Top Box Off - Roof Vent In

It was on my last trip that I decided I needed a roof vent in the van, it was still quite chilly so the doors were shut and as soon as I started cooking the smoke alarms would go off.

For a while I have been thinking that the top box was not really needed, it contained 2 chairs I never used, a hosepipe I never used and a pair of wellies which could be stored in the van. So the simple answer seeing as there was no more room on the roof was to take the roof box off and put the roof vent in it's place.

After some measuring I found there was enough room to fit a 40x40 vent on the square flat panel on the roof which would also fit centrally in the ceiling space available. The Fiamma 40x40 vent was the one I opted for.

First job after a lot of measuring was to cut the Veltim lining to size using a sharp Stanley knife, when I was sure this was the right size and square I cut the plywood lining to the same size using the multi-tool, I knew there was a cable running across to the rear light so had to be careful cutting.

Next job was to extend the cable so that it could be moved out of the way, just a two minute job. Then I had to make a framework to take up the space between the plywood ceiling and the van roof, this is needed to screw the vent into. This was screwed into place through the plywood.

Now I would have to wait for a sunny day for the rest of the work as it involved cutting a hole in the roof.

2 days later we had a sunny day so time to get on with the nail biting job of of cutting the hole in the roof.

I drilled 3mm pilot holes in each corner from the inside, just a little way in from the corner as the bit used from the outside would have to be big enough for the jig-saw blade to go through.

It is then a good idea to suspend an old towel or something similar under where you are going to cut the hole to catch all the filings that you will get when drilling and cutting the roof, these filings get everywhere if you don't they can be dangerous if any fall on the floor where people walk, and they also can cause rust if they land on metal parts.

Then on top to drill the bigger hole and checked inside to make sure they were right in the corner.

Back on top and a line was drawn between each of the holes, checking and measuring several times to make sure the hole would be the correct size and square.

Cut the hole without any problem and then made sure that all the filings were cleaned up.Then I painted the bare edge of the metal and also the wooden frame.

After testing the vent in the hole to make sure it fit correctly, the roof was thoroughly cleaned with Isopropanol, this is essential to get a good bond. Then a liberal amount of Sikaflex was applied to the surface of the vent that would come into contact with the roof, then it was just a matter of putting the vent in place.

The vent is then screwed to the roof with 20 screws, the screws do not come with the vent as different thicknesses of roof will need different lengths of screws. I used one and a half inch screws, which must be round head and not countersunk.

I screwed one screw in each side first then smoothed off the Sikaflex round the outside making sure there was a good seal. Then the rest of the screws were put in, I used a 3mm drill bit to make a pilot hole for each one. 

Then each screw head was covered in Sikaflex, this is important to make sure the job is fully weatherproof.

I also had to cover the 8 screw holes that had been made to secure the top box down, I had some thin plastic sheeting which I cut to size and stuck down with plenty of Sikaflex, again smoothing round the outside making sure that it was weatherproof.

The inside frame was then secured to the top part with 4 screws, I had to use 2" screws for this.

I also needed the extension kit for the winder that opens the vent, quite expensive but needed unfortunately, the cost is due to the fact that the extension parts are included for all the other Fiamma vents, I only needed one of the parts so there were 3 items that I did not need.

The photo on the left is the finished vent from the inside and is opened by turning the knob, the fly-screen is part of the vent and is permanently in place.

The photo on the right shows the vent with the cover in place, this cover does not come with the vent, it is an extra which cost £7.50 plus postage from Fiammastore.
The cover comes with 3 plastic channels, that fit 3 sides of the cover, there is also a roll of heavy duty double sided tape in the kit to stick the channels to the vent, the cover is then slid into the channels.

Broken Wheel Trim

I noticed yesterday that the back nearside wheel trim is cracked and scuffed, this must have happened in Tesco car park.

Luckily there is no damage at all to the van, it looks like the trim has been hit by a tyre.

I contacted the supplier to see if  they sell them on their own, or even in two's but no, it looks like I will have to buy a new set, but at least I will have some spares.

Waiting For Better Weather

Well I have the heater and all the fittings, just waiting for a bit better weather before I fit it. I also have the reversing camera ready to fit.

I have ordered a pair of wind deflectors for the front windows, they will probably be the first to be fitted as only a 10 minute job,

I also have the sliding door window to tint, I did the other one a couple of weeks ago, hopefully get that done this week.

Heater Ordered

Searching today on Ebay and there was a supplier selling the Propex at £422 and I also got an email from Ebay saying quad Nectar points for one day only, 

So I don't think it's going to get any cheaper than that so I have ordered it. He only had 3 for sale and all 3 have gone in the day. And a couple of hours later I got an email saying 'despatched' although on a Bank Holiday afternoon that means the carriers have been informed that it is ready for collecting.

I also ordered 5 metres of 8mm copper pipe from a different supplier on Ebay so as soon as the weather is better I should be good for fitting it.

Another thing ordered from ebay was the waterproof cable gland for fitting the reversing camera.

Further updates as and when they are fitted.

Two New Projects

Christmas day, going to my son's for Christmas Dinner very soon. Just a short update post and to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy Prosperous New Year.

2 new projects planned for the van, it was my birthdays a couple of weeks ago and one of the presents I got was a reversing camera, so that will be fitted as soon as we get a dry day, I also need to get some more Sikaflex first.

The second project is to fit a Propex lpg heater, expensive but unfortunately needed in this Country. A few weeks ago they were £387 on Ebay but now the cheapest is £427, I should have got one when they were cheaper but no rush, hopefully someone might sell one a bit cheaper.

I already bought the 3 way gas manifold as I will have to make some adjustment to the gas pipe layout and the manifold I have is only 2 way, one to the hob and the other to the water heater.

I may also make some adjustments at the back of the van, making some storage in-between the toilet and the gas bottle storage, the only thing is it will block the access to the back door, so I am not sure yet about this, just on the safety aspect of having only one access point.

Some more posts soon I hope on fitting the camera and heater.

Coolbox Update

I have had the coolbox in for a couple of weeks now and I am very pleased with the results, during the day there is no drain on the batteries at all as the solar panels are putting back more than the coolbox is taking out.

Over night the batteries stayed fully charged as the insulation on the coolbox is very good and even on the warmest day it is very rare for the coolbox to switch on except when the lid is lifted to take something out.

I have the temperature set at 4C, which is the recommended temperature to keep milk, margarine etc cool and also to keep fresh foods at their best.

The coolbox can be made into a freezer by turning the temperature down to it's lowest -18C, but it is either one or the other as there is no separate freezer compartment, but I can live with that.

The verdict - it's a lot of money to spend on a coolbox, but it does the job perfectly; no battery drain with the solar panels so it can be left on permanently  and anywhere I go now I have cold water for the boys and a cold drink for me, and when away overnight or longer everything that needs it is kept at the right temperature.

I must stress to anyone contemplating buying a coolbox, it must be a compressor type one if you wish to have it switched on all the time, any other type will drain the batteries and can only be switched on for a short time or when the engine is running.

Fridge Out - Coolbox In

When I converted the van I had anticipated just using it on sites that had hook up and therefore the small 240v fridge that I fitted worked well. I plugged in at home a couple of days before leaving to get the fridge cold and then as soon as I arrived on site I would hook up and the fridge was on again.

This worked quite well, but after fitting solar panels and reading more and more about wild camping on the various Facebook groups, I decided to try a few nights to see how the system worked. 

I had fitted an inverter at the same time as the solar panels, this kept the fridge running during the day but it meant switching it off at night as the drain on the batteries was too much.

Another problem with the fridge being off when not away is that they get to smell a bit and need a good clean before switching on again

I needed something that could be left on all the time, mainly to keep drinks and water for my dogs cool as we do a lot of day trips.

To fit a 3 way fridge was out of the question now, in fact I sold the one out of my donor caravan due to the layout of the van it was just not suitable. The only suitable alternative is a 12v compressor fridge but these are very expensive to buy. But it looked like the only answer, so I started studying the different makes, sizes, prices etc; and of course the Waeco came out on top every time.

I also studied the Waeco cool boxes as they were looking to be a sensible alternative and big enough for my needs, so after an hour or so with the tape measure I had the perfect spot for the 21L cool box. So straight onto Ebay to order one, still very expensive for the compressor type ones (£395) but it had to be done, I also had £50 of Nectar points so that was deducted off the total.

To ease the pain a bit more I put the fridge on Ebay and was very pleased with the response, it went for £67 in the end, I was pleased with that as I only paid £59 for it new, although they are selling for £79 now.

The space where the fridge had been was now extra storage space, all I had to do was make 2 doors to match the others and put a shelf in.

The doors cut from the left over mdf that I used for the other doors, and the holes drilled for the hinges before painting, the edges shaped with the router.

Bailey guarding the new doors.

The 2 doors cut and primed.

The primer dried very quickly, but the gloss took quite a while and I had to wait a till the next day before I could turn them over and paint the other sides, and then another day before I could fit them.

The soft close hinges fitted, I had plenty left from the original conversion as I had ordered a lot more than I needed, cheaper to buy in bulk.

The handles fitted, again left over from the original conversion.

The doors all finished and ready for hanging.

The shelf cut to size, again a left over piece of contiboard.

Shelf finished with supporting pieces screwed to.

The Waeco CDF26 fits perfect in that spot.

Shelf in and doors hung.

The cupboard with the microwave still in the same place.

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And the finished job, all the doors a perfect match