You can probably squeeze a cooler into your garage for extra food storage. Consider brick for the fireplace surround as it adds thermal mass to hold and release heat
Ideas: You'll need metal on the walls behind the wood stove. XPS melts at 165° For a shower pan look at Mop Basins. For additional water carry collapsible 5 gallon containers. Vent the bed platform.
You will want to put holes in that ply wood to allow airflow to stop the mattress getting mouldy. Or a spacer to allow airflow between the mattress and the board. From experience
Many decades ago, This Old House put cedar siding on a house. The house was first covered with a plastic? mesh that allowed airflow behind. I've seen it used under cedar roof shakes too. I've always wondered if that mesh could be used under mattresses or behind insulation.
Or use the Froli sleep system for under the mattress. It raises the mattress maybe an inch of so, but allows for air movement (and no mold) under the mattress. We have used it and it was great!
Your attention to detail is amazing. If someone was building this for you they would not do as good a job as you are. I think you are a perfectionist with a bit of glutton for punishment.😊 Very much looking for episode 7.
You have actually stumbled into a great way to keep thermal transfer from the inside by having your boards up against the foam. I think you’re going to be very happy with no thermal transfer. Nice job.
The mini-split above the cab would probably work well, its where the refrigerated trucks have their chillers. Also, for the inflatable kayak idea (after owning one and regretting it) I'd suggest an inflatable paddle board. Takes less space, faster to setup too. One long paddle instead of a double-ended one.
I have that exact fridge in my cargo trailer. Three and a half years and still going strong. It does collect moisture in the bottom that I need to dry up every couple of weeks.✌️
So glad I stumbled on your channel. Your honest approach to this build is what inspires me. Been wanting to do a box truck build for some time now. .thanks
I used the Pink foam to add exterior insulation to my 12v fridge & a USB computer fan to exhaust heat from the fridge, making it more efficient. I suspect the 12' mattress will be cumbersome so you will probably need a kickstand to hold the bed up. Happy trails~~~
Thanks for sharing your videos, I'm in the process of buying a box truck and this really helps I'm a lady and I know how to use power tools, I'm learning a lot from you.
I have two Alpicool 45’s both with the LG compressors. They have been plugged in and been used continuously for more than three years now. They work fantastic! I picked up heavy gauge extra long 12 volt cords and hard wired them into my power system.
About the diesel heater..I used the vevor one with everything it came with and have no issues on my semi truck. Didn't leak or have any issues. Biggest thing is a small amount of ultra grey rtv anywhere there's a line or fitting. Itll never leak. Use black butyl to help seal it to the floor and you want the exhuast out from under the vehicle completely. I would put it to one side or the other and plumb the vents. People say they smell because they don't plumb the exhaust out from under the vehicle
Mr. Kitty Poops!! LOL!! Can't wait to meet your kitties. The truck looks great!; I like your planned layout. Looking forward to watching part 7. Take care!
Hey dude I know you said you don't care about having passengers but honestly your fridge looks skinny enough to fit centered between driver and passenger seats and wpuld make for a decent arm rest (especially since it has cup holders built into the top) just an idea if you ever change your mind. I've really enjoyed watching your progress with this build. I like that you don't cut out too much of the process in editing and whenever you use a product you tell us what you're using. It's inspiring me in my own builds.
The fact we see you fix this is great! I know this will definitely help someone! I think you should do like what other people do and do a cardboard layout on the interior to make sure you want to put things where you wanna put them. Also keep the jug. Maybe it can be used for the grey water under your sink and it won’t take up a lot of horizontal space.
It is intriguing as to why you would make the insulation thinner at the wood. More cold will come through that... on the other hand, keeping the wood surfaced will have made the inside narrow a tiny but.. but the latter would would gain additional air gap.. for insulation ... back to the flick.
Have you thought about cutting out the front section at the top, where you're considering putting an A/C unit, and building a storage cubby-hole over the cab? This would eliminate having to put up cabinets that would take up space inside the living area. Could even slant it for wind resistance.
i was considering mounting a spare tire on the cab roof. as of now im leaning towards no ac. a company is offering me one but i have rejected all collaboration offers so far on my channel
@@vanlifemeow Whatever you decide man, it's your build. I'm really enjoying watching. Watching part 7 now. Got me looking at used UHauls for sale. lol!
You're doing a great job. It's going to be awesome when you're done. A suggestion for the bed wood framing would be to seal it with some kind of finish to seal it from moisture and absorption of smells. 🤷♂️ might be overkill.
I just found this series of vids and have not commented because he's doing it how it works for him. I respect that the most But that bed platform...I would have went with a 2×4 lattice pullout design that folds up they have some amazing Japanese futon memory foam mattresses that roll up and store like sleeping bags. It would block back window while driving buy those mega side view mirrors would make that no problem. Or keep it down and not pull out lattice( comes in handy) and use as big shelf while driving.
Hey when don’t have a blue print ya make do. Brilliant on the foam cutter. DualEx has some awesome ideas on custom builds like this. Your doing great 😊
You are insane, BUT, I find that I am just like you! I am loving your build videos. I hope I can start my own soon! I have an RV (5th wheel) that requires “fixing” on EVERY TRIP! I think if I built my own I would KNOW where every screw is and how everything is put together so that IF anything came loose I would know exactly how to fix it. I’m so sick of stupid Lippert crap falling apart!!!
Each U-Box container is made of premium, pest-resistant plywood, which provides your belongings with a stable and chemical free environment for storage and transit. This is especially important if you have wooden furniture.
An idea for a cheap shower pan that I saw in another person's build at one point was like an old galvanized tub, for like washing clothes or something like that. I think it'd be pretty cool to see one of those and they're fairly small and all you got to do is drill a hole in the bottom for the drain you're good
Uk 🇬🇧 viewer here! Love the videos i have been binge watching them since finding your channel a few weeks ago. One thing i can’t stand is when you’re cutting the foam or drilling into it, that squealing noise kills my ears 😂🇬🇧
Hi! I'm glad to come across your channel. You have very good content, you are a great storyteller, and you are very pleasant. Thank you for sharing your time, experiences, and perspectives. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy! Everything else is manageable! Pops
I would consider placing 2(At the front of the bed, where you're getting in and out all the time) to 4(those close to the middle of the bed) vertical boards from the beds frame to the floor, screwed into those vertical boards on the wall, so your bed frame has some physical support, and all the weight isn't only taken by the screws. EDIT: Just got to where you show batteries and water tank. Could consider getting a wire cable, screwing it into the horizontal bed support a foot or two out from the wall, and screwing the other end higher into the wall board, so the bed frame has hanging support instead of floor to frame support.
Great video, its amazing with planning how little space is needed to fit all the essentials for off grid living,enjoy your trip, and it won’t be long till you can start taking the Uhaul. 🏆
I'm have the same chevy cutaway truck 2003 , and the roof it's aluminum too, and installing right now, foam deadening, cuz before my other van had a fiberglass high top and when it's raining, the roof sounds quiet then aluminum, I Don't want to wake up with a loud sound of rain , I got my same door 28x 72 for $75 cash at the rv repair and sales here in California, and 2 windows $ 75 each one , great videos
I'm new to this channel as well and am learning some great ideas to renovate in my mini bus. Binge watching all your build videos and then will go back later to all your old travel videos. I love the way you continue to share each step and the products you are buying and using along with where you got them. Another great video, hope you had fun on your week camping trip since I know I'm behind a few videos.
Yay, progress! Nice work on everything so far. At least you only have to do the beams one time, lol. I like your layout so far, can't wait to see it all come together.
You should also think about car alarm and exterior cameras that record to the cloud and accessible via phone app too, just a suggestion... looking good~!
We have a similar power setup. When I set up my first inverter system in 2016 in that camper I had 2 100ah lifepo4 and chose the Aims 2000 watt inverter similar to your brand. At the time they were cheapest with auto pass through as Victron was just coming popular and looked complicated as heck and there wasn’t many Chinese or no name brands companies put their sticker on and sold cheaper. I quickly found out when plugged into shore power all you get is 2000 watts even though I was plugged into 30 amp shore power. I could no longer run electric water heater and a/c at the same time as everything else. Sometimes even had to shut off a/c to use microwave so you were right to purchase 3000 watt inverter! This will let you do everything when plugged into shore power without blowing the breaker on inverter. My system now is 300 ah lifepo4 in winter with Aims 4000 watt inverter and 700 ah lifepo4 in summer for a little a/c.
I'm loving your videos. I like your simple/practical solutions and your explanations. In general, your vidoes are relaxing to watch. If I were you, I'd definitely get a mini split. We have them in our house and they'r fantastic. We use the AC all Summer and use them for heat in the late Fall/early Spring.
I also went with the LiTime battery after watching the same guy haha. I started my van build at the same time you did so its fun to see them both come together
I thought that you would of made your bed like some campers have where it can go from a bed to a table and your cushions would be your mattress with storage on either side for water tank and other stuff
In most states it is illegal to remove passenger seat , you might wanna check on that . Also diesel heaters have a pump that makes annoying ticking sound you might wanna look into that as well. It might not be a good idea to put it next to a bed. Some diesel heaters make that sound for like first 5 minutes and then will stop but some continue all through the night. If you are a light sleeper it will be annoying
I put my diesel heater pump in side a small 12” 6” x 4” plastic tote and small hole to let the line in and out … but it is all packed with rockwool insulation … so it is quite quiet but I can hear it but it isn’t bad.
Another great video and love what you're doing inside as well have a great time off camping hope you will include another video separate from the van build like you did with the last one in the car looking forward to both videos Kraig from Washington State
Another great video, I had a 94 dodge B-350 hightop extended van and had the Alpicool 65 dual zone and used the freezer way more than I thought I would it worked great. especially on those long off grid stays. I was/am a lazyboy kinda guy and had my recliner (facing the rear) where your alpicool is lol. look forward to all your videos.
Hi Meow, van build is looking good 😊 we’ve used simplicity to build out a couple of smaller vans but one lesson we learned was when you have the basics inside take it out on a journey to see if you still want the same things in the van as you’ve envisioned, just a thought from down under in Oz , cheers happy travels 🎉
It looks create, just some questions and ideas. What do you plan to use for all the walls and why not placing all the tanks under the loading bed. I remember there's still some space left. In that way, you could have more space in the truck. Also I would place the batteries, Power station and diesel heater under the truck too. For the diesel heater in that way, you could use the main diesel tank of the truck. Safes you money, space and weight in parts. As a question, does those U-Haul trucks come in different lengths?
the u-haul comes in 3 lengths, mine being the shortest. i believe they are 10, 14 and 26ft. the components are placed inside the van to keep them from freezing, getting wet or being damaged from road debris. check out the playlist on my channel to see the progress of the build. 🐱
Sounds great. I will look into it something similar here in Germany, after I got a decent land and a container house from Amazon for 27K. 😄 I'm watching already your videos. It's very entertaining. For road debris, you can protect with like thick aluminium sheets. For keeping it warm, you can re-run the exhaust pipe of the Diesel heater or, there's a kind of heating wire for 12V. It's used for Aquarium or other stuff, maybe that could work there too. Also I highly recommend, if there's any budget to use rock wool than plastic insulation. The reason, as you side, highly flammable. If you are inside and it starts burning, you won't have any chance. There's an accident happened a few years ago with a sky scrapper in London. I don't know if you heard about it. They got cooked in seconds. So far so good a great project. Hopefully I'm able to do so too. I'm also already 30 and have luckily no problem maker in my life too.😄
Ich liebe Deutschland. I went there back in 2008 for Oktoberfest. Spent 2 weeks in Stuttgart then a day in Frankfurt on my way up to Amsterdam. I know the foam is highly flammable, which I tested the limits of that when I used my homemade hot knife to cut out the wall studs. (i caught it on fire briefly in an "oh shit" moment) The wool insulation is nice and it is antimicrobial itself, but I've seen builds where it still traps moisture within walls and creates mold on the surrounding plywood.
That's true. I don't know the English word for it, but you most probably know what I mean. The Dampfsperre. That's the foil, you need to do between the wood and the insulation. Hmmm. Research needed (for me of course). For the cables in part 11, 12 and 13, wouldn't it be smarter to make them behind the wood? It would look much cleaner and you can let them be outside, where you need them. Also, as recommendation, use some 12v sockets, that you put on strategic positions. Like for phonecbarger, notebook, ect. Theater some for wall mount. For the wood stove, some manufacturers recommend some minimum distances in a manual or on the type plate on the stove itself. Did you look into it? Even if you put tiles there, the wood as also the insulation can get very hot there. I don't want you to have a grilling party like in the medieval times, that was like a fun for all the villagers.😄
Have you considered stacking up both batteries in the place where your generator is so then you can get more space to be able to also place your inverter more towards the back of the van or even all of the electrical system under that side of the bed? Also I was thinking what can happen if you would poke a hole into the original car's exhaust and weld that the exhaust from the diesel heater into that? I would do that if I were you then you won't have as much exhaust fumes from the diesel heater coming inside of the van trough the back window if you crack that, plus it would be a more cleaner look with only one exhaust instead of 2 :) Good luck with building it into your dream van, I really love this series and will surely watch it till the end
Hey Dave, I found your channel while searching for van build ideas. I have a 3500 Express and was wondering if you're thinking of doing any kind of overhead console. Specifically over the windshield. Then reinstalling the visors under it. Kinda like the old school vans. There's plenty of dead space up there and perfect for small monitors or CB radio. I'm enjoying your build.
I think the walls are ingenious! This entire build is fantastic. I’m beginning to wish I had a box van or ambulance. You’re going to need a ladder to get in bed, lol. Are you going to put anything on the walls? I don’t have actual solar like your doing. I bought 2 2 Ecoflow batteries. One for my fridge and one for charging my phone, watch, and iPad. Maybe I will do solar someday. I’ll need a roof rack brackets to go over my hightop then mount the solar panels on top.
Portable solar panels or charging them while you drive will be better than charging them from house batteries/inverter. Ecoflow has a setting for slow/fast charge, with both easily draining the house batteries.
@@bobtailedtrucker2521 I do have portable solar panels. I haven’t tried charging while I drive yet. I was a little hesitant about it. Does it drain of you vehicle battery? I have a new battery but it came from Walmart and wasn’t very expensive. I was worried it is a piece of crap.
@vanlifemeow Yes, especially if you don't have the option to place them on the roof permanently. Solar will charge the ecoflow much faster than most cheap dc to dc chargers, which may pull too much juice to damage the alternator.
Been in my box truck for 2 years... The biggest problem...finding parking....height restrictions..trees landscaping no underground ..ferry rides for overheight expensive,😅 no drive through😢 coffee
Yup. Insane. Certifiable, but I won't say anything 😂! The burning question is this: where the heck were you last night when I was trying to hang a double curtain rod in my bedroom???? I didn't have a drill bit that fit the screws, found screws to fit a bit. There must be kryptonite in my walls because 1/4" was proud of the wall. Let's just say I only used 3 screws for 3 double hangers. If this contraption falls on my head one night, I'll be looking to point a finger at anyone other than me.😊😊😊I'm loving your build and precision (see the aforementioned for reasons, lol). Your twin mattress will be dual purpose, I.e. a daybed when you're not sleeping. When I built my van ("I" meaning my design and paid others to build), the electrician questioned my single bed, like, "so you can pull something out to make it larger?" No! Just for me and only me. My van. Mine! 😊 I' looking forward to part 7. 😊Lauren😊
Bed. I have mini van build. I'm using the 4 ft long wire commercial shelves on 2x12. Maybe find one that go from wall to wall. I like the breathability of the wire shelves and they hold lot of wait and they didn't weigh much
might be worth building a thin plywood wall under the front of the bed and insulating it so you don't get cold draughts from the garage , and sticking some insulation board to the underside of the bed platform too
You're really knocking this build out of the park. It's a wonderful, sensible build you're doing. There are a couple of things that Im concerned about though. 1 - Jealous people. 2 - People sabotaging you. Alarm bells started going off when I saw your 280ah batteries. Everything is going good. Please be mindful and incredibly cautious about those two things. Please plan for that and be prepared for that. Im crossing my fingers for you!
I completely understand on the breaks in mattress lose a lot of space on the stationary bed maybe you could get it so it’ll pull up out of the way during your time that your not sleeping just saying like a hide away bed
I myself, do not like spade bits. Did you ever try Forstner Bits? So much better. Commenting as I go along so I don't forget anything. I'm old, you know.
Or extra water. It'll store easily. Isn't a quart plastic bottle big enough for a urinal? (I'm a female). How much urine do you want to collect before you dump it?
You can probably squeeze a cooler into your garage for extra food storage.
Consider brick for the fireplace surround as it adds thermal mass to hold and release heat
Ideas:
You'll need metal on the walls behind the wood stove. XPS melts at 165°
For a shower pan look at Mop Basins.
For additional water carry collapsible 5 gallon containers.
Vent the bed platform.
Vent the bed platform .. especially if you like beer and chilli..😂
You will want to put holes in that ply wood to allow airflow to stop the mattress getting mouldy. Or a spacer to allow airflow between the mattress and the board. From experience
YES! Holes or slats. Generally, too, a twin mattress is only 36 wide. You may not find standard sheets much bigger than 36 x 72.
Many decades ago, This Old House put cedar siding on a house. The house was first covered with a plastic? mesh that allowed airflow behind. I've seen it used under cedar roof shakes too. I've always wondered if that mesh could be used under mattresses or behind insulation.
Or use the Froli sleep system for under the mattress. It raises the mattress maybe an inch of so, but allows for air movement (and no mold) under the mattress. We have used it and it was great!
My cat has been watching you for last 10 minutes she likes the fast forward parts with music ..
Your attention to detail is amazing. If someone was building this for you they would not do as good a job as you are. I think you are a perfectionist with a bit of glutton for punishment.😊 Very much looking for episode 7.
Might be a good idea to fit a block of wood under each side of your center beam for extra support
You have actually stumbled into a great way to keep thermal transfer from the inside by having your boards up against the foam. I think you’re going to be very happy with no thermal transfer. Nice job.
Those apricot refrigerator work good..I do have one..smaller..fo the last 3 yrs.andcwork perfect...love what you do..keep on trucking!!!
The mini-split above the cab would probably work well, its where the refrigerated trucks have their chillers. Also, for the inflatable kayak idea (after owning one and regretting it) I'd suggest an inflatable paddle board. Takes less space, faster to setup too. One long paddle instead of a double-ended one.
I have that exact fridge in my cargo trailer. Three and a half years and still going strong. It does collect moisture in the bottom that I need to dry up every couple of weeks.✌️
Same here with my K22 👍, it has a drain bung but it's pretty useless so I just mop it up 👌
So glad I stumbled on your channel. Your honest approach to this build is what inspires me. Been wanting to do a box truck build for some time now. .thanks
I used the Pink foam to add exterior insulation to my 12v fridge & a USB computer fan to exhaust heat from the fridge, making it more efficient. I suspect the 12' mattress will be cumbersome so you will probably need a kickstand to hold the bed up. Happy trails~~~
Thanks for sharing your videos, I'm in the process of buying a box truck and this really helps I'm a lady and I know how to use power tools, I'm learning a lot from you.
I have two Alpicool 45’s both with the LG compressors. They have been plugged in and been used continuously for more than three years now. They work fantastic! I picked up heavy gauge extra long 12 volt cords and hard wired them into my power system.
About the diesel heater..I used the vevor one with everything it came with and have no issues on my semi truck. Didn't leak or have any issues. Biggest thing is a small amount of ultra grey rtv anywhere there's a line or fitting. Itll never leak. Use black butyl to help seal it to the floor and you want the exhuast out from under the vehicle completely. I would put it to one side or the other and plumb the vents. People say they smell because they don't plumb the exhaust out from under the vehicle
Heeeeell yeeeeeaaaaaah brother! Better than Saturday morning cartoons. Thanks bro.
It’s extra work but you persevered through it and found a way to make it work.
Great video.
deserve more subscribers honestly, just found this channel and love it, keep it up!
Wow it is looking pretty good can't wait to see more and safe travels when you go camping next week.
Good idea to drill holes in the plywood sheet under the mattress for ventilation.
Looks like you got everything you need to dry fit into place - super rad - can’t wait for your next video 👍🏻🤩👏🏻
Mr. Kitty Poops!! LOL!! Can't wait to meet your kitties. The truck looks great!; I like your planned layout. Looking forward to watching part 7. Take care!
His sister is Cutie Butts. I'm working on part 15 now. Check out the playlist on my channel. 🐱
Necessity is the mother of invention - and your foam tool worked! It’s starting to take shape.😊
Hey dude I know you said you don't care about having passengers but honestly your fridge looks skinny enough to fit centered between driver and passenger seats and wpuld make for a decent arm rest (especially since it has cup holders built into the top) just an idea if you ever change your mind. I've really enjoyed watching your progress with this build. I like that you don't cut out too much of the process in editing and whenever you use a product you tell us what you're using. It's inspiring me in my own builds.
For the front for cabinets, affix a horizontal board then add a French cleat to hang your cabinets from.
good idea!
drill some 3/4" holes for a breather for the mattress to control mold under mattress.
The fact we see you fix this is great! I know this will definitely help someone!
I think you should do like what other people do and do a cardboard layout on the interior to make sure you want to put things where you wanna put them. Also keep the jug. Maybe it can be used for the grey water under your sink and it won’t take up a lot of horizontal space.
Use boxio for shhiting and recomend see nomad brad.. for instalation of your diésel heater.. greetings 🎉 nice rig
It is intriguing as to why you would make the insulation thinner at the wood. More cold will come through that... on the other hand, keeping the wood surfaced will have made the inside narrow a tiny but.. but the latter would would gain additional air gap.. for insulation ... back to the flick.
Have you thought about cutting out the front section at the top, where you're considering putting an A/C unit, and building a storage cubby-hole over the cab? This would eliminate having to put up cabinets that would take up space inside the living area. Could even slant it for wind resistance.
i was considering mounting a spare tire on the cab roof. as of now im leaning towards no ac. a company is offering me one but i have rejected all collaboration offers so far on my channel
@@vanlifemeow Whatever you decide man, it's your build. I'm really enjoying watching. Watching part 7 now. Got me looking at used UHauls for sale. lol!
You're doing a great job. It's going to be awesome when you're done. A suggestion for the bed wood framing would be to seal it with some kind of finish to seal it from moisture and absorption of smells. 🤷♂️ might be overkill.
All we see is one of them truck bed drawer boxes under the bed and behind the garage. Still room and keeps everything under the bed contained.
That was Awesome again! Amazing progress each video.
I just found this series of vids and have not commented because he's doing it how it works for him. I respect that the most But that bed platform...I would have went with a 2×4 lattice pullout design that folds up they have some amazing Japanese futon memory foam mattresses that roll up and store like sleeping bags. It would block back window while driving buy those mega side view mirrors would make that no problem. Or keep it down and not pull out lattice( comes in handy) and use as big shelf while driving.
Hey when don’t have a blue print ya make do. Brilliant on the foam cutter. DualEx has some awesome ideas on custom builds like this. Your doing great 😊
You are insane, BUT, I find that I am just like you! I am loving your build videos. I hope I can start my own soon! I have an RV (5th wheel) that requires “fixing” on EVERY TRIP! I think if I built my own I would KNOW where every screw is and how everything is put together so that IF anything came loose I would know exactly how to fix it. I’m so sick of stupid Lippert crap falling apart!!!
Each U-Box container is made of premium, pest-resistant plywood, which provides your belongings with a stable and chemical free environment for storage and transit. This is especially important if you have wooden furniture.
So far so good.
I just purchased a
Temgot 300 amp power
An idea for a cheap shower pan that I saw in another person's build at one point was like an old galvanized tub, for like washing clothes or something like that. I think it'd be pretty cool to see one of those and they're fairly small and all you got to do is drill a hole in the bottom for the drain you're good
Uk 🇬🇧 viewer here! Love the videos i have been binge watching them since finding your channel a few weeks ago. One thing i can’t stand is when you’re cutting the foam or drilling into it, that squealing noise kills my ears 😂🇬🇧
Don’t forget to drill large holes in the bed base to stop mold
Inverter is going to get hot even with it's own fan
Be sure you keep it ventilated
Hi! I'm glad to come across your channel. You have very good content, you are a great storyteller, and you are very pleasant. Thank you for sharing your time, experiences, and perspectives.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy! Everything else is manageable!
Pops
I have been owned by over 30cats.Remember they love to jump up on thing so your bucket will on the sheft will be hard to resist.😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻
Oh how ive been waiting on this video. This just made my Saturday. I'm definitely here for the journey.
I would consider placing 2(At the front of the bed, where you're getting in and out all the time) to 4(those close to the middle of the bed) vertical boards from the beds frame to the floor, screwed into those vertical boards on the wall, so your bed frame has some physical support, and all the weight isn't only taken by the screws.
EDIT: Just got to where you show batteries and water tank. Could consider getting a wire cable, screwing it into the horizontal bed support a foot or two out from the wall, and screwing the other end higher into the wall board, so the bed frame has hanging support instead of floor to frame support.
Great video, its amazing with planning how little space is needed to fit all the essentials for off grid living,enjoy your trip, and it won’t be long till you can start taking the Uhaul. 🏆
I'm have the same chevy cutaway truck 2003 , and the roof it's aluminum too, and installing right now, foam deadening, cuz before my other van had a fiberglass high top and when it's raining, the roof sounds quiet then aluminum, I Don't want to wake up with a loud sound of rain , I got my same door 28x 72 for $75 cash at the rv repair and sales here in California, and 2 windows $ 75 each one , great videos
I'm new to this channel as well and am learning some great ideas to renovate in my mini bus.
Binge watching all your build videos and then will go back later to all your old travel videos.
I love the way you continue to share each step and the products you are buying and using along with where you got them.
Another great video, hope you had fun on your week camping trip since I know I'm behind a few videos.
Thanks for watching! I appreciate it
Yay, progress! Nice work on everything so far. At least you only have to do the beams one time, lol. I like your layout so far, can't wait to see it all come together.
You should also think about car alarm and exterior cameras that record to the cloud and accessible via phone app too, just a suggestion... looking good~!
We have a similar power setup. When I set up my first inverter system in 2016 in that camper I had 2 100ah lifepo4 and chose the Aims 2000 watt inverter similar to your brand. At the time they were cheapest with auto pass through as Victron was just coming popular and looked complicated as heck and there wasn’t many Chinese or no name brands companies put their sticker on and sold cheaper. I quickly found out when plugged into shore power all you get is 2000 watts even though I was plugged into 30 amp shore power. I could no longer run electric water heater and a/c at the same time as everything else. Sometimes even had to shut off a/c to use microwave so you were right to purchase 3000 watt inverter! This will let you do everything when plugged into shore power without blowing the breaker on inverter. My system now is 300 ah lifepo4 in winter with Aims 4000 watt inverter and 700 ah lifepo4 in summer for a little a/c.
Do 1/2” plywood on the walls allows you to attach whatever you want to the walls
too much weight
I'm loving your videos. I like your simple/practical solutions and your explanations. In general, your vidoes are relaxing to watch. If I were you, I'd definitely get a mini split. We have them in our house and they'r fantastic. We use the AC all Summer and use them for heat in the late Fall/early Spring.
If it helps I have an Alpicool k22 with the LG compressor and it's been running constantly for 3 years no issues 👍
You’re doing great! I can’t wait to see more. 😊
I also went with the LiTime battery after watching the same guy haha. I started my van build at the same time you did so its fun to see them both come together
Piano hinge is a good idea but you’re going to be fighting your mattress to lift up, almost better off to have good sliders to pull from underneath.
I thought that you would of made your bed like some campers have where it can go from a bed to a table and your cushions would be your mattress with storage on either side for water tank and other stuff
i didnt like the idea of having a multi-piece mattress. i've slept on them and you definitely feel the breaks
In most states it is illegal to remove passenger seat , you might wanna check on that . Also diesel heaters have a pump that makes annoying ticking sound you might wanna look into that as well. It might not be a good idea to put it next to a bed. Some diesel heaters make that sound for like first 5 minutes and then will stop but some continue all through the night. If you are a light sleeper it will be annoying
I put my diesel heater pump in side a small 12” 6” x 4” plastic tote and small hole to let the line in and out … but it is all packed with rockwool insulation … so it is quite quiet but I can hear it but it isn’t bad.
If that tank is taken I will take it. I have several of those heaters and could use a spare tank. Love the build always looking forward to the videos.
Another great video and love what you're doing inside as well have a great time off camping hope you will include another video separate from the van build like you did with the last one in the car looking forward to both videos Kraig from Washington State
Your most welcome have a good week
Yea man you are doing a good job keep doing what you are doing you are going to have a great camper
Another great video, I had a 94 dodge B-350 hightop extended van and had the Alpicool 65 dual zone and used the freezer way more than I thought I would it worked great. especially on those long off grid stays. I was/am a lazyboy kinda guy and had my recliner (facing the rear) where your alpicool is lol. look forward to all your videos.
It's nice to dream for the future! Good for you😊and have fun an your road trip 😊😊
Hey, you do you! Good job!
Lookin good 👍
Hi Meow, van build is looking good 😊 we’ve used simplicity to build out a couple of smaller vans but one lesson we learned was when you have the basics inside take it out on a journey to see if you still want the same things in the van as you’ve envisioned, just a thought from down under in Oz , cheers happy travels 🎉
It looks create, just some questions and ideas. What do you plan to use for all the walls and why not placing all the tanks under the loading bed. I remember there's still some space left. In that way, you could have more space in the truck. Also I would place the batteries, Power station and diesel heater under the truck too. For the diesel heater in that way, you could use the main diesel tank of the truck. Safes you money, space and weight in parts.
As a question, does those U-Haul trucks come in different lengths?
the u-haul comes in 3 lengths, mine being the shortest. i believe they are 10, 14 and 26ft. the components are placed inside the van to keep them from freezing, getting wet or being damaged from road debris. check out the playlist on my channel to see the progress of the build. 🐱
Sounds great. I will look into it something similar here in Germany, after I got a decent land and a container house from Amazon for 27K. 😄
I'm watching already your videos. It's very entertaining. For road debris, you can protect with like thick aluminium sheets. For keeping it warm, you can re-run the exhaust pipe of the Diesel heater or, there's a kind of heating wire for 12V. It's used for Aquarium or other stuff, maybe that could work there too. Also I highly recommend, if there's any budget to use rock wool than plastic insulation. The reason, as you side, highly flammable. If you are inside and it starts burning, you won't have any chance. There's an accident happened a few years ago with a sky scrapper in London. I don't know if you heard about it. They got cooked in seconds.
So far so good a great project. Hopefully I'm able to do so too. I'm also already 30 and have luckily no problem maker in my life too.😄
Ich liebe Deutschland. I went there back in 2008 for Oktoberfest. Spent 2 weeks in Stuttgart then a day in Frankfurt on my way up to Amsterdam. I know the foam is highly flammable, which I tested the limits of that when I used my homemade hot knife to cut out the wall studs. (i caught it on fire briefly in an "oh shit" moment) The wool insulation is nice and it is antimicrobial itself, but I've seen builds where it still traps moisture within walls and creates mold on the surrounding plywood.
That's true. I don't know the English word for it, but you most probably know what I mean. The Dampfsperre. That's the foil, you need to do between the wood and the insulation. Hmmm. Research needed (for me of course). For the cables in part 11, 12 and 13, wouldn't it be smarter to make them behind the wood? It would look much cleaner and you can let them be outside, where you need them. Also, as recommendation, use some 12v sockets, that you put on strategic positions. Like for phonecbarger, notebook, ect. Theater some for wall mount. For the wood stove, some manufacturers recommend some minimum distances in a manual or on the type plate on the stove itself. Did you look into it? Even if you put tiles there, the wood as also the insulation can get very hot there. I don't want you to have a grilling party like in the medieval times, that was like a fun for all the villagers.😄
Looks good ❤😊
just guessing but wood is probably hemlock . is usually pretty straight with no knots.
YES! i look forward to these videos coming out!
In which Dave makes an honest opening statement!
Nice progress.
Love the step brothers reference awesome
dont touch my drums!
@@vanlifemeow are we best friends 😂😂
It's looking great,looking forward to seeing the finished product 👌
Have you considered stacking up both batteries in the place where your generator is so then you can get more space to be able to also place your inverter more towards the back of the van or even all of the electrical system under that side of the bed? Also I was thinking what can happen if you would poke a hole into the original car's exhaust and weld that the exhaust from the diesel heater into that? I would do that if I were you then you won't have as much exhaust fumes from the diesel heater coming inside of the van trough the back window if you crack that, plus it would be a more cleaner look with only one exhaust instead of 2 :) Good luck with building it into your dream van, I really love this series and will surely watch it till the end
good idea with the exhaust
Awesome work....
Even after Milton directly hit my area, I was upset I could not watch this series on Saturday!
i hope the damage was minimal
@@vanlifemeow I lucked out but your videos has giving me inspiration to do van life even more!
Hey Dave, I found your channel while searching for van build ideas. I have a 3500 Express and was wondering if you're thinking of doing any kind of overhead console. Specifically over the windshield. Then reinstalling the visors under it. Kinda like the old school vans. There's plenty of dead space up there and perfect for small monitors or CB radio. I'm enjoying your build.
good idea. i want a cb for sure and up there in the headliner would be ideal
That's going to be really cool...
I think the walls are ingenious! This entire build is fantastic. I’m beginning to wish I had a box van or ambulance.
You’re going to need a ladder to get in bed, lol.
Are you going to put anything on the walls?
I don’t have actual solar like your doing. I bought 2 2 Ecoflow batteries. One for my fridge and one for charging my phone, watch, and iPad. Maybe I will do solar someday. I’ll need a roof rack brackets to go over my hightop then mount the solar panels on top.
Portable solar panels or charging them while you drive will be better than charging them from house batteries/inverter. Ecoflow has a setting for slow/fast charge, with both easily draining the house batteries.
@@bobtailedtrucker2521 I do have portable solar panels. I haven’t tried charging while I drive yet. I was a little hesitant about it. Does it drain of you vehicle battery? I have a new battery but it came from Walmart and wasn’t very expensive. I was worried it is a piece of crap.
im going to put paneling on the walls. folding deployable solar panels are a good option
@vanlifemeow Yes, especially if you don't have the option to place them on the roof permanently. Solar will charge the ecoflow much faster than most cheap dc to dc chargers, which may pull too much juice to damage the alternator.
Been in my box truck for 2 years...
The biggest problem...finding parking....height restrictions..trees landscaping no underground
..ferry rides for overheight expensive,😅 no drive through😢
coffee
Yup. Insane. Certifiable, but I won't say anything 😂! The burning question is this: where the heck were you last night when I was trying to hang a double curtain rod in my bedroom???? I didn't have a drill bit that fit the screws, found screws to fit a bit. There must be kryptonite in my walls because 1/4" was proud of the wall. Let's just say I only used 3 screws for 3 double hangers. If this contraption falls on my head one night, I'll be looking to point a finger at anyone other than me.😊😊😊I'm loving your build and precision (see the aforementioned for reasons, lol). Your twin mattress will be dual purpose, I.e. a daybed when you're not sleeping. When I built my van ("I" meaning my design and paid others to build), the electrician questioned my single bed, like, "so you can pull something out to make it larger?" No! Just for me and only me. My van. Mine! 😊 I' looking forward to part 7. 😊Lauren😊
Have you thought about using the snake design on one side to make a copy to fix the side gauged by the sander?
I have an Alpicool fridge it’s over 2 yrs old now but mine is only 26qt. I also took my seat out and put it where my seat was.
Bed. I have mini van build. I'm using the 4 ft long wire commercial shelves on 2x12. Maybe find one that go from wall to wall. I like the breathability of the wire shelves and they hold lot of wait and they didn't weigh much
Nice work!
might be worth building a thin plywood wall under the front of the bed and insulating it so you don't get cold draughts from the garage , and sticking some insulation board to the underside of the bed platform too
You're really knocking this build out of the park. It's a wonderful, sensible build you're doing. There are a couple of things that Im concerned about though. 1 - Jealous people. 2 - People sabotaging you. Alarm bells started going off when I saw your 280ah batteries. Everything is going good. Please be mindful and incredibly cautious about those two things. Please plan for that and be prepared for that. Im crossing my fingers for you!
I completely understand on the breaks in mattress lose a lot of space on the stationary bed maybe you could get it so it’ll pull up out of the way during your time that your not sleeping just saying like a hide away bed
Great video
I myself, do not like spade bits. Did you ever try Forstner Bits? So much better. Commenting as I go along so I don't forget anything. I'm old, you know.
a friend gave me a set of forstener bits once and they sat around for years so i gave them away lol
I like a bedside table
This is so cool
Don’t throw the diesel fuel can away. Turn it into a urinal can. To go along with your bucket.
Or extra water. It'll store easily. Isn't a quart plastic bottle big enough for a urinal? (I'm a female). How much urine do you want to collect before you dump it?
looking good mate
Looking great ! 😊
If you put in a mini split ac. It could be mounted over the cab.
i was thinkin that. otherwise it would have to be on the side or underneath
Also just get an incinerator toilet much easier to maintain
Marine fuel tanks are cool too….
You need to patent that gadget. 😊