fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I quite like the older Ford Connect, nice and square.
Van projects
- Thread starter JhnBssll
- Start date
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BoldonLad
Not part of the Elite
- Location
- South Tyneside
A word (or two) of caution regards awning. You may already know this, if so, apologies, but:
1. if you are going to leave it "up" ie extended for Amy length of time, always have one "leg: slightly lower than the other, so, in the event of sudden rain, it will not pool on the awning, and, the weight of water may collapse it, or damage it.
2. consider some "Storm straps" to tie it down, particularly if you intend to leave it "up" unattended. A sudden increase in wind speed can easily wreck awning.
Based on experience not mine fortunately, but, our friends and sometime travelling companions who have had two awnings wrecked, in this way.
Fiamma do a set for about £12-£15 (EBay), no doubt there are other brands.
Great job by the way, I am following with interest
1. if you are going to leave it "up" ie extended for Amy length of time, always have one "leg: slightly lower than the other, so, in the event of sudden rain, it will not pool on the awning, and, the weight of water may collapse it, or damage it.
2. consider some "Storm straps" to tie it down, particularly if you intend to leave it "up" unattended. A sudden increase in wind speed can easily wreck awning.
Based on experience not mine fortunately, but, our friends and sometime travelling companions who have had two awnings wrecked, in this way.
Fiamma do a set for about £12-£15 (EBay), no doubt there are other brands.
Great job by the way, I am following with interest
I've bought some storm straps, thanks for the heads up 
Certainly makes sense - I'll roll it in if the wind gets up but theres always the odd freak gust to catch you out 
I drilled a few holes through the solar panel mounts today and wound some screws through in to them from inside then filed the points down and blobbed a bit of sealant on the ends, this should keep the panel in place even if the adhesive fails or the paint delaminates... It seems incredibly rare, but for the sake of a few stainless screws seems like a sensible precaution. It's not neat, but it's a functional old van and wasn't neat when I bought it
I then mounted the leisure battery in the back by cutting a couple of slots and doing a bit of bending of the inner panels until the battery slotted in to the gap - I'd bought the battery on the basis that it was a perfect fit for where I wanted to install it but was still glad when it went in snugly I then laid out a few of the other bits that will need to go in before I started on the wiring...
So the blue and white box is the solar controller that will charge the leisure battery and trickle charge the starter battery. The white box next to it is a 240V mains consumer unit with RCD and 16A dual pole MCB. The black thing on the right of the consumer unit is the back of the 240V mains hookup socket that needs cutting in to the side of the van and sealing up. Then the red box under those three is a 240V battery charger, so I can plug the van in and top it up easily if I ever need to 😊
After I took the photo I started a bit of wiring - I've now run a fused +ve cable from the solar charger to the leisure battery and a second fused +ve from the solar charger, through the cab and in to the engine bay and connected up to the starter battery. I now need to find a suitable earthing point for the solar charger and leisure battery before I can pop the fuses in and connect the solar panel up, then that should all be up and running. I haven't quite worked out how Im going to physically mount the units yet but it'll come to me I'm sure at some point Once thats working I'll look at installing the 240V bits and pieces 😊
Certainly makes sense - I'll roll it in if the wind gets up but theres always the odd freak gust to catch you out I drilled a few holes through the solar panel mounts today and wound some screws through in to them from inside then filed the points down and blobbed a bit of sealant on the ends, this should keep the panel in place even if the adhesive fails or the paint delaminates... It seems incredibly rare, but for the sake of a few stainless screws seems like a sensible precaution. It's not neat, but it's a functional old van and wasn't neat when I bought it
I then mounted the leisure battery in the back by cutting a couple of slots and doing a bit of bending of the inner panels until the battery slotted in to the gap - I'd bought the battery on the basis that it was a perfect fit for where I wanted to install it but was still glad when it went in snugly
I then laid out a few of the other bits that will need to go in before I started on the wiring...So the blue and white box is the solar controller that will charge the leisure battery and trickle charge the starter battery. The white box next to it is a 240V mains consumer unit with RCD and 16A dual pole MCB. The black thing on the right of the consumer unit is the back of the 240V mains hookup socket that needs cutting in to the side of the van and sealing up. Then the red box under those three is a 240V battery charger, so I can plug the van in and top it up easily if I ever need to 😊
After I took the photo I started a bit of wiring - I've now run a fused +ve cable from the solar charger to the leisure battery and a second fused +ve from the solar charger, through the cab and in to the engine bay and connected up to the starter battery. I now need to find a suitable earthing point for the solar charger and leisure battery before I can pop the fuses in and connect the solar panel up, then that should all be up and running. I haven't quite worked out how Im going to physically mount the units yet but it'll come to me I'm sure at some point
Once thats working I'll look at installing the 240V bits and pieces 😊
our John doesn’t do anything by halves!
he doesnt indeed and does a top job too
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
He does do a jolly good DIY thread.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
We are kindred spirits.I'm just tight, don't like paying for labour
With your skills, you dont need to pay……awesome.I'm just tight, don't like paying for labour
I had a play with the bits I'd bought for the bike racks this evening, only for half an hour or so but nice to progress them. I've roughly bolted the slide rails and extrusion together to make the basis of the rack, then balanced the fork mount on the end and popped it in the van to mark up where the floor brackets need to go...
I couldn't fully extend it as the weight means it topples over, but here it is partially extended It'll come out another foot or so when bolted down and the rails are load rated to 150kg so I should be able to sit on the bike whilst it's attached and rolled all the way out
I then remembered I'd bought some spare wheel clamps for the Thule proride roof racks I'd got so dug them out... This is all coming together rather nicely
When I get another chance I'll bolt it together properly and fashion some brackets to hold it down I might have to weld them but I'm trying to avoid it at the moment
I spotted a cheap DC-DC battery charger on eBay so snapped it up and will add that to the van's electrical setup so the leisure battery will charge from the alternator, solar or mains I've bought some 12V dimmable LED lights and a dimmer switch. Still need cables and sockets for both 12V and 240V systems, will keep my eyes peeled for those. Mrs Bssll has requested a small TV in the back so I'm on the lookout for a small 12v jobby to hook in and will have to work out what is needed in the way of aerials... It's all fun and games
I couldn't fully extend it as the weight means it topples over, but here it is partially extended
It'll come out another foot or so when bolted down and the rails are load rated to 150kg so I should be able to sit on the bike whilst it's attached and rolled all the way out I then remembered I'd bought some spare wheel clamps for the Thule proride roof racks I'd got so dug them out... This is all coming together rather nicely
When I get another chance I'll bolt it together properly and fashion some brackets to hold it down
I might have to weld them but I'm trying to avoid it at the moment I spotted a cheap DC-DC battery charger on eBay so snapped it up and will add that to the van's electrical setup so the leisure battery will charge from the alternator, solar or mains
I've bought some 12V dimmable LED lights and a dimmer switch. Still need cables and sockets for both 12V and 240V systems, will keep my eyes peeled for those. Mrs Bssll has requested a small TV in the back so I'm on the lookout for a small 12v jobby to hook in and will have to work out what is needed in the way of aerials... It's all fun and games
BoldonLad
Not part of the Elite
- Location
- South Tyneside
A thought for you on the TV ariel front. Have you considered getting TV via internet? A TV with Roku/Fire stick type device and a wifi signal (tether from mobile, or, get a MiFi box) will get you live TV plus Netflix etc.I had a play with the bits I'd bought for the bike racks this evening, only for half an hour or so but nice to progress them. I've roughly bolted the slide rails and extrusion together to make the basis of the rack, then balanced the fork mount on the end and popped it in the van to mark up where the floor brackets need to go...
View attachment 596506
I couldn't fully extend it as the weight means it topples over, but here it is partially extended
View attachment 596507
I then remembered I'd bought some spare wheel clamps for the Thule proride roof racks I'd got so dug them out... This is all coming together rather nicely
View attachment 596505
When I get another chance I'll bolt it together properly and fashion some brackets to hold it down
I spotted a cheap DC-DC battery charger on eBay so snapped it up and will add that to the van's electrical setup so the leisure battery will charge from the alternator, solar or mains
The “Rolls Royce” of small TVs is Avtex, but, we find the cheaper Cello Traveller perfectly adequate. Both are 12v.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Why are no not receiving detailed daily updates of this most excellent project?
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
He's doing the house as well. Glutton for punishment.
