Is that like a really hot statistician? Only I'm not sure MrsC would buy that if she found one with her head under my bonnet. So to speak.

And more importantly, squeezing your hose

Well quite!

No progress made on thermostats/hoses, although I have found that I can source either the thermostat on its own (will need gasket(s) presumably) for £9 or the entire housing including the stat for £18. As long as the hoses are in good shape, that might be a simpler option.

I've now removed the remaining excess seats leaving the front 3 and one row of 3 behind. The rest of the bus is now a cargo area roughly 8' x 6' x 6' in height, plus overhead bays. I'm now planning to build a shelf of about 3' x 5' to go over the cab, using some ply and a length of angle iron.

The only slightly disappointing things I've discovered are patches of corrosion that go right through the top of each rear wheel arch where the seats hid them and what I suspect is a slightly leaky fuel tank. Strange how it passed its MOT...!

Anyway, it is not a new, luxury vehicle and did not cost a king's ransom, so I'm not too worried about either, although tips on how to deal with the wheelarches simply and inexpensively would be welcome!

If the tank is leaking you need to sort that pronto. Nothing more dangerous than fuel vapour.

Re the thermostat, is it not a variant between engine options? You're probably correct that it's easier to change the unit. If it's the same as yours.

Not sure how much vapour you get from diesel at normal temperatures? But I'll certainly have it looked at...

There are 2 options on the engine, and it's definitely the Duratorq 2.4 TD, so it ought to be quite straightforward.

Grind the arches back, rust treat and fibreglass, just to stop any water getting in till you sell it.

Compared with the Duck tape-based solution I had in mind, this sounds like a much more thorough (and effective) approach. Sadly, well beyond me at the moment (I have no grinder, no rust treatment, no fibreglass and no time).

But I really wish I had all these things! Thanks Daz.

Is it too much of a job for hammerite?

Hammerite might do a job, in conjunction with a bit of "back-to-metal" type stuff. I know that if I pick at the wafery bits, I'll soon be putting my finger on the tyres...

You can borrow my grinder and welder Jim. What could possibly go wrong?

Nobby, if I didn't know better, I'd think this might be a set-up for you've been framed. You read the bit about the leaky fuel tank, I presume...?!

The grinder bit I could deal with, but I've never done any welding in my life. I read the thread, so I won't ask "how hard could it be?!"

£250 for every clip used Jim. We can split it 60/40.

OK, but you pay the medical bills!

Nowt wrong with duck tape.
Get some rust treatment on it then duck tape it though!

What about fixing the arches with some zinc sheet,mastic and pop rivitt it to fix firm.
Then coat both sides with underseal/bitumin.

That's what I'd do. Quick and easy

Sounds a reasonable plan. I have a pop rivet gun somewhere, though I haven't used it for ages...

Presumably as your van got its MOT the rust isn't structural. Therefore I'd go with what ever is easier to do when repairing. It'll need to look credible to avoid critique next time though. Pop rivets can sometimes be frowned on so do coat well when you've finished. And paint the holes to isolate the rivet from the steel.

Well, to be honest, my reasons for the duct tape bodge are mostly to avoid exactly that. The corrosion is minor (certainly not structural) and I'd rather the new purchaser (in not much over 8 weeks' time) was able to see the true position, not my inevitably-shit repair work making it look catastrophic.

Did you not say you had holes? Holes constitute significant corrosion. As long as they're not in a structural area you can repair as you see fit.

If they're small you could use a fibre glass filled filler.

There would be holes if I picked away at the rust, which I agree is significant, but given my lack of time, money and skill, I'm not sure anything I can do will be better than literally a sticking plaster and honesty fix. I imagine a high percentage of similar vehicles will have the same problem, so I don't think it will massively impact on our resale prospects.

I see what you're saying. I once owned a Hyundai S Coupé, terrible car thanks to the auto box on it, that had a blister of rust on the arch. Two days later, a tub of glass fibre and plenty of metal bashing I'd just rebuilt the return lip and got the rust out. It looked good, but all that work for a cosmetic item. Didn't affect the price when I sold it.

And you clearly know what you're doing; not an accusation that could be levelled at me in this instance!

Did the thermostat on my Van - a Manzda Bongo 2.5TD. It was easy. But the key consideration is to bleed it properly afterwards. There should be a youtube video on how to do it.

The Stat should open at about 85 degrees so having a cooking thermometer handy is a good idea to make sure you bleed the system AFTER the stat has opened. Otherwise, half the system could have air in it.

Regarding the rust, if it is not structural, I'd be inclined to leave it and perhaps get a friendly welder to patch it when you get back. I've had similar done previously for about £40. I did the prep myself by cutting out the rust in a square with an angle grinder which I borrowed from the neighbour. Then patch welded in, and slap a load of underseal on it !..... well, I would spray anti rust primer on it first... but if you're not keeping it....

Thanks for the tip, Gripped. I've put the thermostat on the back burner (so to speak) as it doesn't hinder the way the bus runs (not in this weather, anyway...) I've booked it in with Cambridge Council, who do servicing for the public and I figured they have probably seen more LDV vans than I've had rusty wheel arches. I've warned them about the leaky tank, though I hope it turns out to be a hose or clip or something (trying to kid myself).
I bought this Witter ZX99 bike carrier today, after checking that it fit the tow bar and that the upright had sufficient deviation to miss the rear doors as they overhang the bar. I'll be putting it straight on eBay when we get home (unless someone here wants it...), so I hope I don't lose out too heavily. Probably should have looked at renting one, but the thought only occured to me as I was carrying the bloody thing out of the shop.

The latest project is to build and fit a shelf to go over the cab, providing a lot of extra luggage space. It's proving a bit trickier than I anticipated, largely because I've been trying to use some old chipboard panels that we have lying around. The problem is that the panels are too small and too heavy, so trying to use 2 sections to make a shelf is really not working out. I've put a piece of angle steel across the cab behind the seats and a strip of rolled steel from it to the roof seam above the windscreen, but the 2 sections of chipboard are just too precarious and I foresee them falling down and bashing us on the head as we navigate the first road-calming bump on our way to Spain. Can anyone suggest candidates for the cheapest, strongest material to cut down from a single 2m x 1m sheet? I imagine ply is probably the answer, but is there any plastic alternative?

Can you drill holes in the shelving and tie to supports?

However if I you have two pieces of shelving instead of one that's always liable to be less secure - if you can actually manoeuvre a single piece into the space of course.

Does the van have a flat frame above the side windows?

I had a similar issue years ago using a Citroen H type van to collect our stuff from the UK to take to Perigeux.

I simply lay 5 or 6 pieces of 1" x 1.5" timber across the space and loaded stuff on top.

Worked fine.

Thanks chaps.

Simon, the central piece of steel is only 30mm wide and so each shelf section only has 15mm along the edge in which to drill and secure, not to mention ensuring the holes line up perfectly. I don't think it's a goer.

Pete, there is a lip all the way around the windscreen and side windows, essentially where the standard roofline would go if it weren't a high top. That's what made me think of the shelf plan.
I think I'll just get a sheet of 6mm ply and cut it down...