Can you identify..?!

[Boycie]

Hey guys,

I discovered a '97 ex-BT van in a scrapyard.
I've had the bulkhead out of it (see my t'other post!) but there's something I don't understand fitted to the van!

Basically, there is what appears to be a round tank under the bonnet on top of the nearside inner wing, connected to the cooling system.

Then, halfway along the inside of the van load area is a large-ish bore water pipe, going up into a locked box located on the nearside, behind the SLD. This box is locked shut but there is electrical connections going into it, along with a cigarette lighter coming out of it!

At the back of the van on the nearside rear door is a pump with a spout coming out of it. It's all built into the door panel. Also it has a big alloy channeled thingy built into the top of the door, clearly to support something.

On the offside rear door is a big zipped thingy (tech term), like a waterproof mac! It's red and appears to be like an awning, there's directional stickers on the side but they're a bit worn out.

Anyone know what all this is for?
It seems to be factory fitted.

[Gunslinger]

bt vans had weird stuff fitted from new. like sinks and water heaters and stuff like that, my plumber has one and i remember him telling me something like that that made me laugh one day

[bortaf]

The thing in the engine bay sounds like it might be carlorifier (spelling?)
it uses the hot engine water to heat a coil in a tank of water.
The channel may be a place to hook a sink on? , i had a ex british rail van with similar stuff.

[MrMPuk]

It's for hot water for a sink and if you can't spell calorifier then just call it a heat exchanger, this means that BTs staff can wash there hands out on site.

[phil g]

my transco one was a lot simpler tank and sink inside back door switch on dash --hot water easy

[Boycie]

It seems like a good idea.... but there doesn't appear to be much water capacity!
Electrically heated better?!

[Nighthawk]

Some of the BT svo options were over complex.

The system you've seen uses heat from the engines cooling system to heat up a small amount of water inside the cylinder you've spotted.
The fancier system was also connected to the fuel fired auxillary heater which meant that hot water was "On Tap" without the need to have the engine running.

The heat transfer is free energy for the simple system where as the electrical heating takes important battery capacity.

Re the water capacity, the size of the system was adequate a working day as BT drivers are supposed to check all fluid levels daily.... and it also warmed up quicker than having a 25ltr tank of water on board which also added to the vehicle payload.