less is more

[axcxnj]

yeah the factory ceiling in the front seat area had a 2 gang switch panel already installed for the interior lights. Since i removed the main house lights from the engine battery and wired it to the house battery, that freed up one of the switches, which i ended up using for the exterior light bar. Theres plenty more space to expand if needed as you mentioned, but for now it was nice not having to tear into that area any more than it was already set up.

The van is currently loaded up and we are headed to the mountains for a 4 day weekend. looking forward to trying out the new setup for the first time!

[axcxnj]

well..i realized I had not posted in here in quite a while. Long story short...the van is prettymuch done and ive been using the crap out of it all summer...its been a super busy past few months.

The wife turned out to be really happy with the comfort of the new mattress installed. So happy that she went out and bought some fleece to make a new blanket just for the van.

we plan on using this all winter long for weekends of backcountry skiing and ice climbing. since it gets dark early i worked out a setup that attaches a 36 inch projector screen and small smart projector to the ceiling with magnets. now we have in-van entertainment for when it gets dark at 4 pm and we need something to do.


also spent a lot of time working on the garage and building a new parking spot for the van to stay so its out of the way while parked.

in addition to van trips for trail running, i also got to get away for 3 days of bikepacking...which is the type of overlanding i more prefer. human powered.




Ive decided to re-do the flooring next summer with vinyl wood flooring though. the foam tiles arent working out as well as i had been hoping. thankfully they are super easy to remove though. theres still a few ideas for things i want to incorporate floating around in my head. but right now the projects are halted so we can do some housework before winter. I like to spend as much time outside as i can in the winter

[Northshore]

This is a really good thread and I am really enjoying it but for some reason a lot of the pictures are not showing up for me.

[killacks]

Love the magnetic projector and screen idea and execution. Any more details on that?

Thanks!

[axcxnj]

Originally Posted by Northshore

This is a really good thread and I am really enjoying it but for some reason a lot of the pictures are not showing up for me.

Thanks, I had re-posted some of the pictures throughout the thread..but i think i initially had some issues with permissions where the photos were originally hosted. let me know if theres anything youre interested in seeing in more detail.

Originally Posted by killacks

Love the magnetic projector and screen idea and execution. Any more details on that?

Thanks!

yeah its a pretty simple setup. I didnt want to hardwire anything in, so i used this anker smart projector. it has a 4 hour run time on its battery, built in netflix and wifi, phone mirroring, etc. so you can basically stream what you want.

https://www.amazon.com/Projector-Ank...2805708&sr=8-1

it has a tripod insert on the bottom, and has modes for running upside down or rear projection. so i made a crude insert with a 1/4-20 screw and a bunch of steel washers, then screwed a magnet into the ceiling. When i watch i just pop it on to the magnet and it hangs. not strong enough for driving though.

the screen i used is
https://www.legrandav.com/products/d...tfold_minifold


the fold out feet are made of steel, so again, i just mounted magnets to the ceiling and it hangs in place when i want to use it.

magnets i used:
https://www.amazon.com/DIYMAG-Neodym...806223&sr=8-17







im really happy with the system. its pretty lightweight and mobile and i can set it up outside the van if i want, instead of always being subject to being inside.

[antmanbee]

Originally Posted by axcxnj

Ive decided to re-do the flooring next summer with vinyl wood flooring though. the foam tiles arent working out as well as i had been hoping. thankfully they are super easy to remove though. theres still a few ideas for things i want to incorporate floating around in my head. but right now the projects are halted so we can do some housework before winter. I like to spend as much time outside as i can in the winter

What about the foam tiles didn't work out? I was thinking of using them in my build. I thought that a bit of extra insulation and also cushioning under foot, and the ability to be removed to clean were big plusses.

[axcxnj]

Originally Posted by antmanbee

What about the foam tiles didn't work out? I was thinking of using them in my build. I thought that a bit of extra insulation and also cushioning under foot, and the ability to be removed to clean were big plusses.

all of those plusses are accurate. The foam tiles were cushiony, insulating and easy to remove.

what didnt work out was the fact that they would expand and contract significantly in the heat and cold. so on hot days the joints would all be sticking up and trying to push themselves apart. in the summer time the floor would rarely lay flat.