Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
- Smokeydk
- An old hand
- Posts: 653
- Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:39 pm
- Location: South of Adelaide SA
Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
Where do I start
Have 2 jerry can holders on rear bumper to hold rain water..they are covered with canvas covers made to fit
When home the gas cylinder has a canvas cover too….stops the weather getting to the cylinder
I took the water tank outlet valve out and ran a pipe with plastic ball valve behind the mudflap of tyre to empty the tank if needed and wash your hands after packing up so I dont have to crawl under the van to get to the tank….There isnt a tap on drawbar of this van
Ran sailtrack down offside of van to put up a canvas sheet to cover the fridge on hot weather
Replaced lighting in van with LED ones
Got set up with ezy level so can level van while driving in bush camp
Replaced the gas grill with draw great storage place in kitchen now
I’m sure there is lots more
Have 2 jerry can holders on rear bumper to hold rain water..they are covered with canvas covers made to fit
When home the gas cylinder has a canvas cover too….stops the weather getting to the cylinder
I took the water tank outlet valve out and ran a pipe with plastic ball valve behind the mudflap of tyre to empty the tank if needed and wash your hands after packing up so I dont have to crawl under the van to get to the tank….There isnt a tap on drawbar of this van
Ran sailtrack down offside of van to put up a canvas sheet to cover the fridge on hot weather
Replaced lighting in van with LED ones
Got set up with ezy level so can level van while driving in bush camp
Replaced the gas grill with draw great storage place in kitchen now
I’m sure there is lots more
- J.REEVES
- Rising star
- Posts: 3964
- Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:09 pm
- Location: Newcastle
Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
Hi Smokey,
Never heard of the Ezylevel so had a look.
https://www.outdoria.com.au/a/rv-carava … mkQAvD_BwE
Looks like a good thing, wonder if someone has an adaptor for a smart phone?
JR

Never heard of the Ezylevel so had a look.
https://www.outdoria.com.au/a/rv-carava … mkQAvD_BwE
Looks like a good thing, wonder if someone has an adaptor for a smart phone?
JR

- glanyard
- Rising star
- Posts: 3855
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:08 pm
- Location: Albany Creek Qld
Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
We have a rear entry pop top van.
1. I relocated the spare from the draw bar to the rear, across the door, utilizing a swing away like on some 4x4s. That provided some rear end protection as well as getting some weight off the draw bar.
2. Put a push bike handlebar grip onto the hand brake for ease when applying the brake.
3. Attached simple spirit level inserts onto the draw bar to indicate length ways and side ways levelness (?).
4. Changed to LED lighting where possible.
5. Changed single GPO’s to doubles; we don’t have a lot of things that will overload the system but still need to charge other devices.
6. Had awnings made for the side and rear. They are basically good quality tarps that are rolled into bags and zipped up when not in use. The bags are located within sail track.
7. Fitted twin fans to expel hot air from the top of the fridge; they are thermostatically controlled.
8. For 240 volts I carry a Honda 2.5kva gennie.
9. For water I carry a B.E.S.T filter for when the water may be a little suspect.
glanyard
1. I relocated the spare from the draw bar to the rear, across the door, utilizing a swing away like on some 4x4s. That provided some rear end protection as well as getting some weight off the draw bar.
2. Put a push bike handlebar grip onto the hand brake for ease when applying the brake.
3. Attached simple spirit level inserts onto the draw bar to indicate length ways and side ways levelness (?).
4. Changed to LED lighting where possible.
5. Changed single GPO’s to doubles; we don’t have a lot of things that will overload the system but still need to charge other devices.
6. Had awnings made for the side and rear. They are basically good quality tarps that are rolled into bags and zipped up when not in use. The bags are located within sail track.
7. Fitted twin fans to expel hot air from the top of the fridge; they are thermostatically controlled.
8. For 240 volts I carry a Honda 2.5kva gennie.
9. For water I carry a B.E.S.T filter for when the water may be a little suspect.
glanyard
2014 Isuzu D-Max twin cab ute
2006 5.5 metre Golden Eagle Mini Mi rear entry van
2006 5.5 metre Golden Eagle Mini Mi rear entry van
- Old Techo
- Over 10 kay Club
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- Location: Melbourne
Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
JR,
I agree, seems like a good idea, but….. far too expensive for simple technology.
The blurb says…. Take the guesswork and frustration out levelling, get it right the first time every time without leaving your vehicle! OK…. but how do you get levelling blocks under the wheels without leaving the vehicle?
Missing but simply added would be the displaying of how much you need to lift the low side.
Regards, Old Techo
2007 Prado Grande Diesel Auto
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- jessdogster
- Cracked the big time
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Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
I also have one of these – brilliant – bought it at the Melbourne caravan show a couple of years ago.
As our shower base is lower on the inside than the outlet. I’ve calibrated the device on the van to be ‘level’ with this taken into account so that the shower now always drains instead of a pool under the door.
I use one of these if on flat ground and drive forward/back until calibrated ‘level’ is achieved.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Anderson-Cam … 1888994480
As our shower base is lower on the inside than the outlet. I’ve calibrated the device on the van to be ‘level’ with this taken into account so that the shower now always drains instead of a pool under the door.
I use one of these if on flat ground and drive forward/back until calibrated ‘level’ is achieved.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Anderson-Cam … 1888994480
- Smokeydk
- An old hand
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- Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:39 pm
- Location: South of Adelaide SA
- Frank & Brenda
- Major contributor
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Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
There is an app for smart phones, but you need 2 devicesJ.REEVES wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:50 amHi Smokey,
Never heard of the Ezylevel so had a look.
https://www.outdoria.com.au/a/rv-carava … mkQAvD_BwE
Looks like a good thing, wonder if someone has an adaptor for a smart phone?
JR
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One is the sender, which you place on a level surface in the van (floor)
The other is in your car as the receiver and it tells you (literally) if your van is level or not
Costs under $3 from the app store and is called
TALKING CARAVAN LEVEL
Thought about getting it but haven’t bothered as I have a small T level on the drawbar and usually can see if the van is level anyway
Catch you……Out there
Frank and Brenda
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Frank and Brenda
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Also member of Travellers chat
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- Rising star
- Posts: 2668
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- Location: Brisbane
Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
I thought this was an auto leveling device. All it does is tell you if you van is level. Is that correct?
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- loub
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Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
Put a stainless steel wire clothesline attached just under the top of the awning arm ,using two ring bolts though the inside of the arms.It can be used with the awning up or down and even with the shade curtain out or the annex up.Dosn’t get in the way of the awning operation and is good in wet weather 

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Re: Whats your most useful & simple van addition or retro fit?
On a poptop a fiddle above the cupboards.