Rainbow Previa Build

loess · Dec 1, 2014

Thanks jdsackett! I will have a look at that 3M weatherstrip.

I am feeling a little stuck today. I want to start with the polyiso on the ceiling, gluing it on to the Reflectix. But again this is my concern:

loess said:
Also, once I cut the polyiso panels and glue them to the Reflectix, I hope they will stay up there. It seems like the weight of them could potentially cause the Reflectix layer to sag...we shall see!

I think I'd better devise some sort of system to reinforce everything once that polyiso is glued to the Reflectix+bubble wrap, otherwise it is eventually going to sag. Maybe some simple furring strips running across the ceiling for support, then the finishing layer of Coroplast will go over that. There are a couple of ceiling frame ribs that run crosswise along the ceiling, but I covered them up when I applied the Reflectix+bubble wrap (you can see where I taped the seams, and also they can be seen in previous photos above showing the bare ceiling). I am having difficulty envisioning any other way to get supports up there other than screwing some 1x1's into those with self-tapping screws. Would need to be careful not to go all the way through the roof though. Originally there were metal crossbar supports that were up there supporting the stock insulation under the headliner, but I can't find where I put them. If I can find them I might be able to just screw them back into their original spots.

masterplumber · Dec 1, 2014

Loess, great start on your van. You mentioned security for your solar panel. Yakima makes lock cylinders for you towers so you can lock the racks to the vehicle, but still remove them as needed. Then you can use "jam" nuts on the u bolts when you mount the panel. That would make it very time consuming for a thief to take off. Of course it would also make it difficult for you to take off the panel and haul kayaks etc... but maybe you could pick up a spare set of bars and towers off Craig's List and then you'd be set.

loess · Dec 2, 2014

Thank you masterplumber. Jam nuts might be just enough of a PITA to make a thief bail out of his plan. I forgot that there are lock cylinders on those towers, finding the key is going to be the real challenge though. I wouldn't be surprised if my mom still has it though and put it away somewhere years ago...she is pretty organized.

loess · Dec 6, 2014

Well, I hate to say it but I am going to have to put the build on pause for a while. I've been stressing myself out trying to move through it as quickly as possible. After some internal dialogue and compromise, I realized that even if I were to barrel through and get the bare necessities sloppily installed by January, it would leave me pretty high and dry financially, and I would be sacrificing comfort, versatility and much of my ability to fulfill my basic needs on the road. While I love traveling, I don't necessarily need to go full-time in my van, I just see it more as a tool that can assist me in merging my passions with my reality, and finding a supportive community and environment to move to. So I would rather take my time designing and implementing things with clarity, focus, and intention, rather than being motivated largely by the prospect of "escaping" my current situation. I'm going to keep working on it but at a much slower and piecemeal pace, but I will continue to update with photos as I move along!