What innovations did you design into your van?

[Pudsey Bear]

I'm sure you all had interesting ideas, maybe time to share them, pictures would help.

 

[Squiffy]

One innovation that I have used now on three vans is Ikia eco blinds with a home made cassette, not only are they cheap to buy but also come in varying colours and sizes. The actual cassette can be a bit tricky and time consuming but I feel that the end result is good not only aesthetically but also practically, I have shown pictures of it before on here I.e. Sis in laws build and my build, however as this is a particular post I'll put up some more photos. The other innovation I've used is tile edging to hide the edge of stretch carpet on doors etc. Phil

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Very nice Phil, they'd be good on bus conversions as they might help with condensation a bit.

Do you have any cassette build pictures to share?

 

[Squiffy]

Yes a few. These are Sis in laws van blinds. On mine I just did the back two windows but on my sons we did both rears and he got fed up doing them for his side windows and ended up with swinging blinds when motoring . On the Sis in laws I did both rear doors, both rear sides and both fronts which included the sliding door which had to have a variation on the design due to the width restriction in opening the sliding door. For which I haven't got a photo but basically two straight pieces of covered ply either side of the window in reverse form to the other cassettes and a suitably sized blind inside the window aperture. Phil

P.s. don't know where the escalator shot came from, that was in Rome last week my young grand daughter travelling down the Metro. May have been at Bristol Airport actually.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Looks fairly straight forward

 

[wildebus]

I'm sure you all had interesting ideas, maybe time to share them, pictures would help.

Does this question extend to mods to Motorhomes, or just build-ups from the shell?

 

[Squiffy]

I'd have thought any innovations Dave. Phil

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Does this question extend to mods to Motorhomes, or just build-ups from the shell?

Absolutely it does, it's all good info for others.

I need to fit some sort of shelf in the van for Liz to put her cup of tea, but it needs to be removeable too and there is nowhere to fit it except next to the hob, which would be ok but I can't find a made shelf that is small enough, and then a support to fit under it without it turning into a big job.

 

[wildebus]

Absolutely it does, it's all good info for others.

I need to fit some sort of shelf in the van for Liz to put her cup of tea, but it needs to be removeable too and there is nowhere to fit it except next to the hob, which would be ok but I can't find a made shelf that is small enough, and then a support to fit under it without it turning into a big job.

Little removable shelf ....

When I got a tabletop made for my new adjustable Lagun table, the maker (chippysworkshop.co.uk) also made me a little corner shelf to match

I got this as a shelf to put the Cerbo Screen on, but it could just as easily have been a teacup shelf

To support this, I used a system that could suit your requirements nicely?
Flush mount brackets - you fit one to the bracket, one to the wall and when you want to use it, you just slot into place like the top image shows below (I got the brackets from Amazon - https://amzn.to/3SYTtp9 )

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I like the brackets, not sure how you would mount a shelf with them though.

 

[wildebus]

I like the brackets, not sure how you would mount a shelf with them though.

I've taken the shelf off at the moment as going to relocate the screen, so can show you how I used them ....
With decent material for the shelf and prepared holes for the screws, not a problem

the same brackets go onto the wall and they just clip into place together. Probably not intended to be for frequently removed items but a very firm fitting

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I've taken the shelf off at the moment as going to relocate the screen, so can show you how I used them ....
With decent material for the shelf and prepared holes for the screws, not a problem
View attachment 5511
the same brackets go onto the wall and they just clip into place together. Probably not intended to be for frequently removed items but a very firm fitting

Aha!!, thanks I'll give that some thought, I wasn't thinking of that way.

 

[Squiffy]

For having a cup of tea or putting my glasses and phone on etc at night and in the morning, I've made these mods for me and the wife when the day beds are made up to double bed we deploy the shelves then during the day when it's seating we put the shelves into the down positions so that the don't interfere with the seating. Though if required they can still be used of course. Phil

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I like that, I have some SS piano hinge kicking about which might work.

I did this in the self build. it was fixed as the TV was above it so never in the way, I let in a cut down piece of oak so I could put in two 35mm screws from the other fridge side as it was at elbow height and I knew one of us would use it to lean on to get up or some other disaster, the brackets were a belt and braces approach.

I could do with finding an offcut of similar ply and some edging.

 

[MarkJ]

I'd got fed up with in-built sat nav and had taken to using Google maps, but I wanted to see it on a decent size screen, not just on my wife's little phone.

So after much trial and error I found an iPad holder which is designed to fit in the CD slot of a CD/radio player, and which I found I could wedge in the otherwise useless clipboard holder that came with the van.

I think it looks like a Merc now. But then I'm easily impressed....

 

[wildebus]

Ref SatNav holders and the document clip thingy, I saw this video from Bob Earnshaw that might be of interest to some?

I am looking for something that uses the Garmin Mount one side and clips onto the Ducato Rear Mirror clip on the windscreen the other.

 

[HarryInHudds]

FYI Our van identifies as a camper van, and just because it was built as a Ducato it doesn't wish to be a motorhome... So anything better than a tent counts...
We've moved up from a T5, and are trying to keep a similar ethos i.e. wide open side door, shortish (5.5m), open interior without any corridor feel.
However we also wanted a wide N-S bed, good kitchen area, decent table, loads of easy access storage. And a shower, though more for emergency use than daily routine.
I've not seen all of this in any other van before: so here goes. [warning : lots of finishing still to be done - this post is about innovation not a beauty show. It's also a low roof, which were happy with as we're both shortish, and Jan doesn't like big vans!]

Front platform with a trick

Shower tray and half an enclosure. The other half is shower curtain.

Multifunctional back end is more of a single concept. Extra shelves / units will probably get done at some point.
It's state is generally as rush completion for a foray to Spain in June, 5-6 months after starting, so till raw wood and steel showing.
This was probably 3 times harder than putting fixed boxes in a big bus!

2 piece bed, 4'6 wide with extra elbow room, 5" thick memory foam on slats. Ready in c20secs

On Sevel van there's 300mm for mini kitchen. Fold down flap for work top, still works in bed mode.

Under the bed there's oodles of storage in industrial quality crates. 55L water in ISO containers

the platform allows for a full height potti under a automotive chair. (Cit Picasso)

DIY seat base fabrication also holds toilet and batteries down. Seat belts TBC.View attachment 5534B&Q rail in roof for ad hoc curtain for privacy on loo, changing etc.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I'd got fed up with in-built sat nav and had taken to using Google maps, but I wanted to see it on a decent size screen, not just on my wife's little phone.

So after much trial and error I found an iPad holder which is designed to fit in the CD slot of a CD/radio player, and which I found I could wedge in the otherwise useless clipboard holder that came with the van.

I think it looks like a Merc now. But then I'm easily impressed....View attachment 5518

View attachment 5519

I've seen those mounts but I use the CD player so never tried one but they looked a bit flimsy and I thought they might damage the player

 

[MarkJ]

I thought they might damage the player

Yes, I'm not sure I'd want it in mine (if I had one).

It's not really flimsy though. I was expecting it to be all wibbly wobbly but it's not.

 

[Dowel]

@Squiffy

From post #2
The other innovation I've used is tile edging to hide the edge of stretch carpet on doors etc.

That sounds interesting:
Any sort of tile edging?
How is it fixed to the van body, glues or screws?
Can the edging be bent to follow the curves of, for example, the corners of doors etc?