Midlife Crisis Project

[Raul]

Consider a max fan over the seating area, you will love it. I done a crafter conversion myself and it’s been fun but hat it’s challenges to.
Do not skimp on insulation and vapour barrier. Wish you the best with the built.

 

[fat haggis]

Looking great mate. Nice big van.

 

[Red Shoes]

Looking good!

 

[Next Stop]

Consider a max fan over the seating area, you will love it. I done a crafter conversion myself and it’s been fun but hat it’s challenges to.
Do not skimp on insulation and vapour barrier. Wish you the best with the built.

I'd love a Maxxfan but sadly my budget doesn't allow one at the moment, after costing it all up I will have already overspent! Especially with the wife requesting things like a decent hob and grill and a proper toilet, didn't realise how much a good bog cost, I spent more on the one for me van than the one in the house, same goes for the cooker and fridge, why are these things soooo expensive!

For the moment I've gone for 2 Fiamma Turbo Vent 28s, one for the front seating area and one for the kitchen area, the 28s fitted nicely between the ribs on the roof so no filling mastic needed and hopefully no leaks. I've also got two mushroom vents at the rear in the bedroom area and toilet room, I did have a spinny air driven vent for the toilet room but the constant rotation noise has put me off so I have replaced it for a mushroom vent.

As for the insulation I've headed the advice given and got over my tightness, going to go for a mix of celotex and recycled plastic or sheepswool all sealed up with a vapor barrier.

It's definitely challenging, but fun seeing it all come together after all the planning.

 

[Next Stop]

Hi all, after a Christmas break I've been back on the build, pulling out all the electrics and re routing due to a revised layout, all neatly in conduit so should I need to change anything then I can just add or remove without too much faff.
I used black plastic waste pipe down both sides to route the wires, most of this is running inside cupboards so it shouldn't be too unsightly.
I've put in wires for the following, anything missed? Let me know!
Lights
Water pump
Awning lights
Tv
Usbs
Cooker spark
Heater
Under counter lights
Fans
Water level sender
Bmv controller
Solar controller
Fridge

And hook up wires for
Sockets
Electric hob on cooker
Outside socket
Battery charger

So much to remember?

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[Raul]

Toilet flush?
Electric step
Extra wire for PV upgrade
Gas sensor?

The bmv monitor has its own data cable, hard to do the crimp on that rj 12.
Best to route it’s own cable.

 

[Next Stop]

Toilet flush?
Too posh for me, just a manual

Electric step
Again way to posh, would be nice though, maybe I'll put a cable in for a future upgrade!

Extra wire for PV upgrade
Was going to run in series

Gas sensor?
What sort of gas sensor, I've only ever had a carbon monoxide detector before?


The bmv monitor has its own data cable, hard to do the crimp on that rj 12.
Best to route it’s own cable.
I've routed the cable that came with it, like you say they are a bugger to crimp!

Interesting to Learn about the gas sensor though, something I've never thought of before

 

[Raul]

Underslung tank needs a 3 wire for the sender unit that reads gas level.

 

[Raul]

Also PV In series is bad with shade. Best is parallel. If you get shade on one will not pull the other one down.
In series any shade will pull the hole string down.
And one I did forget was, tv cable to a outside socket for hookup.

 

[Next Stop]

Tv aerial sorted! As for the solar, I've heard mixed reports on which way to connect them up, sill undecided so I'll probably chuck in an extra cable just incase.

Managed to get the awning sorted today, it's starting to look like a proper motorhome now!

Need a wider driveway though ?

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[StitchesnFluff]

Fits perfectly!

 

[68c]

Perhaps the series v parallel config could be solved with a changeover switch. If parked in the open, use series, if near trees etc use parallel. There may be a way of automating it by sensing the individual panel voltage, if not the same it switches to parallel. I rather fancy having the panels on some kind of cantilever mechanism so you could slide them out to whichever is the sunnier side and tilt to align with the sun, especially in winter. Might need rather long cables though.

 

[Next Stop]

Finally some better weather, out on the van once again, swapping over my spinning roof vent for a static mushroom vent, the spinner vent was way too noisy. Whilst I was up on the roof I installed another vent, and some rails to take the solar panel and roof tray when the time comes.
Bloody metal shards though, driving me crazy, I made sure I was extra careful hoovering up whilst I was cutting the hole and hoovered up afterwards, but I checked this morning and there were loads of rusted metal shards dotted over the roof of the van?. Spent most of today cutting and polishing the roof to try and get them out. If I were to do it again I'd definitely invest in a pair of metal shears rather than a jigsaw.

But still so pleased to be back making progress ?

 

[Vipar]

Have you put a pull through cord in the trunking just in case ?

 

[Next Stop]

Have you put a pull through cord in the trunking just in case ?

No, but a good idea, better to be safe than sorry ?

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[Minxy]

Next Stop
Why have you got a frightened minion peeking through your roof?

 

[Next Stop]

Next Stop
Why have you got a frightened minion peeking through your roof?

I see that you too suffer from Pareidolia ?

 

[bigtree]

I see that you too suffer from Pareidolia ?

I don't think that's all she suffers from.

 

[Next Stop]

After a summer hiatus caused by having to concentrate on home schooling and other commitments, I'm finally back working on the van! Feels good to be making progress yet again, the original plan was to have the van ready for my wife's 40th back in August, we were going to go up to Lake District for a fortnight but that was quashed by this pesky virus thing, so the van took a back seat for a while.
Anyway, back on it now, ceiling all up fridge in and just started the cladding, all starting to take shape now but still a long way off!

 

[Charlie57]

A very interesting thread looking forward to seeing the finished article

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[ntg]

Very neat work there and as an avionics engineer I think your wiring installation looks great!

 

[Vipar]

Are you fitting a hidden safe?

 

[Next Stop]

Very neat work there and as an avionics engineer I think your wiring installation looks great!

Thank you muchly It's taking longer than I planned but it'snot like I'm going anywhere for a while, well, not until next spring now!

Are you fitting a hidden safe?

I was given a nice little safe, it's about 20cm cubed, I've several places I'm thinking of putting it, just going to wait until more of the cabinets are in to see the best place for it to go unseen.

<M>

 

[Next Stop]

Working on the van build during lockdown, thank goodness for this little beast, tis bloody freezing

 

[Minxy]

Working on the van build during lockdown, thank goodness for this little beast, tis bloody freezing
View attachment 464868

Cute ... I like it's little 'sleepy face'!

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[Next Stop]

Well, after a cold couple of days the toilet room is now taking shape, fresh and waste water tanks installed, sink plumbed in and toilet almost ready for its christening!

Still loads to do but enjoying every step!

 

[Googlebot]

Love threads like this!

Great looking conversion.

 

[Jamesh]

Looks like you have the same sink as ours - nice choice.

Nicely built up over the water tanks.

Make sure they are solid in case if an accident.

Cheers James

 

[Next Stop]

Looks like you have the same sink as ours - nice choice.

Nicely built up over the water tanks.

Make sure they are solid in case if an accident.

Cheers James

Thanks James,
It is a sweet little sink, just enough to brush your teeth and splash water on your face to freshen up, with limited space and budget we decided to go with just a sink rather than a full "shoilet" setup, also being smelly on holiday will help with social distancing
I was a bit concerned with the tanks as when full they will weigh 50kg each, but they are pretty solid now, all braced into the back wall, it's been in the front of my mind throughout the build about the impact safety, seeing that my kids will be riding outback.
This is one of the problems with self-build, if you buy ready made you know for sure it's been safety tested. Belt and Braces all the way!

<M>

 

[Next Stop]

Another quick photo update, toilet room all but complete and onto the kitchen area, starting to come together now and what once felt like a massive space is closing in

Thinking of running another vent into the toilet area from the propex heater as currently I only have one outlet to the main living area, anyone got any thoughts on this? I'm thinking it would be a great place to dry off wet coats?

<M>

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