"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.