Why You Should Use Computer Aided Design (CAD) for Your Van Conversion

[VanTalk00]

[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Here's a typical scenario:  You come up with a great idea for adding some neat feature to your cabinet/bed/table/roof rack/(you choose). You make the change, and then you find out you need to rip something else out entirely.  Wasted time. Wasted money. Or just live with it.

Instead, you make the CAD change, and see immediately that it either doesn't work, or something else doesn't work as a result. Everything in your van conversion is related to everything else, and it's hard to see how one change affects everything else.

This video goes through a lot of issues I've dealt with in my Promaster City conversion that were resolved by having a computer-based design I could change easily. There was some initial investment in teaching myself the system, but I'm glad I did.[/font]

[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Here's the Youtube link.  I'm sorry if you don't have the bandwidth for Youtube, but I hope it will benefit a few people who are dealing with a mini-cargo van like my Promaster City.[/font]

[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Jim[/font]

 

[maki2]

Nice video, thanks for sharing and I am in complete agreement with how great it is to design in 3D CAD.

I have been a 3D CAD user since 1988. I cut my baby teeth on Catia while working at Boeing but I have worked in or taken classes in most of the major players in the CAD field. Pretty much everything I design that I build is done in 3D CAD from the simple to the complex.

Of all of the 3D CAD programs I have used over the years Ironcad is my #1 choice to design in. This week the company made Ironcad free to students to support the STEM/STEAM initiatives in education. Proof by submitting your Student ID is of course required. So for those who are in school and want to use 3D CAD it is a great alternative and it is a very powerful design program for engineering. But it is also very intuitive and fun to work in. All the tutorials you need to learn the program are posted on youtube. It is a free 30 day download so anyone can try it and very likely even get your build concept designed in that 30 day time frame.

Here is an article from Ironcad featuring one of their customers who design yachts including the interiors using Ironcad.
https://www.ironcad.com/blog/successfully-navigating-the-world-of-custom-yacht-design-with-ironcad/

For those who are looking for ways to make money while living a mobile lifestyle being able to design in 3D CAD is a terrific career and you can also use it to design your own products to sell. Or use it to create project plans that you can sell as digital downloads. You never know, you might just turn your van build concept project into a brand new, fun and creative way to support yourself and your lifestyle. That is all the more reason to do exactly as Jim suggested and use 3D CAD to design your build.

But don't try to download a professional, high end 3D CAD program unless you are on a high speed internet connection. They are very large files and they do need a decent computer to run them. You will see the minimum requirements for what you need in the way of a computer of the websites for the programs. But there are some fun 3D design apps out there that will run on tablets and cell phones which will give you a little taste of the fun that can be had.

 

[bigskybob]

Good Luck

 

[SkagitStan]

Noob to this forum, but I did partially design my conversion using the freebie SketchUp CAD.
My van is a Ford Transit, which has almost no straight lines, and almost no good base files.
I did some basic measurements (van length, height, etc.), used measurments listed in the Ford BEMM, and did the preliminary layout of cabinetry, utilities, etc. in CAD.
When it got to the actual build however, I found it was quicker and easier to adjust on the fly during the construction and installation.
The most useful thing about the CAD work was getting a good overall picture.

 

[MrNoodly]

I used a different method. I started with the most important thing to me: the bed. Since I'm 6' tall I would need to orient the bed lengthwise. My van also came with a steel contractor cabinet. So with the bed and cabinet in the van, I sat in the van and thought, "Okay, I see how much room I have and how I fit in it."

I've seen a lot of build-out drawings on this forum, and in most cases they underestimate or overestimate the space they need for their own body. So unless a CAD program has an exact scale model of yourself and values for how much personal space you need in order to move around and reach your stuff, and to not feel claustrophobic, you might end up tearing things out and rebuilding anyway.

When possible, I think it's better to start out with nothing built in, just your stuff in boxes and duffles. Live with it for a while, find out what you want to have easily in reach every day and which things you rarely need. Find out how much space you need in order to move around and not feel trapped. Are you limber enough? Do you have too much stuff? Is there a better way to pack things?

 

[Weight]

I used 1/8 underlay to cut template. That allowed me to move stuff and check fitment as i went. After living with this van's first build I have redone two more times. Yes, the bed was first and hasn't changed. It will on the next van.

 

[VanTalk00]

By the way,  I recently created an update video on my build, Ep 14 - Update on Working with Aluminum on my Van Build.  

I note this mainly because I pay some solid respect to maki2, and I wanted her to know it.  I know that many of you in the community don't have enough bandwidth to while away on Youtube videos, but I want you to know that I appreciate you and all the advice/comments.

Best,

Jim

 

[maki2]

Thanks I did enjoy the video, quite an honor you did me

Your project is looking very nice, that electrical rack is impressive with everything well laid out and secured. I can tell you are going to have a really terrific van build when you are done working on it.

One minor suggestion for your technique, if you are going to tap with a hand held drill be sure to clamp the metal to the table or put it into a vise so that you you can have both hands free to hold the drill steady so that your threads go in nice and straight and you don't have as much risk of breaking the tap.

Also go to the hardware store and get a small bottle of Tap Magic for aluminum. You do need to use a tapping lubricant. You can also use it for drilling the holes. WD-40 is a penetrating, water displacing oil. The issue with using it on aluminum is that aluminum is porous so the oil stays in it which can create problems should you ever want to apply paint or vinyl on the surface. So the cutting lubricants used for aluminum are all made with water soluble fats such as cetyl alcohol. But since you are not going to be painting the electrical rack or using any adhesives on it then it is not an issue to use WD-40 for drilling the holes. But if you are going to use that acrylic adhesive you mentioned previously then stay away from the WD-40 as you will have adhesive failure in any area that had WD-40 applied to it.

Not sure what diameter of screws you are using. The basic rule of thread engagement for steel is the diameter of the screw is equal to the thickness of the material being tapped through. However that is a presumption based on equal strength of the threads on the screw and the tapped in threads. In this case you don't have that situation as the aluminum is much softer than steel. Meaning the threads you cut into the thin aluminum will fail before the screw does which means you need more threads per thickness of material than would be required for steel to increase the screw holding power. So take a careful look at the loads being put onto the frames. If this were being done on aircraft they would not be tapping into 1/8" thick aluminum for screw holding, instead they would be attaching a riveted in place steel nut plate on the backside of the angle to make the pieces easy to take apart for servicing. But in your situation if you do need the strength holding to be improved then I would just use a longer screw and add a ny-lock nut underneath. Easy belt and suspender fix without having to rework the structure.

 

[VanTalk00]

Thanks I did enjoy the video, quite an honor you did me

Your project is looking very nice, that electrical rack is impressive with everything well laid out and secured.  I can tell you are going to have a really terrific van build when you are done working on it.

Good ideas, all.  I'll pick up some Tap Magic, and I'll look at my 8-32 screw holes to see which ones should be beefed up.