Double front seat swivel

This is a clever bit of kit from Kiravans, not cheap but well made. It allows my double front seat to turn round allowing for seating for five in the rear of the van, it really opens up the space. Importantly you also get to keep all that valuable storage under the seat.

Here's how I fitted it: The electric terminals under the seat have to be tucked under the floor, you have to take about 5mm off the top of the floor studs, I took the studs out of the floor and did this in a vice in the garage. The swivel plate goes over the modded studs and the seat bolts easily onto the swivel.

To turn the seat you have to unscrew the four substantial knurled bolts and lift and secure the bolts clear of the swivel. It is a bit hit and miss getting the bolts re-threaded, two were very stiff and I noticed some paint being pushed out the threads. I oiled each one and have used them half a dozen times now and it's getting much easier. 

The seat sits an inch higher and I have had to move my kitchen unit over a bit, it's all a tight squeeze with the bed down but means if my daughter wants to sleep we can sit in the van in the warm and read if the weather is bad.

Today we had a day out in the van, after we had walked the dog we had soup and played cards comfortably in the van while the May weather impersonated January.

Subtle steels

Yesterday I had a day off work and fitted the new steel wheels (using my new bargain Lidl £20 trolley jack which makes things a bit quicker). Hopefully they wont be putting any more salt on the roads. Still getting used to the look and stance, think it might need to go a bit lower but not sure.

My first attempt at carpeting and self tappers was on the sliding door using the ply lining base before I discovered the MVM fixings (see earlier posts), a few weeks ago I retrimmed the original hardboard panel so I fitted it with fixings to match the rest of the interior panels. The last picture is of the bonnet strut I fitted a while ago. This is great for me as I regularly need to get under the bonnet to access the 240v hookup. I also fettled the drivers door to fit perfectly flush. Gave it a good clean as well. All easy mods and a nice way to spend your day off.

Same colour van honest:

Retrimmed door panel:



Bonnet strut:

 

Praise to the lowered

Here's a few pictures, stock:

A year later, spot the difference, five external ones, answers below:

Bus stop, back end could do with a wipe:

A: coilovers, windows, repeaters, deflectors, wheels painted

Coilovers fitted - first impressions

CMC Coilovers are now fitted. I have only gone for a moderate drop and the dampers are on the softest setting. Impressions so far are that it feels much more controlled, no wallowing when cornering or under braking. My biggest fear was that it might be crashy and hard as has been my experience with lowering springs on other vehicles, gladly I can report that it feels firmer than standard but compliant with no bottoming out through potholes or over speed bumps so far.
The van also feels noticably lower when you are driving which makes it feel generally more planted engendering more confidence in its handling. Bear in mind this is all from someone who doesn't race around but was looking for a general improvement over stock.

Oh, and it looks heaps better, pictures to follow.

Suspension and wheels

Well I guess it was only a matter of time, I could no longer resist the urge to go lower. I have tried reasoning that it is more comfortable to ride high on the standard set up, speed bumps aren't an issue, I could use the money on another mod, err... what else? Reasons to go lower: better handling, better stance, get under lower barriers, less step up into van, ok the last few are a bit weak. Bottom line is I want it lower, I know its not really logical.

Over the past few months I have done plently of research. I am going to pay to have the work done so I only want to do it once. I have had lowering springs on several cars and my T4, the ride is generally quite hard, the height is not adjustable but they are an affordable option.
I have never had coilovers, they are height adjustable and most have adjustable shocks as well. I expect though that once you have it set up you leave it that way. Here are some of the coilover options:

• Prosport/JOM, aren't a great deal more expensive than springs, the ride height is adjustable but shocks aren't, that may be ok but it may not. 
• VMaxx/CMC, these seem reasonable value and are generally well reviewed.
• H&R/Eibach etc much more expensive but probably the best.

I have gone for CMC, mid range, fully adjustable, well reviewed. Here they are before fitment.

Next the wheels, I have refurbished my 16'' steels and they look ok but the tyres are skinny and they have a huge profile (16/205/65). Again I have tried to resist changing but if I am going lower I have to change the wheels right? Besides at the moment the 16'' have plently of tread so I should get something for them to offset the cost of new wheels.

I rather like 18'' alloys, don't want anything bigger and with budget tyres they are affordable new, there are second hand options occasionally but they tend to look used so you have to factor in a refurb. I also like the OEM T32 17'' steel wheels, these come up secondhand sometimes or nearly new occasionally when they are swapped out for big alloys. If they need a refurb I could do steels myself.

So the search began, over the past few months I have been scouring the web and have ended up with a set of 17'' steels sourced from a new van, they are fitted with 235/55/17 Dunlop Sports and have done 108 miles on the road. I have resisted putting these on until I have had the suspension sorted.

I ain't finished yet

It's been a while since I have updated the blog. The van has been used for weekend trips at the end of the summer and has been used to haul various big bits around Brighton and Hove as well as the second vehicle in the household for regular journeys. It is running really well and as a reward has a few mods coming in the new year. Over past few months minor adornments include a flower garland for the front window and a sticker for the offside. Here are a few recent shots:

Summer holiday

This is what I really enjoy, over two weeks in the New Forest , Isle of Purbeck and South Hams in Devon. On the way down we stopped in Southampton to show the previous owners what we have done to the van, we were invited to stay for tea and cake, they were really pleased the van was being well looked after and used. Here he is reunited with the van.

After a few days in the New Forest we stopped briefly in Poole.

We then caught the ferry to Sandbanks, makes me feel like we are going abroad.

 It was then a short drive to Corfe Castle where we stayed for five nights.

After Corfe we headed for the South Hams in Devon, we stayed on a site near Hope Cove, this was the view from our pitch.

It was a tight squeeze down some of the lanes in South Devon, the van behaved well though and the conversion worked well in practice for a protracted period.