[OldMadBrit]

Wow fabulous build and incredible workmanship.

 

[Rolf]

very nice build, how are you liking your AMA slider windows and are they
keeping the water out on those really rainy days like the slider area especially?
I am thinking going glue in route myself for my slide door window.
I like the the tires too , what brand and size did you go with and are you
happy with them, they change your mpg much?
The Topo carving is really cool and perfect placing

 

[coguzzi]

excellent build right here--great job

 

[JustAnotherUser]

very nice build, how are you liking your AMA slider windows and are they
keeping the water out on those really rainy days like the slider area especially?
I am thinking going glue in route myself for my slide door window.
I like the the tires too , what brand and size did you go with and are you
happy with them, they change your mpg much?
The Topo carving is really cool and perfect placing

Absolutely love them. When closed I've had zero issues either driving through or being in torrential PNW downpours. When open, they can let a bit of rain into the cabin if the rain is angled towards the window but since I have both sides, I can just crack the other side open.

Tires are Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT E's in 245/70R-16. Ride really well, handle snow, mud, and dirt without issue (we don't offroad but do use a lot of forest roads for access to adventure). Can't say I noticed a MPG change but honestly I don't really pay much attention to it since I'm looking for function when I add something to the van rather than economy.

 

[Bryce.AW]

This is my favorite build on the site, your ideas and style are unparalleled. Are you adding some large wheels/tires to go with that mean-looking bumper, and skid plate?

 

[JustAnotherUser]

Thanks for the comments folks! This build has taken way longer than I thought it would due to various life intrusions as well as feature creep but it's getting so close to be fully buttoned up.

After a fair bit of foot dragging, I ended up pulling the trigger on some Rolef bug screens. We'd always planned to do bug screens but weren't sure we wanted to pay the price for Rolef. Thought about making my own but at this point in the process I'm willing to throw some money at a turn-key option to both save time as well as mental sanity. Didn't quite like the cheapness of the Amazon offerings so it came down to Rolef and "The Bug Wall".
Products - Rolef Canada
Ford Transit Insect Screens for your Van Conversion – The Bug Wall

The bug wall is a little more affordable and it might the better option for folks that have covered their metal van frames w/ auto upholstery since it's held in place by the door gasket rather than velcro strips and self-tapping screws like the Rolef offering. That said, I ended up going w/ Rolef because I really liked the build quality, the additional details, and the fact that the screens were 100% custom. I simply provided them measurements and pictures (and money) and they provided screens that were guaranteed to not interfere with my layout (access to switches, to my drop-down table, etc).

Install went pretty smoothly though I did need to remove some cabinets and panels to get access to the van frame to ensure things got installed in the best way possible. For the rear of the van where I've covered the exposed metal with auto upholstery, the supplied velcro mounting tape obviously did not work so I wound up using a combination of self-taping screws and neodymium magnets to secure the screen. Works super well.

Have some fabric snaps that I'm going to mount to the screen to keep it tight to the cabinet as I don't like the look of a velcro strip being stuck to it.

Rear has a privacy screen that can be put up/down from inside. The whole screen can also be unzipped from inside as well.

Still need to install a wood panel to finish off the rear bed platform...

 

[JustAnotherUser]

...and cause I like to make things more difficult I went ahead and burned time figuring out how to use snap-fasteners so the cabinet wouldn't look like **** with a big strip of black velcro stuck on it.

(ignore the light switch and drawer front, they're getting veneered shortly...)

 

[Brandon]

So would these screens work with an AdWag kit, which covers the metal in the door frames?

 

[JustAnotherUser]

So would these screens work with an AdWag kit, which covers the metal in the door frames?

Daaaamn, just took a look at their stuff. VERY nice.
That said, yeah, it can still work. You could install the screen and then reinstall the covers, you could figure out a way to bond the velcro to the covers, or go the snap fastener route. Definitely options but it would require a bit of careful thought.

 

[coguzzi]

After a fair bit of foot dragging, I ended up pulling the trigger on some Rolef bug screens. We'd always planned to do bug screens but weren't sure we wanted to pay the price for Rolef. Thought about making my own but at this point in the process I'm willing to throw some money at a turn-key option to both save time as well as mental sanity

Since i own an upholstery shop and specialize in vans i always had it in my mind to offer bug screens to the general public at a cheaper price, i now know more and i only offer them to people i do builds for and tell them up front they are not any cheaper than Rolef (which is a good product). they are a total PITA and take a ton of time, rolef is worth every penny

I can not comment on Bugwall because i have never seen one first hand, but me and Rolef use the same fabric which is FMVSS-302 rated for fire safety which is actually the law (and very few actually follow it-none of the "cheap" vanlife stuff is technically legit) this fabric is not cheap at all. and since every one is pretty much a custom, lots of patterning time involved. my very first one i made for my transit went thru 4 versions before i was happy with fit and function. im starting on a sprinter ones tomorrow actually and dragging my feet on it

 

[JustAnotherUser]

Since i own an upholstery shop and specialize in vans i always had it in my mind to offer bug screens to the general public at a cheaper price, i now know more and i only offer them to people i do builds for and tell them up front they are not any cheaper than Rolef (which is a good product). they are a total PITA and take a ton of time, rolef is worth every penny

I can not comment on Bugwall because i have never seen one first hand, but me and Rolef use the same fabric which is FMVSS-302 rated for fire safety which is actually the law (and very few actually follow it-none of the "cheap" vanlife stuff is technically legit) this fabric is not cheap at all. and since every one is pretty much a custom, lots of patterning time involved. my very first one i made for my transit went thru 4 versions before i was happy with fit and function. im starting on a sprinter ones tomorrow actually and dragging my feet on it

Thanks for the insight. Definitely appreciate all the craftsmanship that goes into making these things. The patterning has gotta be a nightmare. Good luck on the Sprinter!

 

[JustAnotherUser]

Finally got around to finishing up the lower cabinet faces. Had originally planned to spray them white but the wife liked the look of the raw wood. I wasn't a fan of the birch ply look so I "compromised" and veneered them in a grain-matched figured maple. Will be interesting to see how the veneer fronts hold up over time. I think they'll be fine but the crazy temp swings a van can see is going to be an interesting stresser. Used a polyurethane glue (OG gorilla glue) so should be waterproof and have zero creep.

One lesson learned, don't use slam latches and soft-close sliders. The soft-close latch mechanism doesn't have the power to close the drawer and engage the latch so you've gotta wait for the drawer to almost close and then go back and push it shut. Going to just remove the soft-close mechanism as I used the Blum undermount sliders more for adjusting the reveal/gap then for the soft-close. If I were to do this again though, I'd either look for a cheaper non-soft-close option or see if Blum's tip-on option has enough holding power to forgo latches altogether.

 

[Vanaroo]

Wow! That figured maple is gorgeous. The grey sets it off really nicely, too.

I made just a small fiddle (shelf edge, not a violin) with tiger maple and it was so hard to get it flat and keep it from getting any tear out (at least for me) because of the "tiger" stripes. But veneer - I'm seeing now that you can enjoy the look without going through that. Smart! (plus, those tenons!)

 

[JustAnotherUser]

Wow! That figured maple is gorgeous. The grey sets it off really nicely, too.

I made just a small fiddle (shelf edge, not a violin) with tiger maple and it was so hard to get it flat and keep it from getting any tear out (at least for me) because of the "tiger" stripes. But veneer - I'm seeing now that you can enjoy the look without going through that. Smart! (plus, those tenons!)

Thanks! Yeah, I love figured woods but have gravitated to veneers recently. It's so **** frustrating to put all the time and effort into something only to have it warp on you. Originally picked up veneers for some marquetry projects but am just finding more and more uses for 'em. That said, I'm planning to play around with stabilizing techniques as I've got some salt boxes I need to whip up and think a figured top will be more durable as a solid board than a veneered core.

 

[xlv]

Thanks for the comments folks! This build has taken way longer than I thought it would due to various life intrusions as well as feature creep but it's getting so close to be fully buttoned up.

After a fair bit of foot dragging, I ended up pulling the trigger on some Rolef bug screens. We'd always planned to do bug screens but weren't sure we wanted to pay the price for Rolef. Thought about making my own but at this point in the process I'm willing to throw some money at a turn-key option to both save time as well as mental sanity. Didn't quite like the cheapness of the Amazon offerings so it came down to Rolef and "The Bug Wall".
Products - Rolef Canada
Ford Transit Insect Screens for your Van Conversion – The Bug Wall

The bug wall is a little more affordable and it might the better option for folks that have covered their metal van frames w/ auto upholstery since it's held in place by the door gasket rather than velcro strips and self-tapping screws like the Rolef offering. That said, I ended up going w/ Rolef because I really liked the build quality, the additional details, and the fact that the screens were 100% custom. I simply provided them measurements and pictures (and money) and they provided screens that were guaranteed to not interfere with my layout (access to switches, to my drop-down table, etc).

Install went pretty smoothly though I did need to remove some cabinets and panels to get access to the van frame to ensure things got installed in the best way possible. For the rear of the van where I've covered the exposed metal with auto upholstery, the supplied velcro mounting tape obviously did not work so I wound up using a combination of self-taping screws and neodymium magnets to secure the screen. Works super well.

View attachment 167686

Have some fabric snaps that I'm going to mount to the screen to keep it tight to the cabinet as I don't like the look of a velcro strip being stuck to it.
View attachment 167687

View attachment 167688


View attachment 167690

Rear has a privacy screen that can be put up/down from inside. The whole screen can also be unzipped from inside as well.
View attachment 167694


View attachment 167691

Still need to install a wood panel to finish off the rear bed platform...
View attachment 167692

Wow, this is a fantastic build. So happy I was able to find this thread in my worm hole search for more Rolef installs. Great job all around.

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I'm curious about your garage dimensions relative to your Rolef screen. I have a very similar bed height it looks like, and am trying to figure out exactly what screen height to go with from Rolef. I'm currently working with them, and myself and the representative are between a couple heights.

My garage "ceiling" is at 38" above factory floor, 1-2" platform (work in progress), 6" mattress, putting top of mattress at 45-46" above factory floor. Since Rolef only adjusts the zipper split height at 5" increments, we're between putting the zipper at either 40 or 45".

For those who may also be curious about Rolef and measurements, the zipper for the upper bed area screen zipper (the zipper directly above the straps for the garage flap), can be ordered at increments of 5" (above factory floor/bottom of screen), so 30", 35", 40", etc.. The screen itself starts at about 5" above that (there is 5" of blackout fabric to roll the screen into). The garage flap when rolled up lays about 5" below the zipper. So, with a 40" zipper height, the screen fabric starts at 45", and the garage flap would roll up to about 35". The 45" zipper height would yield a screen at 50", and the garage would sit at about 40" when rolled up. That screen is currently referred to as MP9093-45, in my correspondence with Rolef.

So there is about 10" of blackout at the transition from garage to screen. The goal in this setup is to have that 10" blackout strip cover the bed platform and mattress while leaving the garage and bed area as accessible as possible.

Your screen looks perfectly balanced relative to the garage/bed height. And your garage and bed dimensions look very similar to mine. I'm surely overthinking this a bit, but its nice to get some reinforcement before shelling out close to 2k on screen doors. Any help/input is greatly appreciated.

Also apologies if this is hijacking the thread, and feel free to delete if it is. I was going to direct message you, but thought other people in a similar situation to mine may find the information helpful.

Thanks much!

 

[JustAnotherUser]

Wow, this is a fantastic build. So happy I was able to find this thread in my worm hole search for more Rolef installs. Great job all around.

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I'm curious about your garage dimensions relative to your Rolef screen. I have a very similar bed height it looks like, and am trying to figure out exactly what screen height to go with from Rolef. I'm currently working with them, and myself and the representative are between a couple heights.

My garage "ceiling" is at 38" above factory floor, 1-2" platform (work in progress), 6" mattress, putting top of mattress at 45-46" above factory floor. Since Rolef only adjusts the zipper split height at 5" increments, we're between putting the zipper at either 40 or 45".

For those who may also be curious about Rolef and measurements, the zipper for the upper bed area screen zipper (the zipper directly above the straps for the garage flap), can be ordered at increments of 5" (above factory floor/bottom of screen), so 30", 35", 40", etc.. The screen itself starts at about 5" above that (there is 5" of blackout fabric to roll the screen into). The garage flap when rolled up lays about 5" below the zipper. So, with a 40" zipper height, the screen fabric starts at 45", and the garage flap would roll up to about 35". The 45" zipper height would yield a screen at 50", and the garage would sit at about 40" when rolled up. That screen is currently referred to as MP9093-45, in my correspondence with Rolef.

So there is about 10" of blackout at the transition from garage to screen. The goal in this setup is to have that 10" blackout strip cover the bed platform and mattress while leaving the garage and bed area as accessible as possible.

Your screen looks perfectly balanced relative to the garage/bed height. And your garage and bed dimensions look very similar to mine. I'm surely overthinking this a bit, but its nice to get some reinforcement before shelling out close to 2k on screen doors. Any help/input is greatly appreciated.

Also apologies if this is hijacking the thread, and feel free to delete if it is. I was going to direct message you, but thought other people in a similar situation to mine may find the information helpful.

Thanks much!

Thanks man! It can be hard sometimes to stay motivated to finish this thing but glad to see folks are finding some of these posts useful.

For my garage area, from the van floor to the bottom of my platform bed is around 910mm (~36"). Here's a pic that I sent Rolef when I was ordering my screens.

 

[MsNomer]

You are not just another user. You are a master craftsman!

How did you attach the snaps to the wood?

 

[JustAnotherUser]

You are not just another user. You are a master craftsman!

How did you attach the snaps to the wood?

lol, thanks

They're just snaps w/ a wood screw attached to 'em.
DOT® Snap Fastener Cloth-to-Surface Set 5/8" Screw (Stainless Steel) (sailrite.com)

 

[crawdude]

Which model Southco slam latch did you end up using for your drawers?

 

[JustAnotherUser]

Which model Southco slam latch did you end up using for your drawers?

Southco M1-61-8 latches