Next year I'm planning an extended roadtrip round europe.
i dunno if this is useful but someone once told me that they met john dunne in el chorro in the 90s and he had a van, and under the (presumably plywood) floor had fitted soem kinda of hidden locking cabinet to keep valuable and climbing gear in out of sight and safe. might be worth thinking about.
no place like home van for sale on there, would be ideal!!!
How tall are you bonjoy? I had ( :'() a citroen relay and its about 5'10" wide inside - meant I could build the bed sideways which saves a load of space and faff with folding mechanisms etc.
Maybe a camper version of those sub-transit style mini-vans
in Scotland just find a spot off the roadside ,never been asked to move on,
the device needed is called a split charge relay, simple to wire and available from halfords etc. Ive got a solar trickle charger that plugs into your cig lighter and will keep the battery topped up. They're cheap too. Might be an idea to get a leisure battery that is capable of jumping your starter battery, that way you can jump yourself if your in the middle of nowhere, I know its not great for the leisure battery but now and again wont be too bad.
blimey. who dat jr guy :bow:? i'd be interested in your stuff for sale if you think it's the shit. i like the sound of an inverter, to run mains gear off. do you live anywhere near shef? would love to come and pick your brains in person. i had a '73 vw combi years ago, and reckon things like decent lights are essential, without the constant worry of not being able to start in the morning. it only had one battery, but would bump start on the slightest slope. Paul, i hear you've joined the school, so i'll see you up there no doubt, so be prepared for many questions too!
any more info gratefully received...
see y'all soon, joe
my idea of slumming it:
(http://www.hittheroadrv.com/images/1987%20BOUNDER%2030'%20BASEMENT/91%20Country%20Coach%20Trader.JPG)
Is it quite literally probably the second best van in the country perchance?
hi jr. would defo like to meet up. i think i'm collecting my van on thurs, so perhaps next time you're over. i'll be at the bowderstone this weekend. anyway, my mob no. is 07980 526579 (is that allowed). i live s11 and cook a good curry, so next time you're over get in touch and come round for nosh/advice. £30 sounds good, although like i say, it already has 2 batteries, so don't know if another is absolutely necessary. although, i do like to do a spot of hoovering on my weekends away... anyway, thanks to all for the info/tips. i'm literally foaming at the mouth with excitement. although, for those who know me, that's not unusual.
muchos gracias (?)
the roof
(http://forums.climbing.com/photopost/data/506/medium/canon_valentina_172.jpg)
Any knowledgable souls care to take a look at this for me? Is is good buy? Is the price ok?
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/advert-view-category-3.html
Cheers NCB.Blimey charley, just don't ask what Emma & Andy B paid for their transit conversion, it'll make you sick, :o, I'd be seriously considering a standard van, and a very big can opener. Had a friend a while back did a very nice conversion in pine tongue'n'groove, nice and warm but I did look rather like a sauna, which was ok cos I think thats the look he wanted. ;)
Anyone any thoughts on this one? - http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARAVANS_popup.asp?searchform=&lid=search_used_caravans_full&photo=1&state=%27%27&sort=&make=Ford&min_pr=75&source=0&model=&max_pr=14000&agerange=3&miles=1500&mileage=&postcode=s7+1he&ukcarsearch_full.x=73&ukcarsearch_full.y=9&start=4&distance=178&adcategory=CARA&channel=CARAVANS&id=200706103778733
Anyone any thoughts on this one...
IMO its important to know what you want and need out of a van, lots of conversions jam a shower/toilet/wet room into what is essentially a small vehicle. If your spending a lot of time on campsites thats just wasted space however if you intend to cut costs and camp by the side of the road it might be a god send.
.....can you imagine lying in bed whilst your partner squeezes one out 2 ft away
Have you been accidentally visiting japanese pr0n sites as well as looking for spares for your Bongo
You or anyone else got any info on alternatives?
I converted a Peugeot Expert a couple of years back and spent 4 months travelling round Europe in it last summer, which was great. Any questions about electrics/water/gas/etc - send me a mail ben @ mendipclimb.org.uk
Anyone else got any conversions on the go?
Cheers. Funnily enough I came accross your van via a link on SBMCC.Yeah I used SBMCC a lot when I was doing the van up, a good source of geeky info..
After finally taking receipt of my van, Ive got lots to do before July's trip beckons! One of jobs I want to do soonish is insulate the roof and side walls, ideally with reflective foil backed foam stuff (suggestions?)The stuff you'll want is Celotex or Kingspan 25mm. I'm not sure who the cheapest local supplier is. I got mine through work, but i'm not there anymore. Ebay often have lots of offcuts/offsizes
So anyone got any recommendations of insulation/supplier/tips.....in or near Sheffield....
(ideally needs to be no more than 20-30mm deep to go behind panelling and roof lining....)
cheers
Chris: why not sell the Corsa now while you can still get a reasonable price for it? A vanhead friend of mine advised me to spend as much as I could afford, and then some more, as transporters really hold their value and last forever. You're going to need every last penny you can scrape together to invest in the van of your dreams.
About 3 weeks ago I didn't care about camper vans that much. :dance1:
My Mazda Bongo, Green, P199 AGR was stolen on the night of Saturday 8th March, please help me find it by inviting all your friends in the sheffield area to look out for it.
Like to have a look at yours if we make it down to the peak when Stu comes over.yeah, no worries!
With the original seat set up and after the rock n roller bed conversion, is there space under the seats or bed for surfboards?Hmmm, maybe. Another option would be to roof rack them(it can be done!) and just bump up the pressures in the hydraulic arms. Seen it done very succesfully.
Following months of deliberation and hesitation (and saving), have ordered new VW T5 Transporter Panel Van, after a period of intense negotiation and playing off of VW Dealers in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Unfortunately lead time means we get it in mid September. Then the pimping begins!
SA Chris, I take it they do T5's as well then? I've seen some quality conversions on the T4/5 forums...
I had a Ford Astrovan
Easycamp Venice 200 is the boy. Drive-away awnings for the discerning camper-van owner.
I've just got a wind out awning that came with the van.
What does "drive away" mean? Does it close up on all 4 sides for when you leave it?
We have a drive away awning for our van which we have hardly ever used, because to use it securely you need to be on a campsite, which defeats one of our reasons for having a van, ie. not being limited to camp sites or paying camping costs.
:off: If you had one of these and put a camper body on top, you wouldn't have to spend money on ferries or accommodation when going to Font (on ebay now)
Dare I ask what schmooling is? As a camper van owner to be, is it something I should know about?
Dare I ask what schmooling is? As a camper van owner to be, is it something I should know about?
Schmooling = whatever people do on holiday when they aren't climbing - not sure what, but I'm about to find out :shrug:
We have a drive away awning for our van which we have hardly ever usedIf you don't use yours and want rid of it, I'll buy it off you Andy!
One thing......what exactly is a 'rock n roller' bed? Just a fold away hinged type thing or something mre clever?
We are also able to provide full cover for camper conversions and self-conversion projects based on almost any vehicle, including cover for vans or coaches in the process of being converted.
QuoteWe are also able to provide full cover for camper conversions and self-conversion projects based on almost any vehicle, including cover for vans or coaches in the process of being converted.
from Adrian Flux (http://www.adrianflux.co.uk/camper-detail-go.php) website
Any good ideas for insurance?Apparently the National Farmers Union can be good for insuring vans, but not sure if it is classed as a camper.
Van heating;
Had one of these recommended to take the chill off when camping in winter (van is going to be insulated anyway).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Camping-Gaz-Campingaz-BlueCat-Heater/dp/B000ZJ97C8 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Camping-Gaz-Campingaz-BlueCat-Heater/dp/B000ZJ97C8)
Catalytic heater, so no flame etc.
Recommended? Any alternatives?
unless you are VAT registered then yes, you'll have to pay the price plus VAT, eg £10,000 + £1,750 = £11,750
BlackJax5
Anti-Carjacking and Vehicle Self Recovery System
BlackJax is Clifford's unique anti-carjacking response system that puts personal safety first while using innovative advancements to ensure that users can recover the vehicle themselves. If an armed car thief approaches - whether at a stop light or in a parking lot (where most carjackings occur) - immediately turn over the keys and remote and let Clifford technology take over.
Fully automatic: No buttons or transmitters to push when a gun is involved. Just get away from the vehicle. Quick response: BlackJax allows the criminal to drive away a safe distance. Then, a few seconds later, BlackJax blares the siren and flashes the lights to alert other drivers and witnesses. It then pulses down the ignition system to safely force the vehicle to slow to a complete stop. Siren blaring and lights flashing, unable to restart the engine, the carjacker has no choice but to abandon the vehicle.
Immediate vehicle self-recovery: With the vehicle immobilized a short distance away, the owner can recover it. No special tracking units, monthly fees or per-use charges. Just follow the sound of the BlackJax siren, then enter the PIN code. That's it - it's sabotage-proof. The only way to turn off BlackJax is with a secret user-selectable PIN code. If the carjacker tries guessing codes at random, BlackJax actively ignores his code entries for the next few minutes.
Not exactly camper van
So in conclusion your original prediction that a Berlingo would not satisfy your requirements has been confirmed, you need to look for something a bit bigger.
I hope this was helpful. :)
Whatever you don't look at the transit connect, drives like a 7.5 tonner, whilst actually having no more space than a cinquicento.:-\
QuoteWhatever you don't look at the transit connect, drives like a 7.5 tonner, whilst actually having no more space than a cinquicento.
I was in a mate's one of these at the weekend and he seems to quite like it. Good milage and lots of head room.
Insane Blingo modification. Surely a waste of time on such a small van?
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1125/1300738015_1ecced27ea_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/czechr/1300738015/)
Not overly relevant:
hey do look like a good option (if a bit pricey), do we have any advances on 30mpg? Its going to feel like quite a hit compared to our 60 mpg wonder car.
hey do look like a good option (if a bit pricey), do we have any advances on 30mpg? Its going to feel like quite a hit compared to our 60 mpg wonder car.
In word, no. :(
4wd or 2wd?i've converted mine in a similar time, a very basic conversion, mind, but i haven't seen many better usage of space. if you need info i'll post a few pics.
Hmmm... The chances of me sourcing and converting a van (well) in a month are slim I think.
I'll drop you a pm...
The payback period for a conversion must be massive.
How much? Looking at summat similar myself... is there a dealer for these ex-AA vans?
Did you piss God off at any point?
How much? Looking at summat similar myself... is there a dealer for these ex-AA vans?
As Paul B has already said vans are an hard thing to find but if you are looking for a T4 or T5 I might be able to supply a contact for one - slight issue is that they are based in Suffolk but the source is one that I am prepared to trust... As far as I understand it they are all PX vehicles from a VW main dealer but I will get confirmation on that if required.
bluebrad
How was the flood your fault? Did you piss God off at any point? Glad you got it sorted though. Did you let insurance company know you will be out of the UK for an extended period? They can be funny with stuff like that.
I found some cosmetic stuff under the bike rack that I'd missed but nothing too upsetting.
http://www.vamoosecamperconversions.co.uk/ (http://www.vamoosecamperconversions.co.uk/)
Product looks good, and based in Sheffield, wondering if anyone you guys have used them, or know anyone who has?
Cheers, used that forum a fair bit before, just looking for personal recommendations as a lot of you guys are local.
No chance of doing it myself, can't even draw a straight line, let along cut one!
One of those cooler boxes with a cooling unit that you can plug into lighter
Got one of these in HellFrauds sale last year.
I have joined the van brigade and just bought myself an 04 Fiat Scudo. Drives pretty slow but handles well. Its in very good nick so am off tomorrow to get some ply to start lining it. Can't decide between one of the rock and rolla beds or some kind of fixed platform and storage. Not going too much down the modding road but decent stereo setup, little cooker, possibly little fridge and that should do me.
(http://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet/media?id=979856769)
More pics to follow.
Adam, if you can get any more of that stuff, I would double up the layers. Unless that stuff is brilliant at insulating, i don't think you have enough.
You can't have too much insulation :thumbsup:
Have double insulated it now. Better safe than sorry! Cheers guys.
Picking up the ICE next week.
Carpeting for the walls ceiling and floor. (Anyone know a good place where you can get that grey car material you so often see in VW campers?)
Leisure battery.
Lighting.
Bed/seating setup.
You can get a cheap leisure battery (120) for 80 notes at CCC. Get an intelligent relay too so that it charges after the crank battery and run all of your ICE off it.
does anyone have the low down on what thickness to use for a comfortable day waiting out the rain\sleeping on and all that?
Have double insulated it now. Better safe than sorry! Cheers guys.
Picking up the ICE next week.
Carpeting for the walls ceiling and floor. (Anyone know a good place where you can get that grey car material you so often see in VW campers?)
Leisure battery.
Lighting.
Bed/seating setup.
I have some of those book marked already fot pROJECT mAYHEM (my van conversion)
Leisure battery - looking at eBay for one of those at the minute - be careful of the amps that your alternator will kick out - the VW T5 kicks out something along the lines of 80Amps - better to go over spec on wire rather than have it melt - looking at this (http://tinyurl.com/yac59jo) for the split relay on my project.
Carpet - http://www.megavanmats.com/ (http://www.megavanmats.com/) - supposed top be the dogs according to the T4 forum.
Lighting - http://www.ezone4.co.uk/flush_fitting_lights.htm (http://www.ezone4.co.uk/flush_fitting_lights.htm) - you may be able to find these cheaper and if you do let me know.
Bed\seat - simple(ish) choice between a rock and rolla bed (seats that fold into a bed) or make your own - currently at this stage myself and building a sleeping platform with storage underneath - wait a few days and I will give you the low down on how not to do it.
As for ICE - go on then show us yer willy... ;)
Toying with the idea of a screen that folds down from the roof, but will stick with laptop for now to keep costs down.
Ok, now car audio isn't my thing. But. I have no speakers in the back of the van and intend putting some in. Will normal run of the mill cable be ok or do i need something a bit more specialized?
Ok, now car audio isn't my thing. But. I have no speakers in the back of the van and intend putting some in. Will normal run of the mill cable be ok or do i need something a bit more specialized?
Ok, now car audio isn't my thing. But. I have no speakers in the back of the van and intend putting some in. Will normal run of the mill cable be ok or do i need something a bit more specialized?As for carpet, one of the venues I work at regularly re carpets it's stage, and I'm pretty sure that's happening this week, so I might be able to get you some dark blue twill if you want.
Before I start Googling does anybody have any suggestions for a safe for the van? Ideally floor fixing with a front opening door and large enough to take a small laptop and a few other things such as sat nav and the like.
That's a great looking job. How did the week finish up in the SW?
:great: Hey adam glad you happy with it. It didnt all come clattering down when you drove up the rode then? ;D
Plus putting some fluro lights in.
not tempted for some front captains seats? our passenger one makes the van much better for two.
Adam,
Nice van.
What kind of carpet is that and where did you get it from if you dont mind me asking?
Pimped!!
You got flouro tubes to go underneath for cruising Blackpool yet? Or is that so last year.
We have a drive away awning for our van which we have hardly ever used, because to use it securely you need to be on a campsite, which defeats one of our reasons for having a van, ie. not being limited to camp sites or paying camping costs.
I agree, but as we will be spending a little more time on camp-sites given my new found status as a family man, bring on the big tenty thing to store all our crap in whilst on a climbing/biking/schmooling tour of southern France in September. If you don't use yours and want rid of it, I'll buy it off you Andy!
Try to avoid using inverters as much as possible as they drain the battery fast stepping up the voltage to 230/240 and then back down for the computer etc. I have a leisure battery and an relay to keep it charged but run most things off 12v. Most laptops and phones will have a 12v charger so buy one of those and then plum in some new cigarette 12v's from the leisure battery
Anyone got any innovative ideas for sleeping space for a little one in a "snug" campervan? 3 months now, but will likely be a couple of months older before we start using the van for sleeping.
why not take an adapter plug and ask nicely when in the bar?
La Palud to the Belverdere isn't going to charge anything.
why not take an adapter plug and ask nicely when in the bar?
That had crossed my mind and will likely try it (although my French extends to the essentials, i.e. ordering beer; asking for a lighter; asking for an ash-tray. Know a selection of random words but can't string sentences together to save my life).
I have got an inverter you can borrow if you want - it's going in the van eventually but haven't got round to fitting it yet. Comes with two handy crocodile clips to connect to the battery in the car which could prove interesting if you wish to charge while driving but as GCW has already said the amount of drain you will be pulling should be low so charging while parked up could be an option.I'd be careful running an inverter off the car battery without the engine running. You're right that the camera charger probably only draws a few mA, but the inverter will draw a lot more and flatten your battery reasonably quickly.
I'd probably be looking at the 1.9TDI 104 in the Caddy. Should be far from underpowered. Sick of flattening the seats and piling the punto high with pad, gear, ropes etc.
Quick question regarding plugs/charging.Worth finding out what the output voltage of your charger is. Often phone/camera chargers which plug into mains (AC 240v) have a transformer on them which converts the electricity to DC 12V or lower. In which case it’s a nonsense to plug it into an inverter as you are draining your car battery by converting 12V to 240V then back down to 12V again. When I was on my euro trip I got round this by wiring the jack plug cut off a mains charger onto the output lead of a cheapo universal charger, i.e. one you can plug into the 12v cig lighter and then set the output voltage to anything from 12-1V.
I'm off to Verdon this weekend and realised I might want to charge my camera battery whilst out there. We're camping so euro-plug adapters aren't an option. We are however hiring a car, so I was wondering if there is such a thing as a cigarette adapter for figure-eight type plugs that are required to plug into my Nikon battery charger..
(http://www.ktcables.co.uk/images/Figure%208%20Power%20Lead.jpg)
The charger is Nikon Mh-18A (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Mh-18A-Uk-Battery-Charger/dp/B000F4MLSU/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272969974&sr=1-16) and the description indicates its 100-240v input. I know close to nothing about all the voltage stuff, but have a suspicion the output on fag chargers is ~12V and won't cut the mustard, but are there smart gadgets that up this (something to do with voltage/amplitude/impedence and their relationship to each other, shit I didn't pay attention to in Physics 'cause Biology/Genetics was far more interesting :P).
Have spent a while trying to find such an item but with little joy/success.
Or should I just fork out for a spare battery? :-\
I'd probably be looking at the 1.9TDI 104 in the Caddy. Should be far from underpowered. Sick of flattening the seats and piling the punto high with pad, gear, ropes etc.
That will go like a beast - same engine as in my T5 and that will sit at 80 without complaining.
Word. Surprising acceleration as well.
It sounds like on some PD models EGR blanking can cause some minor issues though, shudder at shutoff, slower warmup times, warning light. Plus the EG's are recirculated as (I know this sounds mental) a coolant aren't they?
Trying to find a caddy, 104, electric pack, aircon, appearance pack (colour coordinated bumpers) with a lifting tailgate seems very tricky. I know the latter can be sorted easily enough but the insurance policy I'll be switching doesn't favour modifications.
the thinking is it'll give us somewhere to cook under which barn doors won't as there won't be much space for a cooker in the caddy?
Sadly barndoors are a standard on VW Utility vehicles to allow forklift access, and tailgates are an extra. Switching over is apparently a right pain, as bb says, and not worth it. Better to live with barndoors. Didn't Tanman do a conversion on a Partner or something recently?
how is that easier than just opening the back door (upwards)?
Sadly barndoors are a standard on VW Utility vehicles to allow forklift access, and tailgates are an extra. Switching over is apparently a right pain, as bb says, and not worth it. Better to live with barndoors. Didn't Tanman do a conversion on a Partner or something recently?
I've seen them with lifting tailgates
Clues on how to get a non switched live into the back of the van? or where the earthing pin might be in the back of the caddy? Oooh and any lovely switches? (I've always fancied one of the missile launch type rockers but they're not 'classy').
Do the interior lights currently fitted have the timed on and the non-timed on function? To work it out check the light itself as it will rock to three positions
Clear as mud?
I've never noticed an FM blackhole on the M1. A bit on the M6 over past Tebay maybe. And that's with shit radios, so seems wierd. My experiences of DAB have been worse reception.
Has anyone got any experience of using solar trickle chargers?
...
Or if i went the way of the leisure battery and charged this as a stand alone power source would that work?
If you are going down the split relay charger route then I would suggest running one of these (http://www.tidytransporters.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=43&products_id=387) - makes the whole wiring up experience a lot easier as it is all contained within the one box. Fitted one in my van and it is a nice piece of kit.
I am pretty sure you can mount a leisure battery next to the starter battery on the T4 - think you have to turn the starter battery 90 degrees to make it fit though - as suggested the T4 forum or The Brick-yard are the best places for info.
No worries. Found this:
http://www.kcvansales.co.uk/vans/8075/volkswagen_transporter_t28_tdi_pd/ (http://www.kcvansales.co.uk/vans/8075/volkswagen_transporter_t28_tdi_pd/)
I just presumed lower mileage/newer year equals better? (dings etc permitting of course)
Cheers for the knowledge.
How about this cheeky number?:
In this particular scam, which saw 11,000 vehicles given false identities and sold to unsuspecting consumers, blank log books were stolen from a contractor employed by the DVLA to shred the batches concerned because of a printing error. They are used to make duplicate V5s of existing cars and make stolen cars with theses V5Cs appear genuine. They even show up as genuine in car history checks.
eVAN seems to be a popular choice but they insure vans not campervans.
Do you know at what point a van becomes a camper van?
converted by Jerba
http://www.caravanwise.co.uk/motor/diycamper.html (http://www.caravanwise.co.uk/motor/diycamper.html)
If I were to insure a van with my mum as the no. 1 driver and me as an extra driver, is there any requirement that she actually uses it or anything similar? This comes out cheaper, but she wont actually be using it, or even in the same country as it most of the time.
Lots of little details like swapping the mossie mesh in the elevating roofs for finer stuff to cope with scottish midges.Indeed. We also bought some netting from here http://www.midgie.net/ (http://www.midgie.net/)
Don't buy a transit it will rot
Don't buy a transit it will rotNot the first time i've heard this sort of comment. I've had a 2002 transit for 5 years now and the only rust on it is some minor spotting on one wheel trim and bottom of side door, both due to me damaging the paintwork and then starting a repair job and not getting round to finishing.
Yeah it was and TBH I sold it far too cheap.
from what I remember of mine you can see very little under there due to the sump guard (which is fairly quick to remove). Is this where its collecting?
From what I could tell it would have been the sump guard it was collecting in, not a massive amount there, but still a bit of liquid present, from what I remember it didn't look like it'd been cleaned recently so I guess it could have been all that had collected since the last oil / filter change..
If it was to be anything major any ideas what it could be /what I should be looking for? its done 110, 000 miles so I guess some seepage is tolerable / inevitable, but drips anywhere are a major no go..
though also pretty much clueless about how to start the actual process of converting it..
Looks ace Paul. Is the WUSS numberplate deliberate?
Is Project Mayhem (apologies if caps are wrong) still nto complete. Noah was quicker than that!
I'm not sure I ever got around to posting finished pictures but here they are:
I think Dan (NCB) is going to go down the route of rear seats that fold and a platform of the same height to make a bed but making it more practical.
5ft 6"
Natalie (she's shorter) and I stayed in it for roughly 3 weeks this Aug in Pembroke without any real issue. With two of you the bed is a bit short. With one of you, if you go diagnol there's tonne's of room. THe rear of the caddy curves a bit, if I did it again I'd make more of an effort to get that extra bit of space back as I think it'd make all of the difference.
Cheers for the offer of the advice Butters.
Cheers mate. Think I'd need to check out a few different types of van as I'm a bit taller. Totally sold on the smaller van idea after seeing these pictures though!
Cheers mate. Think I'd need to check out a few different types of van as I'm a bit taller. Totally sold on the smaller van idea after seeing these pictures though!
Remember they come as a compromise. If there was no commuting involved then I'd still own my t4 (or a t5). I wouldn't want to be in there for long whilst it was raining. Secondly, I'd avoid making it look at all flash as car crime in Font seems to be going through the roof and I don't fancy it getting smashed into.
and you can just sleep (head towards back) with those toes hanging into the ether? (like I do on most beds anyway!)
Not a problem - I have been learning the hard way how to do these things (and more importantly in what order) which is fun in a very masochistic sort of way... :-\
No idea where you are but I am based in Sheff if you want to talk things over in person - unlike the LagerStarFish enterprise I am reasonably cheap at about a pint an hour rising to two pints an hour should I be required to pick up spanners etc. ;)
is the carpet a good bad / idea? I want to make the interior warm, quiet and try and reduce condensation as much as poss..
I'd like to put a decent diesel heater in at some point, but will prolly go for a cheaper temporary solution.. but guess that could be added later?
any advice on safes aswell? I'm gonna put a swivel base on the passenger captains chair (and know you can buy these with a safe built in..) any knowledge on if they're any good? Ideally I'd like something pretty sturdy so I could store my laptop in it if I have too..
Carpet is always a good idea - cuts down the noise levels and provides extra insulation. I insulated, then carpeted over the top of the bare metal work and then put carpeted boards over the top of that. Condensation isn't too much of an issue as long as you don't cook in the van as far as I can tell from my limited research - anything that is produced as a result of sleeping in the van should evaporate with the use of heaters etc.
any advice on safes aswell? I'm gonna put a swivel base on the passenger captains chair (and know you can buy these with a safe built in..) any knowledge on if they're any good? Ideally I'd like something pretty sturdy so I could store my laptop in it if I have too..
Yeah, we got one of those. Pretty sturdy, but obvious where it is. Could put a cover over it to hide it. I can measure it up for to see if it would take your laptop?
I was thinking of just borrowing a couple of these if you want to save a few weeks work Steve?
(http://rab.uk.com/images/resize/en/products/Expedition-Suit_pr.gif)
;)
There's a black box underneath the drivers seat in mine at the mo which I guess looks identical to the one under the passenger seat? some old AA stuff I guess..
be really good to know the dimensions though..
Bonjoy/PaulB - you've done a long Europe trip in a van? How did you guys do it?
I've heard bad things about Canon Forge, I'd go to JDS metaltech personally. Space saving design as well...
Really, like what?
Like supplying them to a van outfitter the wrong size and joins being less than square.
I think most of the crash tested ones just massively inflate the price
Though I guess you may feel differently if you were doing distances with your kids in the back...
Chris, I just got insured via Brentacre the other day - really cool, the guy I spoke to (Gary) was super knowledgeable about vans, conversions etc, plus I told them my T4 was remapped to 130bhp, would have alloys on it some of the year, suspension had been lowered etc and they seemed fine with it all.. they hooked me up with cover from Markerstudy who give 90 days Euro cover, though whether or not this can be extended I don't know..
Bentacre's number is 01792 650933..
How do you find it on hills? Having had a van with little umph it would be nice to go up hills without slowing down to and to be able to overtake without a 500yd run up.
I am going to be putting a rock and roller in and units, etc, basically convert it for trips away.
Should have also said that the 130hp one has a 6th gear, which if your doing lots of motorway driving I can imagine being quite nice.
As Chris said above, finding a 2nd hand 130hp, low mileage, single front seat, tailgate etc is far far easier said than done! I came to the conclusion that you had to compromise, buy new or be very lucky else you would be waiting a long while to find the van.
How do you find it on hills? Having had a van with little umph it would be nice to go up hills without slowing down to and to be able to overtake without a 500yd run up.
6 speed would be sweet for heading up the Scotland and into Europe but I presume you pay a big premium for the luxury of 130bhp. I wonder if the 130 in 6th gear is more economical than the 108 in 5th? Bearing in mind I'm going to be using it as an everyday ride
I dont know if its the van or getting older, but I drive much slower these days anyway. Good thing really cos I only just realised after 3 years that the speed limits are 10mph lower for my van on national speed limit roads and dual carrigeways :oops:
All those times I've driven all the way up the A9 at bang on 60mph!
I'm not sure I agree with you that the 2.5Tdi will offer worse economy than the 1.9Tdi 104. Especially with the added advantage of a sixth speed. It all depends on how you drive it. I just had the 104 engine in a caddy and it could have done with a 6th and was more thirsty than my t4 by a fair margin.
Decat exhausts are an obvious MOT fail on modern diesels.
Diesels aren't subject to the same emission specs as a petrol so removing the decat makes next to no difference - it will still piss the MOT - 1000's of people wouldn't have taken the option of removing if it didn't.
did I mention the owner after me is currently selling, its a fantastic van if anyone is looking
PM'd you
InsuranceChoice.co.uk will cover us for £1K with only £200 excess underwritten by Aviva. Plus only £60 for EU brakedown cover also which isn't too bad.
I'll keep digging and if I find anything better I'll post it here in case its any use to anyone in the future.
I know nothing about camper vans but if you're looking to move sheets of ply/plasterboard etc without trashing/emptying your semi-converted interior get a 4' x 8' roof rack. There's loads of them about for all makes of van and they are brilliant. I use mine all the time. Obviously you'll still need to use the interior of the van to shift bags of sand/cement etc but hey-ho you can't have everything...
Removable back seat is a possibility and there are a few different options available but most have not been crash tested - I think SA Chris has the full crash tested one but you are talking mega bucks for one compared to the non-crash tested variant and they aren't cheap - whether Chris's is removable I have no idea.
Swivel on the drivers seat with the bench seat fitted - from a T5 perspective it won't work as there isn't enough space between the two IMO and I would imagine that you will have the same issues with any other van.
Fnow I was thinking of a nice Audi TT. T
The bench seat can be folded forward though (i think) so you can sit on that if needed. Not as comfy though.
Will have some questions for butters soon I'm sure (assuming the vast dataset that is the T4 forums can't help), but just spent a week in font in her, and very pleased to be back in the van way.
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/9865957@N07/5636053368/in/set-72157626410185483) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9865957@N07/5636053368/in/photostream/)
Edit: Work IT bollocks seems to be interfering with my ability to post flickr links, but you should be able to click through
Will have some questions for butters soon I'm sure (assuming the vast dataset that is the T4 forums can't help), but just spent a week in font in her, and very pleased to be back in the van way.Home now, hopefully this should work:
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/9865957@N07/5636053368/in/set-72157626410185483) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9865957@N07/5636053368/in/photostream/)
Edit: Work IT bollocks seems to be interfering with my ability to post flickr links, but you should be able to click through
Ok, without reading through the whole thread, what is the best engine to get T5 wise. Looking for more economy than anything else. Also, what kind of mpg can i expect with reasonable driving.
Just had a quote form sureterm.com (http://www.sureterm.com/camper-van-insurance/) for £318, Full European cover for 1 year, no strings. 5k personal effect cover, 2K gas + awnings, Glass, Courtesy Car etc... And only an extra £42 for EU breakdown cover too. :beer2:
Will also try to get mine officially converted to camper (although insurers didn't seem to bothered by this)
Ok, without reading through the whole thread, what is the best engine to get T5 wise. Looking for more economy than anything else. Also, what kind of mpg can i expect with reasonable driving.
Think the VW stats show the 104 or is it 110 HP one asmost efficient. I get 33 to 37 out of mine fully converted and loaded. Used to get 39 tops before covversion. Gets much worse above 70 / 80...
cheers, had a search couldnt find much. Could you sleep in the back of one, big enough for a double??
the 2.5 engine is better (IMO).
Really nice to drive much better than VW transporter and Vito.
the 2.5 engine is better (IMO).
The only reason that I can see to go for the 2.5 is the 6th gear - it is the 1.9's Achilles heel as in all other aspects the 1.9 is the better van IMO when it comes to T5's.
the 2.5 engine is better (IMO).
The only reason that I can see to go for the 2.5 is the 6th gear - it is the 1.9's Achilles heel as in all other aspects the 1.9 is the better van IMO when it comes to T5's.
I think the 2.5 also has a chain drive instead of belt on the cam shaft, so doesn't need replacing at 100 or so K. Not sure if that is enough to justify the extra cash though.
1.9 104Tdi is in my opinion, the best option....and unlike mentioned above, I'm pretty certain they are both chain driven (no cambelt)
And while you are having the timing belt done get the water pump done at the same time. It's a bit more expense but not as bad as having to strip all the timing belt and stuff off again to get to the water pump when that decides to give up the ghost.
Incidently, I keep meaning to take some pictures of my Caddy conversion to post up, i'll try get around to it if anyone is interested.
Anyone have a vitrifrigo fridge in their camper/conversion? Ours turn on fine and gets down to a nice temperature but after about 12 hrs decides to turn itself off.
Hi folks, can anyone recommend a good and cheap place in Sheffield/South Yorks to get bodywork done? I've got a T4 thats in need of some touching up (scratches and a couple of minor dents) but theres probably a bit too much to try and do a decent job of it myself without making things worse.
Cheers
So in conclusion; no idea, 12 hours sounds a bit light. Once the fridge dies surely you can check if there is any power left in the battery by switching a light on?
Heres a question for you. Shopped around for insurance on my van and used admiral, told them the usage of my van and the reasons for owning one etc. I assumed they were ok with my NCB that I have built up on my car being transferred across to the van but in reality, could they be cocks if there was an accident?
Anyone have a vitrifrigo fridge in their camper/conversion? Ours turn on fine and gets down to a nice temperature but after about 12 hrs decides to turn itself off. Any ideas?
i wouldnt have thought it would be cold enough yet for it to be the glow plugs.doe your engine use the preheating type(hold the ignition on for 3-5 seconds before firing)assembly?
If are planning to convert it and get it registered/insured as a camper then that will help. I'm paying £325 with Sureterm Direct for 12 months (that's including a bit extra for a full 12 month Green Card too).
When I did mine they were happy with the fact that It was a basic van to start with but that I was in the process of converting it - I think they gave me a time frame to do it in but can't remember how long it was. Don't crash it before its finished though as its only insured for its 'basic' value until you let them know its final value.
When I did mine they were happy with the fact that It was a basic van to start with but that I was in the process of converting it - I think they gave me a time frame to do it in but can't remember how long it was. Don't crash it before its finished though as its only insured for its 'basic' value until you let them know its final value.
You need to provide them with pics of your bed, storage cupboard and a place that can secure gas and water storage.
Not sure how it works since law change, but used to be that unless it was registered as a campervan you are restricted to 60 mph speed limit.
Only when you are passing speed cameras.
Not sure how it works since law change, but used to be that unless it was registered as a campervan you are restricted to 60 mph speed limit.
What an odd classification. Does it actually need windows?
Scrap all that. Adrian flux have given me 6 months to convert. Only criteria is bed, which can be rock and roller, cupboard, and cooker. Result. And cheap as chips.
Scrap all that. Adrian flux have given me 6 months to convert. Only criteria is bed, which can be rock and roller, cupboard, and cooker. Result. And cheap as chips.
Was with them before Sureterm and only changed due to needing 365 days of Euro cover. Don't remember anything about a non rock and roller bed though, seems a strange requirement for a camper van. I did have to get it registered as a Motorcaravan with the DVLA as a requirement of the policy - not sure what they would want now after the DVLA's change of rules.
FYI if of use in the future. My policy with Adrian Flux comes with 365 Euro Cover.
It was a big hassle and the DVLA refused mine the first time around even though it was a pro conversion costing £12k. The reason being the company I used was not on the registered converters list ( they are now)
Nice Adam (or should I say white van man!) what engine?
Sounds good. We have the 1.9 108 (107? 109? thereabouts anyway). Always intended getting a remap once it was out of warranty, but TBH it doesn't really need it.
Then time to get pimpin!
http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/accessories-20032009-c-2_1250_1318_3960.html (http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/accessories-20032009-c-2_1250_1318_3960.html)
I think if you get the silver trim for the grilles that will look very cool.
http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/vanstyle-stainless-steel-radiator-grille-transporter-p-966.html (http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/vanstyle-stainless-steel-radiator-grille-transporter-p-966.html)
http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/transporter-stainless-steel-bumper-grille-2003-p-968.html (http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/transporter-stainless-steel-bumper-grille-2003-p-968.html)
The door handle covers look good too. Make sure you attach them well though, we lost one and you can only buy them as a set!
Also worth getting these
http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/side-wind-deflectors-front-transporter-caravelle-p-973.html (http://www.vanstyle.co.uk/shop/side-wind-deflectors-front-transporter-caravelle-p-973.html)
useful if you want to open the windows a bit to let some air in when you are kipping and it's pissing down outside.
Those deflectors are really worth it, keeps the rain out and makes it less obvious the window's open. Can't say the same about the bonnet bra, can someone explain the point of these?
Those deflectors are really worth it, keeps the rain out and makes it less obvious the window's open. Can't say the same about the bonnet bra, can someone explain the point of these?
Can't say the same about the bonnet bra, can someone explain the point of these?
IKEA do some - Dioder I think they were called, but they are quite a white light, better with a 12v dimer switch.
Totally different thing tt. Rock and roller beds are way smaller that the sleeper couch type things you are talking about, and don't actually have any rollers in them at all.
Cons: Expensive, every fucker has one
rock and roll bed with seatbelts (preferably crash tested)
decent mpg
We got a bed from JDS metaltech - they are crash tested - have seatbelts. Service was really good and the bed seems very good too. Apparently there is a place next door to them who do full conversions.
Are these the £620 3/4 ones - seem well reasonable if so...
What's the year and mileage on you T4? Do you reckon it's worth going down this route rather than the T5?
I actually saw somewhere that the T5 engine will do around 450K while the T4 will do summat in the region of 600K... Is this bollocks?
We went t4 because it was all we could afford. I'm not an expert but I've also heard loads of stuff about the t4 engine being more reliable and doing more miles etc. Apparently modern diesel engines are too complex to rack up the number of miles that we old ones did. Could all be hearsay for all I know.
Is there anything extra to consider if buying from overseas?
What are people's thoughts on remapping too? Spoke to the guy that's doing my roof and he told me all kinds of horror stories of folk that did it wrong with numpties....
Already booked it in for fitting of Windows
have you bought it?
Been offered a Hiace for £1500 from people I know, decent runner.
Galpinos is a bongoer. I'm sure he will be along shortly to ladle love all over the subject.
Good skills doing it yourself Adam - I am no stranger to weird and wonderful projects but even I drew the line at chopping a hole in the side of my van...
Adam, have you got any leftovers from your van? insulation, ply etc? Or did you get the interior done professionally?
Adam, have you got any leftovers from your van? insulation, ply etc? Or did you get the interior done professionally?What do you need? I've still got a load of the duvet material that I used on mine (first layer of insulation was foil backed sticky neoprene shizz then put on a layer of the duvet stuff then stuffed the nooks etc..). There's about half a roll cluttering my cellar which I'll probably not use. PM me if it'd be any use - I'm getting units done in the next couple of weeks so might use a bit in these but there should be most of it still left.
Where are you based Dunc? I'm probably going to start insulating this weekend so I guess I'd have to pick it up in person? I'm in Glasgow.
Adam, where did you get the foil insulation? £325 sounds quite a lot! Most people seem to do a layer on the walls, then recycled bottles, then another layer. What's the purpose of the layer next to the outer panels? Is it to prevent moisture build up between the insulation and the bodywork?
If it's just to act as a vapour barrier, then surely one layer is enough (and a lot cheaper ;-)
:thumbsup:
That makes more sense! My van already has square patches glued to a lot of panels - guessing it might be sound deadening.
Think I'll just swing by the place I hate (B&Q) and get some recycled bottle stuff and the foil bubble wrap and have at it!
Where are you based Dunc? I'm probably going to start insulating this weekend so I guess I'd have to pick it up in person? I'm in Glasgow.
We have one, but didn't fit it, it's very good.
We got our conversion done by John Cassidy / Blue Juice Conversions in Cumbernauld.
http://www.vwt4conversions.com/ (http://www.vwt4conversions.com/)
He's a good guy and does good work, but only does it part time, so doesn't really do quick turnarounds.
I noticed the other day there is now a converter in Glasgow too, can't recall name, but google should throw it up.
Otherwise I think the only other option is Jerba in N. Berwick (they did our roof). Also does very good work, but again you might have to join the back of a waiting list.
We have one, but didn't fit it, it's very good.
We got our conversion done by John Cassidy / Blue Juice Conversions in Cumbernauld.
http://www.vwt4conversions.com/ (http://www.vwt4conversions.com/)
He's a good guy and does good work, but only does it part time, so doesn't really do quick turnarounds.
I noticed the other day there is now a converter in Glasgow too, can't recall name, but google should throw it up.
Otherwise I think the only other option is Jerba in N. Berwick (they did our roof). Also does very good work, but again you might have to join the back of a waiting list.
Assuming this information was actually of use to you, I just heard Jon Cassidy is out of action with a broken hip and femur after a MTB wipeout, so waiting list with him is likely to be even longer.
Are AV the Weegie ones?
So you are upping the 12V to 240V at the inverter to plug the laptop cable with the built in inverter to bring it back down to circa 18V again :)Yea that's about the size of it... :whistle: Seems daft when you put it like that but when doing the initial plans I just thought that it'd be a good idea to have a 240V supply for things like laptops, camera battery chargers, external HD's etc...
Does anyone have any baby bed beta for camper vans in general or bongos in particular? Trying to convince myself life as I know it won't be over when it arrives.
Board across the front seats and a moses basket? Keen to convince the little one that it'll like camper van-ing soon after it's arrival. I don't want it messing up my birthday mountain biking weekend!
Does anyone have knowledge on insurance companies for self modified vans with the inclusion of cover for Europe for a year long road trip.
It seems 3 month cover if fine but anything more problematical.
I know BB has done some long trips with his LO
Looks awesome, good job!
Looks awesome, good job!
I didn't do it myself, paid someone! Was easier and quicker. I did the speaker pics though. :-[
Looks awesome, good job!
I didn't do it myself, paid someone! Was easier and quicker. I did the speaker pics though. :-[
I can believe you paid someone to do the carpet but were happy to cut holes in your van for windows :o. That was impressive.
Does anyone have any experience of buying a van in Europe for use over there? Im particular, does anyone have any input on advantages or disadvantages of buying a van on the continent vs. back in Britain?
We are not in Europe at the moment, but trying to plan for roughly a year or so living in spain followed by a likely other period of living in france for 6 months or so. There could end up being more of an even split in terms of where we are, but this is the vague idea for now.
Are there issues with buying a van in Spain and then using it in France for long periods? Would it perhaps be better to buy in the U.K. And then take it out there so that we can at least use it back home afterwards if needed? We're leaning towards a small diesel (caddy/berlingo plus renault and peugeot equivalents) for long weekends/short trips as opposed to a full living conversion.
I live in SPain and can tell you that second hand cars, but camper vans in particular, are very expensive compared to UK prices. I have a friend here who buys vans ( normally from Germany or Holland ) and then imports them to spain ( lots of paperwork, stringent MOT and taxes ) and still manages to sell them cheaper than a comparable van from Spain.
You may have an issue with driving a van for longer than a year. If ( and it's quite a big if in my experience ) you get stopped and your van is not MOT'd in it's country of registration you will get a whopper of a fine. They tend to turn a blind eye to cars on foreign plates as long as they are still MOT'd. My experience is limited to Southern Spain though.
I am considering getting a new van and am actually thinking of buying from UK and just driving it back home once a year to get it MOT'd ( via various climbing spots in Northern Spain and France of course ).
Does anyone have any experience of buying a van in Europe for use over there? In particular, does anyone have any input on advantages or disadvantages of buying a van on the continent vs. back in Britain?
I've been looking at double hob stoves for my van and can't decide whether to get double hob with or without a grill. The idea of cheese on toast is all too tempting although I am aware of how bad these type of grills can be. Camping gaz chef of Hi gear elite? Or no grill at all?
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/product-reviews/elite-double-burner-and-grill-p152181 (http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/product-reviews/elite-double-burner-and-grill-p152181)
http://www.campingaz.com/uk/p-23886-camping-chef174.aspx (http://www.campingaz.com/uk/p-23886-camping-chef174.aspx)
I'll be using these with a regulator and big bottle.
Basically, please recommend me a cooker. :please:
I like that bed design, hope it's sturdy enough for "action".
Any thoughts on somewhere to stay on the way to Dover, we'll be leaving Perth around 5pm? We're thinking of doing a short hop down to the lake district, then from there down to Dover the next day. We have a ferry booked at 4pm.
Ru slept in a cardboard box at the end of the bed in ours for a little while (there was a little room on the floor).
Mines for sale...... :whistle:I think this is fairly illegal.
Nik:
wouldn't fancy the big estate option myself if it was to be home for one week a month, but if you do it'd be by far the cheapest option.
As others have said, seating 4 is the big stumbling block - crash tested rock and rollers are ££.
I'm not sure you really 'need' to worry about crash tested rock and rollers. I talked to a company that were producing these after just gaining the certification, the only thing that changed was the price as they're massively over-designed. However, I'm not a parent.Paul - But there's a big difference between a company that was making something 'crash testable' and then just charging more after the certification (which they need to because of the £££ involved in doing the tests) and the el cheapo ones on ebay for £200-300, I definitely wouldn't drive around with my kids strapped into one of those..
Says metal framed in the description. Seatbelts too. V doubtful it's crash tested tho.
Could always have the kids up front and make the other half ride in the back...
I definitely think the rear seating/bed set-up is worthy of a fair bit of thought, and is the one thing that I now wish (as a new dad) that we'd spent a bit more on in our van.
I'm not sure you really 'need' to worry about crash tested rock and rollers. I talked to a company that were producing these after just gaining the certification, the only thing that changed was the price as they're massively over-designed. However, I'm not a parent.Paul - But there's a big difference between a company that was making something 'crash testable' and then just charging more after the certification...
Me too. We had a wooden RnR bed at first and kid 1 rode up front with us. With imminent arrival of kid 2 we bit the bullet and got a RiB bed for our (read her) peace of mind. I'm glad we did not only safety but for the added bonus that they fold out longer than the RnR bed, so my feet don't hang out over the end esp in winter.
Northcountryboy always used to moan that his eberspacher heater would leave the air in his van very dry...
Personally, I think small vans are a bit shit. Our caddy conversion was SWB however there wasn't all that much room in it (for us, kit, cooking stuff etc.), it drunk fuel (compared to my 2.5 tdi T4) and wasn't any easier to drive (given there were no rear windows etc.
I caved in. After a few months of checking the classifieds every night, I've bought a Caddy. Having spent god knows how many hours researching various 'how to' things on the internet, I've hit a brick wall with some of them and admitted defeat so I'm hoping for some wise and worldly knowledge for you clever lot.
PaulB: Having looked though your flickr build gallery, I was wondering if you made your own ply panels? I can only find ply lining kits for full sides etc. as opposed to the minimal ones that yours had.
The electrics are fairly easy. Try and figure out a wiring diagram for what your need and feel free to send it my way and I can give you some pointers.
Wiring additional LEDs/power into the back. Is this something that a total novice could do? I've found a few forum threads and understand the principle, but don't think I'd be confident enough to know what to buy/how to do it without an idiot proof step by step guide. Any suggestions on where to look, or should I just get a real man to do it for me?
Carpeting: I can't decide whether to do spend a whole weekend doing it myself and doing an 'OK' job, or just pay someone to do it and know that it'll be done properly. Any thoughts from people who've done it themselves?
It boils down to budget vs free time vs your quality requirements.
I caved in. After a few months of checking the classifieds every night, I've bought a Caddy. Having spent god knows how many hours researching various 'how to' things on the internet, I've hit a brick wall with some of them and admitted defeat so I'm hoping for some wise and worldly knowledge for you clever lot.
PaulB: Having looked though your flickr build gallery, I was wondering if you made your own ply panels? I can only find ply lining kits for full sides etc. as opposed to the minimal ones that yours had.
Wiring additional LEDs/power into the back. Is this something that a total novice could do? I've found a few forum threads and understand the principle, but don't think I'd be confident enough to know what to buy/how to do it without an idiot proof step by step guide. Any suggestions on where to look, or should I just get a real man to do it for me?
Carpeting: I can't decide whether to do spend a whole weekend doing it myself and doing an 'OK' job, or just pay someone to do it and know that it'll be done properly. Any thoughts from people who've done it themselves?
Ta! Simon.
Electrics - We haven't done this yet but have been intending to. let us know how you get on?
We had the same dilemma, especially living up in this corner of the country, we searched for about 9 months with no joy. What's your budget?
I suppose I'm working on the possibly optimistic £10k converted budget, although I suppose this could stretch slightly if I bought the van and saved a bit more during the conversion.
We had the same dilemma, especially living up in this corner of the country, we searched for about 9 months with no joy. What's your budget?
I suppose I'm working on the possibly optimistic £10k converted budget, although I suppose this could stretch slightly if I bought the van and saved a bit more during the conversion.
Prices seem to fluctuate hugely. As an example I've seen an '03 T4 888 Special X-Pack with <70k miles sell for £5250 and another with 120k miles at £7200! When I spoke to the guy about the former he reckon he'd taken 20 plus calls in 24 hours and then asked me if I thought he'd underpriced it!
Quick question regarding plugs/charging.Well I have faced similar situation earlier but I opted for spare battery and it is working absolutely fine for me..
I'm off to Verdon this weekend and realised I might want to charge my camera battery whilst out there. We're camping so euro-plug adapters aren't an option. We are however hiring a car, so I was wondering if there is such a thing as a cigarette adapter for figure-eight type plugs that are required to plug into my Nikon battery charger..
(http://www.ktcables.co.uk/images/Figure%208%20Power%20Lead.jpg)
The charger is Nikon Mh-18A (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Mh-18A-Uk-Battery-Charger/dp/B000F4MLSU/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272969974&sr=1-16) and the description indicates its 100-240v input. I know close to nothing about all the voltage stuff, but have a suspicion the output on fag chargers is ~12V and won't cut the mustard, but are there smart gadgets that up this (something to do with voltage/amplitude/impedence and their relationship to each other, shit I didn't pay attention to in Physics 'cause Biology/Genetics was far more interesting :P).
Have spent a while trying to find such an item but with little joy/success.
Or should I just fork out for a spare battery? :-\
Quick question regarding plugs/charging.Well I have faced similar situation earlier but I opted for spare battery and it is working absolutely fine for me..
I'm off to Verdon this weekend and realised I might want to charge my camera battery whilst out there. We're camping so euro-plug adapters aren't an option. We are however hiring a car, so I was wondering if there is such a thing as a cigarette adapter manufactured by electronic cigarettes manufacturer (http://www.ecigfiend.com/) for figure-eight type plugs that are required to plug into my Nikon battery charger..
(http://www.ktcables.co.uk/images/Figure%208%20Power%20Lead.jpg)
The charger is Nikon Mh-18A (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Mh-18A-Uk-Battery-Charger/dp/B000F4MLSU/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272969974&sr=1-16) and the description indicates its 100-240v input. I know close to nothing about all the voltage stuff, but have a suspicion the output on fag chargers is ~12V and won't cut the mustard, but are there smart gadgets that up this (something to do with voltage/amplitude/impedence and their relationship to each other, shit I didn't pay attention to in Physics 'cause Biology/Genetics was far more interesting :P).
Have spent a while trying to find such an item but with little joy/success.
Or should I just fork out for a spare battery? :-\
No, but it sounds like a great idea! Pics of acquisition?
Does anyone have an opinion on something like a VW Crafter? Like this one: http://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/vw-crafter-race-van-camper-motor-home-not-t5/1081227042 (http://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/vw-crafter-race-van-camper-motor-home-not-t5/1081227042)
Which is also on ebay for £2500 more! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswaggen-Crafter-Camper-Race-Van-Motor-Home-T5-/111471027661?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories&hash=item19f430e5cd (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswaggen-Crafter-Camper-Race-Van-Motor-Home-T5-/111471027661?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories&hash=item19f430e5cd)
I'm going to take a look at the VW Crafter. Anything I should be looking out for? The guy converted it himself (he's a chippy). It currently doesn't have a fridge and I don't think it has an inverter so the 240v sockets don't work. How much would that stuff cost to add?
Advice very welcomed!
Anything I should be looking out for?
Can anyone tell me if i shouldn't buy this van?
http://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/mercedes-vito-108-cdi-campervan/1093963444 (http://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/mercedes-vito-108-cdi-campervan/1093963444)
It seems like such a minefield and i'm struggling to make sense of what to go for!
I've got about 2k to spend ideally. Just looking for something to park next to sport crags for a month at a time or so. Not too bothered if it doesn't last forever, as i'd be spending the same in refugio's and campsites.
Vivaro's are decent. Driven them with work loads and they're pretty economical, drive ok and don't seem to break down any more than our T4...
Probably the best value "newer" design van around.
Vivaro's are decent. Driven them with work loads and they're pretty economical, drive ok and don't seem to break down any more than our T4...
Probably the best value "newer" design van around.
Not sure what year vans you drive but we have four 2013's and are the most horrific thing i have ever had the displeasure to drive. Horrendous van.
they're 6ft 1in across in the back, enabling a bed to be widthways - lots more options that way even with only 8ft 8in in length.
Mate has got a Toyota Hi Ace and swears by it.
It's a minefield for sure. More so than car buying.
I think you've just solved one of the issues with my Ducato rodma - an annoying drip into the van from the side door being open after heavy rain. There's no side gutter... I hadn't thought to sika a piece of something along there.
Seems really obvious now - I'd been thinking of trying to fix something further back on the roof bar attachment points but I need to retain the use of them and was starting to get a bit stumped.Haha
Magnets and mozzie netting sounds GENIUS ;D That'd have saved me in Font last summer, that Camping La Prez side was full of the things.
Magnets and mozzie netting sounds GENIUS ;D That'd have saved me in Font last summer, that Camping La Prez side was full of the things.
Any tips on getting an over excited 2yo to sleep in a van? She's got a cab bed and at 11.45pm was still peeking through the curtains happy as larry shouting "Mummy Daddy Party Time!". She loved the whole van thing but it left us all pretty sleep deprived.
So after long weekend of campervan work the sequel to the bongo has begun......We found the fridge to be the icing on the cake in our conversion. It was 27celcius at isatis a couple of weeks ago, so on returning to the van we were able to reward ourselves with ice creams :), then super chilled beers upon returning to camp.
Fiat scudo lwb, hi top 2012 which I can stand up in (yes I know im short) now with insulated floor, walls, covered floor and about to begin vapour barrier & carpeting the walls. Then rooflights....eeek scary hole cutting
Electrics next week, thoughts on just 12v or include 240v as well? My conversion is fairly minimal and not looking at a fixed fridge, Ive already got a 240v lead used for camping and a camping fridge and would probably only use it with family tent . Lights, hob and a laptop/phone charger, propex(not sure yet) would be the only internal demands on the system. I dont want to have to cut another hole in the side as well.
Any tips for little vans? Like really little (berlingo, partner, caddy etc).
I'm after something small and cheap to insure that will still give a decent MPG.
This year I took it to the council transport depot in Darnell which primarily tests council stock and taxis, but is obliged by law to provide an MOT service to the public also
Your sparky skills are much superior to mine!
Me and the ladywoman manage fine in a Caddy with a bench seat/bed, although we've just bought a little drive away awning which helps for longer trips.
Some photos here (http://s1377.photobucket.com/user/mostlysimon/library/Van%20Life?sort=6&page=1)
It's a 1.9tdi and I get 45-48mpg consistently, 50-52mpg on a long run.
Looks great that does - nice conversion on a small van, not always easily achievable.
No mate. There's a garage 2.4 miles down the road that the lady in the book shop recommended. I was buying a French/English dictionary :-) Not too sure how to say it's 'proper fucked' yet.
Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk
The guy form A-Plan basically said we can't get "Camper" insurance, despite being register on the V5 as a Motorcaravan - because it our only vehicle.
Now, I get the logic in this - we use it more frequently so the risk is higher. But is there truth behind the logic?
T5 knowledge kings... Just a quick one to see if anyone has any pointers to look for.. mechanically wise.. when checking out T5's. I'm looking around 5 years old maybe 100k on the clock, probably unconverted.. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Also I will probably selling my T4 pretty soon, full custom conversion, 195k, R reg, total bomber van, loads done mechanically, just looking to upgrade.. please keep in mind if your looking ;)
:-[ New insurance = no breakdown cover... (it used to be covered on our French insurance)Asda breakdown cover, they also repatriate.
So, who covers old vans? It's a 1998.
:-[ New insurance = no breakdown cover... (it used to be covered on our French insurance)
So, who covers old vans? It's a 1998.
I'm likely to get hold of a family golf mk5 to use. I saw this, http://wonenineencamper.com/late-night-diy-40-euro-vw-golf-camper-early-morning-dieselgate/. Looks like a relatively quick job to get a flat platform, and I'm 5'9 so should fit.
Is sleeping in the back of that going to be miserable? I'm not planning on sleeping in it for many nights in a row, but want it to be a viable option if I go to Font for a few days for example.
What else would I need to do to make it more comfortable? Insulation on Windows. Camping light. Mattress topper or bouldering mats (not sure my Ocun dominator will fit lengthways, but organic full pad should be fine).
I'm going to Spain this winter and staying in the van (insulated vivaro.) Just wondering if it's worth getting a heater? Would probs go for a propex if needed.
Has anyone any experience of remapped camper vans, I'm principally interested in the difficulty and additional cost of insuring but also any pitfalls (asking in relation to a 2012 T5 which now produces 169bhp,no idea what it was originally).
Also, why are van engines generally so weedy in the first place? Is it to make the engines last longer?
Has anyone any experience of remapped camper vans, I'm principally interested in the difficulty and additional cost of insuring but also any pitfalls (asking in relation to a 2012 T5 which now produces 169bhp,no idea what it was originally).
Also, why are van engines generally so weedy in the first place? Is it to make the engines last longer?
Teaboy, to be clear, are you looking at buying one that has already been remapped?
Looks like we have just committed to a van (at least I paid a deposit today...)
Transit Custom.
Not doing a full convert but going to do a few things. I'll look through this thread when I get chance but info on the following would be great if people have it handy...
Leisure battery - keen for this + more electrics in back - charging points (maybe for normal plugs as well??) extra lights in back. I'd be keen to do this myself/with a bit of help (in exchange for climbing gear)
Pop top roof - I like the look of the Austops roof, any other suggestions/info.
Whats current thinking on insulation? Both sound and heat? I used the wool type stuff on the old van years ago, just stuffed it into the cavities behind the panelling.
Pretty excited!
We have a VW T5.1 104bhp. Today we took it to get remapped and asked for 140bhp. They did it to 168bhp which I didn't want because of fears of it breaking stuff. They said they'd put it back down to 140 if we want but assured us there's negligible additional risk. Any thoughts on this? Anyone know if the 104 and 140 bhp T5 use the same parts (apparently the 170 uses two. turbos)
Whats current thinking on insulation? Both sound and heat? I used the wool type stuff on the old van years ago, just stuffed it into the cavities behind the panelling.
I think ours has been in for over 12 years, I've not seen any evidence.
I used this stuff https://www.dodomat.com/products/dodo-thermo-van-liner over a sound deadening layer.
I used this stuff https://www.dodomat.com/products/dodo-thermo-van-liner over a sound deadening layer.
Sorry, one more question... Did you put the sound deadening layer everywhere or just 50% coverage like the web page recommends?
Looks like we have just committed to a van (at least I paid a deposit today...)
Transit Custom.
Not doing a full convert but going to do a few things. I'll look through this thread when I get chance but info on the following would be great if people have it handy...
Leisure battery - keen for this + more electrics in back - charging points (maybe for normal plugs as well??) extra lights in back. I'd be keen to do this myself/with a bit of help (in exchange for climbing gear)
Pop top roof - I like the look of the Austops roof, any other suggestions/info.
Whats current thinking on insulation? Both sound and heat? I used the wool type stuff on the old van years ago, just stuffed it into the cavities behind the panelling.
Pretty excited!
Quick background. Intended use: daily commute (10 miles / 25 minutes each way), regular weekend climbing trips and a couple of fortnight trips to Europe each year for me and my girlfriend.
My priorities: economy / low emissions (the environment innit), the ability to leave it idling in a car park for 45 minutes without being advised of dickish behaviour (that one isn't serious).
Valuing economy has pushed me towards a caddy maxi or similar. So the crux of it is, will regularly sleeping in such a van be a pain in the ass? Will I regret not getting something the next size up (like a Peugeot expert or Nissan nv200 for example)? Obviously getting something larger will compromise the economy but am I trying to go too far in the direction of sacrificing the comfort of larger vans?
My second question is about how much to spend. Given that electric vans currently do not have adequate range, what is the risk of this changing in the next five years and diesel becoming obsolete to the point that anything I buy today will depreciate in value much faster than expected? Obviously I don't want to spend loads on something that has completely lost its value in five years time.
Sleeping across the van seems like sh*t beta to me. I'm far from the tallest person but having a bed that was compromised (my Ford Econoline thing) was really annoying. Two mates recently fitted their bed across their van and after the first weekend of use changed it.
Thanks for your replies guys.
Stuart: what's your experience of space to cook or hang out if it's wet? Nice and cosy or intolerably claustrophobic?
We’ve got a berlingo with a boot jump. Bennett’s description of car camping has some truth to it, but is too pessimistic for a small van with a good setup.
The table and chairs setup allows you to cook simple meals indoors if it’s foul, or in low wind you can cook under the tailgate in the worst of weather.
Going to try the impossible. Describe a 3d layout...
...
I should have just uploaded a picture.
Pessimistic? I've never been called that before :tumble: In all honesty I'd imagine Reeve would be far more positive about the compromises involved.Beat me to it! ;) Positive re-frame: it's because you've got very high standards Paul
We could/did cook underneath the tailgate etc. but as Stu mentioned, in general you'll find yourself moving stuff around to get to other things (especially if you take a pad for any reason). Even with a welded platform bed, there wasn't much headroom (it's a balance between storage/foam/headroom) and ours didn't have any way of spinning the passenger seat so this was somewhat wasted space. Even a T4 sized vehicle feels fairly cramped if the weather is sh*te.This doesn't bother me at all, but I'm quite organised. Marie, who could lose herself in an empty room - is far more concerned about organising the storage and always having to be rearranging things to find something.
For us, and for regular weekend use and a couple of weeks abroad each year, it’s perfect. You’re welcome to have a gander if you like.
Absolutely everything ive read, and from everyone i know that has campervans, and has changed them on logbook, understand it to be down to what its classed as on logbook. So campervan class is 70mph.
In the UK, according to The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, motor caravans are subject to the same speed limits as passenger cars unless they exceed 3050kg unladen weight.
The Act also states that “motor caravan” has the same meaning as in Regulation 2(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) (Great Britain) Regulations 1979.
In this Regulation it states: ' “motor caravan” means a motor vehicle which is constructed or adapted for the carriage of passengers and their effects and which contains, as permanently installed equipment, the facilities which are reasonably necessary for enabling the vehicle to provide mobile living accommodation for its users'
Absolutely everything ive read, and from everyone i know that has campervans, and has changed them on logbook, understand it to be down to what its classed as on logbook. So campervan class is 70mph.
But there is no "campervan class"
In the UK, according to The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, motor caravans are subject to the same speed limits as passenger cars unless they exceed 3050kg unladen weight.
The Act also states that “motor caravan” has the same meaning as in Regulation 2(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) (Great Britain) Regulations 1979.
In this Regulation it states: ' “motor caravan” means a motor vehicle which is constructed or adapted for the carriage of passengers and their effects and which contains, as permanently installed equipment, the facilities which are reasonably necessary for enabling the vehicle to provide mobile living accommodation for its users'
adapted for the carriage of passengers and their effects and which contains, as permanently installed equipment, the facilities which are reasonably necessary for enabling the vehicle to provide mobile living accommodation for its usersthis is basically the same thing.
Looking into ways of powering my laptop for (even more) remote working. Has anyone on here gone about this? I'm thinking leisure battery (also possibly solar charger) with a laptop car charger (that I already own). My laptop is a bit of a hefty unit, how long could I expect from one charge roughly?
According to this (https://www.cnet.com/products/lenovo-z51-70-15-6-core-i7-5500u-4-gb-ram-1-tb-hdd-us-80k601crus/), it has a 32Wh battery and 65 Watt, 20 V, 3.25 A power adapter output :shrug:
On a leisure battery, if it has 200 cycles, is that 200 times from full to no power before it needs replacing?
Is this actually a campervan? Do you want any other electrics? Lights, mobile phones, fridge?
...I've got nae juice
... ask for a dig oot.
If you'll charge the leisure from the van check if the engine is euro6. Simple relay charger is OK for euro5 but newer engines need smarter chargers (=more £)
If you'll charge the leisure from the van check if the engine is euro6. Simple relay charger is OK for euro5 but newer engines need smarter chargers (=more £)
A pal mentioned the RAC mentioned to him a solar trickle charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter to charge the battery? Anyone know what that is?
Thinking about the CTEK B2B charger so I can add solar in at a later date. Hopefully it'll be easy to install...I also need to get my rear view camera working at some point...
Thinking about the CTEK B2B charger so I can add solar in at a later date. Hopefully it'll be easy to install...I also need to get my rear view camera working at some point...
Anyone got any good leisure battery recommendations? Space is at a premium so I'm after something that can combine maximum amp hours with minimum space...
Got one of those ^^^ this year on a recommendation and been impressed, it easily ran our fridge on a 2 week trip when we weren't driving every day.Anyone got any good leisure battery recommendations? Space is at a premium so I'm after something that can combine maximum amp hours with minimum space...
This one looks to fit the bill? https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/12v-130ah-leoch-adventurer-agm-leisure-battery-lagm130/
Thinking about the CTEK B2B charger so I can add solar in at a later date. Hopefully it'll be easy to install...I also need to get my rear view camera working at some point...
It's a piece of piss to install. Seems to be a great bit of kit (so far).
What's the best forum for general information gathering as a lurker?
Has anyone got any recommendations for off-road van tyres? I have a pretty chunky Peugeot Boxer (2600kg post conversion) and often find myself wanting something a bit more aggressive than the bog-standard things it currently has fitted e.g. when parking on soft verges. The Goodrich All Terrains seem a popular choice but also look like they would tank the small amount of fuel economy I have left. Any middle of the road options that might be worth a look?
Any middle of the road options that might be worth a look?
Has anyone got any recommendations for off-road van tyres? I have a pretty chunky Peugeot Boxer (2600kg post conversion) and often find myself wanting something a bit more aggressive than the bog-standard things it currently has fitted e.g. when parking on soft verges. The Goodrich All Terrains seem a popular choice but also look like they would tank the small amount of fuel economy I have left. Any middle of the road options that might be worth a look?