Northern Auto Tech - ECU and Blue & Me Repairs
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SDC102051.JPG

Ducato just a few pics of my rough and ready minbus conversion

Overview Gallery Discussion

Introduction

when i bought this van it was a greenish yellow colour all over, she was rusted to pieces, there was smoke coming from the engine, only had half an exhaust on her and she was a minibus used for ferrying mental patients to and from mullingar mental hospital!!worth every penny of the 300 euros i paid to take her home though because plenty of t-cut sweat and MDF later I had a camper van, she isn't exactly the Hilton on wheels but everything works and its quite easy to keep clean and suits me grand for surfin adventures as the astro turf and shiny paint dont react adversy to the water that does be drippin off me when i get in from the atlantic.
hope you's like it anyway



the black thing in the corner is the fridge not too big but it serves a purpose and the hob is beside the sink
in the boot i have enough room for four or five surf boards and space for hangin up the wetsuits and also the water storage tank which is gravity fed

the van only cost me 300 euros to buy it and most of the materials used to convert it were begged and borrowed and donated from friends and relatives
any way hope yis all like it let me know what ye think
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they have fixing brackets at their bases so that they dont fly all over the place when im driving they work rather well dont make any noise at all thanks man
 
thanks man, the astroturf is actually really practical because it absorbs all the water no problem and the sand that is constantly making its way inside from the beach just sits in between all the blades of grass as it would on a soccer pitch its really nice on bare feet too,
carpet would of started to smell after a while and lino would have felt horrible in bare feet with sand on it and laminate flooring would have rotted away because of all the salt water so all in all it really is the most practical solution, and i think its really funky at the same time!!
 
Is this machine taxed and insured as a camper or did you bother with that.
 
it is indeed the tax and insurance is considerably less when done this way, also when it is signed off as a campervan in ireland it never needs an n.c.t (m.o.t) again, campers are exempt in Ireland due to some loop hole so its well worth getting it wrote up as a campervan.
 
harryd22 said:
it is indeed the tax and insurance is considerably less when done this way, also when it is signed off as a campervan in ireland it never needs an n.c.t (m.o.t) again, campers are exempt in Ireland due to some loop hole so its well worth getting it wrote up as a campervan.
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Hey I own a 96 ambulance from mullingar probably bought at the same time. It's currently on blocks and needs new sills. Were you able to get replacement sill panels locally I'm draing a blank. Did you have to do much to the engine mine has 247k on it and still start no problem but needs injectors.
 
Ok old post, I know, but thats a grand job. I want to do something like that to my van and still be able to carry a motorbike in it. Any more pics?
 
harryd22 said:
it is indeed the tax and insurance is considerably less when done this way, also when it is signed off as a campervan in ireland it never needs an n.c.t (m.o.t) again, campers are exempt in Ireland due to some loop hole so its well worth getting it wrote up as a campervan.
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Hi Harry, what criteria did you have to fulfill to have her re-classed as a camper??? I presume it was revenue you had to produce it to?
 
custom900 said:
Hi Harry, what criteria did you have to fulfill to have her re-classed as a camper??? I presume it was revenue you had to produce it to?
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hi sorry for the delay the revenue need to have a " engineer look at it but its usually just a guy in the office,
basic guidelines are you need to be able to stand up in it at its lowest part in the back i think the required height is 1.8m,
there needs to be a hob with at least two rings, a sink and a fridge,
you need to be able to walk through from the front to the back so no double passenger seat,
and the back doors need to be blocked off, i use the area behind the mural for storing surf boards and clothes and the water tank is in there too, or it could be used for a toilet and shower otherwise,
you need to get a garage report from a simi registered garage to say its road worthy but after that the van is exempt from nct for the rest of its life,

think thats all insurance 300 euro for the year and tax is 80 euro,

hope this helps happy camping.
 
corkman said:
Hey I own a 96 ambulance from mullingar probably bought at the same time. It's currently on blocks and needs new sills. Were you able to get replacement sill panels locally I'm draing a blank. Did you have to do much to the engine mine has 247k on it and still start no problem but needs injectors.
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to tell the truth i patched up the sills myself with fibre glass strips and repainted and sanded them so the man who wrote my engineers report never even noticed ,
these vans seem to have a serious rust problem but if you can catch it in time and make sure its well looked after it shouldnt be a problem,
my engine blew a hole from the cooling system into the oil and it was off the road for a while but i sent the engine off to be reconditioned and its flyin away now,
165000 miles will be really happy if i get as many as you out of her!!
 
harryd22 said:
hi sorry for the delay the revenue need to have a " engineer look at it but its usually just a guy in the office,
basic guidelines are you need to be able to stand up in it at its lowest part in the back i think the required height is 1.8m,
there needs to be a hob with at least two rings, a sink and a fridge,
you need to be able to walk through from the front to the back so no double passenger seat,
and the back doors need to be blocked off, i use the area behind the mural for storing surf boards and clothes and the water tank is in there too, or it could be used for a toilet and shower otherwise,
you need to get a garage report from a simi registered garage to say its road worthy but after that the van is exempt from nct for the rest of its life,

think thats all insurance 300 euro for the year and tax is 80 euro,

hope this helps happy camping.
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Great info to have, thanks. Planning now(y)
 
Hi harry ive got this van but in a coach build 1998 im having problems with my wiper motor due to the wheel boxes being to tight. would you know were I can get the wheel boxes from for this model. im out of my depth with this problem and the garage doesn't know. please help me.
my number is 07510414042 sandra
 
Why don,t you strip the wiper linkage assembly & clean & lubricate wheel boxes up.I had to do this 2 yrs ago after a previous owner had replaced the wiper motor with a new one & that burnt out due to spindle corrosion & partial seizure.

Farty
 
harryd22 said:
hi sorry for the delay the revenue need to have a " engineer look at it but its usually just a guy in the office,
basic guidelines are you need to be able to stand up in it at its lowest part in the back i think the required height is 1.8m,
there needs to be a hob with at least two rings, a sink and a fridge,
you need to be able to walk through from the front to the back so no double passenger seat,
and the back doors need to be blocked off, i use the area behind the mural for storing surf boards and clothes and the water tank is in there too, or it could be used for a toilet and shower otherwise,
you need to get a garage report from a simi registered garage to say its road worthy but after that the van is exempt from nct for the rest of its life,

think thats all insurance 300 euro for the year and tax is 80 euro,

hope this helps happy camping.
Click to expand...

Hi Harry,

That is quite a list of requirements. A bit baffled about the rule regarding the rear doors and can't think why they think a fridge is needed. Did you not have to have your gas circuit tested? Here in Switzerland you need a gas test certificate if you're staying in a camp site. Probably not a problem for you as there isn't much surfing to be had here anyway :doh:.
 
Rigormortis said:
Hi Harry,

That is quite a list of requirements. A bit baffled about the rule regarding the rear doors and can't think why they think a fridge is needed. Did you not have to have your gas circuit tested? Here in Switzerland you need a gas test certificate if you're staying in a camp site. Probably not a problem for you as there isn't much surfing to be had here anyway :doh:.
Click to expand...

The irish definition has been brought in line with the european definition,

"a special purpose vehicle with EU category M1, M2, or M3 with bodywork SA (as defined in the Annex to Directive 2007/46/EC) that contains at least seats and table, sleeping accommodation which may be converted from the seats, cooking facilities, and storage facilities where the equipment shall be rigidly fixed to the living compartment; (with the exception of the table may be designed to be easily removable) will be designated as a motor caravan for vehicle registration tax purposes"

Camper insurance however is only freely available through 'group schemes' and they can stipulate whatever they like such as telling people with minbus conversions to remove windows and replace them with metal and other such nonsense, vehicle owners in ireland get screwed in every direction.
 
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