NMs CCC (camper creation capers)

[NorthernMonkey]

As some of you may remember, just before lockdown I purchased this from @cobblers

It had a couple of minor mechanical issues as well as a mere flesh wound to the offside rear…

After the fitting of a set of new tyres, a windscreen and a genuine leak off pipe set from the local PSA dealers, it was pressed into service as a garage tool and assisted in a workshop move as well as clearing my late dad’s flat and various other van type duties.

After a while, it made it into my workshop…

where this was employed…

…which resulted in this…

 

Not perfect, I know but slightly better aesthetically.

[NorthernMonkey]

Fast forward 8 months to a couple of weeks ago and I was reminded by the good lady that we’d arranged to head back up to the highlands at the start of September to meet up with @The Moog and a few other friends in our ‘camper van’ that we’d been building for the last three years and was still parked outside the unit and full of car parts, a T5 engine, four sets of wheels etc etc. You get the idea…

More to follow once I’ve charged my phone and collated some more pictures.

Teaser…I’m currently laid here looking out over the shores of Loch Tay

 

[High Jetter]

  On 02/09/2023 at 14:32, NorthernMonkey said:

Teaser…I’m currently laid here looking out over the shores of Loch Tay

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Anyone else mentally insert the word 'getting' into that sentance on first read? Just me, then

[NorthernMonkey]

So, where were we?

First job…heating. Cut a hole in the floor underneath the bed for a steel mounting plate…

then the van can go up in the air and this can be fitted

 

which leads to this.

Accessed the fuel tank through the convenient hatch in the cab floor for the fuel pick up pipe to be installed 

Some people remove the sender unit and drill it but quite a few builders just undo the breather pipe and install the pick up in the top of it. This seems a far easier option as long as you’re careful to bend the steel pipe so it doesn’t foul the float…

[rusty_vw_man]

Looking forward to seeing what you’ve made! Those diesel heaters are awesome, I wouldn’t be without mine. 

[NorthernMonkey]

I should point out that what you’re seeing here is very much a temporary fix to make it habitable for this weekend…in due course and once we work out what we need and what we don’t, it’ll be largely stripped back to bare metal and rebuilt properly.

[Saabnut]

If you need use of a ramp/tools/abuse whilst Ooop Norf I will be home tomorrow and you know where I am

[lesapandre]

  On 02/09/2023 at 19:51, NorthernMonkey said:

So, where were we?

First job…heating. Cut a hole in the floor underneath the bed for a steel mounting plate…

then the van can go up in the air and this can be fitted

 

which leads to this.

Accessed the fuel tank through the convenient hatch in the cab floor for the fuel pick up pipe to be installed 

Some people remove the sender unit and drill it but quite a few builders just undo the breather pipe and install the pick up in the top of it. This seems a far easier option as long as you’re careful to bend the steel pipe so it doesn’t foul the float…

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What brand of heater is that please? Ta.

[juular]

I love a good camper build. Following.

[Barry Cade]

😆 just fitted one of these in the Astro.. I suppose I'll take the ridicule.. ☺️ . Drilled the holes and fitted the heater, put in the diesel tank (Astro is petrol) and ran the exhaust, intake, pipes and pump. Switched everything on  and watched while the diesel primed up. No diesel.. primed and primed but nothing. Flattened both the batteries and then relocated the tank as I thought there wasn't enough drop to the pump.  Next day with charged batteries I tried again. No joy, so I decided to start over and pulled all the pipes and pump off only to find I'd left one of the tiny packaging bungs on the pump when I put the rubber pipes on it.

🤣

Toasty noo.

 

[NorthernMonkey]

  On 03/09/2023 at 08:28, lesapandre said:

What brand of heater is that please? Ta.

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Only the finest Chinese 5kw (allegedly) here.

 

They’re a cracking bunch of lads, you know…

 

In all seriousness, they’re all identical and no doubt made in the same factory somewhere as a clone of the Eberspacher ones.

It’s not the quietest thing but it pumps out an incredible amount of heat for negligible fuel consumption.

I’m going to get another to install in the office for Winter…it’ll be a lot cheaper than the calor gas space heater.

[NorthernMonkey]

  On 03/09/2023 at 08:35, juular said:

I love a good camper build. Following.

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Good?

Prepare to be disappointed…

[NorthernMonkey]

Having had a very relaxing couple of days, we are now sat at Stirling services with a Greggs coffee (haven’t built a kitchen yet) on a slow meander back south.

May head into the steamy flesh pot of Blackpool later for fish and chips…home is where you drive it, innit?! 😂

The next thrilling update will include heater exhaust positioning and window installation!

[TheOtherStu]

I did this a number of years ago, or should I say, I finished someone's job!

I picked this van up which had caravan windows including a pop-up roof and a sink/oven . Basically, someone had taken the interior of a caravan and shoved it into a carpet fitters van.
It had no floor, no walls, no gas or electric (it had a hob fitted, but no way of safely using it).

Probably the biggest issue I had was creating the gas cupboard. By law (and obviously by common sense), you can't use a gas bottle inside a van. Caravans and motorhomes have this considered, but when you're building your own, you might want to consider how to do this safely.

The easiest way is to simply pass the pipe out the side of the van. I went the whole hog and bought some mild steel and built a cupboard, using a proper "door" (I find on eBay) so that I didn't have to disconnect it every time I farted.

Some pictures when I went to sell it.

[juular]

  On 04/09/2023 at 10:29, TheOtherStu said:

I did this a number of years ago, or should I say, I finished someone's job!

I picked this van up which had caravan windows including a pop-up roof and a sink/oven . Basically, someone had taken the interior of a caravan and shoved it into a carpet fitters van.
It had no floor, no walls, no gas or electric (it had a hob fitted, but no way of safely using it).

Probably the biggest issue I had was creating the gas cupboard. By law (and obviously by common sense), you can't use a gas bottle inside a van. Caravans and motorhomes have this considered, but when you're building your own, you might want to consider how to do this safely.

The easiest way is to simply pass the pipe out the side of the van. I went the whole hog and bought some mild steel and built a cupboard, using a proper "door" (I find on eBay) so that I didn't have to disconnect it every time I farted.

Some pictures when I went to sell it.

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That looks very nicely done!

I thought gas bottle inside was OK providing you had a steel (or other fireproof) enclosure and a dropout vent - providing it's permanently plumbed with copper pipe from a fixed regulator. This is how I did mine.

I think this is rare though, most vans I've seen just have the bottle with a barbeque style regulator on top and the orange rubber hose going straight into a hob.

[TheOtherStu]

  On 04/09/2023 at 10:46, juular said:

That looks very nicely done!

I thought gas bottle inside was OK providing you had a steel (or other fireproof) enclosure and a dropout vent - providing it's permanently plumbed with copper pipe from a fixed regulator. This is how I did mine.

I think this is rare though, most vans I've seen just have the bottle with a barbeque style regulator on top and the orange rubber hose going straight into a hob.

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Absolutely. You can do it that way. I just found it easier to make the bottle accessible from the outside. Mine had copper pipe directly going to the enclosure then a rubber pipe with regulator going onto the bottle.

[NorthernMonkey]

The inlet pipe I had was about 4 inches long and disintegrated as soon as it was touched so that was left off, and the exhaust I had was just about long enough to reach the sill so was fastened there for the moment. A longer inlet, air filter and exhaust silencer are all on order so will be fitted and tweaked in due course. Everything else heater wise is ok so that will ultimately stay where it is.

Next was the window.

Cutting disc was put into action and sparks were produced. Lots of them.

Then followed a bit of tidying up with the air grinder and a flap disc

Which left us with this

 

At this point, it was 21.00 on Wednesday night and we were due to head off on Friday.

Cue checking the fitting kit to find one small tube of adhesive. I’ve watched my mate, a windscreen fitter, enough times to know that the best installations use significantly more adhesive than I possessed.

First thing Thursday, Gizz (Cheapa windscreens based in Burnley if anyone wants any glass around here) turned up in his van, took the piss for ten minutes regarding my finishing trim cutting skills, then got his fancy powered gun out, applied three times as much adhesive than I had and stuck the sod on properly. That is going nowhere.