I can’t believe it’s November since I last gave you an update on the progress of our VW T5 van conversion project. Although it looks like not a lot has changed since then, loads and loads has been going on behind the scenes, with the electrics being the main focus. Luckily Ben’s a trained electrical engineer, so he’s more than able to get his head around a project like this.
For any van build enthusiasts out there we have a 115 Ahr leisure battery installed under the driver’s seat. A split charge relay charges the battery when we’re driving and we also have a mains charger for when we might want to use an electric hookup.
The battery is 12V, and supplies power to LED lights, the water pump and the fridge. There are also various USB ports for charging purposes!
From my standpoint it’s been frustrating. I know stuff is happening but it’s progress where you can’t see big changes, and I don’t really understand what’s going on. I’m impatient for the woodwork to start in earnest – I’m waiting for cupboards, worktops, drawers – but equally I know that the electrics are a vital part of making sure this camper van will be practical and comfortable for us all on long family holidays.
While Ben’s been working hard on the electrics I’ve been scouring Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration (there’s so much out there it starts to get overwhelming at times), and picking up a few bits and pieces ready to swoop in as soon as the build reaches a point where my creative input is required.
With our first proper trip away planned for half term in a couple of weeks (weather allowing), the build has to go up a gear to make sure we’re ready in time. Luckily Ben has been able to book some leave, and so he’ll be ploughing through the long (long, long, long) list of tasks on his impressive project-management style spreadsheet.
I’m itching to get on with some of the finishing details – curtains are in progress, we’ve chosen the paint colour for the cupboards, bits of the cedar wall paneling have started to go up, and I’m busy brainstorming clever storage ideas. And obviously there’ll be plenty of accessorising to do when the time comes.
I’ll try to snap away as much as I can during this time, and get a few posts up so you can see it all taking shape. If you don’t already follow the van on Instagram, then you can find us at @youngvanadventures, where there will be daily Stories and plenty of posts over the next fortnight.
Leave a Reply