Swift gosling

Have been cracking on with the van, which I was going to call the Bubble Goose until I checked urban dictionary , instead it (not sure of gender yet) is to be known henceforth as Swift Gosling - master of wind and road.
Since the first lot of photos I have fully insulated the roof, walls and doors with cellotex of various widths, PU foam and foil backed tape. This was a long, fairly tedious and messy job, but should along with double glazed windows, silver screens blinds and an extractor vent help keep us cool in the south of France and warm in Font. I've added two vents to the roof, one with a 12v, three speed fan which can be set to blow air in or out, this is above where the cooker will be and is to vent off hot air in summer, as well as food based effulgence from cooking. Before I could start boarding I ran out various cables to where I thought lights, solar panel, heater etc would go. Now I'm onto boarding out all the insulated surfaces. To keep down weight and to follow the curved interior I am using 4mm exterior grade plywood. This stuff is tough and flexible but can be cut to shape, with some effort, using a stanley blade, which makes getting a neat edge much easier than sawing. The boarding is half done and hopefully will be complete (except for a gap where the fridge goes) by June when I quit work to spend a few weeks full time on the van before travels commence.

Omnistor extractor vent


Boarded out door and sidewall


Unboarded sliding door and wiring


The cluttered untidy work space



Other than managed the classic Grooved Arete at Kilnsey t'other weekend. Midweek has been all about peak lime bouldering in an attempt to keep fingers strong for the Euro trip. This week has also seen the rope come out with me and Nige trying the mighty Revelations. So far it's going pretty well, Thursday we figured out the sequence on the crux (credit to Harris for useful beta), then worked the top and tryed to redpoint yesterday. Got through crux and into the groove on the third or fourth attempt, then fell off going right due to pump and bad sequence. Will go back Tues with fresh arms....