Could've been to do with the 8th anniversary of D Day 🤔

Glad it helped. Did you get it sorted?

Hi micahd3797... My gut instinct is you can't as a kiln probably draws way too much power. Lead acid & AGM batteries aren't good at high draw. Typically a 12v 100 Ah battery can only deliver about 60 A if discharged over about 20 hours. Lithium (LiFePo) batteries can cope with higher draw and provide about 80-90% of their potential. So it starts with "what are the Watts power rating of your kiln?" , then search for a watts, volts, amps equation.... You know the watts, you know the batteries are 12v, so you can work out the Amps etc... if the Watts are in the 1000 to 2000w ballpark you might get away with a large lithium battery bank and a large inverter... But it's going to be cheaper perhaps to run a petrol generator.... So maybe cut out the fuel to electric to heat transitions and simply run a gas kiln? Fewer steps means better efficiency 🤔

Ha ha ha

It is the long wheelbase rather than the rather short stock version - cheers

Thanks @NDW7 I appreciate the feedback. Jess is already getting pretty booked out for 2024 so let me know if you're wanting it ASAP. If people want to book it you can find out more here: myvanconversion.co.uk/campervan-hire/ - Cheers!

Cheers!

In the earlier comments we discuss this. The bike can be partially recharged especially while driving but it was not a requirement for the build. That said, we made the build versatile so he can fit a bigger battery solution if wanted so he can recharge. 👍

I've got a T6 too as a fully converted campervan. The Ford Transit Connect will be a much more fuel economic vehicle and it's lovely to drive too... Let me know how you get on 👍

Valid point 👍 too much time travelling/living abroad 😂 . Easy enough to mount the switches the other way round 👍

Thank you! 😊 I appreciate that! This build was quite a few years back when "Van Conversion" videos were thinner on the ground... I'll soon be starting a new build on a bigger van... is that something you'd be interested in seeing?

@@MyVanConversion yes definitely! Especially if it’s on an affordable budget ☺️

@@yorkshirepudlian ha ha😂 yes! The cost of materials these days even a "budget" build hits the wallet. I'm all for smart design and quality builds that last so that they don't cost you in the long run... I'm excited too to see how the next project unfolds too... just waiting on the base vehicle to be ready 🚐

Agreed. I talked that through with client but he didn't want it. Though there's provision to add these things plus an electric air compressor in the future 👍

Will look at it 👍

Probably diagonally but it'd be tight. The bulkhead really eats into the cargo space. My advice is always take your bike to a dealer and ask to see if you can fit it in before buying.

Yes, you can. I can fit 2 full suspension 29ers in my fiat Doblo passenger van with the back seat folded down. I use a bike storage system called "bike inside" it works great

I can get my ebike in a Peugeot partner like that with the front wheel off and a custom mount to turn the forks 90 degrees.

Thanks 👍

Cheers Keith. I put these T6 bids together for the people who hire out the van but have never used one before. It helps them know how to use the gear safely without breaking stuff. 👍

The pullout tray makes it much easier for these heavy ebikes. Overall it's what the client wanted 👍

do this in my smax.

We tried that but it's easier front wheel first as the handle bars provide better leverage. Doing the back first also causes the front wheel to twist making it harder to handle the bike. Also the front is lighter so easier to move around. But that's just what we found and each bike type might be different. 👍

@@MyVanConversion Lovely stuff! Clearly well thought out 🙂 Them eeeb's do have a bit of ballast to them for sure! Cheers

Theoretically if you swapped out the battery bank for a larger unit. But the client didn't want that. However we built it so that different power units can be used, eg future proofed 👍

I'm with you on that, although a road bike is so much lighter so maybe you could do away with the pull out drawer and just roll the bike in? Still have the saddle and front wheel clamps though 👍

@@MyVanConversion yes I agree. Road bike want need the ramp.

Hi Paul, well spotted. Here's a link to the bracket kit I used amzn.to/3sU6WpA I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where to stow the table and this location works great. It actually reduces road noise too 👍

😂

Disclaimer: I'm not an insurance expert. Always seek professional advice etc. If you convert a van into a campervan and it meets the criteria that the DVLA state on their site for campervans then you can apply to change the V5C to have the "Panel Van" become a "Motorcaravan/Motorhome/Campervan" etc... I did this with my Movano build kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5DbaJxjftGNqJo, which results in a few advantages including lower insurance. In the case of this conversion it's all internal, has no change to the running of the vehicle, and therefore is not an insurance issue. The way to think about it is that lots of tradesmen put shelves, equipment, compressors, pumps, tool racks etc in their vans. They don't notify the insurance company. It's only if the changes are structural or performance mods or change the overall appearance of the vehicle that you need to declare it. Insurance companies are however usually looking to get out of paying out in the case of an accident, so I tend to try and keep the vehicle as "Stock" as possible. The entire conversion could be removed from the vehicle and therefore the vehicle is technically "unchanged". If in doubt, contact your insurance provider and tell them what you intend to do and ask if it needs a change in policy. "I'm going to ply line the van and put some shelving and 12v lights in". etc. They don't need to know what color you're staining the wood or whether the lights are on dimmers etc... none of their business ;)

@@MyVanConversion great, thanks. I hadn't even considered the analogy with tradespeple's vans, though I've seen enough of them to know! I'm leaning more towards removable unit/s, so that is hopefully more straightforward insurance-wise. Not intending to live in the van permanently, which also helps. ;-)

Just make sure you've got a way of really securely fastening down the units (and bike). We never want to think about the worse case scenario of rolling the van, but if it ever happens you'd be very glad that things were secure. You might want to consider putting in some T-Track, which you could bolt into the pre-existing anchor threads. These are usually very strong and intended to secure load too. Then your removable cabinets could be bolted down to the T-Track, but very easy to remove. Even the track could be taken out if you want to return the van to original spec.

Hi David, Thanks for the questions. It's not a black and white answer because the length of the vehicle depends on the height above the ground you measure it. On the transit connect the bulk head curves backwards into the space so the shortest length is actually about the height of the mid point of the front wheel, e.g. the longest point on the bike. It also varies according to the bike. If you were just putting the bike in and leaning it on the wall or laying it flat then most bikes would fit. The downside of that is you'll probably end up putting dents in the van wall (I've seen this), so it's a good idea to at least ply line the wall. But when it comes to length of different vehicles, my advise is this: Find a dealer who has a van you're interested in (second hand or new) and ask them if you can bring your bike to see if it fits or book a non-assisted test drive, drive home and try to put your bike in it. There's no substitute for hands-on experience. That said, you'll probably get your bike in almost any van, but I'd want to know things like how high is the rear of the van? are there any door clasps etc in the way? where are the tie off points? I'd always try before I buy. Hope this helps and keep on enjoying your hobby! - Cheers Mark

@@MyVanConversion thanks for the detailed answer! I use a DIY bike clamp in the C3 Picasso at the moment (piece of plywood, with a QR skewer and thru-axle fork block installed), but am hoping to be able to keep wheels on if I buy a van-based vehicle. Still in the research stage, and will follow your advice!

If this helps you in any way, in short wheel base Berlingo II (2010) non-commercial version, if I remove the back seat(s), I can just about slide in my 29" full-sus XC bike if I drop the saddle down without having to remove either wheel. I usually slide it with the rear wheel towards the cabin and the rear tire sits between the front passenger seat and the B-pillar. Road bike fits just fine within the boot (not having to squeeze the tires anywhere), higher travel trail and other more aggressive bikes likely wouldn't fit with both wheels on due to limited height. In general, those non-commercial versions of such vehicles limit the boot space by having tons of plastic everywhere, but they also lack the wall behind the cabin, so you can generally get more usable space. Also, you can save some space by not having the bike straight, but leaning it a bit to one side.

@@jeskli11 that's very helpful, thank you! My bikes are all small frame size and smaller wheels (26" and 27.5") so hopefully that will help as well. ;-)

@@davidrowe8747 That should be alright then. The issue for you might possibly be the height, but if you have a dropper post or your saddle isn't that high (which probably isn't if you have smaller frames), I wouldn't worry about that (for reference, my frames are size large and my saddle height is about 764mm from the BB, I have to drop the seat down on my XC bike, but my road/CX bike fits fine with saddle up). I was originally planning to build some kind of rack, which would hold the bike straight, but now after tripping in that car to races during the last three years I'm glad I didn't, sometimes it's better not to overthink things when dealing with this kind of small space.

You're very welcome. 🙏🏼

Looks like a power station on the left side of the van. Inverter should be enough for the DC adapter for the bike. Those usually have solar inputs but did not see any.

Thanks, glad you liked it. The power bank on the left has an inverter and could provide a partial charge. We discussed it with the client and looked into the maths for what would be required to fully recharge his eBike. The client decided that he wouldn't recharge the bike from the power bank because 1. On a campsite he would use an EHU if needed. 2. The size of battery bank required to provide a full charge would cost much more. 3. He normally only goes away for 1 day and would recharge at home as the bike is not left in the van. 4. The system is designed to swap out the power station for a larger one if he wants to in the future but it wasn't a priority at this time. 5. When driving he can run the inverter as the unit is being recharged and so in theory on a long drive could recharge the bike. We talked about solar but for him it's not a viable option. He didn't want anything on the outside of the van. He'd be out riding in the day when the solar is producing energy and so that energy would need to be stored. As per point 2. He'd need a larger more expensive battery solution to store enough power for a full recharge of the eBike whether that comes from DC to DC, split charge relay, solar or hookup. These are great things to consider when speccing up a project so I hope this lengthy answer is useful 👍

Thank you for your great reply. I understand his reasoning especially if he doesn't do extended day trips. @@MyVanConversion

Hi. My friend "Big John" has stayed in the van a few times and he's about 6'3" and about 100+ kg and he's found it comfortable. As for height, with the top up it tapers from back to front. You'd be fine except right by the bench seat, but there you'd be sitting anyway 👍. One thing to consider, the front passenger bench seat is raised due to the swivel so at 6'2" your head would be near the ceiling (when top down, eg driving). We're working on a Crafter conversion and that would be more comfortable for taller folk 👍 as the bed is bigger and it's standing room throughout and no roof to pop up 🤫 Thanks for the feedback.

@@MyVanConversion Thanking you buddy. Much appreciated.

Anytime

Blimey! He's right 🤦‍♂️ title updated. Thanks

G'day! and wow... it's great to have you here. What kind of vlogs are you interested in? Is there anything you'd like me to go into more detail about? Jess is really something, I've had a few VDubs and motorhomes/campervans over the years but this one really stands out. I've spent a lot of time travelling in it, camping and enjoying it and it's one of my favorite places to be. Cheers for the feedback

@@MyVanConversion Hello. I find all your vlogs very useful and I like the way you explain in great detail each subject. We are hoping to take delivery of a VW T6.1 Transporter 4 motion camper in Dec 23 and appreciate any tips and recommendations. Keep up the good work. Andrew...

That's awesome news! I'm really excited for you. Is it your first campervan? Here's my first VW campervan... back in the day: www.myvanconversion.co.uk/my-garage/vw-t2/

Hi Contora960 :) thanks for the comment... I'm really pleased you like her, she is a dream! I've put a lot of work into making her a proper off-grid camper... a mini home-from-home. By the way she has a manual transmission! If you're ever near Kent, UK then you could always hire her out for a trip: www.myvanconversion.co.uk/campervan-hire/ I'd give you a 10% discount for being the first to comment on this video :)