Upgrading Our BATTERY / SOLAR / CHARGER & Adding CAB Curtains Makes HUGE differences
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- #Campervan #FordCustom #Vanlife
In this video we share some upgrades to Harry our Ford Auto-Campers campervan. We perform upgrades and changes to a lithium battery, dc to dc charge unit, solar panel, cab curtains and minor internal improvements to make life a little easier.
Our names our Stew & Jane and along with 'Harry' our Auto Campers Ford Custom Transit campervan we are Getaway Geese, we record our adventures as we enjoy the freedom of vanlife. We hope our videos inform and maybe inspire you to vanlife whether that be permanent living or casual trips.
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Useful Equipment
Note we are not being paid for any promotions or equipment we recommend and it is only our personal recommendation
We are registered as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This means we will earn a small commission if you use and of the Amazon the links below to purchase and this does not affect the price of the product. This proceeds help us maintain this channel - thanks
Nebula 2 Projector - amzn.to/33qxBxP
Flexible Projector screen - amzn.to/3sDIEfK
Cargo Netting - amzn.to/3sKW9u5
Pack Of Small Bolts - amzn.to/49hWOYm
Small 90 Degree Brackets - amzn.to/3sKWo8t
Pop Rivet Gun - amzn.to/3HUxmdB
LED Motion Detection Rechargeable Lights - amzn.to/3sRWrzA
The Ford front windshields - shop.ford.co.uk/products/clim...
The VanX cab curtains - van-x.co.uk/product/ford-tran...
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Our campervan was purchased from Auto Campers
www.auto-campers.co.uk/
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Some of the key video loggers that have inspired us in all the research we have done are listed below so please check them out .....
Life Is Too Short - / @lifeistooshortck
Wee Broon Van - / @mikeandtriciaootnaboot
Campervan Tales - / @campervantales
Roaming In Raymond Motorhome Adventures - / roaminginraymondmotorh...
CamperVanya - / @campervanya
Country Vanlife TV - / @countryvanlifeuk
Indie Projects - / @theindieprojects
We're The Russos - / @weretherussos
Tread The Globe - / @treadtheglobe
The exPAWers - / @theexpawers
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Bit of a different video this time just to keep you informed on changes to Harry back to a getaway in the next video ….
Brilliant! Thanks so much for posting this - some great ideas that have inspired me. 😀
Top jobs there with the curtain rail and kitchen board.
Did a great job didn't he. Wouldnt be without the curtain now 😊 Jane
Stew, having watched you install the cab curtains, it gave me the confidence to give it a go on my Auto Campers MRV. I followed your method and am pleased with the result. The Pack Of Small Bolts from the link in the description were far too small to be of any use. I had to go out and buy more and due to lack of choice had to cut them down. That wasted over an hour. In the end it was a 5 hour job for me. However, I'm pleased with the result so it was worth the effort. Many thanks.
Sorry about the bolts I used one type from there but it was a finger and thumb moment and a few swear words - I am glad you are pleased with the job as it makes a huge difference for us and one of our favourite upgrades on Harry … quick privacy and security but also great for stealth parkups or quick get to bed parkups
The house went on fire LOL. Fanny
I didn’t know that so just reading up about it - sounds like they were lucky - thanks for the watch and info
great info video, what can I say, got lots of ideas and went on the net and spent money. many thanks for sharing
Lol John I apologise …. But thanks for watching …. We get little ideas on CZcams and then before I know it Amazon is knocking. Thanks for watching and the feedback especially as it keeps us going
Nice set of upgrades. Haha. Ninja Turtle 🤣. We have the internal Remis blinds which are really quick to use. Nice the way you formed the rail. 👍🐶🐶🚐🧙♂️
Oh yes I saw you had those - they look so easy! No faffing about. Jane ☺️
Some great positive upgrades there which will give you more peace of mind off grid. We don't use screen covers, just a curtain between the cab and the back. You are mentioned in our next video, I want to apologise in advance, what I say was wasn't meant in a bad way at all, but because we like you both and you make us chuckle. ♥️
Thanks for watching it’s a different video so not for all but it’s what we have done on our journey in Harry - as ever thanks for watching and can’t wait for your next video and I am sure it will be great as long as hand comes out worse lol …I have the tank remains to watch in my queue to as that looked really interesting as live military history
@@getawaygeese 😀 it is nothing bad, promise
All useful upgrades particularly the battery, nice job on the curtain Stu 👍🏻
We put wind deflectors on our van as soon as we got it, we think they are a very useful but underrated addition to a van.
Thanks for watching and above all commenting as means a lot. Yep the curtains I took a lot of time planning as didn’t want to spoil the looks of the van… again wind deflectors I would say is an option ppl should go for
Thank you very much for this. Talk about coincidence first meeting you at Stiperstones and then phoning Paul at Autocampers who gave the link to this video. We are also fitting a curtain just like yours. Was concerned about drilling into plastic covering the Bpillar. I'm guessing you've had no issues!
Thanks again
John & Lesley Dickinson
Hi both a very small world as we were down at Winnersh today and now parked up a hill near Newbury hiding from the storm …. Paul said someone was asking so I literally released a video last week.
I spoke to the auto camper fit out engineers and the two plastic housings can Unclip but I didn’t in the end as you can see but there are no electrics or cables so we just kept away from seat belts as drilled so it just broke through the plastic. Pop rivet is the way to go.
The key for me is I did not want to see the rail from the back so creating a stencil form and setting the brackets back is key. You can then pull the headline over the brackets as you can see …. Made a huge difference on security and privacy
Thanks for watching and hope it works out
And thanks for the tip about the pillows. We are about to try them for the first time tonight :-) jane
Oh one other thing - re the heater duct we in the end have not taken the curtains up as yet and may not. To avoid the curtains blocking we simply tuck the curtain over on the seat frame. I guess you could cut the curtain at that end is another option but rarely have the heater on when the curtains are closed .
The curtains look great. We weren’t brave enough to drill into Dingus so we opted for velcro instead! 😀
I know I spent ages on do we or don’t we as I was scared of messing it up …. Thanks for watching and above all commenting
Very neat solutions and well installed. You will love having that lithium battery 👍
Thanks … certainly lasts a lot longer couples with the dc charger it’s a good choice I think
Love your vlogs! Informative & Fun! 😂 Thank you. 🤗👍👌
Thank you cally for watching but above all commenting as it encourages us to keep going.
awesome! aw and cheers for the shout out...very lovely of you. love the stealth curtain. very impressed. we just stick one up with velcro when we need it lol. does the job but doesn't quite look as professional as yours. have you noticed much difference with the solar upgrade? we're not sure whether we'll do it or not.
Hi Tim - to be honest no boy yet as early days and dark … I think it will be when you park up and stay off grid for a long time it will come into play. If you are moving around the dc to dc will just get it charged so fast
@@getawaygeese d'oh of course...daft question really lol.
Velcro for us too as not brave enough to use the drill!
The changes look perfect and useful ❤️
Thanks for watching and commenting- yep we were pleased with all of them and making a difference
Enjoyed this video with the upgrades and one of the neatest curtain installs we have seen 👍🙂❤️
Thanks Yvonne I really appreciate the comment - I took ages watching it as we were nervous about any works as we don’t want to destroy the look of the van. So loads of research trying to find a slim rail. I must admit the van-x was great quality, not expensive. I can’t tell you how it’s transformed how we park up even in the day knowing it’s a little bit more secure etc
Hi . New sub following watching Ken & Carol. Well presented and clear video that was very watchable indeed. Good balance between you both. We have a MH but loved seeing what you have done and always can learn from watching others. All the best to you both from Mal, Dave & Sally the Lab aka The SilvertopMotorhomers ✅✅
Hey welcome and thankyou for subbing but above all commenting - we learn a lot from Ken n Carol
Really informative like the cupboard lights
Thankyou sir for watching … useful lights for the boat if you have dark places
Another great video we look forward to your longer stay next time 😂😂
Thanks lol Lynda a bit of a different video just to show how we evolve ….. yep that definitely was the plan to allow a longer off grid stay so looking forward to a test
Nice video again guys. They all look like great upgrades… will be interested to see how the lithium battery performs. Happy travels!!
Hey matey so far the battery is way superior as you can discharge right down but coupled with the dc to dc it charges very fast
Quite a nice job on the installs and upgrades. Your solution for transferring the header shape to your curtain rail reminded me of lofting lines and offsets to the frames. Bristol and shipshape, Skipper.
Hey Denny I hope you are well - many thanks … I approached in a good old engineering fashion but was a little scared drilling in the van lol thanks for watching and commenting
We only have AGM batteries , 95ah, although we do have two of them. But we've had them over three years so they're doing well considering. We are lucky as Karl is an auto electrician as well as a mechanic so it saves us a small fortune in the long run. Nice upgrades.
Thanks for watching a bit of a different video just to show the evolution of Harry …. So far very pleased as will help when we conquer off grid more lol yep I am handy at sone things but electrical and mechanical is def not my bag …. My son is a mechanic so he comes in useful
@@getawaygeese yep, mechanics are always useful to know lol. They certainly will help with being off grid, that's for sure.
Great video and some excellent upgrades. We collect our new van on Friday, we eventually decided to sell our lovely 5m Ford Custom pop top and we’ve upgraded to a massive 5.4m Peugeot Boxer high top. It’s the same layout as Jits if you watch the Jits into the Sunset CZcams channel. I really loved the 6m vans but I just don’t feel confident enough to drive one at the moment. We would also struggle to get it onto the drive and I don’t want to put it into storage or the spontaneity around travelling would be lost. Looking forward to seeing you out on the road testing your new upgrades. Great tip about the cargo netting! Thanks as always for sharing your adventure.
Thanks for watching and commenting Sylvia. Yes we watch Jits. Great layout. And exciting for you getting your new van. We definitely agree with keeping your van out of storage if you can for the same reason.
As we are hoping to be spending alot more time out in Harry this year these upgrades will be out to the test. Jane :-)
A set of great upgrades there! I really must get a set of wind deflectors. I made a curtain for Henry, who's a pop-top so a wee bit more tricky and a bit of a faff raising and lowering the roof. It serves well for both toilet privacy as you very well demonstrated and off-grid stop-overs (I could never get the suckers on the internal screen covers to stick!). It also serves well to dampen the noise from the back of the van when travelling and the cab heats up quicker in winter so it's been an all-round winning upgrade for me.
Thank you for watching and above all commenting. We hadnt thought about the sound and heat benefits whilst travelling. Its a great tip :-) Jane
I like to see how other people’s vans are adapted to suit individual needs. I wouldn’t be without wind deflectors, one of the first things I added. Also will be looking at solar panels either this year or next for the same reason. Regarding wild or stealth camping, I too am looking at a cab/hab blackout solution rather than using my interior thermal window covers, but only want something temporary so probably blackout material on poppers or something similar that can be folded away when not in use. You made a really good job of your curtain and rail 👍. I know what you mean about drilling nerves, I still have some cargo storage nets that need screwing in! ATB, Sue.
Hey Sue hope you are well thanks for watching - yes the wind deflectors are a good practical addition. The cab curtains have made a huge difference as so quick to shut. I think a couple of strategic hooks you could easily put it up. One option is a shower curtain pole those pull out expanding ones but you then have to store it - stay safe
We have 2 of those cupboard lights in our Berlingo. We removed the magnetic strip and replaced with sticky back velcro. We now stick them to the roof liner as our main lighting. Love the idea of the chopping board over the glass lids too. Good to keep them protected from scratches and breakage. Keep up the good work 👏
Thanks for watching but above all commenting … never thought of the sticky back 👍🏻. The simple things often are good ideas the fact the legs make it sit above the glass and seemingly slide is so useful at night with cups and glasses etc. lights are really good I agree
Great stuff … Can you remember where you got the chopping board and plastic top?
I guess legs and corner wedges from a hardware store …TIA
@@simonjones7228 Hi Simon it was a bamboo one off Amazon unfortunately the link doesn’t work but there are several that come with two or 3 sleeves. The feet I bought a pack off Amazon amzn.to/3NKMVI1
@@getawaygeese cheers
😊👍
Thanks mark for watching
We love the van 😍 but I've never heard you mention a toilet 🤔 do you have one and can you use it in the van at night ... thanks
Hey thanks for watching and commenting - yes with the van we bought a small chemical loo that we pulled out it’s kept in the cupboard under the bench seat.
However we have just replaced this with a bivvy loo, it won’t be for all but if you watch life is too short they recently did a great video on portable loos. We don’t like the idea of chemicals and the fact you have to empty every 2/3 days restricts wild camping etc ….
I considered a Lithium Battery for my trailer tent when I replaced my regular battery a month or so back but as we were likely to be selling it to fund the new van I didn't think it was worth it. With the Fridge running off the battery when off-grid, I'm keen to secure as much power/recharge capability as possible so I think I'll go for the Lithium option when I buy the camper. I like the idea I can check status with an App (same for the Gasflow) - ever the gadget man! As we will be going for the Pop-top I'm not sure if they will take the same bigger solar panel you upgraded to. We have our own portable solar panel for the trailer which is 100W so not sure if I could also hook that into the battery depending on where its located (although its another item to cart around). What does the DC to DC Charger do specifically (i think its standard with Auto Campers these days)
Yep do we are really pleased with the lithium and dc to dc charger. Basically as I understand it ( I am no electrician ) but it’s a really fast charge management system so we simply had it change connected to the alternator I believe before whereas this manages the whole charge cycle better. The result is it charges faster which when you are off grid you need in my opinion. The solar we have as you can see is 120w and I am sure the pop top will take it as it’s about the struts managing the weight. The pop top will give you an advantage of tilting the panels to the sun at times when you park.
We’re off for a visit to Auto Campers in a couple of weeks so I can check up on all that with Steve.
Ive found your videos inspiring, they were recommended to me by auto campers when i went to look at a van last year. Given me lots of ideas and starter points. Just wondered how you will manage the curtain if you need the heater on at night?
Hey Jeremy thankyou for watching we never know when we do a different type of video if they are interesting .. that is a great question as actually we haven’t shortened the curtain either but you are right it would be in front of the outlet. However there is in the swivel seat a gap where actually I store sone tools next to the heater so the curtain just tucks above it ie the curtain is effectively lifted a over the outlet of the heater in that part if that makes sense
Hi Jeremy - Stew missed out that it’s almost unheard of for us to have the heater on at night. We are out in the van at the moment, up on the top of a hill in the storm, but once in bed we don’t get cold. Jane :-)
Some great additions there. I’ll be interested to hear how long the battery lasts and if the solar upgrade was worth it (when we see the sun!) Safe travels x
Thanks Louise the battery is definitely worth it we were seeing to have to turn the van over into the 4th day I reckon it will go well past that - it depends on how you camp I think - at times we like to find a place where no ehu exists and stay the week so I want to try that … as ever thank you for watching and commenting
@@getawaygeese That would be amazing if you were getting near to a week off grid. You’ll have more choice of places to stay also without the need for mains electric. With your refillable LPG system too it sounds like you’re sorted for longer trips, just need to find water. Lots of food for thought. X
Sorry for late reply CZcams weirdly held the comment . Yes for us I think we are now at a week but just need to test …. It just gives us options. I just hope the refillable gas in this country continues to be in supply