Interior refresh
Opps, a bit of a delay in posting as I got sidetracked with a work project! Having got the essential items sorted on the camper, it was good to have some time to look at tackling some of the ‘nice to have’ options on the to-do list! One of these was the padding in the front seats, I think it was time for a bit of a refresh…
Ask more questions drivers side cab doorSeat updates
The front seats had been recovered some time ago back in California, but I had noticed that after a while driving, the seats were becoming a little uncomfortable. I could now feel the metal springing coming through. Having had a quick look underneath, I could see that yellow foam had been used for the padding. I suspected that this had just become less supple and supportive with age and needed replacing.
the front bench seat foam had become a bit old and softComfort levels restored
When I bought the rear light units, I also purchased some replacement correct style ‘hair’ seat pads from Custom and Commercial. This is the style of padding that would have originally have been used for the seats. It’s great that replacement items like this can nowadays be readily purchased! 🙂 I was hoping that it should be fairly straightforward to remove the existing covers and swap out the old foam for the new ‘hair’ style seat pads.
new ‘hair’ style front seat pads going under the existing TMI seat coversThe previous owners back in California had used some good quality TMI seat covers and foam pads which really helped in the replacement process, so with some pulling and pushing, I soon managed to remove the old foam pads and replace them with the much firmer and more supportive ‘hair’ style seat pads. This should really make a difference with the comfort of the seats on future road trips! 🙂
Electrickery
Now time to look at the head unit fixing at the front of the bus. I had initially used an old/damaged under shelf support as a ‘temporary measure’ for the Hessisch Oldendorf road trip, but now it was time to replace this with a longer-term solution. It was here that my friend Henry once again demonstrated his mastery of my electrickery nemesis! To make everything work and fit correctly as it should, Henry replaced some of the head units odd/redundant wiring whilst making use of some of the units unused features.
new RCA cable to take the dedicated pre-out signal to the front component speakersHe had already used the dedicated subwoofer pre-output for the new 10″ sub install, but it also had two other additional dedicated pre-outputs for component speakers. So by buying a new RCA cable to take the dedicated pre-out signal to the front component speakers, he not only simplified the wiring, but it also gives a much better sound quality output! 🙂
Music options
Clearly, showboating at this point, Henry then also managed to produce a custom connection between old and new by adapting an old aerial cable to work with both the retro head unit and my vintage original VW aerial. For the first time ever, Lorna will now be able to listen to her favourite BBC Radio 4 in the bus! Maybe I best keep that bit to myself, otherwise, I will find myself having to listen to the Archers on our road trips!
solar-powered battery charger to maintain and trickle charge the leisure battery when parked upAdditional 12v power
Also on the electrickery front, I bought a small solar-powered battery charger to help maintain and trickle charge the leisure battery when the bus is parked up. This simply plugs into my newly installed triple function dual USB charger, LED voltmeter and 12v outlet power socket. Hopefully, this should help maintain the leisure battery during any periods of inactivity. More importantly, it will allow me to easily see its state of charge/capacity!
Triple Function Dual USB Charger, LED Voltmeter and 12v Outlet Power SocketWhatever the weather
It had been great fun spending time and doing the various bits on the bus with Henry, it felt like things had been really transformed. However, as is usual, once all the work was completed, externally the bus looked pretty much the same! We went inside to tidy up and put bits away when there was a bit of a freak snowstorm. We knew it was cold working outside, but seriously!
best be heading back before the snow takes overIt was a bit touch and go weather-wise, but before things got too bad, I decided it would be best to push-off before the light faded and head back home. Glad I had invested time making sure the bus was insulated, as it was a pretty cold journey home. Hate to think what it would have been like without it! Roll on summer…
