Van projects

[steven1988]

I've only just come across this but when i put my rack in my vivaro. I went down the toast holder rack route, bolted to a bit of ply which in turn is bolted to the wheel arches so it can't go anywhere.

The problem I had was trying to get MTB and CX wheels to fit without wobbling about so i jigsawed the exact shape out of ply again and used tiewraps against the rack, effectively making the slot smaller, and because they are tie wraps they can be removed to fit the MTBs in.

 

[Drago]

You'll havento change your username to John Van Bssl.

 

[JhnBssll]

A few updates from this afternoon. I've used some white hammerite to go over a few areas of the floor pan which had been previously screwed through, scratched or otherwise, plus the rivnuts I installed the other day. Once this had dried I applied a layer of the foam insulation - tomorrow I will cut new ply sections to put the floor back in

Whilst the paint was drying I spent some time removing the old rack from the roof. There are a few dents and some rust to sort before I fit today's new arrivals, a nice big roll out awning and this little chap...

It's a 160W panel; I have a dual solar charge controller so I'll be able to keep the 130Ah leisure battery topped up and also trickle charge the starter motor so its always ready to use 😊 Quite a lot of work to do to install it all mind Once fitted it should power lights, stereo and a small fridge for a week or so off-grid all being well. It's slightly over specced so I can still rely on it during the winter months.

More van updates tomorrow hopefully 😊

 

[Drago]

Im loving it!

Will you be using it as an overnight abode as well as a bike carrier?

 

[JhnBssll]

Im loving it!

Will you be using it as an overnight abode as well as a bike carrier?

Yeah thats the plan, bit of a multi-purpose van 😊 I've just sanded down the rust spots on the roof and given them a coat of white hammerite, now trying to work out how to best fit the awning

 

[Drago]

I so love it when people bring old vehicles back from the brink. Its far better for the environment than making a new car, no matter how clean it may be. It saves money, gets the vehicle exactly how you want it, and gives you a connection with and understanding of the vehicle that allows you to tune in to how its running and head off minor problems before they even appear.

Chuck in to the mix that its going to be your best friend while youre having adventures and youre defnitely onto a winner.

 

[fossyant]

Looks fab so far.😊

 

[JhnBssll]

Thanks guys, I'm pleased with progress so far 😊 I've got the awning up and the new ply floor in today

The awning was first - I ordered one slightly longer than recommended to maximise coverage. This meant I had to come up with a way of supporting the overhang at either end as well as how to attach it to the roof as it came with no brackets, and the bracket kits were quite expensive I decided to repurpose the old roof rack so took it to bits and gave the bits I wanted to keep a coat of black hammerite to freshen them up...

Once dry I bolted them together and fitted them to the roof, complete with new bolts to hold the awning. I decided 5 bolts would be sensible, rather than the 2 suggested in the fitting instructions

I then slid the awning over the bolt heads, tightened it up and took off the plastic protective covering... Jobs a goodun

Next job was to cut the new ply sheets to size. I used the old ply as a guide and made a few tweaks to improve the fit...

I also moved the join in to the centre so it was supported better and bolted down equally.

With the first half cut I could mark up the holes and measure up the second piece. Once that was cut and drilled I bolted it all together 😊

I've got some rubber flooring to go down over the ply but will wait until I've done some more of the messy jobs before I fit it - main task was to get the insulation protected which is now ticked off 😊

 

[bikingdad90]

@JhnBssll you must have a very patient wife; a house extension, a garage renovation and van modification on the go as well as your bike builds going on! You are one busy man!

 

[Gunk]

@JhnBssll you must have a very patient wife; a house extension, a garage renovation and van modification on the go as well as your bike builds going on! You are one busy man!

He single now

 

[JhnBssll]

Fortunately my wife keeps pretty busy too so it works quite well

I've got the panel on the roof and the main cable run done today I've found a little hole to fit the charge controller, waiting on the battery now before I can do much more

 

[Gunk]

That’s clever

 

[JhnBssll]

I just popped the awning up for the first time, works very well and love how the legs and support arms are telescopically hidden inside the awning then pivot into position when extended Nifty! Very easy to put up and down on my own too in just a few minutes

 

[fossyant]

Can I have your van. Really love this project. For me, it's keep the old saloon car that's used for bike transport, and buy a two seater, replace with another car, or go small van.

Back to black/bumper conditioner will work wonders on the plastics.

 

[avsd]

So much want here.
I want that van too. John - can you keep a parts list for the project please and post at the end. I might try an do something similar over the winter months. Thanks.