Red Sparrow..........

Bad news...my contract is not being extended past 23rd.  But at least I have earned enough for a window or two and maybe a water tank and shower.

A lesser spotted Red Sparrow

Battery Monitor..........

I bought a battery monitor and temp fitted it a while back.  Tonight I rewired it.  It is now fully working.  It is a Clipper BM-1 from Nasa Marine Ltd.  It cost £100 inc.  Now this sounds a lot of dosh, but to me money well spend.  Rigged up the Amp meter bit tonight(was having a blond moment on first fit) now shows the Amp being used.  So I am going around house turning things on just to see. :)  My main roof light(LED) uses .3A, charger for Eeeepc uses 2A, kitchen LED .3A,  tv booster and 300 watt inverter running a 42" tv 6.4A.

The tv did surprise me thought I thought it would be a lot higher.

Shit stabber alarm..........

Not done a lot, but I try to do at least one thing a day.  So tonight I have finally wired up this light with PIR which I mounted above door.  I only did this tonight as Max went inter attack mode when a 'doger' or 'shit stabber' was walking around lorry having a look.  That is one of the draw backs of 'wild camping'   But after 10 years I have come to accept as a fact of life.  But I still have no patience for them.  In this day and age of internet and mobile phones to arrange meets.

Re-con mission..........

Well I did not do any of the jobs I planned.  But I did find a laundrette and asda not far from my country retreat. Went shopping in Toolstation and picked up the wooden beams and enough cladding for rest of lorry ceilin.  So by next weekend should have ceiling all done and the start of garage re-built.

I don't how I will cope when it is all done.  Next project I suppose.

Oh and I did get a visit from the police(that's twice this week).

Planet Sterling..........

Planet Sterling is up and running and fully functioning.  Whoop Whoop!  I now know all about batteries/chargers/alternator and how to lift the bonnet.  It has been a momentous day,  I will sleep well tonight.

Planet Sterling...She is a thing of beauty!

My battery monitor tv is the dogs bollox.  £100 well spend.  It also tells you how long it will take to charge or discharge.  And the likle bar on right is a 0-100% of capacity.

In the morning I will get the tye-raps out. 

Not best photo but it shows the lower half of my fairy cupboard.  If I have time on Sunday I will finish the new door I have already started it a new lay-out with amongst other things, the hinges on other side.

Poets day..........

Well it national Piss Off Early Tomorrows Saturday day today.  So I decided I better to something constructive in the day light.  So I worked on charging system.  It is turning into a mission of epic proportions.  After un-wiring my re-wiring of the alternator outputs I now have the system nearly working with the Sterling A2B in line, the dash is live and engine starts. Whoop Whoop.  Then I noticed little picture of battery on dash computer and there is no life on planet Sterling.  So after some more reading I think the problem is my alternator - it needs a (+) feed to kick start it into life as there is no voltage on B1+ or B2+ with engine running.  So in the morning I will run yet another cable to the front and tap of the starter solenoid.  I will take some pics as well for the benefit of others.

At least I have some more knowledge now about automotive electrickery.  I have a good feeling that my charging system will be up and running in the morning after I have run cable.

Nothing new..........

Nothing new to report today.  I am getting more pissed off with this box, due to the amount of work I think will be needed to get it water tight.  The water that has leaked into the living area has turned to ice with no signs of thawing out.  So there is no point in even planning the job of insulating the floor.  Sometimes I just wish I had loads of money and just buy one of them American style rv's off the shelf as it were.  The water is accumulating at the bottom of the walls behind the ply I think this is coming from the roof, tracking down and collecting.  But I will have to wait until Saturday to poke around.  That's the problem with it being dark at 5pm.  I think next year I will try and head to Spain for the winter.

Under the bonnet..........

I looked under the bonnet today!  I had to go and ask how...it is easy...but when you have never done it.

I have been trying to fit a Sterling A2B charger.  In the instruction it is easy...but in the real world!  Just remove the alt 2 batt cable - plug in this magic box and run 2 patch cables, cable A to lorry batts and cable B to domestic batts.  Simples, er NO - there is no alt 2 lorry battery cable.  After disconnecting all but one big red cable, I fired up and checked voltage @ 28v so alt is working.  After following 'big red' I find it goes to started and there is small patch sharing connection going to B1+ terminal on alt, there is also cable going to dash(hidden) from terminal B2+.  So remove small patch and run a separate wire from B1+ to the 'Magic Box'.  Fuck all happens when I turn the key.  Bollox to it, I am a mechanic I use spanners, not all this electrickery.

Been thinking B1+ and B2+ are alternator outputs so logically if, loom cable from B2+ is moved down to the starter(thus being indirectly connected to lorry batts) and the terminal b2+ blanked off).  Leaving B1+ to connect to 'Magic Box' then all should work!?!  I also did some googling B1+ and B2+ are just outputs and there is no change in output voltage, according to spec sheets.

Have to wait till Saturday to try this.  Or do it by generator light, no sod it too cold - it's waited this long.  It's is going to be a long weekend as there is lots of jobs need doing.

Log burner cured..........

Not recent it happened in my lazy faze!

When I was giving up smoking I was shown pictures like this.  There WAS a mesh up top I think it was a spark arrestor.  This was blocked after 2 weeks of burning pallets!?!

We spent the day in Lincoln.........

It's a very nice city, even in the not so white any more snow.  I found out were my 2 favourite shops are Toolstation and Wicks.  First we went to toolstation to pick up some silicone to seal up box a draft excluder brush and some hooks.  Rather than dump my coat/overhauls/cloths on the floor or in the corner(doing my own house training now!).  Max loved charging around the industrial estate even though I poisoned him with my cooking.  How can such a small dog be filled with so much shit?  This was a good excuse for me to do a re-con mission and there are pallets stacked up every were.  Onto Wicks to collect the paint, a white gloss for the metal corners and joins of the box.  I might as well paint the rest of the box while I am at it.  There is also big sacks of sand and shingle just left outside(need some sand ya see).

I dare not risk parking in my country lay-bye, still too much white stuff, so spending the night at the weighbridge site.  Stopped in garage around corner and found they sell cole, milk, bread etc.  Also they have a tap mounted on wall outside.  So restocked.  Things are looking up, if you ignore the extra box sealing work and the back end make over.

I have been thinking..........

I have been looking at a Mercedes 814D LWB Minibus.

I think this would be perfect I could still load tools, motor bikes and heli's in the back.  Then after the garage/workshop I would partition of bedroom/bathroom and then have open plan lounge and kitchen at the front.  Most of the works pre done, so I could move straight in and do the work while living.  They are pre insulated, carpet trimmed and have sun roofs fitted with erby heater to boot.

The money I have spent so far converting lorry is not that bad as most of it is reusable.  The polystyrene can be used to insulate bus floor and partition walls.  With any surplus wood can be chopped up for heat.  The wood burner, shower tray, toilet, sink, water heater, batteries and charger will be reused.

Even now I am talking myself into getting the bus!  I think this lorry has served it purpose.  It allowed me to store my stuff while being sorted and some sold.  It has not cost me any money like poll tax, site fees etc.  But  I will loose some money when sell on as there is a caravan door and toilet door fitted in side.  But it will not be too bad I think. 

I will have to start saving up for a summer purchase I think.

Snow, water and rot..........

Well due to the snow they can't get the plane in hanger, so been on stand bye for 3 days now.  Had to dig the lorry out of snow twice now(not good when it's 7.5 ton)and found out today the thing is leaking like a sieve and the ply lining is soaking when in places and starting to rot.  Not sure weather to patch things up for now, sell it on next year and buy a minibus.  Or the other option is to finish the conversion.  I think I will be going for the minibus option as I spent today doing housework. It turns out I do not have that much stuff.  Most of my books I have collected over the years can be sold on, as I have a kindle.  My 42" tv well lets face it is pure luxury, but not often used(as I have to run generator).

My mane thoughts though is the rot, well pissed off!  That and the back end is getting a make over(more bloody work).  I have sold on the old kitchen worktop as it was too heavy and in process of replacing with 9mm ply.  The garage is going to be higher and going across the width.  The kitchen is going to be also going across width and being open plan with the lounge/bedroom.  By doing it this way then only the garage area will be cold and the heat from log burner will be able to cope with the extra and everything should be dry and cosy.  I still think that the tail lift is a bad idea because of the weight, you can see by the way the lorry sits.

New spots needed..........

As the title I need to look for more spots and widen my patch I think.  Gone back to one of my original lay-bys(torch in the window) because it is elevated and a bid windy.  I was hoping this might be the answer to log burner by increasing the 'draw'.  I am not keen on this spot because it is right next to road and is like a rat run at rush hour.  Plus all the boy racers use it as they pretend to be proper rally drivers.  I have had two incidence so far tonight when people use the horns not in a threatening the way, but none the less I won't be staying here two nights.  I like to get to a stage when Monty is done to a point were I can get bikes in garage then I will have no more baggage apart from boxes of books.  If I had some extra money for the fuel, then I would go a travelling.

Been a quiet few days..........

It has been a quiet few days not much to report.  My wood burner is ill, being trying to sort that.  It is belching big black clouds into room.  The weather has been so shit neither Max or myself had any inclination to go walkies.  Kindle has been well used today, started re reading all the Terry Pratchets, on book 2 so far.

It's been a productive day..........

I got some motivation today.  %80 build the clothes shelf and finally got around to fitting a strip of LED's in kitchen/workshop.  Walked Max in the field next door.  Off the lead!  I am starting to trust him and visa versa.  When I first got him, if I let him roam he would bolt straight back to 'Monty' if there was roads in way, he would cross.  No road sense just like kids.

Oh and I took apart hifi and found it works on 15v (why could they not make it 12v) any ways I have a multi voltage thingy from 12v cig lighter, so that is added to list of jobs to do.

Since generator was running, I did some charging!  You can't see from this angle, but there is 10 things on charge.

Blackpool illuminations.

Gone to ground..........

It's been a busy week so far & I am feeling my age.  Retired to my country retreat for a bit.  Most of the big jobs are done now, so I think I will spend a couple days sorting out storage, light runs, power runs.  I might even do some painting.  I am running out of money now, very quickly, so might have to look for work for a bit.  I was planning on having the lorry in a more complete state first though and before the winter sets in.

I will have to find a name for 'the lorry'. What do think of Launa or Mort or Monty?  Monty has a nice ring to it, I think?

Catch up..........

Since I have me off line for a month and a lot has happen'd it I will easier if I just upload pics then sort em so here goes.....

Are first night with a fully functional door!

It's a mess and Max is dog tired from all the hard work?

It's getting there the sink is installed and drain to the outside world.  Thats the garage on the right for my bikes eventually.

Anyone would think I don't feed him.

I had gone to bed about 10 as usual, it was a new spot so a bit unsure.  Anyways I was dozing away and was woken by the door ratling and someone looking through the door window with torch in hand.  Time I got out of bed they were gone.  And as for Max he just snored loader :(  Note the door handle/lock purchased the next day.

We have a toilet door at last.

Oi who farted?

The toilet it fixed in place.  It had to raised a fare bit to allow the service door to be opened as there is like a skirting on outside at floor level.  I varnished the surrounding walls and floor.  Just in case I overshoot the landing zone!

Now this is what I call living.  It is only used for films and nature documentaries.  While I was building the toilet wall I took the mount into consideration plus the cable runs.

I have my very own bed.  It is 100% memory foam along with pillow.  Now at last, I do not sleep with Max on the sofa.  I was starting to smell like him.  His smell was permeating my skin plus he snores worst than the x wife!?!

Preparing the walls for heat.  I got 3 sheets of this ceramic board well cheap then cheaper still for cash.

You gotta love this tv oh there is a shelf above..

My office area and view showing under bed.

Now I loves me water so will try and find suitable spot.  My country retreat is by a canal and so is this garden centre.  Seeing this always reminds me of Harry Potter, for some reason.

More sky lights.  The hole was in preparation for chimney.

This is the 'workman' a 4kw burner by 'kpstoves'

Install and fired up,  I made the table/stand for it and for some reason I could not get it right and get f*cking it up.  It is still not right, it is hard to build it professionally when you have no power saws and you cant even cut the wood straight in the first place.  The slab off stone on top was another good deal for £10.  You got to love the power of cash.

Max's first night of heat, I think he could get used to this!

Attack of the killer trees..........

After being rocked to sleep one stormy night, I awoke to find part of the tree had fallen.  You can't see from the photo but it missed the cab by a couple of feet.

The most amazing book..........

As my lorry gets worked on more and more and things get built, there is less and less room.  I have to find storage for my hundreds of books all stored in boxes and a suitcase, as my mum has sold her house.  I came across a kindle from Amazon.  This thing is amazing!  I opted to pay the extra and buy the one with 3g.  I have since found that I can download books onto the laptop and transfer them over.  I am amazed at the technology you can get.  The only thing to do is sell off some books now.

Stolen from under my nose.........

I was in a dead end road on a Sunday night at 10pm my honda generator was stolen from the tail lift, while I was working in the front.  I sat down for 5 minutes in the lounge, next minute the generator powers down, thinking it had run out of petrol, then I hear the sound of the plug hitting the deck.  At that moment I knew I was being robbed.  The time it took me to grab the bat and get from the front to the back(seconds) it was gone.  What is the world coming to?

I had to get a replacement asap so I could keep working.  I could not afford to get another honda eu replacement so I had to get a cheap one from machine mart.  Every cloud, there was one in the shop slightly shop soiled but I got £120 off the price.

N.B.  Sorry for the delay since last post, you know what it is like.

Gone 'full time'..........

Gone 'full time' now.  I have sold caravan, just the sprinter van to sell and that's it!  I was a bit nervous at first, but now, I am loving it.  I have found a few lay-by's to choose from so I can keep moving about a bit.  My favourite is just around the corner from my new local.  The only downside is, it is on the side of busy road and the lorry sways as the petrol heads and chavs race by.

As Max and I were having are morning walk we came across a guy working on his boat.  It turns out Paul is living out his transit while he overhauls his boat.  We got talking about log burners after seeing the tell-tale witches tit on the roof.  I was asked him about fitting a log burner to my lorry, and how you do it, without melting the roof or setting fire to my home.  Paul was a mine of information and offered to help me with fitting and wiring and anything else to help.  He also had spares, so now I am the proud owner of a slightly used log burner stove!

The conversions coming along, I have built the basic frame for the kitchen/workshop and stored some boxes underneath.  In the morning I will finish the raised floor for the draw units and I might start on the stage area.  Or Max and I might just chill!

I need to decide what to do about my wifi ariel's.  I had one idea and drilled some big holes in front wall for a pole mount but I think I have now changed my mind, as I need to be able to turn tube around to get best signal on victim.  I will get some photo's in morning, you can see better what I mean.

What I still can't get over is how clever the human race is, to invent things.  I can be parked in the middle of nowhere and just fire up my petrol gen and have mains power.

Just chilling.........

Just chilling today, but I did make up a couple of side frames to support the kitchen worktop.  The worktop is going to be 5 foot off the ground!!  I did mark up the lorry and it looks real dumb.  I will have to use steps until I have made up the stage area lol.

I also did some thinking (not too much, it was hot today!)  I thought I would screw through the wall and secure a 2"x3" timber to support the back of the worktop and the two frames I made earlier with some 'sticky backed plastic' on either end with a temporary prop in the middle.

Nice lay-by big shit..........

I parked up in a lay-by last night it was ok apart from the traffic rocking the lorry as they went past.  I worked for hours today, but did not seem to get a lot done.  But I was a good day.  Adjacent to the lay-by was a big field so Max had lots of walks, they even provided a rubbish bin for my crap and another for Max's crap.

About lunch time I was desperate for a dump, not sure whether to drive back to camp site or not.  The problem is that it would take a lot of time to put tool and gear away.  Luckily I bought a Thetford toilet a while back(planning ya see)  but never used it, and there is no chemicals in it.  So I lined it with a swing-bin liner and took a dump in that.  Now this  was the dump of all dumps.  It felt more like a mobile home after (strange that).  All tidied away I tied the bag up and placed it in Max's crap bin, kindly proved by the council.  Now this got me thinking about poll-tax. It still makes me laugh now to think, there was probably two doddering old council workers, Bill and John, who's job was to go around the area, emptying all this crap.  When they found this bin I can just imagine Bill saying 'fuck me John, this dog must have been massive!' after finding my deposit. lol

View of the fields looking out my new door.........

The first two sheets of wall..........

The first couple of sheets of ply are up and there is the first conduit installed for later use.  The ply is 6mm and 4' x 8' so I glued the batons at 0' 2' and 4' with polystyrene insulation between.  There is two big metal hooks which go all the way through wall, I tried to unbolt em but they are siezed solid.  So in the morning I will get the angle grinder on them.  Then I can put next sheet on and fix the kitchen worktop.  The lorry is 8.5' high so there is going to be a lot of wasted space so what I am planning is, to have a raised floor half the width and about 2' high.  This way I can store all my heavy tools and bike parts(well that's the plan).  So 2' for the raised floor(stage) plus 3' on top for the two chest of draws that I got from a junk shop.  I will start making up the support frames for the worktop in the morning and make up the stage area seperate.  At least I will have a top to work on.

I might have sold my caravan, I do hope so because I need the funds to buy more wood.  I want to build the partition walls for the 'wet room' but I need to buy a shower tray and maybe a basin, so I know the sizes.

Van collected..........

The problem with a lorry this big is parking the bloody thing.  My landlady on caravan park would not allow it.  I have been asking around locally but no takers.  But I did manage to talk a farmer into letting me park up on his land for 2-3 days, which turned into a week, one bottle of whiskey later and it was two weeks ;)  In those two weeks I did not want to rock the boat as were, so I stayed away.  After a local recon mission I found a couple off possible car parks on a nearby common.  I managed to stay a couple of days and nights.  Before being asked to move on the morning.

In that time, I now have a door.  Whoop, whoop.

I had every thing I needed screws, glue, mastic sealant the lot.  But half way through and the jigsaw blade went blunt, so half was done by burning it's way through.

You can live and work in lorry at same time but it is bloody hard work plus you have to keep moving stuff around.

Try to work with Max around is a complete nightmare.  After having him for 3 day he has started to bark at everything that moves.  He is really stressing me out (at times I wished I never had him) but there has been a couple of times not he has been a really good guard dog.  More on dogers and boy racers to follow.

I have come back to the camp site to do a few things, but do not have long before I drive around for another spot.  I think I have found one but it is a lay-by on a busy road or there is another lay by I might use by some woodland.  But I can be seen here by the police and any parsing cars.  Good thing the lorry is a sleeper cab!