Cummins Canoe (A Stepvan Story)

[highdesertranger]

I would not use solid core wire for anything mobile. there is a reason it is not allowed in boats. just because the RV industry is lame doesn't mean I have to be. highdesertranger

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I ran my wiring along the top with a removable panel, even inside the cupboards. I mostly used old heavy duty extension chords down both side that I salvaged from a dumpster. I used a marine fuse box with switches. I also used a marine battery selector switch. Best to have some eXtra wires in the cavity and empty fuses for stuff you haven’t thought about yet. 12 volt and shore power outlets.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Thanks, the paint really makes a difference. The neighbors no longer see it as an eyesore! Hmmm, all valid points on the wiring. Will re-evaluate and come up with a plan as we go. Will definitely have everything properly protected with breakers and fuses and all that. I think we will stick with 15 amp circuits though. If we pull more power than that, then we'll need more batteries and a bigger inverter!

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

More wiring. Low voltage wires got messy.

First, we ran all the wires to where they are meant to go.

Oh boy, we had a mess. Lets tape everything together.

Then we pulled them out, and encased everything in wire loom.

Of course, properly secured all the wire loom.

Above the rear door, there is a channel behind some aluminum. This aluminum we were going to use to screw the interior to, and we didn't want wires falling into that space. So we cut some foam board and shoved into there.

No wires falling into the no-no zone!

Wire loom all done!

Hope everything is in the right spot.  :huh:

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Got the second coat of paint done and it's mostly dry, nothing special. But now we can start throwing things onto the exterior!

[size=small]We replaced the rubber for the rear door stops. Because, you know, you never want to reuse old rubbers.[/size]

[size=small]Cleaned up and painted all the exterior hardware.[/size]

[size=small]Even got the new exterior lights on![/size]

[size=small]Wow, these things are super bright! They will be wired 2 lights per switch, so you can choose which of the three sides you want on.[/size]

[size=small]Using a 10' ladder to get to the roof all the time is going to get old. So we mounted these awesome folding steps.[/size]

[size=small]Now it's super easy and convenient to access the roof for things like cleaning the solar panels or having a picnic up there.[/size]

 

[Zmann]

Break down at sea ultimately death; break down on road ultimate head-ache. Again I tip my hat.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Haha, I embrace the challenge of on the road breakdowns. Breaking down at sea doesn't sound as much fun...

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Exterior looks great! Time to start insulating.

This is great! Now it doesn't look like we kidnap children with the van!

Started with the rear wall. The space was 1.5", give or take. So we started with a layer of 0.5" foam, cutting it super exact to the space required.

Lots of little bolts and bumps and brackets to fit these to. My OCD was exploding.

One layer done.

The second layer of 1" fit super snug inside this aluminum angle framing! Another technique used was overlapping the seams.

And finally taping all the seams.

Snug as a bug! Took all day to do just those two sections. So glad we're not doing the whole van in foam. That would take weeks to do!

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

The time has come. After much mental strain, anxiety, and attempts to delay, the roof needs some holes. The roof is one giant sheet of aluminum. Way too pretty to mess with, but we must push forward!

[size=small]Gee willy these fans are expensive! But boy do they sure work great. We got a simple, in the middle grade version. None of that silly electronic remote mumbo jumbo. But one of these paired with just another roof vent should be plenty for our needs.[/size]

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[size=small][size=small]Cut the interior ceiling out and removed the old insulation.[/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small]Just for giggles, let's see how much of a difference a little insulation makes.[/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]Safe to say we won't have a heat problem from direct sunlight.[/size][/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]Got some scrap wood cut down and framed out both ceiling spots.[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]Oh boy, that's it! No turning back now![/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]This hurts to look at, I hope it doesn't rain today...[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]Very glad we framed these holes out. Very strong and stiff to walk around.[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]Got the proper self leveling sealant and pre-drilled all the holes.[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]And just like that, fans are in![/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

 

[Cammalu]

Yay for fans!!!!!

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

I hope they work well. Everyone has told me to install a couple of fans. Maybe they aren't even needed? We'll see...

 

[B and C]

I use my roof fan all the time and wouldn't be without it.

Keep up the nice work. I'm enjoying following along.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Things are rolling right along with interior business.

[size=small]On the way home from work, scored this sweet countertop for next to nothing![/size]

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[size=small][size=small]Got the ceiling insulation all squared away.[/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small]Sometimes you can't score good deals. Been trying to source some used material that would work well for the van build. Couldn't locate good material, so we had to bite the bullet and purchase a dozen new sheets of birch plywood. Oh gee willy, that was a hit to the wallet.  :dodgy: [/size][/size][/size]

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[size=small][size=small][size=small][size=small]On a positive note, a neighbor donated a can of wood sealant. We sealed the back of all the wood that will face towards the insulation, in case as moisture does get in the walls, the wood will have a chance. Also, we need more horses.[/size][/size][/size][/size]

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

I know, I know, everyone wants to see the interior in and done. But we still have prep work and preventative maintenance to do first!

[size=small]Had about 25 holes like this in the floor. Most were from self-taping screws that the bakery had done to mount all their racks and such. Bimetel corrosion between the steel screws and aluminum floor was not pretty. Note to self, don't do that when doing the interior build. We felt it was a good idea to clean up and weld shut.[/size]

[size=small]Oops. So I had a box of 4.5" sanding discs, and a 4" angle grinder. Right thing to do would be to go buy the right discs or grinder. The smart thing to do is to remove the safety guard. Now to be fair, before I started, I held it in my hand and thought last minute that this was a terrible idea, especially to use in tight corners. So hey, at least I put gloves on.[/size]

[size=small]Got a new pair of clean gloves to put over bloody hand and got back to work. Welds aren't pretty, but it'll more than do.[/size]

[size=small]Once ground down, it's like they were never there.[/size]

[size=small]Had a bunch of adhesive stuff to remove also.[/size]

[size=small]Also noticed an issue with one of the wheel wells. Maybe it was from the 600 pounds of plywood that was leaning on it the other day? They are welded on the outside. So we'll just weld it from the inside.[/size]

[size=small]Clamped it back to shape and welded it back.[/size]

[size=small]Got everything cleaned and caulked up.[/size]

[size=small]Added these angle brackets to the middle of the stock pocket door housings to stiffen it up to the bulkhead wood framing. Now when we mount our plywood interior, the aluminum won't be so flexible.[/size]

[size=small]Caulked as much as we could. Ignore the blood stains, they aren't from the victims that came for the "Free Candy", I promise.[/size]

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Things are really piling up. Lets get rid of it by installing it into the van!

[size=small]We opted to start the interior by insulating the floor, at least a little bit.[/size]

[size=small]We plan on doing more insulating on the floor, but this will be a good thermal break for anything immediately mounted to the floor.[/size]

[size=small]And the worst part, getting the rock wool installed. This stuff isn't as bad as fiberglass insulation, but it does get dusty. Need to go slow and gentle as to not stir up fibers in the air.[/size]

[size=small]Actually ran out of rock wool. Almost made it though. Just this one small wall space. So we decided to just fill it with some styrofoam. No scrap goes to waste![/size]

[size=small]Oofta! Lots of work, but we're all ready for interior wood![/size]

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Oh boy, very busy! So busy, we needed all hands on deck!

[size=small]So the girls did all the super easy math stuff. Gee, they're great!  :blush: [/size]

[size=small]Women are very good at multitasking. They worked well as a team too. Very efficient.[/size]

[size=small]But there is no "i" in team, so "I" am going to stand over here! Well, that was their logic while they coerced the men to come in and do the real hard work! This the first time I've ever measured zero times and cut once.  [/size]

[size=small]At some point, everyone had to help! Except for me, I mean someone had to take photos. This looked like too much work anyway. Don't worry, I bribed everyone with pizza and beer. These sheets were a pain to carry and hold in place![/size]

[size=small]All the math the girls did really payed off! Everything fit the first time and no need to recut anything![/size]

[size=small]Most of the wood is in. On way home from work I picked up these bad boys out of the trash. It's old above ground pool aluminum decking! We're thinking we can incorporate them into the cabinets somehow. Suggestions?[/size]

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Found some more goodies out of the garbage!

[size=small]This is old 1960's cedar panelling.[/size]

[size=small]We wanted something for the ceiling that was thin, lightweight, and cheap. And this fits the bill for sure![/size]

[size=small]In preparation for the ceiling, we took down some of the ceiling insulation and made grooves for the recessed light wiring on the inside of the foam boards.[/size]

[size=small]Got this sticky back Frost King insulation from the store.[/size]

[size=small]We'll use that to cover all the exposed aluminum to reduce condensation buildup on the cold metal. Made it long enough to overlap onto the 0.25" XPS foam we put up to fill in the last gap in the rear walls on top of the 1.5" of foam underneath.[/size]

[size=small]Ready for walls and ceiling.[/size]

[size=small]Had just enough of the one color of panelling to get the ceiling done. Doesn't look too bad for being free. Can't wait to get the lights working so we don't need to work inside with flashlights anymore![/size]

 

[highdesertranger]

yep that was one of my first priorities. to get the inside lights working. looking good. highdesertranger

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

These lil lights better do the trick. We don't have the batteries and solar stuff yet, just ordered all that mess this past week with all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Oh boy, I don't know how we're going to pay that stuff off. Good thing for credit cards and the American past time of debt! So I think we'll just jury rig it into the chassis electrical system for now. That's todays job, get some switches in and see what catches fire!

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Oh boy, it's starting to look like something on the inside!

[size=small]But it's kinda dark in here...[/size]

[size=small]Ah! That's much better![/size]

[size=small]Fixing odds and ends. Some spots the edges of the plywood didn't sit perfect.[/size]

[size=small]But nothing a flush trim bit on a router can't fix![/size]

[size=small]Tacked up the inside corners of the ceiling with a brad nailer.[/size]

[size=small]And once all that stuff was done, we polyurethane everything![/size]