VW Transporter T5 Windsurfing Van
Having returned from South Africa i felt i needed to take on a project of my own so i decided to convert a VW Transporter T5 panel van into a windsurfing van. The base vehicle is a January 2009 LWB, 174bhp Kombi van with sliding doors on both sides and a tailgate, two front captains seats and three rear seats which are removable. It has a full spec including; EW, EM, AC, 6 speed gearbox, 'Sportline' Alloy wheels, detachable tow bar, and a cushioned rubber floor.
The conversion i planned was to fit an internal load platform to creat two storage areas one for wet gear below and one for dry gear above while still allowing the five seats to be used. The platform was to be easily removed to allow for use as a van when needed. The platform would be used for clothes, fridge, and all the other stuff needed on a wekend trip. It could also be used as a bed platform if required and so must be able to support the weight of two people.
The scope of the modifications were as follows;
1. Insulate and carpet the roof and walls
2. Fit 6 additional LED downlights, four in the rear on one circuit and two above the rear seats that can also act as reading lights
3. Upgrade the car radio to a Pioneer AVIC 900BT which includes a DVD player, Bluetooth hands free, iPod dock, SD card player, 4 x 50W amp and new speakers
4. Fit 4 additional 12V accessory sockets, two in the rear for firdge, etc. and two for rear seat passengers
5. Fit 500W invertor to provide mains power.
6. Fit a leisure battery to power the new lights, upgraded in car entertainment, invertor and additional 12v sockets.
7. Colour code all the bumpers, mirrors and tailgate handles and fit new 'Sportline' front bumper to complement the existing wheels
The work is now finshed although in the process i have identified a number of other desirable improvements such as; lowering the ride height by 40mm, fitting roof rails, fitting swivel plates to the two captains seats and fitting a rear flip down screen for viewing DVD's.
I would like to thank the following people for their help in gettting me to the stage where i knew what i wanted;
Mat at Wagencraft in Solihull http://www.wagencraft.com/
Graham at Exploria http://www.exploria-online.co.uk/
Bob at Vanbodies http://www.vanbodies.co.uk/
Here are links to some of the suppliers that i used;
Ultra LED's in Macclesfield who supplied the 'warm' white LED downlighters
Ribblesdale Auto electrical who supplied the leisure battery, volt sensitive relay and a full kit of wiring, fuse holders, switches and terminations, they were very helpful.
I had the front bumper supplied from Plas Auto in Morecambe and they also sprayed up the other plastic trim
The insulation came from Homebase and was recycled plastic bottles i used five rolls in total. The car carpet and spray adhesive came from Coverdale.
Here are some pictures of the work in progress;
Six new LED downlights (warm white from Ultra LED's) four at the back switched independently from the two over the rear seats which can be used as reading lights all fed from the new leisure battery.
Insulation now installed after lighting tested
Leisure battery was installed under the passenger seat a volt sensitive relay was used straight off the existing battery to avoid problems with the vehicle wiring. Six fused supplies were fitted one for In car entertainment, two for lighting, two for additional power sockets and one spare.
Sides of van now insulated and new rear speaker box and power sockets ready for mounting.
Photos showing bumpers, carpeting and load platform to follow.