Dellmassive`s Camper Van Adventure

[roadtripper]

i wanted a Clayton LPS,


but went for some house solar batterys instead,

this will have to wait for another day. . . . . . . . SAD :{

only £3792,

but with BF 10% off . . . . £3442 - not a bad price ( @Skyliner33 - you getting one lol? )



View attachment 220919

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View attachment 220920


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I'm surprised you didn't spec the Super Charger - I had you down for the sort of T6er that would go for a 90A recharge rate

They're lovely bits of kit but still priced very much for the commercial fleets as an alternative to a mounted generator. If the big Mastervolt Dakar ever goes in the narrowboat I'll be suggesting one of these to replace the shelf of bubbling lead acid.

 

[Dellmassive]

I'm surprised you didn't spec the Super Charger - I had you down for the sort of T6er that would go for a 90A recharge rate

They're lovely bits of kit but still priced very much for the commercial fleets as an alternative to a mounted generator. If the big Mastervolt Dakar ever goes in the narrowboat I'll be suggesting one of these to replace the shelf of bubbling lead acid.

Totally....

I've got a supercharger in my eBay basket for £200.

Jocking aside, id go full monty remote, bracket cable set, etc etc.

But for the screen shot above I kept it basic for anyone else looking.... Unit plus bracket.

Was chatting with skyline about these couple of weeks ago.

Awesome kit... And the looking to add expansion battery soon.

And hoping for a BT remote app and screen.

Other bug bear is the bigger unit still only has a 160Ah battery...... I'm using 230Ah Roamer and running out of power over a long weekend. (Mobile Without charging).

I suppose the reasoning is that the unit has integrated fast chargers from engine/solar/EHU. So it wouldn't take long to put charge back in as needed.


Reminds me of @Mick having SoC anxiety at summer camp 2019 before he upgraded to lithium battery.... He was constantly running his van engine or generator to get a few % back in ..... Lol

 

[Dellmassive]

We have this one, works really well, no oil, so heats up really quick, 700w, silent, not the smallest but we make room in the colder months, also have used a electric blanket/throw, super cosyView attachment 211978

Thanks for the heads up . . .

weve now got one of these, and used it at Autumn Gathering 2023 with great effect,

great when you have EHU,

but not so great on a Britstop or two over winter, with no EHU.

so were still looking at getting a Diesel Heater at some point.


++++

https://amzn.to/4a9haTY

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with this role lead,

https://amzn.to/3RtjDBr

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and this extension

https://amzn.to/3Rb7FLv

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[Dellmassive]

for anyone that wanted the Stitches + Steel "Carbon Extension Awning Pole" - that has been out of stock for about a year !!!

just had an email saying they are back in stock !!

limited stock, so get in quick,

just grabbed two sets (four poles in total) - Get In, =]

Carbon Extension Awning Pole

KIT CONTENTS Carbon Extension Awning PolesSold as a pair THE DETAILS Aluminium: Extended 200cm (L), Collapsed 55cm (L), 3.3cm (D) Made up of 3K Pre Preg. 100% Carbon Marine Grade A6 stainless end spoke and clamp hardware.

stitchesandsteel.com

We craft products of purpose And sell them for a fair price. A byproduct of that concept is demand often outstrips supply. STITCHES + STEEL products sell on a first come first serve basis. It might be wise to move fast to avoid disappointment. Back in stock - Carbon Extension Awning Pole The wait should be worth it- Thanks for your patience. S+S

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Kiravans RAILSAIL + 4x awning poles,

 

[Dellmassive]

@Ads_Essex as for the thermal screen.

it folds away down to the size of a fat bed pillow - if that makes any sense.

but watched this video from UAO,

where he showed a cover from "custom Camping"

that rung a bell as we was looking that them at CamperJam 23 - before we had the new van.

and liked what i saw,


he shows the packdown at the end of his vid. . . .


went to make an order - but his 10% discount seems to have expired.


so think ill wait till Busfest Next week and no doubt they will be there? - hoping for a show discount etc.



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Motorhome Windscreen Covers l Custom Camping

Explore a wide range of high-quality and personalised campervan and motorhome accessories to elevate your holiday experience. Shop now for Custom Camping solutions.

customcamping.co.uk

View attachment 211861


loving this cover . . . .

View attachment 211862

not too sure if the poptop cover is a bit too much . . . . ?

View attachment 211863


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im thinking it will go well with our Indium Grey Bus,

View attachment 211864

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View attachment 211857


.....

from this:

View attachment 211858

to this:

View attachment 211859

to this:



View attachment 211860


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https://www.youtube.com/@urbanarkoverland

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Did i say it finally arrived?

gota say i love it, . . . bright yes, but the plan is to go very plain grey/black van (poptop, sidebars etc etc) with this as the colour pop.











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[Dellmassive]

MOT Due next month . . . and being a ALL-IN customer,

VW Van center will be dealing with it.

ill update that when its done . . . 1st week of dec

The vans in the garage, fingers crossed.

lets see what they say. . . . . . . (MOT + Big Service)

plus warranty check over for "DMF-rattling" and "drivers door hinge snapped".

 

[Dellmassive]

The vans in the garage, fingers crossed.

lets see what they say. . . . . . . (MOT + Big Service)

plus warranty check over for "DMF-rattling" and "drivers door hinge snapped".


View attachment 221747View attachment 221748

well, its back.

1st MOT failed (Major defect) - Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

but then,

2nd MOT (same day) passed with an advisory (minor defect) - ARB Off side front upper
apparently they sorted the headlamp aim FOC - which was nice.

then retested it? . . . . Hmm. (wonder if they billing VWFS for two MOT sessions?)

................


moving on to the service.

all done apparently.

they said it was due a "major service" according to the records - who am i to argue. (ALL-IN cover)

when i asked for paperwork to detail exactly what had been done, i got the same old story "you cant have the copy as VWFS are paying for it" - OK whatever, can you give me details i asked, . . . at which point the SA offered to write on the job sheet.

major service,

oil

fuel/air/pollon/oil filters

thats it lol. . . . not much then.


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i asked for the HEALTH CHECK VIDEO - they said they didnt do one as the system was down. =[

they gave me another sheet detailing other works:

+++++++++++++++

tyres 50% worn - recommend replacement,

front brakes worn 50% - recommend replacement,

rear brakes worn 50% + disc pitted and rusty - recommend replacement,

+++++++++++++++

which was odd as they didnt call up to push for the easy service upgrades - they must be very busy ATM.


next i asked about the WARRENTY WORKS that i asked them to look at:

DMF rattle
Drivers door hinge snapped
ARB FRONT UPPER - MOT advisory, that has to be warranty i said.

oh yes, weve had a look and need to book you back in ASAP . . . . . . . in late Jan2024 lol.

apparently they are going to order in the bits, then sort it out when we return. (hire vehicle booked in again)


so thats it for now . . . . . . till late jan24,

lets see if they pass all the warranty work i want done?



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[Dellmassive]

Getting the van back . . . i had a quick hour for some Black Friday upgrades.



these had arrived last week.



.

these THQ Leds look good, very similar to the FOG lamps i fitted on the other van . . .



there not sealed so need the rear boot to stop any moisture ingress. . . .



...

we have the THQ V3 fittings. . .

watched the YT vid twice. . . . . its easy they said . . . . LOL.


+++

well there was no chance of me getting my porky finger in anwhere to swap these bulbs. .

so it was either starte battery and air box out. . . . or . . . . . front bumper OFF.

i chose the front bumper option.

6x torx screws each side and 4x pop clips.



then four screws on each lamp unit . . .



..


once they were out, it was still a bit fiddley. . .

i ended up using long nose plyers to help . . .



....

old out . . .



new in . . .



a quick test - then move to the other side. . . .




+++++++++++++++++++

this is what we had before:






and this is what we have now. . . .




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the LEDS are much WHITER in colour,

not sure how much brighter they are . . . ?

they defiantly look better.


ill have to take the van out on the track when its dark for a test. . . . ( off road us only apparently)


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in case you was wondering how the bumper cover comes off. . . .

four pop clips - in green

2x torq screws - in red



and these 4x torx screws - in red

(4x each side)



.

and the light units are held in with these 4x torx screws. . . - yellow.




.


not too bad a job,

was done in about an hour.

happy days.


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apparently there may be a "Bulb our warning" pop up on the dash with these.


if so ill do another post showing the VCDS coding to "disable the bulb check" for the front head lights.


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[NicolasH]

Your setup looks great.

I have the same bulbs and the V2 version of the headlights - it’s a massive upgrade compared to the H4 headlamps and I feel a lot more confident driving during this time of year.

 

[Dellmassive]

for anyone that wanted the Stitches + Steel "Carbon Extension Awning Pole" - that has been out of stock for about a year !!!

just had an email saying they are back in stock !!

limited stock, so get in quick,

just grabbed two sets (four poles in total) - Get In, =]

Carbon Extension Awning Pole

KIT CONTENTS Carbon Extension Awning PolesSold as a pair THE DETAILS Aluminium: Extended 200cm (L), Collapsed 55cm (L), 3.3cm (D) Made up of 3K Pre Preg. 100% Carbon Marine Grade A6 stainless end spoke and clamp hardware.

stitchesandsteel.com

View attachment 221734

We craft products of purpose And sell them for a fair price. A byproduct of that concept is demand often outstrips supply. STITCHES + STEEL products sell on a first come first serve basis. It might be wise to move fast to avoid disappointment. Back in stock - Carbon Extension Awning Pole The wait should be worth it- Thanks for your patience. S+S

View attachment 221733



++++++


Kiravans RAILSAIL + 4x awning poles,

View attachment 221741View attachment 221742

The S+S Carbon Awning Poles are in . . . . and they look awesome.

BUT . . . .

they are different !!!

they are not the same as @Deaky etc ones from before.

they have re designed them . .

they are now a 5 section carbon pole with the twist lock style pole lock. . .

the older version had the leaver tab . .

only time will tell if these will stay upright. . . . or drop with the wind etc. (that's why i liked the old ones so much - they were rock solid)


anyway - whatever . . these new ones look awesome.

they come with a sweet neoprene carry case for each one,

they have a pointed foot and,

and a screw able pole tip end.

each section is adjusted with a twist.

they are super lightweight and small to store.

check em out . . .





i cant wait to try them on the next T6Forum camp out

Disclaimer : Can of BrewDog for size reference, not for my personal enjoyment.


.

 

[czmate1999]

The S+S Carbon Awning Poles are in . . . . and they look awesome.

BUT . . . .

they are different !!!

they are not the same as @Deaky etc ones from before.

they have re designed them . .

they are now a 5 section carbon pole with the twist lock style pole lock. . .

the older version had the leaver tab . .

only time will tell if these will stay upright. . . . or drop with the wind etc. (that's why i liked the old ones so much - they were rock solid)


anyway - whatever . . these new ones look awesome.

they come with a sweet neoprene carry case for each one,

they have a pointed foot and,

and a screw able pole tip end.

each section is adjusted with a twist.

they are super lightweight and small to store.

check em out . . .



View attachment 222050View attachment 222052View attachment 222053View attachment 222055View attachment 222056View attachment 222051

i cant wait to try them on the next T6Forum camp out

Disclaimer : Can of BrewDog for size reference, not for my personal enjoyment.


.

View attachment 222054

View attachment 222057

was that £100 for 4?

 

[Dellmassive]

was that £100 for 4?

£100 for twin pole set,

i got two sets. . .

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[czmate1999]

£100 for twin pole set,

i got two sets. . .

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View attachment 222178

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would have been more interested if they had kept the lever tab! will have a look at yours when next we meet

 

[Dellmassive]

Another quick hour job - that worked out to be agro.

THQ Black side rails. . .


The van started like this . . . with no rails.





i was doing this on the drive, so ramps at the front.



this was the kit . . .l





some basic brackets and nuts and bolts. . . there seemed to be two long brackets and two shorter brackets.





and some plastic paint protectors. . . which i tapped on to stop them failling off.



taking the under body covers off. . . . you can find the bungs in the chassis rails.





it looked like these cam style tabs pop into the hols, then rotate and lock in place when you tighten the bolts up. . .


and the plastic tabs protect the paint work. .






looks simple right?

....


well at this point it all went to wrong.. . . . with loads of agro, and more more pics taken at this point.

+++++++++++++++++++++

things i learned, that may help others:

the side bars are handed, so there is a left and right side, (longer section to the front, and trap`zd angle points down)

the brackets are 2*short and 2*long,

the long brackets seemed to be the front of the van

the short brackets seemed to be the rear of the van,

what i didn't realise at the time, is the the brackets have a very slight difference in the arm length, and can be fitted either way.

so either bracket can be fitted front or rear, and that each can then be fitted in each orientation.


GRRR . . . . .

after loads of shouting and cursing, . . . i had one bar fitted.

it looked to far back. . . but i measure the factory OEM rails on my other van, and they were 10cm back from the front arch.

so left it as that for now.


+++++++++++++++++++++



here is one bar fitted. . .








TBC . . . . . .






.

 

[993porky]

Great write up

 

[Heath1984]

Another quick hour job - that worked out to be agro.

THQ Black side rails. . .


The van started like this . . . with no rails.

View attachment 222293

View attachment 222294

i was doing this on the drive, so ramps at the front.

View attachment 222295

this was the kit . . .l

View attachment 222296



some basic brackets and nuts and bolts. . . there seemed to be two long brackets and two shorter brackets.



View attachment 222297

and some plastic paint protectors. . . which i tapped on to stop them failling off.

View attachment 222298

taking the under body covers off. . . . you can find the bungs in the chassis rails.

View attachment 222299View attachment 222300



it looked like these cam style tabs pop into the hols, then rotate and lock in place when you tighten the bolts up. . .


and the plastic tabs protect the paint work. .


View attachment 222301



looks simple right?

....


well at this point it all went to wrong.. . . . with loads of agro, and more more pics taken at this point.

+++++++++++++++++++++

things i learned, that may help others:

the side bars are handed, so there is a left and right side, (longer section to the front, and trap`zd angle points down)

the brackets are 2*short and 2*long,

the long brackets seemed to be the front of the van

the short brackets seemed to be the rear of the van,

what i didn't realise at the time, is the the brackets have a very slight difference in the arm length, and can be fitted either way.

so either bracket can be fitted front or rear, and that each can then be fitted in each orientation.


GRRR . . . . .

after loads of shouting and cursing, . . . i had one bar fitted.

it looked to far back. . . but i measure the factory OEM rails on my other van, and they were 10cm back from the front arch.

so left it as that for now.


+++++++++++++++++++++






TBC . . . . . .






.

I had exactly the same issue, a one page simple diagram would have been nice!

 

[drinfinity]

On the plus side, you did bolt the cam things loosely through the brackets before installing. When I did mine, I wiggled the cams into the holes, and dropped one inside the sill where it remains to this day.

Lesson learned- I ordered a replacement bolt and attached it to the bracket first so it couldn’t get lost.

 

[Dellmassive]

FRONT EGR Pipe

Recently i had VW Assist out to sort out a knock in the Van, - @Dellmassive`s T6 T32 Sportline 204 LWB DSG PV MY18 - Van Adventure

while the chap was there is asked him to have a quick eyeball at the bus.

he agreed that the front EGR pipe was leaking and he could deal with it . .

a week later he was back with the new part.

so sitting back with a coffee having a chat we had the part swapped.


...





my one was all black and sooty. . .




but , when he got it off, you could see that actually the pipe hadn't cracked. . . . like normal.

but the gasket part had failed allowing some blow by.

he changed its anyway.




..





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it was nice to see that the VW Assist guys use the Clayton Power system in there vans - i recognised the Remote control right away.




+++

we asked him about the other two issues . . . . . DMF rattling and snapped door hinge, he confirmed that they are garage jobs and not suitable for street-side repairs.

+++


some interesting things i learned while chatting . . .


the T6.1 engine design uses a CLEAN EGR system, where exhaust gas after the DPF is returned to the EGR cooler via a diverter valve on the exhaust system - this stops the clogging EGR problem of the T6 engines . . . but he said he has seen some issues with a sticking diverter valve.

he said they are still getting issues with Rodents chewing the looms under the VAG group of cars & vans especially the AdBlue and o2 wires, even the Cupras.

he said the T6.1 has a new system where the beldon cable of the slider has been removed . . this was/is an attack vector for baddies to break into the van - but unfortunately he has seen a number of T6.1s broken into via the side slider in a different way. (he showed us his hack, where he had bolted on a lashing point eye to the sider, then had a hole in the metal bulkhead . . . so when closed and locked for the night he had attached ratchet strap around the front seat headrest, through the bulkhead hole and hooked onto the side slider - basically no way of opening the door if it was attacked.)

he was telling us about Electric cars/vans and how there are a couple of garages that have an authorised Lithium battery pack repair area that are built like bomb shelters. . . where the specially trained guys have to wear full on explosive proof gear to disassemble and make safe damaged battery packs. . and perform battery pack repair.



.

 

[Dellmassive]

Clayton LPS - Leisure battery system . .


managed to get one of these units to play with . .

[Guide] Clayton LPS II 2500 - 1kWh (leisure battery + Inverter) -- How I Done It --

[Guide] Clayton LPS II 2500 - 1kWh (leisure battery + Inverter) -- How I Done It -- (@Dellmassive) its finally happened, I've dipped my toes into the dark side of 12v leisure electrics. The Clayton LPS II - the All In One ( 12v lifepo4 battery, dc-dc charger, 240v inverter, solar MPPT...

www.t6forum.com

during testing we found out . . . .

the internal battery is 100ah, so might not see me through a long weekend,

you can use a buffer battery to extend the run time.

the 180A 12v output is great (verses portable setups)

the internal DC-DC charger is great.

the 2500w inverter is very capable.

 

[Bav]

the T6.1 engine design uses a CLEAN EGR system, where exhaust gas after the DPF is returned to the EGR cooler via a diverter valve on the exhaust system - this stops the clogging EGR problem of the T6 engines

What's the forum consensus on this? Has it prevented/reduced EGR clogging for 6.1s or is it still too early to tell? I read through threads describing tales of EGR woes with a feeling of impending doom for my van, but I haven't really taken any notice of whether 6.1s are specifically amongst those vans that have the problems.