22/1/2010 :

In October 2007 I was going to buy a Nikon D300 but realized that for the same price I could get a D40 and this van ....... [ the D40 turned out to be a good choice as well ! ]
[ 10/03/2010 - another 'photovan' in NSW ]

This was going to be my "photovan" for touring and photographing New Zealand , but first it would need some 'enhancing' ..... There was already a wooden floor so I added a lino .

Then the necessary items had to be located in an efficient manner . A computer desk and a large toolbox for locking away expensive gear . The outside of the van wasn't going to change much for a reason [ besides removing the signwriting ] , very conveniently it will stay shabby looking because there's no sense advertising the possibility of expensive gear inside !


The van has gone through many changes and modifications , including an awning that folds out from the platform on the roof and doubles as a place to take photos from when I need more height . [10/04/2009 ]
In the above picture the mattress was my bed on the floor but it was a nuisance having to clear the floor each time I wanted to sleep so I changed the system to include a board that goes over the passenger seat so the bed is always ready - without having to clear a space each night ! note the spare battery on the floor behind the seat ] .



The cooker eventually found a place on the computer desk
and this was recently upgraded to include a sliding table that still needs a leg to be added ..... The top inverter at the back is a 'normal' inverter and the one below is the same power output but since it is a "pure sinewave' inverter it costs 5 times as much . If you use a plain inverter it can damage electronic circuits in something like a camera battery charger that needs a proper power supply with a pure sinewave . the cheap 'square wave' inverters can 'confuse' the electronic circuits and they will either not charge at all or fry themselves . The cheap inverter does run a laptop ok however .

The left side recently became a set of storage bins for food and cooking gear ...


The inverters are 'necessary' to run the laptop .

The spare batteries , one behind the drivers seat and one at the back , are charged from the van's charging system - there is a switch next to the drivers seat that connects the extra batteries to the charging system once I get moving and the engine is running . I do this manually - I'm an auto electrician so there's no way I'm going to spend time wiring it up properly without getting paid !!
Every inch of the van is finding a use , a rechargeable torch is plugged in to the cigarette lighter socket [ one of 16 in total fitted to the van ] and the solar powered 'bug zapper' is also strapped down .

Every square inch .....

And the latest addition helps me find the places I visit in New Zealand !

As I get time I will add the photovan's adventures to this site .....

 It's first test trip was to Papanui point Ruapuke , Raglan ....



which was in the early days of its development ....





Then I added a small platform on the roof for the rally ....





eventually I got a bigger platform for the roof ....