My baby - the Horizons Unlimited Innovation 1

[steamdrivenandy]

I must get some decent photos of the van.
Parked up she looks superb when properly lit, anyway here's what I got.
][][http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u73/allhaleuk/JoshRosiecompressed.jpg

[chadmat]

Beltin shine mate!
What polish do ya use?
Meguairs?

[AndyG]

MK6

[steamdrivenandy]

'Fraid the shine is down to the dealers Roy Wood Transits of Reading. They took the picture with the reflection just before I bought the van. It still looks good when washed down but I think I'll wait for better weather before it gets another polish.

[Luke]

very smart mate

[steamdrivenandy]

Thanks for the compliments.
By the way if you look at the middle photo in the background just over the bonnet you'll see another Horizons Unlimited Tranny.
It arrived overnight whilst we were sleeping at Malvern Showground. Had to rub my eyes when I woke up next morning.
Apparently it was the prototype for the Innovation, built in Autumn '05 in the blue grey metallic.
Very nice lady owner from Kent who shows Boxers (dogs not vans).
It's got the double glazed caravan type windows in the rear door and o/s panel. To my eye they spoil the look of the van and I'm not camping when it's cold enough for double glazing to matter anyway.

[catdaddy]

lovely van m8.where were the pics taken

[BigNeil]

lovely van, as said great shine.

[gemini]

seem to have left the dogs behind

[mr Grimly]

Now that's a nice lookin van.

[steamdrivenandy]

The 'shiny' picture would have been taken down in Reading by Roy Wood Transits . The two taken whilst camping were at the Three Counties Showground during the Working & Pastoral Breeds Championship Dog Show under the lee of the Malvern Hills. Stonking hot day last summer.
The one of the two dogs was just taken whilst parked up on our drive.
Incidentally the grey boy, Josh, curled up in the crate on the left is no longer with us. He collapsed a fortnight ago with a recurrence of a tumour on his liver and we had to let him go to the rainbow bridge. Still miss the old devil terribly.

[steamdrivenandy]

I should explain that our Innovation is based on the same converters Carvano camper van. The Carvano doesn't have the rear garage where our dogs live but does have a full oven and bigger fridge on one side and a full shower room, whereas we just have a hob and loo.
The interior finishes on the Carvano are more upmarket and the side and rear windows are inset into the door panels and are caravan type double glazed, whereas ours are just as Mr Ford produced them. From the outside I prefer our windows but I must admit from the inside the trimming and fit of the Carvano's looks super.
Our van has four passenger seats which adjust and twirl round to make two single beds well over six foot long and with a bit of fiddling can be turned into an enormous double bed. The Carvano has the same arrangement but can also be supplied with a bed in the roof to sleep four.
We have the midi Heiki rooflight above the 'lounge' plus a smaller rooflight above the kitchen.
The shiny black marble laminate table top is stored above the cab and it's chromed leg clips into the rear wardrobe. With the drivers seat twizzled round you have a cosy dinette arrangement. It is possible to fit a second table on the passenger side and we're shortly having a smaller 'coffee table' supplied to fit between the driver and passenger seat.
We have a diesel fired warm air heater under the front passenger seat and a Propex gas and mains electricity fired hot water boiler under the off side rear seat, along with water pump and various electrical bits.
A 'bolster' cushion is also stored above the cab and this serves as part of the double bed or as the backrest for a two person couch that can be made by lowering the offside rear passenger seat.
There's a small but useable fridge, a three ring hob and sink combined with an overall black glass cover. We specified a pair of additional roof cupboards above the lounge which gives a total of four from the cab bulkhead to rear door. Loads of storage for food, crockery and clothing. Beside the fridge and under the sink is a slim cabinet with a pullout cutlery drawer and two shelves beneath.
Above the rear garage on the nearside is a half height wardrobe with hanging rail and two lipped shelves.
We had a hot and cold pull out shower unit fitted on the offside garage wall and a pair of very natty LED reading lights on flexible stalks fitted in the cab which are ideal when the seats are turned round.
So far since June '06 we've slept in the van on fifteen nights and covered 8K miles.
Living in such a small space takes some getting used to but now we know the score and find it great.
Last week we went to Crufts and we played safe by booking a Travelodge room (in case it was v cold), but rather than visit the onsite Little Chef we cooked up our dinner in the van in the car park and drank a nice bottle of good Chardonnay. Very civilized and comfortable.
The next day we had a half hour drive to the NEC and by 10am our young boy Bearded Collie, Jack (Breaksea Jumpin Jack Flash) had been awarded fifth place in his Special Puppy class. That's fifth best Beardie boy puppy in the country - how proud are we!!!

[steamdrivenandy]

By mid afternoon on Friday Jack was that tired he climbed into our camping chair and went off to sleep.

[andykay]

"Roy Wood Transits of Reading" Been trying to get them to send me a brochure for the last two weeks without any luck I wanted some details on his disabled conversions but he must be busy or cannot be ar$ed to sell me one I hope his after sales is better than his pre-sales service.

Andy.

[steamdrivenandy]

They've been v good with us, even though we're 200+ miles north of them.
RWT sell the vehicles (and Transits of all shapes and sizes). Most of the conversion work is done by a jointly owned company in Tamworth called Horizons Unlimited who are a couple of hours nearer us.
I'm arranging for some warranty work and a pre season habitation service to be done at Tamworth in the next couple of weeks and I'll be speaking to RWT tomorrow to organise it.
I'll mention your problem and let you know what they say, if that's alright.