Curtains for Dai and other jobs

The curtains I'd ordered last week arrived as promised. I'm very happy with the look, it was a good choice of material, but slightly disappointed by the blackout linings. I might be being unrealistic though, heavier linings on the small curtains would be an issue and the curtain Fabry's itself is light coloured and open weave. They're still a big gain on the previous cream coloured ones which were virtually transparent.

I'd ordered tie-backs but decided fixing these to the camper would be a good idea so a quick shopping trip for press-studs and an hour or so with the drill, punch and pliers means I'm now happy the windows won't be unduly obscured while I'm driving. I also added studs on the back doors to hold the curtains back, without them there was quite a gap right where you're sleeping.

The custom cushions now have the right sized pads in them which is a big improvement but I also decided to do something about the tops of the back seats. You'd have thought experienced converters would know that sticky Velcro rarely stays stuck, as a result the cushions tended to slide off. It's been reaffixed with super-strength double sided tape and 5 staples a side.

Photos of the end result will follow.

One of the downsides of what is effectively an oldish van is the lack of gadgets such as a clock. I ordered a cheap multi-device and spent longer than planned fitting it, however I've now got the time and temperatures available. Not sure how accurate the later will be but what can you expect for under a fiver? I've got some longer term thoughts on doing something more sophisticated.

I now reckon everything is ready for the next weekend away to Cambridge, it's not a site I've been to before but there's a bit of a do to attend on the Friday and I'll then visit the City on Saturday.

Bikes have been taxing my brain. Finding a bike rack that will fit is difficult - I've found one but at nearly £300 it's not cheap. Even then I think the mountain bike might stick out a bit far. For the moment if I Di want to take some pedal transport it'll be the folder.

Are we nearly there yet?

The answer is a definite yes!

A rain affected weekend, coupled with being down in MK on Friday night, meant I haven't been able to get the sorting out done on the old folding camper. The plus point of that is I've been able to finish nearly all the jobs on Dai instead.

Electrics

The mains electrical wiring is now finished and tested. I'm happy with how it's all worked out. Since the main purpose is to run the small fan heater I doubt I'll need it for the next trip to Cambridge, and I haven't got hook-up for the one after that, but it will be useful sometime I'm sure.

I had assumed I'd got everything to do the job, but it turned out the mini-trunking I'd bought wasn't self-adhesive. That meant another trip to B&Q! I needed some other stuff so not too much of a hardship. I did manage to buy the wrong carpet tape though, so the mats still aren't fastened down. I must remedy that before I go away.

Cushions and Curtains

The first cushions I'd bought to go inside the custom covers were too small, I ended up giving them away (they were really cheap) so whilst out shopping today I bought two new, right sized, cushions at Dunelm Mill. Not quite as cheap (they were around £8 each) but they fit nicely and they're a shade of green that will match the curtains if required.

Having decided I wanted some new blackout curtains I'd searched the 'net and come up with a couple of possible suppliers. One was a real cottage industry the other a slightly larger business. The online estimates were comparable so I thought I'd try the smaller business first. Having picked out a fabric I thought would work I asked for a sample and a final quote, she did say in the email that she'd be going on holiday and that would push delivery out a bit but I wasn't too bothered. 3 weeks later however the sample still hasn't arrived which doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

In the mean time the other supplier had followed up the enquiry so I arranged for some samples from them as well. They arrived promptly, I chose one and placed the order. They're in the book for production this week and she's promised they'll be with me in time for the next trip. That's good because I want to try them as they hang first before I decide if they need press-studs in the corners to fasten them back (I think they will but we'll see).

To Level or not to Level?

Having read various forums there seems to be some dispute over the need for level ramps and whether they actually get used if you carry them. Coming from a caravan background, and from the days when all fridges were gas and needed to be really level to work, my feeling is that being reasonably level is a "good thing". I'd already bought a smallish set of level ramps (the ones from the folding camper are huge) and had them stowed under one of the back seats.

I decided to rethink some of the packing though and took them out, adding them tot he "take away when you've got the awning" kit. Now they're back in again! A further packing rethink has got them back in a different place - there's  a narrow stow-space behind the front seats which now has the ramps, table leg, car defrosting kit and my walking stick in. It's full, but I consider that a positive.

A Chair, a Chair...

To continue the Shakespearean headings! I nearly got caught out during the week as I forgot to put a folding chair in when going to see some outdoor theatricals. I have a variety of outdoor furniture but none of it is really small enough to carry in Dai permanently or even when away without an awning. A trip to Go Outdoors in MK didn't help (it did provide various other things though) and neither did a local camping shop. I'll keep thinking on that one but I suspect what I want just isn't available (i.e. something that will fit where the level ramps are currently stored but unfold into a full size comfortable chair).

We got the power...

Well 12 volts of it anyway!

When I bought Little Dai I wasn't too happy about either the 12v power setup (which was close but not close enough) or the 240v (which was simply a camping power unit). I knew what I wanted to achieve and also that the cost wouldn't be prohibitive. Orders went in to both Screwfix (for the mains stuff primarily) and Towsure (for the caravan specific bits) and I also had to pay a visit to Maplin.

Saturday

The leisure battery and much of the 12v stuff was buried away behind a panel. I'd removed this previously and thought there might be room to get all the mains stuff in there as well, but it quickly became apparent that there isn't. So before I'd even started plans changed! There was plenty of space in the cupboard next to the coolbox though, I did have to remove the shelf someone had put in there but that's no great loss. A couple of hours of general sorting out, drilling holes and setting up wiring left me with the consumer unit, input and first single socket ready to install. They basically just needed screwing to the panel:

I'd decided to put a socket inside the cupboard as it may come in useful for charging stuff I don't want on show and also I can plug the mains adapter for the coolbox in. I also decided that there was little point in using an expensive fancy socket here!

One of the things I'd needed was something to make a new switch panel out of. The simplest thing turned out to be an aluminium door push plate from B&Q. I could have found something better with time, should have though of it sooner. I cut this down, cut out the holes for the two switches and made up a vinyl overlay (useful having a laser printer at home). It's not as tidy as I'd like but will do the job until it annoys me completely.

Doing all of that took most of Saturday afternoon so I decided to leave the next step until the Sunday.

Sunday

I got a decent early start on sorting the 12v side out. There were two primary aims here, firstly I wanted to be able to leave the coolbox permanently plugged in and have it run with the engine but be able to switch it on manually (previously it ran entirely off the leisure battery when you switched on the power from that) and secondly I wanted to be able to switch the supply for the lights, pump, etc. between the leisure battery and the vehicle battery. I wouldn't want to do the latter for very long, it's quite a  small battery, but useful to have the capability. The simple way to achieve this was a voltage sensing split charge relay from Towsure, I've used these before and they are simple to install.

I had to slightly bodge the existing wiring from the engine compartment (under the passenger seat) but with that done the relay works fine. It provides a permanent feed from the engine and two switched feeds for charging and for the coolbox that come on when the engine is running. The fun part was then making the relevant holes in the panel to take the existing 12v "lighter" socket, the new switch panel and the 240v mains socket. Some moving about, drilling, sawing and sanding achieved the required result. I'm fairly happy with it. It's all a bit cramped but that was a necessity as it all had to clear the battery behind.

It may not be entirely clear from the photo but the left hand switch controls the coolbox with choosing between Auto (with the engine running) and On (running off the leisure battery) whilst the right hand switch swaps the auxiliary power between the leisure battery and the car battery. Here I did use a fancy socket, the only nuisance being I'd forgotten to order longer screws to go through the panel so that was another quick shopping trip.

With that all in place I could complete the 12v wiring. It's a bit of a rats' nest but with the panel back on it's not an issue. It wasn't strictly necessary to trunk the mains cable but I decided to do so for tidiness.

It nearly all worked first time as well! I'd reused the existing fuse box but hadn't noticed one of the fuses was already blown so that was easily sorted. I also wondered why the coolbox didn't run when I started the engine until I realised I hadn't switched it to Auto (they're centre-off switches).

It then just remained to get the panel back on and tidy everything up. The remaining job is to run the cable for another socket by the back seats. I know where it's going but just ran out of time. That's also why on the last picture the cable under the worktop isn't trunked yet - it'll all get done together.

All in all a successful weekend. Shame I wasted time on a couple of shopping trips, without that I might have finished completely.

Dai Gets Alarmed

One of the things I wasn't too keen on was the fact that Dai has no immobiliser or alarm as standard. Whilst this shouldn't be a problem it does leave things a bit vulnerable. I had a hunt round and considered doing my own fitment, however I found a local auto electrician who quoted a very reasonable price for a full alarm and immobiliser install, including the additional door lock motor for the central locking interface.

I liked the fact that his website gives clear information and quotes all-in prices directly, none of this "call for best price". As he lives about a mile from where I work it seemed to make sense to get the install done there. It took about 2 hours (so would have taken me a lot more I suspect) but is now all sorted.

I might do a little bit of a change to the programming, as standard you have to start the engine within 45 seconds of unlocking or the immobiliser rearms itself. With it being a motorhome I think this may be a nuisance but it's easy enough to sort.

If anyone in the East Midlands area is looking for a similar job I can recommend Alan Smith, www.alansmith.co.uk

Dai's First Trip

As I'd got a bit of a do to go to in Lincolnshire, for which I'd already booked the Travelodge for the Saturday night, I decided to book a site for the Friday as a bit of a shakedown. This nearly didn't happen when I had a call on my way home from work on Thursday (which proved the hands free on the new radio works). The grass pitches at the Caravan Club Stamford site were extremely wet and the warden asked if I'd mind canceling my booking. Obviously I said yes, he doesn't want his pitches being damaged and I didn't want to get stuck!

A quick search on the website as soon as I got home turned up an affiliated site very near to where the party was, a quick phone call and I was booked in. Having pasted this on Facebook I discovered friends would also be on site.

After leaving work I was on site in just over an hour and, after some faffing about, I was sat with a cold beer 15 minutes later! With practice I'll get that down to under 10 minutes I reckon. I decided to investigate the local pubs for beer and dinner but got delayed when I met my friends, had a beer in their lovely caravan and then we all headed off to the pub. A lovely meal followed and the drinks flowed.

Once back I set up the bed, sorted myself out and tried to sleep. I did manage but as I expected the curtains don't keep any light out. The thermal blinds on the front worked fine though and I will stock to the planned arrangement, with new blackout curtains to be ordered.

Cooking breakfast, making coffee, etc. all worked as it should, it gets very warm with the burners going but there's a zip in the back panel of the elevating roof so getting ventilation in is easy enough. Packing up only took a few minutes and I headed off to Grantham for a while before picking another friend up at the station and going to the Travelodge to get checked in. The advantage of being car sized and under 2m high proved useful as I got parked easily on the edge of Grantham centre. I can recommend the museum there, if only for the large cup of fresh filter coffee for £1.

Sunday I drove down to the friends who'd hosted the party for breakfast and, inevitably, had to show a few people over Dai. After we'd spent the morning talking, eating croissant with bacon and drinking coffee I dropped Carol back of in Grantham and headed up to Brownhills Motorhomes near Newark. There were two aims there, look at awnings and perhaps buy some bits. Both were achieved! Awning wise I've all but decided on the Vango Airbeam. The quality looks very good and they're easy to erect for one person. I'll probably wait until early in the new year when the 2014 ones are in the sales.

I was just firing up to leave there when a couple in a Nissan people carrier flagged me down. They'd just bought the vehicle with a view to doing a DIY conversion and had noticed Dai in the car park. I was happy to give them a quick look over and hopefully it will give them some ideas - I think this may happen a lot!

Ultimate conclusions are that Dai will do what I want. I've got a few things to sort out but nothing major, curtains being the most urgent probably as they'll make sleeping so much better. Everybody who looks over her (all machines are female even if they have male names) is impressed by the quality of, and thought that's gone into, the conversion.

Radio Gaga

I thought when I wrote the previous post that I'd given up on any further work for today, however it didn't quite work out that way.

One of the things I'd decided on straight away was to replace the radio in Little Dai. I wasn't too keen on the one installed when I bought it and I fancied going for a DAB one as I tend to listen to Smooth Radio these days. Having a DAB car radio saves carrying a separate one for camping.

I'd found a Philips radio on special offer with money off and the DAB adapter thrown in. An added bonus is that not only does it have front and rear USB ports it takes an SD card as well. There's no CD player but I can't remember when I last put a CD in the car. I also picked up an active windscreen film aerial. Reviews on these are a bit mixed but I felt it worth a try.

Having tried, and failed, to get the radio out yesterday the first thing today was to head to Halfords for the correct Sony removal tools. That proved to be a total waste of time and money! At that point I decided to give up, particularly as it was raining.

After lunch I decide to give it one further go. It turned out that instead of being mounted in a cage as normal the radio is bolted in on two brackets which also hold a dashboard storage bin. The only way to get it out (and the new one is) was to remove the front of the dash, although this proved quite easy. Once that was done I could get everything unbolted. I had to modify the brackets slightly to get them to fit on the new radio but at least having the dash out made routing the aerial lead relatively easy.

A quick test before putting it all back together proved successful, with a decent DAB signal. I had some further modifying to do on the bezel and it may need a dab of glue just to hold it in place but overall I'm very happy with the job. Later on I'll sort out an SD card (I have plenty) and get it programmed up with all the required music.

In the mean time I did also source some cheap floor mats from Wilkinson which I've cut down for the back to protect the carpets and make it easier to keep clean. I will get some proper fitted floor mats for the front though.

Curtains & Kit

I took advantage of some reasonable weather on Saturday afternoon and Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend to get things ready for my first trip away. The good news is that I've managed to get everything in! I may add some photos later but for the moment rain has stopped play.

Curtains

I thought I had a full set of both curtains and stick-on thermal blinds however when I checked closely this isn't the case. There are blinds for all the windows, although storing them takes up quite a bit of room, and curtains for the sides and back window, or there should be however the side curtain for behind the stove is missing.

I wasn't all that keen on the curtain wires stretching right across the front doors and the fixings to the front visors were fairly grotty so I took the decision to go with the conventional arrangement. I'll use the stick on blinds for the windscreen and front two doors and curtains for the remainder. I've modified two of the brackets for the curtain wires and shortened them so they now run to the B-Pillars and, for the moment, used one of the very front curtains as a replacement for the missing one. I also found that although there were curtains and a wire for the rear screen there seemed to be a lack of any way to fix it in place. Fortunately we have the technology and two new brackets were quickly fabricated and screwed onto the tailgate. I'll shortly be hunting around on the 'net and ordering a new set of curtains, preferably in a blackout material, but the existing ones will work for next weekend.

Kit

Kit packing in such a small vehicle is always going to be a cross between an art and a science. One of my reasons for this particular one though is that I reckoned there is sufficient storage.

After a lot of sorting through the kit I removed from the folding camper, the box of stuff I used for tent camping and the sheds I've managed to pack everything I want in. There had to be some compromises. I would have liked to take the Double Skillet as it's very versatile but space just doesn't permit. I was determined to fit nearly all the cooking & eating stuff onto the shelf below the sink and I achieved that by removing the outermost pan from the camper pan set. If I ever do have guests though I'll have to consider taking extra bits. The kettle and a mug will live in the sink when travelling - they're usually the first thing out anyway.

I'd noted when I looked the motorhome over before deciding to buy that the coolbox and Porta-Potti both needed a good clean. I only realised whilst sorting out that the Dealer had resolved this by replacing them with brand new ones.

With the cooking and crockery, etc. stowed as I'd hoped I've got a decent sized cupboard for food storage. I've already stocked up with a few tins and packets ready so I'll just need to add fresh when I go away (although in theory I will have absolutely everything I need to just take off if I feel like it).

I had to remove the shelf from where the gas bottle stows, clearly it had been used with a smaller Camping Gaz 904 bottle. As I've already got a 907 bottle (or three) and the 904's are a horrendously expensive way to by gas I felt the modification was justified. I've still been able to pack a few bits around the bottle.

The remaining bigger bits of camping kit, i.e. the level ramps, fan heater, etc. have stowed in one of the two rear seats. If I was away for a fortnight I'd need that space but they can stay there for day-to-day use. I know that for longer trips with the awning (when I get it) I'll be travelling with some kit stowed on the floor - I've bought a small plastic dustbin which can easily be chucked in with everything inside then chucked out into the awning.

Little Dai Comes Home

With finance and insurance finally all in place it was time to fetch Little Dai home. A friend, Steve, kindly agreed to drive me up to the dealer's near Nottingham and to hang about to make sure all was OK.

There were no problems with the handover - the chap reckoned it was the fastest he's ever done! That's partly down to the very simple systems on Dai and partly due to my existing knowledge. One positive was he confirmed there is already a leisure battery on a split charge relay, it's behind a panel. I also got the details of the 3 year RAC warranty. It's limited, but adequate and a bit of a bonus.

Steve decided to follow me home, a decision he might have regretted! The first problem was actually getting out of the dealer's gate due to the volume of traffic. We managed in the end but I was distracted and forgot to pull in to the garage opposite to fill up. As the tank was showing empty I carried on past the M1 towards Nottingham as I knew there was a garage down there. Quick fill up (very quick, it's a small tank) remembering to put petrol in and the darn thing wouldn't start. Lights came on, but it just wouldn't turn over. I was on the point of phoning the dealer when I thought to try with the clutch depressed - well I know now!

The weather at this point was OK but it didn't last. It deteriorated rapidly to the point where it was a very unpleasant drive. The Daihatsu seems more comfortable at an indicated 60-65 than 70, I fully expected that being honest and don't consider it a problem. In general I'll plan journeys around A roads where possible and just leave a bit more time.

It's now out on the drive and I'll be spending the evening emptying the Citroen and starting to fill Dai up! I'm going to have to be fairly ruthless in how much I carry but there's enough space I think. I don't think I can live with the existing radio for long so I've also got to decide whether to lift the one out of the old car or just buy new - I'd like one with DAB capability for when on site so the latter is likely.

Buying Little Dai

Why?

I've been camping, caravanning and boating at various times since I was a few years' old. Most recently I've owned a succession of folding campers, the latest being a Pennine Pathfinder. These are about the largest of the folders available with 4-6 berths, fitted cassette toilet, oven, hot & cold water, etc. At the time I bought it I was often away with friends at boat rallies but more recently I've tended to be away by myself. The camper was great for a two-week holiday but generally too much hassle to put up and take down for shorter breaks or for touring. On my own it would take a good hour+ to set up and the same to take down. I also suffer back problems which made it even harder and sometimes painful.

I'd had thoughts about motorhomes for quite a while, with the stipulation that I couldn't realistically afford to run two vehicles.

Criteria

The exact criteria for a motorhome did change as I was looking at examples and thinking about the subject. The key points were:

• Must be usable as an every day car, that means it would have to fit into standard car parks easily and go under height barriers. I was aiming for a maximum height of 2m but prepared to accept up to about 2.2m (there's a car park I use regularly that's set at that). That ruled out any high-tops and many of the van conversions were just too big. It also ruled out all but a few coach-builts.
• Standing head room wasn't on the list initially but I crewed on a boat for a while where even I couldn't stand up (and I'm not tall). The owners (family and friends) changed to a larger boat and that was one of the reasons - it's not easy doing everything in a crouched position. Combined with the height limits that meant it had to be a pop-top.
• A toilet! I wanted to be able to stop in places without facilities and I hate the 3am dash through the rain to site facilities so some provision for a toilet was essential. I'm not squeamish about such things and as I'm usually on my own I was quite happy with a small Porta-Potti tucked into a cupboard. Good job really as that's what I've got.
• A stove and sink with running water were also essentials, as was some sort of worktop space. You can manage with a camping stove and a washing up bowl but if I was going to do that I might as well camp. Worktop space is the one thing lacking on the folding camper and it was always a nuisance.
• Practical sleeping space for 1 person seems obvious but that didn't seem to be the case. Quite a few conversions I looked at had huge double beds that once they were pulled out and set up filled the entire area meaning you'd struggle to even put the kettle on without packing the bed away. I wanted something where you could still move around a bit with the bed(s) set up. The two single beds in Little Dai are ideal, although I'd have preferred ones that didn't include the front seats. In a vehicle that small there had to be a compromise somewhere and that's it.
• I wanted something ready to go. I looked at, planned and seriously considered my own conversion. I've just about got the skills and equipment to do this but in the end decided it would be a lot of work and there would always be issues around insurance and things.
• Whatever I got needed sufficient storage space that I could go away with everything put away. I'd accepted that for a longer trip I'd have the awning, etc. on the floor but that was my limit. I definitely wanted to be able to go away for a weekend without worrying about having loads of stuff "on show".

Looking Around

I looked at various options all over the country (well from the South Coast to Yorkshire to be exact). These included a very well done conversion on a Citroen Berlingo that ultimately failed the storage test and was really just too cramped. I also didn't like how the beds made up.
For quite a while I was keen on a Mazda Bongo. I think if I'd found one with the right conversion I might have gone that route although I had a concern about the driving position. They're also not the most economical vehicles. I looked at a few but none suited me.
Looking at the smallest conversions I rejected one, a Suzuki Wagon R must be about the smallest motorhome conversion ever! It looked very well done but was clearly just too small. There were a few Daihatsus and Suzukis coming up on Autotrader so I focussed my attention on these. I took the opportunity of a weekend trip to Leeds to do some looking and, on my way up, looked at Little Dai at a dealer's near Nottingham. As soon as I got in I felt it was right. It fulfilled all the criteria mentioned above, was sensibly equipped (just the lack of fitted mains electric to worry about) and was sensibly priced. I did the right thing though and walked away for a think.
Whilst in Leeds I looked at a couple of Suzuki conversions as well. The workmanship was very good but ultimately I felt they'd crammed too much in - the pop-top was almost wasted as there wasn't enough floor space to actually stand up.

Buying Little Dai

Having left the dealer's for a think about things I very nearly turned round and went back. Sensibly I waited until my return journey on the Sunday having cogitated for a couple of days. I had another good look around and had a brief test drive then decided that yes, it was the right option for me. The business side didn't take too much sorting and I arranged to collect it a week later when I'd sorted the finance and insurance - I'd forgotten though that it was a bank holiday weekend!
Finance should have been easy, search the 'net, select a provider and complete the online application. That's how it should work, but they contacted me to say they couldn't trace me at my previous address (after all I only lived there 38 years)! It was easily resolved but that was another day lost and coupled with the post meant the forms didn't get back to them for a week or so.
The difficulty with the insurance was the requirement to have cover for commuting to work. Some won't cover it at all, others wanted a huge premium. Some also wouldn't cover more than about 10,000 miles a year. Fortunately the Caravan Club came through with a very sensible quote, with all the cover I need.

Next Steps

That's about where it rests at the moment. The money is in the bank ready, I've arranged the pickup and a friend to give me a lift there, and can't now wait.
In the mean time I've been assembling equipment, mainly from "stock" as I've been clearing the old camper ready for sale and I've also got some kit stored away. I'll set up a page about equipment later.