nihil_perditi

Radin2son - yes given the way the faucet articulates I think I can swing it out for a shower which is a nice added bonus.  Thanks for the backsplash idea - I will add that to the list of finishing touches I am going to work on once I near completion of the build.  

Faucet installed - now onto water pump & fresh water tank.  

Thanks for sharing the update on the awning.  Are you pretty happy with it so far?  This is on my to-do list but I have a lot of other items to tackle before.  

Looking good!  I am working on the water system right now as well.  Any pictures of your freshwater tank set up would be appreciated! 

Most of the paneling installed now.  It is a pretty rigid piece of expanded pvc material (I think that is what it is called) that I saved from packaging material for the floor when it was shipped to me.  I can always replace it with something else down the line but I am happy with how it turned out.  For the front of the lower cabinet I will either have a piece of fabric as the "door/covering" or a regular type door that swings open, still thinking about it.  Also pictured is the hepvo waterless p-trap.  

Radin2son - agreed - I am thinking of building a cubby on the portion of the step that is not really used for shoe storage.  

TanStewie - thanks!  If you have any questions about 80/20 I am happy to help.  There is also some great info on working with it on the sprinter forum.

Radin2son - I think I can best answer that question with a few photos once I have grey water tank and other components installed.  

Surfboard rack up now.  This has been on van for a few weeks now and is working well.  I will add a "stabilizer" arm or two of aluminum that will come off the bottom and wrap down under to the chassis in the future for extra security.  I figured I could add some rivnuts to the body for stabilization but I am giving myself time to think about which approach I will take.  

Now I am planning the sink module so I can have running water!  It will probably take me some time (months) before I have anything I can share with regards to the sink.   :headspin:

560 Watts installed with pivoting panel over the pilot hatch.  With the pilot hatch almost completely covered (as pictured) a nice amount of indirect sunlight gets in without that much heat.  Unfortunately my fridge has what is most likely a coolant leaking problem so that is not up and running yet (Waiting to hear back from manufacturer).  I will now focus on installing a rack on the driver's side of the van to mount surfboards to.  The rack will consist of 80/20 aluminum and will connect to the 80/20 roof rack already installed.  Wish me luck!  

Using 80/20 aluminum to create a rack to mount the solar panels to.  Pieces of cardboard are dimensions of actual panels - hope to have the front one pivot up when parked for ventilation & possibly a little extra charge but we will see.  

Finally working on electrical - hope to have solar panels (560W) mounted soon.  Here is a photo of 200 Ah Li-ion battery connected to charge controller/ BMS:  

Some other updates (__of __):  Hardest part of seat swivel install was waiting for it to arrive.  If I recall correctly, I waited around 6 months for product to be in stock.  Not many are made due to relatively lower demand compared to a similar swivel for a sprinter.  Very happy with quality and extra space it provides.  

Some other updates (__of __): Pictured here is the "kitchen" module.  I learned how to work with 80/20 and build basic cabinetry while building this module.  So if you look really carefully you can see some of my mistakes.  It is built around the national luna fridge which sits on a tembo tusk fridge slide - pictured it is in the out position.  I designed the drawer section around fitting a two burner alcohol stove in the upper right drawer.  I used southco flush hatches that lock shut and would easily use them again.  I wanted the counter to be free of a permanently installed range because I wanted to make that horizontal surface multi purpose.  Is the fridge too big for such a build?  Will the slide prove inconvenient or difficult to use once the sink module is installed?  We shall see.  

Some other updates (__of __): Still trying to figure out dimensions of sink module - here is a photo of a box I built to approximate sizing.  Probably won't get to look at this in earnest for at least the next three months.  I don't want to take up too much floor space but at the same time I don't want a sink so small that it is more of a novelty than a utilitarian addition.  

Some other updates (__of __):  Bed dimensions are atypical - almost as wide as a king but very short - length was limited as I built this around the requirements for the fridge module which was installed first.  I don't mind the short length - which I believe is right around 6'2" (for reference, I am right under 6'2")  Sleeping at somewhat of an angle and/or with feet off at times works well for me.   I could have made a portion of it longer but for now I am content with size.  And yes it was someone's birthday when I took the photo (not mine).  

Some other updates (__of __): Here is a photo to get a sense of the bench/bed construction.  Currently planning to have electrical components inside driver side bench and water/plumbing will be housed on passenger side.  

Some other updates (__of __): I am really enjoying working with 80/20!  That is a "starrett" tap wrench - expensive but a beauty.  

Bench to bed conversion - not pictured are the foam pieces I have cut out for the bed.  Hope you can see the movie.  Almost ready to design the roof rack for the solar panels!  

IMG_4767.MOV

Haven't posted an update in a while and that's partially because I haven't had much time to work on the conversion!  First time to work with 80/20 extruded aluminum and I can say that I really enjoy building with it.  Still tinkering with lots of things so not much more can be shared but an image of what part of the interior looks like (at least for now).  Hopefully I can post again with a meaningful update before the end of 2016!! 

Looks great!  Do you mind sharing details regarding what junction box (if that is what it is called) you utilized on the roof?  I am still not too sure the best way to run my wires to my van's interior.  Thanks, 

Wollip - that sounds like some serious heat - stay cool out there!  

I believe the video showing this build was on this forum somewhere - but I recently came across an article regarding this conversion and thought I would share - enjoy! 

Article: 

https://adventure-journal.com/2015/10/living-the-road-dream-in-a-25-foot-stealth-office/

Video:

Also - Wollip I know you have talked a little bit about your fridge and your conversion but I was trying to find photos the other day of your build but came up empty handed.  Did I miss a thread?  Always love seeing what everyone else is doing with their vans.  Thanks!  

This is great!  Thanks for sharing Chris

radin2son - good to know, I will reach out to sportsmobile and see if they can opine on my pilot hatch. 

KMG - I will monitor that seam closely - thanks for sharing.