Week 30 - Table Backboard

I decided to fit a surround to the bracket where the table fits to the wall – just for decoration really as it covered up a stain of the carpet  and also a couple of points where the drill had caught in the carpet and pulled a strip of thread out. The backboard would cover this up.

I cut, stained and varnished some 9mm ply and fixed this to the wall around the areas I wanted to cover. I also decided to fit the little personalised plate with the logo etched on. The end result covers a multitude of sins.

Week 29 - Gas Locker 3

When I got the gas locker fabricated, I personalised it and etched on the top what was contained in the locker “2x Camping Gaz 907”. I didn’t want to cover this whole area when painting the lid so I improvised and used some of the clear wood varnish and it has worked surprisingly well. I also stuck a sticker on the lid when it was dry to warn that LPG is contained within (this is not a regulation for personal vehicles, just good practice).

When the lid was done, I fitted a seal to the inside to keep the gas locker air tight from the living area of the van. It could then be fitted to the top of the gas locker. The lid sits in the channels on each side of the box and then bolts through with either a M4 set screw or a split pin.

Week 28 - Splashback Shelves

This week I was able to cut and fit shelves to the top of the kitchen splash-back. I used some of the leftover 18mm off-cuts from making the table because the shelves would be screwed in from underneath and this gave me a bit more material to screw into. 

The shelves were cut, sanded, stained and varnished, then screwed into position from underneath. The shelves don’t have a ledge so can only really be useful when the van is stationary but I am sure they will still come in useful.

The end result is pretty good and I am happy with the progress being made on the van kitchen area. It is really looking like a usable living area.

Week 27 - Gas Connection

I am now able to fit the back panel into the cupboard and connect up the gas. I used 5/16” copper pipe which is the standard for caravans and campers. The pipe goes to the ball valve and then connects from there to the underside of the hob units. I used compression fittings at all the joints which are much easier to assemble (although prone to working loose if bashed about too much). Also when using compression fittings, make sure that copper olives are fitted – not the brass ones which are often supplied with the joints. 

You can also see that I have fitted flexible tube inside the gas locker and further secured this tube using jubilee clips. When one gas cylinder runs out, all I need to do is take the regulator off the cylinder and fit it to the top of the other. The gas locker has also been painted silver.

On the other side of the back panel the waste water pipe has been connected up to the plug hole of the sink. This then runs down the back of the cupboard and out of the hole in the floor to the external waste water tank.