I don't often leave reviews, except for exceptionally good or bad experiences, but after the work that Chris and the team at @Dav-Tec have just put into my van I felt I had to share this one!
I've been in touch with Chris for over a year starting with conversations about upgrading the audio in my old van. This didn't happen, as I then decided to build my dream van. This of course had to have a dream audio system, so I worked with Chris on a spec - Helix V Eight Ultimate DSP, 2 M one X sub amps, underseat 10" sub for kick bass duties, double 12" rail mounted removable sub at the rear for the lows, and Morel drivers all round, inc custom A pillars. Not cheap, but I'm a bit of an audio snob, so I was happy to invest in a decent build. Chris was also lined up to do the Solow+ install on the van. Our new van was due to be converted by Knights custom conversions, so there was some co-ordination needed. Chris had a conversation with Jon at Knights and we agreed on a plan, which involved an exchange during the build to install the Air and some pre-wiring that was agreed, with the audio to be done post conversion.
Now I would first say that I am 100% happy with the build that Knights did and the overall experience. The conversion is top notch and they've been great to work with... The exchange for the solow install all went smoothly as well. It's when it came to the audio install after the conversion that things got a little tricky, and all down to the smallest of things!
Chris had requested 3 things from Knights - a sub cable, an 80A power feed from the Clayton and that the heater duct under the seat was not in the middle under the drivers seat, as we needed to fit 3 amps under there. When the van arrived with Chris, it was immediately clear that 2/3 of these requests had not been implemented. The power feed wasn't up to spec and the heater duct came out bang in the middle of the seat, making it impossible to fit the 3 amps in. First one was a fairly easy fix, but the heater duct really put a spanner in the works.
Most people at this point would have come back to the customer and either told them that the job could not be done per spec, or pushed for the duct to be moved at cost (leaving a welded hole in the floor that would have made me cry!). Not Chris. He immediately started to look for a solution, with his view being that a 3d printed flatter profile duct could solve the problem by freeing up space to build the amp rack above. Several melted versions later and after buying additional kit to try and print in different higher temp plastics, we were still struggling to find a solution and I had to take the van back whilst we had a rethink.
Fortunately, I have a mate who is an automotive engineer and who's worked on some serious kit for high end cars, so I got him involved and an engineering Bromance was born! Between Chris and Matt (and Matt's team!), we finally arrived at a duct design that was beautifully and very professionally engineered, to ensure an even flow of heat and a design that could take the higher temps involved, which it turns out can be up to 120 degrees C or more, when the Webasto is on full chat. The attached pics are of the second from final version... the final one was printed in high temperature plastic that can handle almost 200c.
All in all, my van has probably been with Chris in his workshop for 4 weeks on this job and I know that on paper, if he had known the complexities of this job, he wouldn't have taken it on, or I'd be paying a hell of a lot more than I have. I'd say between my mate and Chris the engineering design on this duct would have cost 1000s.
The end result was finally ready last week and I have to say, the sound blows me away every time I hear it. Not showy loud.. but so well tuned and beautifully balanced with the rear Morel subs really bringing a low end and buttery sub bass quality that is hard to achieve in a car audio setup and especially in a camper conversion.
Anyway, its a long story but I think worth sharing, because my point is that if you're looking for a custom audio build, you'll struggle to find someone as dedicated to the end result as Chris and his team and you won't be disappointed. Yes, a custom build will make your eyes water a bit, but if you're fussy about sound, it's worth paying for.
Also, if anyone is looking for a compact webasto heat duct solution for underseat for this or other space reasons, Chris now solely owns this design and I am sure it can be modified slightly to suit. It would be a shame if it was only my van that was to benefit!
Oh, and if you are planning a conversion and want to co-ordinate with a high end audio install, I'd also say the moral of the story is - get the pre-wire done before the build, or at least make sure they show the spec written down!
I've been in touch with Chris for over a year starting with conversations about upgrading the audio in my old van. This didn't happen, as I then decided to build my dream van. This of course had to have a dream audio system, so I worked with Chris on a spec - Helix V Eight Ultimate DSP, 2 M one X sub amps, underseat 10" sub for kick bass duties, double 12" rail mounted removable sub at the rear for the lows, and Morel drivers all round, inc custom A pillars. Not cheap, but I'm a bit of an audio snob, so I was happy to invest in a decent build. Chris was also lined up to do the Solow+ install on the van. Our new van was due to be converted by Knights custom conversions, so there was some co-ordination needed. Chris had a conversation with Jon at Knights and we agreed on a plan, which involved an exchange during the build to install the Air and some pre-wiring that was agreed, with the audio to be done post conversion.
Now I would first say that I am 100% happy with the build that Knights did and the overall experience. The conversion is top notch and they've been great to work with... The exchange for the solow install all went smoothly as well. It's when it came to the audio install after the conversion that things got a little tricky, and all down to the smallest of things!
Chris had requested 3 things from Knights - a sub cable, an 80A power feed from the Clayton and that the heater duct under the seat was not in the middle under the drivers seat, as we needed to fit 3 amps under there. When the van arrived with Chris, it was immediately clear that 2/3 of these requests had not been implemented. The power feed wasn't up to spec and the heater duct came out bang in the middle of the seat, making it impossible to fit the 3 amps in. First one was a fairly easy fix, but the heater duct really put a spanner in the works.
Most people at this point would have come back to the customer and either told them that the job could not be done per spec, or pushed for the duct to be moved at cost (leaving a welded hole in the floor that would have made me cry!). Not Chris. He immediately started to look for a solution, with his view being that a 3d printed flatter profile duct could solve the problem by freeing up space to build the amp rack above. Several melted versions later and after buying additional kit to try and print in different higher temp plastics, we were still struggling to find a solution and I had to take the van back whilst we had a rethink.
Fortunately, I have a mate who is an automotive engineer and who's worked on some serious kit for high end cars, so I got him involved and an engineering Bromance was born! Between Chris and Matt (and Matt's team!), we finally arrived at a duct design that was beautifully and very professionally engineered, to ensure an even flow of heat and a design that could take the higher temps involved, which it turns out can be up to 120 degrees C or more, when the Webasto is on full chat. The attached pics are of the second from final version... the final one was printed in high temperature plastic that can handle almost 200c.
All in all, my van has probably been with Chris in his workshop for 4 weeks on this job and I know that on paper, if he had known the complexities of this job, he wouldn't have taken it on, or I'd be paying a hell of a lot more than I have. I'd say between my mate and Chris the engineering design on this duct would have cost 1000s.
The end result was finally ready last week and I have to say, the sound blows me away every time I hear it. Not showy loud.. but so well tuned and beautifully balanced with the rear Morel subs really bringing a low end and buttery sub bass quality that is hard to achieve in a car audio setup and especially in a camper conversion.
Anyway, its a long story but I think worth sharing, because my point is that if you're looking for a custom audio build, you'll struggle to find someone as dedicated to the end result as Chris and his team and you won't be disappointed. Yes, a custom build will make your eyes water a bit, but if you're fussy about sound, it's worth paying for.
Also, if anyone is looking for a compact webasto heat duct solution for underseat for this or other space reasons, Chris now solely owns this design and I am sure it can be modified slightly to suit. It would be a shame if it was only my van that was to benefit!
Oh, and if you are planning a conversion and want to co-ordinate with a high end audio install, I'd also say the moral of the story is - get the pre-wire done before the build, or at least make sure they show the spec written down!
....i must be getting old 
