Camper Conversion - A Tentative Start

Flooring 

First step in converting the Hiace to a camper is installation of the flooring.

The vehicle came with carpet, but that's not a good setup if you're camping, particularly in wet conditions.

We had a couple of boxes of wood effect planking left over when our house was renovated. I bought some 7mm ply, and cut it into shape using my jigsaw with the removed carpet as a template. There wasn't quite enough of the planking to cover the whole floor, so I went to Bunnings in an attempt to match what we had.

The original brand (Pegulan) was no longer stocked, but I was able to find some adhesive backed material which was pretty close, and used that.  

It wasn't a perfect match, but the contrasting area will be covered by furnishings. The finished product looks OK, and should be durable, easily cleaned and waterproof. I discovered when I drove it around the block after I had finished that it actually drives quieter. The lagging under the carpet (which i left in place) probably helps.

Next step is the stripping of the interior panels and the ceiling. 

The plan is to get the electrical installations completed when the lining is removed. That's a better sequence than lining the walls and ceiling and having to remove the lining to put the wiring in. Obviously, all the electrical work needs to be done by a qualified tradesperson, and has to be certified. Apparently, this requirement refers only to 240 volt installations, and the intention is to have both 240 and 12V available, so I might as well get both done at once.

My understanding of electrical work is less than marginal.

Ill keep you posted.

 

 

 

Vanlife?

Appearance is good

I've made a habit of posting on this blog only when there's been a change of vehicles.

Having said that, I've changed vehicles with monotonous regularity, so this blog is not, as yet, extinct.

Buying the second Kia was a useful experience, but owning one was enough. The original intention of converting it to a camper paled in the light of reality, on the basis of the fact that it was simply too small.

At the dealers'

My daughter tried it, and found it lacking spacewise, even though I had slept soundly in it when I did the same. Maybe months of sleeping on the ground all those years ago in Vietnam had taught me to apply a different standard to sleeping comfort. 

Anyhow, after lots of research and many test drives, I have acquired a 2014 Hiace Commuter. The vehicle is a Japanese domestic market vehicle, imported by one of the many businesses set up to bring them south and get them certified.

It was originally a dry cleaners delivery van, which should mean that it hasn't had a hard life. Clothes are not heavy.

Head unit is useful

The racks installed as storage for hanging suits, skirts and jackets will provide a useful mounts for curtains, and because it has a high roof (2280mm) it should be liveable. 

It has covered 153000 kms, which for a Hiace is not much at all. It drives well, albeit a bit like a block of flats, but a block of flats without rattles or creaks. The paint is good, and as a "GL" has goodies like full instrumentation, bluetooth and Apple Carplay. 

There are some mysteries, such as a clock set on Tokyo time which stubbornly refuses to be adjusted, and Japanese script that comes and goes on the instrument fascia. I have downloaded the Toyota drivers' manual, which resides on a memory stick. It is also downloaded on my phone. No tools or handbook came with the vehicle, which is par for the course for JDM cars.

It has a motor (2.7lit)

Not too many Australian drivers can make sense of a handbook written in Japanese.

I'll keep you posted on its (slow) fit out as a camper.