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Camper/conversion advice

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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby lennoxlewis » Thu Feb 16, 2017 11:39 am

bulls in transit wrote:Seems a lot of work and additional weight for a lounge area,would of thought a fiamma type side awning a lot easier.Handy for sightseeing in busy car parks though.


I will have a side awning too but there are some locations i visit that will benefit greatly just beeing 2 meters high.

weight is not a concern as the rest of the build makes up for it.

The thing here is just having a hole or a hatch big enough to climb up through it but also to serve the basic purpose of getting air out/in and have a bug screen on it.

:)
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby jonochap » Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:21 pm

Is having a ladder access internally losing space? Maybe a rear external ladder?


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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby lennoxlewis » Thu Feb 16, 2017 7:25 pm

jonochap wrote:Is having a ladder access internally losing space? Maybe a rear external ladder?


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I am going the interior mounted ladder just for the piece of mind of not having any monkeys up there stealing my solar panels :lol:

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These telescopic ladders are very, very, very light and as you can see, very compact.

Altought the external is practical, i would really prefer having internal solutions.


Also, for hatches, i am seeing if those used on boats could be an option as they use them to climb outside.

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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby mafty » Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:22 am

Skevofish wrote:Hi Marty.
It seems that you may be just the chap I need. This coming march I'm getting a new custom limited L2H1. I had planned to buy a second hand van and convert that but as my old vw lt work van bit the dust before Christmas i decided to bite the bullet and go for the transit. My new plan is to convert this into something I can use as a camper when needed (insulate, carpet lining, floor and electrics with side Windows cut in it)but ply it out inside of that so I can use it for everyday work duties. Daunting where do I start? The insulating and ply lining isn't a problem but the electrics, where do I really start? I want to have a leisure battery to run lights tv fridge phones etc. But I haven't a clue on what gear I need to get this sorted. You tube will help but I could do with somebody who's done it all to help me out. I appreciate any help advice I can get. Cheers mate


Hi Skevofish!

(it's MaFty by the way!)

Not sure on Customs, but on mk6 and mk7 there is space under the driver's seat for a leisure battery. Make sure you measure your original battery and get one that is no bigger, or it may not fit. We generally use 110Ah batteries on our conversions, coupled to split charge relays/solar panels/240v hook up chargers.
The best advice I can give re: wiring is PLAN AHEAD! Try to work out everything you need (and may need in the future) and wher you will need it. Even if you don't fully install the electrical system now, it is a wise move to run any cables to where you think you may need appliances/12v sockets/lights later on. This will save a LOT of undoing of previous work, ie carpeting and insulation. When we do this type of pre installation, we generally just bundle all the cables together, then tape them to a single 'tail' cable, and run that tail through a small hole, to allow us to pull the cables through when we actually need to access them.

I hope this makes sense, but feel free to ask any further questions.

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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby snakebasket » Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:47 pm

Skevofish wrote:Hi Marty.
It seems that you may be just the chap I need. This coming march I'm getting a new custom limited L2H1. I had planned to buy a second hand van and convert that but as my old vw lt work van bit the dust before Christmas i decided to bite the bullet and go for the transit. My new plan is to convert this into something I can use as a camper when needed (insulate, carpet lining, floor and electrics with side Windows cut in it)but ply it out inside of that so I can use it for everyday work duties. Daunting where do I start? The insulating and ply lining isn't a problem but the electrics, where do I really start? I want to have a leisure battery to run lights tv fridge phones etc. But I haven't a clue on what gear I need to get this sorted. You tube will help but I could do with somebody who's done it all to help me out. I appreciate any help advice I can get. Cheers mate


I'm a newbie to the forum and am doing a similar thing. I have bought a kit from ebay and the guys who sold it to me are evry helpful. I have stripped the back of the van and made a ply floor which sits in the load liner. I have fitted a couple fo bike racks for my cycles and want to have a sort of camper /day van. I have a mk8 and putting the leaisue battery and as much of the kit as I can under the passenger seat. Ideally I want a kitchen pod and removable bed of sorts. This plan is coming together but the eclectrical kit is this:
Complete Camper/Race Van Electrical 12V & 240V Wiring Conversion Kit - Hook-up from the seller busboyk and they will talk to you to design the kit as you require and send wiring diagrams and hints.
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby markfenton99 » Wed May 31, 2017 9:29 pm

I've just bought myself a 2014 Custom (previously had a 2004 Connect) and i'm transferring over my leisure battery.
I notice the Custom has the battery under the driving seat (I noticed after I had routed the cables all the way into the engine bay, DOH!)
This is fine, it's actually better cable wise but it made me think. I read somewhere that a company doing conversions advised that batteries should be kept in a sealed compartment that vents to the outside as they give off gas, is this correct?
I'm concerned as I have our two dogs in the back
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby ake » Sat Jun 03, 2017 9:09 am

markfenton99 wrote:I've just bought myself a 2014 Custom (previously had a 2004 Connect) and i'm transferring over my leisure battery.
I notice the Custom has the battery under the driving seat (I noticed after I had routed the cables all the way into the engine bay, DOH!)
This is fine, it's actually better cable wise but it made me think. I read somewhere that a company doing conversions advised that batteries should be kept in a sealed compartment that vents to the outside as they give off gas, is this correct?
I'm concerned as I have our two dogs in the back

The factory fitted battery has a vent to outside that goes through the floor.
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby TT1 » Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:53 am

hi Mafty, I'm doing a SWB camper, I'm using Smev sink and gas burner unit behind the drivers seat, I want to put the gas in a locker at the rear of the van so I can access the bottle from the back doors, where would you suggest I run the gas pipe/hose, under the van and up through the floor at the front into a gas manifold, one for the hob and one for the 3-way fridge, or through the interior under what will be the bed/storage area ? thanks.. also, what's the best & smallest gas bottle to use as space is limited ?,
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby mafty » Sun Jun 04, 2017 8:44 am

Hi TT1

I would always recommend keeping the gas pipe INSIDE the van, as technically, if you run it outside it has to be armoured and plastic coated, which gets expensive.
We use 8mm copper pipe with brass compression fittings, all run internally at the back of the units. You can easily 'p' clip it to either the units or the walls of the van to stop it moving.
As for gas bottles, we almost always use the 907 bottle. It's small enough to fit inside a cupboard but lasts surprisingly long, and is widely available at most camp sites.

Don't forget to install a gas drop vent into whichever cupboard you are storing the bottle. (gas is heavier than air and if there is a leak it will pool at the bottom, so you need to let it out to outside air. GrassRoutes have a range of vents for this purpose, and they're very cheap.

Let me know if you need any more info.
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby TT1 » Sun Jun 04, 2017 12:51 pm

Thanks Mafty, your advice is invaluable, thanks, one last thing (for now) I've been told to 'line' the inside of the gas locker with either aluminium plate of thin steel, I will be sealing the locker/cupboard internally and putting a seal-gasket on the door, thanks
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby mafty » Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:29 pm

TT1 wrote:Thanks Mafty, your advice is invaluable, thanks, one last thing (for now) I've been told to 'line' the inside of the gas locker with either aluminium plate of thin steel, I will be sealing the locker/cupboard internally and putting a seal-gasket on the door, thanks


IMO, no need for any of that. As I said before, gas is heavier than air so will sink to the bottom, making any kind of seal pretty much pointless if you have a drop vent in the floor.
Just my opinion of course, but we have all of our campers professionally gas tested and none has ever had a lined gas cupboard.
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby TT1 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:50 pm

thanks again Mafty, saved me a job there :D
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby Remix » Thu Aug 10, 2017 6:20 pm

Hey MAfty,

maybe a stupid question but...

How did you get the black lines so straight on the front of your van...

im looking at doing the same to mine, is it vinyl or sprayed?
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby mafty » Sat Aug 12, 2017 10:26 pm

Remix wrote:Hey MAfty,

maybe a stupid question but...

How did you get the black lines so straight on the front of your van...

im looking at doing the same to mine, is it vinyl or sprayed?


It's vinyl mate. And if you want it to match the plastics, get anthracite colour, not black.
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Re: Camper/conversion advice

Postby MikeHamling » Sun Aug 13, 2017 3:06 pm

Remix wrote:Hey MAfty,

maybe a stupid question but...

How did you get the black lines so straight on the front of your van...

im looking at doing the same to mine, is it vinyl or sprayed?
I work in graphics and it really isn't easy to lay vinyl well - especially on a vehicle. Get it done by a professional, it shouldn't cost much. I submitted a post on vinyl/graphics on here. bit boring but there's some good advice on it.

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