Week 55 - Bedding Storage

After testing the electrical equipment installed so far, I could start work on fitting the components to be situated on the higher shelves. I have designed the layout carefully to make sure that anything which needs to be accessed regularly is located at the top so that it is easier to reach. I used wooden batons fixed to the sides of this area to set the height and fix the shelves to.
 
One shelf will house the mains voltage parts of the electrics - the Consumer Unit, Polarity Checker, and Power Selector Switch. These units will be fixed to the shelf with plastic M6 bolts (steel bolts obviously conduct electricity). There will also be a socket for the battery charger to plug into.

The other area will house the main 12v fusebox and the in-line RCD. Two wooden batons are fixed on the underside to screw the fusebox into, and two more are fixed on the top to retain the RCD.
 
At this point though, I had problems starting the van for some reason (it has struggled before with air in the fuel-line if left for a while without running it). I have therefore decided to hold fire on the electrical gear and work in the back of the van until sorted.

The bedding doesn't fit very easily when folded to go above the cab area. I decided to clamp a fold line in the mattress pieces in an attempt to make this bend better. I left both pieces clamped about a week. When finished, they were folded and weighed down to help the process (see pics below), only time will tell if this works effectively though.
  
I also fixed a small beam above the cab area where the bedding is to be stored and fitted some screw-in hooks. This will cure 2 minor problems:

• It will cover the edge where the carpetted roof meets the fabric of the cab which is a little unsightly and also prevent the carpet from peeling.
• It will allow me to prevent the contents of this space from potentially falling out on passengers in the back by using bungee cord between these hooks.

The finished result is much neater.