Hopefully, the last week in July.
Hillside Birchover
- Thread starter Grainfoot
- Start date
Guessing that is your choice as, with them already well on the way with the conversion, I would expect it to be ready within another week or so? It's a few years ago but, they managed to turn my van (delayed but nothing like the wait you have had) around within about 2 weeks of it arriving with them.
Things are going well by the looks of things. In contrast to Volkswagen, the Hillside team are cracking on as quickly as they can and providing regular updates. The interior units are now built and installed as the pictures I received today show…
What colour is your floor, it looks like ours will need to be changed post the idiot running into the rear of our van and I think we change to your colour.
I’m not sure of the name or reference number of the flooring but it’s speckled with grey and pinkish flecks. If you ask Ron at Hillside he should be able to tell you. He mentioned that it has become a popular alternative to wood effect planking style. I was up in Derby about three weeks ago and saw a blue high-top Cromford being built. This had the same type of flecked flooring which is what finally decided me. I think this flooring is also fitted to the new Birchover Executive that they are currently selling.
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The Hillside build sheet I saw from the guy who I bought my van from said my flooring was ‘brown’.
I would say it’s more of a grey. Very serviceable and I like the fact it’s in one piece with no joins - might not look as nice as plank flooring but I think it’ll last longer.
Thanks, that looks better than the floor we presently have. I'll give Hillside a call today,
Just need a date for the repairs now.
Did you have any luck finding the person responsible for your damage?
Had to take those pics with the flash as currently sat in the van in the Peak District whilst it chucks it down outside. If I see some daylight later I’ll take a better one
Yes I had a cheap dashcam pointing out of the rear window which recorded the incident. It captured the reg number and pictures of the driver. His insurance has accepted full liability and my insurance have stated my no claims are not affected and there is no excess to pay.
The dashcam has saved me a load of grief and money, the other driver was trying to blame another car for the crash. He hit my van twice, moving it forward over 2 feet breaking off a 4 inch fence post in front of the van.
The film shows he was lying. The driver who is a fault is 84 years old, who after looking at the film should be hanging up his car keys for good!
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Wowsers! Thank god for the dashcam! Makes me want to run out and buy one now as would be even more infuriating than it already is if you’d had to pay an excess and suffered an impact to your no claims.
Did he have a towbar fitted? Must’ve been one hell of a bump to shift the van 2 feet with the handbrake on!
Here’s a daylight pic of my floor without the flash
Best leave the red circles on for the next 84 year old that comes along.
My local supermarket in Tavistock is like a scene from Shaun Of The Dead, despite being in my 60’s I’m still breaking the trolley speed limit.
Hope it’s fixed soon.
Thanks for the pictures I'll send them to hillside to let them know what we want. The damage was caused by the front of his car. Looks like he was driving an auto and pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.
@Camper_Chris That looks nasty, you have my sympathies, must have been an awful feeling coming back to find that.
I've got a grey woodgrain effect in mine, all one piece, not plank effect.
I've had my multirail fitted now, no problems with it at all, and all the lights still work!
I've got a grey woodgrain effect in mine, all one piece, not plank effect.
I've had my multirail fitted now, no problems with it at all, and all the lights still work!
@Camper_Chris Ouch. That hurts. It’s something we all dread. It certainly makes a case for fitting witness cameras to both the front and the rear. Just out of interest what type have you got fitted?
My Birchover is almost there so your experience has prompted me to think about getting a rear camera amongst other things fitted. I visited Hillside yesterday to see how things are going. Pleasingly, all the interior is in and the electrics are now done so it shouldn’t be too long now. And yes, that flooring is indeed Hillside’s ‘Brown’ flooring.
My Birchover is almost there so your experience has prompted me to think about getting a rear camera amongst other things fitted. I visited Hillside yesterday to see how things are going. Pleasingly, all the interior is in and the electrics are now done so it shouldn’t be too long now. And yes, that flooring is indeed Hillside’s ‘Brown’ flooring.
Looking lovely
I’m intrigued as to the number of cupboard doors on the lower trim under the RIB seat in the tailgate area. Mine only has the right hand door but yours and many others I’ve seen photographed have two doors to access the under seat area.
Also, does the big cupboard above the gas locker open with the bed in seat position on the LWB? Mine just about opens but only just.
@Captain Quick it was just a Nextbase 101 looking out of the back window, nothing flash, just running off the 12 volt supply at the back of the van.
I noticed that too. Looking at pictures of Birchovers on the Hillside website, I think that XL (LWB) and Executive models have the extra door, whilst Classic models have a single door, and the S model doesn’t have a door at all.
As far as opening the wardrobe door when the RIB is in the up (travelling) position, I seem to remember opening one on a Birchover Classic on the Hillside stand at the NEC exhibition, so I think so. I guess I’ll find out soon.
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Thanks Chris. I was planning to rig a similar camera up in the rear window. I’ve got to work out where to pick up power from. My inclination is to connect it to a feed that is powered by the leisure battery or, alternatively, install a small rechargeable lithium battery.
My SWB Birchover Classic (2023) had only one cupboard door on the rear bottom RIB / tailgate area.
After a couple of camping trips, i’ve just removed it (there is a catch on the left side to remove it) and have put it in storage.
I find it so much easier to be able to just load through and under the RIB seat from the rear, particularly for chairs etc.
Cosmetically, it looks finished with the panel, but when your boot is permanently full of camping equipment, it’s just gets in the way and you’re not looking at it anyway.
I’ve also covered my boot floor with some rubber matting to protect it.
After a couple of camping trips, i’ve just removed it (there is a catch on the left side to remove it) and have put it in storage.
I find it so much easier to be able to just load through and under the RIB seat from the rear, particularly for chairs etc.
Cosmetically, it looks finished with the panel, but when your boot is permanently full of camping equipment, it’s just gets in the way and you’re not looking at it anyway.
I’ve also covered my boot floor with some rubber matting to protect it.
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