Where's me office?!!

I'm forgetting what the place looks like, or even where I've left it. I've been so busy working down in Portishead that I haven't made any progress on the office in weeks.

But...a man has to earn a crust, and it's been a decent crust for the last couple of months, so now I have a little wherewithal I can get some more materials in and progress things a little.

I need to resurrect the slow sand filtering system I started on in 2013, and get it doing what it is supposed to be doing and filtering rainwater as a resource. The plan is to harvest rainwater from the roof of the van body and to run it through the filtration system and into the clear-well tank to provide my off-grid potable water supply. The quantities don't need to be vast, but I would like enough for hand-washing, brewing up and re-hydrating the occasional Pot Noodle.

On my last trip to Portishead, I salvaged some scrap CLS timber and some random bits of OSB (as well as another stash of pallets) so I fabricated a timber platform for standing the water tanks on and providing a few feet of 'head' for my water supply.

The platform will hold the slow sand filter, the clear-well and the piping and filtration system. In the picture above, you can see the IX600 cartridge filter fitted into the approximate position. This is supplied from the clear-well and will provide the water feed to the tap in the kitchenette. It also adds a small amount of rigidity to the corner of the body, Anything I can use to brace the walls will help reduce the 'flex' on the body in anything above a moderate breeze.

The rear and side walls support the main weight of the platform, with just a single leg required to prop the outer corner and support the weight of the filtration system and 100 litres or so of water.

You can also see the 3" x 2" CLS I have used to make the studwork outer frame for the partition wall between the kitchenette and 'the facilities'. With the frame screwed to the floor and the outer wall, just one fixing will be needed to the timber 'joist' above the ceiling insulation to align the 5' wall before fitting the 4' end wall and door module. This is being assembled in the garage back at the homestead and will be transported as a finished item on the roofrack to be simply screwed into position - vertically to the back wall and the framing above. The partition wall will be clad on the kitchenette side with OSB. This will ultimately be painted for aesthetic purposes...possibly!

I did actually think one step ahead, and allowed a 3A spur from the end of the ring main to allow for any electrical accessories, a light and a battery charger in the facilities. The space below the water filter platform will house the batteries for the solar system.

Next steps are to fit a couple of horizontal braces into the stud frame, bring the water feed into the kitchenette and then fit the OSB walling sheet. The Recticell insulation in the corner behind the water filter system is to stop the plumbing from getting too cold in winter.

The 'facilities' will also house my 'Loveable Loo' style composting toilet, or thunderbox, and the slat wood I have salvaged from pallets will form the basis of this. I have ordered some 25 litre lidded buckets for use in the toilet, and have a cheap £9.99 seat from B&Q ready to go. Dimensions of the loo are dependent on the bucket, so construction can't begin until I have the measurements of the bucket sorted. Whether I can begin using it right away will depend on the timing of the construction of the processing system...perhaps having a supply of 'nutrients' will expedite that project...