lost sailor said:
Good tip on the 3/4 ply. Maybe epoxy would work for holding the wood blocks to fiberglass?
Maybe the heat made the spray adhesive come loose? I've seen automotive upholstery workers use a spray glue.
It must hold up to high temps. How about contact cement? Or, if you used a backing board like Masonite, you could
staple the material to the back, like in upholstery work?
I'd love to see more interior shots, now that you are living in your van : ) I'm particularly interested in the folding table
you have near your swiveling passenger seat. That's something I really want in my build. You mentioned these is storage
in the wheel well boxes you made. Do you need to flip up the mattress to get to them? How satisfied are you with the Reflectix?
As far as I can tell, you installed it just like it's meant to be used (which seems rather uncommon, from what I've seen
on the web). I understand it's a radiant barrier, mostly to keep the interior cooler in the summer. I guess you are staying in
temperate areas, have you been comfortable temp wise? Sorry for all the questions, I've got a lot of them!
Yes, epoxy will probably work as well. Maybe this winter, I'll tackle the loosened blocks.
The spray I used is the 3M 77 Super adhesive. I sprayed both surfaces, waited the appropriate time then stuck the vinyl to the ccf. Some panels are just the vinyl and the ccf. Those have come apart the worst and will all need to be redone. Some panels are vinyl over ccf over luan panelling. Even the panels where the vinyl is stapled to the back of the luan the vinyl shows signs of loosening from the ccf. Those are probably only noticeable to MY critical eye.
The table I'm using is a very simple item - it's a tv tray left over from the S&B. I saw a neat table in the Campers World catalogue but haven't been stopped near one - it would be so much prettier than the ugly old tv tray....
It stores nicely between the drivers seat and the front of the pantry closet. It's the right size for both eating and using the laptop - a little small for doing my tax return...
, the price was defiintely right and it stores nicely...what more could one ask! Oh, I also use it with a terry towel on it for a drain rack when I'm washing dishes!
Bob did a video of my van that shows things better than any still pics I could take. Here's the link:
Storage over the wheel wells - yes, I have to lift the mattress up to get at them but I do that for the fridge access anyways. The smaller one over the passenger wheel well is used as a dirty laundry hamper. The laundry soap and the half dozen plastic hangers I kept for hanging wet clothes on fit in there nicely as well. I use a cloth laundry bag for hauling it all in to the laundromat. That storage area is 38" long (the length of both the wheel well and the bed, hey imagine that!!...
) by the width of the wheel well (about 12"+/-) by 10" deep. This was left because the bed is up at the height needed to give clearance for the Whynter 65 qt fridge unit).
The drivers side storage is huge because it's what was left over after the fridge compartment was decided upon. It is 38" front to back, 10" over the wheel well and goes all the way to the floor between it and the end of the fridge compartment. The deep part is only maybe 24" back to front as the rear of the bed area is open at the back for more storage accessible from the rear doors. I use it for storage for stuff that I don't need in to on a regular basis. The deep part is so deep that with the mattress pulled back and the lid open I wasn't able to reach stuff on the bottom (I'm short) so I use 5 gallon square food buckets to store stuff in. I can lift the whole bucket out to dig things out. When I buy dry food or household necessities in quantity I put all the extra in there. Also my BearVault is in there with my dehydrated foods in it for backpacking/canoe trips and a whole bunch of other odds and ends.
Flipping up the mattress is not really all that hard to do since I use a 3" sofa foam with a mattress topper. Putting my duvet back in place neatly is probably more a pain than lifting the mattress is...
All three of the lift lids are hinged with piano hinge which even this princess can't feel under the mattress. I used it because they required less lateral space for screwing down than conventional hinges. Also I was able to buy it in 6' lengths and cut to fit.
I'm quite happy with the reflectix. It works as it's supposed to when it's installed properly. I did a lot of research and pondering on it before using it and yes, I find that there is a lot of misinformation about it, it's uses and how to install it out there!!
I try to stay in temperate climates as much as possible although the heat wave that has been plaguing most of North America has it hotter than I like here this summer. I do admit that I use ventilation as a major source of comfort. Most of my heat build up is from the front windshield and the floor though, I can't blame the reflectix for that!!
There have been a few uncomfortable times in the van. Last night for example - I was stuck using a casino parking lot and arrived just before a large concert started so I ended up with a much less than desirable parking spot until the concert ended and I could relocate. Where I started out was right next to a mosquito infested swamp so I had to close the van up completely except for one high window and the roof vent. I was parked on hot pavement with the additional heat from the drive train and exhaust coming up through the floor boards. As soon as I could move the van to a mosquito free parking spot, I opened up the doors and let the inside cool down. I just used a wet washcloth for the couple of hours where I had no choice. But those times are the exception rather than the rule. A 12V portable fan is in my future...
Ask away, better that you learn from someone elses' mistakes (and experience) than to make them yourself...
