Kleintje
Skoolie is een ideale camper voor langdurige trektochten, vrijwel autark. D.w.z. met uitzondering van de motorbrandstof... Een kleine camper (<6 m; <3.5 t) zou ideaal zijn voor city trips en weekendjes. Na zo ongeveer alle beschikbare types bekeken te hebben, besluiten we dat het een VanTourer 600 moet worden. Zo mogelijk wordt dit ook de vervanging van onze personenauto. Dit laatste is in praktijk niet haalbaar gebleken.
We decided that a small camper van would be a lot easier than Skoolie for making short trips: faster, cheaper in fuel consumption, easier to park in city centres. After a week of comparing different makes, we fell for a VanTourer 600, a Knaus product.
Of course Skoolie remains the ideal motorhome for longer journeys. This statement has been overtaken by time....
Werknaam vooralsnog "Kleintje".
For the time being we'll refer to the van as "Kleintje" (Little One).
Kleintje in our yard for the first time.
Reverse camera, integrated in 3rd brake light housing.
Colour image of what's happening behind us.
What used to be known as car radio now is a 'mobile multi-media centre' with:
- monitor for the reverse camera
- GPS navigator
- Handsfree cellphone car kit (also plays music from phone, via Bluetooth)
- DVD player (also plays music from CD, miniSD or USB sources)
- DAB+ receiver
And, before I forget...: it also can play AM and FM radio!
For DAB+ reception this windshield antenna proves better than expected!
This Truma Frostcontrol drains the hot water cylinder when the temperature gets too low. However..... it also makes filling up for a Winter trip impossible.
Therefore Truma sells this wirewound resistor which heats the Frostcontrol from the inside if necessary.
On the web I found this electrically controlled valve. It arrived - all the way from China - within two weeks after ordering.
The valve in the grey water outlet.
Opening and closing is done by inverting the polarity.
The remote control switch on the instrument panel.
In order to stow away two camping chairs and a camping table, I fitted three PVC drain pipes under the bed. Maybe a little heavier than I had in mind, but very easy to use.
To give "Kleintje" (Little One) a little bit more identity (after all: every plumber and milkman drives a similar van) we attached a bull bar and two extra beams. All EU approved!
I modified the electrical system so that changing from internal to external supply (and v.v.) can be carried out without any extra action (and still in a fool proof way). And now the solar panel also charges the car battery.
The steering wheel control set I found in China for next-to-nothing. Works like a charm.
The two exchangable propane tanks I replaced with one (bigger) LPG tank. With only three brass adapters we can fill up propane (sometimes mixed with butane) at the gas station, anywhere in Europe.
As opposed to the former situation, we now can see the amount of propane from the interior.
This extra reverse light (LEDs) costs less that twee beers. It gives a lot of bright light and draws hardly any current.
Because our pillows damaged the curtain, we made a headboard. During a two weeks trip through Northern Germany we found out this is the protetion we needed.
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