2006 Motorhome renovation / redesign

[PaulV]

We have a 2006 Autocruise Starburst that is starting to need some tidying up / fixing.
It has the low galvanised Alko chassis which is in good condition, the cab has some surface rust underneath but nothing major.

There is some wet wood at the front where the cab meets the living area, most likely due to failed sealant seam.

We are thinking about taking out the internals and starting again with the flooring/insulation. Possibly adding hydronic heating (have blown diesel heater )

Installing solar + battery (48v looks worth it) and getting rid of the gas altogether is currently top of the list.

A fair old project however we think we can swap things around to make a layout that works.

[Truckosaurus]

What's your thinking on the 48V choice?

Always seems overkill for most 'normal' van builds, and the reasoning around 'you can use thinner wire' doesn't seem especially compelling.

(I was watching a youtube build video of someone making an overland truck and they had a complex electrical setup running 12, 24 and 48 volts)

[PaulV]

It does seem overkill, however as we are going to lose the gas, we want to be able to run induction hobs / air fryer / microwave etc.

I haven't fully worked out that side yet, it may just go 24v.

First is to strip, reseal and fix the damp bits.

[Truckosaurus]

PaulV said:

...we want to be able to run induction hobs / air fryer / microwave etc....

Running all 3 at once is certainly going to need a chunky inverter

[POIDH]

Truckosaurus said:

PaulV said:

...we want to be able to run induction hobs / air fryer / microwave etc....

Running all 3 at once is certainly going to need a chunky inverter

And on a site I was on earlier this year, led to a suspected sudden draw / surge / loss of frequency and managed to trip the site and burn out 3 other campervans on the same circuit. Seems a homebuilt battery from an old EV was also hidden under a seat charging up....

[PaulV]

POIDH said:

Truckosaurus said:

PaulV said:

...we want to be able to run induction hobs / air fryer / microwave etc....

Running all 3 at once is certainly going to need a chunky inverter

And on a site I was on earlier this year, led to a suspected sudden draw / surge / loss of frequency and managed to trip the site and burn out 3 other campervans on the same circuit. Seems a homebuilt battery from an old EV was also hidden under a seat charging up....

A bit too much leaning on the 'How hard can it be?"

I will be using normal commercial kit, like the ECO-WORTHY Cubix100, or if possible Sodium Ion if I can get one.

Underfloor heating rather than flames is my thought.

[Sway]

PaulV said:

POIDH said:

Truckosaurus said:

PaulV said:

...we want to be able to run induction hobs / air fryer / microwave etc....

Running all 3 at once is certainly going to need a chunky inverter

And on a site I was on earlier this year, led to a suspected sudden draw / surge / loss of frequency and managed to trip the site and burn out 3 other campervans on the same circuit. Seems a homebuilt battery from an old EV was also hidden under a seat charging up....

A bit too much leaning on the 'How hard can it be?"

I will be using normal commercial kit, like the ECO-WORTHY Cubix100, or if possible Sodium Ion if I can get one.

Underfloor heating rather than flames is my thought.

If you go Victron, then you can limit the current draw from shore power, with additional coming from battery storage. The 48/6k5 is a tasty unit - but B2B charging is the challenge.

Perhaps worth looking at the new Eberspacher 48v single box kit - quite tasty specs/size/cost but an enterprise grade one box solution with the support that brings...

[Drabbesttunic]

A fair old project is surely an understatement, the wet wood itself will be horrific once you start digging around.
Arent they built sort of inside out if you know what I mean, like a caravan so the outer skin goes on last so taking things apart is really hard?

I hope I'm wrong though for your sake

[E-bmw]

Not quite the same but some similarities here.

4 years ago I bought a 2012 Bailey 745 Se motorhome & due to a scammed/falsified habcheck it was found to have over 70% damp over nearly 1/3 of the floor.

After getting quotes of around £11 - 13k I decided to do it myself, after all - how hard can it be?

Luckily for me a good friend of Mrs E works for a static caravan place & they have a large workshop/store that they were willing to let me use for up to 3 months and we could get in there, just.

I basically removed over 75% of the internal "furniture/fixtures/fittings" and set about it after doing a bit of research.

Yes it was quite a task and it took me nearly 8 weeks of 4 - 6 hour days (the place was nearly an hour away) but provided you are careful & methodical anything is possible in there.

I did a solar/inverter/battery upgrade while I was there along with some exterior work to make her look better, and replaced the oven with a much newer one too, and in all honesty the only real issue was getting somebody to fit the vinyl floor, which with hindsight, I chould have done a better job myself.

Total cost of everything was under £1200.

[PaulV]

A weekend trip to Shrewbury for the Hills Ford rally was a good reminder that we have a solid base to start from.
Was a six hour round trip for me.

She passed her MOT the week before with no issues.

Now to do some measuring up and start detailed planning.

Still leaning towards 48v even if it is harder work to get working.
I think it will get more popular as an option as more gear becomes available.