The Renovation of Skylark

Thats a questions I dont really want to think about! Its one of those questions that if you have to ask, you cant afford it!
Lets put it this way...I'll never get my money back if I sell it but dont have any intention of doing that so cost (apart from affording it) does not come i to it. Lets just say the biggest cost so far has been the wood, and that was three sheets of lightweight ply, then the wall covering and adhesive, next the edge trim and bits then the new leisure electrics. Probably forgotten things but thats selective memory for you especially when wife asks! I could have left everything as I bought it but...I would never have been happy with it...as you can see I'm a bit anal about doing things sometimes. If its a job worth doing its worth doing right.

Totally agree. In terms of the lightweight ply you're talking about the Vohringer stuff aren't you. I might (well, I will at this stage!) be going with something a lot cheaper. I reeeeeally don't like the look of frames with plywood faces but I might be able to do something a bit nicer by just facing the other side with very thin ply. Anything's better than chipboard really. Have you kept all the original wiring/plumbing for the gas and sink? Anything related to 'motorhome' or 'caravans' seems to be really expensive!

Original plumbing for sink, gas and water tank are as the original, saw no reason to change. The battery was in mine originally behind the passenger seat with wiring I didnt quite trust as it had been disconnected so moved battery to behind drivers seat (as per alot of these conversions) next to the gas bottle (but in a section of its own, see photo). Leisure battery electrics and isolation switches etc will be the last job to do. Just spent ages looking at photos on net of these conversions for ideas first.

Well, more time looking and getting ideas in your head Raggy means less time and money spent rectifying muck ups definitely.

You have certainly proved that with the quality of the work you have turned out. Absolutely outstanding. If you had thought at the beginning of the Project though and knew then what you know now, then it may never have happened.
Now you have a Conncours-de-Elegance Show Stopper that you will be chuffed to take to any Caravan Club Site and not be phased by these colossal hideous Plastic Bungalows on wheels. Ludicrous things that can't go down all the little 6'6" country side roads and see all the beautiful scenery that we get to see.

I know some of these Motorway Monstrosities pull a trailer and have a car on to drive round the Countryside. I find that even more offensive.
Whilst staying at Heligan Woods in Cornwall, one repugnant big head had a Six Wheeler with slide out sides and a Chevrolet Camarro on the trailer. I have have also seen several with a Mazda Bongo on the Trailer. Words fail me at their disgusting, ostentatious display of their means of life.
I don't begrudge them making good by working hard in life, but when ever I have had a bit of money I have used it to help friends and those in need. Good job we are all different I guess.

Woodie wrote: Well, more time looking and getting ideas in your head Raggy means less time and money spent rectifying muck ups definitely.  

Thanks but I cant say there have not been 'oh dear!' moments along the way! Yesterday was a prime example, set base unit so portapotti fitted, took it out, fixed everything together then thought, I need a stop for the lid so innocently added a strip to the inside edge...come to put portapotti back in...now does not fit! Doh! Time for coffee and a sit down to regroup and think of a solution. Sorted not with just a smaller stop for the lid! Its very much a design, build, readjust as you go along project but thoroughly enjoyed it so far.

Woodie wrote: If you had thought at the beginning of the Project though and knew then what you know now, then it may never have happened.

Hmmm....don't know, always up for a challenge! Its actually been good therapy doing it, gets my head away from thinking about work.

Update on the passenge side storage/seat.

Its not that wide but when passenger seat pushed back its fine. Its been built in two halves, both capable of storage (and not planters Woody!). When its needed as a bed, the top half comes off and goes between the water tank (under the cooker unit) and the main seating so that it makes a wider bed, 2/3 width of van. Then another lid is paced on the unit left at the rear of the passenger seat.



Nearly done all the woodwork now, just a couple of filling pieces for the bed to do, then all the little bits and pieces jobs, then electrics.

Bloody nice work.

Now I said in a previous post that I would weight some of the lightweight ply as a comparisson, well had a chance this morning. The two materials are the original ply in 12mm thickness and the lightweight vohringer ply in 15mm that I have used to replace the original. The scores on the doors are:
Original 12mm ply: 9.43kg/m2
Vohringer ply 15mm: 7.26kg/m2
That gives a weight saving of 23%
As I have used virtually 3 8'x4' sheets (dont know where its all gone but its dissapeared inside the van!) it gives an approximate weight saving of 19Kg
Now was it worth the cost? ... Only you can decide that but for me it was worth it.

Weight saving or not, its the best camper rebuilding jobs I've seen on this forum.

Looks amazing !!

Finally finished the woodwork! Two beds, a 2/3 width bed and a 1/3 width bed and only requires two small extra pieces to store. All the other bits store away, table top, seat boxes behind passeneger seat etc. Still plenty to do though, seats ordered , will post pics when they arrive, not saying any more but they will look rather special! Thinking cap on now as got to face the leisure electrics.

Totally gobsmacked with the quality of this work

Thanks for the comments, will at some point do a bit of video as its hard to describe how it all fits together. Must admit its all come together even better than I ever planned. There are bits I wish I had some more plywood left to redo but havn't (just got small bits left which in one sense is good) so they will have to stop as they are, but thats me just being picky.

Neat camper, well done!

Power! .... Well nearly!
Todays task was to get the split charge system and associated electrics back in the van. The existing system that was in the van was ahem..not one I wanted to rely on for safety so decided to renew the whole lot especially as I had repositioned the leisure battery to the other side of the van from behind the passenger seat. Did the split charge first which amazingly worked first time, a comment on my electrical ability more that the kit as that was pretty comprehensive (Simply Split Charge. Next up was connecting all the bits to the leisure battery system, all controlled via very nice switch panel that includes a voltage displat for the leisure battery (SwitchPanel). All I need now is a long lead to go from leisure battery to the bus bar feeding all the equipment, which should arrive this week.





All neatly finished off and protected by a cover

That actually is the tidiest camper electrical installation I have ever seen, not just hijets - £35k VW transporters etc.

Always been like that...some call it anal! When I worked on compressors I always likes to make sure all pipes were neat and tidy, same with computer network cabinets, all cables d to be neat and tidy, helps find things when they dont work and at some point they wont.

Last update today for the electrical section, from this,

To this...
M
A digital clock and coin tidy from a Grand Move, fits perfectly (with a slight bit of stanley knife trimming) where the old Radio slot was. Just got to wire it in now which should be quite easy as the radio power etc is just below it.

Are there radio's to fit in there?! I have nothing over there on my 1.3 hijet's.
Did find a digital clock on a junkyard once, but forgot to take it out
My Hijet Van has the LED strip controller build in to that position right now. But I'm planing to make a radio over there for my pick-up. and make cup holders on top. (that is were the radio is right now)

About your camper: You did a really nice job! It's good that you take the time to make everything very tidy. It makes a lot of difference for the end result. You can be proud on yourself

The radio ony fits in there if you can get one that is not very deep, originals had cassette so fitted...just, but once you had CD's they are too deep so they fitted them in a pod on top of the dash or like mine in the floor console in front of the gear change. You will find apparently (not had a look myself) that there is not a lot of room in that panel on top of the dash. Did think it would be a neat place to put a small android tablet (which wouldn't need much depth) and have it flip up for Sat nav, music etc....but there are more important things to finish first! Someone said to me recently, bet you'd be glad when its finished...yes and no...yes as its been a while, no as I really enjoyed doing it and ... is there actually a point when there are no jobs to be doing on a Hijet? Thought I was going to get my hands on a Hijet bull bar for the front this weekend....but it was not to be

PvdB wrote:Are there radio's to fit in there?! I have nothing over there on my 1.3 hijet's.
Did find a digital clock on a junkyard once, but forgot to take it out
My Hijet Van has the LED strip controller build in to that position right now. But I'm planing to make a radio over there for my pick-up. and make cup holders on top. (that is were the radio is right now)

About your camper: You did a really nice job! It's good that you take the time to make everything very tidy. It makes a lot of difference for the end result. You can be proud on yourself

I picked up a cheapo (£10) Chinese radio of Ebay that's fits, no CD but I only need the radio and somewhere to plug in my Ipod and am happy. Lots of advice on the forum on size and fitting.

I love the seats you have put in Raggy, were they difficult and would I need to find specific Smart Car ones?

I was just lucky with those seats, £40 for the pair! They are relatively easy to fit, just a bit of drilling to fit the new runners. Some have had to bash...ahem...modify their engine cover lid to get them to fit but I didn't have t for some reason. Wasnt going to change them but at £40 couldn't go wrong but as Logi has said before they are a vast improvement on the standard ones. Mine were left hand drive ones but the only handing was the shoulder seat belt guide which you can carefully cut/grind off as they end up in the wrong place anyway. Been great to get chance to move the seat further back, I'm 6'1" and its very comfortable for me (wasn't too bad before just better now).

As for the radio, yes that's what fits in there these days, a radio which has MP3 input and no CD, but mine already had the radio/CD player and centre console although the radio keeps playing up so will change it soon.

We have Power! Got the long battery cable fitted it up and hey presto we now have light....thought it was going to well when I tried the sink pump and nothing happened....then remembered it was one of a few jobs I had yet to finish. So thats next on the list and the seats arrive at the end of the week so will upload a few photos when they arrive. Curtains should be the week after so the theortical end is in sight! What will I do with all my spare time then?

We now have a water supply...and some soft furnishings!
Managed to get a few tidy up jobs done today after comming back from Isle of Wight. Finished of leisure electrics and covers to keep it covered up etc while I waited in for cushions to be delivered. Now they are here I cant stop grinning, just how I had it in my mind I wanted it to be
Photos to come when I get back from the dog walk...worth waiting for...

Back from walk...

You gotta be so proud of yourself,superb workmanship
congatulations

How nice are those cushions ?!!!

Piping and ribs.

Sexy job fella. Fully amazing.

Wish I could have said I had done them myself, design yes..manufacture no. Ah well cant do everything in the time I have. They were done by Partition Pads UK and a fine job they did of them.
Waiting of the curtains now, currently being done by the sewing room of the local hospital ( no they are not going to be green and have the nhs logo on them!). Cushions in photos were from a shop in Ventnor, Isle of Wight, something else from our recent trip.

i keep repeating my replies so i will just say it in dutch this time

dat ziet er goed uit man, daar mag je trots op zijn !