My Transit conversion.

[mdr75]

Hey..
Just thought i'd put a post up to show you a conversion i've been doing on my 1997 Mk5 Transit.
I bought it as an ex BT and MyTravel Engineers van last year with the intent to convert it. It was a completely empty shell inside apart from the oil stained plylining..
I sanded and recovered it all and have done what you can see today. I did the bulk of it over a bank holiday weend last year but not having the chance to be able to use i never finished it off.
No that the camping season is upon us i am putting the finishing touches to it.
I had been looking for a sink to install but found even the secondhand one's to be quite expensive so i used a bit of initiative.. I bought a large stainless steel dogbowl and a plughole kit and i'm sure you can guess the rest..
Hopefully if i'v done it right there should be some pics below...
I think i may have posted some pics late last year but can't remember..







I am hoping to fit a Leisure battery soon with a solar charger on the roof keeping it toppped up but i'm not sure if this is the best idea or to just link the second battery via a relay to the engine to keep it charged..
I hope you like what i've done so far and i will be gratefull for any advice and idea....

Michael

[pollag]

POSH I LIKE! ..

[madmark]

looking good mate!

[Luke]

nice work mate

i used a bit of initiative.. I bought a large stainless steel dogbowl and a plughole kit and i'm sure you can guess the rest..

brilliant

[trigger]

Like it, especially the idea with the dog bowl, i agree that real camper stuff is far too expensive for what it is and any way round it by making your own is a bonus.

[mdr75]

Cheers for all your comments so far guys..

I've never been one to muck around with electrics, especialy when i plan to be travelling around a fair bit this year in the van and i don't want anything going wrong with it.
I want to put a leisure battery in the rear to power a coolbox and some lighting and maybe a laptop or tv/dvd player and wondered how hard is it to install one of those relay switch thingies? I want it so that the engine keeps the leisure battery topped up without sacrificing any power from the main starter battery.
Can you buy a kit and install it or do you need to buy the components seperate and wire them in?..
Your help is greatly appreciated..

[Scotty86]

Looking great, just get rid of those steel wheels/plastic trims and get some alloys

[mdr75]

Cheers Scotty... Do you have some for sale?...
What size alloy can i fit up to on it, do you know?... Can i fit another make and model's alloys onto it?..

[pusd]

Can you buy a kit and install it or do you need to buy the components seperate and wire them in?..
Your help is greatly appreciated..

Dead easy to wire up.

I used one of these;
http://www.brocott.co.uk/towbar-electri ... 2cobdggg55

I did have a problem with the first relay, but they were extremely helpful & replaced it no probs.

Phil

[mdr75]

pusd.
Thanks very much for that link..
Went online and bought one first thing this morning. Just need a leisure battery now and i'm good to go.....

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice...

[Scotty86]

Cheers Scotty... Do you have some for sale?...
What size alloy can i fit up to on it, do you know?... Can i fit another make and model's alloys onto it?..

I don't have any for sale sorry. You could fit up to 16" maybe even 18". You could fit other makes but you would have to get adapter plates made for them

There are some Mk5 Tourneo ones on ebay though, they would fit and would look mega sweet on your van



eBay link

[mainroaduk]

Very nice. Jusy wondering what you`ve done at the back, is it cordened off for tools etc? Are you planning on sleeping in it or just for comfort during the day when your out and about?

[trigger]

I noticed he has got 205 wide tyres on those tourneo wheels, what's the widest size tyre that would safely go on these wheels?

[mdr75]

mainroaduk.

Cheers.
The rear is cordened off for my mountain bikes and i can fit 2 with the front wheels on and 3 or 4 without the front wheels. I do a lot of mountain biking and racing which was the whole idea behind the van really to be able to go to races on weekends and kip in the van.
At the moment it's just a case of pitching a tent next to the van as i haven't done anything about making a bed..
I've got some mdf to use as the base but it's just fabricating some kind of folding frame i need to do next.

Scotty.
Thanks very much for the link to the wheels, i'll check them out now. I must admit they would look the dog's on my van.

[bron y aur]

Dead easy to wire up.

I used one of these;
http://www.brocott.co.uk/towbar-electri ... 2cobdggg55

I did have a problem with the first relay, but they were extremely helpful & replaced it no probs.

Phil[/quote]

Hi, have you got a circuit diagram of this system to post ?, if the 2nd battery needs charging (say its 50% flat), does the starter (main) battery get priority and still receive a charge if its not completely charged?, or am i going mad lol.