Whitey Ford

[WVvan]

I like the "Econoline" labeled bed.
Who's your little friend?

[Nomadcat]

The Econoline logo was NOS off of ebay.

The dog? The van actually belongs to him and I work for him...

[Sandi]

NomadCat, where did you get the foil-backed jute for the insulation?

Looks good!

Sandi

[Nomadcat]

Hi Sandi,

I got it from Second Skin Audio cause I wanted the foil on both sides.

You can get it cheaper from J.C. Whitney, though. Not sure how it compares in terms of quality.

Be sure to get foil tape, too, because I think it makes a difference to tape up all the seams and generally seal it off. I tried to get it so that none of the actual jute was exposed to any air or condensation at all.

p

[Sandi]

Originally Posted by Nomadcat

Hi Sandi,

I got it from Second Skin Audio cause I wanted the foil on both sides.

You can get it cheaper from J.C. Whitney, though. Not sure how it compares in terms of quality.

p

The Second Skin site says "1 sheet - 9 SF".

The JC Whitney comes in rolls, 4' wide x 6 or 24 or 48' long.

Is the SS piece really 9'w x 9'L = 81? Or is it 3'x3' for a total of 9 SF?

Trying to calculate cost per SF...

And how much did you use for the floor and walls? The high top is already pre-insulated, so we don't need enough for the roof.

Thanks!!!

Sandi

[Nomadcat]

It's nine square feet. If I were to do it again, I might go J.C. Whitney - it's much cheaper. I just happened to have a big job that month and ordered it while I had the money. If it were this month, I'd do Whitney. I cannot remember how many feet I used, but I just kept laying that on, in double thicknesses in some parts. Be sure to get good spray adhesive.

[Sandi]

Thanks, Nomadcat.

We're having the insulation and skinning done by a semi-local shop. He was going to do fiberglass, but we've requested the JC Whitney stuff instead. (I don't care if he buys and installs it, or if we buy and supply it - discussions are forthcoming).

But we sent in a deposit check today for the high top, and hope that we can have the major pieces of the build done by mid-July. DH is starting work on the wiring, LED lights, and selection of the switches this weekend. (I took care of the ARB fridge, the VanTred mat, the specifications to the builder, and the FantasticVent).

Sandi

[Nomadcat]

I have been continuously doing things to the van - as enumerated recently in the "what did you to your smb thread?" (even though mine is not a smb, but a quadvan homebrew d.i.y.)

Anyway, let me list the bulkhead situation, as it has been the subject of my experimentation the most lately.

I originally tried birch ply, which I have on the ceiling and which looks great. It was not bendable enough.

I then tried masonite, which worked well, but looks kind of crappy.

I then tried covering the masonite with kevlar fabric, but could never get it to look non-wrinkly and frayed.

I did the same then with ballistic nylon, but again to bad effect.

I then took a 10,000 mile cross country with the masonite and let my brain stew for a while.

I recently got some wiggleboard - bendable 1/8 poplar ply. This, indeed, would work, but I decided against it after doing a test section. First, the grain was not that pretty. Not good enough to warrant all that work. Second, the stuff was so thin and brittle that it made masonite look like steel.

I am now back to an earlier mad idea, but I think it's what I'm going with - for now, at least. I am putting up fiberglass foil insulating tape on the exposed sections. Because I found out after I bought it that you don't want to let the fibers into your environment - even though I think they're pretty stable once they're on the wall - I am then sealing it up with the plain foil tape from second skin audio.

So, yes, the bottom line is that it will be a foil lined van. The phenomenal thing for cold weather camping will be the heating retention. I remember working in it last winter with one incandescent work lamp before the masonite went on - nice and warm.

The weird thing will be - the foil-lined van aspect, but I'll see how it goes. I like another layer of insulation and the weight hit is minimal. I can always do something weird down the road like putting wallpaper over it.

My only real concern is that some people - or some police officers - will see the foil lining in the rear and wonder what's going on. I have nothing at all to hide, but I still like keeping a low profile, so this may all be another dumb idea, but I'm going with it for at least the next trip, which comes in a couple of months.

After that, we shall see. I'm having too much fun just working on the thing to stop now.

If I ever get a cruiser top - not likely at the moment considering how high my center-of-gravity already is with the four-inch lift, I might then have to consider a serious, adult wallcovering.

For now, though, foil is it. I'll get photos by next week, when the second batch of my tape gets put up.

[Nomadcat]

I have been woefully lax in keeping up this thread. I'll try to catch up soon, but I'm on the road.

I'll try to get up photos of my interior shelving and the foil paneling. Problem is, since I'm on the road, the van is kind of packed and messy - lived in, rather - so I'd almost rather wait till I get it cleared out.

That being said, though, I did do something huge today. Made it out to Quadvan, really just to check in, as I'm usually 3000 miles from the guys who built my drivetrain.

John, as usual, was hugely informative about my questions. He also measured the driveline angles and decided to put it on the lift and replace the stock lift blocks he had used with some new ones he designed that incorporate an angled side, eliminating the need for a wedge. It's just another example of the little custom things they do at Quadvan that make me love that place. It truly is a custom shop, the way they build things.

Anyway, what blew me away is that the blocks worked perfectly. My van had been running like a top, but at 60 to 65 mph, I had had a very minor vibration when I'd let up off the gas pedal. Not huge, but I noticed it. It's completely gone now.

Since I'm one of those people who listen way too closely to their vehicle at all times, it really made me smile all day as I cruised down the I-5.

As usual, they had some sick looking vans in the back. If I only had some more money and a place to park them, I'd love to have MORE MORE MORE.

I'm happy with Whitey Ford for now, though.

[bettyford]

I just read your post about the road trip, sounds like you had a great time. To bad you couldnt come by Jackson maybe next time.
The Van looks great nice job.

Ron