Surround Sound

After our most recent little trip in Buttercup, we've spent the last week or so tinkering and doing bits.  Well obviously, when I say me, I really mean Dom. I fully admit that the dream of owning a VW van again was mine and not his. I fully admit that part of the reason this dream is now a reality is because I knew I could rely on him to help with the maintenance.  But hey, he gets to enjoy lovely weekends away in her so he's not complaining.  Due to Dom's tinkering we now have three major improvements to the van and they shall be detailed below.

Air Filter

Our little van had been sorted by our mechanic but unbeknownst to him or us, the air filter was not functioning properly. We discovered this while we were away last time when we found it rolling loose in the engine bay. Despite repeatedly re-attaching it and it seeming firm the same thing happened once we'd travelled any distance.  This meant that our old friend the chugging had returned, a horrid smell of fuel filled the cab, she kept stalling at the lights and the power seemed pretty naff.  Look we know we're not going to get 70mph out of her but we were hoping for 50!

So on our return, Dom set to work.  Remembering an old tip from someone who repaired his bike once he came in search of coke can.  This is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack in our house. We don't drink coke! In fact we don't drink fizzy drinks full stop!  However, a dig around in our tin/can recycle box found some old Pimms cans (they don't count as fizzy drinks!) and Dom headed for the engine bay with his tool kit.

I wish I could tell you exactly what he did but I can't. All I know is the Pimms can was used to create a lining between the air filter and the pipe (?) it needed to sit on top of. This lining made for a snug fit and hey presto the van now runs like a dream.  If there are any VW fanatics reading this who want a more technical explanation please get in touch via the comment box.  We now enjoy journeys without stalling, chugging or lack of power. We motor along smoothly and can even tackle up hills in fourth gear... The moral of this story - drink Pimms and upcycle!

Bespoke Divider

Under the rock and roll bed is a large storage area.  This is perfect for our wellies, walking boots, shoes etc. However, the Power Management system for van (the thing that powers the fridge, water pump etc) is also located here and as we all remember from our Science lessons water and electrics don't really go.

Dom has been like a man on a mission selecting a piece of wood he could adapt into a divider.  Not one to be troubled by a problem like two separate pieces of wood that were too small, he set about making joining brackets, sawing off a corner so it fits snugly against the shaping of the area and attaching said divider to the storage box.

And while he has been busy doing this I have been able to blog, write, sort things for my business, get the weekly shop and generally get on with whatever I needed to.

Key message here - if you are passionate about owning a van, make sure you or your partner is passionate about Van DIY!

The Stereo System

Music is very important to both of us.  I listen to music all the time.  My music taste is eclectic with everything from Abba to Led Zepp nestling in my collection.  As for Dom, he's a musician and although he doesn't actually listen to as much music as me (and certainly not with the same wide choice) he likes to listen to his music on quality speakers.  

Buttercup came with a stereo so we asked the Camper Shak to re-position our speakers in the front cab and Dom bought an amp to make sure the sound would be even throughout.  As Buttercup's original stereo didn't appear to work, we ditched it. Luckily my dad and brother chipped in and bought me a new stereo (with DAB!) for my birthday.  Now it just needed fitting.

And this is where the issues began.  The wiring system in Buttercup left a lot to be desired.  Between Mike from the Camper Shak and Mark the mechanic they must have removed about 10 metres of unnecessary and useless wiring from various parts of the van.  They both said there was lots more to be done to tidy it up. And this was Dom's next job.

Despite being pretty handy with electrical stuff, nothing had prepared him for the random wires, connectors and strange bulbs he found.  More wire was stripped out and eventually we were left with the bare essentials.  Armed with a soldering iron, two steady hands and some help in the form of my slightly terrified and shaking hands we set about hardwiring the stereo in. After what seemed like forever the stereo was switched on...and we had sound!

Hurrah! 

We were so delighted we took her out for a spin just so we could listen to some decent music on a decent sound system.

We know that this isn't the end of the jobs that await us (well Dom) but at least now he can listen to music as he works!

And on that happy note, I'm off to make sure that our supply of Air Filter linings is kept healthy! Cheers!