best homemade van build forum, expo forum for van builds seems dead

[paddlenbike]

I find Sprinter forums to be a good place for high quality builds. If Sprinters are your thing, I have a youtube channel (ourkaravan) as well as a website https://ourkaravan.com. Plenty of info there to keep you busy for days on end.

 

[KlutchInd]

I find Sprinter forums to be a good place for high quality builds. If Sprinters are your thing, I have a youtube channel (ourkaravan) as well as a website https://ourkaravan.com. Plenty of info there to keep you busy for days on end.

Checked out your site for a minute. Some great details in there. I like the idea of building with extruded aluminum for us guys who don't weld but may want to try something other than wood.

 

[paddlenbike]

Thank you. I partly attribute the nice final product to the extruded aluminum. Unlike wood, you cut it and bolt it together with angle brackets and you've got a 100% perfectly-square frame. This makes attaching drawer slides and drawer fronts a cake-walk.

Had I done my cabinetry any other way, I can guarantee it would have been crap.

 

[Christian P.]

I find Sprinter forums to be a good place for high quality builds. If Sprinters are your thing, I have a youtube channel (ourkaravan) as well as a website https://ourkaravan.com. Plenty of info there to keep you busy for days on end.

Really interested to know more about the cabinets - especially the finishing bamboo. Let us know when you update your site!

 

[s.e.charles]

https://www.youtube.com/user/cargovanconversion

 

[brianjwilson]

I find Sprinter forums to be a good place for high quality builds. If Sprinters are your thing, I have a youtube channel (ourkaravan) as well as a website https://ourkaravan.com. Plenty of info there to keep you busy for days on end.

Thank you. I partly attribute the nice final product to the extruded aluminum. Unlike wood, you cut it and bolt it together with angle brackets and you've got a 100% perfectly-square frame. This makes attaching drawer slides and drawer fronts a cake-walk.

Had I done my cabinetry any other way, I can guarantee it would have been crap.

Thanks for putting up your videos and stuff, I know I’ve watched quite a few of them for ideas too.

I always enjoy seeing everyone’s different ideas come together, and how they set things up for their kids. Mine are 2 and 4. I love the 2 person bench seats and how much room they leave, but I don’t want my kids to be able to touch each other on long trips. Haha

 

[paddlenbike]

Thanks for putting up your videos and stuff, I know I’ve watched quite a few of them for ideas too.

I always enjoy seeing everyone’s different ideas come together, and how they set things up for their kids. Mine are 2 and 4. I love the 2 person bench seats and how much room they leave, but I don’t want my kids to be able to touch each other on long trips. Haha

The van is sure a great tool for traveling comfortably with kids. I have really enjoyed the van build but I'm glad it's almost done.

 

[brianjwilson]

The van is sure a great tool for traveling comfortably with kids. I have really enjoyed the van build but I'm glad it's almost done.

I know the feeling! I’ve had mine more than a year, living in it half time, some 60% completed. Rounding up another 3 weeks off trying to get us much completed as I can. Cannot wait to be done with it.

 

[torqluvas]

This has been a really good read Ive wondered the same why this site has been so slow, not much new or unique same old same old 4x4 conversion on an eseries again, alumines bumper and onbaord air kit with wheels and 35 tires....smb forum seems to have more interesting discussions.

 

[jacobconroy]

I've been posting my progress with my antiquated 4X4 van. Granted, it hasn't been exciting, just fixing broken stuff in preparation of the fun stuff.

But, there hasn't been much reaction from the community.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

 

[akskiffer]

If you have a van that you are working on/building and don't have a build thread (somewhere)then you are part of the problem (with forums like these slowing down). Everyone wants to search up detailed threads with lots of pictures of exactly what they want...and then they get that information and never reciprocate...forums are two way streets guys, you got give as much as you get.
My build thread is over on the dieselplace site now (because I'm still working the engine/body swap) but will migrate here when I begin the interior build out and want to leverage off that knowledge that is more focused here.
The instant gratification of Facebook groups, Instagram, Pinterest etc...is hurting the dedicated forums, a lot of good info is in non-searchable format when it's broadcast like that..

Len.Barron I agree and I'm starting a build thread.

What I think would be great is a 1500H1(AWD) branch for our vans, I have been using the forum search and the main 35 page thread is too much for me to recall which page had my interest.

YO, WEBMASTER /RINGLEADER CAN CHEV 1500 AWD PLEASE HAVE A BRANCH ALL THEIR OWN?

Thanks,
Tod
'09 express 1500 H1(awd) LT

 

[Scotty D]

The brutal truth is that forums in general are dinosaurs from a bygone era.
No idea why but people just dont use them anymore despite the fact that they are the best peer to peer knowledge sharing platform ever devised in human history

 

[Pntyrmvr]

They gather on Facebook. I know lots of businesses that don’t update their sites, just add to their facebook page. Easier for them, but not my cup of tea.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

 

[motovan_mn]

The brutal truth is that forums in general are dinosaurs from a bygone era.
No idea why but people just dont use them anymore despite the fact that they are the best peer to peer knowledge sharing platform ever devised in human history

I LOVE forums. The SMB, Ford transit, and Mercedes sprinter forums seem fairly active. But maybe not as active as they used to be. Maybe ExPo is not the right place for vehicle-specific topics because the subject matter is so diverse.

The FB groups and subreddits don't even compare in terms of depth of technical knowledge available. So many easy questions and stupid answers being shared there, when a quick search on one of the forums would yield dozens of threads with the info they are looking for. As often as possible I try to guide people toward the forums when they have questions.

 

[Scotty D]

I LOVE forums. The SMB, Ford transit, and Mercedes sprinter forums seem fairly active. But maybe not as active as they used to be. Maybe ExPo is not the right place for vehicle-specific topics because the subject matter is so diverse.

The FB groups and subreddits don't even compare in terms of depth of technical knowledge available. So many easy questions and stupid answers being shared there, when a quick search on one of the forums would yield dozens of threads with the info they are looking for. As often as possible I try to guide people toward the forums when they have questions.

I dont understand the appeal of facebook groups
The one for baja is so hard to use efficiently yet thats where everyone goes to ask questions