Cargo Van Conversion

In my previous post I glued the panel. Now I’ll continue with the cherry frame. The frame I start with a 2″ thick board that I cut down to the approximate size of the wood that is needed for the two side pieces. The lumber is set aside for a minimum of 24 hours. This…

I have to catch up a bit on things that I skipped, to be able to finish the bed for my recent Christmas trip. The full extension shelf, hidden under the bed, was partially finished, waiting for a 4″ wood extension to make it flush to the bed side panel. Looking at it again, I…

As always, I am already thinking about and preparing for the next phase in this project. Time to start working on the walls (and ceilings… and doors…). Currently thin plywood covered with a green headliner fabric with thin foam backing. A lot of the interior will be finished with a reddish cherry, so a different…

 Another day, another window frame. Today I first removed the two remaining window frames. They have a little damage and after their repair, I will paint them like the others.   Insulation has been applied minimally; lots of spaces around the windows and walls are open cavities, like this area under one of the large…

  Continued today with the side door window frames.   First I removed the door lock pin.   Followed by the window hinge lock.   And finally the screws.   The door looks quite bare without its frame.   Now I still have to dismantle the frame. The blinds were first.   Followed by its…

If I had bought a new van, I would have made new wooden window frames, but since the existing frames are still in good order, I have decided to paint them. Last week I bought a spray paint specifically for plastic. Unsure whether it would hold on the frames, I tried it out and the…

Besides a 110V outlet at the rear doors, a second outlet is planned at the side door entry. I start with a regular Romex house wire in the inverter compartment under the bed. An inverter will be added in a later stage. Because the compartment is directly next to the wheel housing, I have to…

From the beginning I planned to replace the carpet by a similar product but a little compacter and sturdier. But during my last trip I was reminded how quickly such a small place can become dirty. So I started looking around for alternatives. A floating wood floor was attractive, but not practical when the floor…

To continue work on the bed, the 110V outlets are next. A small and simple job. The only 110V will be available at 2 outlets, one at the side entry doors and the other at the rear doors. They will both be connected to an inverter. I started with a shallow outlet box at the…

                Lately I have focused on finishing the bed, so I could use the van on its first trip to South Florida. Still very primitive, with my bed and toilet as only luxuries. It has worked out as expected and future trips are being planned. Now that I…