How do you attach to the ribs of your van?

I'm trying to avoid drilling holes into the van. So far, I only have one hole for my solar panel power coming into the van on the roof. On the walls, I'm thinking about using Toggle bolts into the rib holes. https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-4-in-...hillips-Drive-Screw-10-Piece-803942/204273384

I think using toggle bolts is going to be a huge hassle and waste of time when doing your build out. The big problem is the holes in the ribs aren't always going to be where you need to attach a screw. Then, you'll spend more time jury rigging a toggle then if you were to just drill a hole. I don't get why you don't want to drill a hole in the INTERIOR of your van? Holes there won't be exposed to weather and you won't have a rust problem. You can always hit holes with some paint for added protection but even that probably isn't necessary. I'd attach 1" wood ribs to the steel ribs and then use appropriate length screws to attach the wall material.

Thanks. Mostly just wondering how others have done this. I've watched a lot of videos but never actually saw details of how they actually attached the walls.

I used self tapping wood to metal screwed and drilled right into the ribs. Never had an issue and we're secured, but you do need to plan the layout so you don't wind up with an edge that has no rib to screw to

Sorry that was on my phone broken English..

idrankwhat said:

...Mostly just wondering how others have done this.

Click to expand...

I drilled holes slightly smaller than the self-tapping sheet metal screws I used. I also used a drill bit stop to prevent accidentally drilling through the exterior. The screws were long enough to go through the panels and steel but short enough to not hit the exterior.

https://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-drill-stop-set-38336.html

Pretty hard not to screw into the ribs...here's a couple of methods to minimize the number of holes to the ribs.





The bottom pic is a Ford and doesn't have the nice built in verticals of the Chevy.
The installed verticals can be fabricated from standard metal wall studs.

I guess they could be glued or VHB tape....that would eliminate screws. Then screw the horizontal wood, then the panels.
Never really thought of not screwing to the truck, but I suppose it could be done.

Thanks for the pictures. That's kinda what I needed. I'd like to see how a Savanah comes. I understand they come with some wood boards already installed across the ribs.
I'd like to see more fine details of what people have done. I see a lot of finished products, but I like to see the finer details sometimes.

There are pictures of a 2002 Savana in my build thread (link in signature) that will show the rib structure and also the 1x2 and 1x3 cross members I installed.

I really don't recommend the method I used to install them. I should have just drilled and screwed, instead, I countersunk bolts in the wood and got my fingers/pliers/tools in behind (don't ask, it was difficult... ) and held on to the nuts until I could get the bolts tightened up. IIRC, the boards are tightened in 2 out of 3 spots only but they're not going anywhere....

i used a lot of plus nuts. Drill a hole where you need it. Insert the plus nut (the hand tool to do so is not expensive). Then you have a place to bolt into wherever you need it. I used quite a few in my build and two years later everything is holding together nicely.

You can also use baton strips attached to the ribs and use available holes to anchor them then you have plenty of surface for attaching the interior and panels.

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What are baton strips?

JohnnyB's photos are the way to go.. 


Ask for "LATH" strips at places like Home Depot or Lowes and even some lumber yards may have them..

So what is LATH (lathing) ?
it's the 2" x 1/4" boards (wood slats) that are nailed to wall studs (sometimes used with chicken wire)  to hold the plaster mud in place when building a plaster wall instead of sheetrock or paneled wall.

Lath strips are thin enough to be flexible and will contour to the curve of a Van's side walls … and being "real" wood, it's thick enough and strong enough for attaching paneling securely so the paneling won't bulge out or pop away from the wall.

Use PAN-Head "Self-Starting"  metal screws or pan-head bolts to attach the Lathing to each metal rib of the van.
You should use enough of the lath strips to place them about every 6" to 8" apart starting at the bottom and working up to the roof line.

notes:  
* make sure to pre-drill the screw holes in the Lath strips to avoid splitting the wood.
* use a large (1" or 1 1/2") flat washer under the head of each screw or bolt so as to spread out the holding pressure and prevent cracking or splitting the wood.
* if using bolts be sure to use "STAR" locking washers under each nut so vibration won't loosen them.
***  regular "split" lock washers are great for non-moving parts, but vibration can cause them to loosen.

With this type of setup you can use screws and hooks instead of glue or tape to attach things like shelving, light fixtures, fans, etc..  or other things you may want to attach to the wall.

While there are plastic strips the same size as Lath strips, I don't think they would hold up in the hot summer weather when your van sits in the sun for several hours.. The plastic strips could  (?)  get soft enough to sag under the weight of the paneling or the screw heads may "pull-through" the heat softened plastic strip and you are back to square one having to do it all over again.... with twice the work involved.

As always folks, this is just the way I built my van 40+ years ago .. but it does not mean it's the only way. 
Your way may be as good or even better than my way, so to each his own.

Best wishes on whatever you decide,
John

Generally referred to as BATTEN strips...……..I used 3/4 " wood...…..I used a air-powered staple gun to secure paneling to the battens


and a version of "Plus-nuts"...….My van came with pre-drilled holes in many places......ThreadSerts/RivNuts fit the holes and a hand tool made the installation easy...………...additional holes were drilled as needed (following the precautions of limiting the depth)…...I like the "feel" of a machine thread connection...………..I used 1/4 "-20 fittings...…….


Here's a cool trick...….if you use the inserts into the ribs you'll need to accurately locate 5 or more holes in a single long board...…….

If you screw short "hanger bolts"...(these connect legs to furniture....Machine threads on one end and Lag screw on the other)……..Screw one bolt into each fitting...……..Align the board over the bolts and smack the board against the Lag screws...…...They will leave dimples/holes on the backside of the board...………………………...YMMV