My (amateur) dog van camper conversion.

[thedogvanman]

Alright guys, real nice forum.. picked up alot of information here so thought id let yall check out what i hope to do with it
So buying my first car, want to convert a van... this part i reckon I can make an attempt at at least, but when it comes to the motor im the kinda guy who only just knows the difference between petrol and deisel.
Well you gotta learn sometime, so i headed to the internet for help.. but realised pretty quick that it was still going to be taking a gamble even with the help of google.
Then I see this van on ebay, the grammar is interesting and it has some flaws but it also ticks a few boxes for me and comes in at app. half my budget, meaning if everything goes wrong then i'm left with something and hopefully iv'e learned something. Was also feeling a bit crazy...
So that day I bought it!
Anyway heres the ebay ad
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-FORD-TRA ... 7675.l2557

Pros:

Auxillary heating.. no power connected
Two windows in back
To ventilators... these have power but im guessing from the van battery
Spare battery under passenger seat... no connections
Security dog markings are a pro in my book for now
Possibly a custom floor
Possibly custom lighting
Tax... checked

Cons:

KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT MOTORS/ELECTRICS
Dog cages in back
No MOT
No V5C
Two side sliders don't open... disabled by police
Two rear doors don't lock.. bike chain for now
Horn doesn't work/might not be there
Central locking doesn't work
No siren

I'll post up some pics and stuff as I go along with it and no doubt i'll be asking for help with alot.. sorry in advance.. i'll also try and help others out if by some miralce i can!
Soo.. anyone reccon iv'e made a huge mistake jumping in the deepend??
Any input welcome

[Stuart30]

Buying a Van with no V5 is pure madness...and HPI isnt really worth the price of the paper you get it printed on.

Have you asked why no V5...whilst its not proof of ownership its still bloody handy..

[duvet]

ex police van are sometimes decommissioned by a blindfolded man using a daneaxe.

[ake]

ex police van are sometimes decommissioned by a blindfolded man using a daneaxe.

And an angry dog !

[thedogvanman]

Sooo I yeah, it was pretty reckless of me...
The bloke who was selling it didn't offer much an explanation, just that all the paperwork (including tax disc?!) had been lost. I'm not a complete idiot so I was a bit suspicious, but also was feeling a bit crazy like I said.

Well I've applied for a new v5 now so we'll see how that goes, then of course there's the small matter of getting it through mot!
Feeling kinda foolish but ill let you know how it goes, might be legit or might have learned a valuable lesson

[Stuart30]

Sooo I yeah, it was pretty reckless of me...
The bloke who was selling it didn't offer much an explanation, just that all the paperwork (including tax disc?!) had been lost. I'm not a complete idiot so I was a bit suspicious, but also was feeling a bit crazy like I said.

Well I've applied for a new v5 now so we'll see how that goes, then of course there's the small matter of getting it through mot!
Feeling kinda foolish but ill let you know how it goes, might be legit or might have learned a valuable lesson

Ive sold a car with no V5...the rad also had no fan so only by driving saved it boiling over....Cambridge to Devon is a long ass way to drive,i never did find out if he got home..

If the seller was vague then im sorry but alarm bells would be ringing and id walk away...can i be nosey and ask how much you paid.

Lets be honest even if a ringer if the price is right...

[xjrfast]

Having just stopped laughing from the spelling in the add I can respond now lol.
I hope it all works out mate, doing a camper is a great project but hard work too. Our van is an ex network rail van, most ex- railway and police vans are well looked after so hopefully its all good.

Here is a link to the progress we have made on our van, might give you some ideas. If you need any advice on electrics let me know and ill see if i can advise
viewtopic.php?f=58&t=119763

[bigjohnthomas]

so you bought a van off an honest mickey mouser with no logbook
will make a good dogging van though with all those doors
what breed do you have

[thedogvanman]

Stuart30 yeah, I had 150 miles to drive back, but she made it back okay which gives me a lil faith. Plus I'd never driven a van before. And be as nosey as you like... I paid the full 12 hundy for it, almost certainly should have bartered on that! But it if it doesn't turn out to be a wreck I reccon that's an okay price??

Bigjohnthimas... No dogs, only gonna be me sleeping in the van. Got most of the cages out now, guess the police don't mess about securing them in.

Xjrfast, I'm gonna have a look at you pr now, think I'm gonna go for a simple relay leisure battery setup, maybe with an inverter. All based on what I've learned here.
Got central locking problems to sort out tho, and trying to trace back from the auxillary heater to work out where to power it.

Tried turning the key back and forth 8 times to reprogram my fob (so I can lock the back doors) but nothing happens...
I'm gonna check the back door loom, but I suspect it may be to do with the side doors which have been disabled. Does anyone have any guess at how they're likely to have been disabled??

[bigjohnthomas]

You are going to have to get a dog dude I have bought 2 bikes and a van from scoucers over the years with no logbooks never had a problem one even had the framenumber ground off and was in felt tip pen

[BigMonty]

I'm sure it will be fine. You can sell all the bits you don't need to finance what you do need.
I'm thinking its a good price too.
The v5 ain't proof of ownership so don't sweat it.

[ake]

The side doors won't have been deliberately disabled, there is a fault, check the two fuses below steering column, taped to loom, should be 2 at 15 amp

[duvet]

The side doors won't have been deliberately disabled, there is a fault, check the two fuses below steering column, taped to loom, should be 2 at 15 amp

they may have been accidentially disabled when someone took out the police radios/blues and twos though.
I looked at 2 police vans (big sprinter and a LDV) which they'd cut almost everything just in case someone got the remaining blue lights working including the night heater, speakers....
also mullered the dash boards taking the switchwork out

[Homersaysdoh]

I did similar thing bought a camper cash of a foreign guy in a pub car park got it 2 miles down the road no power, overpaid a bit I think, but all turned out all right was something simple, now had it serviced mot and various other bits so it can work out

[thedogvanman]

Cheers for all the support guys, i thought i was fairly safe too...
until the police turned up today to RECLAIM it. Turned out it was nicked from machester!

Needless to say I'm truly gutted, not just wiping out my savings but no van to work on, and just feeling plain foolish.
I would be crying myself to sleep tonight if i didn't have a night shift.

So guess that concludes my progress report...
Hopefully i'll be back some time for another go at it.

Cheers again guys,

and p.s. if you have to laugh at me go ahead, at least someone will have got something out of this other than a harsh lesson!