What are you doing to your van ready for the forthcoming season?

wildebus

Forum Member
Time flies - and our 'parole' date will come sooner than you expect - so what have you got to do to get ready for some touring?

Some of the things I want to get sorted.... (and if I don't get on with it, might not be done it time :( )

  • Fit the Air Assist suspension kit I bought last year
  • Get Weight Uprated to 3850kg (I can go upto 3700 with the new tyres fitted last October, but really want 3850 which needs the Air Assist (which will make the handling better anyway, so worth adding regardless))
  • Fit a TPMS System. The Windscreen Blind system makes it a bit tricky finding one with a neat & tidy display, so I think I am going to go for one which connects to the Android-based dash radio rather than one with a separate display unit.
  • Solar Panels. Got a 3-panel array to build up and install.
  • Fit a Dash Cam System. Got a nice unit I had in my T5, moved to the LT and now removed ready for installing on the Autotrail (just need to get it done!)
  • Fit a Fresh Water drinking system. Got a good sized underslung water tank, but think it would be nicer to have a smaller container that can be easily sanitised and refilled easily with fresh water when needed. Plan is to have a dedicated tap fitted by the sink
  • Add Curtains. Not an urgent thing, but having actual curtains that can be fully drawn over the windows (rather than the existing decorative ones) would be nice. just a matter of decided how to do it and making the curtains (got some my mum made for me back in 1995 when I moved to a new place and be nice to repurpose them and have them back in use).
  • Complete the Bar revamp 🍸🍷 Echos of Jack & Vera maybe (Corrie for anyone unfamiliar with the couple) to add a bit of fun. Being a Bar, this really needs to be done before making any touring trips! :D
  • Shelving for cupboards. Picked up some wood ages ago to add some shelves to the overhead cupboards to make more flexible.
Not sure if there are any other specific jobs, but no doubt some will come to light!

Update:
Another one I forgot ....
  • Fit Lagun swivel table mount. Two parts to that one ... Decide where to fit the mount to make it as flexible as possible; and get/make a table top to fit to it.
Oh, and another I am not sure if I will do or not .... Fit Chinese diesel heater as a backup/alternate heat source. I have a brand new heater sitting in a box without a current need so thinking "why not?". So maybe wait until all the other jobs are out the way :)

Update:
Work carried out striked out :)
 
Last edited:
Bouydog

Bouydog

Forum Member
Next job for me is to construct a platform to carry my bike on the back.
Bought this yesterday after much searching with the main criteria being 150kg or less and enough grunt for two up.
Honda cl400 Japanese domestic market only when produced.

20210329_105519.jpg
 
Tookey

Tookey

Forum Member
Install new shower and walls, PV system, water tank and mounting jerry cans. I'm a fair weather worker and living in the Pennines not much has been done for months!
 
Nabsim

Nabsim

Forum Member
I need to sort out cameras, reversing camera packed in just into New Year and so far not got a replacement working. Not sure if power cable I am trying to use is suffering from being too small for too far but not powering up in situ. Should have some new cable end of this week/start of next week so will get back to it then.
I am wanting to add some kind of cctv as well but can’t decide what/how or even if it is worth doing anyway. For once I quite liked gadget John’s solution.
 

wildebus

Forum Member
Nabsim said:
I need to sort out cameras, reversing camera packed in just into New Year and so far not got a replacement working. Not sure if power cable I am trying to use is suffering from being too small for too far but not powering up in situ. Should have some new cable end of this week/start of next week so will get back to it then.
I am wanting to add some kind of cctv as well but can’t decide what/how or even if it is worth doing anyway. For once I quite liked gadget John’s solution.
Click to expand...
Not sure what GJ has ref CCTV. I noticed Darran the UH has CCTV and his setup looked quite neat - and likely to have got the same as GJ.

I quite like the idea of CCTV but I think (IMO) you need on-board mobile wifi for CCTV to be of real value.
I have a "Blink" camera (https://amzn.to/3rEUvaE) in mine which I think it nice. doesn't cover outside at all but it does cover the hab door, gets activated by motion and has a good field of vison and a night mode.
 
Nabsim

Nabsim

Forum Member
I have onboard wifi so that side is covered okay. I looked at Darrens setup first then checked out GJ yesterday. Darren uses a ‘proper’ cctv setup where GJ has a setup maybe half the price with no onboard recording. Just a web connected camera pointed at the monitor to broadcast/save on the net. Was the cameras I liked the look of in GJ’s option. I am more for seeing what’s happening outside while I am in the van rather than for monitoring when away from it, that’s just a bonus
 

wildebus

Forum Member
I like the idea of saving onto a cloud account as local video storage may not be that useful if broken into and vehicle stolen/CCT HDD taken, plus you get a notification of any activity sent to your phone.
 
Greggbear67

Greggbear67

Forum Member
Just in the process of fitting 200w of solar on a homemade roofrack. Also want to fit my wireless reversing camera kit. Already changed my sink unit for a wooden worktop & round sink. Also looking at a small domestic fridge for under the sink unit
 
Tookey

Tookey

Forum Member
With regards to doing litre markings on it if the markings are in the middle does this mean it is still accurate what ever the left/right slope is? I know markings wont take into account front/back slope but I suspect I can't do anything about this but does this mean any measurement markings are too inaccurate to bother in your opinion?
 
Last edited:

wildebus

Forum Member
Tookey said:
With regards to doing litre markings on it if the markings are in the middle does this mean it is still accurate what ever the left/right slope is? I know markings wont take into account front/back slope but I suspect I can't do anything about this but does this mean any measurement markings are too inaccurate to bother in your opinion?
Click to expand...
A very interesting point you raise there :)
I would say that your theory is right. Mark in the middle and when it is tilted, the water level in the centre will not actually change (assuming there is enough water in the tank to show up in the centre mark when tilted).

As you say, there is a left/right tilt and a front/back tilt to consider, but how much of a tilt are you likely to accept when parked up and be comfortable with? And how much would that affect the shown water level? (I'd be inclined to mock up a setup in the kitchen with a clear food container with straight sides and see the results as you tilt).

I don't recall the details but I recall watching a YouTube video of someone adapting the water tank on their RV (it was American ;)) to deal with overflows due to pressure changes on altitude and angles when driving (I guess this guy did a lot of driving up and down those big mountain ranges in the US?). Is this something you might need to think about for your setup as well? Don't want to lose water and especially not lose it inside :(
 
Tookey

Tookey

Forum Member
I agree, guessing would be ok, as markings would only take half hour to do just wondered what people thought.....

Your in the dont bother camp, that's the easiest :)
 
Tookey

Tookey

Forum Member
wildebus said:
A very interesting point you raise there :)
I would say that your theory is right. Mark in the middle and when it is tilted, the water level in the centre will not actually change (assuming there is enough water in the tank to show up in the centre mark when tilted).

As you say, there is a left/right tilt and a front/back tilt to consider, but how much of a tilt are you likely to accept when parked up and be comfortable with? And how much would that affect the shown water level? (I'd be inclined to mock up a setup in the kitchen with a clear food container with straight sides and see the results as you tilt).

I don't recall the details but I recall watching a YouTube video of someone adapting the water tank on their RV (it was American ;)) to deal with overflows due to pressure changes on altitude and angles when driving (I guess this guy did a lot of driving up and down those big mountain ranges in the US?). Is this something you might need to think about for your setup as well? Don't want to lose water and especially not lose it inside :(
Click to expand...
VERY good point!! There is no pressure valve and if I'm stressing about climbing a mountain road I am not gonna be thinking about the water tank and yes, it would be the tap that would fail.

Thank you
 
Tookey

Tookey

Forum Member
Gonna have to get my head round that.......as its sealed the pressure wont change inside and suspect tank strength should mean pressure drop outside shouldn't be a problem. Definitely to mull it over though.

Sensors, hah, not a chance!!! Permanent marker is as techy as it will get
 
SquirrellCook

SquirrellCook

Forum Member
Tookey said:
VERY good point!! There is no pressure valve and if I'm stressing about climbing a mountain road I am not gonna be thinking about the water tank and yes, it would be the tap that would fail.

Thank you
Click to expand...
Are you going to insulate the tank?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Top