D-Day .... thats Delivery Day :) ... and electrical gloom.

So the fun starts on 17th Oct when the van is delivered.

I am currently tearing my hair out trying to decide which way to go on the electrics front.

I fancy the Sargent EC155 Power Supply Unit its neat and tidy all in one box with a nice control panel.

But the tech support line dude says that I cant run it with a Voltage Sensing Relay and I need a traditional relay for the split charge and as a trigger to the EC155 to isolate the camper 12v cuircuits while the engine is running. Now other folks say the traditional relay on a T5 is a pain needing connections to the alternator circuit and into the "engine running" trigger in the van fuse box or somewhere in the wiring loom. Get it wrong and the engine management computer starts to complain.

Roof and doors - Drivelodge & Jasmine

Well we went out for a drive today to visit a couple of the businesses that are going to be part of my conversion.

• Drivelodge
• Jasmine

Now I know I could just hand over the van to a company like Drivelodge for them to do the full bespoke conversion but there is just something special about getting in there and doing it for yourself. It gives you such a sense of involvement and ownership. Anyway - Drivelodge will be putting on the high top, roof light, side windows in the roof and Fiamma awning. The innards I will be doing.

And what about Jasmine ? Well my plan is for Vinyl Wrapped furniture in the van. I first came across this when I saw some pictures of a van with a contoured worktop with rolled edge that looked like granite and it was stunning. A bit more digging and I found these guys The Cutting Room and their prices seemed good but it’s a fair drag to travel from Yorkshire to Cambridge just to look at a door. Then Steve, a fellow converter (and joiner by trade) mentioned Jasmine near Wakefield.

Imagine my surprise as I explained my reason for visiting when Phil said "Oh yes we do them what kind of van? T5? Yes no problem we have a template right here. Would you like it in lightweight ply ?"

So we came away with a pack of swatches so we can choose the finish. First thought are platinum ash or pastel oak, both very pale timber effect with a bluey grey fleck in the grain to tone in with silver paint, and greys and blues in the upholstery department.

Putting your money where your mouth is ....

Well we've gone and done it !

After owning VW AutoSleepers Trident camper vans based on the T4 for over 6 years it was time to upgrade.


We just could not find the van that made us happy. First choice would have been an Auto Sleeper Trident on the T5 like this ....


Sure is smart :)


But we could not find one that was fault free. Leaking windows staining the sliding door fabric trim or the sliding door plastic window surround rubbing the paint work . We travelled miles and miles looking for one over 6 months and eventually decided to build our own.


Now that decision was not instant ... we jumped backwards and forwards (Trident or DIY) many times and while reading forums and many other blogs and build project sagas I slowly costed out the project. The van had to be nearly new (2 years old or 3 max) to make it worthwhile and eventually decided that a new van was the way to go.

So after much more soul searching and looking at more Tridents the order was placed. Currently we are waiting delivery and expect it early October .... then the fun starts !


This will be a record of the fun and games, triumphs and disasters ( for I am sure there will be some) of my camper van conversion project.


Project completion deadline is to holiday in May 2010. Brave I know to commit at such an early date for an out door DIY project just before the dark nights and winter months but hey .... if you dont know where you are going how will you know when you have arrived ?!

So follow me on my journey and who knows you might even give it a go yourself !