Van crew - assemble

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

5 minutes ago, Twiggy553 said:

There’s a guy called Greg Virgoe, his van build videos are amazing

Couldn't second this enough. 

I would say those videos are so good, you could go in with basically no wiring knowledge and safely do a van conversion. His explanations are brilliant and he gives you everything you need to know to understand how and why you're doing things 

[philipsteak]

46 minutes ago, Twiggy553 said:

There’s a guy called Greg Virgoe, his van build videos are amazing

I think he was one of the ones I saw. Seemed great but for some weird reason all the stuff about electricals was in Klingon 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 hour ago, philipsteak said:

but for some weird reason all the stuff about electricals was in Klingon 

I suffer from this also - well, kind of - it's Russian with me. It's like a big screen goes up and renders me impervious to any humanely known definition of education. I once tried to do a BSc in Building Surveying. I could have gone through that course and come out the other side with flying colours - if it weren't for those dastardly electrics. Oh, and the structural mechanics too. I knew that I was going to be weak on that one, but had no idea of the shock I was abouit to get in the very first lesson. Off the lecturer went, and off further and further into the distance he continued to go. I looked around me and everyone wes scribbling stuff down in their notepads. I had no idea what they were writing down. I had no idea what the bloke up the front was spouting - as in, at all. I fely very frightened at that moment. I always have done in that type of situation. I mean, I think I'd gort the bloke's name written down on my freshly bought A4 lined pad. I should have written 'HELP ME' on it too, on reflection. 

[guypjfreak]

Quick update. 

Brought new flange off a mate whilst the wife got one off facsache group.. 

Lovely day watching my king get crowned.. Then forgot it was a bank holiday so instead of going to pub rebuilt shed in doing so found the old flange. 

So today in the rain fitted one of the 3 bloody things tried to start her.. 

Click.. Rocked her in gear.. She's 43 years old.. Sometimes works.. 

Click 

Click 

Hammer wackkk wackkk 

Turned key... Bruuuuuumbrummmmm.. 

 

She's alive.. Just a bit more tinkering and should be fine lolol

Good old girl.. 

[Alking]

It’s probably been mentioned already but where does everyone recommend to park up the night before gates open? I’m sure I saw someone on here recommending a park up/ campsite to help with a swift entry when gates open. 
 

thanks! 

[gazzared]

Removing my double swivel seat hoping the fuses for day light running lights and cigarette lighter is under there...if not Iam smashing up my van 🤣

Edited May 12, 2023 by gazzared

[gazzared]

Only 1 fuse under here and it's fine😭

[gazzared]

Swapped the fuse anyway and it must have been knackered or just corroded... result after 4 years the cigarette is now working so gonna put a usb there instead👍

Only issue is the power stays on if I forget to press the small power button... Maybe there's a different type I can get that doesn't stay on 

Edited May 12, 2023 by gazzared

[paulshane]

ah, T5 wiring 🙂

 

theres loads more fun under the drivers seat too - if you are having issues with the passenger door deadlocking for fun, thats where to start looking.

[gazzared]

6 hours ago, paulshane said:

ah, T5 wiring 🙂

 

theres loads more fun under the drivers seat too - if you are having issues with the passenger door deadlocking for fun, thats where to start looking.

Ah I thought that was a security feature because it used to be a Scottish power van so expensive tools etc etc would need the doors to auto lock  🤣

[Twiggy553]

1 hour ago, gazzared said:

Ah I thought that was a security feature because it used to be a Scottish power van so expensive tools etc etc would need the doors to auto lock  🤣

Mine is an old British Gas Vivaro.

you should see the service history. Went back into the garage when the cup holder broke. Can’t put a price on knowing it’s been so well loved 😂 beautiful blue colour too

Fleet vans FTW!

Edited May 13, 2023 by Twiggy553

[gazzared]

15 minutes ago, Twiggy553 said:

Mine is an old British Gas Vivaro.

you should see the service history. Went back into the garage when the cup holder broke. Can’t put a price on knowing it’s been so well loved 😂 beautiful blue colour too

Fleet vans FTW!

Mine is 13 years old now and just got a service and asked them to check it over as something didn't feel right- so now I have a nice £1600 bill 🤣 steering rack , shocks, springs and a few other bits need doing . Think iam gonna take off the 20 inch wheels that were on when I got the van and go back to standard 16inch as they give you a more comfortable ride and probably protect the van over all the pot holes

Edited May 13, 2023 by gazzared

[Twiggy553]

Just now, gazzared said:

Mine is 13 years old now and just got a service and asked them to check it over as something didn't feel right- so now I have a nice £1600 bill 🤣 steering rack , shocks, springs and a few other bits need doing . Think iam gonna take off the 20 inch wheels that were on them when I got the van and go back to standard 16inch as they give you a more comfortable ride and probably protect the van over all the pot holes

Mine is 2012, and done about 90k, but - touch wood - has crossed never cost me money mechanically yet.

Something is bound to come soon though. I’ve read the alternator tends to pack up on them at around this point.

[gazzared]

10 minutes ago, Twiggy553 said:

Mine is 2012, and done about 90k, but - touch wood - has crossed never cost me money mechanically yet.

Something is bound to come soon though. I’ve read the alternator tends to pack up on them at around this point.

Yeah the engines are supposed to be good for 400000 miles. Mines done 155000 so probably expected for things to start needing replacing. Iam gonna try and keep it for another 12 years until iam 60 and retired 

[Twiggy553]

1 minute ago, gazzared said:

Yeah the engines are supposed to be good for 400000 miles. Mines done 155000 so probably expected for things to start needing replacing. Iam gonna try and keep it for another 12 years until iam 60 and retired 

Yeah just keep changing the oil whether you think it needs it or not. Vauxhall manual says every 20k but there’s no way i’d leave it that long: I do mine every 10k.

[gazzared]

1 minute ago, Twiggy553 said:

Yeah just keep changing the oil whether you think it needs it or not. Vauxhall manual says every 20k but there’s no way i’d leave it that long: I do mine every 10k.

Yeah also apparently oil goes off after 12 months so needs replacing anyway regardless of mileage 

[paulshane]

Mine (2006 T5) is at 223000

I bought it when it was at 198000 a few years ago, from a 'dealer' that bought it at auction - he was upfront about this.

It was insanly cheap - £3200 but looked amazing.

 

then when I was cleaning the inside I found loads of bottles of water, then a week later the low coolant light came on ...

 

I replaced everything I could hoping it wasn'ty rhe head gasket, but alas, it was the head gasket.

 

£1700 to replace, with some other engine mods thrown in, but it should be good for another 200k

 

And yes, always use the annoyingly mega expesnive oil - the turbo needs it.

[gazzared]

Tested the voltage to the left DRL fuse and no power is going there so not sure where its faulty, probably need A - somehow trace the 2 wires back from the bulb .......B - Forget about it

[Twiggy553]

12 minutes ago, gazzared said:

Tested the voltage to the left DRL fuse and no power is going there so not sure where its faulty, probably need A - somehow trace the 2 wires back from the bulb .......B - Forget about it

Bound to be a video on youtube somewhere

[gazzared]

Just now, Twiggy553 said:

Bound to be a video on youtube somewhere

theres a long list of people with the same problem haha.....when it goes into the garage next week i'll see if they can check for any error codes and maybe they need resetting

[paulshane]

Started on the annual 'what has worn out this year' on the caravan.

 

Happily, it unfolded OK and all the panels seem sturdy, though I've ordered some new gas struts as the ones on it are probably 40 years old and don't give much lift. Possible issues with new struts though is that the extra 'push' might break something thats only used to the old struts 🙂

 

I have vague plans for the interior though, which I started earlier this evening.

 

The 'table' is in two pieces, as nothing inside the caravan can be higher than the lowest side panel hinge (see pics) so the base is in two parts, secured to the floor and sides - one side houses the leisure battery, the other has pull out storage, which i'm going to change up to some drawers as well.

 

The top was put together years ago with some chunky bits of 2x4 I had for something, and I was going to redo it 'after the festival' but I never did. The top is heavy and needs to be picked up and placed on the floor so the caravan can be closed properly, so my new plan is to make the top hinge over, and sit on some stops, which will probably be more storage. I'll remake it from much smaller dimensioned wood, so it'll be lighter.

 

It'll also need the wiring made more modular - I like having a radio, good to listen to WorthyFM on the tuesday evening 🙂

 

some pics - everything looks grubby as , well, it is 🙂 I paint the whole thing white every year, but over winter, it gets damp, things peel etc, it'll get tidied at some point before the fest 🙂

 

current setup - bench in place: (note years of repairs to the sides, not pretty, but sturdy 🙂 )

 

 

bench un-setup ready to close up the cravan:

 

 

nothing can be higher than the side hinges, otherwise the caravan won't close properly:

 

Hopefully I'll get started on the new top part tomorrow evening 🙂

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by paulshane

[Gnomicide]

Link is open for campervans.

 

https://glastonbury.seetickets.com/Tour/Glastonbury-2023

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Gnomicide

[Twiggy553]

I’ve been messing about with 18mm ply to create these lovely contoured mountainscapes. The one pictured is an overhead panel that covers some ugly electrical conduit in the van. It’s actually a map of the five valleys (and surrounding mountains) that come together at Briançon in the Haute Alps

i’ve been toying with the idea of making a table top using this method (with clear resin to make it a flat surface)

Edited May 16, 2023 by Twiggy553

[paulshane]

Managed a bit of dismembering this morning before work, the base of the desk seems to be fine, but I'm going to run some caulk round the edges to tidy it up and also make some closing panels for the left hand side front - the right hand side will be drawers.

 

 

the unit in the middle is the sink, it stands up on the right of the pic, over the borwn wood you can see, which is covering the wheelarch. Again, it's too tall to stay in place, so all needs to be modular.

 

What a mess 🙂

 

 

The frames round the windows are just that, some frames I made, with lexan screwed on, and then covered in limo black car window tint 🙂 they clip in place and keep the caravan a bit cooler, as well as adding privacy - you can't see in at all.

[t0paz]

5 minutes ago, paulshane said:

Managed a bit of dismembering this morning before work, the base of the desk seems to be fine, but I'm going to run some caulk round the edges to tidy it up and also make some closing panels for the left hand side front - the right hand side will be drawers.

 

 

the unit in the middle is the sink, it stands up on the right of the pic, over the borwn wood you can see, which is covering the wheelarch. Again, it's too tall to stay in place, so all needs to be modular.

 

What a mess 🙂

 

 

The frames round the windows are just that, some frames I made, with lexan screwed on, and then covered in limo black car window tint 🙂 they clip in place and keep the caravan a bit cooler, as well as adding privacy - you can't see in at all.

Always amazed by the amount of work you put into the vans once yearly outing!