"Guiding Plan" post

When I start a project, I start with goals / objectives / boundaries, etc. Some BS from business practices, I suspect - being on both sides of the coaching game, it seems the right way to do things. Failure to plan is planning to fail and all that. It reflects the business and athlete model of mission / vision / values as well, though I'm not a fan of those words, really.

Here's what was typed before anything else really happened (formatting odd because it's dumped directly from OneNote):

Project rules

1. Focus on objectives first
2. Plan from objectives
3. Always ready to abandon plan if it's not meeting objectives or a better way to meet objectives is seen
4. Expect to redo everything 3+ times. Never leave well enough alone; it was just an idea in the first place and only execution determines efficacy
5. Adapt the plan to reality: any roadblock requires a full rethink

Drivers: Independence, Experiences, Adventure, Action/Activities, Comfort, Security, Challenge / Sense of Accomplishment

Part time home on wheels to enable and encourage travel adventures for our family.

Budget ~90-95K (now likely $100-115K)
Boondock RV / play vehicle / pickup truck
RV off-grid 2 people, 3-5 nights, 4 seasons
Option for 4 people, 2-3 nights, 3+ seasons

• Fuel​

• Water​

• Electricity​

• Food​

Capable on mild off-road and snow - Some kind of self-rescue options (store winch, tracks, ?)

Play toys - primary focus, hence major garage focus

• Bikes​

• Snowboard / split-board​

• Bouldering & Climbing​

• Hiking / running / backpacking​

• Surfing / SUP (inflatables)​

• Computers / movies - internet and movie screen​

Retail examples (mostly for use of space):

• Winnebago Revel​

• Sportsmobile​

• VanDoIt?​

Large garage, optional toilet and shower, optional 4 seats
Can we get 4 or even 5 bikes in the back?
Move bikes or boards to bumper mount to allow 4 person adventure with lower bunk bed?

Is it worth having a non-engine air conditioning unit? We don't want to be sitting in the van in the heat of day; we should be driving to somewhere we can be active. Skip AC and find places cool enough to sleep. Drive away if it's too hot. (Note: rethinking this now with the crazy heat of 2021 summer)

Building on experience and lessons from the 2011 Sprinter 170 Passenger van.

• Bought in 2016 for $22K with 130K miles​

• ~190K miles in 2020 - ~15K per year​

• Used for camping, climbing, biking, surfing, and touring (and transport)​

• Completely self contained (inside cabin)​

Likes / keep / repeat

• Modular design - change layout and use​

• Front package tray / shelf (no room)​

• Legit queen size bed - standard mattress​

• Garage slide shelf (much larger this time)​

Dislikes / change / eliminate

• Press fit galley 1" aluminum -> 3030​

• Smaller 8020 hard to work -> 3030​

• Bed height difficult to change > motor driven height​

Add / improve

• Storage shelves / cabinets above windows​

• Electric raise / lower bed​

• Larger garage slide (max size)​

• Use 30mm 8020 for everything​

• Consider mounting in undercarriage​

○ Air compressor​

○ Grey water - possible freeze problem?​

○ Fresh water second tank?​

○ Heater​

○ Batteries - not good in cold​

 

"Initial Order and Purchase" post

Initially planned to sell the Sprinter in March, 2019. It had some maintenance issue that left my son and daughter waiting for a repair instead of enjoying a trip and the missus said, "just order that new van you've been wanting to do." YUP! I'M IN!

She didn't want another diesel, so Sprinter was out. The Dodge did NOT look viable to me. So Transit. Except then we found out that there was to be an AWD version in 2020. Okay... then wait until I can order that.

When orders opened up, it was still messy as to exactly what /could/ be ordered and when it might be produced. Waited for it to settle. Finally ready to order in December, 2019. Actual order placed in early February, 2020. Then Covid.

Finally got delivery December of 2020. Sold the Sprinter for about $10K /more/ than we'd been offered in 2019. So that was nice.

 

"Overall Build - floor, insulation, 8020, templates, etc" post

Point of note: "we" in all this pretty much refers to me and my 23-year-old son. I was coming off a running injury as we started the van and he was not working due to the C19 situation. So we SERIOUSLY dove in and got it fully functional in a couple months. This is also part of why the photos are spotty: we were both simultaneously working on two different things - often from morning until late at night - and I'd forget to get photos. Heck, I'd forget to eat.



<Adding notes from a PM discussion regarding parts>

We stuck with metric for everything. Everything in the van is currently metric; so we just stuck with it. And since we're using 30mm aluminum extrusions, these use 6mm bolts for most attachments, so... 6mm is ideal.

We used 6mm Rivnuts in the factory holes (or drilled holes if we needed) that the 1/2 plywood attached to. Using the Astro tool to install (had it already from the Sprinter build).

The "corner brackets" that attach to the plywood are attached to 6mm hammer-in t-nuts on the back. Or if we had a spot we couldn't get one in correctly (cabinet doors, for example -- too shallow), we use these other type of 6mm t-nuts.

All the 3030 connections are using the same corner brackets or the "internal corner brackets" depending what seemed best for making things solid. Prices for those brackets run from $1-2 each and we used many hundreds of them. I'd have to do a count on how many... a LOT. But I'd rather pay that than all the work to cut them up; there's plenty of things we had to make on our own... glad we didn't need to do these as well. Of course, all those standard brackets require t-nuts and bolts - hundreds and hundreds of those.

The side upper and lower panels shown below are a good / simple example - the bolts holding it to the wall are using riv-nuts in whatever holes available. The brackets are connected to those hammer-in t-nuts in the back. Locations for those t-nuts are chosen as locations where there's no metal right behind them to make noise.


<back to the original post>

The floor - simple stuff that's been done many times elsewhere:

1/2" EPS in the valleys
1" Polyiso on top of that
3/4" Baltic birch on top of that.

A bit of 3M 77 to hold the EPS in place and a bit more before the Polyiso but not much. Expecting the aluminum sides to hold most in place and the mounted modules (bed, electrical / fridge, galley, etc) to hold the rest down. Came out great - no noises at all.

Immediately moved to test-building galley and bed. Resulted in changing shape of both after seeing the mock-ups in the rig.

Ended up removing the 1" Polyiso in the back when we mounted the garage slider - wouldn't have bolted in solid otherwise. Wasted time and money there. 😄

Carved out portions of the Polyiso to route the plumbing and electrical later. Anticipated doing that. It worked out great.


Insulation - 1" Polyiso on all large surfaces (roof), Reflectix (because we had a roll left over from the Sprinter) and 1" Thinsulate on everything. You can see the Polyiso behind the 1/2" ply on the roof here - as well as the layer under the floor.

The plan was to frame the lower section of the van (to the "belt-line" below the windows) with 30mm extruded aluminum so that later modules would all bolt to it. The aluminum framing would be isolated from the metal body with 1/2" baltic birch plywood.

Part of the thinking on this (aside from any other method of isolating for thermal transfer) was that we found the convenient locations for bolting / riv-nuts on the Sprinter weren't always ideal for whatever we bolted them to. This model would attach the ply where convenient, then attach the aluminum where we wanted it.

In (my head) theory, the bolting to the wall should be strong in the way that a very small nail can hold up a heavy painting when pulled on the side - not straight out. That's my theory and I built around it. Might be totally wrong. I have zero qualifications for most things I do.

Similar on the upper section - knowing that we planned to mount cabinets up there.

The plywood in this early setup got trimmed WAY down as we decided how to use it. Lots of theory got tested and thrown out. We reminded ourselves that everything would be done 3+ times and we'd unbolt it all and go back to the table-saw.

The roof came out great (by our standards). Simple white panels, very little visible mounting bits.

Here's a shot of what's up in there. The Thinsulate sits on top of the 1/4" melamine MDF and creates pressure - no noises / squeaks.

Upper wall and ceiling rails extend to the front of the rig.

Finally got the front weird-shape panel worked out. Still need to fix those blobs somehow.

 

The floor - simple stuff that's been done many times elsewhere:

1/2" EPS in the valleys
1" Polyiso on top of that
3/4" Baltic birch on top of that.

Hey Greg,
What did you use for your finish floor layer? How has it held up after several years of abuse? We favor durability over aesthetics. We often arrive back at the car with sand and rocks on the bottom of our ski boots, whether it's from crossing a muddy parking lot or hiking a few miles of trail below snow line. We don't want to have to worry about our floor being too delicate to handle serious abuse.
Thanks!

 

"Bed - electric raise / lower plus 'couch mode'" post

Parts list is pretty simple:
Four Leg Standing Desk Lift from Firgelli - ~$850
30 mm Square Hollow T-slot aluminum from McMasterCarr - $42 per 10' - ~10 sticks = ~$420
30 x 60 mm Square Hollow T-slot aluminum from McMasterCarr - $51 per 6' - ~4 sticks = ~$200
Bunches of connectors and nuts and bolts - $200?

Straight to videos and photos.

The raise / lower function

Couch mode

Up high

Down low

A bit of build details

The four legs are only connected at the floor. They have beefy bases with a single bolt up the middle of them (M12, IIRC), which comes through the 1/4" aluminum mount plates.

We cut aluminum plates to the largest size we could without getting in the way of the slider and the rest of the garage. That meant only two bolts on the front legs and three on the rear. They are M8s bolted all the way through the floor (with 3/4" ply on top of the floor) to plates on the bottom and nylon lock nuts.

Front mounts

Rear mounts

This photo is a little busy (taken while installing the slider) but you can see the four legs installed without the top on them.

Here's looking at the top (bed surface) from below (facing the front of the van / foot of the bed)

And here's looking the other way (rear of the van / head of the bed) before the actuators were installed

The top with no mattress. The rail is essential to hold the mattress on when doing "couch mode" - the rail at the foot is split because climbing down into the middle /over/ said rail was not good. But if no couch mode, no need for the head / back rails.

Also no need for the side-rails to be so sturdy - that's mostly because it has to stick out the back to carry the couch-mode setup.

Actuators actuated

Some notes:

Overall project notes:

• Queen-sized bed that raises and lowers - ideally with multiple positions
• Goal to increase garage height while easily returning to low bed / good visibility
• Ideally little-to-no blocking of windows or visible mechanical systems
• Also add an inclining "couch-back" mode to the bed for sitting up

• Considered purchasing a pre-made unit

• MOAB - ~$4K for manual raise/lower​

• Happijac lifting frame - ~$2300 for the lifting - still need platform​

• Both need rails up the walls on both sides - not good with windows​

• Considered linear actuators

• Stroke length is slightly less than base - 3' base = < 6' extended​

• Requires a path for the bed to slide on - not inherently stable - lots of work​

• Need Hall-effect actuators to have accurate positioning​

• Four Hall-effect lifters and a 4-way controller is more expensive than expected​

• Linear motion slides looked good - as much distance as the slide with no limits

• But then there's "rails" across the windows or something like that​

• And most seem to target horizontal, not vertical orientation​

• Same Hall-effect / controller / cost issues​

• Considered raise-lower straps (like Winnebago Revel)

• Still need controller rails like the linear slides - and some solid stop points​

• 4-leg "conference room table" lifter setup - with hall-effect lifters and controller

• If we can make it sturdy enough, that'll work great​

• Love the 4-memory-settings option​

• Only ~$800 for the lifters and controller together​

• The legs are HEAVY and the mounts that came with them were heavy as well

• Good and bad - seem really, really solid; but add an extra 100 pounds​

• Got rid of all the other mounts, used just the legs and made aluminum mounts
• Initially made angle-aluminum cross-bars for each pair then re-mounted to meet space•
• Head of our bed has angle-aluminum cross-members - un-necessary if no "couch mode"

Bed frame and surface

• 30mm extruded aluminum frame​

○ 3060 around all 4 sides for strength and minor mattress-holding​

○ 3030 cross-bars every ~9" or so - still bend but not much (good for bed)​

• 1/4" plywood surface bolted to the cross-bars with MANY bolts​

Head of bed

• The head has to be narrower to fit the queen-sized mattress into the doorway​

• No 3060 side-mounts in the head section - no sides for the mattress, basically​

Leg mounting

• 1/4" aluminum plates bolted to the bottom of each leg​

• Bolts through aluminum plates, 3/4" ply, and van floor with nylock nuts under van​

• Plastic spacers / washers for thermal isolation​

 

"Bed - electric raise / lower plus 'couch mode'" post

Parts list is pretty simple:
Four Leg Standing Desk Lift from Firgelli - ~$850
30 mm Square Hollow T-slot aluminum from McMasterCarr - $42 per 10' - ~10 sticks = ~$420
30 x 60 mm Square Hollow T-slot aluminum from McMasterCarr - $51 per 6' - ~4 sticks = ~$200
Bunches of connectors and nuts and bolts - $200?

Straight to videos and photos.

The raise / lower function

Couch mode

Up high
View attachment 159468

Down low
View attachment 159469


A bit of build details

The four legs are only connected at the floor. They have beefy bases with a single bolt up the middle of them (M12, IIRC), which comes through the 1/4" aluminum mount plates.

We cut aluminum plates to the largest size we could without getting in the way of the slider and the rest of the garage. That meant only two bolts on the front legs and three on the rear. They are M8s bolted all the way through the floor (with 3/4" ply on top of the floor) to plates on the bottom and nylon lock nuts.

Front mounts
View attachment 159470

Rear mounts
View attachment 159471

This photo is a little busy (taken while installing the slider) but you can see the four legs installed without the top on them.
View attachment 159472

Here's looking at the top (bed surface) from below (facing the front of the van / foot of the bed)
View attachment 159473

And here's looking the other way (rear of the van / head of the bed) before the actuators were installed
View attachment 159474

The top with no mattress. The rail is essential to hold the mattress on when doing "couch mode" - the rail at the foot is split because climbing down into the middle /over/ said rail was not good. But if no couch mode, no need for the head / back rails.

Also no need for the side-rails to be so sturdy - that's mostly because it has to stick out the back to carry the couch-mode setup.
View attachment 159475

Actuators actuated
View attachment 159476

View attachment 159477


Some notes:

Overall project notes:

• Queen-sized bed that raises and lowers - ideally with multiple positions
• Goal to increase garage height while easily returning to low bed / good visibility
• Ideally little-to-no blocking of windows or visible mechanical systems
• Also add an inclining "couch-back" mode to the bed for sitting up

• Considered purchasing a pre-made unit

• MOAB - ~$4K for manual raise/lower​

• Happijac lifting frame - ~$2300 for the lifting - still need platform​

• Both need rails up the walls on both sides - not good with windows​

• Considered linear actuators

• Stroke length is slightly less than base - 3' base = < 6' extended​

• Requires a path for the bed to slide on - not inherently stable - lots of work​

• Need Hall-effect actuators to have accurate positioning​

• Four Hall-effect lifters and a 4-way controller is more expensive than expected​

• Linear motion slides looked good - as much distance as the slide with no limits

• But then there's "rails" across the windows or something like that​

• And most seem to target horizontal, not vertical orientation​

• Same Hall-effect / controller / cost issues​

• Considered raise-lower straps (like Winnebago Revel)

• Still need controller rails like the linear slides - and some solid stop points​

• 4-leg "conference room table" lifter setup - with hall-effect lifters and controller

• If we can make it sturdy enough, that'll work great​

• Love the 4-memory-settings option​

• Only ~$800 for the lifters and controller together​

• The legs are HEAVY and the mounts that came with them were heavy as well

• Good and bad - seem really, really solid; but add an extra 100 pounds​

• Got rid of all the other mounts, used just the legs and made aluminum mounts
• Initially made angle-aluminum cross-bars for each pair then re-mounted to meet space•
• Head of our bed has angle-aluminum cross-members - un-necessary if no "couch mode"

Bed frame and surface

• 30mm extruded aluminum frame​

○ 3060 around all 4 sides for strength and minor mattress-holding​

○ 3030 cross-bars every ~9" or so - still bend but not much (good for bed)​

• 1/4" plywood surface bolted to the cross-bars with MANY bolts​

Head of bed

• The head has to be narrower to fit the queen-sized mattress into the doorway​

• No 3060 side-mounts in the head section - no sides for the mattress, basically​

Leg mounting

• 1/4" aluminum plates bolted to the bottom of each leg​

• Bolts through aluminum plates, 3/4" ply, and van floor with nylock nuts under van​

• Plastic spacers / washers for thermal isolation​

Nice job! I have a lot of similar build features, wondered if you wouldn't mind a few questions. I bought a similar table lift for the exact reasons you stated. Did you consider mounting it upside down, so that the 'top' with the wires was bolted to the floor? I was also trying to find a way not to have a lot of screws or bolts showing through the panel/upholstery. How did the Duo Lock (3M?) panels work out? How did you attache the Duo Lock? Did you consider elevating the legs of the bed so that at full height it was higher?

"...mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently...”
View attachment 159423
View attachment 159452

1. Guiding Plan
2. Initial Order and Purchase
3. Overall build - floor, insulation, 8020, templates, etc.
4. Bed - electric raise / lower plus 'couch mode'
5. Galley - oven, hot and cold water, fresh and gray storage, shower, and ESPRESSO!
6. Electrical - 8kWh 24V Victron spend-fest
7. Garage slider - the WHOLE garage slides out
8. Removable recirculating shower
9. Propane locker- 3030 framed enclosure, vented, sealed with tape
10. Roadmaster Active Suspension - decided to try something different from sway bar
11. Air Lift Load Lifter 5000 - raise / lower rear end by remote
12. Espar B4L-M2 Space Heater install - drop the fuel tank.. yikes! locating heater in rear
12b. Enclosing heater output and routing it to van center
13. Electrical - relay control and new UI panel (10/20/2021)
14. Window covers (first batch - from Van Essentials) (11/11/2021)
15. Comments on keeping the missus happy (Happy Wife = Happy Life)

Others (TBD):

• Refrigerator cabinet / mount (over electrical cabinet)
• Propane locker
• 20-gallon under-chassis fresh-water tank (currently functional but still a lot to do)
• On-board-air system - Viair 400P Automatic with 2.5-gallon tank

• MaxxAir fan rear install - the overkill install
• Scopema swivels on 2020 power / heated seats - how we protected the wire and raised the seat mounts
• Upper cabinets - 3030 framed, hinged doors, latches, varied sizes - focus on things looking "spacious"
• 2-person seat - not comfortable for anyone other than children, runners and rock-climbers
• DIY roof rack - HPDE bases, angle aluminum uprights, 30mm aluminum structure (and why we're probably going to re-build it)
• Lagun table mount by slider - table for swivels AND extra counter-top

More:

• Wall panels - attaching with Duo Lock velcro connecting - panels pop off, invisible attaching
• Bug screens for slider and rear - I've bought four but none seem right
• Cellular amp - in use but not "installed"
• Exterior lights - flood lights for camping and driving - still in the boxes
• Sound-bar and sub for music in the rig - ultimately for movies as well

The intro post:

I'm gonna put up a thread since I keep thinking I should. I'm going to try to document (with photos and parts lists) the things we did that aren't the standard stuff. So not as much attention paid to insulation, floor, swivels or solar panels - plenty of that here and elsewhere. Maybe a little bit on the aluminum extrusion model, though that's got plenty of traction as well (aka 8020).

I'll link to each post for the key build topics. Nudge me if I screw up or miss or skip something.

I'll do the "reserved post" for the first few and then just do the others as I get around to it.

If anything looks interesting but I haven't done it yet, nudge me; that's more fun than working off of my own "to do" list.



Planned but not executed at all yet - help me figure these out!

• Stereo upgrade - speakers and whatever... amps? DSP? don't know yet
• Finish work to pretty up the walls and doors and window openings - really lost on this
• Window covers - might just buy them if I can get over the price
• Bedliner cover on exterior lower plastic panels and rockers
• Wheel well liners
• Roof rack fairing
• Monitor / screen for watching movies in bed
• Floor-based vent to pull more air - or keep using the windows cracked?
• Front skid / bash plate
• Add RPI for remote access / monitoring

"Guiding Plan" post

When I start a project, I start with goals / objectives / boundaries, etc. Some BS from business practices, I suspect - being on both sides of the coaching game, it seems the right way to do things. Failure to plan is planning to fail and all that. It reflects the business and athlete model of mission / vision / values as well, though I'm not a fan of those words, really.

Here's what was typed before anything else really happened (formatting odd because it's dumped directly from OneNote):

Project rules

1. Focus on objectives first
2. Plan from objectives
3. Always ready to abandon plan if it's not meeting objectives or a better way to meet objectives is seen
4. Expect to redo everything 3+ times. Never leave well enough alone; it was just an idea in the first place and only execution determines efficacy
5. Adapt the plan to reality: any roadblock requires a full rethink

Drivers: Independence, Experiences, Adventure, Action/Activities, Comfort, Security, Challenge / Sense of Accomplishment

Part time home on wheels to enable and encourage travel adventures for our family.

Budget ~90-95K (now likely $100-115K)
Boondock RV / play vehicle / pickup truck
RV off-grid 2 people, 3-5 nights, 4 seasons
Option for 4 people, 2-3 nights, 3+ seasons

• Fuel​

• Water​

• Electricity​

• Food​

Capable on mild off-road and snow - Some kind of self-rescue options (store winch, tracks, ?)

Play toys - primary focus, hence major garage focus

• Bikes​

• Snowboard / split-board​

• Bouldering & Climbing​

• Hiking / running / backpacking​

• Surfing / SUP (inflatables)​

• Computers / movies - internet and movie screen​

Retail examples (mostly for use of space):

• Winnebago Revel​

• Sportsmobile​

• VanDoIt?​

Large garage, optional toilet and shower, optional 4 seats
Can we get 4 or even 5 bikes in the back?
Move bikes or boards to bumper mount to allow 4 person adventure with lower bunk bed?

Is it worth having a non-engine air conditioning unit? We don't want to be sitting in the van in the heat of day; we should be driving to somewhere we can be active. Skip AC and find places cool enough to sleep. Drive away if it's too hot. (Note: rethinking this now with the crazy heat of 2021 summer)

Building on experience and lessons from the 2011 Sprinter 170 Passenger van.

• Bought in 2016 for $22K with 130K miles​

• ~190K miles in 2020 - ~15K per year​

• Used for camping, climbing, biking, surfing, and touring (and transport)​

• Completely self contained (inside cabin)​

Likes / keep / repeat

• Modular design - change layout and use​

• Front package tray / shelf (no room)​

• Legit queen size bed - standard mattress​

• Garage slide shelf (much larger this time)​

Dislikes / change / eliminate

• Press fit galley 1" aluminum -> 3030​

• Smaller 8020 hard to work -> 3030​

• Bed height difficult to change > motor driven height​

Add / improve

• Storage shelves / cabinets above windows​

• Electric raise / lower bed​

• Larger garage slide (max size)​

• Use 30mm 8020 for everything​

• Consider mounting in undercarriage​

○ Air compressor​

○ Grey water - possible freeze problem?​

○ Fresh water second tank?​

○ Heater​

○ Batteries - not good in cold​

Nice job! I have a lot of similar build features, wondered if you wouldn't mind a few questions. I bought a similar table lift for the exact reasons you stated. Did you consider mounting it upside down, so that the 'top' with the wires was bolted to the floor? I was also trying to find a way not to have a lot of screws or bolts showing through the panel/upholstery. How did the Duo Lock (3M?) panels work out? How did you attache the Duo Lock? Did you consider elevating the legs of the bed so that at full height it was higher?

 

Reserved for "Galley - removable propane and electric cooking including oven, hot and cold water, fresh and gray storage, shower, and ESPRESSO!" post

Galley is currently "not complete" but here's a couple photos of the current state.

The panels are all mounted with Duo-Lock Velcro. Just pop them off to service / maintain everything. The frame, of course, carries everything and the panels are just finishing.

To do list:

• replace the top (this was a 1/2" ply test cut that's been in place for months now)
• get a door on the espresso / sliders opening
• decide whether to keep the current switches or make nice ones

Inside view - propane stove and oven, induction cooktop, sink, espresso, storage drawer:

Back - 18-gallon fresh water fill, shower, 13-gallon gray water drain, electrical:

Lift up the induction cooktop to service the water-heater and some plumbing:
(I really need to get that final countertop cut - this thing is ugly)

Pop a panel off to service more plumbing (stuck on with DuoLock Velcro):

First mock-up of bed and galley with 1x2 structures. Realized the originally planned galley size - 56x24 - was too large. Redesigned down to 51x21.

Another early shot. Galley is in the garage being built. Bed has it's first take at upper frame in place (final version was three iterations later) and fridge box is built. Note there is no electronics installed yet - which later fill the space under the fridge. One of the benefits of the modular approach. Also note the blue tape on the floor to mark planned locations for the slider and electronics and the galley. Building as we got parts in whatever order suited.

Basic frame of the galley built. Just enough to hold the key parts to assure they're generally going to work. The sink hadn't arrived, so part of the fan was serving as a place-holder for the sink. This layout worked. So back to the garage to flesh it out further. Notable is that the electrical was being started at the same time / day this went in. And the roof rack came next. Then back to the galley. Just working on whatever made sense at the time - and however the distribution of duties fit best.

First temporary countertop cut, stove mounted on sides, sink installed. Layout didn't quite work - induction location not good and not enough room for the faucet. Chucked the top and cut another one.

New top re-cut. Everything installed. Water working (gotta find or take photos of that). And working on how to do panels. These just didn't look very good. Meanwhile, electrical is installed - you can see wires just under the bed going over to the galley.

Thought I'd throw one in showing how the table acts as a counter-top extension. Good for extra cooking / prep space.

The changes after this were mostly just getting panels that worked. After dropping a bolt on the induction stove and breaking the glass, replaced it with a new one that fits and looks better. Then adding the outdoor shower off the back of the galley and getting valves set to connect to the upcoming shower - which will be fed from the pump and fresh and hot water in the galley.

The finished photos are the first ones in this post. The velcro attached method for the panels worked out beautifully - aesthetics are good and function is great. Function first, form second for us, so... nailed it.

I'll pull all the panels and get some photos of the plumbing and electrical setup.

 

Electrical - 8kWh 24V Victron spend-fest
(broken links fixed 2021/12/13)
(diagram added 2022/07/07)

A recent-ish photo of the whole kit-and-caboodle with the fridge and seat/shower modules removed. Clearly some cable re-route cleanup needed. I swear it WAS clean for a while... then more things got installed.

Initial install was just the truck-side power. We used it for a couple short trips. CCP2 2/0 cable to 150A circuit breaker (was 120A in this photo); CCP1 1/0 (or #2?) to 50A circuit breaker; 4/0 ground bar to B-pillar D-ring hole. Then from 150A breaker back to 2.2kW inverter with #2. In this photo, we were using the inverter as our sole AC and CCP1 / 50A as our "house" 12V setup - hence the fuse block where it is. As in the above photo, the fuse block moved later to the back with primary feed off house batteries and secondary (through A/B switch) to this 50A / CCP1 source.

Initial layout of the house electrical system. Still a bit of the tape left that marked were we /thought/ things would go. In this shot, the anchor for the batteries is built - but not nearly as secure or complete as it will get. Cool feature on these batteries: 300A fuse and an on/off switch built into the batteries. Two less things for me to do. One plus/minus is that they use Anderson 175A connectors for the wiring. That's why the batteries have to be off-set - that hole in the bottom of the back battery is where the wiring goes. It worked out great, but seemed a bit annoying at first. You can see two photos down how the wires on the near battery wrapped /around/ the rail - and that's why the rail is off the deck - has to be to allow clearance for the connector and wires.

Meanwhile... while I'm building the house electrical in the van, my son has built the frame for the solar panels and it's ready for mounting. So we use all our rock-climbing / rigging skills and figure out how to get this stupid thing up on the roof - on top of our rack we'd built. Once it's up there, he's busy cabling and mounting it and I'm back to the internals.

By the end of the day, it looks like this. It's all up and running but not all the 12V loads are set up. The AC is just a cut-off extension cord hanging out the back - half for the out-bound (inverting) side, and the other half as the in-bound (charging) side, which is connected by a short extension cord to the Giandel inverter. Not pictured... well, I'll use a different photo for that.

This photo is a bit later - wiring is cleaned up a bit. If you look closely down in that hole of wires, there's a fuse/bus-bar on the left side (info later in post) and on the right, a ground bus-bar. The narrow blue box is the 24VDC>12VDC converter - which then goes to the 12V fuse panel. There's the two fuses for the solar feed in the middle, MPPT controller, then the Cerbo unit all the way in top-right.


The AC connectors in the Multiplus go to the outer two connectors here. The middle one (as labeled) is from the truck inverter (alternator powered). That's a 1-foot cord connecting the truck inverter to the house charger (right port - AC input plug). We don't do much shore-charging; but if we want to, we unplug that right one and plug in an extension cord (run it through the window) and we're up. Left side is the GFCI off the Multiplus inverter; all other outlets are chained off that GFCI. If something were wrong with the Multiplus inverter, just use the truck plug right there. Didn't bother to put a switch for the rest of the outlets to feed over.

A little closer view of the fuse panel, battery circuit breaker, and DC source switch. 200A breaker at 24V = 4.8kW (actually more like 5.4kW with lithium ~27V standard full charge) = more than enough power at full pull. The switch decides whether that 12V fuse panel is fed by the Victron 24VDC>12VCD unit or from the truck's CCP1 always-on feed. Considering replacing the fuse panel with a breaker panel (already bought it) but also considering how many loads I'd still /want/ a fuse on for safety reasons. 🤔

Truck-side electrical - charges house batteries and is backup for 120VAC and 12VDC:

* Van has dual-alternators - plenty of power at idle for ~2kW output​

* Van has dual batteries - solid backup that we can (and did) operate from​

* 2.2kW Inverter connected to CCP2 via 150A circuit breaker​

* CCP1 feeds backup 12V via 50A circuit breaker (A/B switch for 12V house fuse panel)​

House electrical:

2 x Big Battery 24V 170Ah LiFePO4​

Victron MultiPlus 24/3000/70-50 120V​

Victron SmartShunt 500A​

Victron SmartSolar Charger MPPT 150/35​

Victron Orion 24/12-Volt 70 amp DC-DC Converter​

Victron Cerbo GX with GX Touch 50​

Cabling is mostly Windy Nation flexible cable - pretty nice stuff to work with​

Terminal lugs are also mostly Windy Nation - seem pretty good when done right​

4 x Rich Solar 200W 24V panels on the roof​

​

First rig we built we were more focused on the electrical. It seemed like a big deal. Everyone made it sound like a big deal. We had three HUGE batteries that occupied a lot of the garage space (~4.5kWh usable). And a big "electrical board" like so many do. This time, it wasn't even a priority; it's the electrical - we'll get it done when we get the parts and take the time. It was a day to do the truck side and another day to do the house side. Funny how that goes once you've done it a couple times and it feels comfortable.

This rig, the electrical is all hidden away - except the cool touchscreen control. Eventually, none of the guts will be visible (yes, there's adequate cooling / venting - or I'm pretty sure there is). But - function over form - we haven't gotten to all the cover panels yet.

Batteries:

Central focus for any boondock setup is the batteries (RVs and trailers are sometimes "shore power" focused so batteries are less of an issue). Everything else is optional and dependent on needs. It is possible to function off the stock truck battery (we did for two months) but the battery is central. Everything else is just the "gozintas" and the "gozoutas" for the batteries.​

​

Battery choice matters: how many, what kind, what layout, what voltage. I see many folks focus on the solar or the DC-DC or whatever... and frequently insist that "I'm staying 12V on everything to keep it simple." Which is hogwash, ultimately. I love the example of the MaxxAir fans dying because they're hooked up to a LiFePO4 "12V" battery. Yeah... 12V isn't 12V. The truck battery is FLA/AGM and their 12V is lower than most LFP "12V." I'm not going into the details (plenty of places to read about that); but it's true. And I say, "most," because there are also some all-in-one (please don't call them "solar generators" 😄) that actually run a lower-voltage setup for their LFP - another long story. So... why does that matter? Because as the power usage / demands / storage goes up, it's "more efficient" to use higher voltage setups. Again... not going into it here - plenty of posts and discussions on that.​

​

All that to say... battery setup is 24V. Inverter/charger is 24VDC (and 120VAC). Solar is set up 24V and delivers to charge the batteries at 24V(-ish). Fridge is 24VDC. There's a DC-DC unit to drop back to 12V for those things that need it.​

Solar Charging:

800W - all set up for "tilting" but we're not going to do it now - alternator charging is plenty​

(more later)​

​

Alternator Charging:

CCP1 goes to 50A circuit breaker, then to the A/B 12V switch (see below)​

CCP2 goes to 150A circuit breaker, then to Giandel 2.2kW inverter​

Giandel inverter goes to a wall-outlet that has a short plug directly to the 15A input​

AC Power System(s):

GFCI outlet connected with other outlets around the rig​

15A Input plug​

DC Power System(s):

24VDC bus-bar with integrated fuses. Terminals connect to:​

2 batteries co-terminate (through main 200A breaker / switch first)​

Inverter / Charger​

Solar Controller​

DC-DC 24V>12V (and 24V connection to refrigerator)​

A/B switch to go between the DC-DC 24V>12V and the truck CCP1 12V source​

Output of this goes to the below 12V Fuse Panel​

12VDC Fuse Panel​

House lights (4 LCD dimmer controllers)​

MaxxAir fan​

12V fridge connection (backup to 24V)​

Air Lift compressor​

Internet router (MUDI)​

WeBoost Cellular booster​

Viair 400P Air Compressor​

Battery heat pad​

Fresh water heat pad​

Multiple 12V "power point" outlets​

Cerbo GX:

Man, this thing is super cool. Especially for not having to DO anything to get it to work.​

(more later)​

 

Initial install was just the truck-side power. We used it for a couple short trips. CCP2 2/0 cable to 150A circuit breaker (was 120A in this photo); CCP1 1/0 (or #2?) to 50A circuit breaker; 4/0 ground bar to B-pillar D-ring hole. Then from 150A breaker back to 2.2kW inverter with #2. In this photo, we were using the inverter as our sole AC and CCP1 / 50A as our "house" 12V setup - hence the fuse block where it is. As in the above photo, the fuse block moved later to the back with primary feed off house batteries and secondary (through A/B switch) to this 50A / CCP1 source.
View attachment 159637

Truck-side electrical - charges house batteries and is backup for 120VAC and 12VDC:

* Van has dual-alternators - plenty of power at idle for ~2kW output​

* Van has dual batteries - solid backup that we can (and did) operate from​

* 2.2kW Inverter connected to CCP2 via 150A circuit breaker​

* CCP1 feeds backup 12V via 50A circuit breaker (A/B switch for 12V house fuse panel)​

Alternator Charging:

CCP1 goes to 50A circuit breaker, then to the A/B 12V switch (see below)​

CCP2 goes to 150A circuit breaker, then to Giandel 2.2kW inverter​

Giandel inverter goes to a wall-outlet that has a short plug directly to the 15A input​

I like the nicely spaced-out studs on your negative ground bus bar. What size in AMPs is the bus bar and what size are the studs? Can you share a link for it?

Thank you

 

"Garage slider - the WHOLE garage slides out" post

Last rig, we built a slide-out tray with full-extension heavy-duty sliders, a plywood base, and angle aluminum frame and /packed/ three bikes onto it, usually. It worked fine for snow season as well - full load of boards and gear slid right out the back to gear up. Going into the design on this rig, it was, "that was awesome; but what if the WHOLE garage slides out?"

Started out looking to make a large version of the previous tray. Then came across truck-bed slides. Re-evaluated the costs on some LARGE heavy-duty sliders and suddenly paying $1000 for a ready-to-go slide-out tray seemed reasonablle. Purchased from Slide-Master: 76" x 50" aluminum with 70% extension, 1000 pounds weight limit. Just over a grand delivered. Didn't go full-extension because it would have made it another inch-plus taller. 70% extension has been fine.

The slider comes with a bare aluminum frame. We cut and disassembled the previously installed floor in the back, removed the polyiso insulation - leaving just the 1/2" EPS and the 3/4" plywood - and bolted all the way through the floor with 6mm and 8mm bolts with large washers and nylon lock nuts on the bottom. Then put a 3/4" top on the tray. Then (finally got around to it) routed grooves to counter-sink the L-Track and added a sturdy rubber mat.

The left-side rail works well for having something to lash things against. So far, doesn't seem necessary on the right side.

We have loaded it with crap for a dump run. It's done a couple track weekends with the street bike. It's regularly used for 3-4 sport trips with up to four bikes and all other sorts of gear. The slide-out function makes it really nice to load and unload - especially with climbing and snowboarding gear on one side and bikes on the other - you're actually loading/unloading from the side / 3/4 angle.

Last trip, my son wanted to get more bed height, so we compressed the forks as well. Seemed to work fine.

Track weekend:

Two-person, two-sport:

Three sports (there's snowboards in there as well):

 

Looking forward to your build. Sounds fantastic.

 

Mostly already built. Just gotta get the posting going. Hopefully, some of it proves helpful / inspirational.
I've certainly garnered a LOT of help and inspiration here. 🤗

 

Wow, your attention to detail in documenting this build so far is pretty amazing. Looks awesome! Great job so far.

 

Thank you, good sir. Over-detailed... 🤓

 

"Removable recirculating shower" module post
Updating the post with progress - shower module is complete, recirculation is still not addressed

The shower module is based on a 21 x 35 shower pan with a lower sump section and a higher section for the toilet to mount. It's tight inside; but we're small people. The module can be removed with some gymnastic difficulty by rotating and tilting then sliding it out the slider. It was a single-person job when it was just a frame; but it's harder to handle with the panels on - a 2-person job now.

Walls are corrugated Lexan panels - very light and seem strong enough... plus they're slightly opaque but keep everything looking light and open. I tried a couple methods but ended up cutting them with a utility knife and a straight edge; then eventually moved back to a jigsaw but with a metal-cutting blade. A bit tedious; but the best result - with just the right blade speed it doesn't melt the plastic.

The upper Lexan panels surround the top of the shower (keep the water in) and are held on with Dual Lock velcro. They need to be removed to move the module in/out, so dual-lock was the best setup there; there's a bit of puzzle-fit as well - using a notch in one to hold the other in place.

Shower head has a quick-release and is shared between the inside removable shower and the outside one (on the back of the galley in the slider area).

Worth noting that adhesives stick VERY well to the Lexan panels. It was a bit rough when I screwed up installing panels and had to re-do the adhesives. Retractable RV Shower Door is held on with double-stick tape as well.

Lexan panels are held on with clear 1/2" VHB tape. Stuff is amazing. But a beast to work with in some ways.

In the upper left corner above, you can see the two mixers for water supply. The bottom mixer is for hot and cold water, it then goes into the upper mixer, which can mix the fresh water supply with recirculated water (eventually - when I get that all working). The dual-mixer setup is zip-tied onto the aluminum framing so it's sturdy but not noisy and not putting any strain on the Lexan panel. I'll probably need to add some neoprene cushion as well.

Underneath the module, the drain goes to an electric 2-way valve. One way goes to the 1" drain line which exits through the bottom of the van. It is joined by the over-flow drain before exit. Hopeful plan is to dial the pumping for recirculating to maintain the level between the bottom and top drains; anticipating the pump will be plenty strong and it'll be an issue of dialing that mixer correctly. 🤞

I need to move the pump over a bit and connect it to the other side of the drain valve. Originally, I was going to have the filters before the pump... but I don't like the siphon mess that creates. I'll take a chance with the pump, just use the pre-filter, then push the water into two more filters before running up to the recirc mixer. The filters will mount on the side of the shower behind the driver - just above the pump in this photo. That should allow them to be visible and serviceable - significant issues, I think. The pre-filter should be visible and serviceable from the front of the shower.

Here's the hot and cold water lines routed from the galley over to behind the driver's seat. The third blue line is the output from the under-mounted 20-gallon tank, which feeds to a hose-bib valve near the slider door. Right next to that blue line is the 1" through-hull fitting for the drain from the shower.

Here's the lines routed up through the wall behind where the galley sits. I'll get a photo of how they're currently terminated shortly - need to remove the galley to repair the power slider door. The one is now terminated at the hose-bib accessible by the slider, the hot and cold are now terminated at inlets that are connected to the galley hot and cold lines.

Other side of those lines are these two valves to connect the shower.

The top of those lines feed the dual-mixer manifold for the shower. The open slot you see here is where the recirculated water will be fed / mixed back in. These lines are just kept exposed but they're behind the driver's seat and not very noticeable.

Next steps - first get it totally functional without recirculation:
1. Get the drain working - I think I need to re-do the lines to get them to line up with the hole in the floor
2. Connect the hot and cold water (attach valves to the feed lines, run lines from mixer to lower part of the module, connect hoses between them)
3. Water-proof all the corners (using knock-off Flex Seal tape)
4. Make the top splash panels and fit them

It's fully functional now but without recirc. Next, back to the recirculation:
1. Move the pump over and connect to the drain diverter valve
2. Mount the two filters on the side of the module and plumb them down to the pump and up to the mixer.
3. Get the valve electronics working - initially with a switch, then with a switch AND notification light

 

Preview of "Removable recirculating shower" module.

The structure is built and it is removable as-is. Only the drain plumbing is complete - including the 2-way valve for redirecting recirc / drain - and the pump. But that leaves a LOT of work. Undecided on the wall material. Leaning toward Lexan panels then cover them with some other interior look. Still unclear how to finish the top. Might need to be removable panels in order to get the module in and out - then install the panels inside and somehow assure water-proof-ness? 😏

View attachment 159483

I mean a removable shower is crazy talk Do you even need a top/ceiling?

 

How about a retractable plastic shade or something...like the nautilus shower doors but just for the ceiling. That would make it super removable and keep most of the splash within the shower area

 

Man... that would be cool... could be... but I haven't even been able to figure out how to do a retractable window covering yet.

 

What sort of filtration are you planning on for the recirc shower? Seems like a combo of the 5 micron 10" carbon cartridge filter plus a UV light would do the trick but we'll see. And are you going to be running the filtered water back through your hot water heater or how do you plan to keep it warm? I have a surecal calorifier (aka hot water heater that uses engine coolant to heat the hot water) so I'm thinking of running the shower water through a multi-plate heat exchanger that's also hooked into the calorifier's coolant loop to warm the water but the devil's in the details as I'd like to be able to just maintain a certain shower water temp so I'd have to have a couple of temp sensors and some 'smarts' to control the coolant pump to try to maintain that temp. The other option is to just have a 1 or 2 gallon hot water heater dedicated to the shower and just have it set to maintain the temp you want...
Still thinking about this one 🤣

 

What sort of filtration are you planning on for the recirc shower? Seems like a combo of the 5 micron 10" carbon cartridge filter plus a UV light would do the trick but we'll see. And are you going to be running the filtered water back through your hot water heater or how do you plan to keep it warm? I have a surecal calorifier (aka hot water heater that uses engine coolant to heat the hot water) so I'm thinking of running the shower water through a multi-plate heat exchanger that's also hooked into the calorifier's coolant loop to warm the water but the devil's in the details as I'd like to be able to just maintain a certain shower water temp so I'd have to have a couple of temp sensors and some 'smarts' to control the coolant pump to try to maintain that temp. The other option is to just have a 1 or 2 gallon hot water heater dedicated to the shower and just have it set to maintain the temp you want...
Still thinking about this one 🤣

Can't find my pencil-and-paper sketch right now - which is how I do anything unless I'm going full computer. So I'll try the written version. 😏

I looked at a LOT of designs - from really complex, fully automatic to fully manual with one mixer for fresh and another for recirc. Even dug into a few of the Euro house designs - as well as some very simple RV setups. I decided to keep it simple-ish. Ideally, it will just work as a non-recirc - which is all we had in the past, so that seems good.

We've got 18 gallons of fresh water inside the rig and another 20 gallons under the rig. And a 4-gallon Bosch water heater. Primary feed to the shower is straight from the internal fresh hot and cold - already plumbed and ready for me to get working. With the Bosch at ~140F, should be a 50/50 or less - so an 8-gallon shower is possible for starters. But hoping to get better with recirc.

Two "drain" systems:
1. drains down to the gray-water tank - both from the drain and from an over-flow;
2. pumps the drain water through filters then up to a mixer then to the shower head.

Two "supply" systems:
1. standard hot and cold mixer - feed side feeds into second mixer;
2. second mixer combines fresh hot/cold with recirculated, filtered.

Plan is to only use recirc to lengthen one shower - not to scrub the water for multiple showers. So hoping to do it with a minimum of filters. Currently have one small basic filter (can't recall size) then a large 100-micron easy-clean filter then going to a high-flow 0.5-micron disposable filter. Hoping that will be enough to keep one shower going for a while by just adding some hot water now and then. Might add another 50-micron or smaller easy-clean if we clog the big one too fast.

Current plan is just to use the bottom of the shower basin (with a wood grate over it) as the recirculated water supply. I haven't tested this yet, though. If that's not enough, then I'll need to convert the gray-water tank into a recirc storage tank and things get more complicated - especially for the removable bit. Hoping the current plan will work.

So a shower would involve switching the drain valve to recirc, then starting with standard hot/cold mixer until there's enough water in the basin, then engaging the recirc pump. Then using the second mixer to determine how much water from recirc and how much from fresh. I'm thinking if I can get a 10-minute shower with only 3-4 gallons of water, that'd be fantastic.

It's partially assembled... but zero testing yet. I keep rethinking things and moving back to other projects. It'll progress eventually... 🤔

 

I also don't like the idea of holding the water over from showers for a later use regardless of filtration.

Maybe a crazy idea, but with "single use water" is recirculation possible without filtration? 🙄 Hear me out. Is it much different (more gross) than taking a bath. Say a bath is 30 gal vs 3 gallons for the recirculating part of the shower. If you do an initial wash where you are able to remove 90% of the nasty stuff from your body with that water drained, then the recirculating water is no different then a bath. You can always do a final rinse with fresh water if desired.

Adding the complexity of a heat exchanger for the recirculating part of the shower seems like it would be worthwhile. Then shower could then be as long as you want to without having to mix back in more hot water might. I suspect the water might cool off rather quickly so a lot of fresh hot water may need to be added defeating a good deal of the water saving. Figuring out the heat loss might be worth some sort of a simulated test before you get too far down the line. With the heat exchanger, electricity is only resource need to extend the shower. Really long showers would be a good way to justify all that LiFPO4 you've got. 😁

I do like the idea of a portable unit and the use of the shower basin as the supply, maybe add some sort of sump in it for the pump if needed. You would want to have a way to empty the sump when done.

 

I like this guy's setup as he's just using a heat exchanger paired with a thermostatic mixing valve to control temps so I think I will likely copy his design.
011 - Hour Shower 2.0 - The Heated Hour Shower! - YouTube
although I intend to stick to the 5 micron whole house filter + UV for my multi-person usage. The whole house filters won't be a whole lot more expensive than the 20-micron filter he's using over time.

I also don't like the idea of holding the water over from showers for a later use regardless of filtration.

Yeah, I think for us we'll all take showers and then dump it, but it will be shared

Maybe a crazy idea, but with "single use water" is recirculation possible without filtration? 🙄 Hear me out.

Yup, I think it is; but only for a one-person use. with four people....yuk.
I could see just straight recirculating your water while washing and then switch on a filter loop for rinsing. BUT, I think if you want to incorporate UV you want it to always be filtered before it hits the expensive UV bulb.
At about the 19 minute mark of the video I linked above he recommends adding 1tsp of Epsom salt to the .5 gallon of water he's using to help the filter separate the soap from the water so that may be an idea to incorporate as well.

 

Hi
Awesome build. Thanks for sharing.
Questions;
Did you get the factory installed second alternator?
Did you add all the windows?
What is your total build weight?

 

Thx, @JMBoise.

I need to figure out how to make that window-sticker thing readable.

Factory dual alternators (and dual batteries, FWIW).

Windows were ordered from Ford that way. It's a "Cargo with windows" order - only way I could get single rear wheels with all the windows; otherwise, I'd have ordered a Passenger rig. Would have cost less, too. 🤔

Total weight is around 9,000 right now. We weighed at 9,500 when we had it loaded with gear and everything for a trip. Still handles fantastic. Gas mileage is 12-14mpg, though.

 

What a treat. Beautiful work, and I'm only half way through the thread. Looking forward to reading the rest tomorrow. Thank you for taking the time to write it all.

 

Thanks, @eranrund. I've enjoyed perusing your thread as well! Sharing all the ideas makes cool stuff happen. 😄

I really like the all around window set up. Vans are pretty narrow, so things can get claustrophobic quickly. Only issue for me might be no flare outs for sideways bed. Was told by manufacturer that sideways bed saves you 20" in back, which if you are going with a 148" wheelbase, not extended 148 could be an issue.

Agreed on the windows stuff. Had a couple friends climb in the van last night and commented that it seems more spacious than some small RVs. An illusion, of course, but the windows and the offsets on walls / cabinets / windows help with that illusion, I think.

The width savings is an interesting one. We pondered this on the previous van as well. There's a hidden advantage to the N-S setup: the mattress sits into the rear door-frame by 8-9" (potentially 10" depending how the mattress rests against the rear pillars). A queen mattress is 60x80 (that's what we're running). So switching sideways is clearly 20". But it's actually only 10-12" in final use. Then there's the fact that you /can't/ get a queen mattress E-W - the max is about 75" without pop-outs. Add pop-outs and you can /maybe/ get the 80"? But sacrifice insulation options - not a /really/ big deal compared to windows, but it's a thing. Without pop-outs, you're down to a 5-7" difference. And now you either have to go with a Full mattress (54x75) or go to a custom-cut foam. I prefer an actual, comfortable mattress - not just "a really good RV setup." So... 🤷‍♀️

At minimum, the savings with a queen mattress is 12".

Then there's the raise/lower bed thing: a bed going E-W pretty much has to be in the window insets - can't sit partially in the rear door, again. Meaning the up/down function is down to less than a foot. That's not so great for garage space. We moved a couch last night: put the bed on high and tons of room. So that alone pretty much seals it for us.

If we build one in the future, I'll re-consider a shorter rig. Maybe I'll change my mind on the N-S/E-W. But with the raise-lower thing, probably end up back on N-S. But it will certainly be a re-consider if we were in the shorter rig. 🤔

 

I really like the all around window set up. Vans are pretty narrow, so things can get claustrophobic quickly. Only issue for me might be no flare outs for sideways bed. Was told by manufacturer that sideways bed saves you 20" in back, which if you are going with a 148" wheelbase, not extended 148 could be an issue.

 

Here's a stretch of an idea....for the recirc shower...could something like this be used?

Amazon.com: BACLAUGH Low Profile Oil Drain Pan 17 Gallon Portable with 12V DC Centrifugal Electric Pump and 8'' Hose : Automotive

Buy BACLAUGH Low Profile Oil Drain Pan 17 Gallon Portable with 12V DC Centrifugal Electric Pump and 8'' Hose: Oil Drains - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

Clever!

 

Haven't seen the video before, Dave. I'll check it out tomorrow. Off-base / off-track / off-topic? That's the sub-title for this whole forum! All good. But doesn't mean I won't harass you.

 

Great build! Really like all the adaptability

 

Would love to see more photos of the "Removable recirculating shower" module. It's time for me to start building mine and I very much like where yours is going.

 

"...mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently...”
View attachment 159423
View attachment 159452

1. Guiding Plan
2. Initial Order and Purchase
3. Overall build - floor, insulation, 8020, templates, etc.
4. Bed - electric raise / lower plus 'couch mode'
5. Galley - oven, hot and cold water, fresh and gray storage, shower, and ESPRESSO!
6. Electrical - 8kWh 24V Victron spend-fest
7. Garage slider - the WHOLE garage slides out
8. Removable recirculating shower

Others (TBD):

• Refrigerator cabinet / mount (over electrical cabinet)
• Propane locker
• 20-gallon under-chassis fresh-water tank (currently functional but still a lot to do)
• On-board-air system - Viair 400P Automatic with 2.5-gallon tank
• Air Lift Load Lifter 5000 Ultimate with Wireless Kit
• Road Master Active Suspension - Heavy Duty kit

• MaxxAir fan rear install - the overkill install
• Scopema swivels on 2020 power / heated seats - how we protected the wire and raised the seat mounts
• Air compressor and tank - compressor for air up/down and bikes, tank for blowing things clean
• Propane locker - 3030 framed enclosure, vented, sealed with tape
• Upper cabinets - 3030 framed, hinged doors, latches, varied sizes - focus on things looking "spacious"
• 2-person seat - not comfortable for anyone other than children, runners and rock-climbers
• DIY roof rack - HPDE bases, angle aluminum uprights, 30mm aluminum structure (and why we're probably going to re-build it)
• Air Lift suspension with remote
• Lagun table mount by slider - table for swivels AND extra counter-top

More:

• Wall panels - attaching with Duo Lock velcro connecting - panels pop off, invisible attaching
• Bug screens for slider and rear - I've bought four but none seem right
• Cellular amp - in use but not "installed"
• Exterior lights - flood lights for camping and driving - still in the boxes
• Espar B4L install - in the box now, getting ready to mount behind driver's rear wheel
• Sound-bar and sub for music in the rig - ultimately for movies as well

The intro post:

I'm gonna put up a thread since I keep thinking I should. I'm going to try to document (with photos and parts lists) the things we did that aren't the standard stuff. So not as much attention paid to insulation, floor, swivels or solar panels - plenty of that here and elsewhere. Maybe a little bit on the aluminum extrusion model, though that's got plenty of traction as well (aka 8020).

I'll link to each post for the key build topics. Nudge me if I screw up or miss or skip something.

I'll do the "reserved post" for the first few and then just do the others as I get around to it.

If anything looks interesting but I haven't done it yet, nudge me; that's more fun than working off of my own "to do" list.



Planned but not executed at all yet - help me figure these out!

• Stereo upgrade - speakers and whatever... amps? DSP? don't know yet
• Finish work to pretty up the walls and doors and window openings - really lost on this
• Window covers - might just buy them if I can get over the price
• Bedliner cover on exterior lower plastic panels and rockers
• Wheel well liners
• Roof rack fairing
• Monitor / screen for watching movies in bed
• Floor-based vent to pull more air - or keep using the windows cracked?
• Front skid / bash plate
• Add RPI for remote access / monitoring

Love what you have done. I would love to duplicate your slide out and bed system as its one of the most functional I have seen to date.

 

Thanks, @Bent1.

It's always about the, "what are your objectives" game, y'know? That "bring all the toys" thing for us makes the garage and slider a big focus. It creates limitations, of course: there's not much "fixed" space on the sides of the slider; it would be pretty tough to put the electrical system or any water storage in the back; probably other things, as well. But #1 target for us is all the gear that we're bringing for the adventure.

Looking forward to seeing how you do it!

 

got it njvagabond. Thanks!

 

Propane locker.

Last rig, we used an 11-pound propane tank with our inline shower water heater. It was such a convenient size and shape we considered using it again in this rig. Then we decided maybe an under-chassis tank was a better idea. But the convenience of filling this tank is hard to beat. We bought another one and tried it with the oven to see how well it holds up - how much propane does the oven use? We've used the oven and stove a lot and only used half a tank, so we're keeping it.

Initially, it was just strapped onto the back of the galley. Probably fine. But why not do it right? So... how hard IS it to do it right? Our understanding is that the issue is propane is heavier than air - more like a liquid than a gas (like natural gas), so the problem is that propane will "pool" as it invisibly leaks out - making the floor of the van ready to burn up. So the solution is to put it in a "bucket" of sorts with a hole in the bottom that drains to the outside, where it can drain / dissipate. Not super rocket-science. And, let's face it, anything we do is better than it just strapped in there; so... hard to go wrong with such a low bar!

It's tucked as close to the rear wheel as possible.

Those two wood pieces just drop in. Keeps it from rattling around while being easy to remove. The hose just sticks out that side opening. Not perfectly sealed, obviously, but significantly better than it was, right? And simple.

Everything is lined with an off-brand Flex Seal tape. Seems fine. You can see the hole down at the bottom corner - using a 1" PVC pipe. Didn't want to actually fill it with water to test... but it seems good.

 

Roadmaster Active Suspension post ($550 direct purchase)

Just installed them this afternoon. Short test-drive showed a noticeable decrease in squat on acceleration. Taking corners at twice the recommended speed seemed a bit better than previously, but it's hard to say. No noticeable increase in roughness or anything negative.

Installing them didn't take too long once I got the van off the ground and got over my fear of such a heavy rig resting on the jack-stands while on our angled driveway and all that. As always, first one took an hour and a half; second one took a half-hour. Of course, it took me an hour to find my jack-stands and wheel-chocks. Too much stuff in the garage.

My high-tech method of getting the van off the ground. Three 2x4s stacked on top of the hydraulic / jack-stands. It works. But it really doesn't instill confidence.

 

Roadmaster Active Suspension post ($550 direct purchase)

Just installed them this afternoon. Short test-drive showed a noticeable decrease in squat on acceleration. Taking corners at twice the recommended speed seemed a bit better than previously, but it's hard to say. No noticeable increase in roughness or anything negative.

Installing them didn't take too long once I got the van off the ground and got over my fear of such a heavy rig resting on the jack-stands while on our angled driveway and all that. As always, first one took an hour and a half; second one took a half-hour. Of course, it took me an hour to find my jack-stands and wheel-chocks. Too much stuff in the garage.

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My high-tech method of getting the van off the ground. Three 2x4s stacked on top of the hydraulic / jack-stands. It works. But it really doesn't instill confidence.
View attachment 159889

Hoping to install the RAS next weekend. Any tips on lifting the van? Which point did you place those 2x4s underneath, is it one of the official jacking points? If I recall correctly those lift the axle so that won't get the desired effect.
I don't currently own the Unijacks but seems like a thing worth having. I saw some people mentioned they lifted from underneath the tow hitch, but I am not sure how sketchy that is. Don't have a lot of experience lifting vehicles...
Thanks!

 

Air Lift Load Lifter 5000 Ultimate and Wireless Kit post (~$500 on Amazon)

Just realized I didn't post anything about this. And, of course, they're visible in the RAS post above.

Inflation to full, then dropping to lowest setting. You can see the height drop a bit. Of course, it will actually drop further when driving as it settles.

We put the manual inflation Schrader valves under a cover by the fuel tank.

Air Lift observations:

Primary driver was the van was chewing holes in our driveway with the tow hitch if we forgot to do the angle right when pulling in. Which, of course, meant it was scraping elsewhere at times. How to fix that? Add heavy springs? Don't want the stiffer ride, really... it rides SO nice on a smooth highway. Bags seemed a best-of-both for clearance and the /option/ to stiffen up the suspension.

Outcome was immediate: push the button to take it to 100psi and no trouble hitting at all. Drove it a few thousand miles of all terrain and concluded that running 25-30psi regularly stiffened up the suspension just enough to take it back to feeling more like stock - or as much as it could after adding 3,000 pounds. Up it to ~60psi and it was a bit "stiff" which /might/ have helped on sway / turns? Hard to be sure. But noticeably stiffer. Accidentally leave it at 100psi after putting it up for clearance and feel freeway inconsistencies like a sharp whack.

Then realize the bags are also like an RV-leveling system "lite" version... feeling pretty happy about that. Get it close left-right with the front end an inch higher and use the Air Lift to get it perfect. Love it.

Ended up removing the tow-hitch as well... don't really use it and can always put it back on with a half-dozen bolts. Plenty of clearance now.