T6 SWB camper build
- Thread starter Pete C
- Start date
And these bits arrived for the solar power installation:
The aim is to fully install these components, but make the solar panel(s) optional, so that we don't have to carry the panels around all the time, but it must be easy to connect them up when we need them. The panel(s) will probably mount onto the roof bars when needed, with cables into the back of the van through the rear gas drop vent.
Pete
The aim is to fully install these components, but make the solar panel(s) optional, so that we don't have to carry the panels around all the time, but it must be easy to connect them up when we need them. The panel(s) will probably mount onto the roof bars when needed, with cables into the back of the van through the rear gas drop vent.
Pete
Great thread mate , ill defo revert back to this once i start mine, the main thing im not sure about is what wires do you use for all different things ie,interior spot lights,sockets ,usb,heaters etc is there a kit you can buy with all different wiring in? Or is there a thread on here that tells you exactly what to buy?
Not an easy question to answer, as so much depends on your particular setup. I have a background in electrics, so found it pretty straightforward, but I realise other people have other strengths and skills, and find the electrics harder work.
@travelvolts does kits for some stuff, which I used, and there is great advice on his website, but what you connect to your leisure battery will be unique to you. Everything after the leisure battery in our van is bespoke to us, using loads of red or black wire, and mostly CBE switches.
It sounds like this could be an area where a FAQ type resource could be useful, but the legal and H&S implications might be challenging !
As an aside, I would be happy to let anyone from here have a look over our van for ideas and advice. I won't pretend it's perfect, but it works for us.
Pete
@travelvolts does kits for some stuff, which I used, and there is great advice on his website, but what you connect to your leisure battery will be unique to you. Everything after the leisure battery in our van is bespoke to us, using loads of red or black wire, and mostly CBE switches.
It sounds like this could be an area where a FAQ type resource could be useful, but the legal and H&S implications might be challenging !
As an aside, I would be happy to let anyone from here have a look over our van for ideas and advice. I won't pretend it's perfect, but it works for us.
Pete
Cheers for that @Pete C , yeah im ok at maual stuff but electrics isnt my thing , the thing is onc,e i start to insulate etc ill need to know what wires go where even if there not conn,ected i can then get someone to connect, but ill need to know so i can pull wires through the holes .
Would an auto electrician know? Or just any normal electrician?
Would an auto electrician know? Or just any normal electrician?
Brilliant ,that would be so helpful for many in my position.
We had the van weighed last week, just to get an idea of how heavy it was, and what scope for additional loading we had.
The van as seen in this thread, without awning, not much fuel, no passengers, all camping utensils on board, came in at 2200 kg.
So even with awning on board plus 2 passengers plus clothes plus water, we have plenty of spare capacity.
Pete
The van as seen in this thread, without awning, not much fuel, no passengers, all camping utensils on board, came in at 2200 kg.
So even with awning on board plus 2 passengers plus clothes plus water, we have plenty of spare capacity.
Pete
P
Phil_G
Guest
Very nicely done Pete and a great write up, the completed van looks fantastic, you must be very proud of her!
I did wonder, when you said "The 904 gas cylinder sits in the rear floor locker, along with the RCD outlet"
As you're into electrics I'm assuming the RCD breaker itself is elsewhere, not inside the gas locker
Cheers
Phil
I did wonder, when you said "The 904 gas cylinder sits in the rear floor locker, along with the RCD outlet"
As you're into electrics I'm assuming the RCD breaker itself is elsewhere, not inside the gas locker
Cheers
Phil
Made an addition to the conversion this week. We find the table a little small at times, and it's a fair way away from the swivelled passenger seats, so I added this:
Luckily Clearcut Conversions did a smaller version of the full size table top, so with a couple of runners from Ebay, we have a slide out extension, which takes up no more space when slid in and packed away.
Pete
Luckily Clearcut Conversions did a smaller version of the full size table top, so with a couple of runners from Ebay, we have a slide out extension, which takes up no more space when slid in and packed away.
Pete
I thought it might be worth updating this thread after 8 months or so.
In 2018 we have used the van for 13 camping trips, the longest lasting 3 weeks and the shortest 1 night. We have spent 31 nights in the van. The longest trip was 3 weeks in France, where we visited the Loire, Alps, Provence, Pyrenees and Brittany. We followed the Tour de France for some of that.
We have visited the World War 1 battlefields in Belgium and Northern France, and got to visit the grave of my great uncle, who died there in 1918 aged 18 years old. We saw the Paris-Roubaix bike race for the first time there too.
We have done several multi-day trips to parts of the UK that we have never visited, and we have done some one day over-nighters to more local parts of the UK that we have driven through but again never visited. This included catching up with some fellow T6 forum-ers. We have wild camped in Wales too, which was fun, and which we will do again. We have also found some brilliant campsites and some excellent pubs.
We have already booked to camp in Yorkshire in May 2019 when the Tour de Yorkshire is on, and we are tentatively looking at going to Italy via France to see at least some of the Giro.
The van has been faultless throughout, and its performance has never failed to surprise us, particularly driving up through some the classic Alpine passes, where its 102 bhp never felt like it wasn’t enough to keep up with normal traffic. We are never in a hurry with the van though.
We haven’t changed anything major on the van - it looks like we got it right first time. We have added additional charging points for gadgets, along with better storage so that Kindles, iPhones etc don’t clutter the surface.
The Propex gas heater has been brilliant. It extends the potential use of the van to 365 days of the year, without having to worry about getting a hook-up. The fridge has been brilliant too. Even at the height of summer in Southern France it never failed to deliver ice for our G&T’s, and kept the beer cool. It had to work hard in some of the conditions we encountered.
We also very quickly worked out what we needed to keep permanently in the van, so that if we decided to go away on the spur of the moment, all we needed was a bit of food and some clothes.
We have found the standard height of the van perfect for getting around bumpy campsites and climbing kerbs to park where others daren’t, so we are unlikely to lower the van at all. I might consider alloys, but we are in no rush.
Whilst we love the van, it still feels like we haven’t made it properly ours yet, so we looking at ways of personalising the exterior and interior, without going over the top - all suggestions welcome.
That’s it - looking forward to many more holidays in the UK and abroad.
Pete
In 2018 we have used the van for 13 camping trips, the longest lasting 3 weeks and the shortest 1 night. We have spent 31 nights in the van. The longest trip was 3 weeks in France, where we visited the Loire, Alps, Provence, Pyrenees and Brittany. We followed the Tour de France for some of that.
We have visited the World War 1 battlefields in Belgium and Northern France, and got to visit the grave of my great uncle, who died there in 1918 aged 18 years old. We saw the Paris-Roubaix bike race for the first time there too.
We have done several multi-day trips to parts of the UK that we have never visited, and we have done some one day over-nighters to more local parts of the UK that we have driven through but again never visited. This included catching up with some fellow T6 forum-ers. We have wild camped in Wales too, which was fun, and which we will do again. We have also found some brilliant campsites and some excellent pubs.
We have already booked to camp in Yorkshire in May 2019 when the Tour de Yorkshire is on, and we are tentatively looking at going to Italy via France to see at least some of the Giro.
The van has been faultless throughout, and its performance has never failed to surprise us, particularly driving up through some the classic Alpine passes, where its 102 bhp never felt like it wasn’t enough to keep up with normal traffic. We are never in a hurry with the van though.
We haven’t changed anything major on the van - it looks like we got it right first time. We have added additional charging points for gadgets, along with better storage so that Kindles, iPhones etc don’t clutter the surface.
The Propex gas heater has been brilliant. It extends the potential use of the van to 365 days of the year, without having to worry about getting a hook-up. The fridge has been brilliant too. Even at the height of summer in Southern France it never failed to deliver ice for our G&T’s, and kept the beer cool. It had to work hard in some of the conditions we encountered.
We also very quickly worked out what we needed to keep permanently in the van, so that if we decided to go away on the spur of the moment, all we needed was a bit of food and some clothes.
We have found the standard height of the van perfect for getting around bumpy campsites and climbing kerbs to park where others daren’t, so we are unlikely to lower the van at all. I might consider alloys, but we are in no rush.
Whilst we love the van, it still feels like we haven’t made it properly ours yet, so we looking at ways of personalising the exterior and interior, without going over the top - all suggestions welcome.
That’s it - looking forward to many more holidays in the UK and abroad.
Pete
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Great update Pete, glad you are enjoying the van.
Maybe you could find a theme for your van and personalise from there, ours got the name Woody from its number plate so it has taken on a toy story theme hence the aliens on the screen cover and Woody doll that sits in the cup holder, I also got a company to make me a logo for it which is on the rear upper quarter panel which will also be used for future designs.
Happy travels
Maybe you could find a theme for your van and personalise from there, ours got the name Woody from its number plate so it has taken on a toy story theme hence the aliens on the screen cover and Woody doll that sits in the cup holder, I also got a company to make me a logo for it which is on the rear upper quarter panel which will also be used for future designs.
Happy travels
We have done similar - our van is "Noo the GNU" simply because of the number plate but we have done some subtle theming around this - Jo did a drawing which we have used on our screen cover, printed mugs, GNU head trophy, etc., etc..
