[coguzzi]

Im Back in a VAN after many years. this will be my build thread for my personal van from a guy who has built sprinters and overland trucks professionally. ill explain some

i got the van buzz a long long time ago before "vanlife" and "overland" was ever a thing. my first van was a 66 VW Kombi split window bus i did a full ground up restoration on over a 5 year period. i got a hair up my *** one day and sold it in 20 minutes online before i could even rethink my decision

Then i got into VW Vanagon Syncros (4X4 VW vans), actually during ther same time i had the split window. I ended up building 6 of them. Basically when i wanted to start redoing something i would just sell it and build another one from scratch. most got converted to subaru power, 2.2l, 2.2l turbo, 2.5l and my favorite one was the big subaru H6 3.3l form the SVX. i never should have sold that van. i even converted one hard top to westfalia poptop, lots of cutting and welding and bodywork.

anyway, my wife kind of got tired of me always working on these VW's (as anyone who has owned one knows) and i decided to chase after something i always pined after--7.3L diesel ford econoline 4x4!. i found a fairly decent one, had a colorado camper van pop top installed and built out the interior

long story short, i wasnt in love with it and decided to put a Four Wheel Popup camper on my shop truck and sell the econoline. Talking to the dealer in Colorado (where i lived for 22 years) when i was ordering it, he needed help at the shop. I ended up being shop manager selling and servicing four wheel campers for 4 years part time since i had my own business. we grew the shop from just a four wheel camper shop to a full overland shop setting up all kinds of trucks and offgrid trailers. I've built so many rigs for people to explore the world in.. this included sprinter work. I still have my four wheel camper, on a different truck now, but love it. Transit has some big shoes to fill!

fast forward, i move to Quebec canada, spend over a year building a house and eventually start working at a local shop building Sprinter vans into campers, kind of elaborate ones--way to elaborate for me. should have seen the electrical system in the last one i built--crazy and crazy $.

all this time im thinking how much i think i would prefer the transit platform, but AWD or Quigley is a must. When the AWD option finally became available i ordered one almost immediately and finally received it yesterday

my plan is to build an "overland" style camper, everything you need and nothing you dont. definitely some luxuries, but not over the top. I've accumulated quite a bit of supplies while waiting for the van and ready to get started (as soon as my CR Lawrence windows show up)

i own or have owned a shop that is pretty weird (keeps me from being bored) that does automotive upholstery, motorcycle mechanic, metal fabricator, and vintage auto restoration. so this is kind of an experiment for me to test the viability of the Transit and maybe help others. ill try to keep a good log going

 

[coguzzi]

shop dog approved

and when i built my house i made sure i had adequate garage door, everyone thought i was crazy....

 

[coguzzi]

Is that a Bernadoodle? I met one the other day, cool dog.

its an old english sheep dog

 

[coguzzi]

not a whole lot to report since i seem to be missing/waiting for 1 component out of everything i want to get started on. such is life building a van is this weird time.

so ive been doing a lot of measuring and redrawing since i lost 4" from my plan now that i have a real van. stupid driver seat and long legs--ha.

but its been like Christmas around the last few days, getting to know the delivery guys/gals well (even if i dont speak french well yet).

and the shelf is getting full. NO, the microwave IS NOT going in the van, its the shop microwave which i havent plugged in yet

 

[coguzzi]

i so thought i would actually have something to report by now, but with difficulty in getting product and back orders now in this weird time... it is the "get ready for winter" time of the year as well, cutting trees for next years wood etc.

anyway, finally got some time. started fabbing brackets for overhead shelf before i remove the headliner to insulate/sound deaden. seemed like a good idea, but now the Russian birch is sold out locally, so.....

and i finally got the roof rack installed. i toyed with the idea of buying the tube bender i wanted for ever and making my own rack, but decided i needed to pick my battles on this build and make some progress (might still buy a bender to make a ladder since nothing out there fills my desires). i went with a local company, Remora in Montreal. it went together really well and impressed with quality. so you canadians-check em out. now that i have the basic rack installed i can figure out my solar/maxxair placement and get my solar parts ordered

 

[coguzzi]

solar and maxx air installed. best thing about cutting a hole in the roof is you can see where you left your beer. just 100 watts of solar for now with room to add on. 100 watt fit perfectly where i wanted the fan to go, and not interfere with the XM antenna. i could run some 160's down the sides buy leaving room for cargo box etc. i did a lot of crazy solar installs for customers over the years and on my personal four wheel camper rig i have a 55 watt panel and am usually full after a couple hours of sun. i find solar to be one of those areas where people go way to crazy, plan your energy use carefully and no need to have a whole roof full of solar

 

[coguzzi]

started working on my floor, mostly because my knees are tired of dealing with the ribs. there will be some minimal insulation (not 6" thick...) before permanent install but im of the thinking it needs to be able to breath under and probably going to wait to install until i figure out my electrical runs some more (might run a few wires under). so ply runners will be glued down, some insulation in the others, landau foam to prevent some squeaks and offer minimal insulation, ply glued and stapled to runners.

ps, love my new plunge cut track saw. makes breaking down sheet goods a lot easier if you dont have a full cabinet makers space eating table saw. a lot of my cabinet maker friends have ditched full table saws for them

 

[coguzzi]

my sister in law suggested i make a time lapse of the process. hmmm--maybe i should. im actually kind of having fun with it, if i remember to turn on the camera.

 

[coguzzi]

Thanks for creating this build thread coguzzi! Similar to you, we have a 4x4 E350 which has been a great rig but we aren't in love with it. We also ordered a similar Transit, build date is Nov 30 and I hope to get it in hand before the new year!

Thanks for letting me know about the Remora Roof Rack, always keen to support local businesses. What are you future plans for your roof rack? I like the idea of being able to expand solar capacity, I think a similar setup to yours, 100W panel would be enough for us. We also have a 180W solar suitcase if needed, are you planning on an awning at all? Have you decided on what kind?

Keep up the great work! We will be doing a coast to coast next summer (I'm in Vancouver) and would love to check out your rig if the environment allows.

thanks for the kind words

I plan to put a box on the roof for inflatable kayak and paddle boards, already have it. also may put a basket up there, that i already have as well. but kind of thinking a deck of some form. rear door ladder and MAYBE tire carrier if i have to (prefer not, but--am putting a lift after all). since i dont need that right now see what comes to market or develop my own. i will still have room for more solar if i need to, but plan to run an exterior portable plug next to my shore power inlet for portable suitcase.

i do plan on an awning. i used to be a fiamma dealer at FWC and like the f45's, but harder to get up here so may try the Thule which looks like a decent copy actually. just trying to spread out my spending and its low priority.

for sure let me know when you head this way

 

[coguzzi]

figured i should post a design sketch. been through a couple revisions and bet it has some more. my darn windows are holding me up, still only have 1 of 4. i like to do all the metal cutting BEFORE i insulate or any finish work. still finding plenty to do--like spending $ on supplies. am taking the time to make some of the interior panels, mostly to help me visualize the finish before i install the 1 window i have (behind driver)

 

[coguzzi]

quick write up on this since ive seen it discussed some on the FB pages. re routing the factory wiring harness. Ford put it in a very non-ideal location. i can deal with the driver side, but do wish they ran it up high. not easily possible to pass it in the wall, have to cut through some frame members. anyway, my wall plan i can easily work around it.

BUT, how they ran it over the rear door and then down in the wall was not friendly

first rule of thumb when working on electrical stuff--disconnect the battery

then it was "maybe" 8 plugs to disconnect on my van, no wire cutting for me and probably would not. 1 plug is tail light, must be removed--easy. 6 other plugs were easy, but 1 wire ran way down deep into the rear wall cavity. only way i could access it was to remove bumper corner, magnet cover, rear side trim, wheel arch trim and finally the "pressure relief flaps". bingo--got it. no idea what this thing even is--sensor maybe? exit wire goes no where

end result--cleaner sheet metal to finish better

i have some edge protecting grommet on its way, so final install isnt 100% yet

 

[coguzzi]

I'll be using a Redarc Manager 30 for my battery management needs, and it calls for 50A fuse/breaker at the main battery side. obviously the best place to hook up is CCP1 which is factory 60 amp fused, so i added a 50 amp in line. i normally prefer breakers, but the ANL fuse is slightly smaller and terminals are more protected since its "exposed" anyway, made a small bracket to mount it.

been wrapping my head around my wall panels and have them mostly fabbed now. didnt want to do my window install until i was definite on finish here (let alone i was missing 3 of my 4 windows due to backorder).

once i was sold on it and my 2nd window showed up, i decided it was time. got slider door and behind driver done. still waiting for my bunk windows.

anyway--it was so nice in Quebec i had to pull one of the bikes out that i already had winterized and go for a ride. be a while til i can take some powder days i think--sigh--i miss CO mountains

 

[coguzzi]

part 2 time lapse

 

[coguzzi]

Very nice work! Would you mind explaining the process for the windows?

What ones did you pick?
What is that method of "steaming?" the fabric to to adhesive sheet? It looks very aesthetically appealing to me.

I picked Cr laurence t vent windows for the slider and behind driver. still waiting for my 10x33 CRL slider bunk windows.

Steam is an upholsters best friend they say. i once picked the hottest day of the year to install a headliner in a VW karmann ghia, one man and his steamer in the smallest space he could find. steam relaxes the fabric so its more supple and allows it to either stretch or shrink. the white sheet is 1/8" Landau foam, a closed cell foam that give a lil cushion as well as sound deadening and small insulation value. glued down with Landau glue in a spray gun. then the fabric is glued down using the same glue to that. I'm using tweed fabric for my finish, which is motor vehicle safety standard rated (MVSS-302) but actually did consider doing it in a vinyl and may still do some parts (lowers) in vinyl.

Slider door does not have same finish as it see's the weather

 

[coguzzi]

its mind boggling how much time i have into these 5 ceiling panels, but finally got em how i want them. complex curve in all directions. my initial plan failed, but only wasted 12" of plywood, so not bad

 

[coguzzi]

finally got all my panels prebuilt (couple more no pictured here) so i jacked the van up to do some things underneath.

propane tank mount is first order of business Manchester 6813 10x23 5.5 gallon. this is for heat, hot water and cooking
had to make a cut into a non structural piece of metal (gives the floor a lil more rigidity is its only purpose, cabinets are going there). i wanted to get the tank as high as possible for those off road explorations

the 23" tank fit perfectly between the 2 "structural" frame member, very tightly actually.

all brackets i TIG welded and thru bolted through the "structural" frame members

tank is mounted about 1.5" higher than the gas tank, so not the lowest point and well protected. still very easy to fill with plenty of access for the attendant, but not very visible from the side view

now im onto the Van Compass suspension upgrade, but messed up my back doing so--stuck on the couch right now--doh

 

[coguzzi]

Looking good! I had this dream of improving my TIG skills with my last two van builds. But...MIG is so much faster!

TIG is very intimidating at first, and easily gets discouraging. then it clicks and ends up being faster and cleaner once it does. i pretty much only pull my MIG out now if its old rusty metal or the pieces dont fit well and need to fill big gaps. or body work on cars, MIG is easy to tack stuff together. that said, i patched a hole on a moto gas tank with TIG lately and it went really well (gas tank had not had gas in it for at least 10 years-ha)

 

[coguzzi]

been slow going lately, paying jobs getting in the way. BUT, finally got the Van Compass AWD topo lift installed that has been sitting on my shelf for months. i had the Bilstien B6 struts ordered since July, finally just cancelled my order and kept the stock ones. I was wavering on that upgrade anyway and saw a couple people having issues, so....

out with the old. i kind of forgot how much i dislike doing suspension work on the ground, and the transit is kind of extensive since entire hub assembly has to come out. done close to 100 lifts probably on customer trucks, personal trucks and my vanagon syncros, this is one of a lamer ones

shiny new RED springs

back together, this is where my back said it had enough and i was glad i had a customer upholstery project to do

and finally got back to it and banged out the back. nothing unusual here past the high clearance shock mount trimming. i plan to do a leaf pack in the future vs block--because i kind of hate blocks. kind of want to see how it weighs out and sits before i do that.

new stance on stock tires, fixing the 1 shortcoming of the transit in my opinion, ground clearance. i actually wish we could get it a little higher to help approach/departure some more, but... I'll make an appointment to get an alignment and tires once i get more weight in it, which will effect alignment. haven driven it since i parked it to build anyway--might as well wait

 

[coguzzi]

it was mine, the picture is actually from the current owner but better than any pics i had (i dont surf--ha)

 

[coguzzi]

more paying jobs slowing me down on the van build, when it rains it pours they say. finally getting caught up on that and got my floor installed finally.

first thing was run the big wire from CCP1 and my ignition signal for my Red Arc manager 30 from C33-E connector. runs from driver seat to passenger wheel well where all my electrical cabinet will live. I had to order the C33-E connector which came empty, i populated 9 of the 10 pins (10 pins in 2020 and #10 is empty) for future expansion ease, then wired IGNITION from pin 6

then i glued down with 3/8 ply runners, loosely filled the voids left over with a minicell insulation which also had a reflective heat shield layer, (left over from another project) and covered that all in a closed cell foam, including the metal ribs to avoid "squeaks". to me this is a good compromise in insulating with out building up a super thick floor. there is plenty of air pathways for it to dry if/when it gets damp under there which is inevitable. thermal bridges will be stopped/minimized by the closed cell foam. this is actually more insulation than i initially planned or have done in the past, we will see how it works.

then my 1/2 russian birch ply was glued and stapled to the ply runners, its not going anywhere with zero screws or holes drilled in the floor. groove in the back is for L-track, so that of course will have to be thru bolted, no choice there.

i then cut the diamond plate vinyl, and laid it in the van and let it relax for several days (mostly because i got busy) and then glued it down with vinyl cement and 1/16" grooved trowel. worked it into the routered out cuts i made and installed the factory sill plates i put on my order when i ordered the van. ended up pretty clean i think

i also installed a Remora side ladder, again, an excellent company to deal with and really refreshing these days. i really wanted a rear door ladder, and maybe tire carrier if i needed to (prefer not to ). i prefer ladders on the back to not snag branches when on the trails. i wasnt 100% sold on the 2 options (aluminess and prime design) and considered buying that tube bender once again to develop my own. decided it was more important to actually finish the van to use vs spending the time developing a new product. i might revisit this in the future since side ladder is bolt on.