Building an Adventure Van

[Geek]

So I had some stuff that I had to get done today but I don't have any connectors and very few fasteners left (UPS tracking is saying they won't arrive until after we've left).

So my day started with making connectors on the miter saw


...and diggin through my "random bolts" box to see what I could scrounge


I then got to work on mounting the fridge to the rails and floor.






...and then mounting the subwoofer in the gap in front of the fridge



I'm leaving a 3" gap all the way around the fridge in which I'm going to insulate to make it more efficient.

The thought occurred to me just now while I was driving with Awolnation's SAIL thumping on the stereo... "I wonder if having the subwoofer that close to the fridge is a bad idea?"

I'll let you know if I manage to blow up a beer from vibration

[Geek]

I finished building out the basic framework to the left side cabinets and then I took the other old carpet covered bed-bench and mounted it temporarily for this week's trip.

It was a happy coincidence that my old bed benches happened to be the right size for cabinet tops... I just cut the one off with the table saw for the island... the other one happens to be sized perfectly and didn't need trimming



I then finished in the end of the cabinet in front of the fridge that the subwoofer is behind. Eventually this will be halved in height and a drawer or two will go in the top half above the sub.



Eventually I'll fill in above the fridge when I build the cabinets to the left of it.

[pEEf]

Originally Posted by Geek

The thought occurred to me just now while I was driving with Awolnation's SAIL thumping on the stereo... "I wonder if having the subwoofer that close to the fridge is a bad idea?"

I'll let you know if I manage to blow up a beer from vibration

Actually, it'll probably HELP cool them down faster by active circulation of both air inside the fridge bouncing all around to the beat, as well as circulation of the fluid (as in beer) around the bottle! =)

[hyperboarder]

To Geek et. all:
What are you using for bed padding? I've got my L track fittings coming in on Thursday and I'm hoping to build the sleeping platform this weekend, waffling between a camping pad of sorts and permanent foam. Thoughts? Hoping to keep it relatively inexpensive.

[bikepikespeak.com]

Thanks for the info on the fan. Sounds like it will fit the bill. Now I just need more bills to get it to fit...

I love the idea you had for the maps. Really gives it that adventure feel! What are your plans for the sides and roof area? I pulled out my entire headliner and am thinking of leaving it out and figuring something different for it. Was yours a full length one?

[ian408]

Things are looking nice!

[Geek]

Originally Posted by bikepikespeak.com

Thanks for the info on the fan. Sounds like it will fit the bill. Now I just need more bills to get it to fit...

I love the idea you had for the maps. Really gives it that adventure feel! What are your plans for the sides and roof area? I pulled out my entire headliner and am thinking of leaving it out and figuring something different for it. Was yours a full length one?

We're going to be doing the ceiling, the side walls, and the bed platform all in interweave fabric (like the outside vans images I posted a few pages back when we ran into the couple in Crested Butte.

"was yours a full length one?"

Not sure what you are referring to.. the van? It's a 144.. not the long one?

...or are you referring to the headliner? Our headliner ends at the back of the cockpit.
We still need to pull ours out and sound insulate above it.. I'll probably wrap it in matching interweave as the rest.




Hyperboarder: until now we've been using an inflatable queen size bed. Works really well. The wood itself I plan on covering with 1/8" foam and then the interweave just to give it an "interior wall" feeling.
Our long term goal is to go to an upholstery shop and have custom cushions made that make two sofas and backs.. and then all folds down flat and flush to make a bed.



Ian: thanks! I keep making pieces look good while ignoring the bigger picture... sooner or later all the pieces will add up (I hope )

[bikepikespeak.com]

Originally Posted by Geek

We're going to be doing the ceiling, the side walls, and the bed platform all in interweave fabric (like the outside vans images I posted a few pages back when we ran into the couple in Crested Butte.

"was yours a full length one?"

Not sure what you are referring to.. the van? It's a 144.. not the long one?

...or are you referring to the headliner? Our headliner ends at the back of the cockpit.
We still need to pull ours out and sound insulate above it.. I'll probably wrap it in matching interweave as the rest.

I was referring to the headliner. I had the full length and had to pull the whole bastard out to get at the back so I could mount those panels well. I'm curious about what they look like from the factory if they only have the front headliner. What I mean is how does it transition to no headliner? I am thinking of putting the front back in and doing something else w/ the rear.

[Geek]

It is pretty lame actually.. there are just large foam blocks where the headliner transitions to the cargo area.

Similar to this:


I suspect the blocks might also have a purpose in certain types of accidents....

I will be running a custom cut interweave wrapped piece of wood along the transition to make it look nice. I know some folks build a "storage area" above the driver and passenger but at this point I'm trying to avoid that as I like being able to stand up getting out of the front seats without hitting my head (and we pivot both front seats to face the rear).

[Geek]

Looking back through my pics from when I bought the van.. here's a photo of the foam blocks


...and here is the gap the block hides

[Geek]

I made the world's longest t-nut



what's that in the back? a wall?

[Geek]

Outta here




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[CaveDave]

Originally Posted by hyperboarder

To Geek et. all:
What are you using for bed padding? I've got my L track fittings coming in on Thursday and I'm hoping to build the sleeping platform this weekend, waffling between a camping pad of sorts and permanent foam. Thoughts? Hoping to keep it relatively inexpensive.

I'm toying around with the idea of using a 3" memory foam topper. We put one of these on our mattress at home and it helped add some lifespan to it.

It got me to thinking it might work well in the van, and would be easy to cut to size.

[Geek]

We are now out in the desert miles from anyone (I have better signal than at home... Go figure) and we just laid down in the new bed for the first time...

This setup is awesome!
I believe the exact sentence I just heard was "I wish we could get our bedroom at home setup this well"

The overhanging counter tops that go over our feet are great! My glass of wine is resting safely in arms reach yet the counter ends to where it doesn't interfere with me at all. I can also sit up and I have 3 inches of head clearance from the overhead cabinet I've smacked my head on so many times :-)

Overall we are loving the huge counter tops... It is such useful space. Everything about this new layout is so much more ergonomic.

Initial impression is that we made the right choice to re-design based on our comfort and put the gear we carry second; and so far it seems well worth all of the extra work.... We will see how it shakes out over the next few days.




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[ian408]

Now get off the Interwebs and have a great time