Ford Econoline E550 7.3L Diesel Box Truck - The Big Bad

[KatnCarl]

My husband and I just purchased our first box truck that we will be converting! We have named it The Big Bad. The box is approximately 17' x 7'.<br><br>This is our first conversion. Actually, neither one of us has had much handyman experience so we will be learning on a serious curve! Thankfully, we have resources here on the web as well as friends to lend advice and help.<br><br>This forum has been instrumental in our decision to go ahead with this conversion - your stories are inspirational. We are very excited to get started!<br><br>We will start with insulation and wiring.&nbsp;<br><br>I have tried to attach photos, hopefully they work.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br><br>

 

[Les H]

rear 7' of box devoted to dance floor? :0)
Seriously, that should make a fine rolling home , good luck and have fun with the conversion.

 

[bk2valve]

I am absolutely thrilled for you and can't wait to see what you come up wiuth in your build...<br>Best of luck...<br>Bri

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;Welcome! Wow, that truck will make a great home! Having a side door ready to use is a real plus and I can envision the back door opening to a fold down deck.&nbsp; &nbsp; Don't forget to post pictures as you work on it.

 

[WanderingRain]

Woow! That is a huge apartment on wheels in the making! I've always been curious about the box trucks. It's got the little door to the back room! Love it. Good luck and show us pics of your progress.<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Rod

 

[KatnCarl]

Thanks everyone for your input! We've got her registered, insured - ready to be legal on the road.<br><br>Insulation will start early next week after we&nbsp;give away&nbsp;of some large house&nbsp;items we're purging. (couch, dining room table, etc)<br><br>We will be sure to post pics and things we learn along the way - the conversions we've seen on here have been so helpful, we want to return the favor!

 

[KatnCarl]

Hey all,<br><br>I'll have pics up soon as we've made a good deal of progress! It's been a lot of fun so far and a great learning experience. We've gotten the insulation up along the walls. We went with foil covered foam board. In some of the tighter spots it was a bit like playing tetris! <br><br>We got the roof left and here is where we could use your suggestions. We've got a fiberglass roof and we're trying to figure out how to install a vent fan. The fiberglass itself is not sturdy enough to hold the fan so we will have to build some sort of frame to support it. The roof has metal ribs running from side to side. We were thinking about building a false ceiling using 2x2's as the frame and plywood as the ceiling with more insulation glued to the back of the plywood. Are we over thinking it? Do any of you have any experience in dealing with a fiberglass roof and installing fans on them?<br><br>Thanks!

 

[danceswithsquirrels]

<P><STRONG>Wow, your'e going to be living in a nice mobile MANSION! As far as ventilation goes, I'd buy some little rv windows off ebay &amp; install them on the sides of your box &amp; right up next to your roof. ( I saw a guy do this for ventilation in his cargo trailer home.) Say 2 or 3 on each side. His windows were horizonal, &amp; about 12in. by 5in. They really looked nice, like they opened out &amp; up too.<BR><BR>Anyway, good luck w/ your build. I just finished my rig; a 6x12 cargo trailer.**There is light @ the end of the builder's tunnel!</STRONG></P>

 

[KatnCarl]

Hey all, <br><br>Carl here. Awesome danceswithsquirrels.<span id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody " title="Offline" dir="ltr"> We're planning a trip to an RV salvage yard in the next week or two and we'll look for windows for sure. <br><br>Took the Big Bad out to visit family this weekend and show it off a bit. We're not living in it just yet but we're closing in on our move in date. Some folks in the family weren't as excited as we are about moving into a truck but that's to be expected. It did make for a draining weekend. However we drove home more resolved and excited about moving into The Big Bad. Speaking for only for myself, there are times that if I'm making a certain kind of person nervous then I am pretty sure I'm on the right path!<br><br>Any way, here are the pics I promised last week of our progress. We got all the insulation up on the walls. We have had a lot of help from our friend Keith. This week Keith and I'll be putting up plywood paneling and Kat will be working on ventilation and electricity. It's been good for Kat and I to have this project to work on together. Turns out we still like each other quite a bit and work well together! Enjoy the pics!<br></span>

 

[psytechguy]

That's looking good!

I wish I could talk myself into a box van, but mileage considerations have got me thinking more along the streamlined hi-top realm.

Seeing these type of posts inspires me to get off my butt and find that perfect vehicle to start outfitting. Your truck is gonna be an awesome ride when you're finished!

 

[ShesJustJodi]

Yay!!!!! I LOVE the idea that get to do anything you want to, all the way through!<br><br>That said, this city girl has no idea what i just looked at in those photos. LOL I would LOVE to do my own build, but I had no knowledge whatsoever in everything required. Alas, I will be buying something that i can stick to "redecorating".<br><br>Have fun with it. I am really looking forward to seeing more pics.

 

[rokguy]

Hi,<BR>Thats going to be a great conversion.<BR>psytechguy,<BR>did you ever consider a Japanese based box truck. These things go forever, good economical diesels that run at hwy speeds, you can run on vegie blends, tilt cab for ease of maintainance and being forward control (ie cabover) you can keep the overall lenght down&nbsp;so there's room in the living area rather that all wasted bonnet area.<BR>Justjodi,<BR>Look at it as&nbsp;a big empty box, square walls, flat roof and floor, just think of it as a room you want to furnish only making sure things fitted are screwed and bolted in place.<BR>Geoff

 

[KatnCarl]

Hey All,<br><br>Carl here. We moved in a week and a half ago! Due to time constraints and plain old forgetfulness on my part I don't have any pics to share on the final steps of Phase 1 of the conversion. However I'll get pics of the "finished" conversion up first thing tomorrow. The goal of Phase 1 was to get The Big Bad to a place where it would be reasonably comfortable to live in but not at all finished. We didn't want to pour time and money into what we thought we'd want or need in the box truck only to move in and find we had it all wrong. We wanted to get in the truck and do some living in order to get a sense of what would work best for us and how to build on what works and replace what doesn't. &nbsp;So, with Phase 1 we have a setup that is&nbsp;admittedly spartan.<br><br>First, we moved in our 3 bookshelves and bracketed them down. We've been using these as our main place to store the items we would need on a daily basis. In order to keep thing secure while we're on the road I installed little d-rings on the corners of the bookshelves. What we do is put a piece of plywood flush against the opening and then run bungee cords to the d-rings creating an 'x' and that pretty much holds everything in place. Kat had the great idea of further securing some items with that ticky tack stuff teachers use to hang posters. She has also been adjusting the contents of the bookshelves to make everything more accessible and&nbsp;aesthetically pleasing.<br><br>Second, I gutted a dresser and converted it into our "kitchen." Where the top drawer used to be we now store all of our cooking&nbsp;utensils and some spices. We store the stove where the 2nd drawer used to be, and the pot and pans are where the 3rd drawer used to be. &nbsp;On the top of the dresser I cut out a hole for our basin sink so we can do our dishes, brush our teeth, and what not. Our water is currently stored in a 7 gallon jug that I picked up at REI. It works for the time being but it is one of the items from phase 1 that may not make it to phase 2. We also have our propane tank stored in the dresser set up as well. Our light comes from 3 oil lamps and two of those LED head light things. Our heat it being provided by a Mr. Heater Little Buddy that Liza, our dog, is prone to lie too close to if we aren't keeping an eye on her.<br><br>Third, we set up the storage/closet area. We have a clothes rod running the width or the box towards the back of the truck. The rod was a test of patience. It went through 3 revamps before we found a set up that actually worked. The 1st run was just a simple extendable clothes rod mounted with the brackets that came with the rod. That lasted about an 1/8 of a mile. The next set up was a 3/4 inch&nbsp;galvanized&nbsp;steel rod with a set of heavy duty closet rod mounts. But that was a little to bouncy for my taste. So on the last run we added a 2x6 beam in the center of the rod to prevent any bouncing and provide additional support. Thus far that set up has worked out well. Underneath the clothes we've got a nice sized storage space where we keep Liza's food, nonessential stuff, and the guest house and guest bed (a tent and an air mattress). In front of the storage we hung the flimsy&nbsp;closet&nbsp;rod and some curtains to hide the storage area and class up the place.<br><br>Last order of business was the bed. Our very temporary bed is six plastic storage bins in two rows of three with six 2x12 boards laid on top of them with the mattress on top of that. It works great to sleep on but God help me if I need anything from one of the bins underneath. The plan is to loft the bed in the next few weeks. If any of you have lofted a bed and/or have any suggestions we are all ears!<br><br>The first week and a half has gone well, we've got some kinks to work out for sure, it's a hard shift going from a 4 bedroom house to a 127 square ft. box. Nevertheless I can say without reservation that this has been the one of the best things Kat and I have ever done. It's been a blast scoping out places to stealth. I've been cooking dinner for us each night. We've been hitting the sack a lot earlier than we used to which has been more in keeping with the natural&nbsp;rhythm&nbsp;of things. Once the sun goes down so do we. Just before the sun comes up we're up. It's also really opened my eyes in some different ways. I'm seeing the city we live in in new ways. And some things about myself has been revealed as well. Nothing like change and new situations to bring out the best and worst in a person. Good stuff for sure. I know for me that of all the places I've lived The Big Bad is place I've been proudest to call home.&nbsp;I think that about sums it up!<br><br>Have a good one,<br>Carl<br><br><br>

 

[Nemo]

Congrats to ya both <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> &nbsp;have been very happy with my E450 box truck, and yours looks just like it's older sibling!<br><br>

 

[Wild_E]

Hey there!<br>Bigger than my E350 14' 7.3 ltr Diesel engine box truck, that is a nice ride. Mine is a tab bit older though.<br><br>You can see some of the things I did to mine in the Truck section.<br>Build it how you want to, enjoy it, revamp it and remember, your getting only slightly less fuel&nbsp;mileage&nbsp;than some of the high tops and better fuel&nbsp;mileage&nbsp;than almost all the RVs out there!&nbsp;<br><br>Point though. As nice as that ceiling is for you, you will find issues very fast with it! Heat/cold and condensation. Mine only has one clear panel on top and it is grrrreat for lighting but sucketh for everything else. I used the Durofoam/PlasticFab stuff on my walls and ceiling with PL9000 glue. The one panel that is clear, I covered half, the half that is over the kitchen area, I left open.<br><br>Origninally I had modified one of the windshield covers using velcro to cover that panel. During the summer it dropped it from 145 deg far down to 105 doing that alone. In the winter though, it started to rain inside from the condensation from that panel. Now I put up a panel of Coroplast translucent but still used the velcro. Velco lets in too much air and moisture, so as soon as it gets warmer, down it will come, scrape off the velcro, mount the Coroplast directly to the frame and cover the&nbsp;Translucent&nbsp;panel. Next I will put up the windshield cover again, it is great as I can just roll it back to where I want it to go and allow the amount of sunlight coming in that I want in. With the Coroplast in place, this way the air pocket will act like insulation, the shiny sided windshield cover will reflect the hot Sun rays out and I am much cooler during the daytime.&nbsp;<br><br>Come warmer spring time (I live near Toronto Ontario) since it is still cold here, I am remodelling big time. Use the space better, fix the rolling door up semi permanently and put in a wall with window and walk in door in the rear open area. That little space above the cab is useless and a problem. Moisture gets in there, and it rains in that area as well right now. Gutting it, using the flexible reflectix to insulate and cover up in there, rip out the soggy wood, and hopefully it will solve some of my issues. Wait and see on that one though.

 

[Wild_E]

I will be moving a Futon Bunk bed in there in a week or two. Sleep on first bottom section and use as couch during the day, storage overhead. Underneath I will be eventually building a Rocket Mass Heater, that way I will sleep very toasty when it drops to minus -20 and -30 deg&nbsp;Celsius&nbsp;when I move up North Next Fall. Moving 7-12 hrs North of the Toronto area, so It will be a tad colder!&nbsp;<br><br>NOTE: If you try to sleep too close to the roof, you will not like it! In Summer you will swelter, in winter, well with a heater, you will sweat! Closer to the floor seems better for me.&nbsp;<br><br>Curtain Rods; I have found success using the aircraft wire, mounted to the walls instead of curtain rods. One the one side it is fixed in, the other side I use the adjustable rotators to keep it tight. If it needs to me&nbsp;disassembled&nbsp;or modified, then the&nbsp;adjustables&nbsp;make it easier to do so as well.&nbsp;<br>cheers and happy trails<br><br><strong>from my&nbsp;Yeti to your Big Bad</strong>

 

[KatnCarl]

Hey All,<br><br>Carl here. Here's a link to the photo album of The Big Bad: Phase 1: https://vanlivingforum.com/album?action=view_album&amp;userid=2048163&amp;albumid=1289<br><br>WildersnessReturn, that's good to know about the&nbsp;condensation. We've had a little bit so far and we're looking at ways to add and improve the current insulation. You're absolutely right about the roof. Great for light and whatnot but&nbsp;definitely a heat suck. 7-12 hours north of Toronto! Good luck, Kat and I are looking at heading to a more temperate because we're sick of Midwest winters. I can't even begin to fathom the winters you all have up yonder!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

[Wild_E]

Starting this spring I will be gutting my Yeti,<br>down into the walls, remove the crappy little useless insulation that it comes with, move in Durafoam/Platifab, shiny side in. Then cover it back up with the wood panelling. I like it, utilitarian. Boys !!<br><br>Then remodelling how it layed out, redoing the floor from the entire bottom up. Major winterization right from the boards and up. Adding in a full time shower stall, better layout, make it roomier. Add in the Wood Stove, also add in the Rocket mass heater. Propane heater for backup with the 100 gal tank mounted in the rear. Would like it underneath more but that is big moola.. way too big.<br><br>cheers

 

[Seraphim]

Enjoying the thread. Look forward to commentary on how you adapt to the new life lifestyle.