What Have You Done To Your Van Today?

I really want to look at doing this too. What are you doing for Internet, does that run from a leisure battery?
@Jonesy68 take a look at my build thread - all the details there….

 
Finally got my hands on a previously enjoyed Ovano Switch although you’d never know it was in immaculate condition. It’s a great bit of kit and just what I need to make my work/leisure van so much more practical. Big thankyou to @FaberProjects A pleasure to deal with from start to finish. View attachment 165884View attachment 165885
I bought 3m of this and cut it to size. Works really well just smells a little strong (oddly enough of rubber). It’s similar to the Matt you can buy on the OVANO website only this protects the top material:

 
I bought a new light switch for my Shuttle with the addition 'Auto' setting for the lights. Fitted it but only then found out that I should have bought a kit with the light sensor adapter.

So I found one and although it doesn't say Transporter in the ad, it was cheap so I would accept the loss if it didn't work.

Today I fitted it, but when playing with the sensor, in day light, it didn't work... Took it apart, checked everything was connected, reassembled it and fitted it again. It took a bit of playing with, but after a few times turning it on and off, it appeared to work. I assume it just needed the vehicles computer to see the switch ?

But now it is finally dark, I have just been out to test it. Leaving my Passat on Auto is all good. Leaving the T6 on Auto is not. The running lights come on. When switching to night lights (dipped) and back to Auto the lights work fine, but I hear a beep beep from the switch/sensor. Then when I switch the engine off and remove the key, the side lights stay on and it warns me to switch my lights off. I guess I should have done my research better and bought a kit from one of the online Transporter modifiers.

Any suggestions for a Transporter specific sensor unit, as this one appeared as a Golf, Jetta etc...?

Thanks. Dave C

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More progress inside…

carpetted both seatbelt panels
carpetted near side rear Kombi panel
connected up CBE USB/240v modules and faceplate
installed inner wheel arch liners after silent coating the inner arch

View attachment 166130
nice work, you planning to do the metal work as well or just panels?
 
nice work, you planning to do the metal work as well or just panels?

Thanks @david173

I intend to leave the metalwork for three reasons - I like the contrast between the shiny black paintwork and the carpet panels, in my last van which I did carpet fully the wheel arches and the rear most pillars used to get muddy from our bicycle tyres and it looked horrible so with the plastic arch covers and the painted rear pillars I can wipe them clean and third I really didn’t enjoy carpeting the metalwork and getting a neat finish round all the different corners, curves and I also couldn’t find any info/videos on the best way to finish the carpet neatly round the factory window on the off side panel which wasn’t an issue in my old van as it was a twin slider.
 
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Thanks @david173

I intend to leave the metalwork for three reasons - I like the contrast between the shiny black paintwork and the carpet panels, in my last van which I did carpet fully the wheel arches and the rear most pillars used to get muddy from our bicycle tyres and it looked horrible so with the plastic arch covers and the painted rear pillars I can wipe them clean and third I really didn’t enjoy carpeting the metalwork and getting a neat finish round all the different corners, curves and I also couldn’t find any info/videos on the best way to finish the carpet neatly round the factory window on the off side panel which wasn’t an issue in my old van as it was a twin slider.
im in similar boat, it would make the whole interior nicer but I do kitesurfing and dont want the carpet getting sandy and horrible. i currently have the inner arch liners like your self.
im thinking of carpeting the metalwork except the arches then putting the arch liners on (over the 2mm silent coat i have there) and the RGautomotive D pillar trims to cover it all up.

I presume the noise is much improved with just the panels only done?
 
im in similar boat, it would make the whole interior nicer but I do kitesurfing and dont want the carpet getting sandy and horrible. i currently have the inner arch liners like your self.
im thinking of carpeting the metalwork except the arches then putting the arch liners on (over the 2mm silent coat i have there) and the RGautomotive D pillar trims to cover it all up.

I presume the noise is much improved with just the panels only done?

I‘ve used silent coat on the inside of the arches under the arch covers and behind all the side panels, tailgate, under the Kombi rubber floor and ceiling. I’ve also used B&Q plastic recycled insulation inside the tailgate and side panels.

So just the painted metalwork around the side panels and up the d pillars.

It is a lot quieter than the stock van and not really any perceivable difference from my last van from memory - I think the bare wheel arches are the loudest bit in a stock van so with silent coat and then the arch covers it is greatly improved.

As my van is a Kombi it is really two separate spaces - the load area for the bikes and general cargo and the seating area for picnics and getting changed etc so I think it is ok that the load area can look abit more functional without the full carpeting.

From the seating area I can see no more or less carpet than I used to see in my previous van which was a twin slider so I had all the silver metalwork round both doors visible anyway.

Yes, I was also looking at the d pillar covers and considering them with silent coat under them too but not convinced it will improve much more.
 
im in similar boat, it would make the whole interior nicer but I do kitesurfing and dont want the carpet getting sandy and horrible. i currently have the inner arch liners like your self.
im thinking of carpeting the metalwork except the arches then putting the arch liners on (over the 2mm silent coat i have there) and the RGautomotive D pillar trims to cover it all up.

I presume the noise is much improved with just the panels only done?
That’s why u need a small shower attachment to wash off your kit before loading it up ;)
 
Before you all say the obvious (not very secure as you can just turn it off or unplug it :rolleyes:), here is my CCTV camera install.

It is a Tapo 3MP camera that is running from my AllPowers via a 12v-9v step down.

At the moment it is only connected to my home Wi-Fi when on the driveway and I can view the camera from the house/get alerts - however, I have also bought a mobile broadband dongle/sim to install in the van so it will be connected to the van internet, so I can view the camera from my phone whenever I leave it e.g shopping or on a day trip.

So the reason for the switch?

It is configured to record motion to the local SD card but it also uploads to the cloud. If it is active whilst driving then it will be constantly uploading shed loads of clips to the cloud filling up the space and rinsing my SIM card data bundle in a matter of hours.

Whilst the van is parked I can switch it on and when I go to get in the van I can switch it off.

It doesn’t matter if someone breaks in and turns off the switch (assuming they knew what it was for) or pulls out the power lead as it should have saved their mug to the SD card and also the cloud - so even if they remove the SD card it should still be visible online.

And the reason it is not just connected to ignition live is that I couldn’t work out how to do it so it was connected to the AllPowers/leisure battery - although thinking about it now I could probably use a relay with the ignition live triggering the switched power taken from the AllPowers.

If I ever change it to be ignition switched then I will use the switch for the additional LED lights running from the AllPowers that I intend to install next.

7A7AF36F-244E-4D6C-A871-D33BD2213506.jpeg02312C15-11E3-4B20-8687-678A4261810F.jpeg
B92D65AB-8230-4736-A9F3-2D3C89E385D8.jpeg
 
Before you all say the obvious (not very secure as you can just turn it off or unplug it :rolleyes:), here is my CCTV camera install.

It is a Tapo 3MP camera that is running from my AllPowers via a 12v-9v step down.

At the moment it is only connected to my home Wi-Fi when on the driveway and I can view the camera from the house/get alerts - however, I have also bought a mobile broadband dongle/sim to install in the van so it will be connected to the van internet, so I can view the camera from my phone whenever I leave it e.g shopping or on a day trip.

So the reason for the switch?

It is configured to record motion to the local SD card but it also uploads to the cloud. If it is active whilst driving then it will be constantly uploading shed loads of clips to the cloud filling up the space and rinsing my SIM card data bundle in a matter of hours.

Whilst the van is parked I can switch it on and when I go to get in the van I can switch it off.

It doesn’t matter if someone breaks in and turns off the switch (assuming they knew what it was for) or pulls out the power lead as it should have saved their mug to the SD card and also the cloud - so even if they remove the SD card it should still be visible online.

And the reason it is not just connected to ignition live is that I couldn’t work out how to do it so it was connected to the AllPowers/leisure battery - although thinking about it now I could probably use a relay with the ignition live triggering the switched power taken from the AllPowers.

If I ever change it to be ignition switched then I will use the switch for the additional LED lights running from the AllPowers that I intend to install next.

View attachment 166255View attachment 166256
View attachment 166258
Yeah, but it's not very secure as you can just turn it off or unplug it :fast rofl:
 
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