PM 136" Adventure Build

[tatajer]

Background: Hi all! After my CRV write off which was about 50% converted (never used)... I decided to go all in on an adventure van / daily driver / work truck purchase. took me about 6 months to find a Van that almost fit my criteria. I found a PM 136 out of province and was my first vehicle purchase in my life from a dealership. Unfortunately I couldn't see it in person and the dealership wasn't exactly truthful. They failed to tell me even while asking directly, the panels were warped, had an oil leak, rust, scratched up mirrors, and electrical problems with light sensor always triggering. Not a good start as I have to dump a few thousand more into the Van and many problems still exist. A long debate to whether I just sell this and find another one, I decided to keep it and start the process.

My goals were to carry bikes and my butt fan. 136" is tight but I wanted a daily driver that was easy enough to drive. I've driven the 159" and glad I got the 136".


1 star review for the dealership. all they had to do is open the door and bend down to take a peek.


The Van I started has no windows and came with insulation:


The long process of cleaning up the insulation. I tried at first not to scratch up the paint, but was way faster to just go full ham and to the clean up later.


Since this is an adventure van I want an to have tie downs so I've decided to keep the original and add some new ones for the garage

 

[tatajer]

Windows were next. Take your time and you can get a clean cut. Slider window to be installed. added an outlet on the bumper while I was there.



8020 arrived and time to build some rough cabinets to get a feel for it. as much as I wanted a tower right behind the drivers seat, there wasn't much room to move around and switched it up for 3ft bench. so glad I did.





Next is finalizing the 8020 cabinets so I can create some attachment points on the floor


Created some templates so I can drill through the floor



flooring is going down with 1" foam. tried to find C300 (more dense) but C200 was all I found. seems to be just fine. reused the floor for now to save some cash but will probably overlay some vinyl as I will be removing it all this spring to redo it as i'm not happy. Electrical was run through the ceilings and floor at this point

 

[tatajer]

Removed the back panel, haven't got swivel seats yet but might as well start prepping this area. Butt fan going in to head off for a break.


Let's start working on the panels. The plan is to cover them with foam and fabric.



Fan Install. straight forward.



by this point I only had a few weeks until my first camping trip. I needed to get something usable to head out camping. electrical was done twice and will be redone again...

 

[tatajer]

8020 bolted to floor, fridge and electrical installed for my first camping trip.

Temporary counter top I had laying around so I can use it.

off we go camping... my view from inside the van and about to go to sleep...on the floor

rained most of the weekend... but still had a chance to get the bike out and some kayaking.

 

[tatajer]

back from the camping trip... time to prepare for my trip out west... had a chance to review the layout and what I need to change...I knew I wasn't going to finish so again a temporary solution... unfortunately it's coming all out, right down to the bare floor again come spring...



Fridge gets moved to the other side to even out some of the weight...


top shelving cabinet frame done. added some bungee cords until I can build a door...



Trip came up way too fast...time to pack and leave. this is as good as it's going to get.




Road trip and got to use the van and discover more things I'd like to change...



trifold double Bed stores easily away, and bed frame pushes back to gain back 2ft of space of needed space. although my Bike makes it awkward to maneuver as it is so long. I did not want to put it on the back as it is expensive and don't want it stolen. Part of my requirements was to house my bikes and paramotor inside.


one of many views we got to see...



That's the current state so far. will be pulled out to do the following:
- DIY hydronic flooring (it was cold up in those mountains)
- add more electrical
- finish flooring
- install diesel heater and hydronic system
- water/sink.

I wanted to keep it as cheap as possible... but that didn't happen. no turning back now...

I have a bunch of videos on my instagram if you want a little more detail of bed frame and such: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18168090319083071/

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Wow, crazy build! I don't want to know what all that 8020 cost you! But then again, lumber might be the same price nowadays! I also have a hydronic heating system in my van. It will be neat to see someone else who did it too.

 

[WayOutWest]

Thanks for sharing your process and all the photos!
The photos of the van interior at the start, with the insulation that was already in it, reminded me why I don't like spray insulation. The results of spray insulation just look so messy...even when the spray foam is cut back neatly. Imagine the work it would take if you ever wanted to remove all of that!

The 8020 aluminum framing looks very sturdy and solid. I prefer a more rustic look and use of wood, but for functionality the aluminum frame seems to be popular.

All your electrical work is top notch, looks like you're a pro. Have you done this kind of work before, another van conversion before? Very nice wood paneling on the ceiling and walls. Nice work with recessed lights on the ceiling!!

One comment I have about the 8020 framing and use of insulation, is that this results in large cabinets which, for my taste, take up too much of the interior space of the van. I've noticed that a critical element of van design hinges on whether or not one has a bicycle or bikes that one wants to stow inside. Because if you do, there's really no place to put them except under the bed, and so this necessitates a higher bed platform, which for me is not workable. I want the van interior to have a "tiny house" quality, and be comfortable to move about it and loll around in, when cooking, dining, during inclement weather and after dark when it's not as workable to be spending time outside. Thus, it's critical for me that my bed doubles as a "sofa" and I can sit on it when reading, when opening cabinets, eating, etc. This means the bed cannot be higher than one would be able to sit with one's feet on the floor. So, no way to store a bike underneath.
IMO once you raise the bed high enough to stow bikes under it, you then have a much less comfortable interior space. The space more resembles a storage closet. If in addition to that you have large cabinets sticking out, with a narrow area of open space remaining, you end up sleeping and cooking in a storage unit.

This would be less an issue if you're spending most of your time outside the van, but I find that especially in fall and winter, with the shorter days, it can be dark for 12 hrs, and so if you only sleep 8 of those hours, you've still got quite a bit of time which may well be spent inside the van, and for that time I'd like it to be as uncluttered in there as possible.

Article about my own van conversion:

https://dragunfire.wordpress.com/2020/07/21/van-conversion-diaries/

 

[user 423]

What is a 'butt fan'? A big-ass fan?

 

[tatajer]

What is a 'butt fan'? A big-ass fan?

Paramotor.

 

[tatajer]

IMO once you raise the bed high enough to stow bikes under it, you then have a much less comfortable interior space. The space more resembles a storage closet. If in addition to that you have large cabinets sticking out, with a narrow area of open space remaining, you end up sleeping and cooking in a storage unit.

main reason why I added a bench. If I remember correctly, I think I have 20" counter depth. so hallway is big enough to squeeze by another person. I'm proficient in electronics. built my own e-bike battery, and have designed some electronics.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Snoho3]

Good stuff. Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

[tatajer]

As a reference. this was my original plan:



but that was way too tight! so I adjusted it to this plan:


Rear I've change the countertop to a simple rectangle. it made the slider (which I might change to a hinged mechanism so I can easily convert it to a pass through when bikes or garage is empty) a simpler design.