Vanatron: Camper in disguise! Post trip update..

Extreme hiatus! blog resumes.. maybe.

After a few ridiculous DIYing in campsites/laybys/on beaches episodes whilst travelling, I managed to get everything _pretty much_ working, although with a definite air of redneck chic thereifixedit.com action.

One of the most bodged things was the water tank. The tank itself (40l stainless steel from jay wolfe metal work) was good. The water filter and tap (from pozzani pure water, the Kitchen Spring RIX250 System) also, flawless.

Things that were not so good..

  • Filling was extremely awkward and invariably resulted in a little bit of spillage
  • The pump has a pressure switch. This means that if the tank runs out, OR if you are on rough ground, an airlock in the system will cause the pump to never turn off.
  • There is no inline switch to isolate the pump (see above)
  • The wooden cabinet is completely unfinished and thus less waterproofand more.. spongelike.
  • One of the plumbing fittings I made in a french campsite eventually came apart 5 months later and the pump pissed water everywhere before I could stop the van and get to the main power isolation switch.

Resulting in the following scenes of mouldy destruction…

hiding under the tank..
the base..
under the carpet

GROSS.

I bought a caravan type locking water filler with overflow from ebay, and very bravely fitted it…

let’s not lose the key

Naturally, it rained as soon as I cut the hole, so I drove around for a day with a piece of sushi rice packet taped over the hole, waiting for the anti corrosion paint to cure..

Extreme vinegar and teatree anti mould attack, and a fan heater on in the van for a day sorted the mould out.

Then, four coats of random eggshell later, and the tank is refitted with a proper filler, a switch that importantly can be reached from the driver’s seat, and the tank is optimised for use!

thereifixedit.com

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