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Thank you, Lawrence! I tried to research everything thoroughly and tried to be as neat as possible. It just makes it easier to work on it should anything arise! Thanks for watching!

I was going to use 1/2" rigid foamboard such as the 1" in the walls and ceiling, then top it off with plywood. But I wasn't sure if it was going to squeak like it did when I installed it elsewhere. I saw another video where someone did the rigid foam then plywood and it made so much noise that they anchored it all down with screws through the floor. In another video, that person pointed out that heat rises and insulating their floor didn't make sense because it would not provide much thermal value. So, lol, I chose to use just 3/4" plywood and my thought was the spaces between the ribs would allow air movement and the premium vinyl finish flooring has such a heavy backing that I should be fine. I guess time will tell, but that's my reasoning behind it. Thanks for watching John!

I know but the problem I now see are the surfaces of the doors are not flat - they curve and I think it's going to be more of a pain in the butt trying to attach my own panel. When you framed out your cabinets, did you use 2x4's or 2x2's?

@@ADKOverlandNY I used 2x2s (1.5x2.5) I didn’t see the need in all the extra strength just for a counter/cabinets and it cut down on some cost and weight, and the. Just trimmed them before putting the doors on

the wood for the build out is really adding up for sure! I was fortunate that the van had the ladder racks and metal cabinets that were only 3 years old. When I sold them, that gave me the cash to buy the solar.

@@ADKOverlandNY the solar, roof rack and roof storage are really my last big purchases, and the battery haha

Hi Mike! Thanks very much for your comments. It was your help that allowed me to take my time and get the right stuff to make this happen. The ground wire that I ran up to the chassis ground may be removed to the ground bus bar instead. I debated that after reading that the positives and negatives of this system should stay together. The long positive cable you saw at the end of the video (connecting the positive terminals of the battery) was just a temporary to get my system up and making electricity. My shorter, 2 ga cable came in yesterday & I'll replace it today. I used 2 & 4 on most everything; 10 ga to and from the fuse block since anything planned to connect there is very low draw. I remember what you said about connecting the inverter wires to opposite batteries. I now have the circuit breaker but haven't decided where I'm going to mount the inverter. I ran a heavy 4 ga wire from the back of the van to the front to eventually hook up the DC-DC part of the controller. So, it's mostly finished and up & running. I had to work on that in between other van projects like the bed, walls, etc and extreme heat and storms, but I'm getting there! Thanks again for all of your help!

@@ADKOverlandNY fantastic. I really like those breakers you used. I use those all the time as compared to the cheaper other ones.

that's why I got them - you said you used them & liked them so I got the same thing!

Well....lol....you probably saw my video that included Dirty John's hot dogs so - yes - it sounds like I'm very close to you!! That Kilmat purchase was being on the computer at the right time! I used what I did in my van - no doubt a bit overboard, then my son used some of it in his jeep and today I was able to get the plastic trim off two of my doors and ended up using another two pieces per door. I told my son I need some of it back lol. If I have any left, I'll be glad to share! Thanks for watching. PS - you're more than welcome to check out my van in person any time. It's nothing special, but sometimes you can get some tips and hints from other builds. My email address is in the channel description.

Thank you for your awesome comments! Good memories of owning and customizing my 1st van 40+ years ago plus the unaffordable land prices everywhere made my decision to do another build. I was looking for land to build a cabin on or another van to call my cabin on wheels. This van was only 3 years old (lease vehicle I think) with 50k miles and it was black! I couldn't ask for more...but wait - there was lol. It had been undercoated and rust proofed, options like electric windows, locks, cruise, etc made my decision easy. I rent a storage unit because where I'm staying has no garage, so I have no cover from the elements or to store my tools. It's easier for me to drive to the unit where I have everything in one place and room to work. I didn't have the room initially until I moved my jeep to my son's place. You'll have to stop at New Way lunch on your next road trip and grab some "dirt dogs"! Give me a shout when you do!

@@ADKOverlandNY Well, I hope you see this"reply of a reply" haha. And I most certainly will!! It would be fantastic catching up with you. I'm 63 y/o and longing for the van life. Thank you so much and I find that very interesting about you doing your build at a storage facility.... I "slightly detected" that and it's great to be made aware of that possibility for me. I don't have a garage and no ideal place at my house to do one.... So that's an interesting option for sure, thanks! Quick question if I may, does the storage company pester you about doing the build there?? (I suppose they are all different in their rules)

My storage unit isn't large enough to hold my van, so I still have to work on it in the elements. Today for instance, it poured. Started out nice with lower temps and felt very comfortable, but then turned nasty. I tried to do what I could and even had some frustrated moments until I conceded that "today" was NOT going to work lol. The storage unit has a list of things they don't want you to store but that's about it & the manager is very accommodating. I park in from of mine, pop open the door and at least have a place where everything I need is there. I temporarily stay with a relative, so I drive back & forth several times a week to work on the van. Good luck in whatever decision you make. Mine was made for several reasons, but as long as I'm comfortable with those reasons, I guess that's all that counts. Take care!

@@ADKOverlandNY My gosh thank you again for the insight and new idea! I truly appreciate it. And I hear you about those rains. I'm not super far from you (in central Mass) so our weather is definitely related lol. As a matter of fact, this past Friday evening I saw the radar map of Hurricane Debbie and it looked like your area got pretty belted from what I remember. Looked heavy through western NY area. We definitely got her winds and rains but we seemed to be on the eastern edges of her. Thank you again, keep up the excellent work and videos, much appreciated!!

This year has truly been a challenge weather-wise. Just in the month of July, we had 40+ tornado warnings and 20+ actual touch downs within NY State alone!! It was never like this. Since moving my jeep to my son's residence, I've been going through my storage unit to get rid of things I really don't need & I'm looking to downsize to a smaller unit. I look anywhere I can to save money lol. Maybe as my van build winds down, I can start getting out but then again, beautiful fall colors and apple picking are right around the corner!

Thanks for watching - hugs to Natalie for me!

Thanks Mike - I'm taking my time - too long sometimes because I just want to get out and travel lol. Stay safe in your travels!

@@ADKOverlandNYI keep making changes to my van it all depends on what works and what doesn't. Sometimes you don't know till you use it every day. Good luck.

Exactly - using it will allow me to see if everything works as I intended or if I need to make changes. But that to me is also the fun part of the build itself!

Thanks as always! I wasn't sure what I was going to go with in terms of a setup, but figured if I didn't use the full capacity of my system, I'd have room to grow. That's why I went with the 200-watt panel and 50-amp MPPT controller. I'm not running much now, but who the heck knows. I was going to go with one of those red power disconnects between the solar panel and the MPPT, but the breaker does the same thing because you can manually shut each section down. The Renogy MPPT came with a fuse, but I figured the circuit breaker would allow me to disconnect power by switching it off plus you're able to reset things once a short has been detected. I'm not sure if you've followed Will Prowse or not. He's like the guru of solar setups lol. Between him and one of my subs who is a retired electrical engineer, that guided me along the way. I sized my breakers according to the MPPT, same for my inverter.

@@ADKOverlandNY I haven’t watched his videos yet I watched someone a bit similar but I’ll have to check him out as well!

Will has a website that shows solar setups that will probably help. That's what worked for me, plus help from one my subs. I tried to keep the wiring at 4ga when it was called for or upsized to 2ga when possible, in case I want to expand later on. I ran 10ga from the bus bars to my fuse block because everything I'm using there is low draw (LED lights, etc).

Well thank you so much! We have black bears here in the Adirondacks and when I saw this, I thought it would make a nice addition when I get to the finishing stages of my build. I'm getting antsy though and want to get out and travel! Thanks for watching!!

Thanks Mike! Seems like there's so much plastic today. When I saw this design, then the price and the fact it was metal, it was a no brainer for me. I'm trying to get the cabin feel going lol!

I'm trying to do as much of a cabin type theme as I can, and I saw this and it was metal - had to get it! The best part of getting the major stuff done on our van builds is the finishing touches!

thanks Mike - kept it simple but wanted easy access to my solar & electrical and anything else under the bed. That's why the slats aren't glued or screwed down!

Lol - yes it is!

Thanks Mike - sometimes it makes you wonder if it's all really worth it! The time and effort for a few views lol.

@@ADKOverlandNY I would just think of it as a video diary of your projects and something your family can look back on in the future. If the channel grows over time and you can monetize it for a little money fine, if not you still have the videos. I downloaded all my family's 1960s 8mm movies, 80s VHS tapes, and DVDs to my private UA-cam account and sent links that only my family can access so that even when I am gone they will be able to see the videos. I also made DVD copies and sent those to them, just in case the internet dies. Good luck.

that's pretty much the way I look at it and mentioned that very thing to my son.

I've looked and looked for affordable property here in upstate NY and it's the same here as everywhere else - NOT affordable. I was tired of waiting, thought about the tent camping (a tent attached to the back of my jeep) and decided that a van offered me more protection against the elements and people. I am enjoying the process of doing this myself and I thank you for your nice comments and welcome you as a new subscriber!! If you decide to take the step into van life, here's wishing you safe travels and lots of adventures!

Thanks so much! I try to take my time and many times it's several trials and lots of errors lol. That vinyl plank flooring though is awesome. I had it down in what seemed like minutes! I like the look of the rough oak finish because it reminds me of the Adirondack (ADK) style camps. Seems like we're both on the same timeline! We'll have to meet up since I'm only 45 minutes from Vermont and close to Mass & NH too. I saw you mentioned Quechee - driven by the campground many times on my way to Maine. Usually, I stopped at the big antique mall.

@@ADKOverlandNY yeah we definitely will. It would be cool to check out eachothers vans and different ideas, I’m dreading doing all the trim work I need to do in this thing haha

The videos that pop up as suggestions are all about the sprinters, transits & promasters. I'm not interested in those because that's not what we have. I want to see what others are doing on their builds but with more traditional, bang your head on the ceiling vans lol.

@@ADKOverlandNY 100% my biggest thing was if I’m in the middle of no where in Maine or on a long road trip and break down, it is 100x easier to get a Chevy fixed up than a Mercedes

I actually thought about using something else, but with the scratch resistance and waterproof properties, I decided on this vinyl. I couldn't even give away the stock rubber mat and ultimately cut it into pieces and placed it in the garbage. What a waste! Safe travels!

For looks and resale value you did the right thing. My van will out live me so resale is not important. ​@@ADKOverlandNY

I'm just doing this for me and not for resale. Besides, I'm 67 - there is probably a good chance that my van will outlive me too lol.

Thanks Mike! I really appreciate the comments! In the month of July, we have had over 40 tornado warnings and over 20 actual tornadoes touch down, so it's made my progress a little slow. That click and lock vinyl floor went in super-fast, and I thought about that back area by the two rear doors that you mentioned. I have seen where others have cut that plastic trim plate to fit back in - who knows lol. I got your email with regards to connecting up once I get out on the road - thanks very much for the offer!

Hi Margie - it was great talking with you today and thank you for becoming a subscriber! Now you know where I've been working on my van - feel free to stop by & say hello anytime you see me there & maybe we'll see each other out on the road!

Thank you & thank you for watching!

I'll have to check out your channel! I love picking up new ideas and hopefully passing some info along as well!

Check out Amazon and search for Vantech. That's where I found it! Thanks for watching!

Thanks! I love the black too, but even up north here the black is hot lol. I'll have to check out your solar setup! Thanks for watching!

Thank you! It would've been much easier with a 2nd person lol. Those 8' lengths tend to wobble a little. But I thought the same as you - 3/4" is a lot heavier and the screws that I used held really well. I must've lucked out because the package was sealed and I had no issues with the pieces. Thanks for watching!

Hi Mike - great to hear from you! I didn't check on anything other than many videos and other sites I checked seemed to use the rigid foam with no issues. It's been another summer here of intense heat and my walls are not covered yet and I haven't noticed any difference in the foamboard. Take care!

There was supposed to be a Van Nationals event locally in August but all of a sudden it disappeared. I think they got our area mixed up with the one being held in Massachusetts. I mention that because I'd love to see what other people have done to their vans and share ideas. Everyone has their own style but you might see something that gives you that "oh yeah" moment. Stay safe traveling Mike - maybe I'll make it out west when the white stuff starts flying here lol!

@@ADKOverlandNY I didn't know about the van event. I have seen some very fancy rigs but mine is built more for function, reliability, and ease of repair rather than looks. Plus am always making improvements. I'll be hanging out in the southwest most of the time.

I can't believe this intense heat for another season! We've been getting the tornado watches, but yesterday our phones went off with alerts for a tornado warning and man did it blow through! Fire departments were out to multiple calls of trees down, lines down, power poles snapped. Jeesh - what next!

@@ADKOverlandNY yeah we got hit pretty hard with that storm late last night, crazy summer so far

why thank you!

Thanks! I finally made some progress but - as usual - the weather hasn't cooperated. We were under a tornado watch until 11pm last night. Weird weather lol! I'm getting ready to make a floor template now. Got to get that floor in before I go further!

@@ADKOverlandNY yeah everything with these builds is one step at a time haha, I haven’t posted in like a week I unfortunately got a quick case of the covid be we will be back at it hopefully this weekend

I won't give you a thumbs up for your comment because of covid lol. Hope you feel better soon!

Thanks for the info Mike! My Renogy MPPT charge controller has a DC-DC charging capability. I'm running a 4 gauge wire the length of the interior to the front. Is there a firewall grommet on the passenger side? I found a large plug on the driver's side but would save a lot by going through the passenger firewall.

@@ADKOverlandNY Jeff I think I use that same plug hole to run a heavy duty 10 gauge wire from the battery compartment to under my carpets to run to a little fridge that I had. My take on it is if there’s a hole with a plug in it then use it, but I would also probably use one of those protective wraps to protect it. They may be called cable sleeves? I don’t recall what they were called.

@@Go4Corvette I don’t doubt that Mr. Corvette has worked out a lot of cool stuff and he knows what he’s talking about especially with the high volt spark plug system. However, the only danger I see with what you’re running is high current through the lines. I don’t think that kills you but it would burn you because if that shorts, it will heat up like a welder, I guess the thing is just make sure things have breakers and be careful. I think you have enough experience to do it right and safely

@@ADKOverlandNY Not that I know about. Most of the factory holes are taken up by the heater and air conditioning system on that side. You could pull the floor mat back and look? On my Chevy truck, I ran an inverter in the bed so I cut holes and installed rubber grommets sized to the wire then ran the cable along the frame to the battery striping it along the side of the frame to the engine compartment battery with a fuse and master switch. If you cut at the floorboard or firewall make sure what is on the other side before you drill. Use silicone to seal the grommets and cable. Depending on the amp draw make sure the power cable is the right size for the job. This can be calculated online for the length and gauge of wire needed for your amp draw. Be careful about using body ground only and not running a ground lead to the battery some systems will burn up due to high resistance if you only run a positive lead. Good luck.

Thanks Mike! My last job provided us with DeWalt tools (18v) and we really put them to the test. I was so impressed that I decided to buy myself a large set of the 20v and I just keep adding new tools. I gave my son my former Ryobi set and they're still going strong too. I figured that a troll was hiding out there somewhere and look who showed up lol! I keep mentioning about our weather and now we are under a tornado watch until 9pm today.

Maybe I’ll just send my tiny wife up there. I call her a little fella.

Been married to the same woman for 43 years

Mike - you better watch it or you'll be in the doghouse lol! I liked those cargo racks because the ladder racks had those large towers & I wanted a slightly sleeker look. I have the one "empty" rack up front and that gives me the option of adding another solar panel, but mainly I have it there because I want to add an awning and that will hold 1 of the 2 support brackets! I've been looking at ladders too! Always good to hear from you!

that's awesome - a rarity this day in age! Congratulations!

Well, my thought is I'd be using it for the front awning support when I buy it.

Thanks Mike - a little at a time. Working between extreme heat & humidity to torrential rainfall.

Hi Jeff, the cedar planks on the roof look really nice and I just love the smell of cedar too. It’s a good choice. I think it’ll also add a rustic look and I think I see your fan in there too.

It was scorching hot today with high humidity - just like we've had for weeks. That slows my progress a little but today I'm down to about 4 planks left to finish the ceiling; I cut the holes, ran the wires and installed 6 LED puck lights AND I managed to cut and install the trim for my fan. I'll email you some pics. Every time I open a door, the cedar aroma hits you and smells so good. I painted my vent fan trim black to give some contrast against the natural wood.

Yeah like working in a big black oven. Lol Jeff, you should paint some numbers on the side that make it look like a DOD official van and you’ll look like an official “men in black “ van

Been real hot here too but we had the tail end of that tropical storm roll through the Midwest. Lots of rain, but it’s now 65°.

Thank you and thanks for watching!

Thank you! A little bit at a time, but it's getting there! Thanks for watching!

I agree! I hate sitting around. I kayak, take hikes and try to eat less junk and more healthy foods. Thanks for watching!

I bet your van looked sharp! When I ran across the photos of my old build it brought back many good memories which inspired me to do this build! Take care - thanks for watching!

Thank you very much!

Yeah, I even had a mobile cb and a portable to talk to friends. Then came the cell bag phones and little whip antenna's lol. Amazing everything that's packed inside these cell phones today.

Thank you and thanks for watching! I hope one day the opportunity to fulfill your dream arrives! Take care!

I love the one in my jeep & I'm considering installing one in the van I just got! You cannot beat the image quality plus being able to record on a micro-SD card is even better!

I just bought them recently on Amazon. They included all of the extra pieces, and I've found them to be very strong and perfect for what I need. They are $170 - here's the link: www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4NMVWNX?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

People are definitely getting back into the Van craze. I picked up a 1991 Dodge B300 for a fun camper van project. Quite a few Van rallies all over the country . Thanks 4 the video

@@todstrucks2919 Back in the day, you could get a ton of stuff in the JC Penney & JC Whitney catalogs, now all you see is stuff primarily for sprinters, promasters, etc. I've seen advertisements for the van rallies across the country and it looks like a good mix of old and new. It's amazing what some people have done to customize their older style vans. It's nice to stand up I'm sure, but the commercially available cabinets and accessorfies just aren't there for low roof style, so we have to custom build! Thanks for watching - glad you enjoyed the video!

Oh that's a cool mod to the swivel! On my first van I installed swivels on both seats, but I'm only doing the passenger side on this one. I love it though - what a big difference!

Mike I thought about the aerodynamics too but I figured there would be 8 screw holes, plus a couple more for an entry gland and right now I really didn't want to do that. I also read or saw where you should have good air flow to help keep the solar panel cooler because it will perform better. I was going to paint the aluminum frame to match my van but haven't because of the same reason - a black frame absorbs the heat. So who knows lol. Thanks again for watching & your comments!

@@ADKOverlandNY Your van is nicer and newer so I can see that for retail sale down the road, you might not want to put holes in the body. Me being a full-time van lifer and nomad the van will outlive me so am not worried about resale. You do what works best for you that's all the matters. My van is silver but I did have a trailer before this and painted them black and mounted them to the roof with only the gap of the L-brackets and they worked fine so I don't think the heat is that big of a deal. You see them installed on tile roofs with a lot of reflective heat and in the Mojave desert at 120+. A friend of mine is a residential solar installer and has hundreds installed on his off-grid property plus on top of old semi-trailers that he uses for lighting in his greenhouses. He says they can operate as high as 149 degrees but above that lose 10-25% of their efficiency but it doesn't damage the panel. After all, they are made for the sun. Good luck with your van.

Lol - nope - I was correct. I ordered the bulk of my van accessories from the J. C. Penney catalog. I did, however, also get some things from J. C. Whitney. Even back then I could get a solid-state battery isolator that worked great. You're talking over 40 years ago and I was running a starting battery & house battery! Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching! Take care!

JC Whitney catalogs had a lot of interesting stuff- but never actually bought anything from there. As a teenager my friend redid a 64 Jeep with a lot of their parts. There was a section in the catalog for Jeep and one for VW’s too.

I stand corrected.

I had more JC Whitney catalogs than JC Penney, but with a Penny's credit card in my pocket back then, the choice was easy lol.

Jeesh - do they even put out JC Whitney catalogs anymore? I've checked them out online but didn't see where you could get a catalog mailed.

Honestly - I never heard of it until I watched some videos on van builds. I was on the fence because of the cost, but like you said - it was hard to pass up. The automotive industry uses it for sound deadening in luxury cars, I guess. But I can say it makes a large difference in noise reduction! Thanks for watching!

It was quite a bit noisy with the parts cabinets installed and even more so once I removed them. It's understandable with nothing in the back to absorb the sound. I installed the Kilmat only because I got that awesome deal but otherwise, I probably would've just used the insulation and wall covering. Several projects are out of the way - one step at a time! Thanks for watching!

oh don't I know it - scratches show, every dirt particle and boy is it hot lol. But - I still love my black vehicles! Thanks for watching!

Then don't get a black vehicle! Some of us like black. It doesn't take much extra effort to keep them clean. Plus, it is much easier to blend in with traffic when you don't want any uneeded attention! There are good reasons to own a black vehicle. I've owned at least 4 black cars and trucks. My current suv is black! STFU. 🙄