e-Dispatch diy Camper van build.

I finaly got my van to do my camper van build.


It's not the van I ordered way back in June which was going to be the Vivaro-e due for this March. I was in the Vauxhaul garage 10 days ago and finally got a new date after double checking the specs in the updated years systems. I was given an August date and promptly canceled the order.

Over the weekend I checked out the second hand options (non existant back last June) which had a few reasonable options especially for the Citroen e-dispatch variant of the van. I went for a Feb 22 registered van used as a demonstrator with 4000miles on it. No fancy options but £15000 less than I was going to get the Vaxhaul for.

Only real issue was it was in Belfast and I would have to get it back to Bristol. The Belfast -Liverpool ferry was fully booked so back via Dublin an Hollyhead for a real inital test of dealing with an electric van.

I picked it up Thursday morning after catching the 7am frlight from Bristol to Belfast. Very impressed by the service from Charles Hurst in Belfast. An easy drive down to Dublin with a few stops on the way to mess around trying to get a handle on everything. The fact I had to have the fan on to get any heating caught me out for a while. My first Charge just by the port in Dublin and more hours killed while waiting for the 8pm ferry. Into Hollyhead for midnight and a rapid trip along the north Wales coast with a howling tailwind to Rhyl and the carpar with 18 AC charges but only me and a BMW using them. My first night sleeping in the van was rather sparse with just a sleeping mat and my sleeping bag.

Next morning fully chareged at 8am and off via McDonalds to Jacksons Leisure on the Wirrle to pick up various things including Water Tank and pump and bits of plumbing kit, porta potti, multi stretch carpeting and some expensive fancy wood for doing kitchen stuff in. Then on for the drive back to Bristoldown the A41 to Whitchurch where I grew up andthe old farmiliar A49, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Leominster, Heroford, Monmouth Chepstow route. I was expecting to have to stop and charge at some point but the weather was such that the heater was off and the van just kept going. Come Heroford it looked like I could make it home with a bail out at the old severn bridge services 10 miles short.

191 miles since Rhyl and down to about 5% left when I got home. Very happy to get slightly better than the quoted range. No motorway driving but keeping up with the traffic on the roads I was on. Very much the style of driving I like to do on longer trips.

Over the weekend there was lots of layout playing with boxes and bikes. 1 person 2 bikes and a bigger than normal fridge, induction hob and microwave guide my layout trials. The van has had the ply lining stripped out and more stuff ordered. The sound deadening and insulation has arived and I have applied the deadedening to all the big easy to do panels.

A proper motorway test and a second night in the van coming up on Thursday / Friday as I go to Chesterfield to collect the Fridge I want.