Transit Track Day Van/Explorer
Discussion
I am in the process of sorting my 2010 SWB transit for track days next year. It is booked in to get re-boarded, insulated and carpeted inside with some heavy duty carper on the floor.
The idea is that i can sleep in there on a blow up bed the night before track days and watch TV etc. I am also into mountaineering and outdoor stuff so I will sleep in there if I ever go exploring in it before heading up the mountains early morning.
What are my options for power? In my eyes I would like a couple of leisure batteries that i could charge up while driving the van and when i stop i flick a switch so it is isolated from my van battery and then use it to charge my phone, use my laptop, air bed pump or watch tv / power a small heated fan. Does this exist? What is the ball park for a set up like this?
Sorry if this is a stupid question!
The idea is that i can sleep in there on a blow up bed the night before track days and watch TV etc. I am also into mountaineering and outdoor stuff so I will sleep in there if I ever go exploring in it before heading up the mountains early morning.
What are my options for power? In my eyes I would like a couple of leisure batteries that i could charge up while driving the van and when i stop i flick a switch so it is isolated from my van battery and then use it to charge my phone, use my laptop, air bed pump or watch tv / power a small heated fan. Does this exist? What is the ball park for a set up like this?
Sorry if this is a stupid question!
A couple of liesure batteries, say 100AH, will provide ample power for a few nights for most of the things you list, with the exception of a heater.
An electric heater, even a small one will require to much power for batteries to provide.
Have you considered a diesel heater like they have in wagons?
For what your doing I'd go for the liesure batteries with a portable solar panel to keep them topped up in use, just run it separately from the vehicle and recharge at home using a normal battery charger.
An electric heater, even a small one will require to much power for batteries to provide.
Have you considered a diesel heater like they have in wagons?
For what your doing I'd go for the liesure batteries with a portable solar panel to keep them topped up in use, just run it separately from the vehicle and recharge at home using a normal battery charger.
A 100 ah battery will last a few night with lights and phone chargers running but a heater will be a no go. You can get ex BT diesel heater quite cheaply of eBay which is probably about the only realistic way to have heating when "off grid". If you can insulate the van to a good level unless you stay in it in the middle of winter then you'd probably be fine without a heater. To charge the battery you can get split charging relays that will only charge the leisure battery when the engine is running then automatically disconnects when the engine is turned off. There are a couple if different types but by far the easiest to in stall are VSRs (voltage sensitive relay), you just take a feed straight from the van battery, the other types usually require wiring into an ignition live or running live.
I've done the same as you suggest in my van to use for similar things at mountain bike races.
I sound deadened it first with Silent Coat on the panels and roof, it was then insulated with B+Q recycled bottle insulation stuff and the foil bubble wrap insulation. This made quite a difference inside. After that the interior panels were carpet lined.
After that I fitted a 110ah leisure battery with a split charge set-up, it was fairly straight forward. I added some extra 12v LED lights in the roof lining in the back then a couple of 12v sockets for charging the phone and iPad etc.
I've not got around to fitting any heating yet but I think that an Eberspacher is the only way to go really to get an effective heater without a mains hook-up, only problem is that they're about £1k fitted!
All in it's probably cost about £130 for the carpet stuff, £200 or so for the split charge and battery, £60 for the extra lights and sockets and about £200 for the sound deadening and insulation.
It took me about 3 or 4 months to get it all done but that was just doing a bit at a time when I had a chance. You could probably do it in a couple of weekends if you needed it done in a bit of a hurry.
I sound deadened it first with Silent Coat on the panels and roof, it was then insulated with B+Q recycled bottle insulation stuff and the foil bubble wrap insulation. This made quite a difference inside. After that the interior panels were carpet lined.
After that I fitted a 110ah leisure battery with a split charge set-up, it was fairly straight forward. I added some extra 12v LED lights in the roof lining in the back then a couple of 12v sockets for charging the phone and iPad etc.
I've not got around to fitting any heating yet but I think that an Eberspacher is the only way to go really to get an effective heater without a mains hook-up, only problem is that they're about £1k fitted!
All in it's probably cost about £130 for the carpet stuff, £200 or so for the split charge and battery, £60 for the extra lights and sockets and about £200 for the sound deadening and insulation.
It took me about 3 or 4 months to get it all done but that was just doing a bit at a time when I had a chance. You could probably do it in a couple of weekends if you needed it done in a bit of a hurry.
Edited by neenaw on Thursday 17th November 21:36
I did a Transit conversion a couple of years ago, thread here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Bimble Solar do kits so you can have a fully charged battery all the time for a couple of hundred quid: http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/12v
Bimble Solar do kits so you can have a fully charged battery all the time for a couple of hundred quid: http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/12v
Mark Benson said:
I did a Transit conversion a couple of years ago, thread here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Bimble Solar do kits so you can have a fully charged battery all the time for a couple of hundred quid: http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/12v
Thanks for sharing. Good read that! Will deffo consider the solar panels on top i think!Bimble Solar do kits so you can have a fully charged battery all the time for a couple of hundred quid: http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/12v
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