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Brutus Build Thread (T5 LWB)

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#1 ·
Starting my build thread. Owned Brutus for nearly eight months and been planning this a while in-between working. My brain's gone numb a few times on the way!

Here's what he looked like when I bought him. 186k on the clock but only two previous owners and my colleague I bought it from had had it for a month and put a few hundred on him only as his mrs decided she didn't want a camper. First owner had really looked after him and dual flymass replaced recently with all other service history present. Bought for £5.5k

 
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#3 · (Edited)
Got my date with Westdubs for my pop top and Stu has said if they have time they'll put my rear windows in for me for an extra £150. I'd prefer that than doing it myself (same as the roof!) as I could really screw things up!

Purchased the rear quarter lights from Kiravans for £60 each. Also picked up one of their door bin pockets for £110, which is an ingenious idea for space saving.
 
#4 ·
Picked up front double seat and Kiravan swivel base from ebay from a forum user who happened to live 5 min's from me! £340 all in. Will be fitting this shortly (pics to follow).

Been getting quotes for carpeting and insulating. I may just do this myself.

Also been getting quotes for electrics. OUCH!
 
#8 ·


Forgot to upload this one earlier this week. Rear 2+1's out (simple enough - but the anchors need to come out and that's a fiddly big job...http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=315550 :big - going to take this into a garage to do as my road isn't suitable to do this work, I don't have a ramp and my tank is currently full) and passenger captains chair out (also easy enough with it's four bolts and the wires are connected by security-torx - sold it within an hour of taking it out to doeboy on here). Rear seat belts also out (a spline drive was needed - got a friend who owns a garage so he kindly let me use that).

Also fixed my "not shutting properly" o/s sliding window today. Buzzing how simple that was and it's not a replacement needed! All it was was crud in the holes and track.

Next job is to install the four extra bolts for my double front swivel.
 
#9 ·
Removing the front seat is relatively painless too, four bolts. However, the handbrake cable is a pain. LEAVE YOUR VAN IN GEAR (which I did) and put some chocks under the wheels too just in case. Getting the cover off was quite tricky as I din't think it's ever come off before. The retaining clip was a tough one to undo, best to leave it deactivated. Then it pulls forwards and off. There's a retaining nut for the cable that only a spanner can undo, then the chair is free. The mat comes out very easily. (Thanks to Kev17 again for his help in my hungover state as I struggled with the retaining clip on the handbrake!)



The snag! It appears the bolts weren't fitted at the factory for a double seater. Will source these and get them fitted at the same time I get the seat anchors done.



Amazing how much sound insulation the rubber matting provides. The van is a lot louder in the cockpit now.


Next up: new wood panels for the sides and rock n roll bed and foam too.
 
#13 ·
Went up on the ramp yesterday...


Following on from from the double seat/lack of nuts/threads conundrum, (with just the holes present), having good under access and having the right parts really helped progress my conversion. Irritating all this waiting around for garages to be free!!

To access some of the holes the fuel tank needs to be dropped, I strongly suggest doing this near-empty! And temporarily removing the heat shields.



View from the top

View underneath, heat shield and tank and neck dropped


These are the nuts required, got them for £5 each from my local VW dealer. They need to be welded to the frame. There are also two available (one with a yellow ring with smaller thread), so I suggest taking these down with you when ordering to make sure you get the right one for your bolts.


All in all about 2 hours work and less than £100 in a good garage.

Whilst he was in, I got the seat anchors and floor anchors all removed along with the tatty and rotting rubber floor (stank of mildew when it came out).



Sold the 2+1 seats for £480 on fleabay with all of the belts and anchors included. Not a bad haul and much needed injection of cash to further the conversion!

Also got the bed frame bolted into position. The bolts have been welded in and I know exactly where to drill when I come to fit the ply and floor.




NEXT UP: Electrics before I can insulate, floor, panel and carpet! Finger's crossed I can get all of this done before Glasto!!! :gl

Roof also happening this week at Westdubs!!!! J:
 
#14 · (Edited)
Today I bought all of the internal electrics from Bristol Batteries. With the work I intend to do in the future I had to get a very beefy leisure (200ah) and as a consequence, 1000w invertor (components I'll be running peak at 700w). However, I know the battery will only last about 1.5 hours (if I'm lucky) so the majority of my work will be on 16a mains (to be purchased tomorrow from a local wholesaler) from a large on-site generator or domestic source. I also bought a mains charger (25a) so the battery can be charged via mains and to cover all bases, a split charger unit so the alternator acts as a charger too when in motion, with the option of additional solar input sources later too (not in the budget for this at this stage). All in all, £750 with cables and components (OUCH!) and the VAT. Hopefully got a mates dad to help out with the installation of these toys later in the week!

I don't suggest going for all of these things and especially not the large ones either, this is just down to the work I'm doing and it'll probably only set you back about £200-£300 plus labour etc for all of the bits, unless you're in the trade!
 
#16 ·
Stew at Westdubs is friendly, professional and very keen to be in the workshop early. Satnav takes you directly to the units and WD is to the right and the first shutter/door on your left. Steve was in to help and Stew's old man was also in. Plenty of tea was on offer throughout and I was very snap happy...

The only panel I couldn't figure how to get out was the cockpit one. Stew didn't seem to mind and got the lot down in less than five mins!!


Stew measuring and cutting



Steve joins in with his jigsaw


And the roof comes off!


Stew sets about cutting out my new window frames


Strengthening bar added, I went for the option with the original lights to go in, so the door/luggage lights still work when doors are opened.



Here comes the new roof!! (weighs about 70Kg!!)




Pop goes the roof with plenty of rivets and struts fitted (I also went for the strut bed option)



And finally, the rear quarter light windows added. Got the pair from kiravans for £60 each. Stew charged £150 to fit both (but this is dependent on his working day and if you ask very very nicely!)


All in all THREE HOURS (!!!!!) :jd to fit everything A: which included tea breaks!!! Waited around a couple of extra hours though for the rear glass to cure and Stew took me through upkeep and methodology of the roof and bed.

Drove Brutus up the M5 and the roof is slightly squeaky at times, but not unbearably or even that noticeable. It also wasn't harsh during the freak storms we got this evening!! Doesn't wobble at 70mph, windows were closed!



NEXT UP: Purchasing last bits to get ready for Glasto and potential work straight after; flooring, curtains, blinds and a table!
 
#17 ·
Busy (and expensive) week!

Purchased my 9mm ply flooring from a trader I found on fleabay called Custom-V-Dubs, based just outside Bodmin in Cornwall. (He also makes panels and carpets interiors too). £100 and perfect fit, very good quality ply too.

Got my electrics all fitted by a very good auto electrician based just outside Redruth over the past two days. He's also a welder and a good mechanic, so he fixed my boot door that wasn't sitting properly (even feels more secure now!) and popped the last seat retaining nut into the floor. That was a PIG to do as the entire tank had to come down with the filler neck too. Fairly easy to come out once all the heat shields and bolts are removed and easy enough to re-attach. (There's a bolt under the filler cap and the flap also needs to come off to get the neck off).

The final bolt now in!!

Next up: flooring in, swivel double in and tidy and securing of electrics. May make a start on the wall carpeting tomorrow. Panels arrive monday and helpfully custom table too!! Hoping for everything to be in a decent liveable state by Wednesday for his maiden voyage and a fortnight of living in!!
 
#18 · (Edited)
LOADS done in past few days including front flooring back in and the double swivel with tidy base, most of the insulation (mixture of aluminium bubble wrap from B&Q for £14 a roll [x2], secured with aluminium tape from Wickes for £4 a roll and 50mm foam from Jewsons £5 a sheet [x3], secured with super Duck Tape plus some could 9 underlay I had lying around - also for the floor), plus all of the batons down (10mm from B&Q for £4 a length, (used no nails initially but that was useless), so instead picked up "Sticks Like S***" [no joke!!] from Jetsons for £6 and that is the dog's!!), ready for the ply floor to go in. Collected the new panels today and treated them so they're extra waterproof and easier for the adhesive to go on. Need to do the same with the floor too before it goes in...

Slower progress than I wanted but getting there!! Aiming to have the majority of this done for Thurs.

(Pictures to be uploaded shortly).

Collecting my customised table tomorrow too (hopefully). VERY excited about that!!!
 
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