Badjamins van conversion

[roooms]

@roooms - I'd likely need to pack the whole unit up as I'm initially installing onto bare floor. I'd imagine uprights in a PV would need to be higher to reach the top of the wheel arches as the kombi flooring is quite thick so gives more height to your 376mm uprights - lookin forward to getting into this all the same

Yeah it’s best to work out the height you want yourself as it may be that you can have them taller and therefore have more storage space. You see a lot of furniture systems (eg ovano, van furniture) that are taller but they either aren’t designed to sit on (ovano is just a bed) or the seating was just too high for me to sit on them. So I chose to design something myself. The stitches and steel setup is more similar to what I ended up with…



… but I didn’t want to deal with all the extra cut outs and hinge installation. I’m also in a weird spot as my van is LWB but the seat mounts are installed 40mm back from standard to give a SWB space in the back and more leg room for the rear seats.

I swear the whole thing would be easier if I just ply lined the floor and installed a RIB bed but they all seem to be too high for me as well.

 

[Badjamin]

 

[Badjamin]

Another incomplete task update, carpet lining offside rear. Started raining so decided to leave the threshold til tomorrow

 

[Badjamin]

Another incomplete project photo... finishing tomorrow. Pocket hole jig and jigsaw fun.

 

[Badjamin]

We camped!

van is in a very basic state, a very rush job to say the least but a job done for now all the same. Went to Newby Hall firework champions for the night. Was a great show as ever. Lookin forward to next year. Off to Scarborough thos comin weekend for a hopefully improved night in the van.

 

[Badjamin]

Am dreading trying to make the interior panels. I have the little blanks i can re-use and the off side mid panel. All the rest need crafting from really bad templates i made cause i was rushing. Watch this space and prepare to whince/laugh at my efforts!

 

[Badjamin]

Okay so i have reached a landmark. Van is useable and the budget has gone. Strategy going forward is to save and try to build a budget - almost impossible on the swift approach to christmas.

Electrics - need to buy and install lighting, wiring, leisure battery, DC/DC charger etc

Internal unit and fridge

Rock and roll bed

Pop top

Bench swivel and folding bracket

I reckon that tots up to about £7k... so not likely to be much updates wise in the next year or so

 

[SkyeCamper]

electrics look at the ecoflow power banks. they just brought out a quick charge alternator charger and you have the perks of being able to use it outside of the van. as you are building your van from scratch you could design and build around it to best incorporate it into your design

 

[JumpShip]

Christmas ?? ......wayyyy too early for even thinking about crimbo any time soon .

 

[Badjamin]

electrics look at the ecoflow power banks. they just brought out a quick charge alternator charger and you have the perks of being able to use it outside of the van. as you are building your van from scratch you could design and build around it to best incorporate it into your design

I had wondered if an ecoflow set up could be an alternative to a basic leisure setup.

 

[TallPaul_S]

I had wondered if an ecoflow set up could be an alternative to a basic leisure setup.

They're certainly an option now with the new alternator charger - but if you wanted just a basic, 100Ah LifePO4 battery setup, with a 1000w inverter, and a 200w solar MPPT, I'd bet it's not any more expensive to do this with separate devices than an all in one Ecoflow. You're paying for the convenience, and portabilty.

EcoFlow Delta £550
Alternator charger £330

So £880 for that set up (minus solar panel as that would be same for both)

Seperates:
Fogstar Drift eco 100Ah £220
Victron Orion XS 50a £300
Victron smart shunt £80
Victron 75/15 MPPT £70
Renogy 1000w inverter £130

That's £800. Add £100 for your cables etc and you're even.

And that's using top of the line Victron kit. You could do it cheaper if you went for a cheaper DC-DC with built in MPPT.

But, with the sperate system, you gain flexibility of being able to upgrade any of your components.

And if you wanted a super, super basic set up with an AGM battery, a used DC-DC etc, you could probably put that together for a few hundred quid.

 

[z1ts]

I had wondered if an ecoflow set up could be an alternative to a basic leisure setup.

I have exactly that, check my 'tweak' thread in my sig below for the full details.

 

[Badjamin]

They're certainly an option now with the new alternator charger - but if you wanted just a basic, 100Ah LifePO4 battery setup, with a 1000w inverter, and a 200w solar MPPT, I'd bet it's not any more expensive to do this with separate devices than an all in one Ecoflow. You're paying for the convenience, and portabilty.

EcoFlow Delta £550
Alternator charger £330

So £880 for that set up (minus solar panel as that would be same for both)

Seperates:
Fogstar Drift eco 100Ah £220
Victron Orion XS 50a £300
Victron smart shunt £80
Victron 75/15 MPPT £70
Renogy 1000w inverter £130

That's £800. Add £100 for your cables etc and you're even.

And that's using top of the line Victron kit. You could do it cheaper if you went for a cheaper DC-DC with built in MPPT.

But, with the sperate system, you gain flexibility of being able to upgrade any of your components.

And if you wanted a super, super basic set up with an AGM battery, a used DC-DC etc, you could probably put that together for a few hundred quid.

That's pretty cool - thanks for all this. I have an ecoflow delta 2 already but only a 100w renogy suitcase solar panel so I'm guessing an alternator charger and cables is all I'd need for a basic setup?

 

[Badjamin]

Christmas ?? ......wayyyy too early for even thinking about crimbo any time soon .

The christmas lights will be going up before you know it! They'll be advertising easter eggs soon enough.

 

[Sasquatch]

Oh aye, we're at the end of August so Christmas ads will appear any day now.

 

[Led Sandwich]

Top work dude, this is looking amazing.

 

[Badjamin]

Perfect drop me a PM with your address and ill get it in the post

Hi Led, I PM'd about the conduit if still available. No worries if not. Do you remember what sort you bought and where from?

 

[Led Sandwich]

hey mate sorry totally slipped my mind, your more than welcome to it. let me dig out the PM