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Hi
I have just joined as this site has loads of interesting ideas and discussions on self building campers, I am planning to convert a car-based panel van to tour Europe.
There seems to be a lot of discussion on how difficult/expensive it is to find and buy gas in its various forms. If all I need it for is a hob to cook, is there any reason I couldn’t run an electric hob from the leasure battery? Would the power required for it simply be too much for the battery to handle?
Thanks for all the other advice, I’m sure I’ll have more to post in the future 🙂
Ant
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how to fit a rock an roller seat/bed
Hi, can anyone tell me the correct way to fit a rock an roller seat/bed correctly to the floor of my transit van conversion project I’m currently undertaking… I’ve been told a few things and simply don’t know how I stand legally if I want to sell the van on. I do not want seat belts fitted. Can anyone offer advice please?
Normally a seat is fitted to
Normally a seat is fitted to a van by bolting it through the van floor, then using spreader plates like massive washers on the underside of the van, to stop the bolts from pulling through.
If you don’t have seat belts fitted, people can’t really travel on those seats. Legally, generally, you don’t need to have seat belts if the seats were added after the vehicle was made. However, your insurance company are unlikely to insure you if you have passengers without seat belts, and the police are likely to consider the passengers unsafe.
There is more info here:
https://www.campervanlife.com/forum/campervan-conversions/seat-belts-regulations-and-guidelines-for-camper-vans-and-motorhomes
GAS JUST IDEA
Hi what about LPG I knew somebody who had engine running on LPG and they also used that for cooking on too !!
LPG for cooking uses vapour
LPG for cooking uses vapour take-off. i.e. the gas comes out of the tank at the top as a vapour.
Engines running on LPG use liquid take-off. i.e. the gas comes out of the tank at the bottom as a liquid.
The tanks are different, and I don’t think you can get one which allows both at the same time.
Gas pipe repair
WE have a hiace devon conversion, and have a gas leak. Would it be easy to replace the rubber pipe, or do you know of anyone near brighton/crawley who would do this for us?
Thanks!!!
Using rubber hoses for
Using rubber hoses for camping cookers is fine in well ventilated areas. Using one on a cooker in a van is an explosion waiting to happen!
I would recomend you replace with copper piping and a regulator. In theorey it should be done by a corgi registered chappie. In practise it isn’t very difficult. My local calor suppliers suggested that i should be get it fitted proffesionally but was quite helpful and showed me exactly what i needed and how to install it all.
Here’s my sealed gas bottle locker. Bottle is strapped in and the locker is metal lined with a bottom vent to outside so if there is a leak all the gas falls out.
Regulator is inside the box connected to copper piping, then to a gas valve and then to cooker. Gas can of course also be turned off at the bottle.
KS
eBay?
Hi Noel
Try eBay do a search for ‘camper gas stove’ and you should find lots of options, new and used.
Gas cooker Transit
I want to replace existing, useless, alcohol burners on cooker of my 1996 Westfalia Transit-based “Nugget”. Where can I get replacement burners or maybe second-hand cooker / sink unit?.
Hi Ant
Don’t worry about
Hi Ant
Don’t worry about asking questions, that what this website is for!
I had the same problem with the gas situation, and went for campingaz. It wasn’t very expensive. £10 a month. I’d rather pay more than have several different gas bottles with me, especially in a small van. You can get adapters to make Spanish/Portuguese fillers fit Calor bottles, but they’re difficult to find and fillers there may be reluctant to use them. I’d go with Camingaz.
LWD Transit Connect would be a good choice. The Fiat Scudo/Peugot Export vans have been around longer and are also an option, but not as big. Go for the Transit Connect if you have the budget.
The best way to run a laptop is to by a 12v laptop adapter. This plugs into the 12v system in your van and converts to 19v (or whatever your laptop uses). This is more energy efficient than an inverter, which takes 12v, makes it 240v, and your laptop adapter then takes it to 19v. If you are using the laptop very occasionally for short periods then an inverter will be fine, otherwise go for the adapter. Try looking on eBay.co.uk, that’s where I got mine.
Thanks Darren, that is what
Thanks Darren, that is what I thought. I don’t have a problem with fitting the gas, just wondered if electric was an option. Sorry if these comment and questions seem silly; we’ve never done anything like this before and want to be prepared so thanks for any advice anyone can give 🙂
It’s just that we’re planning on going to a lot of different countries, and it has been mentioned on other threads and pages that each country has a different type, fitting, regulator etc, and that while campingaz does have standard fittings, it is particularly expensive and only comes in small bottles.
I’m going with my girlfriend and we plan to spend a lot of time WWOOFing and visiting friends and family in the continent, so will not be in the van 100% of the time, hence looking at a car type van – possibly a LWB Transit Connect, any opinions on that choice of base vehicle?
Also, would we need an inverter to run a laptop from the leasure battery?
Cheers again,
Ant
Hi Ant
Electricity is
Hi Ant
Electricity is difficult to store. Batteries only hold so much power and are very heavy. Gas is much easier to store in large quantities. A small gas bottle holds many more times as much power as a battery.
If you tried cooking with an electric cooker you would flatten the battery really quickly. Whereas a gas bottle will last weeks.
If you want a simple hob then all you need is a single small gas bottle, with a regulator and a gas pipe that goes straight into your hob. Very simple, and actually cheap. A hob will cost £30, less used. Gas bottles are expensive to buy, but are dead cheap (£5) second hand from the local paper. They cost about £10 to fill, and mine lasts me a month.
Gas is easy to fit. Put the bottle in a cupboard and the hob on the top of your kitchen unit. You should have a small vent in the side of the van by the gas bottle to ventilate it, in case it leaks gas. Some people don’t bother. Always turn the gas off when not in use though.