H.A. Monkey
Golden Knight of the Realm
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You were obviously not around for the American Inventor dick joke.
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(G)rape Vanning
- Thread starter TJT
- Start date
You were obviously not around for the American Inventor dick joke.
Leadsalad
Cis-XYite-Nationalist
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latheboy
Trakanon Raider
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Himeo
Vyemm Raider
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Julian The Apostate
Vyemm Raider
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A5150Ylee
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Black people using the N word is cultural appropriation from southern white dudes that owned plantations long ago. It's just wrong for the same reason that an Asian can't open a taco stand.
- 1
Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
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So after doing a few months research, we decided on a Ram Promaster.
Sprinters seemed like a decent option, but the repair costs for them scared me off (and that's if you're close to a Mercedes dealership when you need something done). It's hard to find a T1N version, but those are the most reliable (the NVC3 models from 2007 on all have a fucked up emissions system to try to comply with US regulations). A newer model Ford Transit was another option, but the wheelbase is shorter, it's got somewhat curved walls, and the price wasn't much different. Also looked into maybe getting a Ford E-250/350, or GMC Savana/Chevy Express (they're the exact same), but finding one with a high roof is difficult. And they're about $4k if we wanted to put it on ourselves.
We found a 2018 Promaster, 159 wheelbase with a high roof, that was formerly a rental with only 11k miles on it. It's got some dings (you can see the big black one on the side), but we don't care all that much about those. Pretty excited to get it started.
We'll end up insulating it and then just throwing a bed in it to start off, that way we can get a better idea of what we want and where.
Oh, and in case anyone else is interested in doing this, we did have issues with financing. We got a pre-approval from our credit union, but when the dealership was trying to verify it the credit union was like, "Uh, we actually can't honor it because that's a commercial vehicle." Even after explaining that it was for personal use, they didn't care. We ended up having to use a different bank and got a much higher rate because no one would give us a rate that was a "personal loan" even though that's what it is. The annoying part is that our credit is actually even more ridiculous than it was when we bought our house (was about 810 three years ago, it's now 867). It's not a big deal to us since we're planning on paying it off in 5-6 months. Just still obnoxious and I'm not happy with our credit union (Navy Federal).
Sprinters seemed like a decent option, but the repair costs for them scared me off (and that's if you're close to a Mercedes dealership when you need something done). It's hard to find a T1N version, but those are the most reliable (the NVC3 models from 2007 on all have a fucked up emissions system to try to comply with US regulations). A newer model Ford Transit was another option, but the wheelbase is shorter, it's got somewhat curved walls, and the price wasn't much different. Also looked into maybe getting a Ford E-250/350, or GMC Savana/Chevy Express (they're the exact same), but finding one with a high roof is difficult. And they're about $4k if we wanted to put it on ourselves.
We found a 2018 Promaster, 159 wheelbase with a high roof, that was formerly a rental with only 11k miles on it. It's got some dings (you can see the big black one on the side), but we don't care all that much about those. Pretty excited to get it started.
We'll end up insulating it and then just throwing a bed in it to start off, that way we can get a better idea of what we want and where.
Oh, and in case anyone else is interested in doing this, we did have issues with financing. We got a pre-approval from our credit union, but when the dealership was trying to verify it the credit union was like, "Uh, we actually can't honor it because that's a commercial vehicle." Even after explaining that it was for personal use, they didn't care. We ended up having to use a different bank and got a much higher rate because no one would give us a rate that was a "personal loan" even though that's what it is. The annoying part is that our credit is actually even more ridiculous than it was when we bought our house (was about 810 three years ago, it's now 867). It's not a big deal to us since we're planning on paying it off in 5-6 months. Just still obnoxious and I'm not happy with our credit union (Navy Federal).
- 2
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Sludig
Silver Baronet of the Realm
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If you wanted it as a personal loan, IE unsecured. Couldnt you take the loan in cash then just pay off the van and make payments into the personal loan for 5-6 months? I'm still suprised you wouldnt find a secured loan against the vehicle at a better rate than a personal even with that credit.
Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 36,208
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The problem was there wasn't a credit union close to the dealership (30 min drive, one way). We got pre-approval up to a certain dollar amount, which then gets hashed out after the fact when we figure out what the actual cost is. Problem is, that's based on the interest rate given for a normal car loan, not commercial. Had we been closer, that could've been a possibility. We also had to play it a bit loose with a cashier's check. I couldn't get the dealership to respond to me about what their DBA is, so we just winged it and they said what we put on there worked.
It's not something I'd even considered or heard about before. The most bizarre part is my wife previously worked in banking for something like 7 years and she'd never heard of it either (and she worked in the loan dept for a while, as well as previously at Navy Federal).
Just as an aside, my father-in-law is super into this van shit, and has been for years. He was looking at Promasters on the other side of the country. He went to a dealership with new ones and they said they would've even sell one to him if he wasn't a business. Like, straight up, we're not selling you a vehicle for personal use.
It's not something I'd even considered or heard about before. The most bizarre part is my wife previously worked in banking for something like 7 years and she'd never heard of it either (and she worked in the loan dept for a while, as well as previously at Navy Federal).
Just as an aside, my father-in-law is super into this van shit, and has been for years. He was looking at Promasters on the other side of the country. He went to a dealership with new ones and they said they would've even sell one to him if he wasn't a business. Like, straight up, we're not selling you a vehicle for personal use.
Hatorade
A nice asshole.
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Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 36,208
- 114,726
Been kind of slow going, but I'm basically doing what I can on weekends and occasionally after work.
Put down 1x2 furring strips in the spots where I think we'll end up doing furniture (bed mounting, cabinet mounting, etc) and glued it down with Loctite. Seems decently solid, but I'm not super worried since it's basically there just to give the plywood something to grab onto.
Then I did 1" polyiso insulation between the furring strips. "Glued" it down using Great Stuff Windows and Doors spray foam (about $6 a can). That shit is solid, won't move at all.
Also used butyl sound deadening material on the wheel wells and most of the walls. Covered the wheel wells again with reflectix as well as an insulating barrier. Made window coverings out of reflectix (windshield, driver/passenger windows, and 2 rear windows). Plan is to put a fabric backing on them, and sew magnets around the edges so they stick. Plan over this long weekend is to sound deaden the remaining walls and ceiling, and then insulate (thinking 1" on walls, 2" on ceiling).
Since the polyiso has a foil backing (on both sides, actually), I went ahead and used foil duct tape along all the furring strips to create a vapor barrier on the floor. Also went ahead and extended some reflectix over the edges all the way around and duct taped them in case I decide later I want the vapor barrier to extend from the floor to the walls. Plus, there's a weep channel (for natural condensation) along the floor edges that I've read you shouldn't insulate, so the reflectix will work well since it's a big air gap.
Finally, cut 1/2" plywood (3 pieces) for the subfloor, placed on top of the insulation/furring strips (the sub-subfloor?). So far I've got almost all of that secured down, also using spray foam (same as above; note, the windows and doors version doesn't expand as much, which is an issue in vans because it'll warp the sheet metal on the exterior of the van). Followed that up with 2" M8 bolts which went through the factory tie-down spots. That was super fun since I had to drill them blind since only 2 go through the undercarriage. There are 8 tie down points, which run along the edges. Then today I've been putting 1" wood screws through the plywood to secure it to the furring strips.
Hopefully with all of that the floor is rock solid. My concern is if we ever got in a collision, shit like cabinets would break free and fly towards the front. So I've spent a lot of time making sure the floor isn't going anywhere.
I'll add pictures later today. Unfortunately I was just too lazy to take progress pictures, even though I thought about it most days.
Put down 1x2 furring strips in the spots where I think we'll end up doing furniture (bed mounting, cabinet mounting, etc) and glued it down with Loctite. Seems decently solid, but I'm not super worried since it's basically there just to give the plywood something to grab onto.
Then I did 1" polyiso insulation between the furring strips. "Glued" it down using Great Stuff Windows and Doors spray foam (about $6 a can). That shit is solid, won't move at all.
Also used butyl sound deadening material on the wheel wells and most of the walls. Covered the wheel wells again with reflectix as well as an insulating barrier. Made window coverings out of reflectix (windshield, driver/passenger windows, and 2 rear windows). Plan is to put a fabric backing on them, and sew magnets around the edges so they stick. Plan over this long weekend is to sound deaden the remaining walls and ceiling, and then insulate (thinking 1" on walls, 2" on ceiling).
Since the polyiso has a foil backing (on both sides, actually), I went ahead and used foil duct tape along all the furring strips to create a vapor barrier on the floor. Also went ahead and extended some reflectix over the edges all the way around and duct taped them in case I decide later I want the vapor barrier to extend from the floor to the walls. Plus, there's a weep channel (for natural condensation) along the floor edges that I've read you shouldn't insulate, so the reflectix will work well since it's a big air gap.
Finally, cut 1/2" plywood (3 pieces) for the subfloor, placed on top of the insulation/furring strips (the sub-subfloor?). So far I've got almost all of that secured down, also using spray foam (same as above; note, the windows and doors version doesn't expand as much, which is an issue in vans because it'll warp the sheet metal on the exterior of the van). Followed that up with 2" M8 bolts which went through the factory tie-down spots. That was super fun since I had to drill them blind since only 2 go through the undercarriage. There are 8 tie down points, which run along the edges. Then today I've been putting 1" wood screws through the plywood to secure it to the furring strips.
Hopefully with all of that the floor is rock solid. My concern is if we ever got in a collision, shit like cabinets would break free and fly towards the front. So I've spent a lot of time making sure the floor isn't going anywhere.
I'll add pictures later today. Unfortunately I was just too lazy to take progress pictures, even though I thought about it most days.
- 1
Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 36,208
- 114,726
So when I cut the plywood, I made it super tight against the walls. In retrospect this was a mistake. I didn't consider that the reflectix had much thickness (it doesn't, probably 1/8"). And I didn't refit them after I added the reflectix. So when I started spray foaming, I didn't realize I fucked up until I got to the last two pieces. And then I panicked. I picked up the one on the right side there and tried to saw it down, but I was rushing it and it turned into a giant mess.
When they say don't get spray foam on your skin, they're not fucking kidding. That shit does not come off, except with a pumice stone. And it's taking some skin with it.
Anyways, I cut it down just now and it fits again. Only problem is the two tie downs at the rear seem to be deeper than the others and I'm having issues getting them bolted down. Not a big deal since the foam is retarded strong, but I've got plywood drilled out for it already. Below is a picture of the layout.
And then this is more close up of the floor.
When they say don't get spray foam on your skin, they're not fucking kidding. That shit does not come off, except with a pumice stone. And it's taking some skin with it.
Anyways, I cut it down just now and it fits again. Only problem is the two tie downs at the rear seem to be deeper than the others and I'm having issues getting them bolted down. Not a big deal since the foam is retarded strong, but I've got plywood drilled out for it already. Below is a picture of the layout.
And then this is more close up of the floor.
- 4
Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 36,208
- 114,726
Feels like this is just my blog about the van build at this point.
Since the last post I've insulated everything except the last two ceiling panels towards the front (basically between the front two sets of ribs). Walls are done, rest of the ceiling is done. There are still gaps near the corners, and the doors are only half done. Didn't finish the ceiling because I wanted to get a fan in first and then insulate around it.
Ordered a Maxxair 5100K
Waiting on a can of better spray paint before we install it, since I want to make sure we don't get any rust and the Rustoleum I bought for the floor was kind of shitty.
Anyway, we took the van camping this weekend. Just threw a bed on the floor and used a cooler for food. Was pretty nice. Having a bed on wheels is a whole new type of camping (and it was a lot more maneuverable than RV'ing, obviously). The only thing was the outside temperature overnight was about 31 degrees. And holy fuck, by about 1am we were freezing our asses off. We brought 3 blankets which helped, but I still had to wear a fleece hat. I kept worrying I'd wake up to a dead dog since she didn't seem to want under the blankets.
Other complaint is we haven't done any electrical yet. We have a little USB LED lamp but for some reason it broke the morning we were leaving. We made do with headlamps, but it was kind of a bummer. Oh, and also, not having cabinets yet blows. We basically had shit over almost every square inch of the van floor and so rummaging through shit was difficult.
So with that said, tonight I ordered some LED lights, an inverter, battery isolator, 14 gauge marine wire, and a charge controller. Still trying to figure out whether we're going with an AGM or Lithium battery. I'll also need some additional wiring (0, 2, or 4 gauge for the heavy duty stuff), tons of fuses, and other assorted connection type stuff.
Plan is to have at least a bed platform made (we need to buy a foam mattress we can cut up), at least rough in wiring, and a few cabinets, before our next trip. We'll see if that happens.
Since the last post I've insulated everything except the last two ceiling panels towards the front (basically between the front two sets of ribs). Walls are done, rest of the ceiling is done. There are still gaps near the corners, and the doors are only half done. Didn't finish the ceiling because I wanted to get a fan in first and then insulate around it.
Ordered a Maxxair 5100K
Waiting on a can of better spray paint before we install it, since I want to make sure we don't get any rust and the Rustoleum I bought for the floor was kind of shitty.
Anyway, we took the van camping this weekend. Just threw a bed on the floor and used a cooler for food. Was pretty nice. Having a bed on wheels is a whole new type of camping (and it was a lot more maneuverable than RV'ing, obviously). The only thing was the outside temperature overnight was about 31 degrees. And holy fuck, by about 1am we were freezing our asses off. We brought 3 blankets which helped, but I still had to wear a fleece hat. I kept worrying I'd wake up to a dead dog since she didn't seem to want under the blankets.
Other complaint is we haven't done any electrical yet. We have a little USB LED lamp but for some reason it broke the morning we were leaving. We made do with headlamps, but it was kind of a bummer. Oh, and also, not having cabinets yet blows. We basically had shit over almost every square inch of the van floor and so rummaging through shit was difficult.
So with that said, tonight I ordered some LED lights, an inverter, battery isolator, 14 gauge marine wire, and a charge controller. Still trying to figure out whether we're going with an AGM or Lithium battery. I'll also need some additional wiring (0, 2, or 4 gauge for the heavy duty stuff), tons of fuses, and other assorted connection type stuff.
Plan is to have at least a bed platform made (we need to buy a foam mattress we can cut up), at least rough in wiring, and a few cabinets, before our next trip. We'll see if that happens.
- 2
latheboy
Trakanon Raider
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Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 36,208
- 114,726
Nah, fan does intake/exhaust, but it's still just a fan. There are a few heating options and we're not entirely sure what we'll settle on yet.
I did also forget that we added a swivel to the passenger seat. I'm still debating whether to build a little step that goes up into the cab, because right now your feet dangle with about 8-10 inches since the cab is slightly elevated.
I did also forget that we added a swivel to the passenger seat. I'm still debating whether to build a little step that goes up into the cab, because right now your feet dangle with about 8-10 inches since the cab is slightly elevated.