aVANger Build

[QueticoBill]

I've worked more than 40 years on buildings where acoustics are paramount. Products like Dynamat have no value for sound transmission. It dampens vibration and rattles. Mass stops sound transmission. Decoupling the inner and outer membranes will help some but not much if very lightweight.

[bdosborn]

Yup, that's pretty much what it did - cut down on vibrations and rattles. We're using Thinsulate to insulate the van and that's supposed to help attenuate sound. More to follow...

Bruce

[Staryder61]

Bruce , what I've done on our Transit to help with some of the vibration and popping sounds.
Between the outside skin and the structural members. Used great stuff, a dab about the size of a quarter or half a dollar, depending on size of area. It expanded just enough to help and not over expand to create a bulge. I used these dabs about every 6 or 8 inches. Just don't over do it. I only used the red can that said less than 1 inch expanding. Using your tapping to check the sound will help let you know where to use it. And if you used enough.

[bdosborn]

Interesting, that's kind of how Ford attached the exterior skin, with some kind of adhesive foam. I'll remember this if I have any rattles. So far there haven't been any but we only have 1200 miles on the odometer. One thing were trying to do is maintain access to the cavities in the walls. Most people seal everything up and the teardrop camper taught me not to put wires and stuff inside the walls if you don't have to.
Bruce

[Staryder61]

Exactly on the wiring Bruce, once sealed in behind a panel, no access. I've learned that one too. Past working on pontoon boats, helped me a lot on the wiring nightmares. Run wires in and through a PVC wire tube. Easier to pull wire out if needed and rethread also. Along with just protecting the wires.

[QueticoBill]

attach inner panels with Velcro. Access and a resilient connection between inner panels and frame/exterior. The thinsulate will keep resonance inside the wall down but not do much for transmission. Not sure the thinsulate will do mre sound transmission wise than fibreglass, but may be better thermal insulation.

[bdosborn]

The thinsulate will keep resonance inside the wall down but not do much for transmission. Not sure the thinsulate will do mre sound transmission wise than fibreglass, but may be better thermal insulation.

3M markets it specifically as a acoustic absorber. I plan to hang it down the inside walls rather than stuffing it in the cavities. I'll stuff the cavities with Havelock wool.
3M SM600l Data Sheet
It has an R value of 5.5 per inch.

Bruce

[QueticoBill]

Yes, it will absorb sound, shortening reverberation. Acoustic fuzz. (It actually turns the sound energy into heat, though not that you'd notice.) But it does not block transmission per se.

[bdosborn]

One of the design requirements for the van was a garage to house our ebikes, and every inside dimension starts with the slider location. I found a great site on how to build a full extension slider here. The best information is the link to the slider brackets to attach everything to the van floor:FR5400x Slider Bracket.

I used a sheet of 1/2" baltic birch left over from when I replaced the bed with a slider bed in the trailer.



I added some T-track for the front fork holders, I wanted a little flexibility to move things around if I missed some dimensions by a little:



I also wanted to be able to fit the front tires on the slider, so it's a little wider than I would have liked. I've seen a lot of van sliders where people have to throw their front wheels in loose, which I didn't want to do.



Boy it sure was hard to drill that first hole in a brand new van! It also went in farther to the passenger side then I wanted but that's where it had to go to clear structure underneath.



Tada! A spiffy full extension bike slide!



Bruce

[Staryder61]

That Tada! is a great addition
moving right along you are..

[featherliteCT1]

Beautiful slide!

[gudmund]

very ""sweet'''" set-up..... ........wish I had thought of that 40 years ago when I was cycling and carrying them in the back of the PU & van looks like it will work as a good 'work table' if need be also..............

[bdosborn]

Ha, I didn't think about using it as a table till you mentioned that. I'll have to slide the camp chair up and see how it works. I was planning on having a fold down table for the slider door, it's funny how focused you can get on an idea and miss the obvious.

Bruce

[noseoil]

I like the way this slider looks, but here's another idea for its use in the build.

It's the ideal place to mount a toilet! You can have a nice open-air experience with a simple bucket-potty mounted to the slider. Just think of the view in a crowded campground with a cup of coffee, a newspaper, the beautiful light, air & giving morning greetings to other campers, as they file past on the way to their early morning experience.

[bdosborn]

It's the ideal place to mount a toilet!

This is what would happen to me if I did that:
"What a beautiful view. Oh, hey dude! I didn't see you there."

Bruce