Well the last 2 days have been interesting....or rather frustrating.
The garage did an MOT test, which has effectively killed my van... but not yet as the current MOT lasts until November. For £60, I now have a list of defects. It included brake discs, pads and pipes, wipers, lights etc but they also found structural corrosion at the rear suspension, which is apparently far too complicated/expensive/pain-in-the-arse to fix on such a van. I have been assured that it is not bad enough to be a safety concern, just that its not worth putting it through another test. They didnt bother fixing anything at all... So, options are...
1- I can scrap the van for £300 and start again with the searching for another van, budget maximum £1300 (I did find a lovely green LDV for £850 but its in middle-england-shire, and to be honest, the thought of starting all over again with another unknown...well it isn't pleasant! I could be no further forward with another cheap van... the AA would do a vehicle inspection for £190, but that plus costs to get there and drive it back would leave me with no spare cash for unforeseens.
2- Give-up the whole thing and have a wee holiday! :)
3- Spend a fortune getting this van able to travel europe.
4- Spend a couple of hundred pound replacing brakes, broken pulley etc and use this van for the summer, scrapping it in November when its test runs out.
Option 4, on balance is my favourite....Im still hopeful that the house will sell soon, which ups my budget for the base van, I was already making all the fittings demountable and can happily continue doing so (with or without a van) And I (and Archie) get to spend the summer practicing van life....Down side is theres nothing to say that more and more isn't going to break down, and I just keep having to buy parts to keep it running... would probably also be wise to join the AA! And if on the off chance I happen to find a good looking welder, capable of being corrupted by flirting, it may get a 2nd innings...but more likely I'll have to find a better van to do Europe...
Anyway, I have a sofa to build tomorrow (its quite a bit narrower than the van making it easily traferred to a new van when required. I also need to board up the window a bit more neatly, and tidy up the bodywork as best I can...no more money will be spent making this van pretty!
I also managed to blag an old ice machine from work, which is made out of 2mm steel, about the size of an industrial washing machine, so should be able to get enough metal to build a gas locker... And I've even been offered a free (used) leisure battery, so between that and the old van battery I reackon I have enough power for now (if the van moves occasionally that is!)
Going to call an old friend tomorrow to ask if he'll take a look at the van, there are a few problems that haven't been addressed yet, like the van doesnt seem to be earthed properly (battery draining) and the suspension still isn't playing nice etc...I would value an opinion from one I trust...
Costs £995.50 Carried forward
£ 60.00 Garage
£1055.50
Thursday 28 April 2011
Tuesday 26 April 2011
Do we really want to know the future?
Good stuff and bad stuff today... Got the bed fixed tight and almost finished, well finished enough to throw an air matress and sleeping bag on and be quite happy (did take a pic but the camera battery died, I'll hunt for charger tomorrow)... Dan tidied up the cab and put all the door panels back on (door shuts now.... abracadabra!....still doesn't lock with the very expensive key/fob thingy!) So we happily went to the local industrial estate for a practice drive before dropping it off at the garage. I decided to keep the garage appointment as the compressor for the suspension doesnt shut off, so thought it best be looked at, turns out that was a very wise move, a few creaks, a crack followed by loss of power steering and a wee pile of 'bits' left on the road.... the power steering pulley had snaped in 2... Got it to the garage and left them a very nice note explaining (Im sure I will be the butt of their jokes tomorrow, but I dont care) and Im now hoping that all can be rectified simply and of course cheaply.... Shall find out in the future! :)
Costs £970.50 Carried forward
£ 25 Hydrolic fluid (I forgot to add this a few days ago)
£995.50....... I must spend a fiver tomorrow to cross the half way mark...
....ha ha of course I will, the van is in the garage....
....for a moment I forgot they will want paying!
Costs £970.50 Carried forward
£ 25 Hydrolic fluid (I forgot to add this a few days ago)
£995.50....... I must spend a fiver tomorrow to cross the half way mark...
....ha ha of course I will, the van is in the garage....
....for a moment I forgot they will want paying!
Sunday 24 April 2011
Happy van, Happy girl!
Just a quick update before work.... Had a miserable week with flat batteries, and doors not closing, and mechanics that don't wake before 4pm....
Managed to borrow a charger last night and this afternoon the van started nicely for Adrian, but even better....the suspension works! Had arranged for it to go into the expensive garage on Wednesday, now I can spend the money on diesel and take the van (and Archie) on its debut camping trip (Ive booked the weekend off). Dan had tied off a lose air pipe (suggested 3 weeks ago, done yesterday!) but we couldn't check it without the battery being charged...
I've ordered a new battery anyway, the old one can be a back-up for the electrics in the van...
Happy Days!
Costs £885.50 Carried Forward
£ 85 battery
£970.50
Oh! Almost half way to spending my funds,but I'm happy!
Managed to borrow a charger last night and this afternoon the van started nicely for Adrian, but even better....the suspension works! Had arranged for it to go into the expensive garage on Wednesday, now I can spend the money on diesel and take the van (and Archie) on its debut camping trip (Ive booked the weekend off). Dan had tied off a lose air pipe (suggested 3 weeks ago, done yesterday!) but we couldn't check it without the battery being charged...
I've ordered a new battery anyway, the old one can be a back-up for the electrics in the van...
Happy Days!
Costs £885.50 Carried Forward
£ 85 battery
£970.50
Oh! Almost half way to spending my funds,but I'm happy!
Thursday 21 April 2011
Fed up!
Not having a great week, to be expected occasionally I'm sure, but going backwards instead of forwards.
Power steering pump has arrived and is the correct one, but not fited yet (not sure why, by thats to be expected too when you use your son as your mechanic!) And now the battery is flat and doesnt seem to want to take a charge or a jump start. I am thoroughly grateful for the help I get with the mechanics (as I'm very aware how little I know) but it all goes so very slow.
I've bitten the bullet and booked the van into a garage to have a look at the suspension, and of course the only garage in town with ramps big enough is the most expensive one. But at least I should get an answer, and I can still hope that its something silly and won't make the whole project financially unfeasible with this van (please don't send me back to square 1!).
I remebered what else I bought last week, as it arrived along with the distibution board... its my hob and grill :) £21.50 including delivery, from ebay. Its as old as I am but looks rather good in a retro kinda way, needs a bit of TLC and is unfortunalty white while the oven is cream but one cannot complain when the whole lot cost £51.50! Now I need to build a housing for them, get gas bottle/s and build gas locker, get manifold, pipes, connections etc, make a hole in floor for venting gas bottles, find someone to connect the gas and possibly service the appliances and I should have full cooking facilities. It all sounds very easy until you actually start doing it :) Where do you buy sheet metal from? (lining of cooker housing and gas locker) Will a regular plumber be willing to connect the gas? What gas (propane or butane) should I be getting or does it matter? It all adds up to many hours reading books and forums, before consulting trade websites and ebay to find the 'bits' that I've just learned I need!
All this stress and angst is completely my own fault, of course! :) I know that, I'm in no hurry and the van is not required at the moment but I want to take it away next weekend and the stuff stopping me doing that, is stuff that I cant do myself. I so dislike not being in control. I've also tentatively booked a place on a meet with the SBMCC in Scarborough, early May as its relatively close to York where the double passenger seat is... I feel daft enough going to the meet with the van barely started, but it at least has to actually go! Would be good to see what others have done before I get too entrenched.
Costs £864 Carried forward
£ 21.50 Hob and grill
£885.50
Power steering pump has arrived and is the correct one, but not fited yet (not sure why, by thats to be expected too when you use your son as your mechanic!) And now the battery is flat and doesnt seem to want to take a charge or a jump start. I am thoroughly grateful for the help I get with the mechanics (as I'm very aware how little I know) but it all goes so very slow.
I've bitten the bullet and booked the van into a garage to have a look at the suspension, and of course the only garage in town with ramps big enough is the most expensive one. But at least I should get an answer, and I can still hope that its something silly and won't make the whole project financially unfeasible with this van (please don't send me back to square 1!).
I remebered what else I bought last week, as it arrived along with the distibution board... its my hob and grill :) £21.50 including delivery, from ebay. Its as old as I am but looks rather good in a retro kinda way, needs a bit of TLC and is unfortunalty white while the oven is cream but one cannot complain when the whole lot cost £51.50! Now I need to build a housing for them, get gas bottle/s and build gas locker, get manifold, pipes, connections etc, make a hole in floor for venting gas bottles, find someone to connect the gas and possibly service the appliances and I should have full cooking facilities. It all sounds very easy until you actually start doing it :) Where do you buy sheet metal from? (lining of cooker housing and gas locker) Will a regular plumber be willing to connect the gas? What gas (propane or butane) should I be getting or does it matter? It all adds up to many hours reading books and forums, before consulting trade websites and ebay to find the 'bits' that I've just learned I need!
All this stress and angst is completely my own fault, of course! :) I know that, I'm in no hurry and the van is not required at the moment but I want to take it away next weekend and the stuff stopping me doing that, is stuff that I cant do myself. I so dislike not being in control. I've also tentatively booked a place on a meet with the SBMCC in Scarborough, early May as its relatively close to York where the double passenger seat is... I feel daft enough going to the meet with the van barely started, but it at least has to actually go! Would be good to see what others have done before I get too entrenched.
Costs £864 Carried forward
£ 21.50 Hob and grill
£885.50
Monday 18 April 2011
I blame Aesop!
Havent done any work on the van today, except numerous phone calls...yawn!
PAS pump is ordered, £74 (why I dont know, the quote I got from them was for almost £100, but I bit my tongue and didnt argue the point).
Man with double seat (£60 on ebay) quoted anther £60 for delivery, think a trip to York might be in order....well Im half planning a trip to Scarborough early May anyway so this might make it worthwhile.
Called Autoglass, and they left me with a dilema.... I can get the side window replaced for £75 excess on my insurance, but.... it seems wrong to claim for something that was broken when I bought it, I'd have to lie about how it broke, kinda, and I dont like lying. although I know that insurance companies are the biggest legal crooks going (closely followed by bankers and estate agents!) my principles should still remain, regardless of what other people do/would do.... looks like Im paying full price for the window!
Note to parents of young children - reading Aesops Fables to your child, seriously damages their ability to function in modern life!
Costs - £790 carried forward
£74 power steering pump
£864
PAS pump is ordered, £74 (why I dont know, the quote I got from them was for almost £100, but I bit my tongue and didnt argue the point).
Man with double seat (£60 on ebay) quoted anther £60 for delivery, think a trip to York might be in order....well Im half planning a trip to Scarborough early May anyway so this might make it worthwhile.
Called Autoglass, and they left me with a dilema.... I can get the side window replaced for £75 excess on my insurance, but.... it seems wrong to claim for something that was broken when I bought it, I'd have to lie about how it broke, kinda, and I dont like lying. although I know that insurance companies are the biggest legal crooks going (closely followed by bankers and estate agents!) my principles should still remain, regardless of what other people do/would do.... looks like Im paying full price for the window!
Note to parents of young children - reading Aesops Fables to your child, seriously damages their ability to function in modern life!
Costs - £790 carried forward
£74 power steering pump
£864
Friday 15 April 2011
And the day is done...
How much did I want to get done today? Aspirations always excede reality! And it'll will be over a week before I can get back to it!.... but I almost have a bed :) Nothing is actually fixed to the van yet, but I plan to use the flooring rails to bolt the finished units to, along with fixing at high level to the walls.... this means that the units have to be solid, independantly (like free standing furniture)... I also have to decide (or buy) batteries and gas bottles... I only need to know what size they are, but its easier if you have them on hand to make sure they can be accessed properly when complete... this has to be right before I glue the joints in the units, in case adjustments are required. So it all means frustration at not getting on quicker, I've only been patient for a decade, so another year will be easy-peasy!
It even looks like a bed, and cost nothing :) (except 2 days)
I have designed (in my head) the kitchen corner now, a cup of coffee and a smoke, after tidying up, solved that one... I didn't think too much about it before as I wasn't sure what size the appliances would be nor had I decided on the services, now I have the oven, sink and water tanks in the van, makes it much easier to visualise how things fit together. I also think I can have a slightly bigger shower than I thought. I have great ideas for storage in many of the nooks-and-crannies, but I'm not sure I can actually execute them... I'm gonna try anyway!
Didn't spend anything today, never left the van :)
Thursday 14 April 2011
Go away life, Im busy!
Again I feel like I've achieved nothing, but that isn't true... tomorrow will be the assembly of the small mountain of wood that was painstakingly cut today. I also found a unwanted pine wardrobe in Adrians garage :) which will very soon become the base of the fixed bed, it even has a slot in exactly the right place to take the edge of the fold down ply (that probably doesnt make sense yet, but it will very soon). No need to learn how to use the unused, 2 year old, router, yet! Why these things scare me I'll never work out, once I do use it, I'll love it! I like playing with wood, so all is well in van-world. Would be nice to have a few more hours, but I have more freedom than many on this venture so I'd better not complain. Another whole day tomorrow, hopefully.
A whole day? Thats never true, stopping every 10 mins to rescue Archie from whatever misadventure he's discovered, is distracting... he discovered a large black bee today, was he confused by this fluffy, buzzy thing he'd found?...he tried playing with it but just covered it with drool, preventing it from flying... I like bee's (well, I think they are important...I don't like them enough to pick one up!), so of course I then spent half an hour playing football with Archie, to stop him eating the poor thing, until it found shelter.
My cheap sink is getting more expensive, cost £8 for a plug hole kit, but even proper sinks dont have this part included, so I suppose its ok.
The plumbing stuff I ordered yesterday arrived this afternoon! (Well done, rainbow conversions!) Why delivery companies make so much fuss about delivering up here is beyond me, we may be 3 hours north of Edinburgh but we do have roads and trucks. I dont know if Ive mentioned this, but the company I can get a window from (centre side window) is charging £55 for the window, £15 for a fixing kit and £50 for delivery! Im reluctant to order it, but more reluctant to spend van-hours on the phone to scrappies, so I stay in limbo. As with the power steering pump, I haven't ordered yet (£55 again, with £20 delivery) And the double front seat in York that I should buy from ebay, but would have to organise a courier....I really hate phoning folk, its one of the reasons I want to wander off aimlessly, no postal address, no official phone number... :)
I'd like to take the van away 'camping' just to get a feel for sleeping in it, but its daft doing that until I get the window fixed (not to mention bloody freezing!) The steering pump needs done before then as well as the suspension, I really should focus on these things but I'm secretly hoping Dan will do them if I keep ignoring them, he owes me hours as digs (rent) until he finds another job, and I really dont want to learn all about the parts I'm asking for (why, do scrappies always ask me questions I haven't got a clue about?) But I'm in no real hurry, I can't really leave until the house sells and there is no sign of that happening anytime soon. The weather is getting better now though, so maybe the market will pick up again.
Costs £775 carried forward
£ 8 sink plug thingy
£ 7 brackets
£790
I think I bought something else, but I cant remember what it is, I'll add it into cost when I do.
A whole day? Thats never true, stopping every 10 mins to rescue Archie from whatever misadventure he's discovered, is distracting... he discovered a large black bee today, was he confused by this fluffy, buzzy thing he'd found?...he tried playing with it but just covered it with drool, preventing it from flying... I like bee's (well, I think they are important...I don't like them enough to pick one up!), so of course I then spent half an hour playing football with Archie, to stop him eating the poor thing, until it found shelter.
My cheap sink is getting more expensive, cost £8 for a plug hole kit, but even proper sinks dont have this part included, so I suppose its ok.
The plumbing stuff I ordered yesterday arrived this afternoon! (Well done, rainbow conversions!) Why delivery companies make so much fuss about delivering up here is beyond me, we may be 3 hours north of Edinburgh but we do have roads and trucks. I dont know if Ive mentioned this, but the company I can get a window from (centre side window) is charging £55 for the window, £15 for a fixing kit and £50 for delivery! Im reluctant to order it, but more reluctant to spend van-hours on the phone to scrappies, so I stay in limbo. As with the power steering pump, I haven't ordered yet (£55 again, with £20 delivery) And the double front seat in York that I should buy from ebay, but would have to organise a courier....I really hate phoning folk, its one of the reasons I want to wander off aimlessly, no postal address, no official phone number... :)
I'd like to take the van away 'camping' just to get a feel for sleeping in it, but its daft doing that until I get the window fixed (not to mention bloody freezing!) The steering pump needs done before then as well as the suspension, I really should focus on these things but I'm secretly hoping Dan will do them if I keep ignoring them, he owes me hours as digs (rent) until he finds another job, and I really dont want to learn all about the parts I'm asking for (why, do scrappies always ask me questions I haven't got a clue about?) But I'm in no real hurry, I can't really leave until the house sells and there is no sign of that happening anytime soon. The weather is getting better now though, so maybe the market will pick up again.
Costs £775 carried forward
£ 8 sink plug thingy
£ 7 brackets
£790
I think I bought something else, but I cant remember what it is, I'll add it into cost when I do.
Wednesday 13 April 2011
To blog or not to blog?
As this blog is about the build and nothing has happened with the build, do I blog at all? Life will repeatedly interfere with this project so there will be many days of silence to come.
My bowl arrived, and Im delighted! Just need to drill a suitable hole for the waste and I have a shiny sink :) I've also decided to keep the services, just one notch above camping standards for the time being; hot water, pumps, solar panels etc, for a decent home-from-home system is out of my budget at the moment. I've ordered stuff for a simple 25lt jerry can system which will provide me with a functioning sink, albeit with only cold water at the moment...water heaters are expensive, even second hand! I would like to somehow rig up a solar water heater (simple one, with black pipe laid out on the roof of the van) which should give me warm enough water on sunny days, but is utterly useless in Winter. Camping has been my activity of choice for many years, so I think I can live with that, for now :)
The manaul I ordered for the van arrived too, but as ever technology has beaten me and I can't get the thing to load on the laptop even resorted to asking Dan to load it, but no... it will require contact with the providers to sort it out..... how I hate those calls to folk that bamboozle me with words I don't understand!
Fabric arrived too (I like this, getting parcels millarky) its ok, or it will be once it isn't lying innately in the corner and actually serves a function.
Work tonight, then (all being well) 2 whole days working on the van!... probably wont achieve much more than finishing off the sofa and bed framework. Ive almost used all the wood I took out of the van, so a timber order will be required soon... money is so easily spent, always makes me question whether its worth having :)
Oh, I'd like to mention the SBMCC... now Im not normally one for clubs or forums but I must recommend the Self Build Motor Caravanners Club, they have a wealth of information on there and are very friendly helpful people (they also give a discount from many suppliers).
Costs £706 carried forward
£69 water/waste tanks, pumps, filter, switch etc (rainbow conversions)
£775
My bowl arrived, and Im delighted! Just need to drill a suitable hole for the waste and I have a shiny sink :) I've also decided to keep the services, just one notch above camping standards for the time being; hot water, pumps, solar panels etc, for a decent home-from-home system is out of my budget at the moment. I've ordered stuff for a simple 25lt jerry can system which will provide me with a functioning sink, albeit with only cold water at the moment...water heaters are expensive, even second hand! I would like to somehow rig up a solar water heater (simple one, with black pipe laid out on the roof of the van) which should give me warm enough water on sunny days, but is utterly useless in Winter. Camping has been my activity of choice for many years, so I think I can live with that, for now :)
The manaul I ordered for the van arrived too, but as ever technology has beaten me and I can't get the thing to load on the laptop even resorted to asking Dan to load it, but no... it will require contact with the providers to sort it out..... how I hate those calls to folk that bamboozle me with words I don't understand!
Fabric arrived too (I like this, getting parcels millarky) its ok, or it will be once it isn't lying innately in the corner and actually serves a function.
Work tonight, then (all being well) 2 whole days working on the van!... probably wont achieve much more than finishing off the sofa and bed framework. Ive almost used all the wood I took out of the van, so a timber order will be required soon... money is so easily spent, always makes me question whether its worth having :)
Oh, I'd like to mention the SBMCC... now Im not normally one for clubs or forums but I must recommend the Self Build Motor Caravanners Club, they have a wealth of information on there and are very friendly helpful people (they also give a discount from many suppliers).
Costs £706 carried forward
£69 water/waste tanks, pumps, filter, switch etc (rainbow conversions)
£775
Sunday 10 April 2011
Archie
Meet Archie (as I've done nothing to the van)...
Ebay - I won an electrical distribution board for £15, new ones are almst £200....
Costs - £15 dist board
£691 carried forward
£706
Im so tempted to photoshop a cigar in place of his stick :)
I like him lots!
Ebay - I won an electrical distribution board for £15, new ones are almst £200....
Costs - £15 dist board
£691 carried forward
£706
Friday 8 April 2011
The First cut is the hardest...
So many ways to do things.... I spent most of yesterday faffing about doing anything possible other than deciding which piece of wood goes 1st...but I did build a nice little work bench, and de-nailled all the wood I removed from the van.
Today was better, I got the framework for the sofa done (batteries will be housed in here) and half the bed supports (mid height with storage beneath). I changed the detail to extend the bed to double size, mid build (never a wise move), but the original way was too complex. The spaces either side of the sofa will be wee secret (shhh...) cubby holes for odds-and-ends. Im now forming the back of the sofa with 3 layers of hinged ply which pulls up and out to sit on the worktops either side. Need to find some decent hinges and brackets tonight, well I've found plenty but I need to actually order some. Of the million websites Ive sourced stuff, I still can't find one that has everything vital. Delivery costs to the 'Highlands & Islands' can be expensive, regardless of the fact its no more difficult to get here as Aberdeen or Inverness...anyway, I try to keep my deliveries as bulked as possible.
Im taking the weekend off building, Im working Saturday and Sunday anyway...but will no doubt spend many hours trawling ebay for brackets/screws/etc. Have bearly seen my daughter since I got the van and Archie needs a good walk tomorrow, he convinced me he was bored this morning by stealing the bit of wood I'd just cut and running off round the garden. He learned to 'wave' this week, its so cute :)
Costs £30 oil and filter and rust-stuff
£13 brake switch
£15 10lt steel mixing bowl (sink)
£6 Manual (van)
£627 carried forward
£691
Today was better, I got the framework for the sofa done (batteries will be housed in here) and half the bed supports (mid height with storage beneath). I changed the detail to extend the bed to double size, mid build (never a wise move), but the original way was too complex. The spaces either side of the sofa will be wee secret (shhh...) cubby holes for odds-and-ends. Im now forming the back of the sofa with 3 layers of hinged ply which pulls up and out to sit on the worktops either side. Need to find some decent hinges and brackets tonight, well I've found plenty but I need to actually order some. Of the million websites Ive sourced stuff, I still can't find one that has everything vital. Delivery costs to the 'Highlands & Islands' can be expensive, regardless of the fact its no more difficult to get here as Aberdeen or Inverness...anyway, I try to keep my deliveries as bulked as possible.
Im taking the weekend off building, Im working Saturday and Sunday anyway...but will no doubt spend many hours trawling ebay for brackets/screws/etc. Have bearly seen my daughter since I got the van and Archie needs a good walk tomorrow, he convinced me he was bored this morning by stealing the bit of wood I'd just cut and running off round the garden. He learned to 'wave' this week, its so cute :)
Costs £30 oil and filter and rust-stuff
£13 brake switch
£15 10lt steel mixing bowl (sink)
£6 Manual (van)
£627 carried forward
£691
Wednesday 6 April 2011
How much?!?!
Achieved lots of negatives today...
1. I now know that I dont really need a 2nd key for the van, since they cost at least £150! For one key! The single key I do have which opens every door except the drivers door (Im giving this prank to the April fools day purchase!) detaches itself from the fob-thingy, that is meant to work the central locking (if only it had a functioning battery). I have been informed that the fob-thingy also tells the immobiliser that Im allowed to start the engine. Therefore, I already own one very important fob-thingy (what a lucky girl I am...ha ha) So, instead of buying a new key at a ridiculous price, Im going to develop a form of OCD about keys.
2. I (well Dan, my son has to take credit for this one) also discovered that, I don't really need to access the van via the drivers door (What a pain in the neck that is gonna be!). As the little plastic thingy....have you worked out that Im not mechanically minded yet?...anyhow, the little plastic thingy that allows the drivers door to be unlocked and locked from the outside, with the very expensive key/fob-thingy, is missing: but in order to replace the plastic thingy, I would have to purchase a new lock barrel, specifically designed around my very expensive key/fob-thingy! That really isnt going to happen. So, I'm considering redesigning my entire layout, to make access from rear of van to drivers seat much more convienient, therefore giving myself an outside chance of not looking a complete pratt shuffling in through the passenger door to start the van. Heres hoping that a bit of fiddling by Dan with some wire can solve the problem.
3. I discovered that shopping in Inverness is not time efficient, cost efficient, enjoyable, or even worthwhile. I am intending purchasing everything possible online, from here in. We went to Halfords today, and were forcably tortured for the entire visit by having Jeremy Vine's wingeing moaners show blasted through the entire store! Went to 'Reid's Nuts and Bolts', for bolts (obvious enough?) they didn't do the kind of bolts I was looking for!...is it me?....haha Fortunately the guy at Renault was so very nice, and almost apologetic about the cost of a key, that I can honestly say that was the best shopping experience I had today...£150 for a key!
4. £20 ovens, need lots of cleaning. (I had expected this of course)
5. The van came with various anonomous switches, one of which cuts the electrics and engine (mentioned previously) I actually think this is a very useful security feature, as it prohibits anyone starting the engine without knowing how to reset it. However, when the van is occupied by a 7 month old puppy, the location of said switch should not be 6 inches off the floor! Must design a cover.
Enough doom and gloom, tomorrow I build! Comfort is very important to me as I intend to spend a long time in the van, so Im using the cushions off my existing sofa (which I love!) These are bigger than normal camper cushions so the van is essentially designed around them. By Saturdays pub shift, I'll have a comfy sofa in my van....the kids aren't impressed by the sofa base they have been left with at home!
I'd do costs tomorrow as its late.
1. I now know that I dont really need a 2nd key for the van, since they cost at least £150! For one key! The single key I do have which opens every door except the drivers door (Im giving this prank to the April fools day purchase!) detaches itself from the fob-thingy, that is meant to work the central locking (if only it had a functioning battery). I have been informed that the fob-thingy also tells the immobiliser that Im allowed to start the engine. Therefore, I already own one very important fob-thingy (what a lucky girl I am...ha ha) So, instead of buying a new key at a ridiculous price, Im going to develop a form of OCD about keys.
2. I (well Dan, my son has to take credit for this one) also discovered that, I don't really need to access the van via the drivers door (What a pain in the neck that is gonna be!). As the little plastic thingy....have you worked out that Im not mechanically minded yet?...anyhow, the little plastic thingy that allows the drivers door to be unlocked and locked from the outside, with the very expensive key/fob-thingy, is missing: but in order to replace the plastic thingy, I would have to purchase a new lock barrel, specifically designed around my very expensive key/fob-thingy! That really isnt going to happen. So, I'm considering redesigning my entire layout, to make access from rear of van to drivers seat much more convienient, therefore giving myself an outside chance of not looking a complete pratt shuffling in through the passenger door to start the van. Heres hoping that a bit of fiddling by Dan with some wire can solve the problem.
3. I discovered that shopping in Inverness is not time efficient, cost efficient, enjoyable, or even worthwhile. I am intending purchasing everything possible online, from here in. We went to Halfords today, and were forcably tortured for the entire visit by having Jeremy Vine's wingeing moaners show blasted through the entire store! Went to 'Reid's Nuts and Bolts', for bolts (obvious enough?) they didn't do the kind of bolts I was looking for!...is it me?....haha Fortunately the guy at Renault was so very nice, and almost apologetic about the cost of a key, that I can honestly say that was the best shopping experience I had today...£150 for a key!
4. £20 ovens, need lots of cleaning. (I had expected this of course)
5. The van came with various anonomous switches, one of which cuts the electrics and engine (mentioned previously) I actually think this is a very useful security feature, as it prohibits anyone starting the engine without knowing how to reset it. However, when the van is occupied by a 7 month old puppy, the location of said switch should not be 6 inches off the floor! Must design a cover.
Enough doom and gloom, tomorrow I build! Comfort is very important to me as I intend to spend a long time in the van, so Im using the cushions off my existing sofa (which I love!) These are bigger than normal camper cushions so the van is essentially designed around them. By Saturdays pub shift, I'll have a comfy sofa in my van....the kids aren't impressed by the sofa base they have been left with at home!
I'd do costs tomorrow as its late.
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Aches and Angst
Been cleaning the interior all day and Im still not finished! Walls have come up great but losing the will to live, not to mention a fair few braincells, removing stickers and signs with solvent. Its very satisfying removing 'NO SMOKING' signs whilst smoking though :) Spent ages trying to remove the lockers, but failed.... try again tomorrow, it would really piss me off if they had to stay simply because I cant get the screws out without bursting the ceiling finish! They are not an efficient use of space and are positioned exactly where I'll bang my head on them while in bed, which will never do!
Ebay won again today, Spent £70 on fabric, for blinds/curtains/storage etc. Tomorrow, an expensive trip to Inverness for bits and bobs.
Im concerned there might not be a lot, or even any insulation behind the fibreglass interior (cant see any through the numerous fitting openings), but its too valuable to me, in time and standard of finish, to remove at this point. Im thinking that lined curtains may be required to improve heat loss, with some kind of light penetrating blinds, for privacy without darkness. Will decide once fabric arrives :)
Dan and Adrian have been checking brakes/lights and fiddling with dodgy door handles etc all day... Van is now filled with little bundles of screws and facing panels.... I pressume they know where to put them back :/
Costs - £70 fabric
£557 Carried forward
£627
Ebay won again today, Spent £70 on fabric, for blinds/curtains/storage etc. Tomorrow, an expensive trip to Inverness for bits and bobs.
Im concerned there might not be a lot, or even any insulation behind the fibreglass interior (cant see any through the numerous fitting openings), but its too valuable to me, in time and standard of finish, to remove at this point. Im thinking that lined curtains may be required to improve heat loss, with some kind of light penetrating blinds, for privacy without darkness. Will decide once fabric arrives :)
Dan and Adrian have been checking brakes/lights and fiddling with dodgy door handles etc all day... Van is now filled with little bundles of screws and facing panels.... I pressume they know where to put them back :/
Costs - £70 fabric
£557 Carried forward
£627
Monday 4 April 2011
Sunday 3 April 2011
Pics and plans
Sunday morning...well my mornings start around noon, thanks to finishing work at 1am. Mothers day today, No 1 child (21) is out in the stormy Highland rain/sleet playing at a hockey match, No 2 (18)child is serving breakfast to the esteemed guests at a local hotel. Archie is chewing a floor brush.
Wanted to upload pics of the van (Im thinking he may be called 'Lance' but seem to call him 'chuggalug' whenever I drive him :)) Anyway following pics are the interior of the van as I bought him. Last owner had plans to use it as a motorcross day van, hence the heavy duty OSB boarding (and broken window... motorbike handlebars + right hand turn = smashed window). I'll be removing all of this as its too heavy for my plans, and of course not where i want it to be.
My bed will run across the van at the back (I so appreciate being smaller, 5' 2" on a good day) I couldnt stand having to shift cushions around twice a day to get to bed, so a fixed made-up single bed will be fitted (just below the bottom of the windows with storage beneath), with the ability to extend this down the van to make a full length double bed, when required...never know why this might be required ;)
To help reduce weight (this is important although before I get the van weighed the payload numbers mean little to me) Im not planning fixed wooden units at high level, but rails with canvas bags hanging, these are mainly for clothes, linen and knicknaks. Not seen anyone else do this, Im sure the flaw will become apparent in time, but as yet I like the idea.
If anyone knows what all the switches dials are for, please let me know....appart from the 'cut off everything' switch Dan discovered (Did he get a fright!) the rest seem to do nothing...
Work begins tomorrow with a thorough clean and proper measurement/parts survey.
Costs Carried Forward £557 (nothing spent today :))
Wanted to upload pics of the van (Im thinking he may be called 'Lance' but seem to call him 'chuggalug' whenever I drive him :)) Anyway following pics are the interior of the van as I bought him. Last owner had plans to use it as a motorcross day van, hence the heavy duty OSB boarding (and broken window... motorbike handlebars + right hand turn = smashed window). I'll be removing all of this as its too heavy for my plans, and of course not where i want it to be.
I've decided to build all of the fittings out of the van, and fix to the van as complete units thus allowing them to be removed and fitted into a new van if the need arises. Im not overly confident at the 200K + mileage, nor my mechanical or indeed driving skills! In the event of the base van dying, I would not then have to start from the begining again. It also help with insurance (minefield!) Self builders have limited choice of where to get insurance, even more limited if you want to spend most of the year on the Continent. However, once insurance is obtained, they only give you 90 days to complete the conversion. Not building the units in-situ means I can run on normal van insurance until all the units are assembled. Again, thanks a millions to Adrian, who's garage and driveway is invaluable!
All fitted units will be below window height, with the exception of behind the drivers seat, where I think I'm meant to have a solid panel anyway (stops my contents hitting me on the head, in the event of a shunt!) As mentioned yesterday, I now have a kitchen sink tap which doubles as a shower head. I do not need nor want and enclosed shower/toilet, as it will generally just be me and Archie in the van, privacy isnt a big problem. We will have to ensure any visitors are close friends though as essentially the loo will be in the Living/Kitchen area! The portapotty thingy will be housed in a box, which doubles as a seat, just behind the passenger seat. Lifting out the loo will reveal a shower tray beneath, with a curtain rig up all the shower water can be directed into the box. Siting the Kitchen sink adjacent to this seat/loo/shower box and having a high level support for the shower head, I think I can get away with only 1 water system.
My bed will run across the van at the back (I so appreciate being smaller, 5' 2" on a good day) I couldnt stand having to shift cushions around twice a day to get to bed, so a fixed made-up single bed will be fitted (just below the bottom of the windows with storage beneath), with the ability to extend this down the van to make a full length double bed, when required...never know why this might be required ;)
To help reduce weight (this is important although before I get the van weighed the payload numbers mean little to me) Im not planning fixed wooden units at high level, but rails with canvas bags hanging, these are mainly for clothes, linen and knicknaks. Not seen anyone else do this, Im sure the flaw will become apparent in time, but as yet I like the idea.
Currently the cab only has a single passenger seat, which means I only have 1 additional legal seatbelt, this will usually be enough but I can foresee the need for 2. A double seat relatively easy to procure for around £60.
If anyone knows what all the switches dials are for, please let me know....appart from the 'cut off everything' switch Dan discovered (Did he get a fright!) the rest seem to do nothing...
Enough rambling for today, the rain/sleet has gone and we now have glorious sunshine! (Highland weather is a force to be reckoned with, not least when deciding what to wear!) So a quick walk on the beach before lunch with kids and Adrian, then another 8 hours behind the bar.
Work begins tomorrow with a thorough clean and proper measurement/parts survey.
Costs Carried Forward £557 (nothing spent today :))
Saturday 2 April 2011
Its a Keeper!
Woken this morning by a call from the garage, van is running fine with its new fan belt and bolt :) Driving it home was fun, no really! Much more fun now the power steering works, although the dodgy suspension did make for a bouncy ride. He is now all tucked up in Adrian's driveway (thanks a million Adie, couldn't do this without you or your driveway!) Unfortunately Saturday and Sunday mean full shifts at the bar so didnt get much done today but twiddle with all the many, many odd switches, trying to figure out what they do/did. Dan (my son) will have to trace them all for me as most did nothing, must see if I can sweet talk an ambulance driver to find me a manual from somewhere.
Im a happy girl today, the bodywork on the van (I really need to think of a name for him) isnt as bad as I thought, so the only major problem left is the suspension...we have found a broken air pipe under the van, which Im hoping will be relatively simple to replace... worse case senario is remove the air suspension altogether and fit old fasioned springs.
Got to go to sleep, 8 hours of drunken nonsense takes a toll on a girls humour... Will post pics tomorrow when I can be bothered hunting for the cable.
Oh! I lost my Ebay virginity today :) I bought an oven for £10 (£20 delivery, but thats pretty good for up here) only fridge, hob, grill and sink and Ill be applianced up.I also found and bought a tap which sadly has me very excited, it doubles as a shower head with a concealed flexible extension pipe. This, with a little bit of jiggery pokery means I can limit myself to 1 water system to cover the kitchen sink and the shower, 1 supply tank, 1 waste tank, and less plumbing. Less plumbing is always a good thing as far as Im concerned!All will be revealed during the build. Mummies day tomorrow, and work so won't get much done then either.
Costs - £29 garage bill
£30 oven
£48 kitchen sink tap
£450 carried forward
£557
Im a happy girl today, the bodywork on the van (I really need to think of a name for him) isnt as bad as I thought, so the only major problem left is the suspension...we have found a broken air pipe under the van, which Im hoping will be relatively simple to replace... worse case senario is remove the air suspension altogether and fit old fasioned springs.
Got to go to sleep, 8 hours of drunken nonsense takes a toll on a girls humour... Will post pics tomorrow when I can be bothered hunting for the cable.
Oh! I lost my Ebay virginity today :) I bought an oven for £10 (£20 delivery, but thats pretty good for up here) only fridge, hob, grill and sink and Ill be applianced up.I also found and bought a tap which sadly has me very excited, it doubles as a shower head with a concealed flexible extension pipe. This, with a little bit of jiggery pokery means I can limit myself to 1 water system to cover the kitchen sink and the shower, 1 supply tank, 1 waste tank, and less plumbing. Less plumbing is always a good thing as far as Im concerned!All will be revealed during the build. Mummies day tomorrow, and work so won't get much done then either.
Costs - £29 garage bill
£30 oven
£48 kitchen sink tap
£450 carried forward
£557
Friday 1 April 2011
Van bought and buggered - Day 1
After a number of weeks trawling websites I rapidly came to the conclusion that finding a minibus within my budget and in a feasible location was almost impossible. Im not sure what happens to the old minibuses in the North of Scotland but they certainly don't seem to hang around! So I've taken a chance on a very cheap Renault Master ex ambulance, which otherwise I wouldnt have touched. High mileage, dodgy air suspension, rusty on the sills, broken window....yada yada, but it was only £300 and 20 miles away. Its worth more than that scrap! And if the problems can be sorted relatively easily or better still, by me, it will still be cheaper and much less stressful than trying to get to 'some-blokes-house' in Southern England with no transport... it also has some good points, lots of windows, rooflights, heating, lighting, insulated and lined, but mainly because its here!
Today ( 1st of April) I collected....kind of, my van! The guy selling the van had told me all its problems including the snapped fan belt, so I duely arranged for a friend to get me a new one to take out with us. Armed with every concievable tool we could possibly need we headed off. But the van wouldn't start.
I'd expected that, so we began fitting the new fan belt and quickly discovered the bolt holding the tensioner was missing (we had tools but no bolts!).... no fan belt will be fitted here today. With a jump start we got him going and decided to chance it, we did manage to drive him a few miles (with no power steering and electronic dials flashing all over) but alas he slowly died.
Decided to call the garage and get them to tow it...country road, dusk setting in, we had few options, £130 was duely paid and a very nice man (no, not that very nice man from the AA, but an equally nice man from a local garage) came and towed it to his workshop, where it will have the fan belt fitted on Monday and a once-over by a man that knows.
On Monday I shall discover whether van No1 will become my pride and joy, or driven directly to the scrap yard and my search will begin again.
Costs - £300 van
£20 fan belt
£130 tow
£450
Today ( 1st of April) I collected....kind of, my van! The guy selling the van had told me all its problems including the snapped fan belt, so I duely arranged for a friend to get me a new one to take out with us. Armed with every concievable tool we could possibly need we headed off. But the van wouldn't start.
I'd expected that, so we began fitting the new fan belt and quickly discovered the bolt holding the tensioner was missing (we had tools but no bolts!).... no fan belt will be fitted here today. With a jump start we got him going and decided to chance it, we did manage to drive him a few miles (with no power steering and electronic dials flashing all over) but alas he slowly died.
Decided to call the garage and get them to tow it...country road, dusk setting in, we had few options, £130 was duely paid and a very nice man (no, not that very nice man from the AA, but an equally nice man from a local garage) came and towed it to his workshop, where it will have the fan belt fitted on Monday and a once-over by a man that knows.
Costs - £300 van
£20 fan belt
£130 tow
£450
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