Dazzlin Renovations/van rescue (1 Viewer)

[Portland]

Hi Daz, look what a coffee morning has done for you. Have you thought about using Lithium batteries, both for size and durability, I believe battery megastore are doing a deal on them

 

[Busman]

Thread now on ignore
Just toooooo much work going on
?

 

[maison]

Looks to be a fantastic project. You’re a braver man than me, though.

Will follow the thread with interest and much respect!

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[TheBig1]

Are you using upvc sheet cladding in the shower room? Will look very smart and proper water proof too.

 

[Dazzlin]

What about an all electric 12v fridge?
I would have thought more efficient?
Solar panel at the mo looks adequate to me ???

12v fridge £650
230v £120. Got an efficient one that uses up to 30 amps per day.

With a lot to do need to keep the budget down..... ?

 

[Dazzlin]

Are you mostly going to be using the van in Spain?

Re the 240v fridge, we've run our domestic fridge via 430w solar and 270amp batteries quite happily over the last 8months, obviously plenty of sun for the charging throughout mainland Europe but we've been back in the UK for a couple of months now and with the lack of sun the batteries are running lower than I'd actually like, 12.4v is the lowest I've seen. That's just purely charging through the solar, no engine charge or hookup charger.

I really wanted to use a domestic fridge as couldn't justify the cost of 12v/3way fridges. Think we spent less on the whole setup than we would have done just buying a fridge and if it doesn't work out will still be using the rest of the system.

Keep the photos coming.

Shawn

Ps if your in the uk and need an extra pair of hands and have a nice bit of land we can park up for a while, I'm your man. Well man,woman and dog lol.

Yes, sunny climes whenever possible. This year is going to be the tester. I will only have 200w of solar while we are in the UK as my other panels are in Spain! I have 2 x 6v Trojan T-105's which can be taken a lot lower than the other inferior types ? not that I plan to......

Like you, I have budgeted the cost of a 3 way fridge for my solar, batteries, inverter AND a fridge.

I had a 3 way in which did ignite on gas but went out. Not tested on 12 or 230v and at 30 odd years old I thought naaah.. Put something new in.

Many thanks for the offers of 4 hands n 4 paws but we are on our daughters drive, just, and the back of the van is the same size as her front room window!

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[Dazzlin]

Are you using upvc sheet cladding in the shower room? Will look very smart and proper water proof too.

Aye, just pricing it as we type.
Cladding monkey! Have 8 x 4 sheets of 5mm pvc for about £16 so works out very reasonable, just looking for a weight?

Ironically it was the driest room, (and I would like to keep it that way) but it helped the leaky rooflight being over the shower tray!

 

[Dazzlin]

Hi Daz, look what a coffee morning has done for you. Have you thought about using Lithium batteries, both for size and durability, I believe battery megastore are doing a deal on them

Not lithium this time, keeping budget to a minimum, but they are nearly affordable, in a few years maybe..... if I can get these out again!

 

[Dazzlin]

A slow day today.
Got started early at 10.30am then got called in to sort a curtain rail for the daughters front door.
Back out and got fed up butchering the battery box so moved on to the dash.
Managed to release all the rusty screws and get the old timber out, really mucky job with the crap insulation that was disintegrated.
Jigsawed the new bit close enough to shape (carpet'll cover it) and I have stuck the new soundproofing/insulation to the bottom.
Not fixed it in yet, I am sticking a load more soundproofing round the engine bay and over wheel arches tomorrow and if there's any left I'll stick some more on.
Looking better than this morning anyway.

Had to go back to the battery box after that. Couldn't put it off any more.....
I wanted big batteries so measured up and bought the biggest that would nearly fit! The box was 10mm too small on paper so I was hopeful they might fit.
Anyway, after a bit of jigsaw work on the floor to enlarge the hole, a lot of creative chiselling of the fibreglass structure of the box and a bit of propping up underneath, they are in. Might never come out, but they are in.

I think, when the spongy floor gets its epoxy resin treatment I'll give it a coat to strengthen it all up. Boring pics later, for the anoraks, when they are wired up. 
Short days when it gets cold and dark so I call it a day before 4pm

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[Al-Di]

Hi we have used these on the bedford we are doing 2mm/3mm and they deliver,

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[TheBig1]

what did you bond the sound insulating foam on with? If it's the self adhesive stuff, I have known the glue to fail if it gets hot. Above the engine it will. I would staple some reflective foil on the bottom too

 

[Dazzlin]

Hi we have used these on the bedford we are doing 2mm/3mm and they deliver,

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Thanks guys, had a quick look and theres plenty there. Delivery would deffo be easier.

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[Dazzlin]

what did you bond the sound insulating foam on with? If it's the self adhesive stuff, I have known the glue to fail if it gets hot. Above the engine it will. I would staple some reflective foil on the bottom too

Yes it was the self adhesive stuff, I did wonder about that.
I like the silver foil idea, cheers.

 

[gus-lopez]

Aye, just pricing it as we type.
Cladding monkey! Have 8 x 4 sheets of 5mm pvc for about £16 so works out very reasonable, just looking for a weight?

Ironically it was the driest room, (and I would like to keep it that way) but it helped the leaky rooflight being over the shower tray!

I went for saniclad in 2mm.

 

[Kev and Carolyn]

In Awe at the work and efforts guys! Plod on....you won't look back.

Proper hero!

Kev and Carolyn

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[Jaws]

You know what Dazzlin , I absolutely love the layout of your van.. And by the time you are done its gonna be a total cracker !

 

[Dazzlin]

You know what Dazzlin , I absolutely love the layout of your van.. And by the time you are done its gonna be a total cracker !

Cheers, the layout was the one we were after, that and the price.

You don't get many with opposite sofas and I had a plan to turn half of the double dinette after seeing a picture, this had been done for me, it just needs screwing down properly...... it is loose!

 

[Dazzlin]

So.... I hate electrics....
Hab battery was dead and stunk of sulphur when the engine charged it for only 2 minutes so it was binned.
Managed to squeeze the new batteries in yesterday. Max power in a small space! (the r/h battery is supported underneath)

All connected, and still nowt.

Spent today cleaning and tightening all the connections in the fuse box, sanding the fuses and removing the cobwebs....

That is my 'electrobloc..... ?

Any way, all fettled, turn the isolator key, still nowt....

Out with the meter, test, test, test.
Power at the batteries reads 12.6v
Power at the fuses reads 1.5v! Bugger.

After messing around, blindly prodding and poking randomly with the meter, turning on n off at the isolator switch, checking the batteries again and consulting Dr Google, it was the isolator switch! I think. The big bloody red jobbie that never goes wrong. It measures 0v when off and 1.5v on. 12v to the switch.
Anyone heard of this before?
Gunna get a new one tomorrow.... and hope it fixes everything.

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[Dazzlin]

So......... To cheer me up....?
The outside is a little tired, and the roof is positively scabby with all the filled holes, bolts sticking up and 35 years of wear n tear, so a lick of paint will help seal it all.

We always agreed it could do with a freshen up.
Sticking with the Hymer traditional paint job, but with a twist.....
Same stripes in the same places, but a little brighter. Instead of the cream & brown......






Magnolia & Bright Orange - in what I thought was a nice hard wearing finish - 'Skip & container paint'.

Lynne took a little persuasion, but you'll spot us coming.

Paint now ordered so no turning back!

 

[lunarman]

Dazzlin why not put a temporary bypass onthe switch to prove the electrics before replacing the switch.

 

[Dazzlin]

Dazzlin why not put a temporary bypass onthe switch to prove the electrics before replacing the switch.

Thanks, that makes sense, I'd just had enough to think that through... ?

Another pair of eyes n all that ?

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[PORKSTER]

Fair play its going to be nice when done and your know it inside out

 

[TheBig1]

bin the unreliable bullet fuses and fit a more modern version. Plenty of choices available including those with tell tale LEDs, but keep it simple if you can.

 

[Al-Di]

think your having a bad day, removed rotten wood from front skylight, and bloody roof cracked, not good fibreglassing in the rain,

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[Dazzlin]

think your having a bad day, removed rotten wood from front skylight, and bloody roof cracked, not good fibreglassing in the rain,

Whoops. Good luck with that. ?
Still got 2 small rooflights to replace, waiting for a sunny day.....

Then fitting solar, waiting for a sunny day.

Sealing/painting the roof, waiting for a sunny day.

And we are in Scotland til the summer.......

 

[TheBig1]

sorry to be a bit late with advice Al-Di but ALWAYS support the roof before removing anything structural like a rooflight surround

 

[Al-Di]

sorry to be a bit late with advice Al-Di but ALWAYS support the roof before removing anything structural like a rooflight surround

It was supported, it was when I removed the rotten left spar, some joker had screwed it to the glass and i missed the screws now running my own thread in self builds,

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[Vipar]

Admiration ??

 

[TheBig1]

It was supported, it was when I removed the rotten left spar, some joker had screwed it to the glass and i missed the screws now running my own thread in self builds,

with older vans you have to plan for the unexpected like that. When you start rebuilding, see if you can source some ash timber for round the hatches

 

[Dazzlin]

Update......
Fitted new isolator switch, got power to half the van.
Reconnected bits from the back of the shower, power to the other half!
Lights now working all round.
Bit of gynecology (wiring in restricted space) and cigar socket working near kitchen.
Got Truma fan working so wardrobe doesn't overheat as much.... - 4° here this morning.
Meters still not working on control panel, needs further inspection..... Any ideas? (checked fuse)

Fitted inverter.
Fitted solar regulator and monitor, panels to be fitted when I have hinges and angle ali, mc4 plugs and glands....

Fitted new rooflight in kitchen. (Smokey one) the others are frosty!

Fridge in position.

Sink n hob waiting.
Still to order taps.

Shopping for worktop tomoz, and got a list for screwfix/toolstation.

Outside paint came today.....
Lynne didn't make me send it back!

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