A VW Design Flaw - Resolved

So since I picked up the van almost a year ago, I've had a slight problem with has been getting slowly worse.

When starting the van and sat stationary, there was a smell of diesel fumes in the cab.  A quick look under the bonnet revealed the suspected culprit of a cracked exhaust manifold.

There was plenty of visible soot around cylinder number 5.


So after some online research, the VW parts bill was over £1000!

I was then suggested to look at Darkside Developments, as they do a cast iron kit which is a direct replacement for the stock VW part. (And wont crack after a few thousand miles - thanks VW)

I gave Darkside a call to just double check a few things and place the order, and a day later the kit arrived.  I have to say, I'm really impressed with it, the manifold is of excellent quality, and came with all the necessary gaskets, bolts, nuts and new studs.

So this weekend with assistance from my brother-in-law, we set about taking the old one off, and getting the new one installed.

So as for the parts, its out with the old and in with the new. Upon inspection after removing the old manifold, it was actually cracked around cylinders, 1,2,3 and 5.

It's made a huge difference, the boost seems to kick in sooner, the engine is quieter, and certainly more torquey.  It's also nice to not have to turn the blowers off each time I start up or stand still in the van.

So if you've got one of the 5 cylinder AXD/AXE engines in your van, I'd really recommend the Darkside Development kit.

Fitting 20s

So a little earlier this month I picked up a bargain set of 20" Calibre Exile wheels for the van. The tyres that were on them were pretty shot, and not load rated enough for my T30.  Although the wheels themselves are in excellent condition.

So I've ordered and fitted a set of 275/40/R20  106 rated Haida tyres.

Using these wheels I had to source some slighly longer bolts, but also tapered, not radius ones like the standard bolts.

Anyway, a picture speaks a thousand words, so here they are:

One this that is now painfully obvious, is how desperately it needs lowering.  How much by I'm not sure, but I'll hold off doing this until the interior is finished, then I can level it off nicely.

Carpet Lining

So as spring is now in full effect, and the arrival of the easter bank holiday meant I could get on with the carpet lining of the van.

I've never done this before, so a few hours of studying video's on youtube, and a little thinking about how to tackle it.

So here is the before...

During -  and I'll add this now, an extra pair of hands is invaluable in getting it done in a large single piece of material.

And the finished article.

I used the Van lining carpet from MegaVanMats, and they also supplied the high temperature glue, and I replaced all the standard VW panel clips with blind clips.  The material is very forgiving, and works really well, Just take your time, there is no rush, as if the glue dries, then you can just apply a bit more.

It takes a little bit of time to get used to how it stretches, and how to work out any little creases etc, but from start to finish, this took me two afternoons, and I'm really pleased with how it's worked out.

If you're considering doing this yourself, then I would really recommend the MVM carpet, and giving it a go yourself, it makes a huge difference to the feel of the van, and the back end is now much quieter too.

New gadgets

So when I got the van, it had a simple Sony headunit in, with Bluetooth.  However the sound quality never impressed me, and when using the phone it sounded awful.

My next order of business was to pop the old unit out, and find something better to fill the hole.  A few hours searching online, and I'd picked a winner.

The Kenwood DDX-4025BT.

Double DIN unit, with impressive spec, including DVD/CD/MP3/USB/iPod and bluetooth.  It also has a really clear screen on it, and a reversing camera input.

Moments later on eBay I found a basic reversing camera for around £10, including a 10m video lead.

The install was really painless, and took a matter of minutes, I spent another 3 hours taking the rear door apart to fit the camera and necessary wiring.

The bluetooh connectivity works really well, the reverse camera is fantastic, and the ability to play MP3's from a USB drive means no more discs rattling around the front.  I've got a 32gb drive tucked away in the glovebox.

For less than £235 for everything, and an afternoon in time, it's a fantastic upgrade and I wish I'd done it sooner.

Some self assembly required.

So after a week or two or what feels like relentless spending, there is a campervan in what used to be my dining room.  Well in self assembly parts anyway!

I've now got the power management system, water hose, waste water hose, gas hose, gas pipe, fittings, sink & hob, tap, pump, RIB Altair Bed, fitting kit, 12 cans of spray glue, and a huge roll of megavamats lining carpet. I've also picked up a new Kenwood Double DIN headunit and reversing camera.

So I'll be getting on fitting this lot while the credit card cools down a little from all the spending.

I've put the links to all the places I've sourced my parts from on the useful links section of the blog.

More updates to follow, and hopefully with some pictures too.

New roof day

First of all, my apologies in such a long gap between my updates on the blog.

February was a really busy month, and also expensive.  I decided to get the van in for the elevating roof before the rest of the conversion goes in.  So after many hours of research and a lot of thought, the van was left with James at Custom Campers, just outside Halifax.

I was a little apprehensive prior to leaving the van, as I wanted to do as much of this conversion myself as I could, but common sense kicked in, and this is definitely a job for the professionals.

I'm over the moon with the results, the new Austops slimline roof looks fantastic, and doesn't really stand out much at all.

The extra amount of room it provides is amazing.

The eagle eyed amongst you will also spot a new badges grill I fitted a few weeks ago.  Not too sure on this yet and it could well come off again....

Your thoughts?

Colour Conundrum

A white van is a blank canvas.  At least that the way I'm looking at it, but the more I look at it, the more I feel it's lacking some colour.

I find myself looking at other vans, and desperately trying to decide which colour I prefer the most. Typically I cannot seem to narrow it down to a single colour.  I keep circling back to a Gunmetal Grey, or Olympian Blue.

More looking meant more idea's and soon I ended up on Specialist Paints website. (See Links)  This now means there are even more contenders for the final colour.

Here are just a few I really like,  it would be great to hear your comments on them.