One Awesome Inch - Van Build

[akrvbob]

You're basically losing the side and back door, that's okay with you? Have you given that a trial run to see how do-able it is?

Bob

 

[flying kurbmaster]

sounds like my toilet box
looks like this
the drivers seat lifts forward


open the box

but if I was redoing it I wouldn't bother with a porta potti and just get a bucket with lid, I have a step bumper on the kurbmaster with two compartments on both sides where I put the filled tied bags till I can get rid of them

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Yup. Actually, I think that pic/your rig is where I got the idea from. Only thing is I dont want to use the space up behind the toilet to full open it to sit on. Looks like the lid is eating up a good 4 to 6 inches of real estate. Hmmm...

---

You're basically losing the side and back door, that's okay with you? Have you given that a trial run to see how do-able it is?

Bob

Yes, I am definitely losing the side door. Also only the one rear door will open as I am going to 'wall in the second rear door. The idea behind this is maximum insulation. Very hard to insulate a sliding door. Building the wall right over it will solve that problem. The one rear door gives me plenty of room to get in and out. Since I am urban stealthing 100% of the time I wont use that door as entry or exit. Just to get larger things in and out of the van on occasion. Its also good to have it as a fire exit.

I am brand new at this so if something doesn't work out I am not apprehensive to make changes if I feel its necessary.

 

[Duck]

What about using a tambour door over top of the toilet? Just slide it out of the way, the space for it to roll up could be behind the toilet.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Got the most work done on the van tonite I have ever done... probably 3 hours including the Home Depot trip. I have to do all this work covertly without my wife finding out. If she found out I am pretty sure I would be having to live in the van now. I am not ready financially (want to save up more money) and the van is far from being ready too. This means I am often working at night using my smartphone for light. I really need to order an LED lantern off Amazon. In fact I am going to do that asap.

Tonite I took off the 1/8 hardboard behind the driver's side making sure to trace the bottoms to use as templates for the new walls.

Its kinda hard to see in this pic but the Ford E150s have a "ledge" for lack of a better word, that juts out from the side of the wall about 3 inches off the ground. I guess I'll have to stick insulation under there as well.

Tonite at Home Depot I bought a bunch of 1/2 inch plain styrofoam. The package total was 29sq ft. I stuffed half of it in all the holes and crevices along the wheel well.

 

[Almost There]

sounds like my toilet box
looks like this
the drivers seat lifts forward


open the box

but if I was redoing it I wouldn't bother with a porta potti and just get a bucket with lid, I have a step bumper on the kurbmaster with two compartments on both sides where I put the filled tied bags till I can get rid of them

Thanks for the pictures of the box.

It solves one problem I was anticipating with my upcoming build. The toilet doesn't need as much width as my butt comfortably does. A regular box would have to accommodate the larger of the two....

The side cut on the angle solves the whole problem!!

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Yup. Actually, I think that pic/your rig is where I got the idea from. Only thing is I dont want to use the space up behind the toilet to full open it to sit on. Looks like the lid is eating up a good 4 to 6 inches of real estate. Hmmm...

---

you are right about the lid taking up space, originally the reason I did it this way was for ease of flushing( pulling the handle) also removing the toilet to empty it and I have this idea that if I build a pan under the potti with a drain out the floor I could attach a shower curtain on a round hoop at the ceiling remove the porta potti stand in the box with the curtain tucked in and have an indoor shower.I haven't got there yet not sure it will happen either.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Unlike many of the Dodge or Chevy variants, the Ford E150 has very uneven walls in many places. I assume its designed that way to give the van's frame/shell rigidity.

So since the van does not have ribs every 2 feet like the Chevy Express (etc) I am going to add my own so I can put in the polysio insulation.

Due to the unevenness of the walls I assume its best to use thin strips of wood to "build up" the ribs? I am thinking 1/4 inch plywood cut into 2 inch strips would bend enough. With the 1/4 inch ply I'd have to do 8 layers to equal two inches... which is how thick I want my polysio insulation to be.

Thoughts on this?

Also, since I'm asking questions, will silicone be okay as a glue with polysio foamboard? I have about a dozen tubes of the stuff, but I am not sure if its okay to use with polysio.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

the 1\4 inch ply would work, I would glue(white wood glue) and scew them together , some silicones will melt foamboard, you can do a test if the stuff you have melts it, it won't work, they sell foam board glue, not very expensive, less toxic then silicone. I can understand that you want to use what you have and it might work but make sure you have time to vent your van for awhile before moving into it, silicone is pretty toxic, some more then others.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Very good point. I never thought of the toxic aspect of silicone. I might just try to pressure fit in the foamboard then. I have multiple rolls of Tuct tape I can employ also.

 

[LeeRevell]

How much total amount of polyiso are you figuring on using? At twenty bucks per one inch sheet here, that may be fairly expensive doing two inches thickness.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Up here in Vancouver its almost $8 for a sheet of 24 x 96 x .5. I figure need two of those sheets per 2ft section and there are 5 two foot sections. So thats $80 for one side, $160 for both and probably add another $80 for the roof so $240 altogether. Yup that is getting up there. I wonder how much difference it would make to substitute two 1/2 pieces of plain styrofoam in there? There would be 4 insulation pieces altogether per two foot section. Foamboard > styrofoam > styrofoam > foamboard.

 

[[email protected]]

Have someone follow you and look at the tires and make sure that
they are running in line with each other, front to rear. If not, then
check with a body shop and see if they have a frame straightener
and find out what it would cost to have it straighten it out for you.

It may drive straight, but it could still be crooked.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Good tip. Thanks. Besides possibly faster tire wear, what other negatives might I encounter if the frame is bent?

It might be cheaper to just tires more often than to have the frame straightened.

---

Regarding adding the insulation firring strips I am thinking it might be better to run 2x2 strips horizontally. Just thinking about the amount of time it will take to glue or screw 8 layers of 1/4 inch plywood. With the 2x2s I would have one at the top, one at the bottom and one in the middle. Just wondering how much it will follow the curve of the van... and subsequently how much space I might lose.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Got some more work done on the van last night. I put up 2 of the 3 firring strips. I was hoping to have two 24 inch sections so I wouldn't have to cut the foamboard insualtion but the way the van is constructed means that I have to make some alternative adjustments.

I also found that, in terms of ease of drilling into the metal of the van, the sheet metal screws I bought dont work nearly as easily as regular drywall screws.

The construction industry sure has some weird labelling methods. I went to 3 different big box stores and could not find a wood piece that was actually, really, truly one inch by two inches. I had to settle on .75 x 1.5. Since I want my insulation to be 2 inches thick I added .5 inch 'biscuits' every foot.

.75 + .75 + .5 = 2

You can see the 2 inch firring strips with the biscuit here.

End section. Figuring out how to insulate all the oddball spaces is going to take a bit of thought.

Long view.

This section above the wheel well is a head scratcher as well. I think I am going to have to build the wheel well covers first, but before that I am likely going to have get the flooring in there so everything mates up properly.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Well, its official I will be moving into the van full-time mid July. The wife and I just exchanged a text conversation in which we agreed we are simply not compatible and its time to separate.

In some ways I am relieved. In some ways I am freaked out.

 

[LeeRevell]

Change is always difficult, but it also means a new adventure! New discoveries, about the nation and about yourself!

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Yup. I am thrilled to end this relationship. Peace and quiet is finally on the horizon.

 

[mconlonx]

Well, its official I will be moving into the van full-time mid July. The wife and I just exchanged a text conversation in which we agreed we are simply not compatible and its time to separate.

In some ways I am relieved. In some ways I am freaked out.

Via text...? Well, to each their own... Wife and I split last winter, just finishing up with the divorce papers and process this month. Our split morphed our mutual tiny house plan into my solo van plan. And I'm having a ball, enjoying time out of any kind of relationship, sleeping in the van, doing things I'd not have done if I was still together. But it took a while to get there, lots of sadness and grief. Good luck with the breakup -- hey, at least you already have your new place lined up!

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Yup she initiated it via text, which is fine by me. We had talked about it last Spring 2014 and decided to give it one more try. We are just not compatible. Any time we discuss anything besides "the weather" it was via text or email. We simply cannot talk about things in person as it turns into an argument every-single-time. One of the many problems of the marriage. Communication was horrible. It got to the point where I just was very selective of what I chose to say because I hate to argue. So what ended up happening is that we just didnt talk very much. After the kids went to bed at around 8:00 barely ever was there a word exchanged between us.


Anyway, onto new horizons.