Planning out our first campervan

[Bigsidavies]

Nice. Is it LWB or SWB? Couldn't tell from the photos. Where did you get the van from? I plan to properly start looking in the New Year assuming lockdown 3 hasn't kicked in by then!

LWB. Needed that for the u-shaped rear layout. Van came from VW Van Centre Liverpool.
Everything is so slow. Stuff is out of stock and waiting for work is massive. I enquired today about my rear seating and I was told they could fit me in in March. That’s just essentially custom made cushions.
Demand is very high.

 

[Robot75]

Hi @Bigsidavies , looks like you have done a nice job. I'm currently at the stage of sound deadening the cab so wanted to think about cable runs too. I was planning something like yours ie bonnet hookup, battery and ctek250 under driver seat, and the rest in the rear. I think I need to run at least 5 cables between the front/seat and the rear (1 x hookup to CU, 2 x Ctek250 to fuse box, 2 x leisure battery to victron charger...plus may some for solar). It got me wondering if there is actually enough room to run 5 cables (maybe more with solar) up the B column? But im assuming you did something similar so I guess its do-able?
I have seen a few low level electric layouts showing connections etc but not many going into the detail of where things are actually physically installed.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Bigsidavies]

Mmmm. I already had the factory second battery under the passenger seat so I just relocated that with all its wiring, and attached the ready made loom from travelvolts.
All that side of stuff is contained under the seat.
Leaving the seat area I have a fused +I've feed and a -I’ve for my Kiravans control panel.
pos and neg for my VictronConnect charger and the wiring for the Autoterm.
I have twin sliders so I took all thatvwiring out through the floor grommet under the drivers seat and along the chassis channel and in through a hole I drilled in the now unused step on the driver’s side slider. All cables routed in plastic sheathing. I’ve got a single 12v cable up the b pillar that is the feed for my lights and the 2 (quite thick) solar cables. They fit no problem and I have cable tied them to the wiring loom that already runs down inside the b pillar trim.

 

[Robot75]

Many thanks for the reply. Sounds like you may have a slightly different setup. Probably worth me ringing Travelvolts, as they must have seen their fair share of T6 camper designs. I like the idea of premade cable looms too!
Thanks

 

[Robbitussin]

I’ve not finished yet. But I bought sound deadening, b2b charger and EHU (for under bonnet inlet) and swivel base for double passenger seat.
First job was strip out the cab and then install sound deadening and fit all cables and battery and CTEK. Then refit with the swivel base installed.
Next was the windows. I fitted them myself, pretty easy, used a nibbler attachment. The main dilemma was carpeting the interior and having that carpet edge over the window frame and fitting the windows which sort of all need doing together but isn’t possible when you’re doing it outside the house. So I used pieces of the window u-channel as spacers when I fitted the windows, then removed those afterwards leaving enough space to tuck the carpet between the panel and the glass at a later stage using a trim tool. Worked well.
Then sound deadening inside panels, then thermal liner over that.
I then ran all my lighting cables.
Then it went for the pop top.
I gave the pop top man two 6m solar cables to install in the roof trim and finish at the bottom of the b-pillar ready to hook up to the ctek. Should make solar installation plug and play at a later date.
Back from pop top I sound deadened and thermal insulated the floor then made and fitted my ply floor. Then put down some Altro floor-not stuck down yet, just thrown down at the moment.
Just made a panel for the rear quarter with a blind fixed behind it (see what have you done today) and I’m waiting for my furniture to be made. We are going for a u-shaped seating layout.
Just booked it in for a planar diesel heater after the furniture has gone in because I want to decide where to put the air inlet once the furniture is in.
Hope that helps a little bit.
That order has worked for me so far.
I have bought all the electrical stuff like mains charger and 12v control panel and sockets and switches and the spare lounge looks like a vw dumping ground.
Oh yeah and bigger step and rear valance trim etc etc.
Write a list and just keep adding to it.

Hi, apologies for piggybacking on this thread; however, I would like to ask does your single passenger seat swivel? If so, can you recommend a non OEM swivel base? I would like one that is safe but provides the best clearance for the leisure batt set up because like you I’ll want mine located under the pass’ seat (to be done).
Thank you.

 

[Bigsidavies]

Hi, apologies for piggybacking on this thread; however, I would like to ask does your single passenger seat swivel? If so, can you recommend a non OEM swivel base? I would like one that is safe but provides the best clearance for the leisure batt set up because like you I’ll want mine located under the pass’ seat (to be done).
Thank you.

My battery and associated wiring is under the driver’s seat which isn’t a swivel base so I can’t help you there I’m afraid.

 

[Strettyp]

Slightly piggybacking onto this thread but I'm having my lwb soundproofed, insulated and carpeted in a month.

I would like to make sure that I can install a flexible solar panel or two onto the roof but can't afford it, at the moment and unlikely to need it this year anyway

my question is that I would like to ensure that this can all be done in the future without having to remove carpet etc etc - I have a factory fitted leisure battery under the passenger seat that I'd like to connect to the panel, ideally passing the cables through the tailgate grommet that's already there to avoid having to make a hole in the roof, so it's a longish cable run

from past bitter experience of having a HDMI cable buried into plaster to make a TV installation neat, (then had the cable fail) I've always put a short run of trunking into walls since, so the cable could be swapped out if needs be, so was wondering if I could prepare for a future installation by having some sort of trunking fitting prior to the carpeting etc?

Is this a daft idea, anyone done similar?

 

[boxelder]

Well you wouldn't need to remove carpet to put a cable in later, just some carpeted panels. That said, you may as well ask the installers to put the cable in ready, and they should be able to advise the best route (probably along the ceiling and down the B pillar?

 

[opensurf]

Hi all. After months and months of day dreaming about converting my first T6, watching countless You Tube videos and reading the forums, I'm now at the planning stage. Don't have a base van yet - still waiting for the right one but would appreciate your thoughts on the different stages of a van build (and as importantly the best order to do stuff). I may need to change audio, alloys but not thinking too much about that until I buy the van. I may also retrofit solar at a later date if I find it will be worth the cost. We will be mainly using it on-grid with the occasional night off-grid) in the UK and Europe.

These are my thoughts (in order) after getting the van:

1. Strip, clean and sort any rust/damage to internal of van
2. Fit windows (if needed) and pop-top roof and bed. Will get done professionally as too scared to do myself
3. Sound proofing/insulation
4. Fit diesel heater and vent
5. Fit swivel to passenger seat
6. Fit leisure battery under passenger seat with split charger/B2B charger
7. Run electrical wiring for fuse box, lights, 12v sockets, fridge etc
8. Fit EHU, consumer unit and 12v battery charger, wiring for on-grid sockets
9. Flooring and wall covering (haven't decided what this will be)
10. Fit RIB bed
11. Cupboard build including fridge and removable table
12. Sink and water (cold only with removable water containers and submersible pump)
13. Gas hob
14. Fit 12v items and on-grid sockets

So my main questions are:
Have I forgotten any major steps for the build?
Have I got the sequence right or is it recommended to do it a different way?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Will arrive my T6.1 van business [panel van]. Will put behind only big bed, dog place, insulation and windsurf. I have no glasses [windows]

 

[DXX]

Conduit cost is low so I would always use it. IMO future proof the installation; plans change as well as future owners preferences.
I would run the conduit high down the nearside following the existing OEM harness keeping it fastened clear of potential clashes with a pop top frame and roof rail screw points.
You could also run a couple of extra spare cables with labels at both ends, the cost is negligible.

 

[JB26413]

Conduit cost is low so I would always use it. IMO future proof the installation; plans change as well as future owners preferences.
I would run the conduit high down the nearside following the existing OEM harness keeping it fastened clear of potential clashes with a pop top frame and roof rail screw points.
You could also run a couple of extra spare cables with labels at both ends, the cost is negligible.

And if you are unsure about what cables to run, thread some quality cord (string) through the conduit and tie off at each end. You can then pull through cables at a later date.