Little Extras

Over the course of this build, I've added a few extra bits that might be useful for people to be aware of, so here they are:

The same method of attaching the curtain rail, I used the excess to hang a washing/hanging line in the back half of the van.

I used some simple 54p nail bed plates from Wickes to protect the carpet lining from repeated opening and closing of the rear doors.

 A cheap shoe organiser that normally goes behind doors was acquired from Dunelm for £3.50 and screwed onto the wall opposite for the bed for a very useful storage section.

The ultimate aim is to gain a leisure battery for use in the back of the van, or one that links to the main battery, to charge entertainment items such as laptop etc for those longer/wetter trips away. However, in the interim, this power inverter plugs into the cigarette lighter and can power your laptop, with another usb charging port too. Only cost me £17 from Lidl. Untested as yet, but I'm sure it will prove useful. Also fits in cup holder.

Mattress/Foam Covers

So I decided to split my foam mattress in half (to make it easier to store/transport and no fold crease in it) and make a cover for it, so I used the old sheet it was wrapped it and got to work!

Now, I'm not very good at sewing (at all!) so I used the below pictured heat bonding iron on stuff to hold the whole thing together:

I then ironed on some velcro strips to be able to close the flap to contain the foam, and to also stick to each other so that the two seperate pieces of foam don't slide away from each other during the night.

Maiden Vogage

The van is finally ready for it's maiden voyage to Fontainebleau, just south of Paris in France, for a 4 day rock climbing trip.

Slept like a treat, no excess light etc, except it was a little chilly, so I had to buy a cheap duvet to go over the top of my sleeping bag 
I think this was due to no roof insulation, so all the heat was lost there, so that's a task for a bit further down the line.
Much easier to pitch and to get dressed etc etc in than a tent though!