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Shuttle Conversion, now in correct sub forum

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93K views 92 replies 26 participants last post by  Rhys80  
M
#1 ·
Sorry folks, originally put this in the General forum before I saw the conversion one. I have pasted it here and will update this one.

The first part was back in June...

This is going to be a long slow thread taking a year or so to complete, but as I found build threads from others so helpful, I thought I'd do the same.

I'd been looking for a T5 to convert for months, but the more I looked, the more I realised I was going to have to increase my budget to get the spec I wanted. The plan is a full conversion with pop-top, bed and furniture. I wanted a LWB for space, a tailgate, air con, 140PS engine and either 6 speed manual or 7 speed DGS gearbox. Van's meeting all my spec were few and far between, but Shuttle's seemed a lot easier to find in this sort of spec.

In the end I found a 2012 Shuttle SE 140PS DSG with twin sliders, for just above my budget. It had done just under 50,000 miles under it's only owner, a rental firm, who had serviced it in house 3 times in the first 45,000 miles. It has air-con, front and rear parking sensors, electric windows and mirrors. Having 8 passenger seats and a drivers seat, it comes under car speed limits and has rear air-con and heating vents, which I somehow want to re-route and keep throughout the build.

For now, I've just removed the rear 2 rows of seats and put a couple of airbeds and basic camping equipment in the back to use for a few shows over the summer. Its got rear sun blinds so I've cut some panels out of foil backed laminate floor insulation to act as black out panels, on the inside of the blinds along with a cab insulation kit exchanged for a 7KG gas bottle with a mate. In the winter I'll start the build properly, by removing the rear interior and floor, selling the seats with the then removed floor mounts.

For now, this is how it starts....

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So far, as well as removing the seats, I've changed the 4 rear passenger lights to low energy LED's to I don't drain the battery by opening and shutting the doors. I've also fitted wind deflectors and a chrome trim to the lower front grill. Last weekend I fitted sidebars from Direct 4X4 (nice quality and don't seem to foul the jacking points). During fitting I remove the splash guards and found this little fella tucked under there....

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My initial excitement about finding a Webasto diesel heater was later lowered a bit, when I found out that it heats the engine coolant rather than working as a warm air heater. Apparently is comes in when the outside temperature is lower than 10 degrees C and heats the engine coolant, making it warm up quicker and being able to cope with heating the whole back area as well as the cab. The Shuttle SE has extra heating and air-con in the back as well as the front, this helps it cope.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy it over the summer. The next job will probably be to fit a leisure battery and split charge system to run my £40 Aldi electric 30L coolbox (which is currently going to be used with ice packs for 24 hours, then an old car battery for another 18 hours). If I save up enough, I might even get a 100W folding solar panel to keep the leisure batter topped up at shows.

Knowing me, I'll probably end up fitting 20" wheels before starting the interior, but lowering will have to wait until all the conversion and weight is in. Here it is for now...

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Update - 5/10/15

Well it's been a while, but now the main show season is over I thought I'd press on with the conversion. Last week I removed the quick release seat mounts with he van up on ramps. A great tip on here was to use some lengths of 8mm threaded stud to lower the tank enough to get at the 6 mounts obscured by it. I filled the holes with M10 X 25mm stainless bolts with a washer and silicone at the top surface and a washer, spring washer and nyloc stainless nut at the bottom surface.

Over the weekend I set about removing all the interior panels, seatbelts and roof. All went OK apart from me not having the 12 sides 10mm spine socket bit to remove the mid row seatbelt mounts. I've ordered one from Ebay as it also fits the floor load mounting points too and they need to come out to get the spongy carpet Shuttle flooring out.

It was a bit scary turning a smart looking Shuttle interior into an empty shell with wiring connectors hanging everywhere, but the Shuttle interior takes up too much space for what I want to convert it into. There are a few subtle differences to the structure of a Shuttle which I'll need to attend to. The first is the brackets for the passenger roof handles, which will have to come out so they don't get it the way of a roof panel when I fit it.

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These strengthening points for the seatbelt mounts on the floor could cause an issue on the R&R bed side. I'm hoping they wont interfere with the bed legs as they don't look like an easy option to cut out..

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The roof panel in the Shuttle is almost 10cm deep with all the heating vents in etc so had to come out. I plan on making a panel out of thin ply. Once the passenger hand rails have been removed, it should fit nicely in the back. My only concerns here are that the cab roof is also a bit lower and those massive triangle metal parts where the top door hinges recess, are right where I want the roof to go. I take it these are on every van (although normally only with the one door), how do people normally get around this part when roofing?

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It also looks like even though all the rear trim, roof and seats will be sold, I'll need to keep the trim for both sliding dors and maybe just carpet on top of it. I can't see a way of keeping the sliding door opening handles with their lock button neatly trimmed in otherwise.

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So, the next step will be removing the brackets for the passenger grab handles from the corners of the roof. After that it's on to soundproofing. There are VW foam sound absorber pads scattered about and thick foam covers on the wheel arches, but I'll probably go for something a bit thinner before I insulate. I'm sure a search on here will bring up the better products. T:

I plan on keeping the rear HVAC unit and plumbing it into the offside furniture run with a couple of vents. Along with the Webasto Top C coolant heater, it could be useful for adding a quick blast of heat, or a quick blast of AC before bedtime.

It finally feels like there's some progress at last! I wasn't looking forward to the seat mount removal, but that hurdle is finished. Once the seatbelts are removed, I can start selling the rear 3 bench seat and middle 2 + 1 with mounts and belts. I reckon they should contribute around £450 and £550 respectively to the build.
 
M
#2 ·
I think one of the biggest problems I've spotted so far is the join between the back roof panel and the cab one. Getting it neat will be hard work.

The Shuttle appears to have a different cab headlining panel as well as the much lower back panel. When I put a ply roof in the back at normal van height, the cab roof will still be a fair bit higher. I could just make a step out of ply, but even the B pillar trims are different and go a lot higher in the van. If I replace for these, the current cab roof won't fit them and also maybe the seatbelts.

I've either got to find a solution, maybe by using part of the old roof, to get past the B pillar and door top hinge recesses, or replace the cab roof, B pillar trims and maybe seatbelts.

I think I'll worry about that later and buy some soundproofing for now.
 
M
#3 ·
So, finally got around to sound proofing. So far, the roof and sides plus both sliding doors have taken 50 sheets of Silent Coat and I've still got the floor, tailgate and cab area to do.

Mind you, I have been putting it everywhere I can reach so maybe went a bit over the top! I:

Silent coat by marcuspd2000, on Flickr
 
M
#4 ·
Another quiet work day, so I managed to get a couple of hours in on the bus this afternoon.

I've now soundproofed the cab floor and routed through a 16mm2 cable from the vehicle battery to under the drivers seat, via the VW cable route and ran a second conduit with some 2mm2 lengths of wire running from the dash to the drivers seat. One of these will be used to power the head unit from the leisure battery via a toggle switch fitted inside the glove box, the other is to pull through cable wires when I get around to fitting rear speakers.

Being a Shuttle with the Webasto Top C heater, there were a few more electrical bits n bobs to try and hide away in the recesses of the floor, including 3 or 4 fuses which are now buried under the carpet, but not too far from the back of the cab carpet to reach. Not sure what they are form maybe the rear 12v sockets and Webasto pump?

I've gone through almost 80 of the larger sheets of Silent Coat so far and have another 40 on their way to do the rear floor and cab roof. I sort of got a bit carried away! I:

The tailgate and sliding doors have been soundproofed with Silent Coat, then lined with foil backed bubble wrap, recycled plastic bottle type wool and another layer of bubble wrap. The VW "Sound Absorber pads were also put back in on top of the first sheet of bubble wrap. (Probably needs to be direct on to the metal, but even if they don't absorb sound, they'll add to the insulation).

Got a few 12 volt bits and bobs on the way now to run a 10mm2 cable up the B pillar, along the roof and down for the rear fuse panel. I'm also going to run a 240V cable in conduit from the back to the drivers seat base for a future charger install.

Cab floor by marcuspd2000, on Flickr
 
M
#6 · (Edited)
Thanks Dave, I was hoping I didn't have to go that route, but had thought it might be the necessary option.
My other idea was to cut the Shuttle roof panel after the start of the sliding doors, where its a more simple profile, then make a ply step up to meet the rear.

In all seriousness, I think you've probably done the best thing.

My main concern was the console above the rear mirror. Mine has lights and maybe alarm sensors in it. It looks quite a bit different to the van module. I think I'll start looking for van cab roof linings and B pillar trims though. Cheers. :)
 
#7 ·
We did have to keep the console that cam with the van roof lining, and if you go done that route you will have to get upper and lower B pillars as upper and lower are not compatible with the originals. We got our parts from Parts Shark or Ebay, and sold the removed parts either on the forum or Ebay, good luck
 
M
#8 ·
Managed to get a bit more done this weekend.

The cab carpet is back in now and the split charge system and leisure battery fitted under the driver's seat for testing. With the engine running the light came on the Durite VSR came on and both batteries showed 14.25V which was good. The battery is back out now and the split charge disconnected at the vehicle battery until all electrics are in place.

I ran a couple of conduits from the drivers seat base, following the VW cable route, up the B pillar, through a hole in the roof lining, along the channel and down the C pillar to the the wardrobe/full height unit will go. One conduit has 10mm2 12V cable in it, the other is free for speaker cable or whatever in the future. I also fitted an earth lead to the ground point by the offside rear wheel arch for later on.

The insulation has been finished in the back now with the walls/sliding doors/tailgate getting Silent Coat 2mm, foil backed bubble rap, recycled plastic loft insulation and another layer of foil backed bubble wrap. Just got to seal some of the edges. The roof got 4 layers of foil backed bubble wrap, glued in place with trim fix and edges sealed with foil tape. In total I used 4 rolls of foil backed bubble wrap, 1.5 rolls of recycled plastic loft insulation and 70 or so sheets of Silent Coat. This did the cab floor, rear sides, roof and doors. I have another 50 sheets to do the rear floor, cab roof and front doors.

Then, as it was getting a bit dark, I changed the H15 DRL/Low Beam bulbs for 80W LED's and swapped the reversing lights for LED's which I bought accidentally for the DRL's. They seem bright enough to make the reversing camera useful in the dark now.

Next job is to remove the rear carpet flooring and Silent Coat it. I'll then order the ply for the floor, rear roof panel and side panels and carry on looking for a commercial van type cab roof and B pillar trims. Getting there.... T:

Insulation by marcuspd2000, on Flickr
 
M
#9 ·
I've removed the carpet now and stored in the garage. The floor beneath was pretty clean, but I gave it a wipe and brush over ready for Silent Coat to go on. I've tried emailing an enquiry to East Kent Timber, who I seem to remember someone recommended to get sheets of ply in 10 X 5 size, so fingers crossed.

I've gone for the following in Birch ply if available... a 10' X 5' sheet in 12mm for the floor and 3-4mm for the roof. I've also asked for 4' X 4' for the floor batons and an 8' X 4' sheet in 3-4mm thickness for the panels under the rear windows and maybe sliding doors (I'm undecided whether to carpet the original plastic door panels as I really want as much interior room as possible.

I've ordered up a couple of tubes of Sikaflex 221 in light grey to stick the batons down.

The next step will be to order up some carpet for the interior and roof. I seem to think a lot of people recommend the Megavanmats stretchy stuff. I'll probably go with a lighter grey colour to lighten it up as the furniture will be gloss black. Not sure whether to two tone the carpet between walls/ply panels and roof yet. I've still got a couple of cans of trim fix left so will need to order a couple more.

First time out in the dark tonight, for our local VW club meet, so I'll see if the LED DRL/Low beam bulbs are OK and not too bright. I:
It finally feels like I'm making a bit of progress now.

Floor by marcuspd2000, on Flickr
 
M
#10 ·
With the worry about mating up the new higher rear roof lining to the cab, I've put the commercial cab roof and B pillar trims idea on hold for now. I reckon I may be able to trim the lip off the cab roof and persuade most of it to meet the slightly higher rear panel height.

The only issue will be the sides, by the bit where the upper sliding door runners go. The Shuttle roof normally comes down below these and the B pillar trims stop shorter than the commercial cab roof lining. I reckon I should be able to do something to shape 3-4mm ply to neaten this up, or even make a little panel to carpet over.

Cab roof by marcuspd2000, on Flickr
 
#11 ·
What a brave build, the thought of stripping mine down scares me to bits! I'm looking at converting my 2011 shuttle to a Caravelle sliding rail system and hadn't considered insulating it but now I think I will. Did the side panels come off easy enough without damage? Think I'll leave the roof!
 
M
#12 ·
A couple of clips broke or pinged when pulling the panels off, but the panels are very tough.

It was a bit scary at first, but the more I do, the more confidence I'm building on making it what I want.
The interior ply for the floor, roof panel and sides arrives mid week, along with 5 sheets of Correx 4mm corrugated plastic to use as templates for the roof and furniture. These templates will be used to create a CAD file, so a local firm can cut the furniture panels with a machine.
 
#14 ·
The roof is something that I am been giving a fair bit of thought to, as I really want to keep the window surrounds and pillar covers on my Shuttle, but would like a pop-top over the rear section (not the cab part).
Wondering if one way to mask the level transition from a ply rear roof section and the standard cab section is to incorporate a curtain rail at that threshold? This would make it functional and the changeover less obtrusive, and give you the ability to seperate the cab area off, which can be handy sometimes.

Also, out of interest, what kind of venting is there from the rear blower to the roof vents? Not disturbed any panels at all yet, so everythung behind them is a mystery to me at the moment :D
 
M
#19 ·
Hoovie said:
The roof is something that I am been giving a fair bit of thought to, as I really want to keep the window surrounds and pillar covers on my Shuttle, but would like a pop-top over the rear section (not the cab part).
Wondering if one way to mask the level transition from a ply rear roof section and the standard cab section is to incorporate a curtain rail at that threshold? This would make it functional and the changeover less obtrusive, and give you the ability to seperate the cab area off, which can be handy sometimes.

Also, out of interest, what kind of venting is there from the rear blower to the roof vents? Not disturbed any panels at all yet, so everythung behind them is a mystery to me at the moment :D
Click to expand...
The one to the roof vents is a square foam tube. held on by big cable ties. the one to the floor vent by the wheel arch is a plastic moulded tube.

There will be a huge gap between the rear ply panel roof and cab roof, I'm going to find a way of mating the two, not just trying to hide it behind a curtain! :)
 
M
#20 · (Edited)
Not been much progress due to the cold weather and work, but I finished the rear soundproofing today. So far, I've used 115 sheets of the larger (bulk pack) sized Silentcoat sheets. This has done the rear floor, roof, sides and sliding doors, plus the cab floor. I have 5 sheets left, so will need some more when I get around to doing the front doors and cab roof.

Might be a bit OTT, but it should be a very quiet drive and the audio quality should be spot on. T:

Floor by marcuspd2000, on Flickr

Just got to tidy up and finish off the insulation now. I have some more recycled plastic loft insulation to pack out the sides, then can seal off the edges with aluminium tape.

As all the Shuttle trim has been removed at the back to make more space, the sliding door handle trims needed looking at. The Shuttle ones need all the other trim to fill the gaps and aren't designed fit flush to the metal of the door, so I sourced a couple of Kombi handle surrounds which I've fitted. Unfortunately the Shuttle lock buttons are larger, so a couple of Kombi ones are on the way. I also sourced and fitted a rear wash wipe motor cover as the Shuttle one was part of the chunky Shuttle tailgate trim.

My 5 sheets of 8" X 4" correx sheeting have arrived and are in the shed. These will be used to make templates for the furniture, roof and maybe some ply panels.

My ply turned up safe and sound from East Kent Timber. They managed to get me sheets of 10" X 5" Birch ply in 12mm for a 1 piece floor, 1 in 4mm for the roof, plus 2 X 8" X 4" 4mm for the door/side panels and a 5" X 5" in 6mm for the batons to go under the floor. It was around £190 but included free delivery which was a bonus and means using the Shuttle floor carpeted foam panel, I can cut a ply floor in 1 piece.
 
M
#22 ·
M
#24 · (Edited)
I managed to get a bit more done in between rain showers. I have finished making templates for the ply panels out of cardboard and drawn them onto 4mm ply.

I cut them all out today and started test fitting the one over the nearside rear arch. After a tip I've seen from someone on here, I made some little hole punches out of top hat captive nuts and some 6mm sharpened lengths of threaded studding. With a bit of tape, they fit in the clip holes for the panel, so I can offer the panel up and give it a tap with a mallet to mark where I need to drill the holes for the clips.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131909183@N05/shares/zrU77R

The first one has been trial fitted to start bending it to the shape. I retained the 12v socket, powered by the vehicle battery and the boot light has been remounted on the panel..

https://flic.kr/p/CEa1g3

Once this lot have been finished and trial fitted, it's on to the carpeting, then the floor and roof panels.
 
M
#25 ·
Got a bit more done over the weekend. I managed to trim and fit all the ply panels on the sides and doors. A couple still need some minor adjustment which will be done when they come off again for carpeting.

I'm also ran some more wiring behind the panels for roof LED's and mood lighting through some conduit too.

Carpeting the walls and panels (separately so they can be removed) next. Finally feels like I'm making some progress now! T:

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M
#27 ·
Purely space really. The sliding door panels are not too bad, but the tailgate one loses a lot of interior room.
I want to keep a 40cm gap to be able to use the offside sliding door, so every bit of space will count. The units will turn L shaped as soon as they clear the bed.
 
M
#30 · (Edited)
Pretty much finished the carpet lining now apart from the roof panel (which I haven't made yet) ;)

The walls were a shade darker than I'd planned, but MVM were on the case pretty quick and shipped me enough of the lightest shade to do the roof, so I can get the contrast with the central Anthracite panel.

I still need to find a way of trimming around the rear window edges. The normal knock on edging won't do as the glass is flush to the metal around most of the window. Any ideas?

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