VW T3 Westfalia campervan

[tmotion]

This project has a bit of a history. Back in 2007 I met my wife and she bought a VW T3 Westfalia 1980 aircooled hightop campervan for 1000€. I didnt have a drivers licence back then and was totally not interested in cars. After a year she found out that this van was a total rustbucket, unsafe and beyond repair. We decided to strip all parts of value and buy another T3 van and combine both. So again for almost no money we bought another aircooled T3, this time an ex army van. For 2 years we worked on the van in the weekends at her parents place, we were students: so plenty of time, no money. We learned how to weld, spraypaint, work on cars in general and for me how to drive. After second coat of primer, we decided to break up...... We wrapped the van in sealing plastic and left it for better times.

We came back together after a few months, graduated, married, got jobs, got kids..... So became boring now 12 years later we decided to finish the bus. In the meantime I got addicted to the car hobby and have a fully equipped workshop where I work on multiple cars (only BMW's) when time allows. For a few years I worked at a EV manufacturer as a mechanical engineer and I got inspired by the engineering challenges that come with EVs. Recently we unwrapped the van and moved it to my workshop (rust is really limited luckily). So works can start!

The past year I spent my time deciding what we want, how it will look and mainly buying parts, alot of parts. So the plans are:

NON-EV part:
-Remove last ICE parts
-Clean complete bottom of the van, remove last pieces of rust and do Dinitrol/Tectyl treatment
-Full rebuild of suspension (Koni adjustable shocks with heavy load Eibach springs + all the surrounding parts new and in stock)
-Upgrade of brake systems (Audi S6 brake discs and calipers front, VW T5 discs and calipers in back, stainless hoses in stock)
-Add powersteering (original new powersteering housing with Toyota MR2 electric powersteering pump)
-Respray of van with final layers and clearcoat
-new window seals, interior etc etc
-upgrade original westfalia interior to current standards (water, 220V, fridge, maybe induction cooking)

EV part:
-Tesla rear SDU to replace current ICE and gearbox, maybe M3 DU, but will see how development goes. Didnt buy one yet, but keep my eyes open.
-Tesla Gen2 charger with damiens board
-Batterypack under the van. First design was Tesla modules, but not all modules fit underneath. M3 short modules are 80mm too long.
-Current design is 26 or 32 Ipace modules -> 365V, 83kWh
-This will give me a range of 230-290km
-Orion BMS with Chademo fastcharging, or what future developments will bring (CCS)
-200Ah 12V batteries for all apliences. I do not want the HV system to be active all the time when camping. So I need a big 12V battery to power my fridge, lights, radio, 220V converter etc.
-2x 300Wp solarpanel on poptop roof with MPPT tracker which monitors 12V batteries and when on low power enables the DCDC
-DCDC, not decided yet. a 1000W passive cooled TCCharger like ZeroEV sell will be fine I expect.

Long term planning:
-Finished 6-5-2022, our 5 year anniversary wedding and have a 100 days trip through Europe before the kids have to go to school.

Short term planning (I want to be realistic so I take my (precious) time):
-Walk again within a few weeks (I broke my leg in January)
-Start on bottom of van (Q3 2020)
-Finish battery pack design in OnShape and make shopdrawings for lasercutting (Q3 2020)
-Do EV course with Damien (Q3 2020)
-Source and buy Ipace modules and tesla DU (Q4 2020)
-Change suspension, steering and brakes (Q4 2020)
-Make batterybox and mount major EV parts in van (Q1 2021)
-Test drive (Q2 2021)
-Paintjob of van (Q3 2021)
-Add new windows etc, mount poptop roof (Q3 2021)
-Get approval by Dutch road authorities (Q4 2021)
-Work on interior and all the fancy bits and pieces (Q1 2022)


I'll update this topic often and in case I could use your opinion on certain design choices. Main focus is now the battery pack of which I attached some screenshots. I want this pack to be lasercut and welded end of this year. Structurally it will work, but I have my doubts of the cooling via the aluminium profiles that I now imagined. The idea comes from the I3 batterypack which uses a bit similar solution (but with hvac fluid). I plan to use 16mm hoses (200mm2) which connect to profiles with a 400mm2 inner area. I'll use heat transfer compound or sheets to make sure it is transferred from the modules. The radiator will be mounted in the old enginebay (like Kevins T2 van).

[Kevin Sharpe]

So the plans are:

Great project

How will you get the vehicle registered in The Netherlands? My understanding is that you must use certificated components if you want to avoid having the whole vehicle tested for EMC, etc.

Edit: similar topic here;

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=751&p=10622#p10622

[Kevin Sharpe]

Anne Kloppenborg from New Electric has provided an update on certification in The Netherlands

https://openinverter.org/wiki/The_Netherlands

[tmotion]

Thx!

I know my way around the RDW testtrack, but that is more then 9 years ago. I’m planning to contact RDW and probably pay a consultancy fee to discuss the project en specific regulations:

https://www.rdw.nl/zakelijk/branches/fa ... quirements

I’m particulary curios what they mean with components from a single vehicle and to what extend these must be used. And of course if a controlboard from Damien changes anything to the EMC approval of a Tesla motor.

I’ll update any findings here and if necessary in the wiki

[Kevin Sharpe]

I’m particulary curios what they mean with components from a single vehicle and to what extend these must be used.

The application is based on a single OEMs type approval. If you mix and match components from multiple OEMs you need to retest because you cannot prove that your solution meets legal requirements.

And of course if a controlboard from Damien changes anything to the EMC approval of a Tesla motor.

The control boards have not been tested for EMC compatibility and therefore any existing approvals are no longer valid. Obviously you could lie about this on your application form but that has some risk associated with it.

In the long term we need to get the open source solutions tested and approved. The biggest problem is that you need to test with all the components you will use which restricts end user choice. Today most users are ignoring these requirements but I'm sure eventually the authorities will get wise to this.

I’ll update any findings here and if necessary in the wiki

Great! As Anne says "there is precedent of successful and licensed conversions" so maybe try and find an individual builder in The Netherlands who can advise you. Maybe work with other OI members and share the knowledge and costs

[joromy]

cooling by means of aluminium pipes like i3

I like your cooling system, is it aluminium rectangular tubes welded together?
Very goof idea!

[tmotion]

cooling by means of aluminium pipes like i3

I like your cooling system, is it aluminium rectangular tubes welded together?
Very goof idea!

Yes! Im sure that a machined aluminium cooling plate is more efficient but this comes at a high cost vs some standard welded profiles.

Regarding the approval: I’ll consult rdw and discuss possibilities. I already reserved resonable funds for this process. From an engineering and reporting perspective im not too afraid of the works required.

As long as the choice of batteries is a bit flexible I see possibilities to get this approval and make it available for the OI community. In case any other user from the Netherlands is thinking on using the Tesla SDU, let me know, maybe efforts can be combined.

[Kevin Sharpe]

As long as the choice of batteries is a bit flexible

You'll be approving the complete system and won't have an option to change batteries without resubmission (think EMC and CE). Try and find someone who has done this successfully in The Netherlands and can give you some of their time (user boekel maybe?). Remember, that you're working in one of the toughest EV conversion environments in the world.

[mike77cos]

Awesome project, keep us updated

[Mike]

Great project. How to you plan to fit the battery pack to the chassis. will it sit on top of the floor pan?

Good Luck

[EV_Builder]

Any progress?
(mhhh doesn't look to good the plate looks dropped from the database...)

I'm deff interested and have talked to the RDW Too

[tmotion]

Any progress?
(mhhh doesn't look to good the plate looks dropped from the database...)

I'm deff interested and have talked to the RDW Too

Nope (only in my head). Bought a new house with room for a two-car mancave conversion garage. Will first finish that before proceeding with this project.

[EV_Builder]

Ok fair enough, did you sell the T3 / Project?

[tmotion]

No! Never its already waiting for over 8 tears for a full makeover. An additional 6months will not make a difference. Currently it is in my workshop 45min drive away. From next year its 45 seconds away. Which gives me alot of extra time to work on it