Vanessa, the Jersey Girl
- Thread starter SirMrManGuy
- Start date
SirMrManGuy
Observer
The place around here has a $250 minimum order....
It's mostly done now, I'll just use what I've got.
The track is called l-track, the two lower bits are surface mount so be they sit back out .5in and have a lip. Ordered from Amazon like most of the van.
Unwrapped my Hull liner carpet and found that I really don't like the silver grey color, way too light for me. With restocking and shipping it's too much so I'm selling a big roll of anyone wants it and is reasonably close. https://baltimore.craigslist.org/bpo/6085417346.html
SirMrManGuy
Observer
Started fabbing up the bed frame. It feels really good to be making things out of metal again, stuff I actually know how to do.
It has some rails to hold my folding table.
The fresh water tank will sit behind the fridge. There will be a space above it which I'll mount the inverter and solar charger and other electrical stuff.
Had to make the bed bolt together to get it through the doors
It has some rails to hold my folding table.
The fresh water tank will sit behind the fridge. There will be a space above it which I'll mount the inverter and solar charger and other electrical stuff.
Had to make the bed bolt together to get it through the doors
wjeeper
Active member
Looks like some great progress! I had originally planned on a platform like yours but we had to compromise for something better suited for daily driving/ people hauling. Still wish I had built a more dedicated set up like yours.
Love the welder too! I have burned probably a dozen or more ten pound spools through my 140. Great DIY units!
Love the welder too! I have burned probably a dozen or more ten pound spools through my 140. Great DIY units!
SirMrManGuy
Observer
Thanks wjeeper... Feels like slow going.
Sorry for not posting for a few days, making progress though.
Little bracket to hold my sillcock (in the trade term for a hose tap is a sillcock... Many inappropriate jokes were made).
Bracket for the water pump.
Flipped the awning brackets around and trimmed a bit off them to get it closer to the roof. It now sits even with the drip rail.
Mounted some lights under the awning. There are two mounted to the roof rack feet.*
Had a trial of it.
Made a bracket to hold my propane tank to the pillar behind the door. Will cut and grommet a cam buckle strap to length to hold the tank.
Rebecca also carpeted that pillar and the wheel wells. Filled the square holes in the pillar with some lexan for the top ones since it bends better and 5mm ply on the bottom ones which were flat. Looks a ton better.
Mounted the switches and outlets to the panel that will sit behind the seats. From left to right: switch for inverter, AC power outlet, DC cig lighter and USB plugs, 8 switch and breaker panel, face plate for voltmeter, and in the far right water tank fill door.
The power meter is an $18 Amazon job, it has good reviews but the mounting is a bit annoying, two little tabs designed to mount to sheet metal, so I had to make this plate. The switch is a dpdt to switch between measuring charging and discharging current.*
Did a job I had been putting off for days... Drilling holes in the roof for the solar cables. *There is supposed to be a third for the lights but I lost the nut and washer to the third gland so I need to order another. Painted the edges of the holes after drilling then siliconed them in. *The battery cables are ran through the floor with similar glands. It's pouring down rain now, should be a good test of my work.
Sorry for not posting for a few days, making progress though.
Little bracket to hold my sillcock (in the trade term for a hose tap is a sillcock... Many inappropriate jokes were made).
Bracket for the water pump.
Flipped the awning brackets around and trimmed a bit off them to get it closer to the roof. It now sits even with the drip rail.
Mounted some lights under the awning. There are two mounted to the roof rack feet.*
Had a trial of it.
Made a bracket to hold my propane tank to the pillar behind the door. Will cut and grommet a cam buckle strap to length to hold the tank.
Rebecca also carpeted that pillar and the wheel wells. Filled the square holes in the pillar with some lexan for the top ones since it bends better and 5mm ply on the bottom ones which were flat. Looks a ton better.
Mounted the switches and outlets to the panel that will sit behind the seats. From left to right: switch for inverter, AC power outlet, DC cig lighter and USB plugs, 8 switch and breaker panel, face plate for voltmeter, and in the far right water tank fill door.
The power meter is an $18 Amazon job, it has good reviews but the mounting is a bit annoying, two little tabs designed to mount to sheet metal, so I had to make this plate. The switch is a dpdt to switch between measuring charging and discharging current.*
Did a job I had been putting off for days... Drilling holes in the roof for the solar cables. *There is supposed to be a third for the lights but I lost the nut and washer to the third gland so I need to order another. Painted the edges of the holes after drilling then siliconed them in. *The battery cables are ran through the floor with similar glands. It's pouring down rain now, should be a good test of my work.
SirMrManGuy
Observer
Not really, the holes are drilled exactly to size and they are double shear tabs. It's super sturdy, especially with the feet bolted to the floor. That said there are two more legs in the middle that aren't in that picture, but they were a bit of an afterthought mostly to mount the water tank an panels to. I'll take another pic of that in the morning.
Oh yeah wjeeper... I've had that welder since I was 18 so 14 years, done a ton of welding. I only ever run flux core through it, could never get gas to weld smooth with it not sure why. I'm a bit spoiled now days, I usually have access to big 220v machines but there is no where to plug one in here.
SirMrManGuy
Observer
Got one of the walls up... Would have done both if we hadn't screwed up and carpeted the wrong side of one of the panels....
I'm really happy with how this one came out though.
Did some wiring of the roof lights... Lots of heat shrink and braided nylon sleeve... And some weather pack connectors.
There are 6 circular lights which are a warm light, two bright strip lights over the bed wired to the house battery and a dome light wired to the Chevy wiring.
If anyone buys Dream lights brand *LEDs, be aware that white is ground and black is positive. Confusing.
Don't mind the plastic on the circular lights, I'll peel that off one they are installed.
Rear roof panel:
Front panel:
I'm really happy with how this one came out though.
Did some wiring of the roof lights... Lots of heat shrink and braided nylon sleeve... And some weather pack connectors.
There are 6 circular lights which are a warm light, two bright strip lights over the bed wired to the house battery and a dome light wired to the Chevy wiring.
If anyone buys Dream lights brand *LEDs, be aware that white is ground and black is positive. Confusing.
Don't mind the plastic on the circular lights, I'll peel that off one they are installed.
Rear roof panel:
Front panel:
another_mike
Adventurer
I find that to be a common theme with any 12V accessory made for your household or a RV living quarters.
SirMrManGuy
Observer
Made a bunch of progress the last two days.
I'm using cam buckles and ratchet straps that I've shortened to hold things in. I'm using a cheap grommet kit so I can bolt the straps in. The kit actually works quite well, it's a little punch and a driver/anvil to set the grommet.
Here is one holding my table.
Got the interior in.
This is the last panel to go up behind the driver's seat, these are the wires for the solar and lights.
Roof to the factory head liner.
Bed platform in.
AC and DC plugs on the back of the bed.
View under the bed, the box on the left is where the 26 gallons of water sits. Above that is the electronics.
Side door
View of the water pump up against the wall next to the tank. Held down with some shortened ratchet and cam buckle straps. Wish I had taken more pictures of this area but we were making progress.
Switch and plug panel from the front
I've got almost all of my wiring done and the inverter and solar charger mounted but I'll wait till I've tidied all the wires up to take pictures of that.
I'm using cam buckles and ratchet straps that I've shortened to hold things in. I'm using a cheap grommet kit so I can bolt the straps in. The kit actually works quite well, it's a little punch and a driver/anvil to set the grommet.
Here is one holding my table.
Got the interior in.
This is the last panel to go up behind the driver's seat, these are the wires for the solar and lights.
Roof to the factory head liner.
Bed platform in.
AC and DC plugs on the back of the bed.
View under the bed, the box on the left is where the 26 gallons of water sits. Above that is the electronics.
Side door
View of the water pump up against the wall next to the tank. Held down with some shortened ratchet and cam buckle straps. Wish I had taken more pictures of this area but we were making progress.
Switch and plug panel from the front
I've got almost all of my wiring done and the inverter and solar charger mounted but I'll wait till I've tidied all the wires up to take pictures of that.
SirMrManGuy
Observer
Got some pics of the wiring. Tested everything, found I had somehow wired my solar panels backwards even though I traced them back before plugging them in (they come with two black wires...) Swapped them around and was away laughing
Volt meter doing its thing
Took the back panel off the box to fill the water tank the first time and check for leaks so I got some pictures of that. We also ran some chlorine through the system, about 2ppm, to clean it out.
Also discovered while laying down there that you could actually sleep below the bed quite comfortable with a camp pad and sleeping bag (which we have with us anyway). Good to know if someone comes to visit and needs a space/weather is too poor to use our tent.
Using some loc line flexible coolant hose for my faucet. It is long enough to reach out the door and folds up out of the way. Also for anyone copying this idea, there is a $8 half inch kit on Amazon that has everything but the hose to npt adapter. Buy the genuine USA made LocLine one, it's only a dollar more than the Chinese ones.
Made some window shades​ awhile ago out of the insulation just never took a picture.
Using magnets to keep them up.
Hung some curtains. They are some cheap Walmart curtains that Rebecca and Mom doubled up and shortened to fit
Volt meter doing its thing
Took the back panel off the box to fill the water tank the first time and check for leaks so I got some pictures of that. We also ran some chlorine through the system, about 2ppm, to clean it out.
Also discovered while laying down there that you could actually sleep below the bed quite comfortable with a camp pad and sleeping bag (which we have with us anyway). Good to know if someone comes to visit and needs a space/weather is too poor to use our tent.
Using some loc line flexible coolant hose for my faucet. It is long enough to reach out the door and folds up out of the way. Also for anyone copying this idea, there is a $8 half inch kit on Amazon that has everything but the hose to npt adapter. Buy the genuine USA made LocLine one, it's only a dollar more than the Chinese ones.
Made some window shades​ awhile ago out of the insulation just never took a picture.
Using magnets to keep them up.
Hung some curtains. They are some cheap Walmart curtains that Rebecca and Mom doubled up and shortened to fit
