[Berk8520]

Picked up my new van! The plan is to build it into a Toy hauler camper for my motorcycles.

We started with removing all the stock paneling, floor, and the super stupid giant plastic wire way. Also pulled out the foam do-dads.

Started getting parts. They are stacking up everywhere. This is the flip top sofa for the "living room" and guest bed.

Mounted the supports for the rear queen bed lift system. Used riv nuts in the stock holes for the most part.

Dropped in the vanrug floor and re-installed the stock door trim
http://www.bedrug.com/products/cargo-van-mats/van-rug.html

 

[airmengarrettm]

Nice, that's the color I want to get, looks sleek!!!
Thanks for sharing photos!

 

[smacdiesel]

Good looking Transit, keep us posted on your progress and other good vendors you come across. I'll be doing the same to mine whenever it arrives! Thanks!!

 

[Berk8520]

Insulation

Picked up 60 ft of Thinnsulate from Hein. Lucky for me he is just up the road.

Made a needle from a coat hanger then threaded it on paracord and pulled the insulation through the ribs.

In the rib

Some of the ribs were blind or limited access. We used a giant rare earth magnet to pull the needle through.

 

[Byron the Painter]

Hey man...where's all the pics?

 

[morey]

Looks like your pictures no longer work.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Berk8520]

Weird, the pictures are working for me. I will try to figure out what is going on.

 

[airmengarrettm]

Weird, the pictures are working for me. I will try to figure out what is going on.

The only pic I can see is the first one of your exterior.
All follow up pictures are just a dash in place of the photo.

 

[Berk8520]

I think the pictures are all working now.

 

[airmengarrettm]

I think the pictures are all working now.

Affirmatron!
Thanks for posting really large ones!
Looks good so far.

 

[foxharp]

nice trick with the magnet. i wouldn't have thought that would work, through sheet metal.

when you say you pulled out the "foam doodads", are you referring to the black pieces up in the corners above the seats? what's under them? why are they there?

 

[Berk8520]

nice trick with the magnet. i wouldn't have thought that would work, through sheet metal.

when you say you pulled out the "foam doodads", are you referring to the black pieces up in the corners above the seats? what's under them? why are they there?

Yes those ones, and no idea. The current plan is to pop molds of them and then make fiberglass covers. Then cover the finished product in the same material as the walls.

 

[Byron the Painter]

Excellent thread!!! Great pics. Even though my van is just a work beast, this is both inspirational and educational.

 

[orton]

Yes those ones, and no idea. The current plan is to pop molds of them and then make fiberglass covers. Then cover the finished product in the same material as the walls.

I will remove the driver side and use that space for selector switch electrical panel. Right side will be reinstalled, voids filled with spray foam and covered with indoor/outdoor carpet or trunk liner.

 

[yelnam]

As I understand it, the black foam pieces cover the actuators for the front curtain airbags. (But not the airbags themselves; those are farther forward). And that the foam is regulated as head protection (in case of crash). Sportsmobile replaces the foam with slightly softer foam, covered by wall lining material.

 

[Haulin' Gas Adventures]

Great write up and I like where this is going.

 

[orton]

As I understand it, the black foam pieces cover the actuators for the front curtain airbags. (But not the airbags themselves; those are farther forward). And that the foam is regulated as head protection (in case of crash). Sportsmobile replaces the foam with slightly softer foam, covered by wall lining material.

If my head gets that far from its normal location, I suspect I will have other more significant problems or none.

 

[Berk8520]

Building the dinette/storage boxes

The plan is to have boxes over the wheel wells for storage and to stash some of the house systems. It is a bit of a balancing act because I want them to serve tipple duty. Storage/house systems/and dinette benches. All of the wiring and plumbing will be in the walls behind the boxes. They are mostly mounted with riv nuts n factory holes and tied into the factory tie-down points. The boxes can drop out with the removal of three bolts.

 

[Berk8520]

After dropping the boxes in place it was clear that they were to wide. It was going to be too tight loading two dirt bikes between them which is one of the design criteria. We ended up taking three inches of each box. That gives us 45 inches between the boxes which will be plenty. That still leaves the boxes 14 inches deep plenty big for a bench.

 

[Berk8520]

Finishing up the insulation. Used the string method to pull a chunk behind the headliner. Pulling the headliner looked to require the removal of the entire front of the van.

Glued the sides as much as I could and then stuffed a bunch of scraps to fill the entire space.

Lady Advanturer pulling the door panel for insulation.