JJ’s Renault Master camper build [Phase 1 - Complete]

[Matty]

Very impressed.

[JJ0063]

Started mounting the electrics tonight. Trying to keep it neat and tidy…

[comfortablynumb]

This is the part where the idea of a selfbuild camper all goes a bit pear shaped for me.

I have no idea what all of that does.

I'd be highly likely to let the magic smoke out. Watching with interest to try and learn something 👍

[shampooefficient]

4 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

This is the part where the idea of a selfbuild camper all goes a bit pear shaped for me.

I have no idea what all of that does.

I'd be highly likely to let the magic smoke out. Watching with interest to try and learn something 👍

You can't do any worse than whichever muppet did the T3 we borrow...

 

[JJ0063]

MOT this morning, this is where it could go completely tits up and we find out why the van was so much cheaper than it should have been 😂

[shampooefficient]

Even if it's broken, it's only metal and bits, so it can be fixed!

[Westbay]

1 hour ago, JJ0063 said:

MOT this morning, this is where it could go completely tits up and we find out why the van was so much cheaper than it should have been 😂

🤞

[St.Jude]

1 hour ago, JJ0063 said:

MOT this morning, this is where it could go completely tits up and we find out why the van was so much cheaper than it should have been 😂

Too early to ask for a random? 

[JJ0063]

I’ll take that 🙌

[shampooefficient]

Bloody brilliant news. Look forward to seeing the build come along now!

[comfortablynumb]

Brake pedal wearing smooth? That's a new one on me.

Anyway that's a result 

Could it be that the MOT station was so impressed by the in-progress conversion that they were completely blindsided about the actual van? 😀

Edited September 5, 2024 by comfortablynumb
Additional

[Mally]

3 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

Brake pedal wearing smooth? That's a new one on me.

Get it often, usually just needs a new rubber pad.

 

[comfortablynumb]

Yeah, thought so, just not seen it before @Mally

[St.Jude]

18 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

Yeah, thought so, just not seen it before @Mally

The rubber on the brake pedal fell off of my 3008 for about 9 months. Took it to the MOT and he hadn’t started the test when he got in, looked and told me it needed the pad. I had kept it, so I put it on before the test and it was all good.

 

[JJ0063]

Electrics are pretty much ready to go in the van now. Connected the leisure battery tonight to set the Renogy Bluetooth app up and it seems to be working. 
 

Just need to add a fuse trip near the van battery where I’ve connected the long cable that runs to the back, plug the solar cable into the Renogy unit and mount the board then it’s done for now until I’m ready to connect all the devices!

[JJ0063]

Floor is down.

Hooked the solar up and connected the van battery to the electrics but the leisure battery is fucked so it won’t allow it to charge as I just get an “increased discharge” safety warning. Mate has a wholesale account with a motorhome parts place so will have a brand new battery next week for it.

Need to run wiring for the fan, lights and chargers etc then I can get the walls up. 

[Scruffy Bodger]

I was with ZX_Volcane the other week and he got a massive discount on a battery with a Halfords trade card, maybe worth a look?

I was looking at a friends camper earlier and they want me to fit solar at some point, they mentioned the make you've gone for, I take it they are well thought of?

While looking over and under it, especially at the sad rear springs that are sagging I noticed something interesting*. Whoever had stuck the tiltable wooden frame in that the bed sits on had used rather longer than needed tek screws. so much so that one is sticking into the spare tyre that's slung underneath. 🤪

[JJ0063]

21 minutes ago, Scruffy Bodger said:

I was with ZX_Volcane the other week and he got a massive discount on a battery with a Halfords trade card, maybe worth a look?

I was looking at a friends camper earlier and they want me to fit solar at some point, they mentioned the make you've gone for, I take it they are well thought of?

While looking over and under it, especially at the sad rear springs that are sagging I noticed something interesting*. Whoever had stuck the tiltable wooden frame in that the bed sits on had used rather longer than needed tek screws. so much so that one is sticking into the spare tyre that's slung underneath. 🤪

Cheers, I do have a trade card so will double check but the price my mate quoted from the wholesaler was quite a bit less than I’d seen the same one online for - will deffo check though!

Renogy are quite a decent brand, people tend to go for Victron but I like the fact the Renogy unit is all in one, other ones you need a separate solar controller and dc to dc charger. 

[JJ0063]

Did some odd jobs today, carpeted the metalwork between the floor and cab 

Carpeted one of the rear doors then ran out of spray glue. 
 

Ran the cabling for the roof fan, ceiling lights, tap, and two USB chargers. 
 

Feel like it’s starting to come together now, need to get some cladding up. 
 

Also ordered a diesel heater.

[Minimad5]

Tayna also do well priced batteries, so always worth a look into.
Just one suggestion, pop your cable into flexible conduit as i'd hate for them to rub through, short and damage components / devices or even worse a little fire.

Good progress chap

[JJ0063]

Found someone selling a sink, hob and grill/oven for £80 the lot on Facebook. I don’t want the oven but I reckon I can sell that for £80 on its own. Doesn’t look used! 
 

Sink/hob is ideal for the space we have so I’m happy I’ve got that.

[Keymaster]

That's a result!

[JJ0063]

7:30pm Amazon delivery of spray glue meant I was fitting the panel in the dark but the rear doors are now done (the stripe on the left one is just where I’d been brushing it flat)

 

[Sunny Jim]

Nice one, you're really cracking on with this. I'd echo @Minimad5's suggestion of running your cables in conduit. As he said it reduces the likelihood of cables rubbing or chaffing and shorting out but it also provides a good air gap around the cables and prevents them getting as warm as they might if they're surrounded by insulation. Another good tip is to leave a piece of string in the conduit so if you ever want to draw more cables through in the future you can do it without having to remove the cladding.

[barefoot]

21 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

 I don’t want the oven ...

Buy a RidgeMonkey instead. 

[JJ0063]

Things have slowed up a bit at the minute as I’m off work again due to having another dip in the old mental health so got to be very careful with money as il have a nice deduction in pay at the end of the month. 

Did some maths and to clad both sides and the ceiling was going to be stupid money, probably just shy of £300 in just timber, not worth it. 
 

Decided to make use of what I’ve got in the garage so have carpeted the original ply I removed and have fitted that back in at least temporarily. When funds allow, I can either remove it and clad, or even clad over the top.

It’ll need to come out again to carpet some of the metal pillars etc but it’s at least covering the insulation and makes it useable.

[Sunny Jim]

Sorry to hear about your mental health, hope the time away from work and opportunity to do bits and pieces on the van helps.

[JJ0063]

Sold the oven for £100! So went and spent £60 on cladding for the ceiling. 

[JJ0063]

Insulated the ceiling, started the cladding, finished the walls, carpeted the sliding door lower panel.

Chipping away, too much carpet but it’s only temporary and I’m sure Mrs JJ will cover it in arty shit. 
 

[Dan302]

Looking good 👍