Young Dorset Caravanner

[underitall]

Hello all,
I have been interested in Caravans for probably half my life and finally yesterday I become the owner of a Monza 4.00D.
I'm not new to this forum, I signed up last year and have enjoyed reading about 'vans and their equipment ever since.
The van has 2 double beds, 3 way fridge, twin hob & grill, heater and washroom with vanity unit and porta potti.
My tow car is a 1996 Volvo V40 2.0 Petrol.

So far I have installed a shower mixer tap in the washroom and plumbed the hot water which will be pumped with a seperate pump from a container in the cupboard. Until I modify my Cascade Mk2 (bought sperately from the van) I will be using a very simple but effective way of pre heating a container of water using a small radiator and a camping stove, it worked on a couple trial runs of a smaller volume of water so am hoping for the best.
The next biggest thing is waterproofing the washroom and installing a shower tray and curtain for the door to make it a shower room. (I have a target of less than 3 weeks, taking it to the Great Dorset Steam Fair)
It did not have a battery for the 12v just a 240v computer power supply, so I now have a spare battery in place hooked up to a Zig CF7 distribution panel (which I bought last year in preperation for if one day I buy a van).
The Volvo hasn't got a 12s socket and I don't have any plans to install one yet, so no charging/fridge on the move, but it shouldn't be a problem, I'll give it a good charge before any time I go out with it.

Thanks for reading,
Tom from Portland.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi Tom , welcome back, and congratulations on you purchase, it seems you have a long term project there!!!, and as a keen diy'er should do well, good luck and if you have any questions just ask?

 

[Parksy]

Hi Tom, I'm glad that you finally introduced yourself

Congratulations on buying your Monza, if there's anything that you want to know the forum is the best place to find out.
I never fitted a 12s to my car, I don't need the fridge until I'm set up on site, and the battery is being charged as soon as the ehu is plugged in, although I have an 80 watt roof mounted solar panel for when we're off ehu.

 

[brian_c]

Welcome Tom good luck with your project.
Regards Brian

 

[Mel]

Hi tom welcoe to the forum. Photos of any rebuild work seem to go down very well here. Good luck and happy vanning.
mel

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Tom

to the forum

Many of us on here have undertaken various projects over the years so ilke Mel said if you can take some
pictures we would all be very interested. Keep us up to date with your progress and of course you first
outing. Good luck

 

[forestgump]

hi tom i wear red crocks

 

[underitall]

Hello all,
Thanks for the welcome.
I've given it a quick clean all outside, including the roof, got all the moss/growth off and it looks much better (I don't like seeing vans at shows and thinking to myself "They could've at least cleaned it a bit, looks like its been sat in a bush for 3 years!" (My van was previously off the road for 6 years too)), will post external pics at a later date.
I've plumbed in the Shower mixer tap now, doesn't look too pretty but it works, the shower head will be hooked onto the wall so I can easily remove it:

The toilet will be put out the way in the awning when I go to use the shower, it is a reasonable size to stand in without it in there. I will be making a shower tray with plywood, resin and fibreglass & waterproofing the whole room and hanging a shower curtain infront of the door. Must remember to remove the toilet roll before showering!

This is the Cupboard where the hot water tank will be, I tested the system with a 5 litre water bottle as can be seen here. The mixer tap has no micro switches so the hot submersible pump is controlled by a pressure switch and the main cold pump outside is-for the moment-controlled by turning on the washroom sink tap just enough so I can hear the switch turn the pump on.

The plan is to heat a 25litre tank of water to a decent enough temperature then place it in the cupboard and dunk the hot submersible pump in until I get round to modifying the Cascade heater.

Thanks again and I'll post more updates as I make them, should hopefully have the shower done this week.
Tom.

 

[underitall]

Hi everyone.

On testing the fridge a smell of gas was present so turned it off, checked the pipework and found out the burner feed pipe was rusted to hell and a hole had formed where another pipe rubs against it. Took the fridge out and cut part of the pipe out, tested and sounded normal afterwards.
Then I was looking at the rotten through burner feed pipe for the Heater underneath the 'van, nice strong smell of gas again, felt it coming from the main feed into the heater so gas off again had a look around and on the other side it had rotten through.
I eventually got the heater out, will be giving it a good clean tomorrow probably and try and get some new compression fittings and renew the pipes on it then my 'van will have 3/3 gas appliances working, rather than the 1/3 when I first got it just a week ago!
Also I've made the wooden base for the shower tray and that and when I get the resin will be fibreglassing it.

Will post pics soon,
Tom.

 

[Beachball]

Hi Tom welcome to the forum lol

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Tom,

Welcome to the PCv forum.

Very impressive work so far. Keep us posted on your travels.

 

[underitall]

Hi all,
Quick (Read full!) update:
Pretty much done all the Wet room fibreglassing, just waiting for the topcoat to arrive then that'll be going on and I'll post a pic up on here. fitted some SMD led panels in place of an old strip light, may do that to the rest of the lighting in the van because these ones throw out a nice bright white light and were very good value.
I can hear the fridge working but it doesn't get cold on either Gas or 240v (Not tried 12v yet), I levelled the van to the level of the fridge but then read that it should be levelled to the fridge cooler compartment, which is at a different level in mine, so will try again once properly level, also doesn't help that it was sat unused for so long, maybe once I've driven it around a bit the liquid may move around and flow a bit better in the system, or so I've read.
Fitted a shower curtain for the wet room, that looks okay, and also a curtain across from the wet room door to the cupboard to section off the wet room/rear bed to the rest of the van.
I think that's it, it'll be having its debue with me this coming Saturday for the Great Dorset Steam Fair, I'll be there all week, mainly in the Model Tent which I help run.
Also booked myself a couple nights at Birchwood Tourist Park in Wareham next month.

And I am still looking for anywhere local (Pretty much anywhere in Dorset) that does cheap storage I just want to pay the landowner for letting me park it in the back of a field somewhere ideally, doesn't need to be in a compound or anything.

Thanks for reading,
Tom.

 

[underitall]

Another quick post with pics.

This is the van testing out the drive-away awning:

This is the Zig CF7 distribution panel fitted in place, it's mounted horizontally rather than vertically because it was more sensible to keep all the wiring together which is just behind it:

And this is another project I have, it's a Half Scale Model Airport Baggage Tractor with trailer, which I will be using to haul around my waste/water containers, it's powered by a mobility scooter with custom electrics:

Thanks for looking,
Tom.

 

[Mel]

Flippin eck Tom, motorised transport for the waste, you don't muck about do you!

mel