Converting an Ex Ambulance Into A Tiny Home On Wheels in Three Weeks! | Van Life Conversion
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- Опубліковано 23 лют 2024
- It's week two of the van build! We're getting there...this week we build the kitchen. Can we do it with just over two weeks to complete the build before we leave for Italy!? Lets see....
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You’re right Ben about feeling rushed, it’s never a good thing, mistakes and sometimes injury results in rushing too much. I’m just happy to see all of you, it doesn’t matter to me when you finish. Just take care of yourselves and eat your beans and toast! Lots of love going to all of you ❤
Nice chill philosophy moment talking about being rushed and the stress. Music fit perfectly in the background. Emily is a good motivator I enjoy watching her and her dad work. And Alan is the perfect supervisor.
I love how Alan isn't phased by the commotion of building. Youre doing a grand job, there are always hurdles to cross.
Carry on with your smiles 😊
You keep surprising us. I’d put down a fake tile looking stuff. No breakage going down road and less weight. More weight=$$$$$ in fuel. Don’t paint yet. Do paint when you come back home for a bit.
With you there, I used stick on silicone tiles, household ceramic tiles weigh an awful lot 🤔
I'm enjoying watching your videos,, I don't know if you have painted your cupboards yet, I am a retired painter and decorator from Manchester who has lived in Holland for over 25 years, there's a primer you can get for when you have difficult surfaces to paint, it's called Sudwest. all grund , you can get it in acrylic or in an oil based,if you put 2 coats on first you can then go over with whatever paint you want to finish it off , I've used it thousands of times over the years and can't recommend it highly enough, it is expensive but well worth it and it's made in Germany , anyway it's just a thought, keep the videos coming 👍👍
Loved watching Benny create his music. Catchy tune!
Dont let Alan catch you fraternizing with the ginger cat 😊
I'm very impressed with your woodworking 😊I'm a carpenter by trade. You guys really are very good 😊
Ben, you are talented enough to do this. Build a metal water tank sleeve around your chimney pipe. We had this in a caravan with a wood burning stove when we were kids. It worked a treat. Never understood why I’ve never seen it done elsewhere. Constant hot water when stove is on and very safe.
Use peel and stick wallpaper on the cabinets. Leafy greens and tropical.
Hi guys. Maybe you should hold off painting the white drawers until you have everything else done. Just a suggestion 😊
I love the way you guys work together. The only stress is from the schedule and tasks at hand, no personality conflicts. Treasure these moments and time together; they go by faster than you realize.
I would give you a tip on cutting the tile but by the time it was posted you would already be done. At any rate, this comment increases your viewer engagement, which is the entire point of commenting, and which I'm happy to do. Great job!
I had that cooker and oven in my Cotswold windrush caravan. It was absolutely amazing. The best cooker ever!
. Recommend a sunnier color so the inside of the van feels bigger.
Loved seeing Alan scaring herself climbing the tree! This van looks amazing
I am surprised you didn't invest in gazebo so you could work outside and when your traveling you set it up for a extra room 😊
It’s such an original design and pretty ! good job everyone - your dad looks really nice, fun & interesting .
The van is coming along great. Glad you are considering an escape area to front cabin. Think ginger cat is male, he has his eyes on Alan,romance is in the air.❤
I love Alan she is so adorable. And the ginger cat is adorable too. If you haven’t guessed already I absolutely love cats me and my family have 6 fur babies that we all love very much so when I find a channel I like and they happen to have cats too it makes me really happy.😍😍
Hi guys, vans looking cool. Just a couple of thoughts.....don't forget to put a gas drop-out in the floor under the cooker, treat gas like water, it will flow to the lowest point....i suggest a piece of pvc waistpipe to line the hole glued in with Gripfilll. Also I was going to suggest using vinyl wrap for your cupboards instead of painting...keep up the good work, you're doing a great job in the time you have allowed yourselves...Brummy
You could use sticky back plastic for the walls and ceilings and around the sink. It is easier to install and very light. You can get many colours and effects. ❤ what you've done so far.
It looks nice being white on your kitchen cupboards, save paint for another space, 😊
It’s coming along so well. Love how you manage to use simple things and make them work for you. You two will always manage as you enjoy the simple life 🤗
Wow. Looking so good. What great progress you've made.
Love seeing Alan all skittish. They are soooo funny to watch. Xx
Hi. For the white plastic and aluminium units in the van - prime with zinsser 123. It sticks to anything and surface doesn’t need pre-sanding; just degreasing/cleaning. Good luck!
You're doing a great job ..cant wait to see it finished..love 'Alan ' he's so easy and copes so well with all your projects..just needs a cushion 😊❤
Awesome video guys, the van looks amazing, can't wait to see the final finish. Alan was upset with ginger because ginge and night swan were planing on using your boat for illegal animal raves while you are away and alan wasn't being cut in on the sale of catnip and magic mushrooms being sold on entry.
Good too see Allen involved checking the work and doing her cat scan.
Now look what you've started! Adam and Lauren have bought a van too! I wonder if Danni and Joe will be next?
I shake my head at your awesomeness. You guys can do anything! Well done. xx
It's so exciting, amazing how you're cracking on with it. I reckon Allan and Ginger will end up best buddies 🙂
Great work guys. loving the progress your making. The small wood burner is brilliant, we use a wet tissue and some of the cold ash from the fire to get rid of the black dried on stains on the glass. its abrasive enough to remove marks but doesn't scratch the glass. Cant wait to see finished product. 👍
Love the paint colour you have picked. The pallet wood will contrast it perfectly. Very excited to see this finished 👍🏼❤️
Please please please do check the regs for the installation of the gas cooker, plus where you must locate/house the gas bottle in a locker.
You can't have the bottle where you have it, plus you can't use the orange hose.
I am sure if you look in your narrow boat all will be explained.
Take care both of you!
I look forward to you log every week!
when you get to italy make sure you have a small adjustable with you,we spent a month in the north and central parts in our VW caddy, we found that a lot of the water fill taps had the tops removed and turned off tightly, presumably to stop kids leaving them on.All the best Jon
To save your water, buy a couple of those black plastic bag type solar showers. Just needs a hook to hang up and a little pre-planning to heat up in the sun. Keep a couple of them to fill when the opportunity presents itself.
Absolutely! Eco friendly and very effective!
In Australia we mount them on the roof so we can have hot showers! 👍🏻🇦🇺
They don't work in this country unless you have a heatwave, so maybe for one week of the year. I know they're planning to go to Europe so maybe south of he Pyrenees will be warm enough.
You could vinyl wrap the fronts of the cupboards do some great colours to
Hi There Ben Emily and Alan , Hope you are all well , Great video , your Van conversion is looking Amazing , And you work so fast , Alan is so chilled when your working with your power tools , Great work out Alan you did running up a tree , and little ginger cat joining in your videos too , well all looking Good , Keep up your Great work , Thanks for sharing , Take care All , 🐈⬛🐈🌴👍👍👍👍
Nibble tiles with Plyers to form a curve and then flexible tile adhesive and grout
Can I just say that you have progressed quickly with your van conversion what can I say but wow looking forward to next week stay safe and take care all of you ✌️👍🌹
Your doing a great job of de-ambulanceing the ambulance you're both very handy DIYers. 😃
Refreshing to watch such a quick build. Many van lifers are at it for months! Looks really good too, congratulations.
Love the sound studio, it's cool...Oh' the van's looking great, coming along super 👍🐕🚐👊
Brilliant, could watch your videos all day
So inspiring to watch. You all work together so well. I will, somewhat embarrassingly admit to being smitten with your dad Emily. Dave is one of my favorite names, redhead lovely, and a man of few words, 😍
🥰 tha ks for the lovely comment, I'll let Dave know too! ✨️❤️
You mentioned not having an outside covered space. Have you considered a pull out awning which would also help on your travels. Great build though. An idea to help cutting tile around the sink…consider mosaic or the small 1 inch square tiles.
HSS (Homey Space Station) is coming along nicely.
Love seeing cork going into the van too! Such a wonderful material. Will help make the inside more quiet when there is noise outside, as well as really help keep the heat, or cool in, depending on the time of year.. You know me, I'm mad about cork! ❤
Loved this weeks installment!
From Alan nearly getting up a tree, whilst Benny channelled his inner Greyson Perry (please dont take that as an insult - hes ACE) to Emilys reaction when the oven was put i place!
Missed the dinner pics though.... have you decided on a name for Ambo yet?
Ive been trying to get my daughter to say ambulance properly this week.... she says 'AMBLIANCE' or 'ambuliance' she just cant get her tongue round it!
I think B and Q should sponsor you!
Not surprised you're flagging, but keep the momentum going it WILL BE SO WORTH IT!
have fun!😊
One recommendation for sealing around the sink and shower - don't use sanitary silicone sealants. Polyurethane sealant is best for flexible joints of vibrating structures. Soudal Carbond 940FC has worked very well for me, but I'm sure you can find other products with a similar base.
Alan knows there's something afoot !!!
Loving these challenges. I'd love to see you make an "ifixit" style kit in the challenge!
I love the already built in storage so useful you have done so well working so hard cannot wait to see it finished excited.
Alan Is a purrfectionist. Likes to keep a cat's eye on precedings. Wild Dave xx
😄❤️
Only thing for round tile cuts is a disc tile cutter with water bath, any b&q will have then for about £30.
Will be interesting when the time comes to weigh your van before you hit the road, especially with all that timber and the wood burner that you have added,
Inspirational are you two! I am glad that Alan was taking her Gaffer jobs seriously! 😂
Undercoat everything you want to paint in zinsser B.I.N (paint for all surfaces)then you can paint over with regular paint 👍
Keep at it guys, it will be worth the effort when you are on your travels 👍
Loving this build, keep up the great work. Looking forward to seeing the finished van.
Alan a cutie
Great content..very talented!
It is looking fab guys...and you look so happy😊
Hi.
Maybe use sticky vinyl on the drawer doors and they have plenty of patterns in sticky vinyl. 👍
Hi guys,
Loving everything 💗
Just a suggestion and maybe you've already considered it but would CORK be any good for the interior?
It's lightweight, cheap and you can get some beautiful finishes. It's also good for insulation 🙏🏻
Maybe it's not suitable, you would know more than me 😊
Can't wait to see the van completed and to watch your adventures 😄🙏🏻🤍🤍
Great progress, can’t see the existing cupboards being too hard to paint so long as you have decent key on the surface. What a great base van to start with though 👍🏻
I really love and enjoy your channel. You should have someone listen to your music. It's great. Your very talented.
Blessings to you all
Kitty too!
Good to see things are moving along at speed . Even Alan was at it , not see her move so fast ! On a Narrowboat you need to get a safety pass. Will you need to get one for your Van ? Could you put the Shower water through a filter so it can be recycled round and round 😂 for a longer shower ? ( people sit in their Bathwater for ages ) . Look forward to seeing the new colour scheme.
Hi guys awsome build. I have used a product called esp for printing difficult surfaces. It’s a clear liquid that is used as a primer and I found it worked really well.
Good evening both of you, i note you were talking about how much water you are fitting onboard. Can I just suggest you don't lose sight of the overall weight of the vehicle. It cannot exceed its gross vehicle weight or it becomes dangerous on the road and for your point of view, illegal. Just be careful. Take care, Peter. x
Instead of tiles you could use uPVC panels from IPSL which makes the surface warm to touch and tile patterns are available. These glue to surfaces making them water proof and fire proof.
You all doing well good on you all I bet the ambulance will look great when finished.
You guys are brilliant.
Its coming along a treat
Well done you two!! Xx
You have a new driver Alan 😂😂😂
And when you feel pressure one starts to make mistakes , want to go to quick .Some breathing exercises can help
Dremel does a tile cutting kit. Worked OK for me when I needed a circular cutout.
Boss cat is staking out her corner of her new domain, next to the warm. She knows where the warm will be already 😼😄
Looking good guys, we have faith in you to finish it in time!
The van is coming on nicely well done
Thank you for the wonderful video, Peace and love : ))
It is looking really good and love the woodwork so stylish
Hey, you're getting on fine and your sunny trip is coming closer, I hope you spend some time on the Mechanics of the Van, when you come to Ireland the pints of Guinness will be waiting for you😮
Oh I'm getting some Zappa vibes there xXx
do the tiling in mosaic with mostly big pieces and some small ones for the difficult parts.
Really admire your work....both of you....craft-wise and musically too! Considering your timeframe initially a little poly-enamel goes a long way, maybe the tiling can wait....less weight too! Heat shielding next to stove? Wish I were a better composer like Ben...but time to pull out my Tanglewood and Take Five....Cheers!
Love the Alan access hole to the drivers cab 🤣
Got another name for the van. D - FIB. 🤣 👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️
I think Alan’s excited about adventuring in the new van too ❤️
You guys are cracking on smashing with your build
My advice The shower base will not seal simply by putting a bead of sealant around it Persons weight and vehicle motion can both unsettle the base. I personally would now add a (skirting single tile or wood ) around the base ensuring it also sat on a bed of sealant bottom/top Shower base is normally rebated into a wall and tiles dressed down over the base. Hope you get the thrust of my comment tile mosiac tile section around the sink untill squared off then go back to full tile or simply mosiac tile the whole area around the sink. just a suggestion
On the upvc doors I've used plastic primer then any paint you want or stick on vynal of any pattern you fancy 🤔
_MAGNIFIQUE!_
SO, if we had some wax, we could have a waxed calendar with holes in - if we had a calendar; so I'll go to B&Q for some drills. Then, if it was a leap year last week, by Octember the 57th we could be waiting for a ferry in Timbuktu seven and a half weeks from Tuesday.
Remember to remind me to book the tickets last Friday.
NO pressure!
Coming on very well. While your buying so much stuff, plumbing, electrical etc., it might be worth buying a few compatible spares. Finding the right bits in darkest France or Italy might be a big problem.
You're doing brilliantly! From what I've seen so far, I have every confidence in you ❤
Looking good, coming along nicely 😊
Good luck guys................
If I lived there I’d be right there…I would be your runner!
Loving the progress!!
Hi Emily & Ben.... you did ask for comment on the sink/ tiles situ- have you considered doing the tiles first within a few mm of the opening then dropping the sink in afterwards, onto a sealant or silicone. So the sink covers the tiles cut edge completely? Just am idea 😁 enjoying the channel ta x
You're doing well, but there are and will be, hidden problems which have to be overcome. You're both very clever with your hands, as is your dad, Emily. He's been invaluable to you. Good luck to you both.
I think the ceramic tile is too heavy and much too difficult to cut. There are alternatives that would be much easier to install - perhaps consider it
Hi guys , was thinking you could always get free samples at DIY stores of wall paper and paste them to the draw front , loads of different patterns. Just an idea.❤