I finally got a van and it's an ex-FBI spy van with a periscope!

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Firebuild said:
I want a periscope!

Maybe I can install one??

I can tell you right now, the one that is in my van was more than 20 bucks. It was built by International Surveillance Technology, and the amount of wiring that a went into that is phenomenal. (The wiring has been cut, so I can't use it.) Plus, it has a remote control system that also used a phone jack. Mine is pretty much a conversation piece at this point, because there is no way I can figure it all out.

But it has a place to put in a camera, video input, audio input, recording input....crazy stuff.

I might actually end up taking it out. If I do, I'll sell it to you. :) 

But I'm kind of afraid to take it out, because it's attached to the fiberglass roof, and I'm afraid if I mess with it, it might crack the fiberglass and cause leaks.
 
Yeay! I finally got the bulkhead out. Well, I didn't, but I paid a custom auto-body shop to take it out, and they got it out in just a few hours. Now I have at least 2 and 1/2 feet more to play with (seriously, that thing was HUGE) and I can start designing my layout.
 
Giggles said:
I might actually end up taking it out. If I do, I'll sell it to you. :) 

But I'm kind of afraid to take it out, because it's attached to the fiberglass roof, and I'm afraid if I mess with it, it might crack the fiberglass and cause leaks.
And I will buy it!
 
MaTaLa said:

I don't know how to post pics on this forum. I only know how to post links to YouTube videos I've made
 
Ok I finally got all the 2x2s and 2x4's and other weird pieces of wood out from underneath the plywood floor. It took me an entire weekend to scrape off all the spray foam from the metal floor, but it was worth it. Because now I have an extra 2-3 inches above my head in the van, and my head isn't constantly rubbing up against the ceiling. (I had so much static electricity in my hair, I was starting to look like Einstein!)

Next, I'm going to cover up the holes in the floor, then lay the flooring on top of the plywood. I can't decide between vinyl and carpet, so maybe I'll compromise and put vinyl down, with a rug on top of that.

Then, I'll build my bed. I'm getting pretty handy with tools....I'll post pics when I'm done with the bed.
 
LOL @ van adventures!

The foam is terrible, while not being FBI, my conversion van had a foam underlayment that was such a PITA to fully remove!
I'd been back and forth over flooring with many choices along the way but think I'll go with laminate flooring. Not needing much, even the expensive stuff will be doable. In the rear will be tool storage/utility storage and will get a different type of flooring.

Looking forward to see what you've come up with!
Grats on the new skills!
 
The vinyl is easier to keep clean, here at Quartzsite you have a LOT of dust, and I track in and out all the time. I have to mop at least once a day just to keep up. At least with a removable rug you could always take it outside for a good shaking.
 
I insulated my floor and then installed that rubber diamond flooring that is meant for toy-haulers. I need to post some pics in my trailer thread. if I want I can throw small throw rugs around but for now it's fine. highdesertranger
 
I was looking at doing insullation, even bought a 1/2" sheet of XPS and cut it into strips to fit between the ribs.
Only problem there is then the valleys are higher than the hills so to speak.
Plus there's a number of places the floor is in between.

The laminate flooring I'm looking at has a sound deadening layer on the back. It will be used in the main area:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lifepro...k-Flooring-20-06-sq-ft-case-I96711L/300461638
Then for the rear area, wheel wells back I'll use this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Traffic...s-6-Pack-13-5-sq-ft-11N-532-18X18HD/312504067
And probably 3/8" for the subfloor, although if the floor was flat I wouldn't do a subfloor at all.
 
warning on the vinyl plank flooring. I looked into it and checked out several builds. the problem is the temperature changes causes the floor to buckle and/or the seems spread out. when it gets hot it expands and buckles, when it gets cold it shrinks and you get gaps. everyone one I looked at had this problem. if you read the installation instructions it says to place the flooring in the house for one or two days at such and such temperature so that the floor acclimates to the temp. therefor I decided against it. they do make linoleum that resembles wood planks. the problem with that is it's soft and something like pepples that got stepped on would tear it up. highdesertranger
 
Thanks, never crossed my mind, looking at their site I found:
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