intro/build thread and our poorboy attempt at a campervan.

[scummy]

Looks great!

[shenrie]

^^^ thanks gents!!

only 27 degrees here right now, so making it perfect was not an option. plus was getting some strange looks...people wonder why im working on my ride at work, so i didnt stay out long to make it real pretty, but got the tape and majority of urethane off. still a lot of little pieces i couldnt get a grip on without fingernails and very cold flanges, but ill take care of those later...when its a touch warmer







all in all, im very happy with end result!

[bcaine]

That window and install looks perfect. I've read that one of the easy to locate suppliers on the web prices their window far to high. It sounds like your supplier was good to work with. Any chance you would be willing to share who you bought the window from.

Edit: reread the post and found the answer.

[InigoMontoya]

Just read your entire thread in one sitting and want to pop in to tell you how impressed I am with what you've done on your own. Very cool - congratulations! Some great photography too.

Has the new roof impacted the way you use the van? Do you keep the bed set up all the time, or somehow move it up or out of the way to give you more headroom in a greater part of the van when you're not sleeping?

[shenrie]

Originally Posted by bcaine

That window and install looks perfect. I've read that one of the easy to locate suppliers on the web prices their window far to high.

The install isnt quite perfect, but i do appreciate the compliment. thank you

when looking for the window, i called crl first. they referred me to a couple of local shops that were authorized resellers. when i first called them, they both gave me nice low prices (under 200 bucks). when i called back to get timeframe, both of them told me their previous quote was incorrect (i suspect after really calling crl to get specifics) and both prices went up to right around $250.00. both had also claimed that turnaround time was going to be about a month out. they have a pretty good handle on what they want their products to sell for. most everywhere i went online was around 250 bucks too.

Originally Posted by InigoMontoya

Just read your entire thread in one sitting and want to pop in to tell you how impressed I am with what you've done on your own. Very cool - congratulations! Some great photography too.

wow, thank you indigo!! (love that sn btw) appreciate you taking the time to post that!! i cant lie though, definitely didnt complete any of the mods completely by myself. i have some very talented friends that are happy to help...and if they arent happy to help, bribes go a long way, lol.

Originally Posted by InigoMontoya

Has the new roof impacted the way you use the van? Do you keep the bed set up all the time, or somehow move it up or out of the way to give you more headroom in a greater part of the van when you're not sleeping?

new roof definitely impacted how we use the rig. the bed stays 95% made at this point and we really only mess with bedding to remove and wash. to "stow" our bed we throw pillows in center and quickly fold the sides towards the middle. as it sits, the bed stays in place and we just crawl underneath to access seats and table if its cold out. otherwise, if its warm out, we dont spend a lot of time inside van. we are still living out of bins for the most part, but we unpack very little at camp. i have some cool plans and have been collecting items for how i want the bed to be in the end, but i will save that info to share once we either execute, or post how we failed to execute, lol.

we still use the van for a party bus once and a while. we can keep our bed made and still have room for 11 passengers no problem. the bed hangs a little lower than the original roof was, so packing people in is still an option. in fact, i hauled 10 drunk people home after the superbowl. we would like to keep it functional for that, but thats not the reason we bought the van. if we can still use it that way after the buildout, we will, but first and foremost its a camper for the wife and i. now that weve camped in it with the topper on for a season, i have a pretty good idea how we are going to build it out. just need to finish my battery box. its proven quite the ordeal to get finished

[Wisco150]

Shenrie,

I just finished reading about your build and travels! Awesome thread,
I really enjoy it. My girlfriend and I are semi terrified of snakes so reading that you handled the one in the road is pretty amazing to us and awesome to save it from being road kill!

The pictures you posted, I believe I was able to see all of the ones you posted about your pop top install and the responses to other members questions answered were extremely helpful. I’ve actually seen your time lapse video several times before knowing it was yours! I even took screen shots on my phone of it at that time trying to see the details of the frame/list mechanism haha.

For the bed platform does it rest in the L shaped angle iron frame? Is there a need to or way to secure the bed platform?

[shenrie]

^^^ glad you enjoyed and was able to obtain info that helps you get a van going for you and yours. I love helping others get out and enjoy their van experience! After going back through it real quick there’s stuff I never added to this thread. Might have to do some updates.

Funny thing about snakes is most people think a bite from one is so terrifying and painful. It’s funny cause if you’ve been bit by any dog or cat, which most people have, a bite from a snake is an absolute joke. They aren’t like crocs or alligators. Snakes have no clamping force with their bites. Sure you’ll bleed from all the small teeth, and ya it does feel creepy, but it’s not painful, unless of course it’s venomous and even then, the actual bite isn’t that bad, no worse than a needle poke from a shot. The venom part of the bite is bad. I don’t recommend that part at all, lol. Seriously though, a bite from a non venomous snake is way easier to handle than a meaningful bite from a cat or dog (play bites and test bites don’t count). I used to have an arsenal of reptile and amphibians at the house and have helped quite a few people over their phobia of snakes (and other supposedly creepy crawlers). It’s very satisfying to watch someone go from terrified of something to feeling a 100% confident and safe. Then laughing with them about how unfounded their fear was. Seems like most people are only scared of stuff because their parents were so they just followed suit.

Regarding the bed frame. We did build it to nest perfectly in the frame, then I use a ball lock pin to keep the frame in place and from moving forward under a hard brake. That way when we need standing room in the rear we just pull that pin and tilt the bed upward out of the way.

[Wisco150]

Our fear of snakes is totally irrational, I think my girlfriend and I need to handle some to take care of that! That’s awesome you have been able to introduce people to snakes and have them feel comfortable with them.

I have just a few more questions for when you have time!

For the angle iron that mints to the van roof do you know what thickness the steel
Is?

What is the size of the angle iron? I’m thinking of using 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch but that’s honestly just a number that seemed like it might work but I’d be very interested to know what was used for yours

Lastly for the angle iron frame that mounts to the roof of the van did you have to weld the four corners together or did it come welded with the kit as one big rectangular frame from CCV?

[BroncoHauler]

On the other hand, I came very close to stepping on this guy in the middle of a trail last month. Wasn't moving, wasn't rattling, but things could have turned out badly for both of us.





Let's just say I have a healthy respect for snakes.


Herb

[Twoxentrix]

Nice size, and seems he's already had some sort of an encounter since he's missing the end tip - can only count 5 buttons (his size you would expect 8-10), plus the end is abruptly flat.