"One Piece At A Time" Build
- Thread starter Corneilius
- Start date
Corneilius
Adventurer
I really like it. It hangs a bit higher than shown in the pictures. The fabric and zippers feel heavy duty and it collapses down flat when not being used. It can also stand upright by itself which makes it super easy to pack inside. I did have concerns about one seam that appeared to be unraveling but it hasn't gotten worse, just a few stray threads. I got mine from REI which had the same price as elsewhere and free shipping and most importantly if the fabric fails or the zipper breaks they'll swap it out no questions asked.
Corneilius
Adventurer
Thanks, the finished sink cabinet turned out nice and functional. Very happy with it. More pictures to follow, these are still backdated about a month
Corneilius
Adventurer
The walls of the sink cabinet are just 1/4" luan. They are pinched in the channels of the 80-20, was a little tricky to assemble but doesn't use any fasteners to hold the panels on.
The doors are just two pieces, one slides in the front channel of the 80-20 and one slides in the rear channel. Works well and the doors are easy to flex slightly and remove entirely if totally access is required.
Im using a foot pump to draw the water from one 7 gallon relience tank and using the other for gray water. This allows me to dump my gray water easily whener permitted, and swap out fresh tanks with one ill carry on the rear bumper I'm designing.
Ive got a 12v water pump in my parts pile but have always hated the noise they make while constantly cycling on and off. This design also bypasses the need for an on/off faucet and conserves water. A big carryover from camping out of my truck was that I really wanted to be able to brush my teeth and wash my face inside. Cooking can be done outside, but I hated having to go outside to use water.
Toilet is a (too) small model, named Vagabond. Simple and easy, and the wife is happy just knowing that if she does have to go in the middle of the night she doesn't have to get out.
The lid had gotten a little scratched so i decided to freshen it up
A bungee hooked onto the 80-20 rounds out the cabinet for now. The toilet has to be pulled out manually but I've got slides for it
Corneilius
Adventurer
The counter top is a piece of 3/16 alum cut to fit the sink. A friend of mine made the sink for me. I added a spout from 1/2" copper with a hose leading to the foot pump. Works well, plenty of pressure and volume (too much if you pump quickly)
For the "mattress" I went with a 2 stage setup. 3" of soft foam on top of 2" of firm foam. Bought them at a local fabric place and had the guy trim them to size for me. Then I spray glued them together and then to a backer board
Then, hastily to get it ready for the first trip, we wrapped the cushions with an old bed sheet we had that was pretty close in color to the disc o bed. It turned out OK, but we are on the look out for a marine grade canvas to make removable covers from. We have 2 dogs and they get dirty, a lot. Washable covers are a must
For the "mattress" I went with a 2 stage setup. 3" of soft foam on top of 2" of firm foam. Bought them at a local fabric place and had the guy trim them to size for me. Then I spray glued them together and then to a backer board
Then, hastily to get it ready for the first trip, we wrapped the cushions with an old bed sheet we had that was pretty close in color to the disc o bed. It turned out OK, but we are on the look out for a marine grade canvas to make removable covers from. We have 2 dogs and they get dirty, a lot. Washable covers are a must
Corneilius
Adventurer
Corneilius
Adventurer
Once the sink was done I started boxing in the passenger side wheel well. I decided to extend the box in both directions from the wheel well and use the extra space as tool storage. I managed to cram my tool bags, ratchet straps, plug kit and some other random stuff into this tiny space so I was very pleased. It also doubles as a foot rest when the bed is in couch mode.
This will be painted the same gray as the sink cabinet, and eventually all the Mark III wood will be sanded and painted the same shade. The idea being to make it look like one conversion instead of 2.
Im really pleased with how the layout turned out, when not in "camp mode" there is a nice walk through design and it is easy to load and unload things with plenty of cargo space. I wanted a camper van without having a one trick pony and I couldn't be happier with the interior. Just a few things left to do.
This will be painted the same gray as the sink cabinet, and eventually all the Mark III wood will be sanded and painted the same shade. The idea being to make it look like one conversion instead of 2.
Im really pleased with how the layout turned out, when not in "camp mode" there is a nice walk through design and it is easy to load and unload things with plenty of cargo space. I wanted a camper van without having a one trick pony and I couldn't be happier with the interior. Just a few things left to do.
Corneilius
Adventurer
^^That was about the state of the build out for her maiden voyage. We made it to UJOR Van Camp with no issues and went all weekend with no surprises. We did learn several lessons though.
1. The toilet is too small for regular use, emergency only/ empty every day. That said it was indispensable when it was cold and raining the second night.
2. The backpack mounted to the barn door is too large to be practical organizer. The main compartment was just too big and things got buried. I really liked the side pouches though, more on that later.
3. Seven gallons of water was just enough to get through 3 days of wide open use. Using it frugally we can probably get 4 days, another tank hanging on the swing outs will get us 5-8 days of non potable use.
4. Profitt???
1. The toilet is too small for regular use, emergency only/ empty every day. That said it was indispensable when it was cold and raining the second night.
2. The backpack mounted to the barn door is too large to be practical organizer. The main compartment was just too big and things got buried. I really liked the side pouches though, more on that later.
3. Seven gallons of water was just enough to get through 3 days of wide open use. Using it frugally we can probably get 4 days, another tank hanging on the swing outs will get us 5-8 days of non potable use.
4. Profitt???
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Corneilius
Adventurer
Next up I decided that the External frame back pack on the forward barn door had to go. I loved having an organizer/storage there but the main compartment was too big. I also needed someplace to put trash and all the garbage that accumulates while traveling. Plan is for a trasharoo off the back eventually ( have one on my trail rig and I love it). This project won't be for food waste but all the other random bits. In addition I decided to make a MOLLE panel so I can still have the storage that I loved with the backpack.
The other main problem with the backpack is that it protruded too far into the passenger compartment, limiting the recline of the passenger seat. My new "tactical trashcan" wouldn't stick out as far
Cut, bent and welded the basic shape from 16 gauge.
Redid the MOLLE panel in aluminum for some contrast, and hung it on the door in a location that doesn't interfere with anything.
Added a MOLLE pouch (more to follow) and some shock cord for holding rain coats/ dog leashes, other BS.
Here she is on her second trip out.
The other main problem with the backpack is that it protruded too far into the passenger compartment, limiting the recline of the passenger seat. My new "tactical trashcan" wouldn't stick out as far
Cut, bent and welded the basic shape from 16 gauge.
Redid the MOLLE panel in aluminum for some contrast, and hung it on the door in a location that doesn't interfere with anything.
Added a MOLLE pouch (more to follow) and some shock cord for holding rain coats/ dog leashes, other BS.
Here she is on her second trip out.
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ColoradoChris
Member
Where is the like button? Great use of space, I can't even think of things that well organized, let alone actually build them.
