camper on a shoestring

[spikefreeway]

I have been told to post this as people can get tips or avoid the pitfalls and pratfalls of any conversion.

The premise is this. I have 3 kids, My eldest is 16 and autistic so will be with us for some time. Our youngest lad is 12 and our daughter is aged 4. We have an enormous german shepherd weighing at just shy of 8 stones. I commute a 70 mile round trip. We go to various events such as flyballing et al. What vehicle can cope with all those demands. We have gone through various estates and 4x4s without a lot of joy. We now have a citroen berlingo forte which is frankly brilliant but fill it with us all and there's no room for anything else. It came down to the realisation of needing 2 vehicles.
I found a 17 seater L reg in Nottingham and went and bought it. My first error, I didn't check if it had 3 point belts.
Now all my conversion work is based on these ethics. It cant cost much at all for materials due to the kids mentioned earlier. I have to do the work myself for cost purposes. It cant take much time up as my wife has gone from completely hating it to begrudgingly putting up with it.
First thing to do was take out the rear seats to get it down to 9 and give us luggage space back. They are left handed star drivers. That took me a while to work that out!
Next came the roof rack £20 off of Ebay. Put it on by myself with a lot of swearing. Change the battery wiring to improve the crap starting.
I tracked down a man sized invertor 1.5k peak that would power pretty much anything.
Whilst at work I noticed they were disposing of some heavy duty racking which held back up batteries. I blagged this and installed it in the back using to hold up a marine ply bulkhead. This helped to keep us warmer and allowed me to pile a load of gear in the back without it flying about.
Renewed the batteries to improve the crap starting (theres a theme developing here). I was at the tip and noticed 2 discarded truck batteries, I stuck my meter on them, one was duff but the other was ok. Two flyleads from the invertor which was still wired to main batteries with an isolator to my new slave battery. This meant I could use my truck battery to assist with the crap starting.
I fitted an isolater to the alternator as I think the diode was bleeding back. I fitted this near to accelerator pedal. This also means the starter isn't turning the alternator under load, helping with the crap starting.
Removed my rear step and replaced this with a tow bar from ebay. Its a lovely pink colour as it came off an ice cream van. Unfortunately, he left the fixing plates on the ice cram van and couldn't get them off. (I only paid a fiver, so its ok). I had to fabricate some without knowing what the fitting plates actually looked like. I went to my local fabricators who let me use their guillotine to chop some 10mm mild steel plate. I had made the kerbside one too wide so the rear of the exhaust smashed itself to bits on it. Great.
Next on to the arches as they were as rough as rough thing, which was feeling a bit rough. Out with the hammer and stop tapping when rust stopped falling out. Daub some hammerite on on the raw metal to stop more rust, out with the P38 and a mouse sander. Over the top of which I painted more hammerite which would have finished really nicely except it started snowing ten minutes after I had finished.
I have turned the rear triple seat around so its facing backwards, so we can fit a table. I did this using 5mm plate to connect the bolts to the bolting points as they aren't symmetrical. I have put the fixing points in for a table.

My work isnt a patch on a lot of vans on here. It isnt pretty but it works for us.
So that's where we are. I will put some photos up. Oh and the crap starting? Start most times now
but sometimes it turns over at least 15 times.

[spikefreeway]

well these are the arches

man sized inverter

[spikefreeway]

I will paint the fastenings when it stops raining/snowing. Anyone know where I can get a boat 500 cubits by 500?


Roofrack in situ

[spikefreeway]

engine with twin battery. What type is this please. If anyone knows of the history of this van I would love to know


The triple seat fixings. (the wing nuts are temporary so I can take the seat in and out as I fit things, I have some nylocks nuts for the final finish)


shelves in place with ply bulkhead (covered on the other side


triple seat reversed with table boss in place

[ireland.1495]

not looking to bad
if you want any camper part give us a shout
got load left over from my camer van conversion

[GBBiker]

engine with twin battery. What type is this please. If anyone knows of the history of this van I would love to know

This is all the info that comes up on ETIS

VIN Number: SFAEXXBDVEPC98712
Registration Number: L540FUD
Registration Date: 09.09.1993
Registration Country: GB
Primary Features
Build Date: 01.09.1993
Vehicle Line: Transit 92



I would say that the engine is a 76ps. Definitely a Banana and I can't see a turbo.


You can get an MOT history here http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/internet/jsp/ECHID-Internet-History-Request.jsp You need to enter the reg number and the V5 reference number

[spikefreeway]

engine with twin battery. What type is this please. If anyone knows of the history of this van I would love to know

This is all the info that comes up on ETIS

VIN Number: SFAEXXBDVEPC98712
Registration Number: L540FUD
Registration Date: 09.09.1993
Registration Country: GB
Primary Features
Build Date: 01.09.1993
Vehicle Line: Transit 92



I would say that the engine is a 76ps. Definitely a Banana and I can't see a turbo.


You can get an MOT history here http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/internet/jsp/ECHID-Internet-History-Request.jsp You need to enter the reg number and the V5 reference number

Thanks for doing that and no given they way it goes up hill its most definately not a turbo!

[GBBiker]

I have the same engine in a LWB HR 190. It's not too bad on performance for an old-tech diesel. Good mpg and extremely reliable.

If you turn the mid range fuelling up by 1 1/2 turns or so, you will notice a dramatic improvement. There is info on how to do this here somewhere. I did this to mine and my mpg has also improved because I don't need to hoof it all the time.

Also, good regular services are the key to getting the best from the Di.

[spikefreeway]

I have the same engine in a LWB HR 190. It's not too bad on performance for an old-tech diesel. Good mpg and extremely reliable.

If you turn the mid range fuelling up by 1 1/2 turns or so, you will notice a dramatic improvement. There is info on how to do this here somewhere. I did this to mine and my mpg has also improved because I don't need to hoof it all the time.

Also, good regular services are the key to getting the best from the Di.

is this it?
http://fordtransit.org/articles/engine/ ... wer-mk5-di

[spikefreeway]

my heater is completely completely rubbish, I can breath out warmer. Is the heater matrix mullered and how do you change this if so (just remember I am good with wiring but anything more than 2 spanners in a Haynes manual and I'm well out of my depth)

[spikefreeway]

well have been busy with trying (and failing) to get the heater to work and stupid work this weekend. I have built a dash mount digital voltmeter (sounds posh but its in a c90 cassette box) so I know if I'm parked up using the invertor then it will still start.
I got 2 x 12" drivers for 99p off of the bay of theives, fear me now neighbours. I made a trip to Ikea got 2 black ash laminate table tops and a 6ft wardrobe door thats edged for my shelves, all for the princely sum of £1.50. God bless bargain corner and a van to take it all home.

[MinorMatt]

Engine will be 80PS bananna - unless its been changed for a later one at some point

[spikefreeway]

table is in


and the bed base/long table over the top ('scuse the mess)


voltmeter, I have to stop using the dropper and go on to genny power when it gets to about 12.2v. Its internally fused for neatness.


Microwave and grill (including smoke alarm and fire blanket)


Just need to make it pretty now

[austinmaxi555]

Looking Good
Is there any chance you could post up or pm a copy of the schematic you used for the voltmeter.


Kindest regards
Martin

[spikefreeway]

Looking Good
Is there any chance you could post up or pm a copy of the schematic you used for the voltmeter.


Kindest regards
Martin

its only a diode (not sure what, it was hanging about in the back of a drawer), a blade fuse holder and a switch in a simple series circuit with one of these,http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT it cost about £8 when I got it, Maplin will do one aswell. At that price I cant bothered crouched over a strip circuit board for two hours burning my fingers on my iron.