Yes - it really IS a Scudo!

[SoKal]

Welcome to my 'Surrender Monkey Surf Van' thread.

Here's how it all started last week :

43k on the clock, FSH (ex lease) and the quietest oil burner I've ever heard (2.0l JTD - plenty of poke!). All for much bargain-ness!

It was all bulkheaded and ply-lined - uhgggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!

But that soon changed!



Copious amounts of 'Flashband' followed :

Followed by the 'tried and tested' foil-backed insulation (first layer) :

More sound proofing under the cab floor :

And a good scrub for the rubber flooring :

Full length headlining (from a combi) is on its way, to be retrimmed in something nice and loud.

Rear plastics (from a taxi) are also on their way to help tidy up the back.

Ply floor covered in Altro will be done.

Basic rear seat / bed combi will be fabricated and that will basically be it.

Pics and progress to follow.....

 

[kangooroo]

I look forward to watching this project develop.

I have a plan for adapting (not full conversion) the same model for camping while also retaining it as a dual-purpose business van (which overcomes the hurdle of insuring a camper for 'carriage of goods in connection with business'...).

 

[SoKal]

In the interests of helping folk out, if there's anything anyone thinks needs expanding upon in this thread, please let me know and I'll add some details

 

[SoKal]

So, today I have been mostly carpetting and insulating. I finished off the roof with foil backed bubblewrap and then put 'jute felt' over the Flashband on the rear arches - this will be all hidden by the combi rear plastics that also arrived today - pics of all that lot when I've done a bit more.



In the meantime, I also carpetted the cab area.



I used a carpet square from my local trimming supplies as follows :


Take a 'carpet square' (£10) :

Throw it roughly into place to take a few measurements :

Trim it to shape :

Tidy up the edges by simply cutting over-sized and then folding the carpet back on itself (don't forget the relief cuts on internal curves) :

Tidy up the mini-bulkhead with an off-cut :

And put all the seats and trim back in :

OK - it's not really much more than a very big 'carpet mat' set - but it cost far less and makes the van less 'van-like'

I guess it does help to have been an ex-Bentley interior trimmer in a former life - but if really isn't that hard - so any questions, please just ask

 

[Deleted member 10329]

Have been looking at these recently on the motorway and thinking they had just enougth height to make a day van/camper arrangement. Some cracking quality work going on here, look forward to seeing it progress!

 

[SoKal]

Not really done much recently, as I've been working.

However, got the majority of the first layer of insulation done - using the trusty old 'foil-backed bubblewrap' on the panels and some 'jute felt' on the arches. There's 'Flashband' underneath all that lot - but you've already seen pics of that, and it kind of looks the same.......

The felt on the floor is just temporary to keep the noise down a bit...

And to show that this van still has to earn it's keep and do 'daily driver' stuff - here's it doing a tip run!

 

[Bod]

Nice job and cant wait to see it finished. I would be interested in what the total budget was when its finished also.

 

[SoKal]

Nice job and cant wait to see it finished. I would be interested in what the total budget was when its finished also.

Oh - OK - I'll try and keep a running total - just don't tell the wife!

2 x foil-backed bubblewrap £32
3 x rolls of Flashband £35
Carpet Square £10
2 x Aerosol glue £9
3m Jute Felt £18
Rear plastics (from taxi) £60
Material (from Hawaii) £62
Front Component speakers £45

So that's £271 so far - although I sold the bulkhead, ply lining kit and hand wash unit for £170 in total, so I've really only 'spent' £101

 

[winchman]

Its looking good
Good caravan breaker in St.Helens if you are stuck for any bits, very cheap too.
Kellett's Caravan Spares
Warehouse, Webb Street, St Helens, WA9 3EE
Tel: 01744 757840

 

[SoKal]

Look what arrived in the post from Hawaii today......

Going to retrim my headlining with this - plus maybe make a cab divider if there's enough left over........

 

[SoKal]

OK - I spent some of yesterday T-Cutting the van - but no pics, as a clean white van is still just a white van ..... but I'm currently working on some ideas to brighten it up a little on the outside.

However, today I went and collected my E Bay bargain of the year - an Ikea sofa bed in very nice condition - for £4.99!

The mattress stuff is FAR too heavy for my liking, so will be getting replaced with foam at some point, but I'll secure the frame to the bulkhead bit and it's a VERY cheap rock and roll bed solution!

You'll notice I've had to test fit with my interior plastics that I also got off E Bay - a bit more pricey at £60, but far neater than ply lining and will look fine once they've been resprayed.

That's about all for now

 

[SoKal]

OK - little updates on stuff that I've blagged recently....

It took me a while to source one (fairly) locally - but here's the newly acquired (Euro Taxi) rear roof lining 'test fitted' :

The moulded shape would have been a 'mare to recreate with ply - plus it comes lower on the back two panels, making the ply work that will follow MUCH easier to sort out!

I also couldn't resist these when they came up at a decent price only an hour away! They're only 15s, but it means I can swap the load rated (and very decent condition) tyres on my steelies straight over - once I've refurbed them (not sure what colour yet) :

I reckon they look OK .......

 

[SoKal]

And a bit more today, seeing as it was sunny!

Got some Vibe components off E Bay a few weeks ago, so I ripped out the standard cassette player () and fitted a spare Goodmans USB head unit for the time being and put the componenents in the doors.

The 6.5" main speaks fit in the OEM place, but the crossovers were too big to be hidden (the drop glass takes a LOT of space in the front door!) and the tweeters only came with the surface mounts, which was OK, as they're big units and space on the door cards is not that plentiful.

They'll do for now at least....

Door card removed (easy) - I lifted the edge of the vapour seal and applied some flashband to help deaden the sound (not shown - you all know what Flashband looks like by now!) :

Crossover fitted in the door card recess :

Woofer and Crossover in place :

'Bodge-it' wiiring tidied up :

Speakers all fitted and door card back on :

Sound quality is OK, if a little 'light' but I think that's more to do with the cack head unit and lack of amp than the speakers.

When funds are spare, I'll get a little sub, a better head unit (Bluetooth and USB) and an amp to drive the speakers a little harder, but for now it'll do......

 

[SoKal]

BUSY day! It may not seem it from the photos, but I promise you it has been!

Today I decided to make a start on the head lining - both the cab one that was already in the van, and the rear one I got last week from a Euro Taxi.

Now, given that I learned how to trim interiors whilst working at Bentley, I would class myself as 'half decent' at it - but the headlinings in the Scudo have been a nightmare, partly due to the compound curves and partly down to the material.

Anyway - here goes. First off - make good the holes put in by the taxi company :

As the headlining is VERY wide, I had to apply the 1/8" scrim foam in two pieces. For those that don't know, scrim foam is thin sheets of foam backed in material, and it's used to create a thin cushioned backing to the top layer of material. It's used a lot in top end interiors for that touch of extra comfort.......

And a little tip for those not used to using aerosol adhesive - it should look like a spider's web when applied - sprayed on from about 10" away....

Rain interrupted me a lot today - but here's the finished rear headlining with scrim foam applied all over (the join line is visible - but won't be when the job is finished!)

Next up was to scrim the front (cab) head lining - the creases show just what a nightmare this bit was to cover! (Anyone that's seen my work will know that I really DON'T do creases!)

So - with rain holding me up and having had headaches just putting the scrim on, I was going to call it a day........

But I didn't!

Although at numerous points I wish I had!

I decided to crack on applying my genuine Hawaiian sourced material to the cab headlining..... and FOUR HOURS later, this is what I ended up with!

Have to say, it's the trickiest and most time consuming bit of trimming I've ever done....... and whilst far from perfect in my eyes, it's really not too bad at all and looks absolutely stunning in the van! (although you'll need to wait for pics of that, as I want to do the other bit first!)

 

[Deleted member 10329]

I'm really taken by these medium vans at the moment for a day van/long weekend camper type conversion & I'm guessing getting windows into the sliding side doors would be easy enough by taxi/car spares? Am loving the conversion and can't wait to see the roof lining completed - and such a neat job on the carpeting - more patience than me!

 

[Fred Flange]

I have just caught up with this thread.

Like everyone else, I am fascinated by the progress you have made, and can't wait to see further developments.

Thank you for sharing this with us all

Best

Fred F.

 

[woodbine]

updates....pleeeze

Hi, when is the next update? I have a Scudo Combi, LHD, and I'm reading your conversion with great interest. I'd love to do something similar with my Combi, I even have the Ikea sofa bed ready!
I'd like to know if the scrim is easier to fit if it was done in more sections.
In my van rear I have the rubber floor and I am thinking to replace with a ply/Altro floor, so that the sofa bed has a decent fixing. Not sure how to best finish the edges where it meets the plastic side panels and where the sliding door closes. Plus how best to insulate under the ply.

 

[Deleted member 13859]

scuby doo

love it

welcome to the club, you'll be inundated with request for you to do vans for folks.

great job well done and keep the info coming.

tranivanman:welcome:

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I've recently bought an 03 2.0HDi Expert van to adapt into a single berth camper (wife isn't interested !)
Luckilly it has the two single seats instead of the single and double so possible to "walk though" from front to rear.
The floorpan is the same as the Peugeot 806, Citroen Synergie & Fiat Ulysse MPV's so I'm now looking for a pair of swivel front captains seats (or at least the bases) out of these.
A bit late seeing you have already carpeted but the mini bulkhead behind front seats is easily removable and non structual. A Torx screw on each B pillar and then just 4 small tack welds to cut.
I paid £25 for my Ikea sofa bed - a single. It's a LYCKSELE and has a decent foam mattress. They are available in single or double width. I'm not attaching the sofa bed to the floor as I will need to move it forward when in transit to release space to carry my mobility buggy (which will be chained up outside when on sites etc).
If I really need to anchor things to floor then Koller Welcome to Koller or Unwin Rail Products - Product range - Unwin Safety Systems tracking will be used.
I'm keeping the offside rear panel and door plain but putting windows in the rest of the van. Searching I find these are the cheapest -
http://www.leisurevehiclewindows.co...w_racetruck_horsebox_planton_windows_2011.pdf
The offside, between C post and wheelarch has a perfect ledge already in situ for mounting a leisure battery

Paul H

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Just ordered a swivel seat base (just passenger side as handbrake will foul on drivers) from -
Motorhome Spares
£85.55 including delivery

Paul H