A wee bit of an update. I managed to get the flooring finished with some edging.

The fold out bed has been built but needs taken apart as a few areas need sanded and aligned so its a smooth movement but it works pretty well.

I was in a bit of a rush as i was racing at Dunkeld this weekend and a bunch of us were meeting up on Friday night and i wanted a decent van by then.

I still have the split relay to wire in and to ge some curtains up between the cab and the back but as it is very useable i am pretty happy for now 🙂

Ooft,thats nae good poah. Luckily they heal very quickly. 🙂

Si, cairn to cottage is my nemesis. I just cannot get that off camber right hander. It’s a bloody good trail though. 😯 what a surprise to fly into that blind last year at race pace 😛

Yea there is no good way up to the top of Birnam hill 🙁

The new one is pretty much next to the other one going from the top of the mast, i had a wander down this evening for a peek and there is a lot of work gone into it.

The weather is holding for Saturday which is just peachy 🙂

Na the trails are generally pretty well known, apart from one that is brand new and there are signs up asking people not to ride it.

I have raced the last 2 and to be honest the guys who are doing the trailbuilding are doing an amazing job. The one they put in for last year from the top of Birnam hill is one of my favourite descents anywhere.

Thats the entries closing tonight. Had a last wee ride round the trails today and they are running so well. Dry and grippy. 🙂

email sent buddy 🙂

Shaungero, i used one on a flow ex and it worked absolutely fine tubeless but i am sur eit is not rated by on-one as such.

What tyre size are you needing as i have 2 x 26″ enduro compound in my garage rotting away 🙂

Well mine is working just fine, the first one was a dud but replaced pronto by Tf Tuned. The 2nd has taken a right battering and is still faultless. Amazing shock 🙂

Very true but nobody mentioned being time crunched before you did 😀

davidtaylforth, while i agree that time on the bike makes you a better rider, developing power and endurance in the gym over the winter has transformed the way i ride.

I followed one of James Wilson’s programs and got a lot out of it initially. Then this winter i was in touch with Chris Kilmurray who coaches a lot of pros and decided to try his program for a while. I am doing TransProvence this year and i wanted to train specifically for enduro races and multi day events.
As with James Wilson a lot of it is gym based as he believes that strength is the building block to endurance.

Now i do not know much about the training side of life outside of my own experience but applying strength and flexibility training to my schedule has definitely improved my riding no end. I have much more stamina on longer rides, i feel much stronger when i am tired and trying to ride harder trails.

As i said this is just my own experience but strength and flexibility training has been of enormous benefit to me.

And no i don’t think the pro’s go to the gym because they are bored riding their bikes. Thats just weird.

Ok cool, thanks for that. Ill speak to my LBS and get them to speak to fishers. I just assumed the warranty on forks was 1 year.

I was reading a few threads about this and i was thinking that people were just whining for no reason. Oh i have learned my lesson on that one 🙂

Lochnagar from Braemar is one of my favourite mountain loops, I can send you a route map in an email if you want. Some spectacular descending and a top day out.

I have a 3c maxterra HR2 up front on my banshee. Great tyre. Grips to everything and rolls really well. What’s not to like 🙂

On the flip side i have had way more success selling stuff on Pinkbike than on here. There are some mentalists but there is a different demographic generally on there than here.

Had a guy come over from Glenrothes to buy a shock i was selling this week. Top lad and he was so mad about this really old DH bike he was keeping running. It was a breath of fresh air over the endless dull shite that this place can throw out.

Nice one, you are putting more effort into the base than i did and i think it will serve you better in the end. I take it those roof struts are just screwed into the vehicle with those tech screws you mentioned?

Hey twang, if i was dong this again i would not bother bubble wrapping the wheel arches. I doubt i will be out in arctic conditions anyway. But only time will tell if it was needed or not. And yep the carpet stuck fine but i made sure everything was taped up tight with a fair amount of duck tape.

Everything in my van was on advice from various threads and advice on here. There have been some great ideas thrown my way which have helped me no end. That racking was the icing on the cake so thanks for that buddy.

Much appreciated 🙂

All the electrical ideas came from sazter which was the main catalyst for getting the van the way i wanted it. 🙂 her advice has been a godsend.

Bumpity for anyone that had a DHF 3c maxxterra in 26″ that wants to sell 🙂

So, thats the majority of the work done now. I just need to get a fold out bed made up and get somw carpet finished off. Then tidy up the wiring and bosh. My wee camper 🙂

What is the general consensus regarding IFA and their advice? I have a meeting set up for tomorrow to set up a pension and some long term savings. Not very complicated as i have a Military half pension only.

Do i see maybe 2 or 3 or just take a fair bit of time over the decision and do my own research on what i am offered?

So thats the vinyl flooring fitted. It was a pretty easy job. Just trimmed the plywood to fit the back of the van then a bit of careful cutting and the vinyl was in 🙂

Made a bit of a mess of the carpet in a few areas i was covering at the back of the cab. Ill need to get it trimmed down. But so far i am very happy 🙂

HA, sazter is the reason i have this van in the first place. Envy is a powerful emotion 🙂

Boardingbob, thats pretty much it, i used spray adhesive for nearly everything. Both the carpet and the tin foil bubble wrap. That stuff is a godsend.

I removed the plywood and fitted the carpet leaving a fair bit left around the edges. Then refitted the plywood and sorted the edges out.

What type of van is it as transporters have holes in the interior bodywork ready for lining with plastic rivet type connectors. If not then see above for self tappers. I had a few types and i just couldnt get them through all the time. I had a bout 50% success rate but twang and spooky used a different type with better results.

Stand by for it taking over your life 🙂

Off out to do the floor vinyl today. once thats sorted the big jobs are all done. Just the millions of wee ones now.

The vivaro and trafics are quite easy to kit out as they are quite square and boxed shaped.

I wanted to do most of the work myself, not just to keep the costs down but as a project to get stuck into. I have got a few things wrong but its been an enjoyable project.

But if you don’t have the time then getting a company to strip it out and refit it for you will save you so much hassle.

Twang, had to look up vanicating 🙂

Oh yea and if your engine actually works then the 115 is actually a bit of a beast, i was really surprised how powerful the engine is.

Yea it was a proper relief 🙂 It drives really well now.

I had a window fitted on the passenger side sliding door which will need a black-out curtain but i wanted it more for a bit of ventilation while overnighting.

The stretchy carpet is pretty easy to use with spray adhesive. Quite easy to cut with scissors, not so much with a stanley knife.

I am going to knock a fold out bed up next to go along the drivers side wall like this one. Ill put the leisure battery and storage in there to keep the rest of the van clutter free 🙂

I don’t have any other plans apart from that really. For now 🙂

Wee update twang, finally got the van back on friday with 4 new injectors fitted. It now runs like a dream.

I managed to get the roof and the main side carpeted and fitted today along with 3 LED spotlights on the roof wired into the leisure battery.

Next job is getting the floor vinyl fitted. Then it might start to look like a decent van 🙂

The roof looks a lot worse in that picture but i am going to put a wooden batten down the join to smarten it up.

Oh and by far the worst part of this is trying to get the self tappers to go through thin metal. I thought it would be a doddle but i have been having a right epic. I have tried various different ones. Had to resort to pre drilling them which put the wind right up me 🙂

volatilemike, you are a star. Cheers 🙂

No matter how i googled i couldn’t find that 😀

Ah, good lad 🙂 everyone needs a packhorse now and again 😯

What did your hubby go for in the end?? was it a transition he was trying out?

Me likey ahsat, again your’s looks so similar to mine. Saying that i have not even tried to get mine that clean for a while. Good effort 🙂

On a sidenote and sorry to hijack has anyone got a link for a replacement rear axle for a banshee?

Had to do a trailside repair and completely forgot to refit the wee screw to the axle after refitting. I doubt ill die but there seem to be about 5 different types.

Cheers

Yep i am running mine in the slack position as well. I have not noticed any ill effects to the climbing but its that wee bit slacker and more playful on the downs.

Bloody love this bike 🙂

glasgowdan, nope its not but to be honest i have not explored much over in the forest side much.

Ill be riding on Sunday down there, ill keep my eyes peeled 🙂

Thats an odd one, i am still on the same cassette and front ring that i have had on for about 8 months and not a sniff of it dropping the chain.

Aye that would baffle me dirtyrider.

The first stage from the first year was dropped and a new stage from the top of Birnam hill was built. Its a fantastic descent.

Also the stage from the mast had 2 new sections built which again changed it for the better. Much more fun to ride.

There was also a new stage in Craigvinean forest that was pretty ninja in 1 place but i never heard a bad word mentioned about it. It just caught me by surprise.

Na i have not ridden it. I like having a stage equalizer on the day where mostly everybody is riding one stage blind.

I was up Birnam hill messing about during the week and that stage has just got better and better as its been ridden in.

Aye doug, its a great wee event. The first year was good but last years stages were bloody fantastic.

It will be interesting to see what the new stage runs like this year.

Had dealings with both Loco and TF Tuned. Fantastic service from each of them to be fair.

Munrobiker, i have never had a Vito but are the more recent ones still prone to rust? I thought after 2004 / 2006 or thereabouts the bodies were galvanised.

Also i have just looked at the new vivaro range. 1.6l engines throughout?? Cant see that working on loaded vans.

After perusing the T4 forums i nearly fell into the trap of believing they were the coolest vans and that were indestructible as long as they had a regular service. Then i had a chat with 2 mates whos partners had t5’s. And unsurprisingly they seemed to have just as many problems and issues as other vans.

I have a bit of a theory that owning a van will empty your wallet regardless of the make and model.
Vauxhall have just replaced the 4 injectors on my 6 year old Vivaro that has a design fault. It has a tendency to let water into the engine bay if the run-offs are blocked which can and will corrode the injectors. But apart from that i really like it. It drives very well and has a large roomy back. Which will soon be converted for a weekend bike / campervan.

I think there has been an amazing piece of marketing done by VW to convince people that the are by far the best vans out there. And a great many people do believe it.