Just how fast am I going?

The speedo in and working well, I am very impressed with the ease with which I was able to fix it up. I used it last evening whilst driving home and it is a very responsive tool. The little reflective screen is a large part of how well the system works as without it, there is a double image which would be very distracting at night and difficult to read during the day. I am due to drive up to Bristol this evening so it will be good to see it working on a proper journey. I have plumbed the cable into the sat nav power as a temporary fix but I am in the throes of fitting a rear view camera and monitor as well so I will probably connect the speedo to the ignition in order to have it on whenever the engine is running.

Boring I know, but.................

When nothing much happens, it can be a good thing. I am still driving on a fairly high proportion of chip oil and all is still well. The interesting thing for me is the amazing mpg I am getting. This engine is a very economical one and with the gearing and the fact that, despite it's age, it is barely run in yet, I have used just less than a quarter tank - about 17 - 18 litres in the past two weeks and that includes several long, by my standards, cross city trips. All of this, I was aware of before but now I also have the added bonus that I am only paying about 75p for my combined fuels. So the fact that nothing is happening is, for me, a good thing. One tip I was given, right or wrong, is to run through a tank of commercial bio diesel every so often as it will clean the system through.

Faster than a speeding bullet.................

Not how I want to drive when abroad, but I have always had a certain amount of difficulty with my speedo when trying to read the KPH settings due to a combination of eyesight and small numbers on the dial.   I saw the earlier model of this advertised a couple of years ago and decided to get one when I was in a position to make use of it. Well, that time has come. I have just taken delivery of the latest version and it's very nice too! It comes complete with a DC lead for a cigarette lighter socket and a special stick on panel to help you see the display in daylight. It fixes to the binnacle on your vehicle and reflects your speed in either KPH or MPH on the windscreen. It will also 'gong' you at a pre-set speed as a reminder and it has a Bluetooth output that you can use on a phone, PDA or laptop to give you a very accurate GPS fix.

The chip oil situation is still working very well, no blockages or other problems so far.

Steady as she goes.

So far so good with the chip oil, smelling very tasteful and driving well with a very good mileage per litre. I have begun my plans for the reversing camera and may even start work on it next week. I must also find the time to enlage the hole for the tap and get that job completed.

More chip oil vicar?

Yesterday I filled the tank with a heady mix of chip oil and diesel. About 22 litres of each, in fact. I had a moment of panic when I first moved off, as the engine was a bit dopey for a while but it soon picked up and I have had no worries since. Currently, we are running a 60% diesel to 40% oil mix and janis seems to like it. I shall probably take it down to 70 - 30 from now on just to be certain during the cold season but, equally, I will probably take it up to 50 - 50 or better in the summer. I have a long run to do just before Christmas, so I may up the oil whilst she is running hot and take a chance to save a few quid.

Moving right along.

We collected the new batch of wvo last evening and it looks like good stuff. Tony charges 50pence a litre and is reasonably close to where we live so it's a worthwhile journey every so often.

I smell like a chinese take-away

Well, more to the point, janis does. She is running very nicely on the veggie oil so I have invested another £40.00 in 100 litres from another supplier in order to keep the faith. I shall be doing a lot of running around for a couple of weeks, this should prove a useful investment.

Confession time.

I have neglected to take any photos of janis in order to show off her new furniture. This is very remiss of me. Particularly so in view of the small parts that we broke whilst away (door catch plates) and that which was not finished even when we came back (fitting the tap). Well, it all works. We just have to put the tube in the kettle. I am afraid that other things have taken over and seem to have more priority for now. Sorry Damo. I have plans that involve new metal catch plates and filing out the mounting hole for the tap and re-jigging the wiring so that it all works the way nature intended, At that point, I shall take the photos and publish. It will be worth the wait, I promise.

On me foot son......................

We put some chip oil into the tank on Sunday, it runs fine but our technique left a lot to be desired. I managed to anoint my left foot and treat the kerb to a wash in veggi oil. Driving to work today, there was a very low key but pleasant smell of chip shop.

Resumption!

After all the work in the attic, it's nice to get back to janis for a while. No time to do some of the bigger jobs but I have invested in 40 litres of used chip oil in order to test her on non fossil fuel.

Hiatus!

We came home to good news, the planning application has been passed. This means very little work on janis until the terrace has been sorted out and all the signals for the TV etc re-routed. The cables are all in, but they currently feed either a different signal or in the opposite direction or both!

There are some jobs on the doors and roof that need to be worked on anyway over the next few months but, in general, the house has to come first until after Christmas.

2,454 miles later

We came home.

We had a really good shakedown and janis performed very well. We now know what works and what doesn't and we will be able to move on to the next phase of development.

The bed is so very comfortable that I would happily sleep on it all the time.

What a difference ten days make.

240 little hours.......

janis is fully fitted at last. We collected her yesterday and she looks gorgeous. There will be photos later but we need to do a little bit more work to put the icing on the cake. I intend to try and finish that this evening and once completed, I will post the pictures.

Wot! anuver list?

I have just reviewed my previous list - number two - and realised that, against the odds, I have completed it. Sooooooo, here we go with list 3.

• Pad around the satnav amp to hold it firmly in place.
• Tighten the nuts on the under floor baffle.
• Check and, if necessary, re-seal the holes in the roof.
• Stick the grips to the back of the clock to stop it moving around in transit.
• Check and, if necessary, replace fuses in PMS unit.
• Pack all odd items needed to work on janis whilst on holiday.
• Pack all safety items.
• Vacuum the inside and wipe over the outside.

A gentle pause

janis is currently living with VWPaul whilst he installs all the new furniture. We dropped her off to him on Friday of last week and are due to collect her on Thursday evening of this week.

Another step forward

I have now sorted out the European and UK breakdown cover for janis. We have a policy with Direct Line that gives us European and UK cover on the Galaxy already and I had noticed that it can include up to four cars for an added premium. So I rang up and asked about the chances of putting a soon to be camper on it. No problem at all, and a reasonable price too. Then when the policy reverts to just the camper, they will also revert the price as well.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

More a statement than a saying in this instance.

Since the last post, I have been unable to do any work on janis due to a heavy smack in the face from my car door. This was entirely self inflicted and has laid me low for the past few days. As, due to my medication, I am very susceptible to bruises and unable to take anti-inflammatory drugs then another saying comes into operation. What can't be cured must be endured.

I had an email conversation with VW Paul today, he is all ready to take janis in on Friday and begin the installation. That's the last we shall see of her for about ten days and then I can go and pick her up again. Most of the ten days we will be resting up in readiness for the wedding so it will be wonderful just coming back home and having janis finally ready to take away for the first time.

Except, of course, that there will still be a few minor jobs to do that couldn't be managed until after the big job.

Halfway to Paradise,

So near, yet so far away.

Half of the last list now achieved and plans now worked out for the rest. I tested the amp and it screamed at me so I am guessing a DC signal on the audio output from the satnav. I looked on eBay and the cheapest isolating transformer was also the most suitable so I ordered one and it may well be here today.

The hole in the floor is a very simple fix. I should be able to make up the panel from some of the redundant aluminium sheet from the shelving and have it ready to mount on a dry day. I have a template for the four holes and I will drill them and then cut a rough circle out. Once the plate is fixed in place with four stainless steel bolts, I will fill the gap with either polyurethane foam or caulk.

The fridge continues to wobble and it annoys me more than any other of the undone jobs so I will also have to get on to that as soon as possible.

What a joy to have the newer satnav up and running again. It was great that the older one was still there and lurking in case of problems but the new software is superb and much faster to find the signals.

I'm a clever boy sometimes.The transformer did arrive and it has done the trick beautifully, we now have a very clean sound in the cab and no whine. I also took the opportunity to run in the new improved GPS mouse and mount it on the dashboard.

Slow and steady.......

Aesop, I believe.

Another milestone passed, the mains input is now routed for best possible safety and the DC feed to the rear is also in place. The DC feed for the pump is in and I have worked out how I want to mount the cab DC feed for minimum impact on movement.
With a little help from a friend with better eyesight, I have also fixed the satnav at long last. A simple job but getting into the circuit board was very difficult until help arrived with 20/20 vision. Thanks Martin.

Cool running

The curtains arrived yesterday and they are terrific. I really couldn't recommend a better supplier than Sheila and her team. Aside from the quality and the price, I also got a personal phone call to keep me up to date about delivery. I have dealt with some very, very helpful people whilst doing this build but I think I have to put Sheila at the top of the list for now.

The 'Cool running' title refers to the fact that with the lined curtains we should now be in a cooler vehicle on a sunny day as well as having privacy and insulation at night.

I also notice that I haven't yet published a photo of the speaker installation for the satnav amp. We needed to increase the volume of our aging Navman by quite a bit. Even in the Galaxy, it was quite soft. So I have installed some very nice CB speakers right above the head of both driver and co-driver and they will be powered by a small amplifier I bought from Hong Kong.

I've got another list!

I was so successful with the last list, I have come to the point where I have to begin another.

• Cut and fit baffle plate to hole in floor left by removal of Eberspacher heater.
• Fit amplifier for satnav to cab roof and wire the speakers in.
• Block the fridge mounting to stop minor wobble.
• Cut hole in inner panel over mains input, re-route cable in flexi trunking and mount new power outlet over hole.
• Bring 5amp mains feed and DC feed out through another flexi trunking and connect to new power outlet.
• Run DC pump feed out to where tap will be when fitted.

On track!!!!

I built the rest of the curtain track and mountings last evening and I have fitted six of them. The big one, between the cab and the van, I realised very late last night will have to wait to be fitted because of the tall cupboard going into the back of the drivers seat. Best, I feel, to fit the rail to the cupboard rather than vice versa. The only other one left to do is the small one on the window above the hob and sink. This one, I have no idea of size for. I even had to guess the width of the curtain for it.

Speaking of curtains, they should be here today and, maybe, fitted tonight.

Softly, softly.

TV series, police strategy and Ruby Murray song. Take your pick.

I mounted both power outlets on the new Maplin box yesterday evening and they not only look smart but there is plenty of unused space for future use as well. All I have to do now is mount it and run the cables to it.

Come together.....................

................again.

The mains socket unit for the rear has arrived and is so good, I might buy a second one for the mid section. I had hoped to do a lot of work tonight but it looks as though I will have to spend time working on the Galaxy instead.

Woohoo!

It took 18 minutes for Paul to remove the heater and he apologised for taking so long.

Then we went to Cribs Causeway and the box I wanted was there and so I bought it. Later, I dropped into Halfords and bought a matching four DC socket unit to the already installed one in order to install it in the rear of janis.

Just a little bit further.

I have ordered and paid for the curtains and I am promised that they will be here next week. In addition, we are off to see Paul this weekend and we hope to remove that dam' lump in the middle of the floor and maybe even fit the cruise control as well. I must also go to Maplin at Cribs Causeway and buy the plastic box I need to tidy up the mains inlet on the rear of the vehicle.

Nearly there...........

Ah, but, nearly where?

Well, I just had the quote back and it's a good 'un. £77.00 for the whole set of nine curtains all lined and with rufflette tape. The carriage is pretty good too, £8.00.

Oh, pull yourself together!

I have begun the process of ordering the final large (ish) expense, the curtains. I have emailed the manufacturer and sent full sizes and requirements and asked for a quote. I am thinking about £100.00 but really have very little idea, we shall see.

Up and running.

Well, I have finally checked the power feeds to the fridge and they both work correct!y. Although they are both routed through the PMS unit, only the mains is controlled by it. The DC is fed through a fuse but runs via separate relay operated by the alternator. This results in a fail safe of not draining the battery.

And one to go.

The DC socket arrived this morning so I may be able to install it this evening. I also now have the small speakers for the satnav so I will get them installed as well this weekend. The amplifier won't need much in the way of installation so it can just be plugged in when it arrives.

One down.............

The mains socket arrived yesterday so I took some time out when I got home from work and fitted it to the box. I also drilled the hole for the DC socket and wired in the mains. If the DC socket arrives today, I will fit and connect it and then connect both at the PMS end.

If at first................

I spent a while yesterday trying to work out a way of carrying both mains and van power to the fridge. After some false starts, I worked out this method. The cables come out from the above cab void and via a flexible trunking along the top of the sliding door to a second Maplin box which I will mount the power outlets on and the leads from the fridge will simply run up the side of the vehicle. I had to open an account with RS to do it, but I have managed to order a very elegant three pin socket that will mount in the Maplin box. I received the DC twin cable this morning and I ran the fridge feed in alongside the mains when I got home from work. The two sockets should arrive tomorrow so I will be able to cut the lid of the box and fit them tomorrow evening.

Pick up the pieces...........

Average White Band.

I will run in the power feeds for the fridge next and get it working on both mains and battery in order to check the smooth change over between mode of operation.

My next task is to assemble and fit the two rear curtain rails and then work my way around the windows. The two rear ones first because they are identical and the window behind the driver because I don't know how big it needs to be until the kitchen is fitted. The divider between cab and van promises to be interesting as does the rail above the sliding door. The cab / van rail can be fiddled if necessary but the other has to work as planned or there will be problems. Once I have them installed, I will measure the drop for each and order the curtains.

At last.........

Some success with my targets at long last. I have, today, sited and fixed the fridge in position and also replaced the number plates with the new GB ones.

The mounting of the fridge was a little bit fraught due to the floor not being perfectly level. It still wobbles very slightly but I should be able to wedge it on the odd corner. I have bought the trunking for the power feeds and I have ordered some 27amp twin for the DC run. It doesn't need 27amp but I figure a long run of heavy duty cable is always better than a long run of adequate cable. I will now wait for the new cable before setting all the sockets etc up.

The number plates were easy but completed in the rain............

Breathing space

About time, I think, to bring the photos up to date. I have had the final fused system in for nearly a week now and finally took a picture of it yesterday. The webbing is down for the photo, it is normally up for traveling.

This is my "Monstrous Carbuncle". It will probably never work again due to the ham fisted ministrations of the Met and has proved to be almost impossible to remove thanks to where it is and lack of help from those I have asked. I live in hopes that it will go in a couple of weeks time when janis travels to Yate again to have the cruise control fitted. We are going to treat its removal as the primary, and the cruise control as the secondary, task.

Doh!

Well, the new stainless steel exhaust system is in. But the old Eberspacher heater is also still in. They removed the four nuts from the unit but didn't go any further in case they got it wrong. I shall not be putting a link to this company on my list! Fortunately, my brother-in-law Paul has come to the rescue with an offer to help me remove it, come what may, when we visit him in two weeks time. I am forced to admit that the new exhaust seems to have made a difference to the noise levels and, of course, there is a lifetime guarantee with it.

A busy weekend.

We rose early on Saturday and did the rounds of Homebase, Wickes and Carpet Warehouse. Came away with all we needed for the house and a few items for janis. I spent a happy hour fitting the new fuse box and checking that everything worked, it did, then I had a close look at the under side of the Eberspacher unit and then we got on with the house.

On Sunday, we took janis out to collect the new carpet for the attic and I also bought a set of small metric spanners to make an attempt on the Eberspacher removal. My major problem is that it is mounted above the very large exhaust box and is almost impossible to reach.

I had a chat with Russ about this on Saturday and we wondered about getting it done whilst having an exhaust fitted.......... I was going to have a stainless steel one next year anyway.........

Good news! I have just booked her in for a new stainless steel exhaust and the garage is more than happy to remove the Eberspacher unit for me whilst doing the job. The cost is also less than I had expected for a complete new system with a lifetime guarantee.

Today I began a list of supplies and suppliers for the benefit of others. On the right at the bottom, check out "Where I bought the bits." All of these suppliers were good to me and provided an excellent service.

I've got a little list.........

I made the second loom last evening and it's just as solid as the first, then I fitted them to the new fuse box, perfect. The next job is to mount the fuse box and drill the holes to take the wiring through and re build the switch to fuse loom. This, unfortunately must be done in situ if I want to keep the whole thing inconspicuous. As this is a non Samuel weekend coming up, I will try to get as much done as I can, The main need is for the various holes that need to be drilled. There are a lot.

1. For fuse box
2. For curtain rail
3. For licence plates
4. For Fridge mounting

All fairly straightforward but a lot of them.

Good solid connections!

I now have all of the components to re build the electrics and yesterday I did a test run and made up one of the looms. Oh boy! The new spade connectors are about treble the quality of the ones I bought at the local motor factor. The new fuse box is extremely solid and built like a battleship as well so I think this job should go very well and quickly, then I can forget it.

A moving experience

Went out last evening to help number one daughter to move flat. She is coming home to live for a while but able to move the heavy stuff from old flat to new now. It was the first time I had driven janis in an urban area and it was a bit scary. I am used to the Galaxy and know width and height and length very well. With the Merc, things are new and different. Driving down a narrow street between two parked cars with less than a foot either side was a bit dodgy the first couple of times I did it but, I assume, I will become more confident as I go along.

Much later, I went out to do the measuring for CAK and tried the habitation lighting in darkness. Very nice, most impressed and it just works so well from the new switches. I have had a few thoughts though and I will rewire the setup slightly in order to move the fuse box to an easily accessible place just in case. Now I have the circuits worked out, it shouldn't take very long to do.

Let the light show commence.

I have, at long last, finished the wiring for the habitation control panel. My excuse for it taking so long is that I wanted to get it just so but in reality, I was a bit flummoxed by the connections on the switches and exactly how I wanted to wire the fuse box. I have now managed to fuse each channel separately and isolate the cab sockets from the rest and just generally make it a safer and more sensible setup. And all the little blue lights work!

Ann from CAK Tanks phoned today. They have all the bits now but they can't supply the full five metre length in order for me to cut it myself. So we have done a deal, I will email Ann my individual measurements and they will cut it for me. Can't be bad.

Going with the flow

Well, we went and discussed the furniture job with Paul yesterday and, once we saw some of the work he was currently involved with, we decided to entrust janis to him for her internal build. It's gonna cost more than we originally thought but we are gonna get more than we originally intended so it all works out in the end.

Whut!

The plug on the GPS mouse didn't fit the SatNav....... I double checked the listing and it definitely claimed to be for mine. As it was a very cheap purchase, I was not too upset and tried to buy an adaptor. The cost of a small brass adaptor is actually more than a new mouse that does have the correct plug and is also advertised for my SatNav...... Doh! So I have ordered another mouse and will probably try to find someone who can make use of the original purchase.

Why are we waiting, why are we waiting.

Well, in this instance, it's because CAK don't have my order ready yet. I was beginning to be concerned as to whether the pdf had arrived and was legible so I rang them. A very strict lady answered and was able to tell me that my order had defiantly arrived as she had seen it herself! And no money had been taken because that's not the way they do business thank you! A wee bit scary but strangely reassuring too.

I did a bit of doodling in Sketchup yesterday and have produced a, not to scale, mock up of the sort of furniture we want in janis when it's done.

The new mouse unit for the SatNav arrived this morning, I may fit it this evening simply in order to be able to use the newer software when we go to Dawlish on Thursday.

Hoorah! I have sourced a spare wheel! I did a search with First Choice and in among the £50.00 plus vat and £30.00 p/p offers was one firm who had it in stock for £10.00 + vat and £10.00 p/p. So I phoned them and bought it. I was so pleased, I also bought the new number plates and fixing bits on Ebay and the jerry cans, tap and pump from another firm on the web. This, apart from the spare tyre and some short lenghts of hose is just about all I need to buy or order to begin using janis in the manner intended.

Still moving along.

The chosen day to visit the furniture builder is Thursday but not Exeter, Dawlish. I managed a small job yesterday evening, the angle strips are now cut to size and the ends filed down. All I need now is the curtain rail. I will also have to drill and screw the whole assemblage to the window frames but that should be a fairly straightforward job once the rails are fixed to the strips.

Weekend fun

On Saturday, I began to finish off the electrics at long last. The two breakout joints are in place and the four socket feed to the cab for very low power devices is up and running. The only device used so far being the SatNav. Unfortunately, the old SatNav external 'mouse' aerial has stopped working. I suspect a broken point in the, rather long, cable so I may just buy another. Fortunately, the old, built in program works on the internal reciever even though the new one only works on the external.

I gave janis a nice gentle run up to Goodrington on Saturday afternoon and she performed very well. Not much else to say really, just a very pleasant drive. I have bought, on Ebay, a DVD with all the relevant information to remove and / or re site the Eberspacher heater. That should be fun!

On Friday I sent a message to the furniture builder in Exeter about janis. He replied this morning and it looks as though he may be able to fit us in before we go away at the end of August. I am going to try and get up to see him this week so he can get a good idea about what we want. He has a free week in August that should be fine for the job and he will install. So, all in all a very satisfactory stae of affairs.

There's good news and there's bad news.

The good news is that the welding is done.

The bad news is how much it cost.

The other bit of good news is that I have spoken to the Eberspacher agent in Plymouth and there is no problem to me removing the unit myself as the fuel pump has a fail safe valve that will simply stop all fuel once I remove the pipe, the wiring being already removed by the butcher from the Met.

Next will be cutting and drilling the angle strips to mount the curtain rail on in time for the rail to be attached when it arrives. Then I order the curtains and hang 'em.

Why a duck?

Chico this time.

Well, I've booked the welding for Thursday so by Friday I should have full control of my auto gearbox. I have also ordered the kit of bits I need to put the curtain rails up. Once they are in place, I will double check the measurements and order the curtains. She who must be obeyed will have to choose the material and we have already had quibbles about the need to have them lined or not. I say yes so we probably won't! I am currently considering the removal of the Eberspacher heater, either for good or to move it elsewhere. It is hogging the floor in just the wrong place and we need to have our kitchen built as soon as possible now.

Thanks to a colleague, I have become quite keen on the idea of running janis on used chip oil. She is 100% compatible and we have a local firm that will do the conversion and also supply pre filtered oil. not as cheap as diy but a lot cheaper than diesel. The major problem, of course, will be obtaining said chip oil away from home. Possible in the UK but difficult abroad. The answer might be to carry 20 litre cans and simply add a couple to the tank each time I fill up. Once the welding is done, I will go and buy a couple of cans and try the system out. I will also need to remove the heater unit and seal the tank again, this may be a job for the agents.

Doomed, doomed, we're all doomed I tell ye!

Took janis into the dealer on Friday morning, a well hidden entrance! After a strained day, went to pick her up. Cost less than I expected, although still quite a price. The brakes are fine, that's just the way they are apparently. The gear stick is in need of a weld to hold it firmly and that should cure that problem.

That sinking feeling...............

The new sink / hob unit has just arrived. A Smev 911. It's pretty small and has no ignition or covers but, for us, size is important!

The acid test.

Yesterday, I booked janis in for a service at my local Merc dealer. They will check and, if necessary, change all her bodily fluids and also replace all the filters. In addition, they will look at the brake system and try to fix whatever is wrong with the auto gear stick that keeps sticking! This will not be a cheap job and I am dreading it but there is no way I would take her abroad in September without it so the bullet has to be bitten. The fridge is due to arrive today and I will fit it this very evening in order to both save space in the house and also make life easier when buying frozen and chilled food.

Yesterday produced yet another setback with our ongoing struggle to get planning permission for the roof that fell down - don't ask. It made me so depressed I went on line and bought a new sink / hob unit. Well you have to grab what you can, when you can in this life!

Nights in White Satin................

..........or to be more accurate, A night with a white face!

Oh how I suffered. Tuesday into Wednesday is just a very unpleasant blur to me now, thank goodness. At the time it was pretty nasty. I don't know the cause but I experienced the effect. I have had two days off work and, although I am back now, I still feel under the weather. Today, I have bought on eBay, a compressor fridge (Waeco CF-40). Not cheap, but brand new and just the type and size we wanted. More importantly, it's a top loader to ensure no food rolls around the floor whilst in transit.

It's too darn hot!

Sitting here in Yate with the humidity up around our armpits, it's as well that all of the hard work is done for the weekend. Dave and Pete at Cannons Forge were most helpful and friendly, tea and somewhere peaceful to sit were offered and accepted and within an hour, despite my stupid measurement error, we were on our way again with a superlative rock and roll bed fitted into janis. We have the latest model of Dave's manufacture with a two inch layer of memory foam as the top level. To say it's comfortable is understating the case somewhat. This bed is more comfortable than our bed at home! The bed installation has also had the pleasant result of even less noise from the rear of the vehicle, our return journey from Worksop was definitely quieter than the outgoing one.

With all the good news, there always seems to be a but.............. The lamp behind the gear/temp gauge has now gone out. A simple job but tedious when I eventually get around to doing it.

The end of the beginning approaches.

We went out on Monday to do some shopping and for a drive in the newly sound proofed janis and it was good fun. She handles well, is very high off the ground and, now, is reasonably quiet. There is a lot more that can be done to improve the noise levels but that will have to wait for a while.

On Friday, we are off to Cannons Forge to have the bed fitted and spend a little time with my brother-in-law. Whilst there, he and I will be taking a close look at the cruise control kit and deciding how we tackle the fitting of it.

All is safely stashed away.

Quite a successful day, I have now managed to remove all of the rubbish from the floor of janis and we took it and all the rest of the detritus to the recycling centre this afternoon. I have also swept the floor and removed almost all of my tools in readiness for our trip to Cannons Forge next week when we get our three seater R&R bed fitted. Whilst driving around, it was good to be able to hear each other talking, the sound proofing is working well.

Spreading the load.

I have begun to watch other blogs this week. I am not the only person building a motor home from scratch and it's good to see how others tackle the problems involved. Currently, I am watching two VW T4 builders who both started at much the same time as I did. It was interesting to note that they are, pretty much, at the same point in their respective builds as I am. We are all doing the work in different ways due to the vehicle and the state of what was already in place, but it's quite surprising just how closely we are tracking each other with work achieved.

If you want to take a look at these two blogs, just go to my complete profile (bottom right) and check out the two links.

Let there be light...

...and an extractor fan.

My new slo blow fuses arrived yesterday and, lo and behold, they made it all work again. They also seem to be stable so I suspect my point is proven, the original fuses just couldn't take the surge. I still intend installing the new fuse box, however, as I want more control of the lighting than I have at present.

Final extractions.

Well, the double seat is now out of janis and I have even managed to remove one of the four remaining bolts. It's not easy because of age and the solidity of the original build but, none the less, it is beginning to work for me. I have already got through two of the five plasma cutting discs I bought on Saturday but, as I am cutting through welds and not just metal, I'm not so surprised. Number two will be a problem again but three and four should be easier as they aren't welded. Once they are removed, I no longer have a need to keep her outside the house and I will be able to drive her again so that's something to look forward to. In addition, within the next three weeks, I hope to be driving up to Cannons Forge to have the R&R bed fitted.

Mission Statement 2

I have just re read the first few posts on this blog and, believe it or not, I haven't achieved any of the goals set out there as yet. What I have done, of course, is to do the jobs that needed to be done and made janis much more usable than when I bought her. So here is the new and revised mission statement.

1) Finish the removal of the old passenger seating and clean up the floor.

2) fill the various holes in the interior with various suitable substances.

3) Fit a completely new auxiliary fuse box and wire into the switches on the new switch panel and get the lights and extractor fan all working properly.

4) Take a couple of days off and drive up to have the new R&R bed fitted.

These are all in the pipeline and will happen within the next few weeks, at that point, I will set out Mission Statement 3 and we shall proceed onwards.

"Out, damned..................seat."

Shakespeare............nearly.

Spent quite a while attempting to remove the remaining seats in the rear of janis but the bolts seem to be turning and not rising. I assumed that they must have had retaining nuts on the underside but when we checked, no sign. I have now resorted to brute force and chopped out the rear single seat with my rotary cutter. I'm not yet worried about the small amount left sticking up from the floor as the main reason for all this is to keep janis legal for insurance purposes and to easily lose the spare metalwork. We are only insured for five seats and with the new bed we will have eight unless I remove the old ones first. Sadly, the cutting disc has worn down too much to finish the job off so I will have to buy another disc and sort out the rest tonight if I can. This weekend is liable to be non productive as it will be our first with Samuel under the new rules. In the past, we have only had him for one day but from now on, we will be seeing him on both Saturday and Sunday every other weekend.

"When I nod my head son.........

.....hit it!"

Yesterday, I tried, unsuccessfully, to remove the final two original passenger seats from the main body of janis. The side retaining bolts unscrewed very well but the floor ones appear to have nuts on the underside and I will have to get underneath to check this and, if I'm correct, hold the nuts with a spanner whilst someone else unscrews the bolts. It's a bit of a rush because our builder is doing some work in the house at the moment and he has offered to take all the rubbish to the recycling centre for us.

All done bar the.....

.....insulation.

Well, the second set of speakers are installed and working well. I was even able to leave the original tweeters in circuit for that extra quality. I have also finished the sound insulation on the firewall inside the old tool box under the co drivers seat. I have finished the final silicon sealing on the reversing radar and all that is left now is for the sound insulation to be put on the wheel arches. From then on, I am relying on outside people to finish the main habitation areas.

My next DIY job will be to install the GPS mouse and seal it in. Then it's just a matter of cutting the horrible black sealant out of the holes in the roof and finishing the holes off with body filler. Inside the cab, I will be doing the same with the holes in the plastic except that the filler there will be grey Milliput ( Modelers moulding resin ).

In addition, I was able to see what the problem is with the electrics coming off the PMR auxiliary circuits. They do all work, they just keep blowing fuses! I must investigate further.

"Why a duck?"

Groucho again.

This is more a part two to yesterday than anything else.

I have the radio aerial fitted and sealed and I now know how I will be fitting the GPS mouse. The co drivers seat is back in and herself has tried it and declared it comfortable. I have again swept the floor of bits of wire and plastic so that it's vaguely clean. I still have to mount and connect the second pair of Pioneer speakers in the main body of janis and the wiring loom for the parking radar needs cleaning up although the top end is now finished.

The roof has to be tidied up and all the gutters cleaned out. The Met left filler and muck in them and then sprayed them!

The final bits of sound proofing on the firewall need to be fitted and the old toolbox and it's cover insulated and fitted.

"Busy doing nothing, working the whole day through."

Bing Crosby, Sir Cedric Hardwick and William Bendix.

The whole of Saturday was just one of those day when you wish you had stayed in bed. I got up early and left Ceri sorting out the electrics. I started to work on the AC side and ran the mains cable

through the bus to the point where I intended to cut the hole for the inlet plug. I marked and cut the hole only to find that I should have gone about two inches lower in order to miss a fixing point for the inner wall. Great, the only way to use my large hole was to chop out part of the bracket. This was fine, but it had to be done from the inside and that meant either removing the whole panel which is riveted in place or by cutting through the plastic wall and cutting the bracket as well. I took option two and it has made less mess than the alternative and, of course, is much smaller. So the mains is in, secure, watertight and working.Next, I had to fit the switches for the auxiliary lighting and extractor fan. It was at this point I discovered that I had mounted the new panel with the holes over a piece of one inch three ply. Cut holes through and wrecked my fabric covering. So, on to plan B and I now have a nice blanking plate with three switches mounted. There is still a problem, however, in that the switches now appear not to do anything. Was it me?

My final problem was that the second CD changer bought on eBay is, in fact, worse than the 90p wonder from the previous week. At least the first one was complete and, indeed, did work very briefly. The second one could never have worked as it had been dismantled and re-assembled wrongly with parts missing. If I am lucky, I may get one good one out of the pair of them.

"And so to bed."

That one's from Samuel Pepys for what it's worth.

I have just finished a phone call with Dave Cannon of Cannons Forge and we have finalised the plans for the three seater rock 'n roll bed. Dave has been experimenting with memory foam top layers and he likes it. From personal experience so do we so, for a few quid more, we have gone for that option as well. The windscreen / side window insulated cover has just arrived so things are drawing to a very positive close. By the end of May, we may be in a position to go for the furniture to be quoted. Once that is fitted, that's it, on the road!

"Yesterday I shot an elephant in my pyjamas......"

Another quote, same actor - different movie. Well, I run out of pithy titles every so often.

I bought some cheap spray on glue at Lidl on Saturday and last evening I stuck the cover to the panel. The socket has been installed in the roof void for the PMS unit and tonight I hope to fit the new panel and mount the PMS unit properly. Once I achieve that, then Ceri can come to finish the DC wiring and connect up the leisure battery and then, I can put the co-drivers seat back.

The spray on glue was only £4.95 and although it works well, it stinks like Bostic and is not very conducive to happy families.

I now have all the electrical plugs and sockets so I shall be connecting like mad for a while. The festoon lamps are on their way from Hong Kong and may be with me by next week and the windscreen/side windows insulated cover is promised for this week. Things are moving towards the end of the beginning.

A low key weekend

As I have quite a lot of the final bits in the post this weekend, I decided to soft pedal on the bus and do a bit more in the attic. I managed to re site the errant nearside blind spot mirror (only 5mm out but what a difference) and slap on about 60% of the emulsion paint in the attic on Saturday. Today, I went, with the rest of the family, down to St Austel for a pleasant day out.

"And another boiled egg!!!"

Sorry about the title, I do movie quotes a lot. Does anybody else recognise it?

I had another go at the panel yesterday and finished the odds and ends of surface smoothing. This morning the speaker cloth was delivered and it looks terrific so tonight I hope to use it to cover the panel. I have also ordered the various round pin mains connectors for my initial installation and some LED lamps to replace the festoon bulbs in the various internal lights.

Two Hours Later..................

..........I finished the first part of the cover panel for the electrics shelf over the cab. I have never before been so glad to have a comprehensive set of power tools. I used all but the electric plane and the routers just to cut out a panel with a hole in it. Still, that part is over now and the strengthening supports are also fitted. Next, I need to attach the cloth to make it look like a pro job (hides a multitude of sins) and then screw it up to the existing bulkhead. At that point, Ceri can magically re-appear and connect up everything behind the panel. From then on, we are dealing with a camper van 'in potentia' rather than an old minibus. I still can't get the 90 pence CD changer to work so I have begun bidding on another one on ebay (this man has no fear - or sense).

When I had finished all of this, the lady of the house was heard to say, "Very nice dear but when are you going to finish the attic?".

Lazy days

We spent Sunday at Pennywell Farm with Samuel and all had a jolly good time, I think Ian had almost more fun than his son did, he held and petted most of the animals whilst Samuel just tried all the trampolines, slides and bouncy castles. Why is it that a small boy can work so hard and never get tired whilst a grown man gets exhausted just watching him?

Monday was recovery day with a heavy day at the office and just running some tests on the radio installation. All but the CD changer is working perfectly, I may have spent my 90 pence unwisely.

I have used this quiet time to sit and think about my next move and also to check and reply to the comments on this blog. My next task will be to cut and fit the replacement panel above the cab ceiling and facing into the main body of  janis where the PMS unit goes and the main switching for the interior lights will be. I also have to run speaker wire from the tweeters out to a flat area to connect up the second pair of Pioneers for full sound. The first pair sound great but they only work for the driver and co-driver.

It's been a hard days night...........

And I've been working like a dog.

I really have too. I have replaced all the headlining and fitted the radio etc.

It was a major work putting the whole headliner and extras back up single handed. My lifting muscles are very weak these days and I have had to stop every couple of minutes anyway. Still, I did the job and also found out why certain parts had been assembled, apparently, wrongly by the Met. I managed to get everything put back correctly so that's a bit of a bonus.

The radio is working fine and I have managed to fit it very cleanly in the correct hole. I am having a problem with the CD changer at present but I will tackle that when I am more rested.

To the looking glass!

Had a busy day today, hospital visits and shopping and the rest. Did, however, manage to fit the two blind spot mirrors. Not very easy but at least they are the real Mercedes Benz product and once I grasped the method it went quite well. I have the first pair of speakers in and I will run in the other pair next week. The CD changer has arrived as has the cruise control, I live in hopes that my very clever brother-in-law will help me fit it. Tomorrow, I hope to get the aerial fitted and I may even fire up the radio so I can check a few things.

Move along the bus please!

Well, back to normal yesterday, I spent some time in the bus running cables for the radio and CD/MD system. As soon as we get some dry weather, I will install the aerial and get it all connected up. This is assuming that all the various parts arrive. At the moment, the best place to fit the external boxes would seem to be in a small cupboard behind the drivers seat (when it's built) so I am running all the connections to there. The radio itself will, of course, be in the dash. I have finally re-fitted the nearside side flasher which was broken but usable, "No more nails" worked a treat.

Whilst standing in the body of the bus yesterday whilst it was getting dark, I was struck by the vast amount of space we have to play with. It's not so much the floor area, although that seems huge compared to the Galaxy, it's the overall volume of the thing. Height really makes a vast difference.

Back to life.

I spent all day Sunday with the family and most of Monday away from home so today I can start again. I have rebuilt the fascia above the cab and now have the PMS unit supported properly. It also looks a lot better. The kit ordered via eBay is beginning to arrive, the add on mirrors arrived today. Unfortunately, so did the rain and as they need me to be outside the bus to fit them, I will not be working on them this evening. As it is likely to also be very dark by the time I get home, I suspect that not too much work will be done at all.

I have sent the measurements off to Cannons Forge this afternoon and, if I have them correct, Dave and co will be able to start work on the bed fairly soon. I am looking at being able to have a weekend away by early June if possible. Nothing too clever, just a weekend in the, beginning to be, camping car.

Beddy buys!

Well, we spoke to Dave at Cannons Forge yesterday and we have specced up our rock 'n roll bed. Three lap and strap seat belts and a custom fitting by Dave himself and it was a lot less than we had budgeted for. We will, of course, have to drive the bus up to have the fitting but we can turn that into an outing.

Ceri is here, working, as I write this and he is proceeding with leaps and bounds. In addition, I have begun to fit the sound insulation to the engine compartment. The inside is just about finished and I will do the cab side when Ceri finishes later today.

Sketchup for beginers

I have begun a small project to build the inside of janis in cyber space using the free Google software "Sketchup". It's beginning to take shape and should be useful for speccing the bed.

Fast work!

Ceri, the electrician, had asked me to let him know when the power management system arrived just in case he was able to work on it during the week. So yesterday morning I rang and left a message that it was in the bus. When I arrived home from work, imagine my surprise to find that he had been in and, by the looks of it, spent half a day working on janis. I am so impressed!

I have fitted one of the reversing warning units and will try it out over the Easter weekend. I also would like to fit and wire the radio aerial and speaker wiring. I have a CD auto changer coming (90 pence on eBay) but I suspect it won't arrive in time for Easter. I may also fit the remote control for the radio but that is less likely until I have finished messing around with the dashboard and binnacle area.

Yesterday I sent an email to Cannons Forge to ask whether they can make the r&r bed we need and they have replied in the affirmative. So we seem to be on a roll at present, we may make our deadline after all.

PMS 34 has arrived!!!!!

What a nerd. Just because the power management system has arrived and is sitting, looking gorgeous on my desk. I also have the sound insulation material which arrived today and I have to carry both home on the bus. Thank goodness for the over 60s bus pass.

Lots of people have asked for a copy of the installation guide for this unit. It's here.

Moving right along.

With the removal of the metalwork behind the drivers seat, the vehicle is now ready for the next stage. We shall be off to Exeter soon to get a quote and begin the next phase, installing the bed/seats and side furniture.

Aching all over.

Ceri arrived early again and he has sorted out which wire is which down to almost the last detail. The Zig unit failed to arrive this week so he went away early as well and will look in during the week if I let him know when. Just after he left, O'Leary Motor Homes, the supplier, rang to apologise for the delay in sending. I had ordered the cream panel and they only had black in stock, would I mind? Not in the slightest, it arrives on Tuesday. I have installed and tested the reversing radar, I had to add quite a length of cable to the receiver but with the upside that everything but the transducers and the display is completely hidden within the bodywork of the bus.

All clear for Ceri

Well, I'm exhausted but I did it. The cab is ready for Ceri and I have also started to remove the steel work behind the drivers seat. The parts I have removed are all intact and undamaged and I can easily replace them when I am ready. I am slightly concerned about the wiring for the Eberspacher heating unit as I suspect that the control wires are part of the cut bunch, only time will tell there. I still need to tidy up a bit but, in general, I am well pleased with my results this week. I must do a new set of photos tomorrow.

End of part one.

I Finally removed the last remnants of the old police kit in the back of the bus yesterday. Then I began the first part of the installation program. I have drilled four holes in the rear step to mount the parking radar into. The new drill is working a treat and the Bosch hole cutter went through the 3/16 steel like a knife through butter. My problem yesterday, though, was tiredness. I spend a day at work and then come home and start work all over again. In addition, I am working against the clock this week trying to get ready for Ceri the electrician on Saturday morning.

Tonight, I must begin working on the cab area.

The original janis.

Yesterday I put together the logo to go on the front of janis.

Here it is in a slightly smaller version, the original is A4 width. I have bought some laser decal paper and will be putting the resultant transfer on the front of the bus either on the bonnet or just above the windscreen. Has anyone worked out why she is called janis yet?

Success....... nearly.

I bought the new drill and some special bits for another job last evening. What a performance! I arrived at Screwfix with only one customer in front of me, and there he stayed for fifteen minutes! He was asking questions about every little detail of whatever it was he was buying and then asking questions about the answer. Quite a queue built up after me and there were rumblings but he just carried on. Eventually he was finished and the salesman turned to me with obvious signs of relief. When his goods arrived, he began all over again with the chap who brought them to him and held up the delivery queue.

When I eventually got home, I had a meal and started on the bus. I, fairly quickly, removed the rest of the rivets and began on the shelving. It didn't move very easily and I soon discovered why. The uprights had not just been screwed to the floor and roof, they had been glued as well. I persevered though and with the help of my super duper scraper I eventually succeeded. The back of the bus is now uncluttered.

Oh calamity!!!

I had a real Robertson Hare moment yesterday. The battery on my drill died so I put in the other, which I had just charged up, it was dead..... So I waited for the original, which was working fine the previous evening, to charge again and put it back in......... dead. Oh calamity!!

This was, effectively, the end of an evenings work. Tonight, I will go to Screwfix and buy a new drill. This will also take time and I may well lose half another evenings work not to mention the money involved.

Shelf removal

Last evening, I began the removal of the rear shelving unit. It's very strongly built and quite heavy by the feel of it. I took all the screws out and began to drill out the remaining rivets and my battery died. So, this evening I shall, hopefully, finish the removal job. I see from their special offers that Maplin are selling a set of pull through rods for £7.95 this week, I shall go there this lunch time and try to buy a set.  I did and I bought one!

I had a good look at the back step as well and the vertical thickness isn't too bad so I suspect that I will be able to fit the transducers fairly easily this week. All I need to buy is a 20mm metal drill bit and I'm cooking with Gaz.

Cornish Market World

On Sunday, we had a day out with Ian, Lulu and Samuel. As it was a sunny but cold one, we went to St Austel so Samuel could play in th big kidzworld area and the grown ups could take it in turns to go and shop. I needed some bits and pieces of tools etc and after buying them and doing my bit of Samuel duty I had a general look around. I was astonished, but very happy, to find that 12 volt shop have an outlet there. Even better was they were selling 110 amp leisure batteries for £85.00.

This is a couple of pounds dearer than on the web but so much easier to just buy and take home. So janis now has her new 12 volt power supply. This morning, to complete the job, I ordered the PMS3H Zig unit from O'Leary Motor Homes. Now I have to work like stink to get the bus ready for next Saturday morning. I've just been on eBay and bought a couple of sets of wiper blades, now we have to carry spares when we venture abroad, I want to be sure that if I have to use a set that I still have a spare set (If you see what I mean). The reversing radar kit arrived this morning and, if it wasn't for the rear step, would be a doddle to install. I will have to get a bit deeper into that step in order to use it I think.

This was the tool kit that came with the bus, as you can see, it's now empty and acting as an echo chamber. I will have to sound proof it.

Battery compartment at present.

On the left is the under seat box as it is at present. On the right is a close up of the cable from the main battery with the switch.

Moving along, week two.

Well Ceri came this morning and worked very hard to make sense of what was left after the Met had removed all their bits and pieces. He was not very impressed, they had acted a bit like vandals in simply cutting cables and leaving gaping holes in a lot of places. I had already worked out that I will have to fill a lot of holes in the roof but Ceri found even more. He has removed as much as he can of the orphan wiring, cut at both ends, and he is coming back next Saturday to begin the rebuilding of the habitation electrics. On the plus side, the wiring for the second battery is all in place and seems to be in perfect condition. This means that when he is re wiring the lighting, he will be able to test it immediately.I have decided to buy a Zig PMS3H power management system, buying brand new is so much easier when it's just a one off purchase. The difference in price between just OK and best is very small so it was a no brainer. The battery compartment is just the right size for a 110amp battery so that's the size I shall be buying. My job over the next six days will be to remove as much of the existing fittings as I can, keep the bits to go back in and bin the rest. When I have done that, I will begin to fill the holes in the roof and fit a new aerial for the radio.

Thank goodness for the internet.

Well I think I have the answer to "what is it?" it seems to be an Eberspacher D1L C Compact Air Heater although the appearance differs slightly from the photo on their web site. Fortunately, we have an agent here in Plymouth within hailing distance of where I live so I will toddle down to see them later on. The air conditioning unit will be a bit more complicated to sort out as it spreads a lot. You can probably see from the photos that there are two units in the roof space (B is a mirror installation of A) and they are controlled by a long bar with the handle in the center. The control panel gives nothing away and I know from experience that it is quite a powerful system. When I was driving it away from the vendor, the closed vents in the roof suddenly sprang open with a very loud hiss and scared me witless. Tonight I shall remove the co-drivers seat and take some pictures of the leisure battery area. I have seen the master connections from the main battery under the bonnet and they are very thick so I suspect I shall be OK keeping them. The output side seems to be a trifle complex as it includes a Land Rover relay but no doubt Ceri will be able to suss it all out tomorrow.

Identification.

This is the ID tag on the top of the heater. So far it makes no sense to me but I hope to get closer to what's what soon.

Inside the above cab space.

The general appearence is clean but worn. The large amount of gaffa tape is still in good condition but I wonder what's underneath it?

Up to my neck in..............

I have spent a while crawling around the floor and peering into the roof space and come up with these results. 

Power to the people!

Some further investigating last evening has revealed the main 12v power feeds from somewhere! I live in hopes that Ceri, the auto electrician, will be able to make some sense of it all on Saturday. After soliciting advice from the Yahoo group, I have decided to go for a cheapish semi-traction unit as my leisure battery and hope to get at least a couple of years use from it before I have to make another purchase. I have bought a car radio and speakers on eBay and I will either install that or the Sony my brother-in-law gave me as soon as I can. That may well be up to Ceri as well as I can see no aerial feed or power feed so far. I would like to take out the metal shelving as soon as possible as it is getting in the way and not very useful. I have now bought and fitted a steering wheel lock for security purposes. It cost me £30.00 but is Thatcham 4 so will cover me on the insurance.

Air conditioning and heating.

Yesterday, I had a closer look at the hidden area above the cab. Wow, the air conditioning system is also by Eberspacher. This means that the total cost of the Eberspacher kit is more than I paid for the bus. I have also found where the two cut off cables above the cab go to now, interior fluorescent lights. The individual seat lighting appears to be intact but probably ran off the second battery as it's not currently working.

Fundimentals, Monday (23/3/2009)

Some details about this vehicle won't go amiss. As she is ex Met, she is very well insulated already. There are actually too many lighting points for camper use already installed so I will be taking some out. There is air conditioning already installed and some of the outlets may have to be cut back. An Eberspracher system is installed but disconnected from the battery and the mounting point and cables for the leisure battery are already installed. I have very busy Sundays so all we did yesterday was go and sit in it and let Samuel, my grandson, play bus driver for an hour or so. This evening, I intend to have a poke around in the innards and see whats what with the electrics. She also needs some sound insulation fitted to cut back on engine noise so I will measure up for that at the same time. We have decided to "Go for it" as my wife says, if we need to borrow to finish it then we will. She has plans for this summer............ OK.

Early Photos 2 (and Sal)

Early photos 1 (22/3/2009)

Day one, cab views.

Mission statement 1

OK, we are back home and parked outside the front door, what now? Well, firstly I think I need to set out the jobs that need to be done and in what order.

1. Get oil and filters changed and get the brakes and gear stick checked over. (never having owned or driven a Sprinter before,I have no idea whether the brakes are correct and I know that the gear linkage is wrong as there is no access to 1st, 2nd or third. As this is a four speed automatic, this is not as bad as it seems, just annoying.
2. Decide what layout we want and how to achieve it.
3. Get parking radar installed as soon as I can. I have it on the Galaxy and I am very loathe to lose it now.
4. Get the spurious electrics sorted out, some need to be removed and some need to be connected. When the Met de-commissioned her, they disconected everything but the basic vehicle electrics. The leisure battery must be replaced and the interior roof lights need to be working.
5. Visit some breakers yards and collect panels to replace the damaged ones left when equipment was removed.
6. At this point, we should be able to speak to our chosen converter, who we haven't even chosen yet.

Watch this space!