# Mitsubishi Delica JB500 camper new member



## jessef

I've been eyeing these for years and never picked one up for some reason. I know there's a few floating around (delicagirl?) and sparse information on the net, so I'm going to do a thread specifically on the JB500 in it's stock form for maintenance/specs and then I'll be modifying it with the usual suspension lift, 33" tires, some cutting/mods to the camper box and front/rear bumpers to make it into a mini camper similar to a domestic slide in camper/truck but more compact with better use of space and footprint.

A few fun facts considering it's over 20 years old. 

The campershell is factory built specific to the L200 4x4 4D46 Mitsubishi truck.. which is almost identical to the normal JDM L300 running gear/engine that I'm familiar with. The difference lies in the ladder truck frame vs monocoque van body. 

GVW is not much more than a standard 90's JDM L300 which was surprising considering the size difference, but then it makes sense as it's on a stripped down ladder frame truck chassis.

Interior has propane stove, 3 way 12v/120v/propane(LPG) fridge, forced air furnace, water heater and an electric 12v radiant heater. 

Full shower/sink & toilet w external removable cassette.

The windows are double glazed acrylic that are used in modern european/domestic and RV campers to eliminate condensation on windows and has manual blackout blinds. 

Sleeps 4 adults. 2 full double beds. 

Arrives in a few weeks and will start the mods right off the bat.


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## phillybarbour

Hi and welcome along to the site. Lovely van with all the features in a compact size great.


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## oldish hippy

deliica girl has one simalar to this


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## delicagirl

YEA !!!!!!!   Lovely !!!         this is identical to mind in almost every respect - except i have a small round window in the bathroom with a sliding opening vent, and i have different upholstery.

They are VERY unusual and i have only ever met  2 other owners in the UK and one of those was exported.   There is another WC member who bought one a couple of years ago but he has stopped posting.

I knew nothing about vans when i bought mine and  it has been a really steep learning curve as no manual is available anywhere.  I was in contact with Mitsubishi japan last year to discuss weights and they were helpful. Also this community gave me massive help to understand and repair mine.

So if there is anything at all i can assist with - do get in touch. I would be delighted to help/share my knowledge.

There is an Mitsuibishi owners forum and there is the odd thread on their about our vans Mitsubishi Delica Owners Club - Free to join delica l300 and l400 owners community

i love my van and have done a huge mileage in it and only use campsites rarely. Owning it has changed my life  -  and my bank balance!!

Yours has  ""forced air furnace, water heater and an electric 12v radiant heater."   -  tell me about the forced air furnace and the radiant heater as i dont have those. 

good luck


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## andyjanet

delicagirl said:


> YEA !!!!!!!   Lovely !!!         this is identical to mind in almost every respect - except i have a small round window in the bathroom with a sliding opening vent, and i have different upholstery.
> 
> They are VERY unusual and i have only ever met  2 other owners in the UK and one of those was exported.   There is another WC member who bought one a couple of years ago but he has stopped posting.
> 
> I knew nothing about vans when i bought mine and  it has been a really steep learning curve as no manual is available anywhere.  I was in contact with Mitsubishi japan last year to discuss weights and they were helpful. Also this community gave me massive help to understand and repair mine.
> 
> So if there is anything at all i can assist with - do get in touch. I would be delighted to help/share my knowledge.
> 
> There is an Mitsuibishi owners forum and there is the odd thread on their about our vans Mitsubishi Delica Owners Club - Free to join delica l300 and l400 owners community
> 
> i love my van and have done a huge mileage in it and only use campsites rarely. Owning it has changed my life  -  and my bank balance!!
> 
> Yours has  ""forced air furnace, water heater and an electric 12v radiant heater."   -  tell me about the forced air furnace and the radiant heater as i dont have those.
> 
> good luck



Delicious you forgot to mention the pink interior and the good looking gal driving it


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## The laird

Hi welcome and enjoy


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## trevskoda

andyjanet said:


> Delicious you forgot to mention the pink interior and the good looking gal driving it



You spot on there as iv had her on my sofa.:lol-053:


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## delicagirl

trevskoda said:


> You spot on there as iv had her on my sofa.:lol-053:



naughty boys !!!

I do indeed  have a pink all-girlie interior to my van...  -  but Trev's gorgeous lady was on the other end of the sofa i was sat on whilst Trev and i were chewing the fat  for a good few hours !!   i know the Irish can TALK (i am half irish)   but i reckon Trevskoda would win an award for it....    xx

Andyjanet  -   thank you ....   i took the van to my  local garage this week who diagnosed that its loss of power was due to a tired accelerator cable.... (phew!!!!) which they are going to deal with tomorrow....   and   the French transmission repair seems to have been a success - so overall i am very relieved.


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## jeanette

Hi and:welcome::camper:


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## trevskoda

delicagirl said:


> naughty boys !!!
> 
> I do indeed  have a pink all-girlie interior to my van...  -  but Trev's gorgeous lady was on the other end of the sofa i was sat on whilst Trev and i were chewing the fat  for a good few hours !!   i know the Irish can TALK (i am half irish)   but i reckon Trevskoda would win an award for it....    xx
> 
> Andyjanet  -   thank you ....   i took the van to my  local garage this week who diagnosed that its loss of power was due to a tired accelerator cable.... (phew!!!!) which they are going to deal with tomorrow....   and   the French transmission repair seems to have been a success - so overall i am very relieved.



Your good for a chat & educated one at that me las.:wave:


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## molly 2

Be aware delicia  girl told me their is no insulation so very cold  . welcome


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## delicagirl

molly 2 said:


> Be aware delicia  girl told me their is no insulation so very cold  . welcome




yes molly  -  i have lined all the cupboards with silver insulation bubblewrap stuff, i have stuffed bubble wrap into the underseating storage areas and put carptet down, have put up a really thick curtain between cab and hab and  and my gas fire is brilliant  - so its a lot warmer than it was !!!


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## runnach

delicagirl said:


> yes molly  -  i have lined all the cupboards with silver insulation bubblewrap stuff, i have stuffed bubble wrap into the underseating storage areas and put carptet down, have put up a really thick curtain between cab and hab and  and my gas fire is brilliant  - so its a lot warmer than it was !!!


 I think in general most coachbuilt styles suffer with insulation issues. In essence the cabs on all of them are still commercial with a bit of nicer seat cloth and carpets. It is the Achilles heel, I did the same with a curtain between hab and cab, then used two blankets (travel rugs) the air between the two blankets warms the place and seems to give insulation.

Roll on summer

Channa


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## jessef

Thanks guys & delicagirl !

The propane heater should be the same (fire/gas) as yours. 

I also have a diesel fired heater (little espar one) I may install if the one in the camper isn't that good.

I've had a number of campers over the years and winter camp (ski) often, so I'll be insulating this one too. 

Will post pictures as I do the mods !


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## molly 2

delicagirl said:


> yes molly  -  i have lined all the cupboards with silver insulation bubblewrap stuff, i have stuffed bubble wrap into the underseating storage areas and put carptet down, have put up a really thick curtain between cab and hab and  and my gas fire is brilliant  - so its a lot warmer than it was !!!


. Eyup Collette nice to get a post from you ,expect you have been galivanting .


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## delicagirl

molly 2 said:


> . Eyup Collette nice to get a post from you ,expect you have been galivanting .



yes i gallivanted through Eire this year and then over to France for a couple of months.....   whenever i have a few hours i will put up a post about France  (my first time there in 30 years) as i had a few interesting challenges to say the least !!!  The van now needs a new kitchen window as I reversed into a tree in a campsite one day - so a trip over to South Wales camper scappy is on the cards very soon.


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## izwozral

jessef said:


> Thanks guys & delicagirl !
> 
> The propane heater should be the same (fire/gas) as yours.
> 
> I also have a diesel fired heater (little espar one) I may install if the one in the camper isn't that good.
> 
> I've had a number of campers over the years and winter camp (ski) often, so I'll be insulating this one too.
> 
> Will post pictures as I do the mods !





Great looking van jessef. much cleaner, tidier and less bashed about than delicagirls!

wooooossshhh,i'm off:wave::wave::lol-053:


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## delicagirl

jessef said:


> Thanks guys & delicagirl !
> 
> The propane heater should be the same (fire/gas) as yours.
> 
> I also have a diesel fired heater (little espar one) I may install if the one in the camper isn't that good.
> 
> I've had a number of campers over the years and winter camp (ski) often, so I'll be insulating this one too.
> 
> Will post pictures as I do the mods !



i got my gas fire checked out by GASSAFE guy who specialises in LPG gas appliances when i first go it.   this may i had my gas system tested and it was running at 98% efficiency  so i was really chuffed.

I find the fire heats the van in next to no time - but i do have very thick double lined curtains.   The habitation entry-foot well is the coldest area - and i plan to velcro a new curtain to cover the door frame in the winter.

 i also got someone to glue thin carpet to the wall in the dining area (and the downstairs bed area) and this has warmed it up considerably.


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## delicagirl

izwozral said:


> Great looking van jessef. much cleaner, tidier and less bashed about than delicagirls!
> 
> wooooossshhh,i'm off:wave::wave::lol-053:



i do have a few scrapes in the van....   but inside is clean and luvverly  -  outside is a real deterrent to thieves !!!


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## jessef

delicagirl said:


> i got my gas fire checked out by GASSAFE guy who specialises in LPG gas appliances when i first go it.   this may i had my gas system tested and it was running at 98% efficiency  so i was really chuffed.
> 
> I find the fire heats the van in next to no time - but i do have very thick double lined curtains.   The habitation entry-foot well is the coldest area - and i plan to velcro a new curtain to cover the door frame in the winter.
> 
> i also got someone to glue thin carpet to the wall in the dining area (and the downstairs bed area) and this has warmed it up considerably.



Thanks ! I'll keep those tips in mind when I'm winterizing mine. Is the gas fire loud or quiet ? Does it run constantly or how often does it cycle on and off ? Cheers


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## yorkslass

Hi,:welcome::wave::wave:


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## delicagirl

jessef said:


> Thanks ! I'll keep those tips in mind when I'm winterizing mine. Is the gas fire loud or quiet ? Does it run constantly or how often does it cycle on and off ? Cheers



The gas fire  is exceptionally quiet   and it trips in and out on a thermostat depending on the ambient temperature.  i would not be without it.  but i do get it checked out annually.   there is a meter which LPG gassafe engineers carry which they stick down my exhaust flue and test the efficiency...  doesn't take long.


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## runnach

delicagirl said:


> The gas fire  is exceptionally quiet   and it trips in and out on a thermostat depending on the ambient temperature.  i would not be without it.  but i do get it checked out annually.   there is a meter which LPG gassafe engineers carry which they stick down my exhaust flue and test the efficiency...  doesn't take long.


 flue analyser that analyses exhaust gasses and points to a problem ,,Part of the journey as you are well aware is learning and understanding your van, it becomes a living thing, that we tend and nourish to ensure it takes care of us 

Channa


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## jessef

delicagirl said:


> The gas fire  is exceptionally quiet   and it trips in and out on a thermostat depending on the ambient temperature.  i would not be without it.  but i do get it checked out annually.   there is a meter which LPG gassafe engineers carry which they stick down my exhaust flue and test the efficiency...  doesn't take long.



That's great info thanks ! 

How cold outside have you been while sleeping in the camper with the heat on ?


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## Clarke05

*Mitsubishi L300 JB500*



jessef said:


> I've been eyeing these for years and never picked one up for some reason. I know there's a few floating around (delicagirl?) and sparse information on the net, so I'm going to do a thread specifically on the JB500 in it's stock form for maintenance/specs and then I'll be modifying it with the usual suspension lift, 33" tires, some cutting/mods to the camper box and front/rear bumpers to make it into a mini camper similar to a domestic slide in camper/truck but more compact with better use of space and footprint.
> 
> A few fun facts considering it's over 20 years old.
> 
> The campershell is factory built specific to the L200 4x4 4D46 Mitsubishi truck.. which is almost identical to the normal JDM L300 running gear/engine that I'm familiar with. The difference lies in the ladder truck frame vs monocoque van body.
> 
> GVW is not much more than a standard 90's JDM L300 which was surprising considering the size difference, but then it makes sense as it's on a stripped down ladder frame truck chassis.
> 
> Interior has propane stove, 3 way 12v/120v/propane(LPG) fridge, forced air furnace, water heater and an electric 12v radiant heater.
> 
> Full shower/sink & toilet w external removable cassette.
> 
> The windows are double glazed acrylic that are used in modern european/domestic and RV campers to eliminate condensation on windows and has manual blackout blinds.
> 
> Sleeps 4 adults. 2 full double beds.
> 
> Arrives in a few weeks and will start the mods right off the bat.



Nice example, I have one of these and it is not quite as tidy on the inside. I have already had a number of mods done to enhance it's off road capability, extra ground clearance mainly as running gear is solid and well up to the task. I also had a turbo fitted, the 69bhp 2.5NA diesel really struggled on hills.


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## delicagirl

jessef said:


> That's great info thanks !
> 
> How cold outside have you been while sleeping in the camper with the heat on ?



I'm a tough Lancashire lass....   -  heat on at night ???  that's what we call nesh......  woolly hat, scarf, pure wool arab blanket on top of my duvet.....    at -10degrees - twere a wee bit chilly.  some of the external locks froze that night -  it was January in Scotland. 


https://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forum...lp-please-me-re-weight-issues.html?highlight=

this is a very long thread about weight.    Do either of your two Delica owners have a "plate" in your engine or under the front of the drivers seat specifying the weight - mine had been removed prior to my owning it?  Mitsubishi in Japan told me it was a 2.5 - so i have a fairly small payload.

This thread shows you that i had to go to Mitsubishi in Japan to get an answer as to whether it was possible to "lift" the rear end.


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## Herman

Hope you enjoy your camper, I had a 4 wheel drive L300 and loved it, I raised it 3" by making extended spring shackles for the rear and tenstioned the torsion bars at the front to get a set of 31" tyres under the arches.


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## jessef

I used to fabricate suspension lift kits and custom bumpers for L300's so I've got a good idea what I'll be doing for this one. Should be fun ! 

Here's a few of my creations. 


before 



after


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## delicagirl

whilst in France i developed a leak from the main water tank - as fast as i filled it up it drained away from a really weird place -  behind the water tank yet quite high off the ground. Some of the ply was visibly cracked - how that happened is mysterious.   I took it for repairs today and discovered another wee quirk of these lovely vans....

On the internal floor of the water tank   is a plug  just like a kitchen sink plug  -  goodness knows why  -  as there is a perfectly good drain tap/piping alongside the 90 litre water tank under the rear seating block.   The mechanic removed this plug which looked corroded with limescale.  He cleaned it off and also sealed up the external end of the pipe it was connected to  - he could see no reason for it  (other than German over engineering) .

I'll wait a day or two for the sealant to set then fill it and report back here.


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## delicagirl

have you  guys found your weight plate yet please?  -  or is there a weight on your Logbook


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## jessef

Still waiting on mine. It was supposed to arrive but will be coming in late. Have you went to a truck weight scale to check the weight on yours ? We have them here beside the highways for large trucks to weigh in.


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## jessef

Finally got time to get working on it ! Bit of a lift, stiffer suspension so it's not wobbly and some bigger tires now the ride is nice and firm.

Delicagirl... I was lucky to get a manual with the camper but it's all in Japanese. 

How does the LPG gas system work with the heater and the cooker ? Cheers !


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