Plotting and Scheming!

[linkshouse]

Readers of the Motorhomer forum will have read of my misfortune with our current motorhome and my plans to embark on a self build project.

I've been beavering away within Sketchup (way more fun and easier than real life) and here are some scenes my first stab for your critique. This model is based on the following dimensions - 3520mm long x 1790mm wide x 1930mm tall.

The wife's looking good asleep, for 64!

Regards

Phill

 

[Millie Master]

Hello Phill, I like what you have planned out above about which I suggest that you ought to consider installing some overhead lockers above both of the bed/sofa sections, my reason being that you can't have enough storage space.

And, as for your gas bottle location, that is exactly where mine is from which I have run in a refilling point to the outside wall/panel so that I can easilly refill them throughout the UK & Europe whereas of course, the refilling of stand alone cylinders is frowned on by many in the UK and is illegal in a lot of European countries.

Phil

 

[linkshouse]

Hello Phill, I like what you have planned out above about which I suggest that you ought to consider installing some overhead lockers above both of the bed/sofa sections, my reason being that you can't have enough storage space.

And, as for your gas bottle location, that is exactly where mine is from which I have run in a refilling point to the outside wall/panel so that I can easilly refill them throughout the UK & Europe whereas of course, the refilling of stand alone cylinders is frowned on by many in the UK and is illegal in a lot of European countries.

Phil

Ha ha well spotted about the overhead lockers, it will have those, I just jumped the gun in sharing my progress so far.

I’m really pleased to hear about your gas bottle location as my location was going to be on of the specific questions I intended to ask.

I didn’t know you could refill the bottles. How does that setup work?

Phill

 

[Millie Master]

I didn’t know you could refill the bottles. How does that setup work?
Phill

Phill it all depends as to which make of gas bottle you have, if they are refillable ones then with most of them it is a simple matter to fit a panel mounted refilling point.

Because my build was always intended to be as ultralightweight as I could build, I decided to only have a single refillable 7.5kg Safefill glassfibre cylinder that normally you can't refill in situ, however I made contact with the boss of Gasit and together we came up with a design/method that is both ultra safe as well as allowing me the luxury of refilling anywhere I travel, whereas of course throughout the UK stand alone refillable cylinders are quite often frowned upon and over in France and a few other European countries it is illegal to fit them.

If I had my time again, because of the above problem with the otherwise brilliant Safefill product, I would opt to fit an Alugas (aluminium) cylinder which come with a double entry to the cylinder, hence no modifications have to be made, all you need to do is buy the proper kit for them, these cylinders are available from https://www.autogasshop.co.uk/alugas-lightweight-alloy-bottles-111-c.asp.
Or if you are not bothered by weight then go for a steel refillable cylinder from the amazingly helpful Gasit company https://www.gasit.co.uk/

Or if you want to free up some more space for the all important storage space that you will so dearly need, then you can always fit an underslung gas tank which yet again can be purchased from Gasit.

As for buying Gas to fill your cylinders, I believe you might be able to buy it from J&W Tait Ltd. Hatson Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. KW15 1RE

I hope this helps, oh and by the way, you might not need to fit two cylinders as if you can refill them there isn't all that need to waste the space.

Phil

 

[trevskoda]

Ditch the m/wave and fit a small gas oven from go outdoors.
Runs on small cannisters at £1 each,can be refilled.

 

[Nabsim]

Plus one on microwave. Don’t think I have used ours three times in over eighteen months and then it was to soften the butter. I don’t have an oven and don’t really miss it but it would be better to swap an oven for the grill I have I think for most folks.

 

[wildebus]

Plus one on microwave. Don’t think I have used ours three times in over eighteen months and then it was to soften the butter. I don’t have an oven and don’t really miss it but it would be better to swap an oven for the grill I have I think for most folks.

I have wondered how full-time motorhomers manage without an oven. It is something that is not used everyday by any means but to have no oven at all long-term? Or in reality, is the oven actually replaced by something that is not called an "oven" (maybe a Remoska?) but does the same thing (so they DO have an oven in fact?).

Interesting comment on the Grill, Neil. I can't remember the last time I used a grill

 

[Millie Master]

I can't remember the last time I used a grill

SWMBO uses our grill quite often if for nothing else, to warm the plates or bowls as well as of course to make the toast.

As for a microwave, at home we use ours a lot but when away over the past 30+ years we have never found the need for one and for that matter neither do we have an oven and the last item was deleted during our build purely because of the lack of space.

Phil

 

[wildebus]

funnily enough, about 5 minutes after saying couldn't remember last time we used a grill we ...... used a grill

Warmed up some belinis for lunch

 

[Nabsim]

I can cook everything I have wanted on the hob Dave, have a ridgemonkey for pizza and other stuff. Use the grill for potato cakes, crumpets toast etc. Sometimes toast in ridgemonkey though. I do have the oven pan for the cadaver but not used it yet

 

[linkshouse]

Ditch the m/wave and fit a small gas oven from go outdoors.
Runs on small cannisters at £1 each,can be refilled.

There is an oven in the layout, under the hob.

The Hymer we have now just had the hob when we got it - no grill, no oven. We're partial to the odd pie and occasional ready meals when we get to peruse the big supermarkets "down south" so we added a microwave to the van (along with improved battery bank and solar panel).

We do miss not having an oven or grill though and that is why I've added one to this layout. I suppose with that in place we could probably lose the microwave, but then we have it anyway.

The oven you mention is only for outdoor use. Now if I was wanting to "sneak" it into an existing layout I might be tempted anyway but as I am laying out from scratch, so to speak, I might as well go the whole hog and fit a "proper" oven.

 

[ScoTTyBEEE]

I used the oven in my van twice in 1.5 years for pizza (burnt, twice). Used the grill once.
Hob and one pot recipes/ridgemonkeyt is the way to go. Outside BBQ if there's a few of you.
Check out the Omina, oven on a hob. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000YLJQ5U/?coliid=I20PRF9EX3QXCI&colid=1N3AD4NQAF037&psc=1

 

[Millie Master]

I must admit that I have the singularly most amazingly capable chef for a SWMBO and she does almost all of our cooking from fresh meals in a 10" wok it is of course, easy to use, easy to wash and very easy to store.

Phil

 

[trevskoda]

Cooked 40 years of my life at home with a m/wave,so getting used to a gas oven and 2 ring hob will take time,seems like going back to being a cave man.
No one that i know bakes or cooks the old way here now,most just call in to yuck lins or jolly fryer here on way home from work,our next door folk eat out of chinkys ever night.

 

[linkshouse]

Cooked 40 years of my life at home with a m/wave,so getting used to a gas oven and 2 ring hob will take time,seems like going back to being a cave man.
No one that i know bakes or cooks the old way here now,most just call in to yuck lins or jolly fryer here on way home from work,our next door folk eat out of chinkys ever night.

The chippy here is only open two nights a week.

 

[Millie Master]

Apart from us both having long pockets and short arms, neither of us actually enjoy eating out all that often, even when away, the main reason being that the vast majority of the time the quality and flavour of bought food is seldom anywhere close to what we can prepare either at home or when away in 'Millie'.

 

[SquirrellCook]

We have a full size domestic cooker and wouldn’t be without it. I had caravan stuff when I lived in the back of a lorry, glad to be shot of it. Grill and oven in use now cooking my breakfast.

 

[trevskoda]

The chippy here is only open two nights a week.

Must be a lot of hungry folk where you are,chinky shut xmas day here open next day to a cue of cars 5 miles long.

 

[trevskoda]

We have a full size domestic cooker and wouldn’t be without it. I had caravan stuff when I lived in the back of a lorry, glad to be shot of it. Grill and oven in use now cooking my breakfast.

How do you cook porridge in a oven.

 

[trevskoda]

Apart from us both having long pockets and short arms, neither of us actually enjoy eating out all that often, even when away, the main reason being that the vast majority of the time the quality and flavour of bought food is seldom anywhere close to what we can prepare either at home or when away in 'Millie'.View attachment 1916

Love the pink sea worms.