Modifications 3

41. Storage boxes. (Oct13)

I realized that the area under the bed lip was, for us, wasted space and that the use of this area for extra storage wouldn't impact greatly on the functionality of the the camper. I would still be able to use the cushions & table to create an extra sleeping area for a couple of kids and the storage boxes would only sit 50mm out from the bed rail, the same distance that the table protrudes from the bed rail, so getting out of bed would not be greatly affected. It also meant cutting down the cushions in size. However this had the extra benefit of allowing us to open the seat hatch without having to take the cushion off the seat.

The poles that are stored under the bed lip were always a problem for us as they scattered around the camper whenever we were on bumpy roads......so these were relocated early on. (see Modifications)

So two storage boxes have been added for all those little things that you often had to get out from the storage under the seats. It is surprising how much storage they create....an area 600mm wide, 300mm high and 200mm deep.

For those interested in this project I have included some of the details below. There are lots of different ways to construct these boxes....this is only one way. I used 12mm plywood and 12mm solid pine, with the bottom rail being 19mm pine. No fancy joints except the lap joint for the bottom rail. All the other joints are butt joints with glue blocks holding the pieces together. Glue is very strong and this also meant that there was no nails or screws visible on the outside surfaces.

To hold the box in place some aluminium angle was fixed along the bottom edge so that the box could be screwed into position....or removed if necessary. The top section could have been screwed to the bed lip but this was found not to be necessary. A small box with sliding lid was added to the door to store small items...watch, phone, earrings, tablets etc.

Below is a rough plan of how the boxes were constructed. You would want to check the measurements! I have also added a shelf between the seats for extra storage. Of course you can leave it clear if you use the window for rear vision. If you didn't have a Weber to carry then you could build a cupboard to the floor. The table leg was relocated above the cupboard/stove. The smaller seat cushions easily lift up to gather stuff from the storage underneath without having to move the seat cushion to the bed.

42. Vent

The sun's ultra violet rays finally led to the breakdown of the plastic in the roof top vents. I have replaced the vent top but before mounting them, they were spray painted to slow down the deterioration.

43. Control Panel.

A complete rewiring of the control circuitry. The original system has been replaced with a CTEK MXS15 battery charger and a CTEK D250S Dual. After discussions at the 'camper out' and on the forum, I decided that these units would charge the battery fully ..... to a 100% charge and hopefully prolong the life of the batteries. The CTEk 250s acts as an isolater & allows charging from two sources, (in my case solar and alternator). Once the camper battery is charged fully the unit then charges the starter battery. An additional incentive was that the 250s were on special at the time! The MXS 15 amp 240v battery charger was suggested so that there would be no conflict with the CTEK 250s. The first part of the operation was to identify and label all the wires. The CTEK unit is quite easy to install, but all the other wiring takes some time. I spent 1/2 day just working out how to best lay the new MXS15 charger cables....eventually running them through the storage hatch area. The next two days were involved in making the panel out of some perspex lying around the garage & sorting out the wires into bundles for re-installation. Everything appears to be working fine at this stage. I was rather worried on the first night when there were no lights on the 250s....but then realized there was no input from the solar cells or the alternator. Once either of these start working the unit lights up! The MXS charger has a number of modes, but the normal mode recharges the batteries and then goes into float mode. It charged the battery up fully overnight.

Three photos below show sorting out the wires, new grouping of wires, final panel in place.

44. We found that the wood near the stove was starting to 'singe', probably due to a large pan transferring the heat sideways. A piece of aluminium has been placed to act as a heat sink and protect the timber.

45. Handy to have the brush close by when you need to brush out the dust. Brush is held in place with a magnetic catch.

46. A spot to carry the Weber meant a step/shelf over the top so that you could get off the bed without stepping on the BBQ. The shelf also holds a box and 'cube' for vegetables.

47. After experiencing battery problems I installed a battery monitor ( see picture above below the night light). The shunt was installed in the hatch.

48. A perspex screen was placed over the front window. This prevented rain from entering. leaks and allows the window to remain open to pressurize the camper, helping to keep dust out.

49. Finding a food spot for the table proved difficult as most large area spots in the camper where taken with other gear. So a slide out table rack was added to the roof bars. The table can be pulled out at any time without unpacking storage spaces.