Ooo thank you, good to know!
Leanne’s build thread
- Thread starter lebb2017
- Start date
Do you camp in it?
Yep
I guess there are lots of factors, dew point, ambient temp, how well its insulated. When it’s cold and on hook up we use an oil filler radiator if needs be. My main reason for not carpeting completely is that I also use my van to go fishing and I didn’t want the carpet to get wet and ruined or smell. If I just used it as a camper I would probably have carpeted it like others have
All good points, I was thinking of getting some wind deflectors to ventilate through the night to avoid condensation on the windows.
I used a soldering iron, someone else used one on here, works really well.
I had a heat gun to hand, to heat up a screw. A soldering iron would have been easier as it stays hot.
Thank you @Toffermora - cheapy soldering iron has been ordered. Hopefully it’ll do the job
If you're planning to use the soldering iron for any actual soldering later, don't use the same nib to burn through the carpet. It melts the carpet fibres and sticks really hard to the iron, makes a total mess of your nib. When opening the carpetted holes on the metal parts of our van, a quick buzz with a countersink drill bit did the trick. Don't know how well it would work on the board panels but was great on the metal holes.
www.screwfix.com
Good luck with your build, we've gone all round windows as well. If you buy anything else from camperglass / THQ use the code chambers5 for 5% off!
Error 410 | Screwfix
Thousands of products at low trade prices | FREE next day delivery available | 30 day money back guarantee on all orders.
Good luck with your build, we've gone all round windows as well. If you buy anything else from camperglass / THQ use the code chambers5 for 5% off!
Thank you for the info! And thanks for the code - but I’ve been using it alreadyIf you're planning to use the soldering iron for any actual soldering later, don't use the same nib to burn through the carpet. It melts the carpet fibres and sticks really hard to the iron, makes a total mess of your nib. When opening the carpetted holes on the metal parts of our van, a quick buzz with a countersink drill bit did the trick. Don't know how well it would work on the board panels but was great on the metal holes.
Error 410 | Screwfix
Thousands of products at low trade prices | FREE next day delivery available | 30 day money back guarantee on all orders.
Good luck with your build, we've gone all round windows as well. If you buy anything else from camperglass / THQ use the code chambers5 for 5% off!
I found it elsewhere in the forum
I think my stanley must be quite blunt. I'll add a new blade to my ever growing shopping list
Rescued by my brother and his workshop full of tools!
I have to say I was feeling confident until we actually got stuck in. The THQ YouTube video makes it all look a doddle.
So in the end we drilled holes to fit the jigsaw in. Went through 3 blades for each window.
And then used the snips to tidy up, followed by metal files and also a dremel on the corner I butchered yesterday.
Then there was some panic when we had placed & taped the windows and I could see daylight from the inside.
So we lifted off slightly and squeezed some more bond on!
It’s probably not the tidiest but we were pleased with ourselves.
Left for 3 hours and returned to find they were still on. Phew.
Then on exiting the workshop I managed to drive into a stack of pallets
so now have a nice scratch on the wheel arch. Oops
I think the rest of the windows will (should!) be done by the same person fitting my pop top. Not sure my blood pressure can cope with doing more. And the fitting of the sliding windows makes me nervous.
I have to say I was feeling confident until we actually got stuck in. The THQ YouTube video makes it all look a doddle.
So in the end we drilled holes to fit the jigsaw in. Went through 3 blades for each window.
And then used the snips to tidy up, followed by metal files and also a dremel on the corner I butchered yesterday.
Then there was some panic when we had placed & taped the windows and I could see daylight from the inside.
So we lifted off slightly and squeezed some more bond on!
It’s probably not the tidiest but we were pleased with ourselves.
Left for 3 hours and returned to find they were still on. Phew.
Then on exiting the workshop I managed to drive into a stack of pallets
so now have a nice scratch on the wheel arch. OopsI think the rest of the windows will (should!) be done by the same person fitting my pop top. Not sure my blood pressure can cope with doing more. And the fitting of the sliding windows makes me nervous.
They look good! If I have to put any more windows in I feel more confident now. First one leaked, second one smashed, surely third one should be fine?!Rescued by my brother and his workshop full of tools!
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I have to say I was feeling confident until we actually got stuck in. The THQ YouTube video makes it all look a doddle.
So in the end we drilled holes to fit the jigsaw in. Went through 3 blades for each window.
And then used the snips to tidy up, followed by metal files and also a dremel on the corner I butchered yesterday.
Then there was some panic when we had placed & taped the windows and I could see daylight from the inside.
So we lifted off slightly and squeezed some more bond on!
It’s probably not the tidiest but we were pleased with ourselves.
Left for 3 hours and returned to find they were still on. Phew.
Then on exiting the workshop I managed to drive into a stack of pallets
I think the rest of the windows will (should!) be done by the same person fitting my pop top. Not sure my blood pressure can cope with doing more. And the fitting of the sliding windows makes me nervous.
I remember reading your thread! 3rd time lucky right!
I’m still nervous that we didn’t use enough bond but time will tell.
I rented a set of metal shears for a week to do my windows and was well chuffed with myself, until the next morning when we tested the windows and one of them had a leak! Like you, our pop top fitters proceeded to put the rest of windows in! If anything goes wrong with it, it's under warranty...
Our mistake was not having a 'tall' enough bead of sealant on the second window. It was surprisingly hard to push the gunk out of the tube so we ended up stretching it a bit thin when my arms started giving out!
Hope yours work out better. Good luck with your build. Enjoy the process and the rewards that come with the satisfaction of going down the built not bought route!
Our mistake was not having a 'tall' enough bead of sealant on the second window. It was surprisingly hard to push the gunk out of the tube so we ended up stretching it a bit thin when my arms started giving out!
Hope yours work out better. Good luck with your build. Enjoy the process and the rewards that come with the satisfaction of going down the built not bought route!
Oo didn’t think of renting a tool… will remember that as I have a friend doing a self build on a little Nissan van and that might be something she can look into.
Yes I don’t think our bead of sealant was tall enough either. Hopefully we fixed it. I might wash the van tomorrow so I can find out if it’s leaking.
The hour long drive home was nerve wracking; for some reason I was panicking the windows were going to just fall off on the M25!
