Citroen Relay L3H2, 2011
2.2 litre turbo-diesel engine, 6-speed manual gearbox. MoT due on February 2025.
Work done recently includes replacement of front suspension bushes and shock absorber (all as required for MoT), new brake pads all round, two new tyres, new EGR valve. A new A/C condensor was fitted in August this year, and a new battery (the vehicle starter battery) was fitted in September this year.
The bodywork is not perfect, showing the typical signs of age on a 13-year old van with 162,000 miles. There are a few scrapes here and there but nothing outstanding.
The original parking sensor system has failed (despite fitting new sensors) so I have replaced with a new after-market system which is actually better, as there is a display showing the distance to the obstacle. Unfortunately the dash now shows a warning light (the amber triangle) to tell you that the parking sensor system is not working (this is not an MoT failure).
I replaced the orignal radio with a DAB unit with Bluetooth, CD and USB inputs, and added a reversing camera.
Firstly, regarding registration, the van is registered as a “Van with windows”. I had a bit of a discussion with DVLA about this but they seemed to have tied themselves in a knot at the time (2019) and wouldn’t budge. But my insurers have both been fine about it.
I bought the van as a bare panel van at the end of 2018, and have been using it since the summer of 2019, with a few alterations made since.
The bed is as described above, and converts to an L-shaped sofa with storage underneath in the form of three large drawers. The table is a removable single-leg Cyprus table, which is the strongest of the Sequoia/Redwood/Cyprus range. The leg and top stow neatly in a small cupboard.
A full-height narrow wardrobe is equipped with boxes on rollers, somewhat like large drawers. There’s plenty of storage for clothes and shoes, as well as overhead cupboards above the sofa/bed.
The toilet/shower room includes a small hand basin with a mixer tap, shower mixer, and Thetford cassette toilet. This is where the ceiling fan and skylight are.
The kitchen includes a three-way (i.e. gas/12V/240V) Dometic RF60 fridge, stainless steel sink/drainer with mixer tap, and a two-burner gas hob. Overhead cupboards, plus drawers and cupboards beneath provide plenty of storage, and there is even a small wine rack. A fold-out worktop extension provides extra workspace, and there is a wall-mounted spice rack and a rack for Lakeland plastic boxes.
The 7.5kg Calor gas bottle is stored in a gas locker accessed through the rear doors. Gas is piped to the fridge, the hob, and to a Bullfinch connector outside for an outdoor cooker or barbecue.
The van has a 60 litre underfloor tank for fresh water and a 30 litre grey water tank.
Warm water is provided from a roof-mounted home-made solar-thermal panel. A separate 25 litre tank is used for this, with the water being circulated through the panel when the temperture in the panel exceeds the temperature of the water. On a sunny summer day this system can easily heat the water to well over 40°C. I’ve seen it over 50°C. The tank can be filled from the fresh water system at the flip of a switch. There is also a 240V immersion heater in the tank, which will raise the temperture to about 35°C.
Hot and cold water each has its own Shurflo pump to feed the taps and shower.
The liesure battery is a 100Ah lead acid unit, charged via a Sterling Pro Batt Ultra battery-to-battery charger when driving and also from the 100W solar panel. On a sunny day in summer, the panel will maintain the battery at full charge with the fridge and warm water system operating. A 300W inverter is also installed – handy for laptop charging and other small things. For phone charging there are four USB ports. There is also a mains hook-up.
I installed a 5kW diesel heater about a year ago. This is located under the sofa just behind the passenger seat.
In the spring of this year I also installed the Fiamma awning.
The single passenger seat has electric adjustment for forward/backward and recline, and can be rotated.
This van sleeps two in a 120cm x 180cm double bed. The bed converts from the seating area by pulling out an extension from under the sofa, flipping down its legs, and rearranging the sofa cushions. These cushions are actually two “Lofa Sofas” from the Futon Company in Bristol. Each of these forms one part of the L-shaped sofa, and when converted to a bed you will be lying on a double thickness. Very comfortable.
The contact details for this vehicle are no longer available because it has either sold or the listing has expired.
Insurance options are available through our partner, Ripe Insurance.
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