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Cornish Introduction

Started by kernowviking, June 22, 2019, 09:51:43 PM

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kernowviking

Evening All!


my name's Rob, and I've been sitting on a Convoy minibus I intend to build into a camper.

Me and the Missus have been planning to camp around Norway for some time, but with the addition of MiniViking 2 years ago, we thought a van would be a safer, warmer and easier way of travel!

We're based as far south of the UK as you can get without getting your feet wet, so if anyone's ever local, keep your eyes open!

Looking forward to being a part of it, and forgive me for fishing for A LOT of pointers!

Cheers All!
instagram: @rfordy

Camper_Dan

Greetings and Welcome!

The Convoy Minibus will make much better camping vehicle than a regular van.  More space = more comfort, more windows = better view, better ventilation, some free heat in the winter, and some frree cooling in the summer.

Most buses and passenger vans also come with pre-finished interiors which can save you a fortune in both time and money.  Just remove the extra seats and move your camping interior in and secure it to the original seat mounting points.

With or without windows, you'll want good heating and cooling sources, as well as reliable power.  Put in a deep cycle house battery and charge it while driving, with a backup generator, or with shore power, skip solar panels no matter how convincing the sales people are.

Don't worry about adding extra insulation unless it's for sound deadening purposes.

For most full timers, a toilet and shower are mandatory, not optional.

Good Luck!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

kernowviking

Thanks for the advice!

I've had to rip everything out as there's a few holes to patch up first. But we'll get there.

I will be insulating a little, as you say partly to dampen noise, and partly for a subconscious warmth from knowing it's there! I managed to get a few celotex boards for free so I may as well use them.

I've got a 20l Kampa toilet going in, nothing special, but certainly will be useful as we'll have a toddler on tow! No shower, just warm water and wetwipes!

Propex HS2000 is on order, unsure as to cooling as of yet, besides desk fans.
instagram: @rfordy

Camper_Dan

Greetings!

I use a home made, indirect type, 12v swamp cooler for cooling.  Can't be beat, and very low power draw.  I can probably come up with directions if you need them.

For a shower, I use a hula hoop from a dollar store for a shower curtain rod, and shower curtains & hooks also from the dollar store.  It hooks to the ceiling with rope.  For water delivery, I use a weed sprayer, with the long wand cut off, and a kitchen sink sprayer & hose spliced in.  This is great because the moment you let go of the trigger, the water shuts off.  Then you can use a storage bin or an old ice chest to catch your used water in.  I painted my weed sprayer black, and few hours in the sun will yield warm to hot water.  No sun, no problem, heat the water on your stove.

I use my shower curtain for my toilet enclosure too.  Everything is portable, so it can be used outside as well if desired.

Cheers!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

kernowviking

Good idea with the hula hoop! And I had thought about storing water on the roof to be heated by the sun, but with the chance of very cold weather, it may not work this way! Catching water is a good idea, maybe a small inflatable paddling pool?

Don't swamp coolers produce damp air by definition of how they work?
instagram: @rfordy

Camper_Dan

Greetings!

There's different types of swamp coolers.  Mine is the indirect type, so it actually dehumidifies the inside air.  The damp air is blown outside.

Cheers!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

kernowviking

Oh fair enough! I'll have to look into that
instagram: @rfordy