Puff the magic wagon

T

Toffermora

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T6 Guru
So bought an ex RAC van on Tuesday with the plan of converting it into a camper for trips away with the wife, two young kids and a dog! After getting it home we started on the not so fun job of trying to get all the racking out of the back! Wow I didn't realise that would be such an issue but after some help from the wife and a child, we have finally got somewhere! I have made a start on the wiring removal, but does anyone know what the door switches are for? I don't want to go removing them if they are important!
It has a reversing camera fitted but so far haven't managed to work out if I can rewire that again! Anyone else with an RAC van managed it?
Pictures so far: IMG_20230321_160703.jpg
IMG_20230322_100729.jpg
IMG_20230326_152957.jpg
IMG_20230326_153003.jpg
Also ordered a few parts that hopefully will be here next week, new centre vents as the left one is missing from where it must have had a tablet or something and the part to fix the known blower issue!
Next job sound deadening, insulation and some windows!
 
Had a fun day today getting cuts on my hands taking bits of the dash to pieces:
IMG_20230327_111641.jpg

I have relocated the buttons to the original location:
IMG_20230327_114222.jpg
Removed the CCTV camera from the top of the dash and removed the tablet mount and foam blocking the air vent.
IMG_20230327_114229.jpg

I also removed the wiring from the dash to the bottom ready to remove the flooring to get it back to the passenger seat. Also found a wire going up the A panel which I think is for the GPS aerial.

Then my new heater resistor thing turned up so I spent 30 minutes cursing the idiot who decided to bolt it so close to metal work!
IMG_20230327_122951.jpg

Later in the day I started looking under the seats at the mass of wiring
IMG_20230327_164629.jpg

IMG_20230327_114229.jpg
 
Feel like I haven't done a great deal today, it hasn't helped it's been chucking it down all day:
Degreaser it.
IMG_20230328_104604.jpg
Looks and smells a lot better now!
Got my new vent:
IMG_20230328_132749.jpg
Also removed the passenger seat and moved the RAC wiring, didn't realise I would need a spline bit to remove the seatbelt so will need to wait until my Amazon parcel arrives tomorrow to remove it completely.
IMG_20230328_140440.jpg
So hopefully tomorrow will get the rest of the wiring out from the B post and then need to look at removing the bulkhead frame! Windows also ordered so hopefully onto that next week when I am back off work.
 
So spline bits I need to remove the seatbelts didn't arrive today so couldn't remove the sides of the bulkhead attachment. Did get the floor one done though:
IMG_20230329_130019.jpg
Cleaned it all up and sanded down and painted with red oxide. May be able to finish the sides tomorrow if the Amazon order turns up early but need to put the seats back in for the afternoon so it might not happen.
My camperglass order arrived so that's next week's job.
This also arrived:
IMG_20230329_113015.jpg
Noticed it stills smells of dirty oil and grease and thinking it must be the cab floor, anyone got any tips for cleaning it or where I can get a replacement? I have looked online and I couldn't find anything!
 
Looks like a fab hobby! Keep posting I love this sort of stuff!

The cap matt should come out, which will allow you to get to the cables more easily and clean the cab matt with degreaser and soapy water. You may be able to measure up and stick hardwearing carpet down in sections over the cab matt, to give you a carpet in the cab.
 
DaveCrampton said:
Looks like a fab hobby! Keep posting I love this sort of stuff!

The cap matt should come out, which will allow you to get to the cables more easily and clean the cab matt with degreaser and soapy water. You may be able to measure up and stick hardwearing carpet down in sections over the cab matt, to give you a carpet in the cab.
Click to expand...
Cheers, might do that next week when I don't need to go anywhere and it has time to dry. Need to think about electrics but that is the bit I am dreading the most so keep putting it off!
 
So as it was planning on being a nice today and the wife was home to help I thought we should tackle at least one of the windows. I watched the transporter hq and kiravans video so had general idea of what to do, but it's still scary cutting a hole in the side of your van! I thought I would use a jigsaw but that was a bit of a nightmare and jumped all over the place so ended up using the grinder. It wasn't ideal but I got there in the end.
IMG_20230402_111528.jpg

IMG_20230402_123058.jpg

Once the rubber trim goes on it hides the dodgy cutting anyway so it isn't too bad. Finally got it fitted but going to wait to fit the door one. I have ordered a nibbler drill attachment to hopefully make life easier.
IMG_20230402_140010.jpg
Only things I am slightly worried/ annoyed about is the front bottom corner seems to sit a bit further out than I would have liked so I hope it is still sealed and doesn't leak!! Also should have copied Kiravans and marked up the inside of glass so I would have known what would be showing on the inside as you can see some primer. Hopefully when I eventually get some Vanshades it will hide this.
Other than the window I sanded down the holes in the floor and some rust spots and applied some red oxide. Going to fit some grommets in the holes when it's dried.
IMG_20230402_150822.jpg
Oh also noticed two cracks in the floor near the tailgate, must be from whatever RAC had bolted to the floor, hopefully I know someone that can weld them up.
 
Toffermora said:
So bought an ex RAC van on Tuesday with the plan of converting it into a camper for trips away with the wife, two young kids and a dog! After getting it home we started on the not so fun job of trying to get all the racking out of the back! Wow I didn't realise that would be such an issue but after some help from the wife and a child, we have finally got somewhere! I have made a start on the wiring removal, but does anyone know what the door switches are for? I don't want to go removing them if they are important!
It has a reversing camera fitted but so far haven't managed to work out if I can rewire that again! Anyone else with an RAC van managed it?
Pictures so far: View attachment 193629
View attachment 193630
View attachment 193631
View attachment 193636
Also ordered a few parts that hopefully will be here next week, new centre vents as the left one is missing from where it must have had a tablet or something and the part to fix the known blower issue!
Next job sound deadening, insulation and some windows!
Click to expand...
I’m literally doing this right now to my ex rac, theirs so much wire!!!
 
Happier today! Window refitted, hopefully it won't leak now!
IMG_20230405_140106.jpg

New one on its way to me for the one that exploded while I was carrying it.
Also had the couple of cracks on the floor welded up.
IMG_20230405_140032.jpg
Just need to paint them now and get some grommets in the holes!
 
How did the window explode? I'm looking at fitting mine this weekend and need to avoid the same thing happening here. Did you hit something or was it just stressed by being held in the wrong place? I had that happen to an aquarium door last year, I just knicked the corner on something as I was setting it down and it turned to dust in my hand!
 
I'm not sure, the only thing I thought it could be was I put it up against the hole without any trim against the cut part and it banged slightly, maybe that stressed it enough. It didn't do it straight away though, took it back down and went to put it down to prime it when it exploded. Rung Camper glass and they have sent me another out which was good of them. This time I'm going to be more careful!
 
Rgr, Hope the second fit goes better for you! Glad you got the leak sorted on the other one. looking forward to following your build as we work on ours.
 
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