LFGSS Camper Van owners?

Do you need the back seat? Like will you use it to carry 3x people with you rather than you and F?

• scratch this: missed one whole pages!
  

This is disappointingly comprehensive, albeit spendy. What scope is there for further upgrades to keep us entertained?

I'm definitely jealous of that spec but I would have gone full swamper look for a 4motion MTB conversion; lifted on small wheels with big AT tyres and wheel arch protectors. I swapped out the 18" alloys my T5 came with for original 16" steels

I actually deleted that - a big part of what CJL offer is the styling packages, but what I wanted was a very subtle change from stock, OEM+ basically, so slightly lower with different wheels.

Whilst it will hopefully be parked in a muddy carpark every weekend it will spend the majority of it's time on tarmac, so I'm optimising for that and will count on the 4Motion with diff-lock and winter tyres to cope with slippery surfaces.

What scope is there for further upgrades to keep us entertained?

@Dammit

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSKgdeYM8za/?utm_medium=copy_link

Insane van, no kitchen, just coffee!

That's been done by the place I am trying to buy mine from - although since I sent an email yesterday asking to place a deposit if they would knock 4.5% off list they've not responded to me.

So I don't know what is happening - either the MD is away and doesn't look at email when away from the office, or my request for a discount has made him so angry he can't bring himself to respond until he calms down a bit.

Just drove a new sprinter /crafter 800 miles in two days, lack of heated seat literally my only complaint. Did 37.x mpg on the computer, 35.x mpg real which is amazing for an xlwb + high roof, 3 up +equipment. That's mostly a9 at 53mph which got it over 40mpg computed, but back down after putter ING around the orkneys.
Steering quite vague like every other new non sporty vehicle, base engine i think the 2.2 cdi 4 pot with 150 ps, but mapped for torque honestly did really well. Quiet enough aswell even as a van, better one converted.
Would prob go a mwb or lwb with high roof and base engine for a conversion though, the xlwb is stupid massive, total overkill unless you are racing out of it/away for weeks at a time. Being a full size van you can sleep sideways at the back, bike storage underneath.

Whole Sutherland and Caithness felt like dub fest had just turned out, more transporters on the road then any other vehicle by some margin

Dammit you got space for a boiler? I do miss hot water. You could also then put in an external shower in the back too. For the few hundred it'll cost (you've gas anyway) id do it. You'll use it i bet.
Get them to stick a few redundant cables in to some places incase you want to add electrical sockets or stuff in future.
Pmus think about some sort of clothes drying rack. If your back section is sealed make sure that the heater diverts in two and goes there also, plus venting. To dry wet bikes and keep moisture down.

The shower thing I'll consider but I'd probably put it in revision #1, the drying thing we have thought about - I discussed it with CJL and apparently they ducted the heating into the bike compartment on their first bike van and found that without an active de-humidifier it just pulled the moisture into the air as it heated up, which then settled on the kit and bikes again when it cooled down.

That's why you need venting no.
But yes, nothing will work in scotland with the humidity unless you've a dehumidifier.

I would want that bike room ventilated though to try help drying.

You'd be better to do hot and shower now if you think you want it in thus van. The costs to do it later will be an order of magnitude on now.

You speak truth, without ventilation the hot air is just going to cool and sit in a circle... ventilation allows the warm moist air to leave and cold dry air in

You could install one of these:

https://www.gil-lec.co.uk/vent-axia-12v-selv-tempra-heat-recovery-ventilator-unit-timer-444369

12v MVHR, it would bring warm dry air in and prevent condensation in winter, or just fresh air in summer.

We can duct the currently configured heating system into the back, challenge is removing the humidity. Would high level venting do that sufficiently or would an actual de-humidifier be required?

This desiccant type dehumidifier looks like it would work very well, but - 500 watt draw when in continuous use.

Id just heat and vent it as high as possible. If possible by fan. Sod 600 quid on that. Nothing will be perfect but id rather it vented than not.

Just use a towel to dry bikes if wet and leave towel outside. Ie reduce as much moisture as possible before shutting stuff in.

I'd imagine that a simple humidistat switched fan drawing from the top of the space, working in partnership with the diesel heater would be the most straightforward way of doing that?

Definitely

Ok, in which case I think there are two elements - the ducting to ensure that air is evenly drawn from all around the top of the compartment and fan itself (I'm incorporating the shroud for the van exterior with the fan).

Desiccant type all the way, they are most efficient at lower temps (7-12c IIRC) which is pretty much UK holiday temps. Mate has a LWB/Jumbo Iveco van with two sets of bunks in it, full workshop + storage in back for 4 mtbs'. Has a fan that sucks air through the floor (has a water trap) behind rear bumper, and blows it through bike area then exhausts out of a roof mounted spinny thing that doesn't spin anymore. Means when you put bikes away you don't have to be precious about drying them off, the fan does it for you (50-100w indoor type fan).

For the van itself he has a huge battery bank to run heater/desiccant dehumidifier (just a household on on an inverter, draws 600/1200w and has the benefit that also provides warmer air than what goes in, so super efficient for low temp environments) and other gear. Big batteries weigh a low, and think his van is 4.5t rated (has the dual wheel back axle).

Have stayed in it twice and both times its been winter, running the desiccant dehumidifier overnight for 3-4 of us has been plenty to keep us warm/ not have every surface dripping in condensation in the morning.
Think he has a webasto as well, but unless its sub zero you don't need it, just cooks you! Great to heat up when you get back in from riding though without running engine (makes heat a low faster than the engine does too).

Currently I have no plans for a domestic voltage/inverter run and battery powered circuit/s in the van, though - to run a desiccant (or compressor) type de-humidifier I'd have to add that.

On the other hand there is a current plan to have a derv heater, so a 12v humidistat run fan with some type of low battery cut-off strikes me (unless I'm missing something, which is entirely possible) as being the simplest option?

No leisure battery? Any decent sized fan is going to significantly eat into the starter battery if it's running for more than a few hours.

For the van itself he has a huge battery bank to run heater/desiccant dehumidifier (just a household on on an inverter, draws 600/1200w

That must be a huge set of batteries.

It's designated as an MTB van - primary purpose is to be able to take the bikes inside the vehicle, and then being able to sleep and cook in it is a bonus.

Wiring it up to be able to run all sorts of kit wasn't in the brief - think extra large estate car rather than camper, in some ways.

Although fitting a leisure battery is of course perfectly possible, and indeed may be a requirement to run even a low voltage/12v extractor fan.

How will you charge your stuff? Or power your water pump. Or your laptop etc. I imagine you might do a few wfh days plus mtb. No fridge?

Put a 12v leisure battery and a charge off starter isn't expensive at all, couple hundred.

I have 500w of solar and 2 leisure batteries. Love that I'm 100% independent.

If it really is just a big estate, then I don't see why bother doing any conversion at all. Just treat it like a van.

Good question about the water pump, I wonder if I've misread it and there is a leisure battery in there. I don't think there's room for a fridge.

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