Greg; you have provided the inspiration for me to tackle a van project for myself. I lack the creativity and many of the skills you have but I find that I am a superb mimic and I am feeling more confident of my project plans all the time. Thank you so much for this series, I cant tell you how helpful it has been
Greg, you are a star. Totally logical way to fix a ceiling and the concept is so much closer to how the industry does it and a big improvement on the idea that a van has to be cloaked in ply first. You are going to set a trend now and get people thinking about fitting furniture first and then panel and insulate after; thus lightening the build, saving money on unnecessary panelling and creating a more professional finish. Nicely presented as usual. Best van build on the web by a long way with 27k followers and growing. Not sure why anyone would give this a thumbs down? Very well deserved! Enjoy your weekend Buddy. R & T
Hello Guys, great to hear from you as always and thanks for such wonderful comments. Yeah, this video got one within seconds of being uploaded so obviously got a troll LOL How's work on the house coming along? Whats next on the agenda? Best wishes
some serious demolition taking place at the mo. Taking the majority of the brick walls down and introducing new stairwell for new stairs. Making lots of vids and photos and working 4 days a week at the house. A bit sore and achey to put together a YT vid, but am getting there slowly. Thanks Greg.
Hi Greg, I have to say its not only your van build its all the van builds I follow who just orders everything from Amazon, Ikea or pop down to Louw’s. Makes me very jealous but creative because being so far south and having a relatively small market makes it uneconomical for those suppliers to trade in South Africa. However seeing the way you did the ceiling and how others do things points me in a direction and necessity becomes the mother of invention. Keep the tutorials coming I enjoy the skill level and perfection you achieve.
Top job Greg, as ever making it look easy. As a novice I haven't seen the adhesive pins used to hold the insulation in place - every day is a learning day!!
kevin mulligan really sorry Kevin, the guy that was selling them on eBay seems to have gone into a different line of business without saying anything. I'll change the links ASAP thank you for bringing it to my attention.
My comment is based on all of your videos fella, not just this one. I'm about to join vanlife and start my self build. This channel is the best channel I have come across. As far as knowledge and constructive ideas. I've even noticed you get all the fine details in. Outstanding quality videos. Thank you
Another great video, I like how you’ve gone against the grain and used different materials from the hundereds of other self builds using 80s tongue n grove cladding!
Some may say its 70's static caravan but I like how clean and bright it will be inside. As you say there are a lot of timber panelled vans about so this will be different. Already have different wall finishes for both the bedroom and the kitchen planned.
I can't help it, Allen, I'm a perfectionist, it's my downfall sometimes. Things end up getting redone or take much longer than they should normally. Hopefully, the finished van will be a good looking one :D
Beautiful craftsmanship, Greg! The lessons in tools, tips, and improvised tools is another parallel learning channel. I watch each video about 3 times to soak it all in. And I make notes!👍
I like how you actually pay attention to weight. A lot of builders put 1.5 tons of chip board in their vans and it drives me up the wall. 1/8th inch plywood with a vinyl face is a much tidier solution than 50 cut pieces of T&G spruce. It is also that much easier to work with as a material due to how thin it is. It would probably take 30 minutes to match that fan penetration with a router using 3/4" material. You're right too, it looks very professional, not DIY at all. If I were doing a build, I would use 1x2" x8' sheathing for _all_ the cabinetry framing combined with simpson strong ties, and vinyl sheeting & 1/8" ply for just about everything. If I want a different color I can use vinyl paint on the entire sheet before cutting, and then put corner molding on all exposed corners so I don't ever have to bother painting in the van. It would weigh probably under 200lbs for the entire thing. The only exceptions would be the bed, and the countertop. For that I would just use a standard formica top for the counter, and 2x4" #2 standard douglass fir for the bed support. Has anyone ever tried building the entire thing outside the van and then installing it? Like a left and right hand section?
Hi Greg, if you make a scribe out of a circular piece of ply you don't have to worry about pivoting the linear scribe when you roll the circle along the profile it will be automatically parallel. Great set of videos so far Cheers.
Hello Phil, I plan to do a follow-up video just about scribing, as I'm sure that you are the first of many that will suggest the circle or penny washer idea for scribing a line. However, the geometry of a circular scribe will give you the wrong result. It may give you a noticeably close result for a straight line but when you are scribing a curve the circular scribe will draw a curve of smaller radius and will not be a close fit. If you had a pronounced curve your panel would end up too small. The pen ends up being perpendicular to the tangent of the circle, which is not what you want and what I was explaining not to do with the pointed scribe. You have to keep it straight to replicate the exact shape. I will demonstrate this point very soon, trust me. Thank you for a great comment and one very much worthy of further discussion. Regards
Excellent conversation guys. I've never seen the circle trick in person (and now I know why, the job where I scribed was all tight curves) but if I had to do a ton of long cuts it could be handy.
Nice work! Quick tip on the electrics is to test for shorts to the van metalwork as well as to each other. If somehow you'd managed to get a trapped cable or similar it wouldn't necessarily show up doing it the way you tested, so if you test each cable to the van metalwork as well then you'd just add that little bit of extra confidence all was good...
Its good to know they are useful, I'm trying to cover the bit that normally get glossed over to help those that have never done anything like this before.
Greg, I find such great satisfaction in watching your videos. The logic, methodologies, craftsmanship, and attention to detail that you demonstrate is fuel for my soul. Thanks!
I wanted to try and show as much of the actual work as possible rather than just go here's what I did earlier today and talk about it afterwards, a picture paints a thousand words.
Another really helpful video, thank you Greg. Following your tips and tricks, anyone can achieve a factory finish on their project easily and quickly. I especially liked the scriber you made. The professional version is expensive, yours cost nothing. Brilliant.
Again i really enjoy how detailed you share your knowledge! Thanks a lot i ll get my sprinter next week and will follow lots of your steps in building it right. Enjoy life🙏🏻
You are making my life so much simplier. Thank you. You rock. You are my new point of reference for using the word "brilliant!" I'm using this material in my dream van now too. Love it, wanted it and now I know it exists and how to install. YAY.
Greg Virgoe I have every faith in you Greg....it’s getting to the easier part as you make the cupboards etc and really looking like a conversion. Keep smiling my friend...😉😊👍🏼
Just a small point with the way you tested for continuity - Holding the wires onto the testers probes with your fingers (as you did) can result in a false continuity reading as the small current sent out by the tester can pass through your body from one hand to the other (in other words, your body forming the circuit and not the wire).
A job well done. I only wish we had options like that in South Africa. I however know what to look for when I start my van. The whole series is a well compiled tutorial which I have enjoyed & I am looking forward to the final product.
I was very much aware that only a third of my viewers are from the UK and that the product may not be available worldwide. Hopefully you can apply the similar tips and trick to other finishes. Thank you for watching this series.
@@GregVirgoe The extreme effort required to produce such a detailed series is very evident. I am thinking about converting a van and have viewed many conversion videos. Your videos are the only ones I will reference in order to facilitate my conversion. Simply put, they reflect the highest quality and most detailed build it's been my pleasure to witness. If you were here in the US, I'd gladly engage your expertise as a consultant😊 Thank you for all your hard work in sharing this experience with us.
I know this is an older video but I have come back to it because after doing my first van using tongue and groove boards, I wanted to go with somebody a little bit simpler but also save on some head space. (I was told another thing that helps reduce tear out is having a blade with a lot of teeth.)
Another great video. Not sure if it has been mentioned already, but when I made my scribe I did it as a circular bit of wood. That way it didn’t matter if I lost the perpendicular.
Nizan Horsefield circular scribes do not work on curved walls as the circle scribes a line with a smaller radius curve. You have to scribe with a point and keep perpendicular to get an exact copy.
Greg Virgoe I’m going to copy your DIY point scribe and use as well, as I need the best result for doing a similar cut to you, testing on old ply of course ;) Again, such great videos and ones to have playing when we do our own sprinter.
Hi Greg, just some of your finish is really good i to want o get the factory finish, being an engineer to tend to be very picky, but some of your practices make the job so much easier steve
Greg Virgoe Yes you said you finish work this month and need to get the van finished. We are both working to similar deadlines. Looking forward to the end result. All the little hints and tips you are giving are excellent for a novice DIY enthusiast like me.
I’ve seen the lid off of a coffee jar used as a scribe before. You just drill a hole right in the centre for the pencil, and roll it along with the pencil in the middle.
Hello Dave, I know a few will mention that method and I plan to do a dedicated video on this as it doesn't give you an exact copy. A circular scribe will give you a line of smaller radius on curved areas because the pencil is tangential to the circle and not perpendicular to what you are scribing. On straight walls with little variance you might get away with it but it's not the correct method. Hope that helps
@@GregVirgoe Just about to upload where I'm at when I discovered you....so you'll see 😔 A very good friend reminded me about you and I've literally spent ALL DAY watching your videos 🙏 You are truly a treasure and a wealth of knowledge sir.... I appreciate everything you've done for everyone and me in this search for freedom we all have 💪👍🙏
Looks great that vinyl covered ply. First I've ever heard of it. Great price too although their thicker boards are costly enough but saying that, they are professionally finished and that's why of-course, Get what you pay for on this occasion :)
Another great Video from Greg. And yes, you should be wearing safety goggles!!!!!! You are a better hammerer than I am, as I would have used a rod (3/8" drive extension works) to hammer in the roofing nails on the butt strip to prevent damage to it! 5 thumbs up.!!
I was looking for my smaller pin hammer but couldn't find it at the time, I think it was more luck that I didn't hit the trim with that huge hammer :D Thank you for great feedback
Hi, What great videos..and such a professional finish. I have been watching them all..(several times) as I have a long wheelbase sprinter and have been inspired to do a convert..wont be the same layout as I need to carry kayaks in the garage area..but have learned so much both about what to use material wise and the excellent way you achieve your finish. Congratulations on a great job and thank you for sharing
Amazing attention to detail again Greg! You said you wanted this van to have a professional finish... I think you have failed. This is heading for exceptional 😃👌
Thank you so much, I've been watching your videos and very impressed, you've got, what I've no doubt, will turn out to be a very popular channel, best wishes and I'll be following with great interest to your future builds.
With the quality you have put out so far it won't take you long. My advice would be to use social media as much as possible to self-promote your channel and get your name and videos out there to many groups.
Greg Virgoe. What are your plans for internet access? A fellow UA-camr "gadget John" has just posted and has some interesting findings you might be interested in. ATB Nell
Thank you so much for all your instruction hard work. This is very generous and of great help as I am just about to start the build on my new home and so excited to get started.
Brilliant work, as always, Greg. Could you please provide lines for the touch LED fixtures and the self-stick overhead insulation fixings? Many thanks. Keep or great work.
I went to a big box store to buy some screws and drill bits. They used to have a drill bit guide to determine pretrial be its. I asked 6 employees including the general manager they had no clue what I was talking about the nom size drill bit. You might do a video and a link to Amazon. Also a class on router use and how to mark electrical outlets. Thank you. Finally the option for portable furniture by the side sliding door. The option of a front and rear hitch. This allows temp outside storage of 500# generator fuel airtight bins while in a RV park or boondocking. I have a cargo trailer 6' high x 11' l x 6' w . it is 2500 gvw 1200# trailer at and cargo wt 1300#. Great for tools off season items and hobbies. It has exterior wheels I am going to super insulate the exterior 12" then add new siding for winter Sleeper with Honda gen set and multi fuel.
Another great video Greg. I am considering removing the black factory trunking from my merc. I find it very intrusive and ugly. I know it means disconnecting all the wiring from the rear lights etc. but think it's worth it. I am just hoping I do not need to cut any!
Yeah I was going to do the same but I had to leave it exposed. I don’t think there is a route down inside the rear door pillars. I have hidden it all in the roof or wall cupboards. The only bit exposed is over the sliding door and I have my rear view camera fuses in there so needed access to it.
Hi Barry, Unfortunately Not, circles do not work as a scribe, because the geometry is all wrong, read my reply to Phil. "Hello Phil, I plan to do a follow-up video just about scribing, as I'm sure that you are the first of many that will suggest the circle or penny washer idea for scribing a line. However, the geometry of a circular scribe will give you the wrong result. It may give you a noticeably close result for a straight line but when you are scribing a curve the circular scribe will draw a curve of smaller radius and will not be a close fit. If you had a pronounced curve your panel would end up too small. The pen ends up being perpendicular to the tangent of the circle, which is not what you want and what I was explaining not to do with the pointed scribe. You have to keep it straight to replicate the exact shape. I will demonstrate this point very soon, trust me. Thank you for a great comment and one very much worthy of further discussion. Regards"
once again brilliant video Greg. thanks. just a quick question, can you use the H shaped joiners where there isn't a beam as would be to close to edge of skylight ?
I wanted to use these as concealed support for the boards to minimise to number of exposed screws so I deliberately fixed them to the beams. It made for a lot of wasted offcuts but it gave a firm clean look
You could make a ply guide rail. Then cutting sheet is like using an expensive guide rail saw, without the hassle of allowing for the saw plate allowance every time.
Yet another great video Greg. I was really surprised how inexpensive the sheet was, it would cost a hell of lot more to buy the Vinyl and ply sheeting separately then the hassle of gluing the vinyl to the ply. Great tip. One question I have, I was surprised to see you using nails to hold up the trim, my only guess to your reasoning would be the nails had a broader head than a screw would. Looking forward to the cabinet build.
Exactly that, plus they offer a much thinner profile and don't hinder the sheet entering the trim like a screw would. I did some tests with different size nails to see which had the greater pull-out strength in the 12mm ply. The Roofing Felt nails performed the best for a 1/2" nail. The sheet is so light there is no way this will fall down.
Nice vid again greg! Its nice to see a build that doesn't have a 100 kg of wooden cladding everywhere 😉 i was gona use some similar pannels on mine but thought id use strong velcro strips so theres no screw heads ...just a thought!! 👍👍
Yeah, the screw cups are not the best finish I know. They use wide strips of velcro to hold seat cushions to furniture and that stuff is really hard to shift in wide strips. So no reason why it coudln't work for a headliner too??
Hi Greg, I am really happy with your video concerning the ceilling panelling. I would like to order the exact same pvc-strips, but I cannot find them on the website. Could you please help me purchasing them? Kind regards, Nathan from Holland
Hi Greg, Are the plastic joining pieces in the ceiling from Morlands? If so, they unclip to form two pieces, the domed part comes off so you can fasten the flat part to the ceiling first and even screw through the ceiling boards. The screws are hidden when you clip the domed part over. Not a criticism, just a helpful tip for anyone else using it.
Hey..about 3 mins 15 in you stick.something onto the ceiling that holds the celotex sheet in place ..what are they? Great videos and helpful tips for my upcoming build
Great video series a great help, the only thing I would of liked would of been some distant shots not so many close up shots. Sorry if it sounds like a complaint as it certainly isn’t I love the videos.
Hey Greg you have made a great and imformative set of clips for anyone who wants to build their own camper van, your all set for normal and cold weather but what will happen if you visit somewhere hot like Spain and find yourself in 35 to 40 degrees centigrade do you have air condition?
Firstly I want to thank you for such great feedback. We do plan to visit Spain and the north coast of the Mediterranean but during our autumn and winter months so we are hoping that it will be a bit more comfortable by then. We plan to do Northen Europe during summer. A couple of tips to combat high temperatures in a van would be to place external reflective blinds over any windows to prevent the solar gain from the suns rays entering the windows and keep the internal of the van in the shade. That is the biggest source of heat gain in vehicles. Secondly, if you have a roof fan. simply hang a damp towel under it and the evaporating moisture will reduce the entering air temperature by as much as 5°C. It's a process called Adiabatic cooling and it free :D
Hi Greg, I have got to the ceiling board stage with my Boxer conversion and I am impressed with the way you have done yours. I have looked at Morland but they dont appear to sell small quantities of boards and trims I just wondered if you could recommend a supplier and could you let me know where the J section end trim and H section joint trim are from as Moreland dont list these,
Gerry Richardson it’s because of the 8x4 pallet and shipping costs. I spoke to their sales office and made up an order of 7 furniture boards and four ceiling boards plus trim. Look in the description of the video there are links to pvc trim on eBay. 👍🏼😃
@@GregVirgoe Thanks for your reply Greg, Those 3mm PVC trims you used look a good product with the barbs and protective film, unfortunately I have searched the link and cant find them. sorry to be a nuisence but wondered if you could tell me the manufacturer/supplier please.
If you want a camper van conversion done right, this is the series to watch!
That’s really nice of you to say so Kat. Thank you for your support 😊
Greg; you have provided the inspiration for me to tackle a van project for myself. I lack the creativity and many of the skills you have but I find that I am a superb mimic and I am feeling more confident of my project plans all the time. Thank you so much for this series, I cant tell you how helpful it has been
I'm convinced we'll one day hear of "The Virgoe Method" in carpentry/ RV conversion, very impressive workmanship sir.
Greg, you are a star. Totally logical way to fix a ceiling and the concept is so much closer to how the industry does it and a big improvement on the idea that a van has to be cloaked in ply first. You are going to set a trend now and get people thinking about fitting furniture first and then panel and insulate after; thus lightening the build, saving money on unnecessary panelling and creating a more professional finish. Nicely presented as usual. Best van build on the web by a long way with 27k followers and growing. Not sure why anyone would give this a thumbs down? Very well deserved! Enjoy your weekend Buddy. R & T
Hello Guys, great to hear from you as always and thanks for such wonderful comments.
Yeah, this video got one within seconds of being uploaded so obviously got a troll LOL
How's work on the house coming along? Whats next on the agenda?
Best wishes
some serious demolition taking place at the mo. Taking the majority of the brick walls down and introducing new stairwell for new stairs. Making lots of vids and photos and working 4 days a week at the house. A bit sore and achey to put together a YT vid, but am getting there slowly. Thanks Greg.
Hi Greg,
I have to say its not only your van build its all the van builds I follow who just orders everything from Amazon, Ikea or pop down to Louw’s. Makes me very jealous but creative because being so far south and having a relatively small market makes it uneconomical for those suppliers to trade in South Africa. However seeing the way you did the ceiling and how others do things points me in a direction and necessity becomes the mother of invention.
Keep the tutorials coming I enjoy the skill level and perfection you achieve.
Your videos are all so good that I hit " thumbs up " before it even finishes.
Ah, that's so wonderful to hear, thank you so much.
Top job Greg, as ever making it look easy. As a novice I haven't seen the adhesive pins used to hold the insulation in place - every day is a learning day!!
They are used in industry and not normally sold to the man on the street.
kevin mulligan really sorry Kevin, the guy that was selling them on eBay seems to have gone into a different line of business without saying anything. I'll change the links ASAP thank you for bringing it to my attention.
My comment is based on all of your videos fella, not just this one.
I'm about to join vanlife and start my self build.
This channel is the best channel I have come across. As far as knowledge and constructive ideas.
I've even noticed you get all the fine details in.
Outstanding quality videos.
Thank you
Another great video, I like how you’ve gone against the grain and used different materials from the hundereds of other self builds using 80s tongue n grove cladding!
Some may say its 70's static caravan but I like how clean and bright it will be inside.
As you say there are a lot of timber panelled vans about so this will be different.
Already have different wall finishes for both the bedroom and the kitchen planned.
👍🏽
Your work is thorough and precise , well done . Your modesty is admirable and makes watching more pleasant .
Such simple but effective methods for us that don’t know much. So very thankful for sharing with us. Awesome 🤩🥰🙏
Fantastically thorough but interesting explanation. Gotta admit, I didn’t know there was such a thing as vinyl-covered ply.
Hi Steve, I can't say how widely available this product would be though as its manufatured here in the UK
as always, great work Greg! your build is the new diy standard that will be hard to match!
I can't help it, Allen, I'm a perfectionist, it's my downfall sometimes. Things end up getting redone or take much longer than they should normally. Hopefully, the finished van will be a good looking one :D
Beautiful craftsmanship, Greg! The lessons in tools, tips, and improvised tools is another parallel learning channel. I watch each video about 3 times to soak it all in. And I make notes!👍
Hi Greg I love watching your videos so amazing
Thank you very much 👍🏼😃
I like how you actually pay attention to weight. A lot of builders put 1.5 tons of chip board in their vans and it drives me up the wall. 1/8th inch plywood with a vinyl face is a much tidier solution than 50 cut pieces of T&G spruce. It is also that much easier to work with as a material due to how thin it is. It would probably take 30 minutes to match that fan penetration with a router using 3/4" material. You're right too, it looks very professional, not DIY at all.
If I were doing a build, I would use 1x2" x8' sheathing for _all_ the cabinetry framing combined with simpson strong ties, and vinyl sheeting & 1/8" ply for just about everything. If I want a different color I can use vinyl paint on the entire sheet before cutting, and then put corner molding on all exposed corners so I don't ever have to bother painting in the van. It would weigh probably under 200lbs for the entire thing. The only exceptions would be the bed, and the countertop. For that I would just use a standard formica top for the counter, and 2x4" #2 standard douglass fir for the bed support.
Has anyone ever tried building the entire thing outside the van and then installing it? Like a left and right hand section?
Hi Greg, if you make a scribe out of a circular piece of ply you don't have to worry about pivoting the linear scribe when you roll the circle along the profile it will be automatically parallel. Great set of videos so far Cheers.
Hello Phil, I plan to do a follow-up video just about scribing, as I'm sure that you are the first of many that will suggest the circle or penny washer idea for scribing a line. However, the geometry of a circular scribe will give you the wrong result. It may give you a noticeably close result for a straight line but when you are scribing a curve the circular scribe will draw a curve of smaller radius and will not be a close fit. If you had a pronounced curve your panel would end up too small. The pen ends up being perpendicular to the tangent of the circle, which is not what you want and what I was explaining not to do with the pointed scribe. You have to keep it straight to replicate the exact shape. I will demonstrate this point very soon, trust me. Thank you for a great comment and one very much worthy of further discussion. Regards
Greg Virgoe thanks for the reply you are correct just thought there was not too much Curvature to worry about😎
Hi Phil, yes, in this instance you may have got away with it. :D
Good thing to think about from both Greg and Phil. !!
Excellent conversation guys. I've never seen the circle trick in person (and now I know why, the job where I scribed was all tight curves) but if I had to do a ton of long cuts it could be handy.
Nice work!
Quick tip on the electrics is to test for shorts to the van metalwork as well as to each other. If somehow you'd managed to get a trapped cable or similar it wouldn't necessarily show up doing it the way you tested, so if you test each cable to the van metalwork as well then you'd just add that little bit of extra confidence all was good...
That's some really sound advice Gareth and I shall do that before I terminate the ends into the panel, thank you.
So many Tips & Tricks in every video best series on UA-cam.
Its good to know they are useful, I'm trying to cover the bit that normally get glossed over to help those that have never done anything like this before.
Greg, I find such great satisfaction in watching your videos. The logic, methodologies, craftsmanship, and attention to detail that you demonstrate is fuel for my soul. Thanks!
nice to see you back greg, looking forward to seeing the rest of van
It's been a very busy few weeks Ian, But rest assured more videos are on the way :D
I watched all videos of your building episode and i really have to say that i´m impressed of how you work, plan and explain. Thank you!
This has to be the best van build how to series on UA-cam Greg. I have learned so much about my proposed van build watching it.
Hi, Greg i am totally impressed with your way of work. It is really nice to see you working on this van.
I wanted to try and show as much of the actual work as possible rather than just go here's what I did earlier today and talk about it afterwards, a picture paints a thousand words.
Another really helpful video, thank you Greg. Following your tips and tricks, anyone can achieve a factory finish on their project easily and quickly. I especially liked the scriber you made. The professional version is expensive, yours cost nothing. Brilliant.
Really enjoying the very best van build on You Tube with so much detail shared...👍👍
Thank you very much Dave, really appreciated
Hi Greg, another very useful video. The scribe idea is excellent. Added points for the use of a robbed Screwfix pencil.
Cheers Chris, they just seem to levitate to my right ear, you'll find them scattered all over lol
Again i really enjoy how detailed you share your knowledge! Thanks a lot i ll get my sprinter next week and will follow lots of your steps in building it right. Enjoy life🙏🏻
You are making my life so much simplier. Thank you. You rock. You are my new point of reference for using the word "brilliant!" I'm using this material in my dream van now too. Love it, wanted it and now I know it exists and how to install. YAY.
Thank you sheri, glad you found this to be useful to you.
Thank you for such great feedback.
John took the words from my mouth...yes, another video full of tips and tricks. Well done Greg, getting nearer to the great adventure 👍🏼😊😉
Ever closer Marc and getting more and more exciting.
Still a small mountain to climb over the next few weeks.
Greg Virgoe I have every faith in you Greg....it’s getting to the easier part as you make the cupboards etc and really looking like a conversion. Keep smiling my friend...😉😊👍🏼
Just a small point with the way you tested for continuity - Holding the wires onto the testers probes with your fingers (as you did) can result in a false continuity reading as the small current sent out by the tester can pass through your body from one hand to the other (in other words, your body forming the circuit and not the wire).
Stuart Martin yes you are right I am aware of that 😊
I see you have put a lot of effort in putting up the videos and giving us many useful tips. Thank you ! Job well done !
Thank you very much Mary, are you doing your own build?
@@GregVirgoe We are doing the research at this time.
A job well done. I only wish we had options like that in South Africa. I however know what to look for when I start my van. The whole series is a well compiled tutorial which I have enjoyed & I am looking forward to the final product.
I was very much aware that only a third of my viewers are from the UK and that the product may not be available worldwide.
Hopefully you can apply the similar tips and trick to other finishes. Thank you for watching this series.
Love it, great tips. I think I'll use the vinyl ply in my sprinter instead of tongue and groove timber
absolute. hands down most informative build ever, thank you also for the notes of materials used. Stephen
Thank you Stephen, very much appreciated 😊
Another excellent video Greg. Very easy to follow.
Thank you for your continued support Iain, really appreciated 😊
Most welcome Greg. You are a natural teacher and the ease at which you explain difficult concepts is very much appreciated. Keep up the brilliant work
Well done Greg all your videos are so helpful and easy to follow. Thanks a lot
I’m glad you like them. Hope they help you out. 👍🏼😃
Sir, I’m very impressed with your work! 👍🏻😃
Thank you, Lillian, very nice of you to say so.
Greg, loving these and watching them daily as I embark on my project. You really are a star!
Superb workmanship, explanations and video as always Greg. Thx so much. 😁
Thank you for such great feedback
Brilliant. You've raised the bar for all the other DIY van converters. Thank you for all the hard work showing us the proper way to convert a van.
It has been a lot more work to go to this much detail, but the finish is very pleasing.
Thank you for your nice comment
@@GregVirgoe The extreme effort required to produce such a detailed series is very evident. I am thinking about converting a van and have viewed many conversion videos. Your videos are the only ones I will reference in order to facilitate my conversion. Simply put, they reflect the highest quality and most detailed build it's been my pleasure to witness. If you were here in the US, I'd gladly engage your expertise as a consultant😊 Thank you for all your hard work in sharing this experience with us.
I really appreciate your acknowledgement and thank you for great feedback too
I know this is an older video but I have come back to it because after doing my first van using tongue and groove boards, I wanted to go with somebody a little bit simpler but also save on some head space.
(I was told another thing that helps reduce tear out is having a blade with a lot of teeth.)
Another great video.
Not sure if it has been mentioned already, but when I made my scribe I did it as a circular bit of wood. That way it didn’t matter if I lost the perpendicular.
Nizan Horsefield circular scribes do not work on curved walls as the circle scribes a line with a smaller radius curve. You have to scribe with a point and keep perpendicular to get an exact copy.
Greg Virgoe I’m going to copy your DIY point scribe and use as well, as I need the best result for doing a similar cut to you, testing on old ply of course ;) Again, such great videos and ones to have playing when we do our own sprinter.
Hi, I used the same method to cut out the door and windows when I boarded out my garage. Gives a great finish. 👍👍👍.
H2Dwoat thank you again for great feedback.
Thanks so much for the useful tips and demonstrations for those uf us who are not expert woodworkers!
Van building is all about novices doing it for themselves to save a bit of cash so it makes sense to pass on some helpful tips if i can.
Hi Greg, just some of your finish is really good i to want o get the factory finish, being an engineer to tend to be very picky, but some of your practices make the job so much easier
steve
It really does look like a professional installation and in some respects much better and stronger too.
Try using a circle (wood disc) pencel through the center and roll your line. No worries about staying perpendicular. Nice video
Well done Greg. Looks good looking forward to the next instalment.
Thank you David, They will be coming bit quicker next week as i'm on it full time.
Greg Virgoe
Yes you said you finish work this month and need to get the van finished. We are both working to similar deadlines. Looking forward to the end result. All the little hints and tips you are giving are excellent for a novice DIY enthusiast like me.
Been watching your build series from the beginning and looking forward to seeing the next one already. Van's coming along great.
Thank you for following my videos and for your continued support
I’ve seen the lid off of a coffee jar used as a scribe before. You just drill a hole right in the centre for the pencil, and roll it along with the pencil in the middle.
Hello Dave, I know a few will mention that method and I plan to do a dedicated video on this as it doesn't give you an exact copy.
A circular scribe will give you a line of smaller radius on curved areas because the pencil is tangential to the circle and not perpendicular to what you are scribing. On straight walls with little variance you might get away with it but it's not the correct method. Hope that helps
Greg Virgoe Thanks Greg!
Thanks Greg another great video and thanks for making your own scribe for our benefit,when you already had your own professional one.
Great job Greg, You're so professional, I really enjoy watching you work. The vans looking awesome.
I would like all white in my van so this is very helpful.
Enjoying it... this is a nightmare...!!!
You're just proving that everything I've done so far is completely wrong 🤣
EXCELLENT work Greg 👍
FLY ON THE WALL you haven’t got too far only just cut the floor boards so now the time to watch the rest of the videos 🤩👍🏼😃
@@GregVirgoe
Just about to upload where I'm at when I discovered you....so you'll see 😔
A very good friend reminded me about you and I've literally spent ALL DAY watching your videos 🙏
You are truly a treasure and a wealth of knowledge sir....
I appreciate everything you've done for everyone and me in this search for freedom we all have 💪👍🙏
FLY ON THE WALL thank you very much, very kind of you. Hope they help you build your dream van 😃
Looks great that vinyl covered ply. First I've ever heard of it. Great price too although their thicker boards are costly enough but saying that, they are professionally finished and that's why of-course, Get what you pay for on this occasion :)
tip, use a pencil compass for scribing and you can get right in to corners. draw 90 deg, lines on to timber for intricate shapes.
dave the joiner
Greg i think you must be about the Best at Van builds an iv seen them all , Well done Mate .
Well done Greg...liking what I see....thanks everso
You are welcome 🙏🏼
Im learning a lot watching your videos. Thanks Greg!!!!
Another great Video from Greg. And yes, you should be wearing safety goggles!!!!!! You are a better hammerer than I am, as I would have used a rod (3/8" drive extension works) to hammer in the roofing nails on the butt strip to prevent damage to it! 5 thumbs up.!!
I was looking for my smaller pin hammer but couldn't find it at the time, I think it was more luck that I didn't hit the trim with that huge hammer :D Thank you for great feedback
I'm thinking you should have used screws as a nail will back out with all the vibration going down the road. We will see . . .
Hi, What great videos..and such a professional finish. I have been watching them all..(several times) as I have a long wheelbase sprinter and have been inspired to do a convert..wont be the same layout as I need to carry kayaks in the garage area..but have learned so much both about what to use material wise and the excellent way you achieve your finish. Congratulations on a great job and thank you for sharing
About ready for the roof came back to review this video now I know what to do thanks Greg
Another great video. Thanks Greg!
A pleasure John, glad you liked it. Cheers
Thanks for letting us watch,,,, Also Please Wear your Safety Glasses,,, Best Regards
Looking good Greg.
I'm very pleased how it's looking now.
Thank you
Amazing attention to detail again Greg! You said you wanted this van to have a professional finish... I think you have failed. This is heading for exceptional 😃👌
Thank you so much, I've been watching your videos and very impressed, you've got, what I've no doubt, will turn out to be a very popular channel, best wishes and I'll be following with great interest to your future builds.
Greg Virgoe Thanks for your kind words. I’ve a very long way to go..! See you in the next video 👍
With the quality you have put out so far it won't take you long. My advice would be to use social media as much as possible to self-promote your channel and get your name and videos out there to many groups.
Greg Virgoe Cheers for the advice! Onwards and upwards 👍
Mahon Woodworks+
LOL, I thought the same. Where are the gaps, why doesn't it squeak? Something feels off here :)
Some excellent tips there Greg ...
and these brilliant videos just keep coming. nice one Greg them pannels are great
Thank you once again, Nell, always a pleasure to read your comments.
Greg Virgoe. What are your plans for internet access? A fellow UA-camr "gadget John" has just posted and has some interesting findings you might be interested in.
ATB Nell
Thank you so much for all your instruction hard work. This is very generous and of great help as I am just about to start the build on my new home and so excited to get started.
You are welcome Dave thanks for watching 😃
Brilliant work, as always, Greg.
Could you please provide lines for the touch LED fixtures and the self-stick overhead insulation fixings?
Many thanks. Keep or great work.
Hi John,
Links are now in the description.
Cheers :D
I went to a big box store to buy some screws and drill bits. They used to have a drill bit guide to determine pretrial be its. I asked 6 employees including the general manager they had no clue what I was talking about the nom size drill bit. You might do a video and a link to Amazon. Also a class on router use and how to mark electrical outlets. Thank you. Finally the option for portable furniture by the side sliding door. The option of a front and rear hitch. This allows temp outside storage of 500# generator fuel airtight bins while in a RV park or boondocking. I have a cargo trailer 6' high x 11' l x 6' w . it is 2500 gvw 1200# trailer at and cargo wt 1300#. Great for tools off season items and hobbies. It has exterior wheels I am going to super insulate the exterior 12" then add new siding for winter Sleeper with Honda gen set and multi fuel.
A few good ideas Robert, I'm doing a workshop project today and will be using drill and router 😃👍🏼
Another great video Greg.
I am considering removing the black factory trunking from my merc. I find it very intrusive and ugly. I know it means disconnecting all the wiring from the rear lights etc. but think it's worth it. I am just hoping I do not need to cut any!
Yeah I was going to do the same but I had to leave it exposed. I don’t think there is a route down inside the rear door pillars. I have hidden it all in the roof or wall cupboards.
The only bit exposed is over the sliding door and I have my rear view camera fuses in there so needed access to it.
Awesome craftsmanship.
Professional as always👍
Many thanks David
great video, informative as allways. good tip from Phil Robinson on scribing the profile.
Hi Barry, Unfortunately Not, circles do not work as a scribe, because the geometry is all wrong, read my reply to Phil.
"Hello Phil, I plan to do a follow-up video just about scribing, as I'm sure that you are the first of many that will suggest the circle or penny washer idea for scribing a line. However, the geometry of a circular scribe will give you the wrong result. It may give you a noticeably close result for a straight line but when you are scribing a curve the circular scribe will draw a curve of smaller radius and will not be a close fit. If you had a pronounced curve your panel would end up too small. The pen ends up being perpendicular to the tangent of the circle, which is not what you want and what I was explaining not to do with the pointed scribe. You have to keep it straight to replicate the exact shape. I will demonstrate this point very soon, trust me. Thank you for a great comment and one very much worthy of further discussion. Regards"
Excellent as always Greg! 👍
Thanks Again Jono
Loved the vinyl plywood
Thank you John, We like the clean look it gives and practical finish.
once again brilliant video Greg. thanks. just a quick question, can you use the H shaped joiners where there isn't a beam as would be to close to edge of skylight ?
I wanted to use these as concealed support for the boards to minimise to number of exposed screws so I deliberately fixed them to the beams. It made for a lot of wasted offcuts but it gave a firm clean look
You could make a ply guide rail. Then cutting sheet is like using an expensive guide rail saw, without the hassle of allowing for the saw plate allowance every time.
Thanks again for another great video Greg!
Thanks for the great feedback
Another great video Greg. Thanks for sharing..
You are most welcome Joe, Cheers
Yet another great video Greg. I was really surprised how inexpensive the sheet was, it would cost a hell of lot more to buy the Vinyl and ply sheeting separately then the hassle of gluing the vinyl to the ply. Great tip. One question I have, I was surprised to see you using nails to hold up the trim, my only guess to your reasoning would be the nails had a broader head than a screw would. Looking forward to the cabinet build.
Exactly that, plus they offer a much thinner profile and don't hinder the sheet entering the trim like a screw would. I did some tests with different size nails to see which had the greater pull-out strength in the 12mm ply. The Roofing Felt nails performed the best for a 1/2" nail. The sheet is so light there is no way this will fall down.
excellent series of tutorials , clear and detailed, Very impressive thanks for posting
Nice vid again greg! Its nice to see a build that doesn't have a 100 kg of wooden cladding everywhere 😉 i was gona use some similar pannels on mine but thought id use strong velcro strips so theres no screw heads ...just a thought!!
👍👍
Yeah, the screw cups are not the best finish I know.
They use wide strips of velcro to hold seat cushions to furniture and that stuff is really hard to shift in wide strips.
So no reason why it coudln't work for a headliner too??
mark grinsted VHB tape is another great alternative.
Hi Greg, I am really happy with your video concerning the ceilling panelling. I would like to order the exact same pvc-strips, but I cannot find them on the website. Could you please help me purchasing them?
Kind regards, Nathan from Holland
Thank you so much for your videos, they are extremely useful.
Glad you like it 👍🏼
So many useful tips in this one 👌🏽
Looking good my friend
Many thanks :D
Always use plywood for covered battens etc. No shrinkage or mould to consider.
I have done everywhere else, thank you
Great video as always Greg
Hi Greg, Are the plastic joining pieces in the ceiling from Morlands? If so, they unclip to form two pieces, the domed part comes off so you can fasten the flat part to the ceiling first and even screw through the ceiling boards. The screws are hidden when you clip the domed part over. Not a criticism, just a helpful tip for anyone else using it.
Hey..about 3 mins 15 in you stick.something onto the ceiling that holds the celotex sheet in place ..what are they? Great videos and helpful tips for my upcoming build
I have the same question. I have been to Home Depot and Lowes here in the States and they look at me like I am an idiot.
Great job again Sir!!
Thank you Casey
Hiya Mate ,
Have gr8t week Mate and takecare nice video well done Greg :-)
Thank you Malte, that is very nice of you. Hope you too have a great week! Many thanks 😊
This is a damn good series of videos loving every single one
Looks very pro... I like it. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome Yann, thank you
Man you are amazing at this!
Thank you so much :D
Great video series a great help, the only thing I would of liked would of been some distant shots not so many close up shots. Sorry if it sounds like a complaint as it certainly isn’t I love the videos.
I didn’t have a wide angle lens then it was mostly shot on my iPhone and I couldn’t get the phone far enough away. Sorry about that 😢
@@GregVirgoe thanks for the reply. I hope you continue with the videos they really are a godsend. Stay safe mate.
Hey Greg you have made a great and imformative set of clips for anyone who wants to build their own camper van, your all set for normal and cold weather but what will happen if you visit somewhere hot like Spain and find yourself in 35 to 40 degrees centigrade do you have air condition?
Firstly I want to thank you for such great feedback.
We do plan to visit Spain and the north coast of the Mediterranean but during our autumn and winter months so we are hoping that it will be a bit more comfortable by then. We plan to do Northen Europe during summer.
A couple of tips to combat high temperatures in a van would be to place external reflective blinds over any windows to prevent the solar gain from the suns rays entering the windows and keep the internal of the van in the shade. That is the biggest source of heat gain in vehicles.
Secondly, if you have a roof fan. simply hang a damp towel under it and the evaporating moisture will reduce the entering air temperature by as much as 5°C. It's a process called Adiabatic cooling and it free :D
So about the damp cloth. Would the ceiling fan be blowing through the damp cloth into the van?
Hi Greg, I have got to the ceiling board stage with my Boxer conversion and I am impressed with the way you have done yours. I have looked at Morland but they dont appear to sell small quantities of boards and trims I just wondered if you could recommend a supplier and could you let me know where the J section end trim and H section joint trim are from as Moreland dont list these,
Gerry Richardson it’s because of the 8x4 pallet and shipping costs. I spoke to their sales office and made up an order of 7 furniture boards and four ceiling boards plus trim.
Look in the description of the video there are links to pvc trim on eBay. 👍🏼😃
@@GregVirgoe Thanks for your reply Greg, Those 3mm PVC trims you used look a good product with the barbs and protective film, unfortunately I have searched the link and cant find them. sorry to be a nuisence but wondered if you could tell me the manufacturer/supplier please.