Pockets and Power

A “feature” of the Berlingo fit-out is that there’s a handy space behind the seat cushion. I find this handy for putting the phone, etc. out of sight, the downside is that an iPhone will just slip down the very narrow gap between the seat base and side of the ‘van. Getting it out again is a right pain in the proverbial. While perusing a chandlery catalogue I found the ideal solution - an elastic net pocket that’s now bolted to the trim panel. Not cheap, it was a chandlery after all, but perfect for the job. Not visible in the photo below is that I’ve also fitted a lighter socket so I can plug a charger in. Whilst I had the end locker lid unscrewed I managed to rearrange the stowage of the occasional use items, it's gained me several inches in the locker which, with the very limited space, will be useful.

Talking of electrics I’ve added a dedicated DIN type socket for powering the fridge, with a piece of conduit to try and stop me tripping over the cables. The intention is that whilst away the compressor coolbox will be permanently plugged in on mains and battery (it automatically switches between). I couldn't really do that before as the 12v cable was stretched across the 'van. It was a deliberate choice to use an external socket as that way the plug doesn't stick out too far.

The final job was to complete the wiring tidy up I started last year. The converter had a liking for 30A fuses which was all very well but didn’t really provide adequate protection for the thinner cables. I’ve now added a small fuse box with 5 and 10A fuses for the lights and power sockets. The system still isn't very sophisticated but it should provide what I need.

It won't be too long now before the first camping trip of the year. The jobs are done so I just need to convert back to camper mode (i.e. slide the front seat forward so I can fit the toilet in behind) and do a bit of a restock.