I'm a Finish Carpenter. I totally respect anyone that dives head first into a huge project who is not a professional . Don't think professionals don't make mistakes. Take your mistakes,learn from them and be proud of yourself. I've watched enough to know that you are good at building and you are impressing me. Good work Feel free to ask my opinion of any future projects.
Maybe start thinking about a backup plan like vertical strips around the perimeter (like a picture frame) if each section screwed through the cladding into the metal frame of van. Make it look like accent pieces. And it will secure the cladding.Plug the screw holes so the screws don't show. If I do it before the cladding starts to fail (seriously I don't mean to sound like a buzz kill) it will look nice after all the work you've done. Best Regards, Bill
Yeah, it's hard to not be a buzzkill here. :-( I expect her cladding will start separating within the year. The vertical strips would be the way to go at this point.
If you put a perimeter around the door be sure that you have clearance when you open it. They do make an extension that opens the door further away from the outside wall when opened.
Thanks for the advice! The plan is to add some more pieces on top of the metal beams that will overlap with the cladding and hopefully hold it in place a bit better! No need to be apologetic about raising your concerns! It's hard to learn when nobody tells me about my mistakes. So please, keep em coming, I appreciate every single word of concern and advice! :)
I will continue to watch the progress since I know many more videos are already made beyond this one so I’m sure I will see how the cladding becomes kore secure in the future! It really is starting to look nice good job (again)!
Looks beautiful - congratulations! Yes, I'd have done it differently, yes I thought it was all going to come down. BUT, you persevered, got it done, and it looks great. I hope it stays that way. I admire your cool head.
I gotta be a party pooper here but as a former carpenter and now a building engineer I gotta tell you that this is not going to work. You have so many potential problems with this I could write a novel about it, which it feels like I actually did. What my specialty is, is how material and construction works over time. Meaning everything might be nice and perfect once it's built but how does it perform over time after it's been exposed to elements like heat, cold, water, vibrations, etc. Your car is affected by temperature changes, water and vibrations far more than a house is. All materials shrink and expand as they are exposed to temperature changes. They shrink and expand in different rates. For example. Wood in your cladding expands and contracts more than the metal of your car but since the metal conducts temperature more than wood it expands and contracts much faster. The glue and insulation expand and contract at different rates too. This makes the material move from each other and creates tension. If this tension isn't somehow controlled it's going to rip apart the connection between materials over time. Here are some points and potential problems. - The insulation is not meant to hold a load like your boards. The insulation over time is going to rip and lose its insulation properties - The glue is not meant to be glued on flat smooth surfaces like the tape you are using. Usually, a surface is sanded to get a coarse surface so the glue can stick better. - Vibrations will affect the material over time - Temperature changes will affect material over time - Even water vapor from you will affect the wood when you sleep in the car - Do you plan to make shelves or something else? You can't screw anything to the cladding. This will definitely not hold anything. - You are from Germany and if you plan on living in the van over winter that insulation is not enough. You need proper house insulation in order to sustain a good temperature. I live in Sweden and have a similar climate to Germany. I can go on about these things but I've already written a novel Also, I see in the comment people recommending "self taping screws" and vertical strips. I would advise against that for a couple of reasons. 1. You may not know where the metal studs of the car are so there's a risk of you actually putting a screw through the car and creating a hole. 2. Even if you managed to put these vertical strips through the studs and secure the cladding from not falling down. When the glue separates from the insulation this will create vibrations in the car and you will hear rattling coming from the back. This will be vibrations between the car, the insulations and the cladding. This might feel like you are wasting time and money to do everything again but I promise you that you will save both time, money and a headache if you do this correctly from the beginning. I would remove the cladding and put some wooden studs, then glue and screw the cladding to the studs. This way you can actually fix things to the cladding like shelves and anything else you like. I'm sorry for the novel written here but I really like that you are building this and I see you working very hard. Whatever you choose to do I wish you all the best and I'm looking forward to seeing you finish this. Good luck!
Wow thanks for sharing all of this! No need to apalogize for raising your concerns, especially if you have such founded knowledge. It's hard to learn if nobody points out my mistakes so I truly apprechiate that! At this point I won't redo the insulation but it's great you wrote all of this so everyone else can learn from this :)
I am almost finished with my own van/home project myself. It can be sooo frustrating at times but hang in there and keep your head up. One day you get to put away the tools and hit the road and all will be fine!!! One of the best things i did was to join two forums online where you could search or make inquires from others on their previous builds. The forums are like the University of Vanlife for beginners and may be worth checking out. I got to learn from their mistakes and triumphs and then decide the best path for me. There is no one way to do it but there are definitely some methods i discovered wish were much better than what i could have invented myself...haha!! Much success and freedom in your future!!!! We’ll be watching for you on the road!!!!
Keep it Lenja! Know that there are so many of us sending you love and positivity❤️. I will be starting my van build and your videos inspire me. I know it will be a long road and there will be challenges ahead. I hope you achieve your dreams!
I’m too late for Advice, since this is old(ish). So, general observations .... KUDOS to you for your Initiative & Perseverance. Regardless of whether you’re a male or female, you are a Novice and took on a Big Task ... without Help. Mistakes will be made, even highly experienced craftsmen run in to difficulties. I could Feel your frustration. It was (tough) to watch. Wish that I was able to have advised you on the go. Try to remember this: through all of the Trials & Setbacks, the end result will be ALL You ! It will mean so much more (to you) “built, not bought”. No price can be put on the Pride of Accomplishment.
i feel for you Lenya, you are trying so hard and encountering difficulties. Mariusz's comments on self drilling sheet metal screws is great advice. They are the best and should replace wood screws as you do not need to drill a pilot hole.
Whilst I am skeptical about only using a mastic fixing largely from experience of van conversions, I do wish you all the best with it! Personally I counter battened and mastic plus stainless steel brad nails For fixing the boards. Would be interested to know how your method holds up long term though it would seem this was shot months back so perhaps you already know🧐
Thank you! Your way is probably a better one. I wasn't able to gain a lot of experience driving around with it but it's holding up okay. There were a couple of spots that got loose and I used screws or wood cover pieces to put them back into place. I'm planning to to a review video about this and other critical parts in my build in the future but I hope this already gives you an idea! :)
I think you said in an earlier video that you see as much space from side to side for your bed, but either way if it works good for you! I am interested to see what you do it’s one of the beauties of self builds everyone approaches it differently keep up the work am sure it will be lush👍😎
You are right not to think of using screws on the cladding as it would almost certainly split. Cladding prefers to be pinned or glued but because it is flexible (and therefore looks nice, as in your use of it) you need to address the sprung tension that can be created. Remember, your van will also 'flex' as you are driving. I would say your decision around not strapping behind the cladding was a good one but I would agree with the picture frame comment. Similar to the way you brace the cladding when it is drying, why not think of a vertical strap, say 2.5 cm x 5cm at each end that can be screwed into the metal behind (watching out for electrics, piping etc). It will also tidy the look of the cladding at the edges. Its looking great, you are on the right track, it maybe just needs another couple of touches. Don't worry, you'll get there, you are such a thoughtful worker and your clear resilience will see you through!
If you camp needing heat on the inside the metal screws will transfer the cold from the object it’s screwed to and create moisture and ultimately rust and drip moisture on the inside.
@@mcdlb181 you have to screw it to internal framing all is still inside the van, with no contact to anything that is outside the van= dry. Screw head is so tiny that you will never notice a difference in a temperature regarding temperature transfer by screw. just don't bother mate.
@@mcdlb181 internal van framing, looks like car ribs bones from inside (construction/supporting frame) White parts of metal that starring out from under isolation.
Have really enjoyed watching your progress so far. Surprised by some of the venting I have seen in the comments. If your panels fall off i'm unsure how it would make anyone else but your day a bad one. Dreaming of doing a similar conversion myself and my first thought for this problem was to use cladding clips, they are metal brackets that sit between each board in the tongues without actually requiring you to screw to the wood, you then screw the clip to the metal bracing or to a batten. These allow the wood to expand with no risk of splitting and are invisible. Hope the glue works for you though and looking forward to more content :)
As a fellow solo van builder, I feel your frustration when you haven’t enough hands or you can’t quite reach, or you just need a bit of moral support when things aren’t going to plan. You did well to not have a melt down when the cladding fell down. It’s looking good and I’m sure it will be fantastic when you’re finished 👍👍
Well done for your perseverance. I think you may have problems when you start driving though, the vibrations will want to shake it to bits as the tounge & groove are in compression wanting to spring out. I’d be tempted to use self tapping screws to secure. Or think about adding full length vertical braces at each end( it would mean having bolts showing on the exterior of the van but would pull the cladding into the vans walls). Just a thought but I think you’re doing a great job so far, very industrious mate 👍🏻
It's still early days for me and I haven't had the opportunity to make that many mistakes yet, but the thing that drove me nuts about manufactured mobile homes was the way everything from wiring to walls was fixed. I am trying to design mine so that everything can just come out when needed. No cladding, just cork underlay split into 600mm squares that detach when asked nicely. Let's see how that works out! Hopefully, my phone tripod/selfie stick should arrive on Monday so it should be a lot easier for me to get good conversion footage.
Hey Lenja, sure it is nice not to see any screws in the end but I would totally recommend you to use some sort of mechanical fasteners. You could screw every board (or every other) slightly to the edge to fix it onto the metal frame. And after you are finished you can build a perimeter cover, to cover up the screwheads. Otherwise I doubt that the cladding will stay in place on some bumpy roads. And I think, this would be more frustrating than all the rest. 😉
Thanks for the advice! I think you're right, by now I already experienced that some boards got loose and I fastened them with screws. But I think I had to use a lot less screws than I would have had to without the glue! :)
@@lifeoflenja390 definitely, plus glue dampens the noises (because of mass and flexibility) If there were no tension in between the boards glue alone would be nice, but with the difficult design of the interieur of the van... Right now I am still planning my van project and though of similar cladding options
I want to know exactly what the black glue you're using is! I'm still worried that driving the van is gonna work that cladding loose, but so far so good. :)
@@lifeoflenja390 Thanks for the info. The stuff is actually easily available in the States. Never even heard of it before seeing your videos, but after your endorsement, I read up on it. From the product description, it looks like you'll be perfectly fine after all, it's _meant_ to be used on RV's. :)
Hi Lenja! New sub here, all the way from Argentina ! Thanks for your videos, they've been very helpful. I've just bought a van and will start convenrting it soon... Thank you also for how real you are in the videos. I get that cosy feeling that if you can do it I can do it so it's very encouraging. I have a question though, what happens if the metal beams are not insulated? I've seen quite a few vans that are like yours (with the metal beams not covered) and others that insulate everything EVERYTHING with reflectics. I'm just curious lol Thanks again, can't wait to see the finished van!
Hi Ana, so cool to have you here! Thank you for watching, I'm glad you like the videos! 😊 I'm not the perfect person to ask this because I don't feel perfectly informed about that... but here's my guess from what I've learned; I think the main reason to cover the beams with reflectix is to ensure that there is a continuous vapor barrier. Not insulated the metal beams will attract a lot of condensation because they will be cold compared to the insulated parts. They will also be a weak spot in your insulation. So I think temperature-wise would be best to insulate them as well, preferably with some other insulating material since refectix only has insulating properties when there is an air gap between it and the cladding. (At least that's what I've been told 🤔) I mainly decided to not insulate the beams because I thought for my layout it would take up too much space. Hope that helps!
@@lifeoflenja390 Thanks for your reply! I'll keep that in mind. I'm just confused because people who use reflectix as a vapor barrier over the beams then nail through them for the cladding... so, I guess I'll never know until I try it! My van is kinda small so I'm considering doing the same you did. Keep the awesome videos coming! :)
Depending on how Lenja plans to lay out the cabinets, the trim and if she wants any high voltage connections, the low voltage wiring can be integrated into channels in the cabinet tops, backsplashes, trim pieces and surface mounted wiring channels. For a smaller vehicle, running all your power to a few points makes it pretty easy.
Thank you! I'll partly put the wiring into the cabinets and partly inside the metal beams. That's actually the reason why I haven't covered those beams yet! I'll only use low voltage apart from directly here the converter is going to sit. I'll talk about this more in an upcoming episode but I hope that gives you a little bit of an idea! 😊
Hi Lenja, at the very end of the video you say you still have the roof (ceiling) to clad, but please Lenja, please, don't use just glue, it'll all just fall down, especially when you start travelling, just the time you don't want any problems. You seem happy about the door cladding being ok (nice to see you happy), but the bigger question is how long will it all stay fixed. I must admit when you shut that side door I was expecting to see all those planks fall off one by one, just like watching a comedy film. But seriously, Lenja please put some screws in, you must be sure the cladding won't fall off, and the type of screws to use are really quick and easy, get the sort that are 'self drilling self tapping', you simply drive them in as they are, and they drill their own hole and make their own thread, so quick, and then you can be sure those planks won't fall down, you can't rely on just glue Lenja. Nice to see you happier by the end, you were such a sad girl halfway. Best wishes from Alan, in England.
Definitely needs tactical reinforcement, the picture frame idea seems good. As time, vibrations and weather progress it will definitely work loose. Why not install a wood burner then at least you'll have some fuel? Vertical batons marked from the roof, panel pins through the tongue part of the tongue and groove with a dab of adhesive too, trim the edges with quad or similar and you are sorted.
Screws are necessary especially with the vibration of driving...it will collapse at some point. Vibration..(earthquakes) can cause mountains to crumble.
How frustrating for you, but keep going, I'm cheering you on! Meant to ask ... how's the underfloor heating performing? Is it any good? If so then I may add it into my van build!
Slightly confused....the glue is only holding on the edges? No mechanical fasteners? Screws? Looking forward to seeing it in action after a trip or two! Go get'm tiger!
Yup, they hold up surprisingly well with just the glue! SikaFlex is some really strong stuff. But I'll have to add some more things to secure it down indefenitely... Thanks Scott
That won't hold up, but not just criticism, a solution is where you put a shelf or cupboard screw into the bits of metal that you can ,then the cupboard or a screw put in somewhere to hold something will also give a mechanical bond.
Hätte nicht gedacht, dass das Kleben doch so hält. Hast du bei den Latten die lose waren nochmal Kleber dahinter gemacht oder so gelassen? Weiter so :)
Ich auch nicht um ehrlich zu sein 😄 Ich habe das erst einmal so gelassen da vor die Metallstreben noch Hölzer kommen, die das dann wieder alles an die RIchtige Position drücken! Danke dir! :)
You would of been better screwing them on and filling over the screws I think after a while or it might not even take a while you hit a bad bump in the road and they are bound to come off ,and on the door opening and closing it , I would be made up for you if it stays on but I would not trust it ,and with you saying it’s hot out side the glue might heat up and make the wood fall off , but like I said good look ,are you not putting any lights or switches on the wall , or do you have the wiring in all ready
dont lose hope. and yes its frustrating. the stuff you already glued may or may not come loose with the movement of the van going down the road. i hope it doesnt for your sake. you can always screw it on. use screw caps to hide the screw head they come in various colors and some are brown which looks more like wood. some are white or black.
Aren’t you supposed to use self tapping screws to drill the cladding into wood strips that are horizontally screwed into van vertical metal studs. Skip the glues. Maybe your van doesn’t have the extruding vertical metal bars?
Did I hear those birds in the background singing “ pouty girl , pouty girl . Lenja is a pouty girl “ ...... LoL Good job ! . If at first you don’t succeed, try try try again .;)
Well done for thinking outside the box I’m pleased it worked out for you 👍🤓👍
Don’t forget Lenja : you never loose, you win or you learn ! Keep going...
I like your way of thinking 💪 thanks for sharing!
Life of Lenja , this was a quote from Nelson Mandela ! But it’s so true
I'm a Finish Carpenter. I totally respect anyone that dives head first into a huge project who is not a professional . Don't think professionals don't make mistakes. Take your mistakes,learn from them and be proud of yourself. I've watched enough to know that you are good at building and you are impressing me. Good work Feel free to ask my opinion of any future projects.
Aw thank you so much! That's actually really motivating :) Great to have you here!
Learning so much from your series. Your disasters help the rest of us. Thanks.
I really thought the cladding was going to come off the door when you closed it
Super happy for you that it didn’t
Haha thank you! Can't blame you, I was expecting it too the whole time 🙈
Maybe start thinking about a backup plan like vertical strips around the perimeter (like a picture frame) if each section screwed through the cladding into the metal frame of van. Make it look like accent pieces. And it will secure the cladding.Plug the screw holes so the screws don't show. If I do it before the cladding starts to fail (seriously I don't mean to sound like a buzz kill) it will look nice after all the work you've done.
Best Regards,
Bill
Yeah, it's hard to not be a buzzkill here. :-(
I expect her cladding will start separating within the year.
The vertical strips would be the way to go at this point.
Just read this after I’ve already put a comment on but I totally agree mate. The cladding definitely needs pulling onto the vans walls.
If you put a perimeter around the door be sure that you have clearance when you open it. They do make an extension that opens the door further away from the outside wall when opened.
Thanks for the advice! The plan is to add some more pieces on top of the metal beams that will overlap with the cladding and hopefully hold it in place a bit better! No need to be apologetic about raising your concerns! It's hard to learn when nobody tells me about my mistakes. So please, keep em coming, I appreciate every single word of concern and advice! :)
You’re doing great 👍🏻
Your optimism is so refreshing! Keep up the great work!
keep up the good work .
some ideas at ua-cam.com/video/o1Hv5MoEKV0/v-deo.html
I will continue to watch the progress since I know many more videos are already made beyond this one so I’m sure I will see how the cladding becomes kore secure in the future! It really is starting to look nice good job (again)!
The door and walls look great! Sometimes ya just gotta walk away and come back to it when you're less frustrated.
Thank you! :) You're absolutely right!
Over time driving down the road will create a lot of vibrations. I hope it holds up for you.
Thanks! I was hoping the silicone based glue would work against that but we'll have to see if that is enough!
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.😬. Good job. Persistence will win out. Cheers from Michael. Australia.
Looks beautiful - congratulations! Yes, I'd have done it differently, yes I thought it was all going to come down. BUT, you persevered, got it done, and it looks great. I hope it stays that way. I admire your cool head.
I gotta be a party pooper here but as a former carpenter and now a building engineer I gotta tell you that this is not going to work. You have so many potential problems with this I could write a novel about it, which it feels like I actually did. What my specialty is, is how material and construction works over time. Meaning everything might be nice and perfect once it's built but how does it perform over time after it's been exposed to elements like heat, cold, water, vibrations, etc.
Your car is affected by temperature changes, water and vibrations far more than a house is. All materials shrink and expand as they are exposed to temperature changes. They shrink and expand in different rates. For example. Wood in your cladding expands and contracts more than the metal of your car but since the metal conducts temperature more than wood it expands and contracts much faster. The glue and insulation expand and contract at different rates too. This makes the material move from each other and creates tension. If this tension isn't somehow controlled it's going to rip apart the connection between materials over time.
Here are some points and potential problems.
- The insulation is not meant to hold a load like your boards. The insulation over time is going to rip and lose its insulation properties
- The glue is not meant to be glued on flat smooth surfaces like the tape you are using. Usually, a surface is sanded to get a coarse surface so the glue can stick better.
- Vibrations will affect the material over time
- Temperature changes will affect material over time
- Even water vapor from you will affect the wood when you sleep in the car
- Do you plan to make shelves or something else? You can't screw anything to the cladding. This will definitely not hold anything.
- You are from Germany and if you plan on living in the van over winter that insulation is not enough. You need proper house insulation in order to sustain a good temperature. I live in Sweden and have a similar climate to Germany.
I can go on about these things but I've already written a novel
Also, I see in the comment people recommending "self taping screws" and vertical strips. I would advise against that for a couple of reasons.
1. You may not know where the metal studs of the car are so there's a risk of you actually putting a screw through the car and creating a hole.
2. Even if you managed to put these vertical strips through the studs and secure the cladding from not falling down. When the glue separates from the insulation this will create vibrations in the car and you will hear rattling coming from the back. This will be vibrations between the car, the insulations and the cladding.
This might feel like you are wasting time and money to do everything again but I promise you that you will save both time, money and a headache if you do this correctly from the beginning. I would remove the cladding and put some wooden studs, then glue and screw the cladding to the studs. This way you can actually fix things to the cladding like shelves and anything else you like.
I'm sorry for the novel written here but I really like that you are building this and I see you working very hard. Whatever you choose to do I wish you all the best and I'm looking forward to seeing you finish this. Good luck!
Wow thanks for sharing all of this! No need to apalogize for raising your concerns, especially if you have such founded knowledge. It's hard to learn if nobody points out my mistakes so I truly apprechiate that! At this point I won't redo the insulation but it's great you wrote all of this so everyone else can learn from this :)
Ah, Lenja. Your face when it went wrong is MY face for ALL home improvement! Well done for perservering!
Haha, see? I wasn't joking when I said I had some traumatic moments there! 😅 Thanks for sticking with me!
I am almost finished with my own van/home project myself. It can be sooo frustrating at times but hang in there and keep your head up. One day you get to put away the tools and hit the road and all will be fine!!! One of the best things i did was to join two forums online where you could search or make inquires from others on their previous builds. The forums are like the University of Vanlife for beginners and may be worth checking out. I got to learn from their mistakes and triumphs and then decide the best path for me. There is no one way to do it but there are definitely some methods i discovered wish were much better than what i could have invented myself...haha!! Much success and freedom in your future!!!! We’ll be watching for you on the road!!!!
Thank you Jeffrey! And thanks for the advice! Success and freedom for you too and have fun on the road! :)
Keep it Lenja! Know that there are so many of us sending you love and positivity❤️. I will be starting my van build and your videos inspire me. I know it will be a long road and there will be challenges ahead. I hope you achieve your dreams!
I always enjoy the videos ❤️❤️ your doing better then you think
Thank you!!
Great job! I am cheering for you! I bet when you build the bed and cabinets, it will all be better fixed! Keep on rocking!
Thank you Marco! 😊 I hope so too!
I’m too late for Advice, since this is old(ish). So, general observations .... KUDOS to you for your Initiative & Perseverance. Regardless of whether you’re a male or female, you are a Novice and took on a Big Task ... without Help. Mistakes will be made, even highly experienced craftsmen run in to difficulties. I could Feel your frustration. It was (tough) to watch. Wish that I was able to have advised you on the go.
Try to remember this: through all of the Trials & Setbacks, the end result will be ALL You ! It will mean so much more (to you) “built, not bought”. No price can be put on the Pride of Accomplishment.
You are brilliant, you are a warrior 👍😉💕
Thank you! 😊💪
i feel for you Lenya, you are trying so hard and encountering difficulties. Mariusz's comments on self drilling sheet metal screws is great advice. They are the best and should replace wood screws as you do not need to drill a pilot hole.
Keep plugging at it Lenja, you're getting there.
Thanks for the motivation! As usual :)
Looking good. Love your bracing work.
Thanks! 😊 My proudest invention so far ;)
Whilst I am skeptical about only using a mastic fixing largely from experience of van conversions, I do wish you all the best with it!
Personally I counter battened and mastic plus stainless steel brad nails For fixing the boards. Would be interested to know how your method holds up long term though it would seem this was shot months back so perhaps you already know🧐
Thank you! Your way is probably a better one. I wasn't able to gain a lot of experience driving around with it but it's holding up okay. There were a couple of spots that got loose and I used screws or wood cover pieces to put them back into place. I'm planning to to a review video about this and other critical parts in my build in the future but I hope this already gives you an idea! :)
I think you said in an earlier video that you see as much space from side to side for your bed, but either way if it works good for you!
I am interested to see what you do it’s one of the beauties of self builds everyone approaches it differently keep up the work am sure it will be lush👍😎
You are right not to think of using screws on the cladding as it would almost certainly split. Cladding prefers to be pinned or glued but because it is flexible (and therefore looks nice, as in your use of it) you need to address the sprung tension that can be created. Remember, your van will also 'flex' as you are driving. I would say your decision around not strapping behind the cladding was a good one but I would agree with the picture frame comment. Similar to the way you brace the cladding when it is drying, why not think of a vertical strap, say 2.5 cm x 5cm at each end that can be screwed into the metal behind (watching out for electrics, piping etc). It will also tidy the look of the cladding at the edges. Its looking great, you are on the right track, it maybe just needs another couple of touches. Don't worry, you'll get there, you are such a thoughtful worker and your clear resilience will see you through!
"self drilling screws" "metal roof screws" this what you need right there, I bet you far forward from there now as its recorded a months ago... :)
Yes! By now I discovered them and I love them 👌 I definitely should have used them back then. Thanks for the advice! :)
If you camp needing heat on the inside the metal screws will transfer the cold from the object it’s screwed to and create moisture and ultimately rust and drip moisture on the inside.
@@mcdlb181 you have to screw it to internal framing all is still inside the van, with no contact to anything that is outside the van= dry. Screw head is so tiny that you will never notice a difference in a temperature regarding temperature transfer by screw. just don't bother mate.
I must have misunderstood I thought metal screws would be going into metal. What would you be screwing into mate?
@@mcdlb181 internal van framing, looks like car ribs bones from inside (construction/supporting frame) White parts of metal that starring out from under isolation.
Impressive Work!
Thanks! :)
Being German, I'm sure you will figure it out. You go girl. Looking good.
Have really enjoyed watching your progress so far. Surprised by some of the venting I have seen in the comments. If your panels fall off i'm unsure how it would make anyone else but your day a bad one. Dreaming of doing a similar conversion myself and my first thought for this problem was to use cladding clips, they are metal brackets that sit between each board in the tongues without actually requiring you to screw to the wood, you then screw the clip to the metal bracing or to a batten. These allow the wood to expand with no risk of splitting and are invisible. Hope the glue works for you though and looking forward to more content :)
I'm glad it worked in the end. Let's hope it stays up! 🤞
Thanks! 🤞
As a fellow solo van builder, I feel your frustration when you haven’t enough hands or you can’t quite reach, or you just need a bit of moral support when things aren’t going to plan. You did well to not have a melt down when the cladding fell down. It’s looking good and I’m sure it will be fantastic when you’re finished 👍👍
Props to you for doing it alone too! I know what big of an achievement it is now 💪 Thanks for the motivation and fot watching Dan! :)
Well done for your perseverance. I think you may have problems when you start driving though, the vibrations will want to shake it to bits as the tounge & groove are in compression wanting to spring out. I’d be tempted to use self tapping screws to secure. Or think about adding full length vertical braces at each end( it would mean having bolts showing on the exterior of the van but would pull the cladding into the vans walls). Just a thought but I think you’re doing a great job so far, very industrious mate 👍🏻
It's still early days for me and I haven't had the opportunity to make that many mistakes yet, but the thing that drove me nuts about manufactured mobile homes was the way everything from wiring to walls was fixed. I am trying to design mine so that everything can just come out when needed. No cladding, just cork underlay split into 600mm squares that detach when asked nicely. Let's see how that works out! Hopefully, my phone tripod/selfie stick should arrive on Monday so it should be a lot easier for me to get good conversion footage.
Hey Lenja, sure it is nice not to see any screws in the end but I would totally recommend you to use some sort of mechanical fasteners.
You could screw every board (or every other) slightly to the edge to fix it onto the metal frame. And after you are finished you can build a perimeter cover, to cover up the screwheads.
Otherwise I doubt that the cladding will stay in place on some bumpy roads. And I think, this would be more frustrating than all the rest. 😉
Thanks for the advice! I think you're right, by now I already experienced that some boards got loose and I fastened them with screws. But I think I had to use a lot less screws than I would have had to without the glue! :)
@@lifeoflenja390 definitely, plus glue dampens the noises (because of mass and flexibility)
If there were no tension in between the boards glue alone would be nice, but with the difficult design of the interieur of the van...
Right now I am still planning my van project and though of similar cladding options
Getting there 👍☺
I would have hung 1/4" plywood sheets on the walls secured to the side beams then glue the clads and add finish nails
I want to know exactly what the black glue you're using is!
I'm still worried that driving the van is gonna work that cladding loose, but so far so good. :)
Thanks! It's SikaFlex 221. Generally you can find all of the materials and tools I used in the video description! :)
@@lifeoflenja390 Thanks for the info. The stuff is actually easily available in the States. Never even heard of it before seeing your videos, but after your endorsement, I read up on it. From the product description, it looks like you'll be perfectly fine after all, it's _meant_ to be used on RV's. :)
_Good job! : )_
Hi Lenja! New sub here, all the way from Argentina !
Thanks for your videos, they've been very helpful. I've just bought a van and will start convenrting it soon...
Thank you also for how real you are in the videos. I get that cosy feeling that if you can do it I can do it so it's very encouraging.
I have a question though, what happens if the metal beams are not insulated? I've seen quite a few vans that are like yours (with the metal beams not covered) and others that insulate everything EVERYTHING with reflectics. I'm just curious lol
Thanks again, can't wait to see the finished van!
Hi Ana, so cool to have you here! Thank you for watching, I'm glad you like the videos! 😊
I'm not the perfect person to ask this because I don't feel perfectly informed about that... but here's my guess from what I've learned; I think the main reason to cover the beams with reflectix is to ensure that there is a continuous vapor barrier. Not insulated the metal beams will attract a lot of condensation because they will be cold compared to the insulated parts. They will also be a weak spot in your insulation. So I think temperature-wise would be best to insulate them as well, preferably with some other insulating material since refectix only has insulating properties when there is an air gap between it and the cladding. (At least that's what I've been told 🤔) I mainly decided to not insulate the beams because I thought for my layout it would take up too much space. Hope that helps!
@@lifeoflenja390 Thanks for your reply! I'll keep that in mind. I'm just confused because people who use reflectix as a vapor barrier over the beams then nail through them for the cladding... so, I guess I'll never know until I try it! My van is kinda small so I'm considering doing the same you did. Keep the awesome videos coming! :)
Very cool! I was wondering how / where you’re gonna do the electrics? On all other builds i saw they got that in first and then did the isolation etc.
Depending on how Lenja plans to lay out the cabinets, the trim and if she wants any high voltage connections, the low voltage wiring can be integrated into channels in the cabinet tops, backsplashes, trim pieces and surface mounted wiring channels. For a smaller vehicle, running all your power to a few points makes it pretty easy.
Bear U oke cool. Looking forward to see this approach.
Thank you! I'll partly put the wiring into the cabinets and partly inside the metal beams. That's actually the reason why I haven't covered those beams yet! I'll only use low voltage apart from directly here the converter is going to sit. I'll talk about this more in an upcoming episode but I hope that gives you a little bit of an idea! 😊
Ahh, a you snuck up on me with a new video while I was sleeping lol!
Hehe sorry, I didn't mean to 😅🤷
I found it easier to clad bottom row first so it supports everything and doesn't fall
Hi Lenja, at the very end of the video you say you still have the roof (ceiling) to clad, but please Lenja, please, don't use just glue, it'll all just fall down, especially when you start travelling, just the time you don't want any problems. You seem happy about the door cladding being ok (nice to see you happy), but the bigger question is how long will it all stay fixed. I must admit when you shut that side door I was expecting to see all those planks fall off one by one, just like watching a comedy film. But seriously, Lenja please put some screws in, you must be sure the cladding won't fall off, and the type of screws to use are really quick and easy, get the sort that are 'self drilling self tapping', you simply drive them in as they are, and they drill their own hole and make their own thread, so quick, and then you can be sure those planks won't fall down, you can't rely on just glue Lenja. Nice to see you happier by the end, you were such a sad girl halfway. Best wishes from Alan, in England.
.......and it worked! Hooray!😀
💪
Definitely needs tactical reinforcement, the picture frame idea seems good. As time, vibrations and weather progress it will definitely work loose.
Why not install a wood burner then at least you'll have some fuel?
Vertical batons marked from the roof, panel pins through the tongue part of the tongue and groove with a dab of adhesive too, trim the edges with quad or similar and you are sorted.
Groovy
Wait until you drive and vibration will loosen all of them. You better secure them into the frame of the van with screws.
has she never watched van builds on Facebook? I cant think of a crazier way to do a van.
Yes she has! But she wanted to try something new 🤷
Screws are necessary especially with the vibration of driving...it will collapse at some point. Vibration..(earthquakes) can cause mountains to crumble.
How frustrating for you, but keep going, I'm cheering you on!
Meant to ask ... how's the underfloor heating performing? Is it any good? If so then I may add it into my van build!
Just waiting for the first trip
Yeah, we'll see just how much will fall apart then
Seems in van builds what you think will take a day often takes 3.
Yup! For insulation and cladding it was definitely a facor of 4 for me 🙈
Don't give up girl...
Slightly confused....the glue is only holding on the edges? No mechanical fasteners? Screws? Looking forward to seeing it in action after a trip or two! Go get'm tiger!
Yup, they hold up surprisingly well with just the glue! SikaFlex is some really strong stuff. But I'll have to add some more things to secure it down indefenitely... Thanks Scott
👍👏👏👏
Great sellection of background music. Are you doing all the edditing?
Thank you, I'm really glad you like it! Yes I'm doing all the editing myself and I take waaay too long for one episode 🙈 But it's fun too!
@@lifeoflenja390 Yeah, video edditing takes a lot of time. People usually take that for granted. Keep on doing great work.
That won't hold up, but not just criticism, a solution is where you put a shelf or cupboard screw into the bits of metal that you can ,then the cupboard or a screw put in somewhere to hold something will also give a mechanical bond.
Hätte nicht gedacht, dass das Kleben doch so hält. Hast du bei den Latten die lose waren nochmal Kleber dahinter gemacht oder so gelassen? Weiter so :)
Ich auch nicht um ehrlich zu sein 😄 Ich habe das erst einmal so gelassen da vor die Metallstreben noch Hölzer kommen, die das dann wieder alles an die RIchtige Position drücken! Danke dir! :)
You would of been better screwing them on and filling over the screws I think after a while or it might not even take a while you hit a bad bump in the road and they are bound to come off ,and on the door opening and closing it , I would be made up for you if it stays on but I would not trust it ,and with you saying it’s hot out side the glue might heat up and make the wood fall off , but like I said good look ,are you not putting any lights or switches on the wall , or do you have the wiring in all ready
Fitment may have been an issue due to expansion with rising temps.
Oh yeah, I think you're right! painting the cladding probably didn't help either 😅
dont lose hope. and yes its frustrating. the stuff you already glued may or may not come loose with the movement of the van going down the road. i hope it doesnt for your sake. you can always screw it on. use screw caps to hide the screw head they come in various colors and some are brown which looks more like wood. some are white or black.
Thank you! 😊 You're right and I actually had to add screws in some spots already... But it was no bit deal to add them!
wonder if cardboard would of worked better by using it to make a template and then transfer (or trace it) on to the wood
Aren’t you supposed to use self tapping screws to drill the cladding into wood strips that are horizontally screwed into van vertical metal studs. Skip the glues. Maybe your van doesn’t have the extruding vertical metal bars?
Did I hear those birds in the background singing “ pouty girl , pouty girl . Lenja is a pouty girl “ ...... LoL
Good job ! . If at first you don’t succeed, try try try again .;)
Lol, I always thought they were cheering for me but now I know ;) Thanks 💪
you are tough anyway :)
Thanks!💪
It’s really not that terrible!.....Red heads rock! You can do it!...
I give it 50 miles before it all falls apart
Yes it was, so what. You are awesome anyway
Ok ist ja alles schön und gut aber ich frag mich die ganze Zeit nur hä wie wo was 30 grad hätte ich grad auch gern.
Haha ich hätte jetzt auch gerne noch Sommer! Leider komme ich mit dem Schneiden nicht schnell genug hinterher um alles in Echtzeit zu zeigen
Just glue? 🤔
I think that you should screw them instead of glue them
Glue and screw everything!
Oh dear. I hate to be a negative Nancy but I have to say the glue with not hold after a few years especially in a moving vehicle.
furring strips
I want to come with
Why don't you start from the... bottom ? Doooh...
is this a real video or a comedy?
Both!
Frustrationstoleranzleveltraining. ;-)
I do not think this was a great idea, She's going to regret this method in the long run.....or possibly the short run.
I understand your concern... We'll see 🤷
@@lifeoflenja390 Hope it works out, I watch the vlogs because I plan to do the same in the future and I learn from you guys.
Katastrophe