Jeaninne's 2006 Sprinter Conversion

[rockbender]

Thanks for the detailed post on the contact cement, Paul! I'm really looking forward to trying it out and learning more about using it for different processes. I very much appreciate the time you take to detail your builds out here AND answer questions along the way - I know it take a lot of time!
cheers,
josh

 

[java]

Every time Paul starts one of his builds I find myself looking at craigslist and ebay for sprinter vans....

Can't wait to see what this one looks like.

I wish someone would bring him a window passenger van to turn into a mild dual purpose people hauler adventure van.

I have this same problem.

Cant wait to see another Jenson build!!

 

[Kilroy]

Sams club has same foam flooring, except one side is different colors. I believe price is significantly cheaper.

 

[PaulJensen]

05

Jeaninne needed her Sprinter for a few days, and I had another project (four, large, really cool cedar entry columns) that I was able to make progress on while the Sprinter was away...Then I was knocked flat on the couch for a few days with that cold that's been going around...All that is history now, back to work...

(above) The lower walls in the Sprinter will be cedar, selected from several big stacks of 5.5" x 72" fence boards... Only clear and knot free made it into my shop... It all was run through a surfacing planer to ensure consistency and remove the rough sawn texture... The grey thing on the floor is the factory plastic panel from another Sprinter I converted and it will be used as a pattern for the wheelwell cutout...

(above) A pair of 1" wide strips were ripped from each board then side nailed to the remaining piece...

(above) Another set of boards were ripped right down the center to create the filler pieces that will fit between the edge nailed boards...

(above) The boards are nailed top and bottom to another pair of cedar strips...A full length wall panel can be build on the shop table this way...

(above) The wheelwell pattern is traced to the cedar panel...

(above) The cutout was simple with a jigsaw...

(above) So easy this way...

(above) After a few electrical cutouts and holes for the factory hold-downs, the panels were installed...

(above) Another view from the side door... The Sprinter is going to be a dual purpose vehicle, a bedroom for "camping out" and a pallet hauler for transporting fruit from Eastern Washington... Jeaninne prefers to keep the wheelwells as they are... Covering them over later would be pretty simple...

(above) The cedar will get a penetrating oil finish... It's going to look rich...

 

[spencyg]

Jeesh....the bar just inched up a bit higher.

Fantastic as usual. The interior of this thing is going to be so very nice.

SG

 

[jerdog53]

That's Lovely!

 

[Rbertalotto]

Contact cement on the roof?

Will this adhesive resist the heat that will be on the roof? What if the van was black? I love the idea of using adhesives for these builds but just don't know enough about them.

Nice build BTW

 

[Stitebunny]

I would love to drive that around with a permanent cedar smell! Mmm!

 

[PaulJensen]

maybe we could get the six-month report from Alex as to how the cork is holding on?

see post #67 http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...version-for-Alexander?highlight=alex+sprinter

I'm not sure how often Alex checks in here, and I can't answer for him, but I can report that my van has the same ceiling insulation, adhered with the same adhesive, and it shows no signs of sagging... I put mine up at least a year before Alex's and I'm pretty sure it's been through temperature swings at least as great as his...I see no reason to look for a substitute for Wilsonart 751...

I did have adhesion issues with some pressure sensitive adhesive (peel and stick) when subjected to unsupported horizontal loading... Not so much on a vertical load... The pressure sensitive sheeting is also unforgiving if the mating surface is in any way dusty... Aerosol contact cement is way more forgiving that way too...

 

[PaulJensen]

Contact cement on the roof?

Will this adhesive resist the heat that will be on the roof? What if the van was black? I love the idea of using adhesives for these builds but just don't know enough about them.

Nice build BTW

If I had a black van, I'd probably paint it white because a black roof doesn't make sense unless you live in a place where you want the roof to be a heat magnet...As far as using an industrial strength contact cement, I wouldn't hesitate to use it on a black van ceiling... The stuff seems to get stronger over time...

 

[PaulJensen]

06

(above) With the lower wall design built and roughly in place, a folding bed platform, that fits flush to the walls was mocked up from scrap strandboard and hardware...

At the bottom is a wall section, capped with a rabbeted piece of fir...Piano hinged to the fir is the folding bed section... The platform will be wood slats...

(above) The slat sections will be middle hinged with bolts, nuts and washers...

(above) With the platform lowered it will drop down horizontally like this...There will be matching folding bed platforms on both the driver side and curb side walls, meeting in the middle...

At this point I hadn't decided how to support it for the anticipated load of up to 400 pounds...

Overnight I eliminated a bunch of possible support options and you'll see what I came up with later...!!!... It's pretty simple...

I'm curious, what would you do to support it...???...Post up if you have an opinion...

Jeaninne again needed the Sprinter back for the weekend and a few more days, so I will start to fabricate the bed and support assemblies while the van is gone... Stay tuned...

 

[papaduc]

Hmm.
The quick and easy way, since the roof ribs are still exposed, would be to hang it from the ceiling at the center where they will meet and add a tab at the secondary folding joint to keep it from "over folding".
I have a one piece folding bed in my NV 2500 and just use re-cycled folding table legs to support it.

 

[PaulJensen]

Hi again Southpier...

This is the second or third build thread I've done where you come in and seem to be making some kind of degrading point even after I answer your questions... I'm here to share and encourage... Why are you here...???...

 

[ersatzknarf]

Thank you, Paul, for sharing and for your encouragement!!!

 

[mikracer]

Folding leg supports? I installed some on my gaucho bed in our SMB.