rb panel van conversion begins !

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Hi @black9146 .....Sorry for the delay in getting back to you we are just back from a holiday in Scotland.

So...Welcome to the forum

Thanks for your comments and taking the time to read the build blog, glad you enjoyed it.
So glad your going to have a go at building your own van, if a Bricklayer can do it a Joiner certainly can

I originally wanted to use Vohringer boards but found it so hard to source them. It seemed unless you are a recognized converter the suppliers didn't want to deal with you. The Pug had (13) 8 x 4 sheets so you would think a supplier would be interested.
While trying to source Vohringer boards i came across one supplier who seemed to be up for supplying them, he promised 3 times to send out a colour sample....It never came so i just give up and went with the second best.

The ceiling boars came from www.magnummotorhomes.co.uk The board itself is around 3mm thick and has a textured finish which looks better and smooths out any ridges in the van roof. The ceiling was built up in layers, Firstly a 60mm wide strip of ply was stuck and screwed to the vans roof supporting ribs. This gave the required depth to take the insulation. Next a couple of 8 x 4 sheets of 6mm ply were stuck and screwed centrally down the length of the van. Then finally the board you are asking about was stuck using contact adhesive to the 6mm sheet.
Magnums also do a H section to join sheets together.

If I am honest i cant remember any teething problems but we did start using the van before it was fully complete so could adjust things along the way. Dont think i would change anything but have often thought the sink and oven could have swapped places. The sink would have been nice to have a work surface either side. Other than that its perfect for our type of Camping. We have just had our longest trip out yet at three weeks and have to say i am very happy with everything.... Building your own van gives you everything you want and need and nothing you dont

Good luck with you project and please post some pictures if you get the time.

Cheers.....Ralph

 

[Stewen]

Hi Ralph n Bev

I'm new to motorhoming and have yet to buy our first pvc. I have done a fair bit of research and would like to add my congratulations to you for the amazing job you have done in creating Pug! I think from what I have read on your blog and other posts here, your van is as good if not better than anything the mainstream manufacturers offer! Including IH .

I have a question if I may, regarding your heating and hot water systems. I could see that your heater is a websto Evo 40 but regarding hot water I could only see in your costings a reference to "external water heater" . Which one did you choose? Is the heater also externally mounted?

I am also looking forward to reading about your NC 500 trip, its on my bucket list!

Cheers , Steve

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Hi Ralph n Bev

I'm new to motorhoming and have yet to buy our first pvc. I have done a fair bit of research and would like to add my congratulations to you for the amazing job you have done in creating Pug! I think from what I have read on your blog and other posts here, your van is as good if not better than anything the mainstream manufacturers offer! Including IH .

I have a question if I may, regarding your heating and hot water systems. I could see that your heater is a websto Evo 40 but regarding hot water I could only see in your costings a reference to "external water heater" . Which one did you choose? Is the heater also externally mounted?

I am also looking forward to reading about your NC 500 trip, its on my bucket list!

Cheers , Steve

Hi Steve, Thanks for your kind comments and taking the time to read the build blog.
As for the hot water system its also under-slung like the Diesel heating. Here is some info on the heater.....

www.whalepumps.com/rv/product.aspx?Category_ID=10032&Product_ID=200&FriendlyID=Expanse

www.propexleisure.co.uk/shop/whale-expanse-water-heater

This is a new type of water heater by Whale. In fact i was the first person to install one.
After a few teething problems with the unit it has been fantastic. Whale had to swap out a board and do some software changes.
Can you believe it they flew an engineer from Ireland who then hired a car from the airport to come to me to fix the faulty unit

Like i said its all underneath the van so no room taken up under beds
It can be run on Gas only, or if on mains electric only, For a very fast heat up you can use both.

Highly recommend this water heater and Whale for their customer service

Cheers.....Ralph

 

[Stewen]

Great info & what a service from Whale!
Thanks Ralph, much appreciated.

 

[Rob Turner]

Just read your journey and i must say, what a van you have built. Very impressed i am!

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

I have just read this amazing thread and am absolutely impressed with the build, quality and detail taken to make your brilliant PVC.
I read with interest your NC500 thread and thought what a lovely looking vehicle you had not realising it was a self build.
If you did decide to start a RB campervan business I think you will have a lot of people knocking at the door.
Thanks for sharing it with everyone @Ralph-n-Bev

 

[JockandRita]

If you did decide to start a RB campervan business I think you will have a lot of people knocking at the door.

@Derbyshire wanderer. You are of course, absolutely right and for recognising the sheer quality build and effort gone into this project, you ( and others like you) have been awarded an exclusive placing on the waiting list. You personally, are now the proud recipient of the booking confirmation, for build No 2457 which is scheduled for completion by late December 2037.........................(but realistically, to infinity and beyond).

Sorry @Derbyshire wanderer, I am only jesting with you however, knowing @Ralph-n-Bev, and having witnessed their project in person, it would be a dream purchase for many.
Their "Luv Bus/Passion Wagon/Motorhome" is better thought out and designed, than any factory built PVC I have set eyes on, and if orders were placed, Ralph would never be able to keep up with demand, due to the build quality and attention to detail.

It's a long old queue.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

@Derbyshire wanderer. You are of course, absolutely right and for recognising the sheer quality build and effort gone into this project, you ( and others like you) have been awarded an exclusive placing on the waiting list. You personally, are now the proud recipient of the booking confirmation, for build No 2457 which is scheduled for completion by late December 2037.........................(but realistically, to infinity and beyond).

Sorry @Derbyshire wanderer, I am only jesting with you however, knowing @Ralph-n-Bev, and having witnessed their project in person, it would be a dream purchase for many.
Their "Luv Bus/Passion Wagon/Motorhome" is better thought out and designed, than any factory built PVC I have set eyes on, and if orders were placed, Ralph would never be able to keep up with demand, due to the build quality and attention to detail.

It's a long old queue.

Cheers,

Jock.

Absolutely spot on
I would like everyone to note though that as several Funsters have made comments saying they would be interested if Ralph were to start RB campervans, I hereby declare that I would happily be his first CONFIRMED customer.
I'm sure many believe their factory made campervan or motorhome is the business but Ralph has shown that the best is not actually available to buy on the open market yet

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

@Derbyshire wanderer Thanks for taking the time to read our build blog.
Its so nice that people enjoy reading it and also see how a van conversion comes together. It was my first venture but it wont be my last
If i wasn't so busy building things with bricks, then i would love to build bespoke vans to the customers specification. I really do believe you can build better PVC than you can buy....Everything you want where you want and nothing you dont....Bespoke

A few more bricklaying years in me yet and then a nice workshop may be on the cards and see where things go from there

@JockandRita If this business venture takes off then we may be looking for a part time salesman

Your doing a great job so far mate Hope to see you soon Jock....The beer is on me

Thanks again...Ralph

 

[JockandRita]

@JockandRita If this business venture takes off then we may be looking for a part time salesman

Awaiting your correspondence R & B however, with the knock on effect due to "word by mouth recommendations", it's not a salesman you'll need, it'll be more like a distribution and transport manager.
I can do both BTW.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Awaiting your correspondence R & B however, with the knock on effect due to "word by mouth recommendations", it's not a salesman you'll need, it'll be more like a distribution and transport manager.
I can do both BTW.

Cheers,

Jock.

Think we need to talk ££££ at the next rally

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

@JockandRita Just a thought Jock.......Are you ok with four weeks holiday and the odd bank holiday ???

Ralph

 

[JockandRita]

Think we need to talk ££££ at the next rally

Possibly.

@JockandRita Just a thought Jock.......Are you ok with four weeks holiday and the odd bank holiday ???

Ralph

Good grief, you've changed your tune from "talking ££££s at the next rally.
Stop back tracking and faffing about....................and just get the beers out Ralph.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Possibly.


Good grief, you've changed your tune from "talking ££££s at the next rally.
Stop back tracking and faffing about....................and just get the beers out Ralph.

Cheers,

Jock.

....

 

[Craigderby]

I've been wanting to read this topic from start to finish, but wanted to do it in one hit to fully enjoy it.
Well what a lovely afternoon I've had. Great write up, and very inspirational. You should be very proud

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

I've been wanting to read this topic from start to finish, but wanted to do it in one hit to fully enjoy it.
Well what a lovely afternoon I've had. Great write up, and very inspirational. You should be very proud

@Craigderby I am so pleased you enjoyed the build thread and found it inspirational
If i am honest i thought i would just get a few self builders like yourself interested in reading my build blog.
I never thought or expected non builders to get so involved and enjoy reading it either

So glad they did as a certain few followed and supported me throughout with some great Banter at times.

Good luck with your own project and look forward to the finished product

Cheers.....Ralph

 

[Geejay]

Fascinating project and great photos. Can you give a few more details of the cabinetmaking? What was the Morland ply like to cut - no break-out on cross-cuts as they say on their website? Did you use a table saw, jigsaw or what for cutting the boards to size? You mentioned a router - did you finish all the edges with it or just the curves? (I assume you made some jigs for the curves.) Did I see a router table?

Thanks for any info.

 

[JockandRita]

Fascinating project and great photos. Can you give a few more details of the cabinetmaking? What was the Morland ply like to cut - no break-out on cross-cuts as they say on their website? Did you use a table saw, jigsaw or what for cutting the boards to size? You mentioned a router - did you finish all the edges with it or just the curves? (I assume you made some jigs for the curves.) Did I see a router table?

Thanks for any info.

Say please.

Jock.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Fascinating project and great photos. Can you give a few more details of the cabinetmaking? What was the Morland ply like to cut - no break-out on cross-cuts as they say on their website? Did you use a table saw, jigsaw or what for cutting the boards to size? You mentioned a router - did you finish all the edges with it or just the curves? (I assume you made some jigs for the curves.) Did I see a router table?

Thanks for any info.

Hi @Geejay Glad you liked the project, Thanks for reading

The Morland ply was a dream to work with and worth paying that bit extra for. If you are thinking of using Morland try and estimate exactly
how many sheets you will need. I was one short and it cost over £200 with delivery. My van conversion used 13 sheets BTW.
To do the long straight cuts i used a circular saw and an aluminium straight edge as a guide. You can set up the straight edge very quickly
using fast clamps. I invested in a quality Dewalt blade for the saw, it had lots of teeth which gave a clean cut on both sides without any break out.

One thing i recommend if you have the room is a work bench made from a full sheet of 8 x 4 regular ply. This came in so handy for doing all the cuts and assembling the cabinets. The bench also doubled as a router table, you will need to cut a groove in the edge of the boards to fit the T trim as below.

Most of the furniture in a van conversion will have rounded corners, this helps the t trip edging go round say a door for instance, in one piece.
All my rounded cuts were done by hand using a cordless jigsaw. A great tip from @Terry was to use a metal cutting blade in the jigsaw, this gave a clean cut on both sides of the board

As the Morland furniture board doesn't come cheap I recommend cutting a template first for the tricky bits using cheap 6mm ply.
It really is a tough board to work with and is impact and scratch resistant to an extent.When i had a sheet on the bench i would put some
Veltrim underneath to fully protect the backside which in most cases is seen.

Did you noticed the Kreg hole jig in the thread ? This tool is so simple but makes joining boards together easy and very strong.
Link here....www.youtube.com/watch?v=caDnxMX2dvM

Below is a few pictures of the work bench setup

Cheers.....Ralph

 

[Geejay]

Hi Ralph, and many thanks for taking the time to write such an extensive reply, complete with photos - much appreciated. I'm going to start with some simple modifications to my existing van, before tackling a conversion. I'm lucky to have a large workshop/garage with quite a few woodworking tools as I have made some furniture for our various home renovations in the past. The Kreg jig looks like a "must have". And I'd never have thought about the metal blade in the jigsaw - another good tip - as is the point about using some cheap ply as templates.

As others have said, your van looks a stunner - the amount of pre-planning, attention to detail and the quality of the finish is second to none. Enjoy!! and thanks again. Graham

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[Theonlysue]

Great thread and really interesting.
Read it in one hit to keep track of it all.well done to you both! xx

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Great thread and really interesting.
Read it in one hit to keep track of it all.well done to you both! xx

Glad you found it interesting @Theonlysue

May be adding to the thread soon. The Pug is hopefully going Lithium (LiFeP04) sometime this year. This is a new type of leisure battery.

Another upgrade on the cards is a built in 4G LTE + Wifi Sim card Modem with Multi band external roof mounted antenna.

A couple of projects that i intend to add on for those interested

Thanks for reading

Ralph

 

[CazPaul]

Glad you found it interesting @Theonlysue

May be adding to the thread soon. The Pug is hopefully going Lithium (LiFeP04) sometime this year. This is a new type of leisure battery.

Another upgrade on the cards is a built in 4G LTE + Wifi Sim card Modem with Multi band external roof mounted antenna.

A couple of projects that i intend to add on for those interested

Thanks for reading

Ralph

Wow, are those the mega expensive batteries Ralph?

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Initially yes

But not in the long run (Hopefully)

Ralph

 

[cruiser]

I will look forward to this . I have often thought about them. But the price. So we wish you the best.. @Ralph-n-Bev Oh and how is that great van of yours going. We have still got our old van.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

@cruiser Hi mate, hope your well

We are still using the van and absolutely love everything a PVC gives you....Fuel return ....Easy Driving ....Easy parking
Single track out of the way roads .....Good Payload ...etc Just Love it

Glad your still in the same van. Are you at Misterton this year ?

Hopefully catch up soon

Ralph

 

[cruiser]

I am sorry but no. We are going to bagwell . For two weeks. We really need a long break. We have been so busy with fostering . But glad that all is going well for you. Are you going to any other meets.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

I am sorry but no. We are going to bagwell . For two weeks. We really need a long break. We have been so busy with fostering . But glad that all is going well for you. Are you going to any other meets.

Sounds like you really need and deserve a break.....Enjoy it and take it easy

Only one more rally for us this year......Whitby Goth, our favourite

Catch up later

Ralph

 

[aogrady]

Another big job complete is the solar setup, I have gone for two Victron 80 watt solar panels and a three stage charger controller that should keep my battery charged and maintained properly. I had a play with the inverter this morning, i boiled a 700w kettel which took me down to around 80% left in the battery. The solar took me back up to 100% in around an hour and twenty minutes. Where the van is parked down the side of the house it doesn't get direct sun until the end of the day and today was mainly cloudy. All in all very happy with the solar and inverter setup.

Hi,

I may have missed this, but what size inverter did you use please? I have a 600w microwave I'm tempted to use.... I have a 200W panel, and 260aH of batterys.....Not sure what size I need....

Great conversion by the way!

Alistair

 

[DBK]

Hi,

I may have missed this, but what size inverter did you use please? I have a 600w microwave I'm tempted to use.... I have a 200W panel, and 260aH of batterys.....Not sure what size I need....

Great conversion by the way!

Alistair

I think you'll struggle running a microwave for very long off an inverter. Of course a microwave has many different power settings and the power pulses on and off depending on the settings. Should be OK for warming pies but forget about a Sunday roast.

The thing to know is what power your microwave consumes, there should be a figure in the manual somewhere. Then, if you want to try it, I would add say a 50% margin to that and to be on the safe side choose a pure sine wave inverter.

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