I've booked the van to be inspected for certification as a Motorhome on Wed next week. I'm trying to knock out some last minute requirements before then in order to pass. Hopefully first try.
There are some ambiguous requirements for certain elements of a Motorhome. Documentation makes it clear that the vehicle can't just be a van with sleeping bags thrown in the rear. There needs to be dedicated functional permanent spaces for bed, tables, chairs etc, but cooking is simply defined as "cooking facilities". This doesn't specify the difference between a cooking area such as my kitchen bench, or one with built-in-non-removable stove/oven, or hard-mounted-portable, or simply stowed portable devices. I've spoken to the certification guy and he's stated I can get away with a portable as long as it is securely mounted for travel in a dedicated stowage location which is labeled as such.
...so I've grabbed some lugguage straps from k-mart for $4 bucks, and embossed a pepsi can for a label. (OK Jana had some copper sheet on hand, but I was GOING to use some pepsi-can-shim-stock that I had already prepared for other jobs... )
I've also mounted and installed a fire extinguisher. About half the extingisher hovers above the minimum height requirement of 1.2m. That will have to do.
After I get it certified I can get it formally titled with VicRoads as a Motorhome. This needs to be lodged with them in the same thirty day timeframe as you would with a road worthy certificate. Once done, it's done and doesn't need to be refreshed as you would with a roadworthy cert'.
There's lots more I want to do, but I need to wrap this up. I've always said since the day I bought this van that it was a prototype test build. There will be design changes, improvements, and more luxury features in the next one...and hopefully more funds to buy a fancier base model van.
I'm selling the van with a modern 3 burner portable stove so the van has a more "drive away and camp" feel to the purchase. This old reliable stove isn't a selling point...
