Project Sparts big green LDV camper improvements. Dash removal antics.

[spartacus]

So, I've had this about a year now, it replaced the Talbot Express based camper now owned by Cobblers. That had for me a great layout and well thought out storage, but as my two girls are getting older, (11 this month), I felt I needed more sleeping space.

I've run the Convoy for a year and although it's working out well I've noted shortcomings as they've appeared with the intention of addressing them 'soon'.

Here's the beast in question...

[spartacus]

It's a 2.4 tddi with a 5 speed box. Ideally out would have a 6, as you always go for it, but that's a minor issue, I'm led to believe it's not a straight swap.

It wasn't cheap, so to justify it, and because I like using it, I wanted to make it more comfortable for 'three season' use, more insulation being a primary target. The interior is carpet faced ply mostly, it's put together fairly well but there is no insulation to speak of. Over the last couple of weeks I've been using a self adhesive, foil faced, closed cell foam to insulate as much of the inside that I can reasonably get to...

Here's some around one of the upper windows...

 

And here's the roof, looking towards the front over cab locker, the wooden battens are just bonded in place and the ceiling panels screw into them, I've insulated in-between, although apparently neglected to take a picture after!

Edit, found one!

[spartacus]

The upper side windows and obviously the cab side windows are only single glazed, so are cold spots attracting condensation, today my girls and I made up some simple ply covers, covered with carpet on one side and insulation on the other...

Helpers, with saw, Stanley knife etc!

 

Driver's side window cover, I left a long tab of the covering carpet at the top, so to fit it you just open the door, hold it in place, then shut the door. This avoids complication in construction and means it's completely flat and only about 20mm thick in total, so can be stored easily.

From the outside...

 

The smaller upper windows had a similar treatment, only I made them an interference fit into the aperture, with a carpet tab to pull them out.

[Guest Hooli]

Neat, lots of people forget the windows when insulating a van.

[spartacus]

Yeah, it has curtains but they're crap, they must have been on a cost cutting exercise because they don't even cover the windows fully. Lettie, long hair above, needs a proper dark room to sleep otherwise she's up really early, so these covers serve two purposes.

[taxi paul]

Bet the kids love it. May do this myself when mine are a bit bigger.

[The Moog]

Looks a good job. Window covers are certainly very neat.

[BorniteIdentity]

Dude! This is MEGA!!  

 

In this church within which we worship, we are among winners.

[spartacus]

Cheers Moog, they turned out better than I could have hoped, much more professional looking than many off the shelf solutions I've seen, IISSM!

BorniteIdentity, thanks, that means a lot! I'll crack on with more improvements and get them logged.

[Remspoor]

British Racing green, and an arts and craft lessons for the children.

[cpjitservices]

Mega! Would love to have something like this! Round up the clan!

 

Just, get up and go somewhere and pitch up! 

[bezzabsa]

problem is the 2.4 isn't the best engine...even Land Rover and Ford realised this fairly early on...IIRC the 6 speed wasn't offered in LDV's.

Nice looking van though 

[spartacus]

cpjitservices, that's just how it is. I can pick my girls up from school and within 10 minutes we're in the Peak District, we 'wild camp', overlooking a fantastic view somewhere, then have pancakes for breakfast. When I've taken them away for the weekend they've always had a great time. Same for Mrs Spart and myself, finish work, grab some food and jump in, the world is our lobster!

 

bezzabsa, what's the issue with the 2.4, I'd rather be forewarned. It's only done 70'000, so I'm hoping that good maintenance will help it live a long life.

[spartacus]

I've covered a few miles in this and owned it well over a year and figured it could do with a service. I whipped down to my local Ford dealer this morning, (it's a Ford engine), and after a little searching the helpful parts man relieved me of £113, in exchange for oil, air and fuel filters and 7 litres of oil.

After emptying my oil sucker device and explaining it to one of my girls I discovered it wouldn't go all the way down the dipstick hole. Grrr.

Fortunately I'm fairly slim and the camper had enough ground clearance for me to be able to just crawl under. I cut the side out of an old plastic oil container to use as a drain tray and set to.

Amazingly all stages went swimmingly, the only annoyance being the gust of wind that always seems to raise itself just as the last trickle of oil is coming out, blowing it all over the sides of the drain tray.

I couldn't undo the collar that holds the fuel filter in place, even with my grip of death, so I used a 'giffer tool' that my dad bought from Wilko. It's one of those strap things that grips tighter the more pressure you put on it, despite the fact it came from Wilko it worked and didn't break! Action shot below, not much detail but hey, it's better than no picture.

[artdjones]

What's the issue with the 2.4, I'd rather be forewarned. It's only done 70'000, so I'm hoping that good maintenance will help it live a long life.

Fuel pumps,injectors,timing chains.But on only 70k you will probably be ok for a good while if you carry on as you are.

[spartacus]

I get the feeling that a high percentage of modern diesels have these issues and that most of them can be at least delayed by regular servicing and sympathetic driving.

That's my hope anyway!

[bezzabsa]

as an aside, have you checked the 'tabs' you left on the window cover don't wick the moisture inside??

 

 

also does your van have the dreaded DMF??

[spartacus]

Yep, they only just get trapped in the inner door seal, I see a lot of moisture damage with work so I'm on the ball with that kind of thing.

I don't know about the flywheel, how can I tell without pulling it apart? If it fucks up it'll be having a solid conversion for sure!

[spartacus]

Yeah! Thread from the deep!

Having started the 'insulation program' 8 months ago I decided I really should finish it. Although it mainly serves as thermal insulation a happy secondary function is noise suppression, both stationary and on the move. I'm happy with the performance of the 2.4 tddi engine but it's very noisy, it's almost as if Ford engineers decreed that it must sound exactly like a 'banana' lump. I decided that covering the inside of the dash and the metal structure under there might also help keep noise levels down, at the same time adding some 'weight' to the appallingly cheap plastic mouldings that comprise the dash and the three lower trims. So, I took the dash out, about an hour's work, with only one broken clip, do not too bad really. I discovered a couple of Scottish forestry commission parking tickets under there, along with about a million dead midges, the previous owner must have been a sturdy sort to spend any time with them buzzing around!

I used flash-band as a budget alternative to proper sound deadening mat, it's not quite as good, but at £11 for a ten meter roll I wasn't complaining.

Dash out...

 

 

And all cleaned up and flash band applied...

 

 

And back in...

[spartacus]

The piece on the right in the second to last picture is the cheapest plastic part I've ever encountered on a vehicle, although I can't get rid of the 'scratchiness' the work I've done has improved how it feels when tapped or knocked and made it more resistant to vibration. Refitting the dash using decent screws with larger washers has made it more secure and it squeaks less now. I took the opportunity to scrub the plastic and use some anti static dash cleaner on it. One aim of doing all this is to make driving long distances less wearing, I only got chance to carry out a short drive today but there's a noticeable improvement, so I'll call today's efforts a success.

[DSdriver]

Top tip using Flashband, I've been wondering where to stick the spare roll I have in the cupboard under the stairs.

[spartacus]

It needs warming up a little first, on a radiator or something, then it sticks really well, I put a fan heater in the camper for half an hour to take the chill of the metalwork under the dash.

[Maurice Marina]

It’s beautiful. I love LDVs

 

And hate them.