aVANger Build

[bdosborn]

Thanks all!

Sharon - I don't know if you remember our trailer but I'm basically building it again inside a van.

David - No, I wouldn't make any money building vans; I'm way to slow and I make a lot of mistakes.

Bruce

[Philip]

David - No, I wouldn't make any money building vans; I'm way to slow and I make a lot of mistakes. Bruce

The commercial builders are slow. Some have less quality than yours.

The bad news if you would start building van interiors you wouldn't be out enjoying your van. Don't go there.

[bdosborn]

The bad news if you would start building van interiors you wouldn't be out enjoying your van. Don't go there.

Sage advise!
Bruce

[bdosborn]

The cabinets over the fridge are installed, they ran out of 1/8" BB plywood at the wood store so I had to make do with what I had. The vertical trim (left over from our kitchen remodel) on the cabinet doors covers the splice between two inserts as I didn't have anything wide enough. The ends are mesh to allow air to be routed down to the fridge. The little ledge where the upper cabinet is set back from the lower one is super handy. It helps you to keep your balance if you need to get in the back of the van on the highway.


I got the upper kitchen cabinets installed and the doors made. I still need to make the end cover for the cabinet. I have a feeling we'll be using the counter light a lot. The cabinet door on the right is one inch too narrow (doh!) so I'll be making another one someday but it will work for now. I also installed the control panel for the diesel heater, inverter, light switches and USB plugs. It was a little challenging just because one part of it follows the curves of the van closely. It's held on by magnets so I can get into it easily without tools. The list of things to make is a lot shorter than it was...

Bruce

[featherliteCT1]

Stunningly beautiful!

[lfhoward]

What an incredible build! The wood work is looking fantastic. The electrical cabinet that follows the contours of the van and hangs on by magnets is a creative and perfect solution. Nice work! I see you have a Propex heater thermostat there— I thought you had a diesel heater, but Propexes are so much cleaner!

[bdosborn]

Thanks guys! Propex must use the same ones that the older Espar did as it's a diesel heater. I mounted both thermostats; the one in the trailer and the one in the van, upside down. I guess the way the on and off switch is oriented and how clockwise on the dial is hotter must have triggered the same mounting orientation in my brain both times... At least I'm consistent.
Bruce

[bdosborn]

I got the Bug Wall v2 installed today. So far it seems to be a nice product and we'll see how it holds up. No instructions included and the install video leaves a lot to figure out but it's in. The grease Ford packs in the rear door seal was a surprise but I didn't make too much of a mess. I was worried that my rear door organizer wouldn't fit with the doors closed but it wasn't a problem, I just left a little slack in the bug wall.





This should help keep the bugs out and bed dry in wet weather. I'm hoping it will help keep the van warmer too.
Bruce

[featherliteCT1]

That Bug Wall looks like it is a quality product and super useful.

[bdosborn]

They make a screen door for the slider that I'll probably get too. I want to see how well the rear wall works before I spend more money as they're surprisingly expensive.
Bruce

[lfhoward]

I like the bug wall. Seems super useful!

[bdosborn]

We made a screen wall for the trailer door and it was one of the bests mods to date so this was an easy choice to make.
Bruce

[bdosborn]

As part of my continuing mission to find dual purposes for everything, I made an exterior mount for the lagun table off the side of the kitchen cabinet. My thought is why add another table when we have a perfectly good one for the inside. I wanted to keep the hardware profile as low as possible as I plan to add a bug wall screen later. I used picture hanging flush mount brackets and a trekking pole.


Here are the brackets:


The first thing I learned when I put it up for the first time is that any weight on the front corners tipped the back of the table off the bracket on the opposing corner. Ford was nice enough to provide a hole below the slider step for for a strap to hold the back down. Another one of my continuing programs is to use the stuff that's hanging around in the garage as part of the build and the old shoulder strap checked that box.


I drilled a hole in the lagun mount for the tip of the trekking pole:


Not quite solid as Sears but good enough for beers and a camp stove.
Bruce

[Staryder61]

outstanding as always Bruce.. look great and very functional..
Awesome, how you just sit around and think up ideas to do..
No, actually I think it' great.. multi-purposing is what makes these campers really work well..
more functionality and less space taken up...

[bdosborn]

Ha, my problem is I watch too much YouTube.It gives me ideas...
Bruce