1993 Mitsubishi Delica - Desk To Glory

DeskToGlory

Adventurer
Flooring, Bed Platform Install, Cabinets

The first thing I had to do was tear out all of the spray foam insulation that I found EVERYWHERE in the van. Eventually I had a clean slate to work with.

I started by laying down some Fat Mat Sound Deadening/insulation on the engine hump and flooring. There are a couple of spots on the rear wheel wells that may need some minor rust repair in the future so I left those bare for now. I cut two pieces of 1/2" birch ply as a subfloor and bolted them down through the body at each corner. While I was at it I made sure to install the bottom plate of our Odyssey Battery hold down.

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Next up, vinyl plank flooring! I figure that the vinyl plank would hold well to temperature changes and moisture, so I spent a couple of hours cutting it up and snapping it together. Right now it's floating on the subfloor to allow for some expansion/contraction due to changes in temperature. It may get glued down with construction adhesive at some point.

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The carpet in this thing was pretty gross. Obviously there are no ACC carpet kits for Delicas so I grabbed some indoor/outdoor carpet from Princess Auto (I'm assuming it's similar to Harbour Freight) and went to town laying it out with some heavy duty Velcro attached with contact cement.

I slapped together a little side cabinet with my mediocre wood working skills and bolted it to the side of the van. There won't be any cooking happening inside the van, but there's enough room in the cabinet for a small sink (actually a stainless steel bowl with a hole cut for a drain) and a little storage.

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DeskToGlory

Adventurer
Dual Battery Install

The Delica "house" battery wiring is well underway. The PC1500 34/78 Odyssey battery and hold down is the only new piece in this setup. I stole the used BlueSea SI-ACR isolator, Blue Sea 6 Blade fuse block (along with the 4 ga wires), and 100A fuses (on either side of the isolator) from the dual battery setup we have been using in the truck for the last three years. I just need to add the 85W Samlex solar kit (also from the truck) and we're in business! Zap zap! I'm pretty stoked that I have plenty of room for additional batteries this or the adjacent compartment if (when?) I decide to add capacity to the system. I expect one 68Ah is sufficient for weekend trips, but for full time van living/traveling double that would be the preferred option.

I used a 55Ah battery with this setup in that past (powering led lights, ARB fridge, USB/12V plugs, and the 1000W inverter) and it was just right, but with the addition of a Fan-Tastic Vent fan running through the night (albeit intermittently with a thermostatic switch) I think double the capacity with one more battery will be favored. If I can scrounge up enough cash in the next month or so I'll just add the second battery while this Odyssey is brand new.

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DeskToGlory

Adventurer
Upper/Lower Ball Joints and Tie Rod Ends

So, thanks to Coombs Country Auto I was able to order upper/lower ball joints, and tie rod ends and receive them the following day. I knew that the CV boots were torn, but once everything was apart it was obvious that the CV axles were pretty wasted as well. Rocky Mountain Imports had some minty used axles I bought as replacements (the only option I could come up with on short notice) so that got added to the project.

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The Delica fought back with some broken bolts, but between the new tires and freshened front end, this thing now drives like a dream.

L300 Manual can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzB5se1b1BFNRmZUUzRmLW9jc2s/view
 

DeskToGlory

Adventurer
New Seat/Bed Cushions

So it seems that foam is pretty expensive no matter where you get it from. I ended up buying three pieces of 4" thick foam from the aptly named Foam Shop. They also make covers in house so I got a few to match the foam pieces at the same time.

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Toasty

Looking for that thing i just had in my hand...
Looking great man! We just got a 91 4WD Delica added to our local group, neat trucks. Kind of miss mine now.
 

Thirty-Nine

Explorer
This must be a first: I saw the vehicle before seeing the build thread. I love what you've done with the place ... er ... thing. That interior is great. Looking forward to seeing more about this van.
 

DeskToGlory

Adventurer
Dometic Fan-Tastic Vent Fan 2250

After spending a couple nights in the van without a vent we decided this should be a priority. The heat in the summer is one thing, but the humidity is another. Nobody likes waking up hot and clammy. Gross.

The Delica currently (get it, electric current? Anyways...) has a small 68Ah house battery so I went with the thermostatically controlled fan to allow for intermittent use throughout the night, and therefore energy savings.

There was only one spot in the roof the of van that didn't have a sunroof or structural supports so it made for an easy decision of where to locate the Dometic. A jigsaw with a fine-tooth metal blade made an easy job of cutting a giant (okay, 14"x14") hole in a perfectly good roof.

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I picked up some sealant locally from Total Composites and laid it quite thick with a double bead between the flange and roof, pre-drilled the holes, and used the supplied metal screws to mate the vent to the roof. I listened to advice and only lightly tightened the screws in hopes that the sealant would remain between the fan and the van roof. Once installed I taped off the perimeter, ran a bead of sealant around the fan, wiped clean with my finger, and removed the tape for a sharp edge that nobody but myself will ever see.

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All that was left was connecting to my Blue Sea fuse block and enjoying comfortable nights in the van.
 

DeskToGlory

Adventurer
This must be a first: I saw the vehicle before seeing the build thread. I love what you've done with the place ... er ... thing. That interior is great. Looking forward to seeing more about this van.

Thanks dude! Looking forward to when you buy one for yourself ;)
 

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