edge of the rear garage where the bike bars go, started the gas box, not sealed or finished as no gas yet, installed the kitchen unit, still needs cupboards sorted once heater is installed, and made a start on the storage at the other side between the sofa and bed, its actually a fair bit bigger than I thought now the verticals are in place, loads of storage.

Next weekend I will install the heater, plumb in the gas and water and finish the storage next to the sofa.

Is that a fixed or a slidey-out stovetop? It looks ace!

One thing I will say is that the pipe lagging will degrade over time, so watch out for little bits of plastic floating around in that shelf.

Willard, it is fixed as it will be connected to the gas supply and I want as few moving parts as possible. It is positioned so that the side door is still the way in and out but in bad weather the slidey door window can be opened above the stove and in nicer weather the door can be open for that alfresco feel. The indoor facilities will only really be used for the morning cuppa and post ride dinner in bad weather as I hope to cook outdoors most and have a kelly kettle for boiling water.

Yep the pipe lagging is a temporary fix, I plan on recycling a load of tees into a blanket for the van and the off-cuts will be made into an improved bumper for there. (I just did a car boot sale and gave a zillion tees to charity after, should have kept a couple but I am a bit thick!) 🙂

Household electrical dominoes are another alternative to crimp things. On things I want to be able to remove easily I solder the cable ends so the domino doesn’t fray/damage the cable then use a domino to join.

Looking good!

Thanks AlexSimon, it is finally starting to look liveable, scary hole cutting required in the next stage, hole for fridge vent and holes in floor for gas drop vent and heater air in and out.