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.