The sheets were supplied and laminated by ELS Panels in Spalding, who were excellent to deal with.
Once cut to shape the edges of the panels were then finished with a 2mm ABS plastic band from Ostermann that was bonded on .
Two water tanks were mounted transversely across the middle of the cabin and in total can hold nearly 500 litres of water . These tanks which were made to our specifications by FT Design . They were made of 10mm plastic formed the basis of the seating area.
The cupboards were constructed outside of the vehicle and then secured in place . A channel was created that flowed around the vehicle providing a way that pipes and wires could flow around the cabin without being seen.
We tried to make the interior a open as possible and considering that the cabin is only 5 meters long on the inside, we are happy with the result.
The Living Area
The top and bedroom cupboards were constructed in exactly the same way as the base units. However all of the upper cupboards were mounted 5 mm from the wall and ceilings. This was to allow constant air flow through the units even if the hinge up doors were closed. This simple anti condensation tactic has worked brilliantly .
We always knew that fixings into a couple of mm of GRP were always going to be week and would probably lead to all the fully loaded cupboards coming off on a bumpy road. To combat this we designed the vehicle to have plywood Bulkheads at regular intervals. These supported the ends of the cupboards and transferred all the weight directly onto the cabin floor . They were also fixed to the GRP with 25mm aluminium angle for good measure
The seating area is a classic U shaped lounge in front of the bed platform. The poplar panels behind the back rests sit proud of the GRP by 30mm to allow heat from the ALDE radiators situated beneath the seats to flow upwards behind the cushions . The panel on the bed bulkhead allows air to flow under the mattress beneath the Froli. A large storage area is beneath the platform that the table sits on
The living area table, which also forms the base of an additional bed was also made from the same Corian as the kitchen . This is mounted on a single fixed pedestal which was provided by Zwaardvis and has a top mount that can move in all directions . The quality of this product is superb.
The Bathroom
The Toilet and shower area has been constructed to be a wet room in that everything within it is waterproof and the door has a waterproof seal. However in reality we fitted a pull round curtain that isolates the shower area for convenience.
The toilet is a Thetford Bravura low slung and this sits upon a Black tank that holds approximately 60 litres of black waste This tank is emptied from outside the vehicle ( See Exterior ) We think this gives us sufficient capacity for a couple of weeks . The tank is vented by a fan system that is operated by a PIR as you enter the bathroom . This fan is operated when you enter the room so by the time you open the blade in the bottom of the bowl, the tank has negative air pressure and this prevents any odour entering the bathroom .
The shower tray was constructed in 19mm marine ply and made of 4 facets that all angle towards a large drain in the floor. The floor are was then lined with an industrial grade non slip welded flooring .This flooring along with the rest of the cabin vinyl flooring was laid by Diamond Flooring
The Bed Area
The bed platform, which is also the roof of the garage area is made from 50mm GRP. We provided adequate ventilation to under the mattress and raised the mattress off the floor with a product called Froli. which raises the mattress by about 50mm. Ventilation gaps have been created at the front and rear of the mattress . Movement on the mattress forces air to continually flow under the mattress. So far we have had no moisture issues that can often occur under Mattresses. I would recommend Froli without hesitation.
The bed is transverse with cupboard space at one end and windows at both ends to allow air circulation . Above the bed we have installed a large roof hatch made of GRP and this not only allows good access to the roof but is great on hot nights It has a fine fly screen that can be attached . This hatch in our view is one of the best aspects of the cabin.
The Kitchen
The kitchen area is galley style at the front of the vehicle . The lower cupboards house the Water Heater , The washing Machine and the cooker. The upper cupboards are for storage and a soda stream machine . Again the carcases are made from white poplar ply. The cooker is made by Smev and we had the aperture it sits in lined in stainless steel to provide the clearances needed. Several gas drop out holes were installed under the cooker .
The double sink is from Franke and the worktop, which we designed , was finished in Corian . It provided and fitted by Prestige Worktops . The left side of the worktop has two covers over the sinks and he right hand side has a solid square of worktop that sits over the hob. This section is hinged on the right and can be fixed in the upright position, horizontally to to the right of the cooker to provide more worktop or completely vertical hanging into the door way .
The flooring is a slate grey industrial standard vinyl
We have added storage under the table and under the floor, within the chassis area. with access from inside.
You will notice that the windows have security in them. During the panel construction we had wood reinforcing added around all apertures in the walls and the ceiling. This has allowed us to add security bars to every window and roof light. The roof light bars are permanent. However , the bars in the windows are secured in place with rack bolts and are quickly and easily removed with the turn of a key at each end of the bar.
