2022 Ford F550 - DIY - Adventure Expedition Vehicle Build Thread

[Vance Vanz]

Carbon Fiber - Interior Tabbing

Tabbing doesn't look like much, but it is a time consuming process. I just worked my longest day yet, 21-3/4 hours, to get the remainder of the interior tabbing laid up in one go.

All joints sanded and cleaned for tabbing


First layer down


Dry fitting second layer


Cutting all the odd angles/pieces and templating if needed


All ready for the layup and my soon to be AZZ kicking longest day yet ?. There is another stack of pre cut pieces all laid out in the cab over area as well.


Everything finished with peel ply (PP) on and the PP also thoroughly wetted out so hopefully everything comes out looking as smooth as it can.


I'll post some pics of the finished tabbing once it has had a couple of days to dry and the PP comes off.

Onto the next beast of a project, all of the exterior tabbing.

 

[StenchRV]

I just worked my longest day yet, 21-3/4 hours, to get the remainder of the interior tabbing laid up in one go.

HOLLY HECK! I thought some of my 14 hour days were LONG!
I get burnt out now and then! Stay sane kind Sir!

AWESOME work as usual!

CHEERS!!

 

[rruff]

Everything finished with peel ply (PP) on and the PP also thoroughly wetted out so hopefully everything comes out looking as smooth as it can.

Don't you just love laying cloth/epoxy upside down... especially fun when you get too ambitious, and gravity exceeds stickiness...

 

[Vance Vanz]

HOLLY HECK! I thought some of my 14 hour days were LONG!
I get burnt out now and then! Stay sane kind Sir!

AWESOME work as usual!

CHEERS!!

Hey Craig

Thanks and sorry for the belated reply. My next Humaness Check In (post) will shed a little light on where I've been lately and some of the reason why I have been checked out the past few weeks.

I hear you, I have been wavering back and forth with burn out a bit as well. You're not alone, hang in there, you're making great progress.

I'll pop over to your build thread in the next couple of days and see what you have been up to .

 

[Vance Vanz]

Don't you just love laying cloth/epoxy upside down... especially fun when you get too ambitious, and gravity exceeds stickiness...

Hey rruff,

Yes, lucky for me these are thinner layers and I get enough resin on them (use plastic to place some of the layers) so they stay put.

However, the thicker 24oz biaxial tabbing for the boxes that are attached to the underside of the floor did like to defy gravity a bit until I had them pressed and rolled snuggly in place. I remember when one almost came off and was headed for my face/respirator. Oh man that would have been ugly ??.

I was actually thinking of you a couple of weeks ago and was going to send you a shout out. It was when I was doing what would be considered my first round of substantial sanding on the project. You know, that stuff you love so much !

I'll shed a little more light on it and what has been happening on the build as soon as I get all of this tabbing laid down, hopefully by the end of this week.

Thanks for checking in and I hope things are going well with you.

 

[rruff]

It was when I was doing what would be considered my first round of substantial sanding on the project. You know, that stuff you love so much !

Lately I've been getting covered in aluminum dust from cutting and sanding it...

I think your finish is going to be way nicer than mine. Have you considered clear coating the carbon at all? Seems a shame to paint all of it as it's very beautiful with a clear coat.

 

[Vance Vanz]

Humanness Check In (#1 of 3)!

It has been a long time since I have done a humanness check in (HCI), so this is going to be a LONG one. Grab a beer, cocktail, cup of coffee, or run for the hills .

Each time the thought of posting a HCI to the build thread comes up, I always have some reason and/or excuse as to why it’s not that important, it doesn’t matter, I am too busy, etc. These are all just defenses/justifications for me to avoid being vulnerable and share with everyone what has been happening with me on the inside (when I’m not running like a well-oiled machine).

Currently I am in a state of: head down, nose to the grind and I just have to get this monster of a job they call tabbing done. I have found somewhat of a rhythm again on the build, but I am also a bit burnt out and have had to push myself at times to keep working these long days, 12-14 hours on average. Sometimes I am just flat, kind of apathetic, and it is hard to muster up any energy, or reason, to work longer than 12 hours in a day. I basically go through waves each week. Monday I’m usually good, but by Saturday and definitely by Sunday I become a bit fussy and/or apathetic.

I don’t really have days off; I have time off. Basically, if I’m not at the shop working on the build, I am sleeping, grocery shopping, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, trying to meal prep for the week or posting to the thread. And sad to say, my “time off” is usually doing one of the above mentioned items, which isn’t really time off, they are just prepping for the build/work, or meeting basic needs.

Why don’t I just take time off? That is a complicated answer that I will try and briefly summarize.

I already explored most of Boise/Idaho, in the beginning of our trip, when we were in the campervan. We saw and did all of the things we/I wanted to do in the state. I already knew Boise/Idaho was a place I would not consider living, I only moved here specifically for the build and that was supposed to be for 6 months max. I also moved to Boise 3-4 months prior to the build to find a shop, spend time with the friends I am living with, explore the city, date, etc. I was surprised at how small Boise was in all manners of speaking, especially related to dating. To keep it simple, Boise/Idaho is not for me, so there is a push to get out of here as soon as possible. Also, if I take a day or weekend off, I would want to spend it outside of Idaho.

• Note: Please know that I am not bagging on Idaho or opening a dialogue or debate about whether Boise/Idaho is a great place to live. Idaho is a beautiful state and there are great people who live here, it’s just simply not for me.

I also never planned on building an expedition vehicle full time for 1-1.5 years, so this is becoming a substantial (mental, emotional, physical, relational, financial) commitment and time period out of my life. The original build was supposed to take 4-6 months to complete. The 2 year international trip (May of 2020 to June of 2022) was the plan/goal, not the expedition build. When I also consider the time period of the originally planned build/trip, to what the eventual build/trip will be, it becomes even a larger pill to swallow. By the time I finish the build (June/July of 2023) and return from the two-year trip (2025) this whole trip/project/whirlwind, from start to finish, will have been over FIVE years out of my life. This is another reason why everything in my psyche and body says “get this F(insert smiley face)KING build done and start traveling, or you are going to lose your F(insert smiley face)KING mind”.

There are also the financial aspects to consider. Remember, I’m not working right now, so no funds are coming in. When you budget and plan for a 6 month build and 2 years of traveling, and everything gets pushed out, you risk tapping into actual travel/trip funds to pay for extended living and build expenses. If this were to happen, and the actual trip were to become something less than, compromised because of finances, then all of this would definitely not be worth it??. This is another strong motivator to say, “screw days off, I have to get this build done and start traveling so I don’t jeopardize the actual trip.”

Considering all of the factors noted above: The trip will also be a 2 year vacation where I get to do anything my heart desires (anything I can dream up) and in some of the coolest and most beautiful places in the world. So, why would I take a day or weekend off now, which basically means trading a day off now in Boise/the U.S. for a day on the trip. Yes, it has literally become that simple of an equation in my mind and an actual reality given my situation.

You can see some of the pressures at play to just keep working at all cost. Yes, a human is going to start falling apart if they are working 85-100 hours every week for 1.5 years without a day off??. This is exactly what I am doing and I know it is not healthy and not how I want to live my life long term. I am in a state of managing right now. Working this much day in and day out creates distress and I am having to manage this distress. It’s not about thriving, balance, or living my best life right now, it’s about getting through the project so I can start traveling.

 

[Vance Vanz]

Humanness Check In (#2 of 3)!

Slightly shifting/rewinding a bit (and then I will tie everything together):

After the 21-3/4 hour day to get the internal tabbing done, (last post) I was pretty beat and it took a couple of days to fully recover. The following week, I had two people all set to help me lay up all of the external tabbing, if I could get everything prepped in time. Off I went working super long days to take advantage of this and hopefully get all of the external tabbing laid up in one shot.

I somehow ended up working another all-nighter without really realizing it when trying to prep everything. Needless to say, I was sideways and when I left the shop that morning it was also 12 degrees out. I was worried that the cold temp would be the straw that broke the camel’s back to get me sick. If that wasn’t enough, apparently little five-year-old Matthes (the son of the friends I am staying with) brought home the kindergarten-death-sickness a few days earlier. Little kids are soooo cute, but they sure can bring home gobs and gobs of sicky from school. I love that little kid to death ☺?, but he has gotten me sick more times in the last year than I have been sick in the past 10 years.

Because of all of this, I was wrecked, in bed for four solid days. At first, I thought I had COVID, but it was just a nasty sinus cold that ripped through Matthe’s entire school. Everyone in the house also had the pleasure of getting it. By the fourth day of being laid up in bed, the following thoughts were unfolding “what in the hell am I doing in Boise and what in the hell am I doing building an expedition vehicle from the ground up?” “All I wanted to do was go on a 2 year international trip with someone I loved and look at my life now!” “How in the hell did I get here?”

Then came along weight in my upper body, followed by a bit of buzzing in my chest and eventually pulsing in my head. At first, I was sad, the weight. Then I was a bit anxious, the buzzing. Finally, I was frustrated about it all, the pulsing in my head. After sitting with, and in, all of this for a bit, the emotions of despair, futility and ultimately disappointment followed. It sucks to sit with all of these physiological sensations and emotions, but I am a therapist and I know if I don’t feel the feels they are just going to get bottled up and/or pushed down and eventually come out in other, not so healthy and productive, ways. That’s how it works !

Then came along a whole lot of mental constipation ?, evaluation of what I could have done or should have done differently as far as the trip and/or chosen vehicle/type of build. Then the analyzation of pros and cons of continuing the build or stopping it, going on the trip or not going on the trip, moving the build to Colorado, ………….. You get the idea. I call this the once every 2-3 months distress spiral where I’m feeling like shi-t, have hit a bit of the bottom because I am exhausted, sick, and/or burnt out and I start questioning everything. I acknowledge it all, hit the e-brake so it all slows down, take a couple of deep breaths, start feeling the feels (as my clients like to say), and eventually come out on the other side so I can get back to the shop and start cranking on the build again.

So, why is all of this important and why do I share this, or keep doing these humanness check ins. I’m guessing this has, and does, occur (on some level) to everyone who embarks on a trip/build of similar magnitude/size. If no one is talking about this, a person/couple/family could easily perceive that they are the only ones going through this, that everyone else has it all figured out and/or is not experiencing the same kind of thoughts, emotions, doubts and distress. “If no one else is going through this, then there must be something I’m doing wrong, or there must be something different about me”, even worse “there must be something wrong with me!” This can lead to further unnecessary isolation, distress and doubt, whether consciously known or not.

For all of those (people, husbands, wives, partners, dads, moms, etc.) that are feeling and dealing with this type of stuff, and it is not being talked about and/or appropriately processed with your loved ones, it is going to get messy really quick. I remember when my ex and I had similar struggles and miss understandings/communication related to the build of the campervan, which was a much smaller project and investment than the current expedition vehicle build.

 

[Vance Vanz]

Humanness Check In (#3 of 3)!

The sad and humbling reality related to DIY expedition vehicle builds is, the vast majority don’t see the finish line. There are far more DIY builds that are stopped, set aside, parted out, sold partially done, or abandoned all together (for many valid reasons) than are completed. My entire build thread is simply information that hopefully contributes to others using it in ways that allow them to achieve their finish line ? (whether that information be related to the actual materialistic build itself, or all of the: mental, emotional, physiological, relational and/or financial aspects that will also be at play). I want people to have real and objective information related to the entire process of building one of these wonderful yet pain in the AZZ modes of transportation, home and adventure.

Lucky for me, I’m not trying to sell you something, convince you of how you should do your build, or convince you of how great of an expedition builder I am. I don’t need to do the (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook) filtering and only show you how great everything is, or only show you the finished product. Here it is, real and raw, all of it.

That phrase/quote “it always takes more time and money than you think” related to projects, in particular large projects, is never more than true related to an expedition build. Cognitively knowing this is one thing, but being saturated in it for an extended period of time (emotionally, physiologically, relationally and financially) is a whole other thing. I think we all down play this phrase, or under estimate it, I know I did prior to and during this project. I can’t stress enough to factor in being, at least, 30-40 percent over budget financially on your project and, at least 50 percent, if not 100 percent, over on the amount of time/labor you think the project will take.

Even if you are on point related to the amount of money and/or time budgeted for your DIY portion of the project, there are always going to be manufactures, suppliers and/or contractors that will take longer and/or cost more money than you expected. And yes, at times, even if they previously gave you a quote. Heck, there might even be things called COVID, war, or inflation that are completely out of your control, and not really directly related to the build itself, that will happen right in the middle of your build/trip. Be prepared to adapt, and adapt several times, even when you don’t want to.

Remember, these are often multi-year projects whether a professional shop is doing the build and especially if you are doing it yourself. A lot can happen in life over a couple of years, so having the financial cushion, time and/or fallback plan is important. I know a lot of people who pause careers, sell/wrap up a business, sell their house, cash out retirements and/or sell everything they own for a build/trip. These are big life transitions and when you make these types of transitions, or in some cases sacrifices, it can be hard to cope if the build or trip starts to experience setbacks and/or unwanted adaptations/compromises.

This is also some of the distress I am feeling and dealing with related to my build. Things are taking longer than I expected. The actual cost of the build is still on point, (except the additional cost of building the camper out of carbon fiber as opposed to buying a kit habitat camper), but I am incurring more shop rent and living expenses (1 year more) than I budgeted for. I am fortunate to have (a sort of backup plan) close friends that I consider family (Dan, Danika and that handsome little guy Matthes) who have been kind enough to house/host me rent free during the build. This helps to offset most of the unexpected costs, but I am still incurring additional costs. Currently being a workaholic on the build also has the added benefit of saving me money-I don’t spend money on anything because all I do is work. However, if the build takes 1.5-2 years to complete, I will have to tap into emergency savings to avoid tapping into trip funds.

Maybe this goes without saying: I am aware that my situation is unique to me and I have made certain decisions that others may not choose. However, there are general similarities that most people will encounter when embarking on a similar project/trip. Please consider/take what information you find to be helpful, from this post/build thread, and let anything/everything that is not helpful, or doesn't serve you, go.

Thanks for listening (reading) and thanks to all of those who took the time to brave a conversation/experience about distress and emotions .

Time to get back out to the shop. A whole lotta build-thread-update-shenanigans to come later this week after I get the external tabbing down!

 

[rruff]

You certainly bit off a big hunk of gristle! I've been in awe of your progress, but ya... that's tough to sustain. There is a reason why a rig like you are building costs >$500k retail... lots of work involved! On the bright side you are going to have a very nice rig when you are done, that will give you decades of enjoyment no matter where your life leads. The grueling task will fade from memory...

I can certainly relate to being under time pressure, as I did two builds in borrowed space and both took 2x as long as I planned, working 16 hours/day... doing nothing else. Generous people get less generous when you underestimate the time. Those were simple rigs though, 2 weeks and 2 months, and it only took that long because I didn't know what I was doing. Still don't... since for some silly reason I always think it would be "fun" to try something different! Trying to keep it light but strong too, doing things no one seems to have done before (probably for good reason!), searching to see what's available to buy instead of custom fabbing every little thing, wondering if it will break or fall apart, always coming up with a better way after the fact, screwing up and fixing it, etc. I'll be living in the experimental prototype. And I have no time pressure now, so I get to see just how unmotivated I can be when unpleasant tasks come up. Really the only time pressure is that I may be too old to enjoy it before I get finished. And that is something that can happen suddenly.

 

[StenchRV]

Vance,

So well put! You NAILED all the big and small things that go along with a build of this magnitude. There is SO MUCH work people do not see in the thread, working life around the build and not the other way around. I have no idea how someone could build an overland rig of yours, or mine, type and hold down a full time job.
I work 6 1/2 days a week on our rig and have been doing so for months! A year was my target, it will fall by the wayside in April.

I built an airplane before, LONG, intense project. I kind of knew what to expect going into our rig build project. SO MANY kit aircraft projects never see the finish line. You are SPOT ON about builds not being completed. ALWAYS something in the back of your mind.

Builder burn out is real! You need to take a little time out to recoup mentally. I hope when you get to a point where you can get away in your rig, DO IT, it will inspire you when you return.
YES it might add a week to your build but it will do wonders for your soul!

CHEERS my builder friend. Keep the faith and THANK YOU for putting the REAL SIDE of building out there for people to see!

Craig

 

[Vance Vanz]

Lately I've been getting covered in aluminum dust from cutting and sanding it...

I think your finish is going to be way nicer than mine. Have you considered clear coating the carbon at all? Seems a shame to paint all of it as it's very beautiful with a clear coat.

Sanding dust of any kind/material is no bueno. What are you cutting/sanding away on?

Clear coating the carbon fiber was never in the plan for me. I know it is possible with the right UV protectant/clear coat.

My composite panels have a visible seam in the carbon fiber right down the middle, which would not be pleasing to the eye. Also, there are several spots where the carbon fiber fabric weave is a little distorted. Eliminating all of this on large panels would be almost impossible. I'm sure it could be done, but it would be a chore. An all black camper would also get super hot.

Maybe that is the "next level" for a DIY build on the Portal, someone building an all clear/visible carbon fiber shell/habitat box. Anyone up for the challange? If so, I'll definitley be your first subscriber and cheer leader ? ?!

 

[Vance Vanz]

You certainly bit off a big hunk of gristle! I've been in awe of your progress, but ya... that's tough to sustain. There is a reason why a rig like you are building costs >$500k retail... lots of work involved! On the bright side you are going to have a very nice rig when you are done, that will give you decades of enjoyment no matter where your life leads. The grueling task will fade from memory...

I can certainly relate to being under time pressure, as I did two builds in borrowed space and both took 2x as long as I planned, working 16 hours/day... doing nothing else. Generous people get less generous when you underestimate the time. Those were simple rigs though, 2 weeks and 2 months, and it only took that long because I didn't know what I was doing. Still don't... since for some silly reason I always think it would be "fun" to try something different! Trying to keep it light but strong too, doing things no one seems to have done before (probably for good reason!), searching to see what's available to buy instead of custom fabbing every little thing, wondering if it will break or fall apart, always coming up with a better way after the fact, screwing up and fixing it, etc. I'll be living in the experimental prototype. And I have no time pressure now, so I get to see just how unmotivated I can be when unpleasant tasks come up. Really the only time pressure is that I may be too old to enjoy it before I get finished. And that is something that can happen suddenly.

Thanks for the reply and comments rruff .

Also, thank you for sharing some aspects of your own personal journey related your previous/current build(s).

That is a debate I'm always running up against, just buy what is available, or fab what I want exactly. Hopefully it will get easier as I move to the interior, but some little birdy tells me that will not be the case .

Take your time and I'm rooting for you to get in that thing and start enjoying it. If you ever need any motivation, just pop on over, I'll be grinding it out seven days a week. I'm also happy to give you a "HELLZ YAHZ, keep it up" any time you need it ?.

 

[Vance Vanz]

Vance,

So well put! You NAILED all the big and small things that go along with a build of this magnitude. There is SO MUCH work people do not see in the thread, working life around the build and not the other way around. I have no idea how someone could build an overland rig of yours, or mine, type and hold down a full time job.
I work 6 1/2 days a week on our rig and have been doing so for months! A year was my target, it will fall by the wayside in April.

I built an airplane before, LONG, intense project. I kind of knew what to expect going into our rig build project. SO MANY kit aircraft projects never see the finish line. You are SPOT ON about builds not being completed. ALWAYS something in the back of your mind.

Builder burn out is real! You need to take a little time out to recoup mentally. I hope when you get to a point where you can get away in your rig, DO IT, it will inspire you when you return.
YES it might add a week to your build but it will do wonders for your soul!

CHEERS my builder friend. Keep the faith and THANK YOU for putting the REAL SIDE of building out there for people to see!

Craig

Thanks for normalizing, validating, relating and sharing Craig.

Although small in stature, compared to say building a house, these are BIG projects. There are so many custom decisions, components and materials. A small army to help out would be nice, detail oriented and build proficient of course so they don't just screw things up ??.

I knew it was going to be a lot of work. The part I was not prepared for was building the shell myself and the amount of time the composite work was going to take. Even though I've been at the composite work on this build for some time now, I'm still surprised, in disbelief at times, about how much time it takes. The tabbing alone on the outside of the camper that I just completed took two full weeks to cut, dry fit and layup. I realize I'm basically building a custom yacht for land, by hand, but it is still hard to wrap my head around how much time composite work takes.

I'm glad you are taking some time off and time off in the rig. I'm still a bit out for that, but I may take some time off in the spring/early summer if I'm still cranking out as many hours on the build as I currently am.

Thanks again for relating and sharing and I look forward to seeing more of those finishing touches on your build whenever you get back at it.

Vance

 

[rruff]

The aluminum is parts for the truck-camper interface, bumper, and step. I'm cutting it all freehand with an angle grinder and bolting it together. Didn't want to buy more tools that I'd then need to get rid of.

Heat in the sun would not be ideal, but it wouldn't be any hotter than other campers that are painted dark. I was actually thinking the roof would be white, and that you'd paint a design on the sides with the carbon visible in the background. You could work around the places that don't look so good. Not trying to talk you into more work... . Maybe you know an artist would like a big canvas? The carbon looks really nice with a shiny surface... looks very deep and 3d.