Driving to Germany

First trip abroad. This is probably the first time that this bus leaves the UK.

Loading the bus

For a trip to Germany I began loading the bus with some of my stuff from storage.

Constructing some more inside flooring

I put a shelf over the heater.

Gas supply

I added two gas supply bottles and connected them to the heater with valves.

The gas bottles need to be enclosed, so I built walls around them. I also drilled a few holes in the bottom of the vehicle, so that in case of a gas leak the gas can escape.

Mains Power Circuit Breaker

Safety is important, and connecting the mains power to devices in the vehicle needs to be done with great care. I got two circuit breakers: a 2 Pole Miniature Circuit Breaker for 16A, and a Crabtree 2 Pole Residual Current Circuit Breaker 80A 30mA. Important is that these circuit breakers cover both poles, because when connecting power to a European power outlet, it is not identified which pole has the "load". In UK the power plugs are polarized, which means one clearly knows which of the two poles is the "load" line. But most European plugs are not polarized, so the load could be on any of the two poles. Therefore, both must be protected with a 2 pole circuit breaker.

I also got a volt and ampermeter, which measures the current and the power. This is very useful for campsites with limited power supply.

External power plug

In order to connect external power to the vehicle, I need to install a plug. For this I have to cut a hole in the side of the vehicle. I do this on the right-hand side, because there, where the two batteries are located, will be the electric power control centre.

Second Leisure Battery

As planned, I now installed a 2nd leisure battery. Exactly the same type as the previous one, a Tayna XV190MF with 85 Ah capacity. Since there will be two, I have a total of 170 Ah, which seems sufficient to me.

The price of this battery was very reasonable: £53 including shipping. This battery will be put behind the right-hand-side wall.

LED exterior lights

It is not possible to replace the standard front headlights with LEDs, because they do not create the same beam pattern as regular bulbs and may cause glare.

But I can replace some other bulbs with LEDs, for example the rear registration plate illumination.

First picture shows the regular illumination:

The 2nd pictures shows the LED illumination:

Redoing the wheels paint

I painted the wheels once more,  with a better result.

Bumpers and wheels painted

I decided to do some cosmetic work to freshen up the look of the LDV camera: painted the grille and the bumper panels with black color.

I then also painted the wheels. I might have to redo this job, because the paint does not quite fit.

Looks quite classy now!

Lots of rust

When I removed the plastic panels of the rear bumper, I saw that a lot of rust has developed there.

I did try to remove some rust: used a grinding stone mounted on the electric drill, and tried to scrape the rust off with it. Then I used rust remover. And finally I painted it over with white primer.

Replacing light bulbs

I put new bulbs into the rear lights.

Engine sound insulation

The engine is quite loud. So I decide to put some sound dampening material around it. This needs to be material that is specifically for use in hot environments such as engines. The dampening material is on one side covered with metal foil. The other side has some adhesive, so it can be attached to a surface.

I read that it is very important to clean all the surfaces onto which this dampening material is to be attached. If there is residue of oil, then the material will not stick properly, and parts can fall onto the engine and into the belt mechanism, which can lead to expensive repairs.

Therefore, the first action was to extensively clean all the metal surfaces around the vehicle engine.

Looks quite shiny after the cleaning!

Now the dampening material can be attached:

Indirect Lighting

This bus has on both sides at the ceiling the "luggage rack" above the (former) seats. This tray has been retrofit by the conversion in 2005, and it is very sturdy! It is made out of metal; it is quite hard to drill holes in it, and one can actually lift oneself up on it.

I am using it for an indirect light effect: I place two LED stripes, one left and one right, inside of the rack.

Gas Heater Control

The electronic control unit for the gas heater will be mounted on the left-hand wall.

Now both walls are standing:

Working at night

The day is too short, and I have to work. So the only time I can spend working on the camper is in the evening, when it is already dark.

Now the 2nd wall, the one on the left-hand side is being built. A vertical pole provides the support.

Wiring the batteries

The volt-/amp-meters are in place. The lowest instrument is connected to the vehicle 12V system. It will show how much current will flow into the leisure 12V system.

Connected and running. No current yet. The voltage is a bit on the low side... a full battery should be 12.6V.

Now the 2nd battery is connected to the display instrument. Shows a high voltage: 13.01V. The picture at the right shows the wiring at the back.

Above the three displays is the circuit breaker panel. Here most switches are on (green illumination). The top circuit breaker is defective - the switch does not stay on. I could have sent it back, but I can live with this: I do not want to go through the hazzle of a return.