Floors in !

I started by cleaning and decreasing the floor, then got all the offcuts of ply I had from making the main floor. Dry placed them to see what I needed etc.

Getting there

 Then added double backed foil insulation and left the Sikaflex overnight to harden.

Floor in! However before I laid and glued it (sikaflex) I realised just in time that I hadn't run the 12v wiring! I was still not convinced about the Sikaflex doing the job, but I know a lot of people use it with great success and anything that means you dont have to drill holes in the floor is a bonus.

Anyhoo! As I plotted the run of the 12v cables I was thinking about the heating (Propex) Did a little check online about its wiring etc and then whilst looking at the fitting plans, realised that although I was hoping to place the Propex heater on the nearside along with the gas bottle, cooker and oven etc. keeping all pipework in one place and on one side.

Problem! the exhaust pipe cant be on the nearside (awnings mainly) as you cant have gas exhaust fumes coming out into a living area Doh! So it would have to be on the offside and the battery on nearside.

Note to self: Run gas pipe/ 240v wires when running 12v wiring.

Trouble is I've been to sleep since deciding that!

I re ran the wiring then started gluing the floor down, sitting back feeling smug that I'd sorted the floor it dawned on me that I had fogotten the gas pipe work and the 240v wiring! The249v isn't a problem really as all the fuse boxes etc will be at the rear offside.

New floor as I started the put anything of weight on it to make sure the floor is set solidly and level.

Sikaflex: Screwfix

As I said I was not totally comfortable with the "gluing" of the floor. Because I had forgotten initially to lay the 12v wiring I had to cut a new channel in the wood pads used to lift the floor to the correct level for the RIB single seats. So I got the chisel out and started chiseling away! the piece of wood that I had stuck down didn't budge whilst I hammered the chisel to make a channel for the 12v wires!
I conclude that sikaflex does what it says on the label!

Adjusting RIB seats

Having built the two seats when I put them in the van the release handle to make up the beds were on the outside. Thought it was a pain but couldn't see how to get around it, as the sliding mechanism moves inwards. Works fine if your vehicle is left hand drive!

So today I'm sat pondering and looking pleased with myself having sorted the floor, and suddenly realised that all I had to do was swap the seat back and squab over! Doh!

Job done!

Flooring fun

Finished cutting and test laying the floor, three parts, widest part on the offside as that is where the heavy fridge will be, which I want to fit off the floor, also the toilet will be that side as well with a wardrobe between the two, the electrics will be in a shallow cupboard above the toilet, so I thought it would be better to have the main floor area offside. Nearside will be the "kitchen" so not so much weight and will not be full height either.

When that was sorted I laid the Altro flooring in the front room (wife was at work ssshh!) and used the smaller piece of ply and the top piece to make to template and cut it out. Saved messing about later. Final cutting and tidying will be done once the floor is permanently in place. I now have to fit various sized blocks of off cut ply to the floor to lift it enough for the RIB seats to match height of front seats as they form the bottom half of the beds

Cutting the Ply !

                    

Took a few hours to sort the template and cut the plywood around the wheel arch and various other obstacles! Plus my math is pretty rubbish so I  cut with some spare and whittled it down to fit!

The real joy is that now one side is done all I need do is flip it over having laid the other board underneath and draw around the cuts! then line them up again and mark the width and cut that. So all that should take an hour at best.

Then measure the remaining gap at the front and cut to size again. Clean the floor and lay the pads of ply as and where the floor is flat.

Whilst that is curing I can lay the Altro on the floor (dont tell the wife lol ) lay the wood on top and draw around it. So it can be cut and fitted after the 1st of June when the pop top roof is fitted.

Flooring

Got the ply , insulation, sikaflex to tie it all down! Blimey price has gone since I last bought it!!!

Went for structural ply need two sheets of 8 x 4 for LWB

Which will give me enough to do the floor and enough to build it up to correct height for RIB seats to be level which is best part of 2" surprisingly !

Altro flooring will top that, was looking at vinyl click lock but to many complaints about it!

Rear RIB seats arrived today!

So at 12 noon 16/06/16 there was a knock on the door and this was there! The RIB single seats at last and £2800.00 worth. Are they worth that much? yes if you value your passengers! 

They convert into two single beds or will slide together to make a double. The other bonus is that they are fully TUV passed and certificated! 

Interestingly there is no "certificated" way of securing them to the floor in the UK! But there again is plenty of information on the web. 

The focus is on the rear fixings which in a accident would usually take the stress of  impact so it makes sense to at least fit extra bracing to the rear at the very least. basic fitting is HT M10 bolts with 50mm square washers. I will make or get made a 5mm plate that will brace between the chassis members.

Another downside of a new vehicle is the amount of plastic underneath the floor! plus the nearside has the plastic fuel tank more or less right where I need to bolt the nearside seat in place!

I'm hoping that I can just drop it enough to work above it fingers crossed!

After unpacking you have to assemble the seat back and squab to the frame work, not too difficult but I found that the pretty chrome dome nut is unusable if you use the provided washers! only two of the washers fit the 8 chrome nuts! I will probably swap them out for locknuts and a washer if I can when I fit them properly.  The company must save millions but cutting the bolts so short well at least two threads shorter!

So there they are not bolted but in place! the seat squab flips over and the back rest drops down into its place. So you have a proper (albeit slightly high being only 5'8" tall)  travelling seat but when turned into a bed it has a mattress material and foam. You turn the front seat around to form the bottom of the bed and I need, but wife doesn't, I little more head room. Most conversions have an area behind the seat which has a foam cloth covered piece about 10" front to back as a fill in.

I will use this to box the battery below it one side and the Propex heater in the opposite one.

I now know that I will need to lift the floor 2" so that the rear seats will be level with the front ones when forming the bed.

They come covered with standard VW cloth which matches the front seats, but we have decided to get all four reupholstered as the grey is a bit boring to say the least.

Who Knew?

Another trip out only to Wickes which was a waste of time!

Anyway, whilst going there the stop start wasn't cutting in, couldn't see any warning lights Oh great things are buggered already not even done 300 miles!

When I got to Wickes I had a look online and yep I was doing it right, so came home still not working.

Then I notice a small white "emblem" or whatever it was as couldn't work out what it was so waited till got home and got the manual out

Oh Dear apparently I hadn't fully shut one of the sliding doors!!! double checked and sure enough it was open a little bit but hooked so it wasn't going to slide open when I dropped the clutch and sped off!

Even the old Skoda shouts at you if you ignore a warning light but at least Skoda's was in red this one is white like everything else. But wait it wasn't a door open warning light, it was the stop start is switched off!!!!

Apparently it is sufficient for you to stop and check all your doors when the stop start doesn't work!

Learning all the time!