It's been a long build. It's almost done. Maybe it will be complete by the time we finish our first long trip.
November 2024 - Van Acquisition
First night home
December 2024 - Clean....a lot.
Rip out the interior, remove the bulkhead, and ramp. Seal up the holes in the floor from the said ramp. Eventually paint the floor.
March & April 2025 - Start exterior upgrades
Running boards and a first take on roof rack.
April & May 2025 - Holey Van Bat Man!
Making these cuts became easier the more I did it.
I used a punch from the inside to mark the perimeter of the intended cut. Most of the time the cuts followed the edge of interior structural ribbing. Then I connected the dots of the dimples on the outside.
I used a jig saw with a metal specific carbide blade to make the cuts.
Finished work. No....there were no leaks.
Yes, that's the MaxxAir fan mount. More importantly, those are Unaka roof mounts that were used to make my custom roof rack.
If you get a Velit Mini, you can fit your AC in the very last 'roof gap' in the ceiling. It barely hangs over the upper brake light.
Dry fitting tongue and groove plywood. There is 1/2" of insulation under the wood. The floor channels are also filled with insulation. This is only a 3 season van.
I like the look of this floor, but it moved after installation. There are wrinkles if you know where to look. I'd choose something different if I do this again.
June 2025 - Electrical
The first time I knew everything would fit. Also....first charge on batteries.
So many trips up and down ladders
The first trip. I had all the power and an inflatable mattress on the floor.
July 2025 - Installing swivel seats while on vacation.
Every van needs to have these.
August 2025 - The garage is hot.
Plumbing. Did you know there is such a thing as a 12V water heater? Australians know.
It fits!
October 2025 - Another test run.
A second trip to test out the plumbing. Place holder 'draw bridge' for the bed.
November 2025 - Infrastructure
The beginning of 'The Dinette'
The 'draw bridge' is complete and I've started running accessory wires and putting in insulation. First attempts at wall panels as well.
More insulation would be added.
January/February 2026 - Getting serious about the interior.
This looked so cool. If only I knew the daily struggles coming.
Figuring out how I was going to do the wall indentations was a long process.
While this looks good, the upholstery adds to the dimensions of the panels and cubbies. This would be the bane of my existence while doing final fittings.
I would eventually pull this and panel and trim the interior cubby to make the wall fit better.
But it would all come together eventually.
March 2026 - Appliances and Kitchen
Fridge and Combo Oven
This is what happens when you run out of extrusion while you are building your galley kitchen.
April 2026 - Finishing the Kitchen
The hardware for the cupboard doors required shimming.
All of the drawers and doors are getting polyacrylic coating.
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