Inverter
First on the to-do list was to finally install a 200w inverter. We already never use or require an electrical hook-up and only ever take advantage of it when we visit a campsite where the electric is part of the pitch cost, but we do have a couple of things that still only have a 2 pin plug to charge.
This being the hand-held vacuum, Leela’s camera charger and most importantly the laptop if we take it with us on a longer journey. And this being an expensive and fragile piece of kit, we went for a quality Victron pure Sine Wave 12/250 Inverter.
This model is the lowest power output that is available at 200W but still more than adequate for our requirements and its relatively small, light and easy to install. But if you have induction stoves, kettles or hairdryers in your van then you will need a substantially bigger unit!
Bed headboards
And whilst in the back of the bed, we addressed a problem that has been bothering us the last year or so. That being when we sleep we inadvertently push the pillows into the rear windows and this risks damaging the somewhat fragile window blinds.
I looked around the DIY stores for ideas and did find some small head board panels that were ideal but I could not come up with a way to fix them without major surgery to the rear doors. But after a large amount of internet searching I found a random guy in Germany who had the same issue and had very cleverly designed some plastic fixing brackets for this exact purpose. He made them with a 3D printer so that the exact same headboards that I had found in the store could be fitted into the window blind frame without any surgery required at all. If only I were that clever…
Anyway, after exchanging some emails and transferring a worryingly large amount of cash for such a small item, a plastic bag arrived a few days later with all the necessary parts. And I have to admit that it worked perfectly and was worth every cent, so hats off to you whoever you are for such a clever idea.
Outdoor shower
Last on the list and the largest of the projects was to fit an outdoor shower point so that we could wash dirty kit and shower in warm weather without having to saturate the bathroom and drag dirty things in through the van.
This proved to be a lot more complicated and stressful than I had imagined mainly due to the strange layout of the van build. The first and obvious place for it would have been next to the toilet cassette but any access from inside was not possible. The next idea was under the bench seat where the boiler is located but this also gave no access for isolation values and it is already quite congested in there. So after a lot of thought I dismantled the food cupboard to take a look, and this exposed the hot and cold pipes that fed the bathroom sink as well as a space between the floor and cupboard bottom with an access panel where I could place the isolation valves which I hoped would be ok.
Drilling a large hole in the side of the van is quite daunting and as with all these things, preparation is key. So with all the plans made and tools laid out and with Leela jammed into the food cupboard inside the van so that I didn’t accidentally cut all the service pipes and wires, I fired up the drill… A few stressful hours later we had a lovely outdoor shower and washing point with full isolation valves for winter storage easily accessible from inside.
And as an extra note, the Lilie plastic valves you see in the photo turned out to be terrible and the handle popped on both valves under very minimal pressure. So I have replaced them with 10mm Brass Ball Valves which were actually cheaper than the “campervan” valves and 100% more robust and efficient.
Jobs done!
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