Sassypickin's Van

[sassypickins]

Hi all, I thought I would share what I've done to my little escape pod so far.

First up: THE BUY

I learned a lot, mostly here, before I plunked down money. After comparisons, I decided I wanted a van. I needed a hi-top for my 65-yr old self who's still and always a kid but who deals with a 35-yr old back injury. I'm not a mechanic, so I needed a van that passed muster and that I could easily find parts for and have serviced. I settled for mediocre mpg and instead got some great features for what I thought was overall a great price.

I bought my 2002 Ford E-350 extended bed hi-top cargo van with in February.

Some +/-: Negative: It had 180,000 miles on it. Gulp. Positive: Most were freeway miles up and down I-5 on the west coast. Positive: I had it examined and poked and prodded by the experts, who found nothing of significant concern. Negative: This engine's weak spark plug thread design, and, in fact, one of this van's plug holes has had the insert operation, hopefully its one and only - cross my fingers. Positive: It would have cost a chunk of change to buy and install a nice hi-top like this van already has (like around $2,000). Positives: The owner had already put some materials into the van that I knew I could re-use, like a lot of plywood in the form of a HUGE platform bed, and white vinyl walls, and a sink/cabinet and 12v fridge/cooler. He threw in a new tow hitch receiver, brake assist, and had just bought new tires. He upgraded the entire exhaust system, rebuilt the cooling system, and provided maintenance records. Negative: It's getting about 12- mpg in town and 14+ mpg on the highway. Positive: That's better than I thought it would with its significantly high hat. Positive: The van is clean, everything works, it behaves well, is very comfortable to drive and so far, I'm still very satisfied with it and the price ($4,000) and I'm very grateful I found it. I think it will take a lot of driving before the price of gas outweighs my happiness and it isn't my plan to drive and drive and drive.

I had a bunch of basic things done and started a maintenance timeline so I will know what to do when and how much it will cost and I have a fund for the unexpected uh-oh's.

I got around to outfitting it some in June and in July started roadtripping and camping. What a feeling of accomplishment to have made it out onto the road successfully. I don't live in my van, but I believe I could, whether by choice or from necessity. My outfitting is with that in mind. For now it is enough to know it's there at the ready, and all I have to do is grab a few things and take off, and I do. It has already changed my whole outlook on life and I've had the pleasure to meet new friends here and hope to meet more.

Next up: DEMO!

 

[SoulRaven]

That's a fine looking van. Post some pictures of the inside as you get it done...

Travel Safe... Bob J.

 

[rvwandering]

Looks like you found a good one! Keep having fun with it.

 

[user 423]

Nice looking van! Plenty of room there and I think you got a good deal.

PS: I've dealt with the Ford 4.6 plug problem myself on a car I used to own.

 

[sassypickins]

Thanks!

DEMO

Here's the original bed - the guy was a kiteboarder and needed lots of room under, so it was a full 6 x 6 plus all covered in a low-nap carpet.


I pulled about a ton of staples.


I had to remove the white vinyl 'walls'.

 

[gypsychic]

Looks great. I bet you love the hightop! Sounds like someone had the same idea as you and then life or whatever got in the way. What a score for you! Please post some pics of your build.

Cheers,

GypsyChic

 

[sassypickins]

DEMO (Cont'd)

Here was the 'insulation' ha ha!



I decided to leave the plywood floor in. It had a foam underlayment, but a lot of unfilled spaces, so I'd have to address that.

I took a lot of bare naked pictures. (Don't look, it's van porn!) I knew I would refer to them to remember where I could safely fasten nailers and the bed and things.



I scrubbed down all the walls and inner walls to give adhesive and tape the best chance of sticking for a long time.

Next up:

 

[sassypickins]

@ gypsychic - yes, the young man was headed for Mexico to kite surf the winter away, when other responsibilities hit him.

INSULATION FUN

I did not set out to fool with the inner walls, but I couldn't resist.



It proved challenging and fun to guesstimate size and shape and then slide the reflectix in, leaving it vertical and loose enough that any moisture forming will run down and out the weepholes. (In my mind's eye that seems like a plan, anyway.) I used my new best friend - silver aluminum duct tape - to secure pieces to each other and to the frame in spots. (Note: Buy the bigger rolls in the duct dept, not the ones next to the reflectix.) I rolled reflectix and slid it up into the door frames around the windows, too. Right away the inner metal cooled to the touch, so I am hoping that will be a good thing.

I dealt with the zillion little screw holes left by the previous owner's wall covering install by first painting them all with fingernail polish to hopefully stall or prevent rust (Thanks PatSchum for that idea!), and then covered each with shiny tape. Then I reflectixed over the frame holes and taped everything tight.




Next up:
MORE INSULATION FUN

 

[sassypickins]

MORE INSULATION FUN
I re-used the 1/2" styrofoam pieces the previous owner had in there plus I bought one 1/2" sheet of Polyiso, a more water-resistant and double foil-backed product (Thanks, Bob!). I used these to bring all the indentations out to close to the same level as the frame ribs. I taped them all on with the silver tape. Did I say I love that stuff?

Then I ran 1" Polyiso horizontally on the walls in small heights in order to follow the inward curve of the walls as they rise. I taped each piece to the frame and to the other pieces behind it before moving on to the next section. Everything ended up very well taped to everything else, and my thinking seemed to be right that as I added layers of things, eventually everything would stay put. That would remain to be seen.


The previous owner had installed a basic power strip to an outdoor outlet, so I left it and just insulated around it. The wheel wells and gas inlet housing are covered with two loose layers of reflectix, each leaving some air space to help a little with the insulating factor (cross my fingers). I'd fill in later with polyiso scraps where the plywood floor doesn't fit tight.


I remembered to keep marking where fastening points were as I went along - mostly ha ha.


One area left uninsulated for now was along the roof edge where the frame juts out the most. I just did not want to build out to include that. I would have lost too many interior inches widthwise. I will deal with that separately and figure it into the design of upper cupboards when I get to that. But it will need insulating. It was hot like the windows this summer, though those were easy to address with reflectix.


I calculated how much insulation I could put on the sliding door and be able to finish it and still have it slide freely.


Because I was lucky to get a van with an insulated hi-top, I didn't do anything up there. It felt only mildly warm to the touch this summer. I also didn't insulate the front doors. A project for another day!

Next up:
WALL COVERING - SORT OF

---

INSULATION photo I goofed on up there ^

Sliding door inner wall reflectix

 

[loess]

Awesome van and awesome work you have done! I'm with ya on the aluminum tape...there is something so satisfying about the way that it brings everything together neat and tidy. Looking forward to seeing more

 

[Luisafernandes]

On my Chevy 2500 I did this;

It's a template for the walls (also did one for the ceiling) so I would know where to screw and not to screw. What was the question[emoji780]

---

Overall.........................................you're doing an awesome job[emoji779]️[emoji4]

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

What's the interior height ? Also, how "squirrelly" does driving get with high (i.e Quartzite) crosswinds ?
Thanks
KinA

 

[sassypickins]

@Loess ~ Thanks! And I'm looking forward to seeing your build progress, too!
@Luis ~ Thanks! Ha ha that's a great little where-to-screw road map there. I did have to test my depths at times with a drill bit to ensure I wouldn't go through the outer skin and still I managed to do that once in a rear corner. Bad me!
@Ken ~ My floor takes up almost 1 1/2" and still it is 6' 1" throughout the center from behind the seats to about 18" from the back, where it begins a descent of about 2" to the back doors. I haven't driven in Q AZ winds yet, but on a trip across Oregon's eastern plateaus and through the Columbia Gorge this summer it got a little breezy, and I kept waiting for the van to start tossing around but it never did once. The aerodynamic hi-top design helps and maybe this 350 super duty is heavier, beefier? Not sure.

 

[Almost There]

Also, how "squirrelly" does driving get with high (i.e Quartzite) crosswinds ?
Thanks
KinA

I drove a Ford E150 with the 24" high top for several years all over the eastern seaboard of the US.

It was no better or worse in high cross winds than the Class A 35' that I drove.

You did feel like you were tacking into the wind some days, you had to be cognizant of coming out from under a bridge and there were a few white knuckle moments when transport trucks tried passing during a high wind cause you knew they were having the same problems as you were.

Crossing the bridges in the FL keys was quite interesting too IIRC. It seemed to always be a cross wind there.

You learned to move to the wind side of the lane to give yourself the extra foot or so and keep an extra eye peeled on the traffic coming up beside you so you didn't scare them too badly...

Each vehicle reacts differently, my Astros and Safaris used to dance in the wind and they didn't even have hightops.

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm loving your posts with all the pictures of putting the insulation up and such. You make the job sound doable. I've only ever worked with Reflectix but think I might be looking at Styrofoam soon, it sounds too good not to use. The pics were really informative.

 

[cyndi]

I'm impressed, Sassy! You're doing a great job!

 

[wagoneer]

YOU are encouraging me I have the same format 2001 e350 hi-top. bare walls at this point but buying raw materials for the job. Having worked HVAC for many years when asbestos was the material of choice. Thanks for the many updates.

 

[Bdog1]

I'm developing hi-top envy!

 

[sassypickins]

@Ken ~ that is great info to know, thanks.

@Bitty ~ Thanks! After researching the various foam board products, I went with RMax Thermasheath R6 Polyiso which is about $20 for a 1" x 4' x 8' sheet. It was very easy to cut with minimal clean up that didn't fly around and stick to everything as bad as styro bits love to do.

Thanks, Cyndi, Nelda and Helen for your encouragement to post my build.

Thanks, Wagoneer for the nice words ~ I'll post some more later today.

@Bdog1 ~ Wow, it looks so much longer without the hi-top!

 

[sassypickins]

WALL COVERING - SORT OF

Before you get to laughing too hard at my walls... ok, too late, I see...

Well, to help stick to my budget, I reused the white vinyl stuff that was already on the walls when I bought the van. Now the guy who did the work used about ten zillion little metal screws to put this stuff up, so there were ten zillion little holes to deal with. Since his holes weren't going to match MY holes, I decided to just run a row of nice white duct tape over HIS holes and call it good. So that is why you see all the white duct tape.

You wouldn't want to see a photo of me trying to hold up this 8' long sheet of vinyl, trying to get a screw started, and hoping it was going to be in the right place. After a few misses, I got one up in a corner and worked my way down the top ridge. I only guesstimated that it would hang down square enough and after some readjustments, it did.


I used some spray adhesive on the back first and pressed it onto the Polyiso foamboard behind. It stuck great....for about 15 minutes. I didn't want to build T-braces and wait overnight, so I was glad it stuck at least long enough for me to finish screwing the vinyl through the insulation to the frame along the next horizontal row. I'm calling it a success. The fact that the vinyl hangs loosely there in the 'between' area doesn't bother me and it doesn't seem to bother the van either.


Then I found white plastic (geez, more plastic) chain link fencing strips from the big box store and added those over the seams.


I still need to run some more white tape over the screws I put in, and figure how to finish off the edges here and there. Oh, and put up the last of the vinyl sheeting on the doors. Then it will truly be a work of art!


I'll eventually put in a wooden window jamb and trim around this window, and a long box big enough to hold some sprouting jars and maybe an herb plant or two.


This work was done 6 months ago, and the walls and tape are holding up well.

This is the Vinyl and I did end up buying one sheet to finish up with.

Next up:

FLOORING