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How deep is the void over the back door? Looks prime for a bungee-cord-fronted loose storage pocket.
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Apr 19, 2020 12:59
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Maybe 15cm. I thought about leaving it for storage but I'd be concerned about he lack of insulation. It could perhaps have a shallow pocket in there though, I'll definitely have a think about that.
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Apr 19, 2020 13:01
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I wish i had the headspace to have battened my roof and just tongue and grooved it. It looks good and is so quick easy. I'm just about to start cutting some plywood sheets for mine.Blacknose posted:Maybe 15cm. I thought about leaving it for storage but I'd be concerned about he lack of insulation. It could perhaps have a shallow pocket in there though, I'll definitely have a think about that. You could just get some adhesive sheet stuff and stick it around the back of it inside and keep it for storage. Every storage position is useful for something!
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Apr 19, 2020 13:08
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I'm wondering if I can squeeze some insulation behind a shallow shelf, or failing that build a shelf out from it.
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Apr 19, 2020 13:15
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Even an inch of depth with some elastic mesh across the front will be a great place to tuck a book, torch, whatever. Looking good, how are you planning on finishing the t&g?
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Apr 19, 2020 13:41
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I'm waffling between painting and oiling for the walls. Most likely go for a light oil.
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Apr 19, 2020 17:14
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Finished the ceiling today and ran all the conduits for the lights and solar cables. poo poo job, glad it's over. Pleased with how this came out. Bit of sanding and it'll look pretty smart. 
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Apr 19, 2020 18:20
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Blacknose posted:I'm waffling between painting and oiling for the walls. Most likely go for a light oil. Definitely oil gets my vote. Thinking about side windows at all?
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Apr 19, 2020 23:20
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I have one ready to go in the sliding door. Probably going to pay someone to do it although lock down has that on hold. Just not quite feeling confident doing it myself. I'd love to stick a porthole on one of the back doors too but I've really struggled to find one that's suitable and not super expensive.
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Apr 19, 2020 23:25
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Blacknose posted:I have one ready to go in the sliding door. Probably going to pay someone to do it although lock down has that on hold. Just not quite feeling confident doing it myself. What type of window do you have for the sliding door? Why are you worried about it? Just measure it 4 times and then cut that hole!  Where have you been looking for additional windows? Side Sliding windows in standard sizes start from about £45 for 18”x12”. I know far too much about them after buying mine
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Apr 20, 2020 04:06
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Blacknose posted:I have one ready to go in the sliding door. Probably going to pay someone to do it although lock down has that on hold. Just not quite feeling confident doing it myself. Cut a round hole and bang a washing machine door on it job done. 
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Apr 20, 2020 08:52
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I was looking at the generic ones for a vent window by the bed, but ultimately decided against it for price and effort reasons. It'd be easy enough to add one later if I change my mind. e; where did you find one for £45? Blacknose fucked around with this message at 14:10 on Apr 20, 2020 |
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Apr 20, 2020 08:54
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Blacknose posted:I was looking at the generic ones for a vent window by the bed, but ultimately decided against it for price and effort reasons. It'd be easy enough to add one later if I change my mind. Some of these start from £32+Vat for a sliding window (19.5" x 11.5") with clear glass and a plain aluminium frame. Hartford Commercial (in Bury) - I was recommended this place but didn't use them as I wanted weird sizes. They don't do custom sizes so I assume they don't make them in-house https://hartfordcommercial.co.uk/product-category/framed-windows/ Caldwells Windows (in Wigan) - This place make every single narrowboat window I have ever seen and I think also make Landrover windows for britpart (one of the biggest landrover non-OEM parts manufacturers) They manufacture onsite and also have a glass shop so can make custom sizes which end up about 20% more than the standard ones. http://caldwellswindows.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Horsebox-Landrover-2019.pdf If you go by size, the landrover defender sliding side windows they sell are great value at £60+VAT for 36"x15" tinted. Vehicle Window Centre (in Leeds) - Also manufacture everything onsite Their website is poo poo but they are very helpful if you go talk to them. This is their price list/main brochure Fitting the framed windows is dead simple. Cut a hole. Put sealant around the edge of the window and then rivet or screw it in using the holes in the frame. I have windows from Caldwells and a door from VWC. With the windows I have you could get away without any internal trim (which will cost you an extra few quid) as it looks tidy even without the trim and I think would look fine in your van if you box it in nicely like you did with your roof vent. Tomarse fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Apr 20, 2020 |
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Apr 20, 2020 18:38
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Nice, I'll check those out.
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Apr 20, 2020 20:50
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Aaaand now I'm deep into the portholes section of the Caldwells narrow boat catalogue.
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Apr 20, 2020 21:02
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Got the beams in for the bed and storage area today. First job was to remove half the cladding from the finished wall, frustratingly. Then drill extra holes in some angle brackets that I could have sworn were 50mm but are actually 75mm.  And notch the cladding board underneath the beams for a tidy fit.  The beams are 2x3s, and are being attached to the frame of the van with an angle bracket one side screwed through to a block of scrap 2x3 the other side, which in turn is screwed into the frame. I didn't take a closeup picture of how that looks because I'd been working on it for 7 hours straight and was half crazed with hunger. Then notched the cladding board to go above the beams.  Leaving me with the beams secured.  Next job is to re-clad the right hand wall and clad + insulate the left hand wall, which should be pretty painless. Then I need to get some extra supports in under the bed beams and probably ought to varnish the floor also. e; I also made my self bleed like 5 times pushing insulation out of the way in voids and snagging my hand on screw points. Don't recommend it. Blacknose fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Apr 21, 2020 |
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Apr 21, 2020 21:09
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Great progress! I have a mate who has done a conversion using the same layout as you (except in a taller and longer van) and he seems really happy with it and uses it for carting motorbikes around in. I have appreciated it while stealing cups of tea made on his cooker while sitting under his awning hiding from the rain!. Blacknose posted:Aaaand now I'm deep into the portholes section of the Caldwells narrow boat catalogue. Watch out on the mountings of narrow boat specific windows. I visited Caldwell's shop and spoke to the very knowledgeable old guy in the office (who I suspect was Mr Caldwell) and I think most of the narrowboat windows are designed specifically for narrowboat wall configurations which will make mounting them in anything else quite tricky. I think they used some kind of clamping mechanism and your ability to deal with differing wall thicknesses didn't exist. quote:e; I also made my self bleed like 5 times pushing insulation out of the way in voids and snagging my hand on screw points. Don't recommend it. Tomarse fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Apr 21, 2020 |
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Apr 21, 2020 21:24
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Yeah I saw some of the windows had a specific clamping mechanism. I'm in no rush to act on that anyway, doors can wait for the time being. I can come back to them and insulate/clad them later based on any window decisions etc. What I do need to decide is what to use for the bed platform. I'm thinking 9mm ply should probably be adequate. The spaces between the beams is only 42cm, so I think 12mm would be super overkill. Also fortunately my fingertips are like leather from a mixture of picking banjo and bouldering. The rest of my hands not so much. Blacknose fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Apr 21, 2020 |
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Apr 21, 2020 21:36
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 Walls up. Only those corners left to clad, which is good, cos I'm proper sick of the job now. After that a coat of varnish on the floor, box the wheel arches and fit the legs under the bed.
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Apr 23, 2020 18:39
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Figured out a good system for cladding the awkward top corners. I've cut two wedges, the top one is attached with a couple of brackets in the fibreglass top, and the bottom is screwed straight through into the metal frame.   I had to add this bodge in to keep the join in the cladding in the same place.  Also clad across the back. I like the idea of some storage there, but it made the junction of the side cladding and the back really awkward. I guess I'll try and still something on there at a later date.  And a nice easy win - the screws for the rooflight inner panel arrived. 
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Apr 24, 2020 19:36
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Seems like a ton of wasted space and a loss of headroom. Couldn't you put some storage up there? Every campervan I've used was always short on storage, and that seems like a good spot for some bulk storage.
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Apr 24, 2020 21:02
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You mean above the back door? I agree about it being a shame not to have storage there. I'm gonna try and figure something out there for sure the void is only maybe 10 or 15cm deep though so it's not a vast loss. No loss of headroom from it, the cladding is entirely within the recess. I'd you mean the cladding on the sides with the wedges, that's the minimum angle to clear the mounts where the fibreglass roof bolts to the van unibody. It's a huge pain in the arse.
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Apr 24, 2020 21:12
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Blacknose posted:You mean above the back door? I agree about it being a shame not to have storage there. I'm gonna try and figure something out there for sure the void is only maybe 10 or 15cm deep though so it's not a vast loss. No loss of headroom from it, the cladding is entirely within the recess. Both, really. Those mounts are definitely a pain, I see them now. I'd think about boxing them out with ply and putting netting or something across them. That's a lot of space being eaten up by air. Stretchy netting is ideal for situations like that, it lies flat when you don't need it, but you can pack a bunch of light objects easily at hand when you're in bed. Alternately, lipped shelves might work, but poo poo won't stay put when you're in motion. The rear might be a good spot for shoes or something. Cubbies are always nice in a camper.
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Apr 24, 2020 21:19
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Yeah there's definitely a plan to do something with the back, I'm just not sure what yet. I think by the time there's 10cm of insulation behind the cladding in the corners there won't be much dead space. The big wedges are 75mm, so it's not some vast space. I'm reluctant not to keep the cladding going all the way around as well, just for aesthetics. Completely agree that it's suboptimal. I've spoken to other people who've converted these vans with the high top and consensus is basically that it's lovely and you just have to bodge something over it. It's also worth noting it'll only not be behind storage stuff in a few places. There's gonna be a roof height storage unit next to the bed and a high cupboard on the end of the kitchen against the wall. Fortunately from a headroom perspective I don't have any worries. I'm 185cm/6'1" and I can stand on tip toes and still have a ton of room above my head. Vans super tall.
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Apr 24, 2020 21:28
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Sounds like you've got it covered. Building storage is certainly slower than flat panels, and you lose some insulation space too. I was thinking headroom when you're in bed, not over the open floor.
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Apr 24, 2020 21:33
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Ah gotcha. Yeah that could be irritating - it may make leaning against the wall sat in bed uncomfortable, I hadn't considered that. I guess I'll have the ply on for the bed base within a week so I can try it out then and rethink if it's a problem, it's not a huge deal to pull the top bit of cladding back off if needs be.
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Apr 24, 2020 21:39
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Had some time off on account of it being my birthday. Got one wall finished and only a little bit left to do on the other. Turns out that the roof is 4cm lower at the front than at the back so the back is a little scruffy, but that'll be hidden anyway. Can't loving wait to get all the cladding finished, I'm so done with it. 
Blacknose fucked around with this message at 10:13 on Apr 30, 2020 |
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Apr 30, 2020 10:09
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Mmm, knotty.
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Apr 30, 2020 10:14
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Yeah it's really high quality timber. If I were to be doing it again I think I'd spend a little more on the cladding. I don't mind the aesthetics of the knots but there have been some really warped boards because of it. e; And they shrink very slightly after they've been put up, which is some bullshit.
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Apr 30, 2020 10:23
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Still got a 4 boards to go up for cladding, building the framing for the top piece on the unfinished side took ages and cladding around the door was kinda fiddly. I used a cool method I saw online where you build tape up around a corner to make a template for the curve. Already pulled it off the corner here but you get the idea.    But check this poo poo out, proper pleased with it.   
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May 1, 2020 19:31
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That's proper tidy!
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May 1, 2020 20:33
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Man I love camper builds, do you still have to do weird stuff with the DVLA to tell them that it's no longer a van anymore? I remember reading someones build thread on a VW camper build where it seemed like a faff to get it registered as a non commercial vehicle. Although I forget the main things are that the speed limits for a van is lower on an NSL A road by like 10mph or something. I had a friend who got a speeding fine in his work van for doing 70 on an NSL dual carriageway. Something I never knew watching most van drivers in action haha.
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May 1, 2020 20:52
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DVLA recently changed how they enforce the rules, so now you need a ton of windows and campervan style graphics on your van to get the reclassification. Nearly all self builds are being rejected, especially anything in an old builders van. I'm told there is another way to get is reclassified as class 4, but honestly I won't be upset if I have to keep it as a class 7 commercial.
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May 1, 2020 21:12
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What are camper-van style graphics? Does it need to have a bird of prey on the back and say "Raptor" (apologies if that isn't a trope for UK campers)
taqueso fucked around with this message at 21:19 on May 1, 2020 |
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May 1, 2020 21:15
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Eh, I mean I guess it doesn't matter if yer touring through europe anyway and you can do 70mph on actual motorways. I mean is the only difference the lowered speed limit?
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May 1, 2020 21:16
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taqueso posted:What are camper-van style graphics? Does it need to have a bird of prey on the back and say "Raptor" (apologies if that isn't a trope for UK campers) Ugly 70s throwback stripes. Although it isn't actually specified anywhere, nor will the DVLA provide guidelines. They've just decided to be total dicks about it as of last autumn.  
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May 1, 2020 21:29
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I hadn’t seen those new requirements. The requirement for motor home graphics makes me  I stripped them off my last motor home because I thought they were poo poo but people seem to expect them! (The people who bought mine were going to put them back!) The only difference between a class 4 and class 7 mot is the cost isn’t it? I changed my landrover over years ago and the only requirement back then was a bed, fixed cooker and sink.
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May 1, 2020 21:34
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The actual written requirements haven't changed, just how they're being enforced. It seems to be an intentional dick move towards people converting scruffy old vans to live or travel in.
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May 1, 2020 21:37
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I'm reading that as: easily removable strips of vinyl fitted for the inspection and peeled off pretty much immediately.
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May 1, 2020 21:47
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Unfortunately I'm not sure I'll have enough windows. I think you need at least 2 in any one side, plus they'll reject it if it looks like an old work van even if it has some strips on it. And, well, you've all seen my van. Don't get me wrong I will apply, but I anticipate a rejection based on 'not clearly visible that it's a motor caravan'. Also right now DVLA are super behind, I haven't even had my V5 yet and it's been like 6 weeks.
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May 1, 2020 21:49
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