Ian Blundell – Specialist Service & Diagnostic Engineer
Hi. I’m Ian Blundell, the person who is “The Leisure Vehicle Artisan (France)”. Hopefully you have now a taster about what I do, but who am I and what do I offer you, my past and future customers? Well I am a vehicle enthusiast and have been since I could crawl around with toy cars and will be as long as I’m able to be, the only difference is that the size of the toys have grown over the years, as has the number of them sat at home!
Soon after I left school my father and I cheaply converted an old Commer PB minibus to a basic camper. This was followed by a more involved conversion of a much bigger Ford Transit LWB van which amongst its luxuries boasted a hot water system and a shower, quite rare for a DIY Conversion back in 1985! I then moved on through 4 different touring caravans and am now on my fourth coachbuilt motorhome, a Fiat Ducato based Swift Norden 774. This, an unusual vehicle, a complete mirror image of a UK specification Swift Kontiki Sport 554 built for the Swedish Market, LHD and right-hand habitation door, but with an number of UK-type options fitted by Swift. During this time I have run my own classic and neo-classic cars and have worked on friends and neighbours ‘leisure vehicles’ as a hobby outside of work. Whilst living in Cornwall on the edge of Bodmin Moor, this extended to working on Farm and equestrian trailers.
I have also converted my own business van, a Peugeot Boxer L4H2 panel van to a self-contained mobile workshop complete with life support facilities (toilet, washing and cooking etc.), lighting, work bench and storage.
I began my former life with the Ministry of Defence in 1980 at Devonport Dockyard as an apprentice Electro/mechanical fitter to work on Her Majesty’s Warships and Submarines, support vessels and dockside infrastructure, qualifying as an Grade “A” fitter. This is where I learnt my Auto-Electrical skills, these being put to use on complete rebuilds of various motor launches and yachts from navigation lights, engine start/charge systems through to radios, echo sounders, depth sounders etc. During this period I was privileged to work briefly on the Royal Barge that was carried by HMY Britannia, the vessel that tendered Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Family from ship to shore. After successfully passing my HNC in Electrical Engineering I earned promotion to a position of “Diagnostician” (Advanced trouble-shooter) where my skills at equipment/system commissioning and fault finding were well honed and are still very much in use today!
Moving on further I have had various jobs and projects whilst slowly advancing through the ranks which had me working on military police cars with covert radio fits, mobile offices in specialist converted vehicles and more latterly the conversion of a small fleet of vehicles to satellite communication trucks, complete with generators, leisure battery fits, charging installations and blue-light radio services. At my instigation, the performance of some of these vehicles was also enhanced by having their engine ECU’s remapped.
After 37 years of loyal service I left the MoD on early retirement as a full Chartered Engineer (CEng) and I remain registered as such with the UK Engineering Council. Having time on my hands and feeling rather bored I decided what was required was a new career, but one in which I can really use my accumulated knowledge and so, there I was, The Leisure Vehicle Artisan (UK based). However, after huge changes to my personal circumstances, a change was required and so a complete and permanent move to France ensued. And so The Leisure Vehicle Artisan (France) is now in being! Over the years however with my own cherished vehicles entering professional workshops, one thing has continually infuriated me, and that is the poor standards of care and quality of workmanship often witnessed on one’s own vehicles when subjected to workshop work. Rest assured that when working on your leisure vehicle, I will be treating it as if it were mine. You will receive fair, honest advice, a professional but friendly service and at competitive rate – right on your doorstep!