# Citroen relay conversion - completed at last-  Pic Heavy!



## twosugars

Its Alive! My beautiful creature is alive!  MWaHaHaHaHa! 

After three and a bit months, Igor (dad) and i have finished the latest Project. My old vw T4 was getting a bit long in the tooth so, having passed it on to a nice lady in Hove, i was casting about for a new van to convert. Movanos just didnt inspire me, and i would rather push a t4 than drive a transit, i then was seduced by a very smart 2010 Citroen relay L3H2 van at North star in Sayers Common not far from me in Seaford.

They put a new mot on it and gave it a service and then it was Mine all mine!

The only fault i could find on it was the heater blower fan only ran on full speed. Aha! thinks i, i know what that is, the resistor pack in the passenger footwell. Changed that, and the grubby old pollen filter that was causing the fan to draw more current and it was problem solved. Now for the build. I didn't get any photos during the build (too much time spent working / swearing / trying to staunch the bleeding) but finally she is finished - and my dad and i are still talking to each other. - Result!



























Thule manual step under the sliding door and fridge grills and 240v connection socket on drivers side. All bonded windows supplied by Tradevanwindows.co.uk very helpful and efficient service!  








Large garage space at rear to take paddles and canoeing gear plus telescopic ladder and table storage. Water storage is two large water drums (halfords) one reserve, the other with a whale submersible pump on the end of a hose through the cap and the other end directly to the tap and controlled by the taps microswitch, easier to sterilise.  Gas bottle storage with two drop outs under van.



I decided to keep all the water/ gas/ electric systems as simple as possible. Most parts come from halfords/ b&Q to make sourcing spares easier if i have a problem while away somewhere 





















Fixed single rear bed above garage, walls and doors insulated with loft insulation, sealed with plastic sheet and lined with 8th ply with ivory leatherete covering. Thermal lined curtains. Led wall light either end of the bed. 





 



 The rear compartment has a privacy curtain and, because there are no opening windows in rear bedroom, there is a mushroom vent on the roof with a 12v silent computer fan within the thickness of the roof for ventilation. hidden behind a speaker grill (which acts as a flyscreen) and controlled by a purpose made CBE modular rheostat. 12v power socket for charging tablet / phone.














Wardrobe and three way fridge on left. Storage above and below fridge and a pull out step to help me up onto the high rear bed. Fiamma Porta flush in vented cupoard at bottom of wardrobe (slides out). The wardrobe door gives some privacy when it is open. Lumo dimmable touchlight and  Fiamma crystal opening roof vent/light above (johns cross)










 









Kitchen area. B&q worktop with Smev sink and two ring stove. two large cupboards under with four slide out plastic storage boxes in each cupboard. One cupboard for pots pans and utensils, the other for food and stores. B&q chrome shower rack mounted on wall to hold tea towels, beer steins, etc. Wipe clean oilcloth splashback on wall behind stove  (Dunelm mill) with two Lumo led spotlights above. room on door end of worktop for tabletop oven with 240v socket on end of unit. Swing bin under. Cak grey water storage tank under floor.















Rear passenger seat with seatbelt. reading light, Propex heater controller, 12v and 240 sockets on wall beside seat. Propex heater mounted in void space under false floor beneath seat allowing for battery storage and sleeping bag storage under seat itself. Gas drop outs in void space. propex air intake through grill by wardrobe door, hot air outlet in front of rear seat. combined co1 and smoke alarm above seat 

































Discrete steel frame on front of seat pulls out and seat cushions (fire resistant) drop down to form 6ft 2" second bed in conjunction with drivers seat.





















Dining table (usually stored in rear garage) hooks on side window sill. Led wall light above next to sig control panel.















 And lounge without table















Passenger front seat in rotated position. False floor section stops driver and passengers feet danglig in mid air when seats are turned to "lounge" position. Fire extinguisher by sliding door.






 



Storage above cab for thermal screens for cab windows. Lumo led dimmable touchlight to provide brighter illumination when needed. Also provides discrete blue nightlight when off.















In the cab, original drivers seat with new seat swivel fitted. Double passenger seat removed and drivers seat from rhd german vehicle fitted (Ebay) with seat belt receiver on correct side and new swivel under. NOTE connecting the foreign seat belt pretensioner plug to the uk harness on the cab floor will cause the airbag warning light to come on. The original passenger seat wasnt connected on mine (no pretensioner) so i taped up both ends under the seat.
Hand brake extender fitted









Strap saddle from marine chandlers screwed to dashboard between seats and a vw t4 cup holder (Just Kampers) slightly modified to drop into it to provide removeable cup holder.











 










The van came with an overhead shelf above the windscreen that was just right to bang your forehad on (its a citroen thing - apparently the fiat ducato doesn't have it) Shelf removed and original headlining holes filled then over covered with mega stretch lining carpet.(Mega Van mats) rather pleased with the result! Another Lumo dimmable touchlight to replace original cab light but wired to leisure electrics instead of vehicles 





 



Finally, a Labcraft "Astro" led outside light (Johns cross motorhomes) fitted above sliding door, switch fitted to end of cupboard just inside door.








And basically, thats it. I'm sure there will be some minor modifications as time goes on but as it stands we are rather pleased with how its gone. The rhino rack roof bars mean my dad and i can get our two 16ft open canoes on easily and get out there. 

Dad now refers to it as the "Escape Module", But not in front of mum strangely...


Thanks for reading. Now go and have a cuppa. You've earned it!

 chris


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## The laird

Enjoyed your post very much indeed.great you took the time to share it with us ,we'll done indeed and you should be proud.


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## Discokegs

Nice little van you've of there. Great thread, I love a load of pics and descriptions to say what you've created.


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## trevskoda

Just as good if not better than a of the shelf van love it.


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## Robmac

Cracking job!


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## CAL

You've done a fantastic job and should be well pleased with the results, it looks great.


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## karlpe

You and your dad should be chuffed to bits with your van, superb job.
Enjoy.


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## Yogihughes

Brilliant van and a very informative posting. Good luck and wish you well!


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## 2cv

That looks lovely, perfect vehicle to attend ICCCR2016


[video=youtube_share;IeUsNovu2IE]http://youtu.be/IeUsNovu2IE[/video]


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## jack the dog

*Nice job*

Looks very nice attention to detail.
Liked the swivel seats what are they out of need some for my Renault Master
Thanks


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## twosugars

jack the dog said:


> Looks very nice attention to detail.
> Liked the swivel seats what are they out of need some for my Renault Master
> Thanks



The swivel plates are these,  Buy CTA Seat Swivels and get Online Discounts - Outdoor Bits. And are solid, not wobbly like some out there!

Drivers seat is original vehicle with swivel fitted. Passenger side was found on ebay, its the drivers seat from a German (left hand drive) Ducato. Easier than putting a second UK drivers seat on the passenger side then having to try and move the seat belt receiver mount which is welded to the (now) wrong side of the seat

Swivel plates went straight in with no faffing about, fast delivery too!

Chris


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## phillybarbour

Nice conversion and very neat work, love the map wall in kitchen.


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## Grimola

Excellent job - well impressed! Hope to complete mine in next month - missus refuses to have a porta loo in the van though which I think is a mistake.


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## Polar Bear

Fantastic conversion. Well done and good attention to detail!  
Where did you get the lights and switches from?
Thanks for sharing.


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## sentient

Love the map in the kitchen!!


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## rockape

Like you, I just LOVE the kitchen.


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## slider

Lovely job good design idea the map. Like you I have clean water container inside van would love to know where you got the cap from been looking for something like that or did you just cut a hole in the cap.


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## twosugars

Polar Bear said:


> Fantastic conversion. Well done and good attention to detail!
> Where did you get the lights and switches from?
> Thanks for sharing.



Thanks polar bear, the wall lights are bailey caravan led lights from caravantech at Hurst green in East Sussex and the ceiling lights are Lumo Touchlights from Amazon. switches are CBE modular switches Bought through O'Leary motorhomes online


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## twosugars

slider said:


> Lovely job good design idea the map. Like you I have clean water container inside van would love to know where you got the cap from been looking for something like that or did you just cut a hole in the cap.



Hi slider, the drum is the 25L Aventura water drum from halfords. The cap has an inner threaded hole that the tap winds into. It comes with a small blanking cap for if you aren't using the tap.

 I just drilled out the centre of the blanking cap, leaving a very small gap alongside the hose for air admittance to prevent the small 12v whale pump on the end of the hose causing a vacuum in the drum. If you had a larger diameter hose you could just use the threaded hole.


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## Betty berlingo

*Cracking van*

This is a cracking conversion well done hope you have a lot of great getaways in it. I am trying myself with a little Berlingo to see how it goes but I bet after all that swearing and cursing you felt a lot of self satisfaction when it was finished well done


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## twosugars

Thanks Betty, there's nothing like knowing that it's all your own work. If something breaks, you know how it went together and how to fix it! Plus, it's tailor made to your own requirements.

Meanwhile, the "Escape Module" is still evolving. 3 metre long fiamma F45 wind out awning on fiamma Ducato mounting brackets. I did think about the F65 but it would foul the canoe bars on the roof. Didn't bother with the £70 fiamma rain guard that stops rain running down the back of the cassette in in the door. 

Bought a length of 2" plastic right angle from b&q (found it in the hardware aisle with the lengths of metal bar and flat steel and ally) and with a bit of sikaflex it drops down behind the cassette and clips in against an extruded aluminium ridge on the back. The other leg of the plastic angle sticks to the van roof. Looks smart and £60 saved. 









Woo hoo! Canoeing in glen affric and on loch awe in two weeks! :banana:


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## twosugars

sentient said:


> Love the map in the kitchen!!



Thanks Sentient, it's a vynyl tablecloth bought off the roll at dunelm mill sprayglued to a ply backing with dark green screwcaps hiding the fixings. I wanted something wipe downable behind the cooker and sink.


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## caminoman

*windows*

Hey twosugars.   I've just bought a 2008 relay and have been fretting over whether to buy bonded windows for it.  I can't get my head around the cutout for them and whether I'd have to cut through the 7" upright in the middle of the van to fit the long slider.  I spoke to Vanpimps today, then saw your post when I got home.  Interesting to see your link to their trade site!  It's been really interesting to see pics of your conversion and love the more recent photos of your travels too.  Any reassurance on window fitting would be much appreciated.  Thanks.


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## n brown

just had a proper look at your pics. excellent job with good ideas, lots packed in but a good use of space so still room to sit around . well done !


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## Dowel

Like this, lots of good practical ideas nicely done. You deserve to relax and enjoy now. 

I really like the map but absence of polar regions would get to me. I know it makes sense in respect to the pattern repeat but can't help it I am just too picky.


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## Grimola

Very nice - and excellent use of space, unlike mine which  I converted last year (1st ever conversion). I have the older 2005 boxer minibus. and looking back, there are many things I would have done differently (wish I went for a rock n roll bed! )but I was a complete novice with very limited DIY skills so learnt as I went along.  I guess it will never be finished as there will always be something I want to add or change. Did you stick to your budget - I seemed to have spent twice as much as originally planned!


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## twosugars

Grimola said:


> Very nice - and excellent use of space, unlike mine which  I converted last year (1st ever conversion). I have the older 2005 boxer minibus. and looking back, there are many things I would have done differently (wish I went for a rock n roll bed! )but I was a complete novice with very limited DIY skills so learnt as I went along.  I guess it will never be finished as there will always be something I want to add or change. Did you stick to your budget - I seemed to have spent twice as much as originally planned!



I went over budget on a couple of bits, the fiamma awning was one but it was worth it for the shade on a hot day!

I learnt a lot from my first vw transporter conversion but there are still things I look at and add to.


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## alwaysared

twosugars said:


> there's nothing like knowing that it's all your own work. If something breaks, you know how it went together and how to fix it! Plus, it's tailor made to your own requirements.



Couldn't agree more, I wish I had the skills to do one, great conversion by the way.

Regards,
Del


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## twosugars

caminoman said:


> Hey twosugars.   I've just bought a 2008 relay and have been fretting over whether to buy bonded windows for it.  I can't get my head around the cutout for them and whether I'd have to cut through the 7" upright in the middle of the van to fit the long slider.  I spoke to Vanpimps today, then saw your post when I got home.  Interesting to see your link to their trade site!  It's been really interesting to see pics of your conversion and love the more recent photos of your travels too.  Any reassurance on window fitting would be much appreciated.  Thanks.



Cutting the window holes was nerve wracking! Cover the whole panel in masking tape on the outside to give you something to mark out the pattern on. I bought a pair of draper hand panel nibblers online for about £18. Hard on the hands, but much easier to control than a disc cutter which can heat and warp the panel. The instructions which came with my windows were spot on, but the instructions here are just as good. 

Installation Advice (windows)

The Glazers suction handles are an absolute godsend when it comes to offering up the window and stops you getting covered in the black sealant. Also, the sealant is much thicker than silicone sealant. Make sure your sealant gun is strong enough to squeeze it out. My cheepo b&q gun snapped. Maybe warming the tubes in warm water might help?

A couple of days after I'd fitted the window and the glue had fully cured, went round the top and sides outside with a thin bead of clear silicon sealant to stop any rain running down and sitting on top of the black glue/sealant behind the glass. Probably not essential, but I'm happier with it. 

If you have any black sealant over, it is brilliant for glueing timber battens to the inside of the roof to support your roof lining and celutex insulation! 

Hope this helps!

Chris


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## n brown

as someone with an aversion to tools that are driven by hand ie nibblers, disc cutters using 1mm blades don't get hot enough to distort metal, or you can use a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade. if you use either of these , cover all nearby paintwork and glass in cardboard or cloth to protect from hot swarf. also if using a jigsaw wear a scarf to stop the red hot particles tattooing your chest and neck


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## twosugars

With my shaky hands they don't let me play with power tools!


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## 1888

n brown said:


> as someone with an aversion to tools that are driven by hand ie nibblers, disc cutters using 1mm blades don't get hot enough to distort metal, or you can use a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade. if you use either of these , cover all nearby paintwork and glass in cardboard or cloth to protect from hot swarf. also if using a jigsaw wear a scarf to stop the red hot particles tattooing your chest and neck



Prefer the jig saw myself. Never used nibblers but this was my attempt with a disk. See bottom right and top. Much better control with a jig saw. I was using boat windows so had a large lip to cover that mess. This time round i am covering over rather than cutting out what should be more straight forward though. 
I am ordering a welder come Friday and going to teach myself a new skill. Should be a laugh if not anything else


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