Vlog 23: finishing touches to my DIY campervan build
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- Опубликовано: 29 окт 2024
- There's not a huge amount being going on in the van since the last vlog but a smattering of finishing touches to make it nicer. I've bought some cushions that will double as pillows at night; carpeted around the sliding door windows; made a somewhat wonky set of shelves for the back corner; started an overhead shelf above the hob; made some wooden legs for when the bed's extended; and begun equipping the van with camping essentials (although all sensible suggestions for other things I should take with me are welcome in the comments below)
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To fix your whistle noise and to improve your gas mileage you could put a wind jammer (deflector) on the roof leaning toward the solar panels this will help deflect the air up and over and basically eliminate the possibility of the wind blowing them off.
I think your biggest hindrance in this conversion is your penchant for perfection. Like one of my sons, it's part of your makeup and difficult or impossible to ignore BUT I think you have done a hell of a good job on it. I heard someplace (can't imagine where) you had never done anything like this before but, damn, man: you cut up metal doors and installed windows, stripped the inside nd made living quarters, Evaluated and researched cooking, cleaning, food storage, safe installs, the list goes on from here. Probably there is one person who will ever be aware, say noting of noticing those tiny (for most) imperfections so the next time you shave, tell him to chill out. A round of applause for you, sir!
Thank you
Having got used to travelling at 3mph in the narrow boat, 60+ in the van must be either a treat or terrifying 😄
Try putting a wind deflector from the roof to h upper edge of solar panels. No win noise and improved fuel economy👍
You need that no slip stuff for shelfs. Also cut pieces to place between stacked dishes that rattle.
I think, that for someone who doesn't do this kind of thing for a living that you've done a bang up job! Way to go (again)!
Always have two can opener ! 👍🏻😎
Kitchen roll, and toilet rolls, unroll themselves as you drive along, so I have a hook next to mine and I put a rubber band across the roll to prevent this very annoying problem. I also have a fixed bottle opener on the side of the kitchen unit. The van is looking good!
Best two things that I have in my van and would recommend are Rubber Bands and Tea Towels. It's all about reducing the bumps and rattles when driving. Use the Rubber bands to hold things together, especially kitchen utensils and pens, stuff like that. Get loads of Tea Towels, not the fluffy type but the plane cloth ones, you know the ones that you can get two for a pound from any pound shop that isn't going out of business. Use the towels to fill any spaces at the end of shelves in cupboards etc and less irritating driving conditions can be achieved. If you are feeling really radical, you can use them to dry the dishes as well.
Yes you've done a good job on the van , go anywhere and stay anywhere . Those shelves a bit iffy as up and down hills and over big bumps everything will go flying off . Speaking of CRUISING THE CUT when are you going back on the canals David :-)
Didn't know you had to inform DVLA about the conversion.
You have done a grand job from what ive seen so far . . Inverter socket i would of turned around which means taking inverter apart . . easy to do
never watched a van being converted before watched all the videos before this one looking forward to the last conversion video
Superb job, sir. Very, very empowering for those wondering whether or not to brave it.
Great job, I personally would paint all the cabinetry and bed legs that lovely light blue colour. That shelf will be level about 50% of the time. Cheers AJ
Well done, task nicely completed! Next up, your first van trip? Necessities :fire extinguisher, small fan, lots of coffee/tea, a good attitude and open roads😏👍 safe travels, Van Dweller!
Fire extinguisher was in the last vlog ;-)
Certainly lots of tea!
The ladies love a scatter cushion. You'll be fighting them off!
Haha they do but it doesn't seem to have had the requisite effect!
Hi David. Looks really nice. Don't forget to add a can opener to your utensils.
A vital accessory!
When we traveled by pop-up camper my go to for shelving was rubber shelf lining. It can be cut with scissors. Cuts down on sliding cups and dishes and can be helpful to keep items from bumping together and cuts down on noise. Happy New Year and happy, safe camping!
Camping essentials: Gin and Tonic. That's it I believe.
LOVE the throw pillows! Chartreuse, black and gray are lovely colors combinations...Good job!
OMG really there amaizing
I love the cruising the cut t-shirt, David, so I found an online retailer and have one heading my way (along with a matching coffee/tea mug. Cheerio.
Cheers! It should be this one if it’s my genuine merch: www.redbubble.com/people/CruisingTheCut/shop
@@Vandemonium Yes, that is the company from which I ordered the merch. Happy to know it is the genuine article.
One man's 'wonky shelf' is another man's 'van with character'.
I was aware you had 'Cruising The Cut' but I had never watched any of it. I am on VLog 4 so far. I estimate there is nearly 20 hours of video to watch. Just the thing for a wet weekend, and as luck would have it (or not), that's what I am expecting this weekend. Happy days!
I have watched all 137 videos, back to back, this wet weekend. Lovely. I am convinced, more than ever, that narrow boating is not for me. Locks would drive me insane. It's all about the journey, not the destination, the inverse of my camper van life.
Just a suggestion, get some rubber shelf matting to put under dishes. Matting will keep things from sliding around. Also flip cups over. They will be less "wobbly".
Behind the kitchen unit put the same backing behind it that you would in a regular kitchen that can be wiped clean. That way food and grease splatters won't leave stains.
What about putting a small fairing in the front of the solar panels ? Less drag, no worries about the panels popping off, whistling noises should be gone.
Van is looking good !!!
Rubber matting is definitely on the cards
Flashlight,batteries, windup radio, campstove for cooking out doors ? Tow rope, flares, reflector panel, whisk broom, dust pan... you may n3ed a trailer towed by van to hold all 5his stuff.
Don't put carpet anywhere near the cooker even close to the roof because it will go all sticky and manky and horrible.
This is looking amazing, really well done 👍in a years time, you will have changed things, no doubt about that 😊
You asked, so this is entirely on you. ;)
In the Super Bus, we used plastic plates and the like because it makes less noise when driving, and less risk of smashing to bits. Microwave proof stuff is best. We kept our washing down too by only using the amount of cutlery needed for one person each. Still need decent cups for tea though!
If you're looking to save gas, you can use a hot-plate when you're on campsite power, it's safer too, and they're cheap.
If you're going to Europe, you need stuff like First Aid kits, warning triangles, bits of plastic to go over your headlights to refocus the glare, Hi-viz jackets and a bunch of other stuff.
Scissors, tin opener, cooler box, frying pan, saucepan, SIEVE! (Story behind that...), oven gloves (Even if you don't have an oven, trust me.) Dettol surface wipes (Great for cleaning around toilet with too.) Face and handwipes, spatula, bag for laundry, toolkit for interior repairs, all the chemicals for the toilet, water tank cleaner, probably lots more, but you'll know when you're missing something when you need it the most.
As for other stuff, it's always a good idea to keep powdered milk, teabags, instant coffee, etc in the van so you can always have a drink. Powdered milk doesn't need a fridge, lasts a fair while so I swear by it. I'm also told you can buy powdered eggs these days...
Regardless, I hope this helps and if I think of anything else I'll be sure to bug you further =) Van looks great, although I might rethink the tile idea, gotta remember the van moves, tiles and grout, not so much. All the best! Thanks for sharing this awesome journey with us!
Great list! My plates, cups etc are melamine. Definitely loading up with teabags and instant milk :-)
Great to see you have almost got the van finished, looks great, go enjoy!
I don’t know why but you always make me laugh 😆
You always need a way to stop things rattling ! Or just have the radio on !
The main thing I can see what’s missing is beer and a whippet!
Thanks for the update good to see you back in again
Best Regards Dave, Jo and Louie 👍😀🐾
I do admire your conversion, David. I love the idea of making and fitting stuff myself, but when it comes to actually doing it, I get all in a muddle and I don't know how to deal with things going wrong. It's all a bit of a headache. Perhaps it'll improve with my health; I'm on a new diet which should alleviate some of my long-standing health problems.
Good luck❤️
Congratulations on meeting the DVLA requirements! The van is looking lovely and very comfy and cosy. You must be really chuffed
The shelves show character and individuality 👍😁 A nice extra for the van. A lovely traveling companion!! 😂
WONDERFUL JOB!!! David!! Really like it,,Now split your time Cruzin the cut and Vaning!!!
Very impressed that you've pretty much finished the van, good job! It looks brilliant. Very much looking forward to your seeing your travels off the cut 😁
I had a whistling noise from my roof rack. I attached a very large piece of foam pipe insulation to the front bar of the rack. No more whistling. Enjoying this series, thanks.
I’ll give it a try! Cheers
The bane of our early trips to California's Wine Country was owning only one cork crew and leaving it at home.
Looking excellent David, and luck doesn't come into it, you've worked it out to perfection 👍🚙
Wildlife Walks with CountryGent Well, they're not really throw cushions, right? They're part of the couch and bed. Not extraneous froufrou.
Wow! The camper has turned out so well, what a great deal on the cushions/pillows. Hearing that you have made some trips in the camper and nothing has fallen apart, lol well that means that you did an excellent job building it. David, I can't thank you enough for all the wonderful videos you have put up. Looking forward to more Cruising The Cut.
Take Care
The van is awesome!! Although I’m sorry to say the shelves look awful... I’m not sure if it’s the varnish or something but they don’t do the van justice! I think I’m been fussy!!
No, they really are awful. I do agree, even though I made them. Worst part of the van by far and I will re-make them one day but they'll have to do for now.
Congratulations on finishing your Van. I am one of those carry overs from Cruising The Cut and am very please to see your DIY videos on the Van. In the states here it seems people are the same as Great Britain. The same people that travel around by boat one also travel around with a Camper of some sort. They want to view the World on their own and at their own pace. Well Done David.
Well done that man, I can see the very considerable work you've put in so big up to you.
One idea might be to use a for want of a better term a big piece of formica with tile effect - it would be light and its workable to go across several surfaces and would give a contrasting finish in the kitchen area and give it a kitchen feel. Im no expert and there maybe good reasons it wont work but just throwing it in as you asked for ideas.
PS as someone below said lots of anti slip matting in the bottom of shelves and also we use it in out MH wrapped round the grill pan inside the oven and between trays and spread through the cutlery tray so you don't get that chhhchinkkthump accompaniment when you travel down a road with repairs or potholes. And we also have pieces of offcut foam to push in between glasses and cups in the cupboards. Sorry another one - a milk crate - or folding tray at least to put beer and wine if you travel with it as they become quite heavy if you have to stop suddenly and you can get a door fly open if the bottles are just placed behind a door in storage.
Anyhoo good times ahead you've done a cracking job so far even if your not 90 deg's biggest fan ( I meant that in a nice way Im not being snarky - you've done too much good work and planning for snark)
Haha, thank you
You must have the patience of a saint for this project of yours. Its been a wet old day on the cut . Two hours of cruising in stair-rod rain, met just two boats. Now, it is a beautiful but chilly evening with the sun gone down. The cats is curled up asleep. You'll glad you've insulated your camper-van so well when the time comes.
David...as on a boat....STUFF will fill all available cavities....set of bamboo spurtles for cooking, good manual whisk for pancakes, NON skid matting for the dish cupboard.. Burn kit.., don't worry about the solar panels..the wind resistance is minimal and they are well and truly secured..,lots of spare batteries and LED flashlights, Cat Bunkie....for your new pet...lol....great job sir....now enjoy and go for a trip...so we can all see and altruistically enjoy the English open road....cheers
Rattling pots. I have half an answer for it, I saw someone on a vlog ( lost track of which one) where they had little rubber (looked like) doillies, they go between each bowl or plate, and one under on the shelf, it stopped them moving and rattling. I suspect those are in the likes of GoCamping somewhere.
Is one thing I liked about you he wasn’t that professional me was extremely honest and that’s a good thing
First! Good to see your success. I was disappointed to not see running water or the stove not lit, but I suppose you have to save something for later. Maybe have those narrowboat ladies over for tea and show us the cooking. For the solar panels, could you look at one of those wind deflectors to mount in front of it? It might improve mileage and reduce the noise.
Not first. The stove works, maybe I'll show that sometime. I'll look into wind deflectors!
Vandemonium Dang! There were no other comments when I wrote it. They submitted while I was writing.
Wonderful job David! Do you have plans for this channel going forward? Perhaps trip video's similar to Cruising the Cut? Whatever you do I shall as always look forward to your videos. Thank you so much for sharing! Cheers from Fate Texas!
Smart cushion pillows add some color😁 and I love thrift shop finds.0
I like the lime green charity shop cushions. They go well with the rest of the grey/black/white/stained wood, a nice splash of color. Save yourself, just paint that unfinished bit with some nice acrylic melt-proof paint. Perhaps continue the charity shop lime green theme, you've unconciously got an eye for color there imho :p As for esentials, I find it's good to have a good 7in kitchen knife, a chef style one that comes to a point. Big enough for the odd melon or gourd or honk of meat, fine enough for slicing veg and peeling a potato. 5in paring knives are just a scootch fiddly for me.
Interesting idea, cheers
An air foil type deflector in front of the solar panels makes a world of Difference for mileage loss and noise and even looks good
Good to see the van mostly completed. Well done.
I do not have experience with a camper van, but I have experience with boats which can also cause things to go flying all over when on a trip. I would have a collection of bungee cords and velcro straps to help contain things which want to show how well gravity works.
Dave.
Well done for a first time mate. Great job. The minor "errors" add character & the personal touch. Ready for the ladies David! lol. Very well done once again. Love from Galicia.
Look up “roof rack fairing” to find a device to suppress the howling noise from your solar panels. It is just a sheet metal air scoop at the leading edge of the roof rack that pushes the air up to pass over the solar panels. This keeps the panels from vibrating, which is the source of that noise. I made mine myself and it worked very well.
Those small vertical lips on the shelves are what we in the sailing community call "fiddles" which are meant to keep stuff on the shelf, table/cooker in stormy weather. Actually they are just to make sure all the broken bits are in one place for clean up, and you don;t have to crawl all over the floor to find bits of broken glass. The ones you have may work at the slow speeds you profess to use, but one emergency stop, or what the Swedes call "moose avoidance" (rapid lane change ) which Murphy's law says will happen as soon as the shelves are fully loaded, you will have glass and ceramic missiles everywhere, Just a thought.(I always wince when I see an unrestricted 30lb toolbox sitting on a back seat.)
No glass there but point taken (all the plates, mugs etc are melamine)
Love the van series, I am s watcher of cruising the cut, sadly I had not liked some videos as I watch them after work and you have a shooting voice so I fall asleep lol. I work in a well-named camping shop so always interested in what you do and am thinking of a ford transit conversion. Keep the good work up!
Cheers
With regard to any other items you may need, simply look at what you have in the boat as a check list.
It's all looking good, by the way.
David, I think all in all you have did and outstanding job on your van conversion you should be quite proud of yourself. As long as you are happy with it and it does what you want you should be quite pleased. What’s next ? An aircraft of some type?
Haha, I don't know if I can cope with another project!
Oh congrats, you made it! I switched to metal camping cups, plates and bowls, the ones with ceramic glaze. Was tired of breakage. Then ditched the bowls because the plates have a good bowl to them or put soup, chili, beans and such in a cup. Didn't need bowls. Less to carry. Take care.
Thanks. The plates etc are all melamine so should be sturdy.
There's a air fairing available for those Thule roof racks,they cost from $50.00-$100.00 U.S. on Amazon & Ebay. Thule makes many different accessories for those racks that maybe you can find a use for.
I would suggest getting some silicone shelf liner and cutting it to fit your shelves. It will help keep the dishes from clattering around.
Ridge(Liz) Monkey, corkscrew, (but watch the 'drink drive' regs )safety matches and a good torch ....
Good Job there, I already see some suggestions for items and other kit to put in.
I, as well as most of the followers would like to see a vlog of you driving down the road.
It’s fabulous. Well done 😊😊
Well done, indeed! You did a beautiful job David and I’m looking forward to our first camper van journey.
A bottle opener! You need a bottle opener David. Van looks good
Good solution to the bed extension support.
My wife and I have an RV (caravan?) and I can’t imagine not having doors on the shelves to keep the cups, plates and whatnot from crashing to the floor! In a narrow boat I could see doors being unnecessary but at 60mph things will really slide.
Well done! Your skill and patience has paid off.
Looks great! I really like the stain color you chose for the wood. As for things you need, I recommend a dishtowel along with a place to hang it, and a wine knife even if you don't drink wine. You will be amazed at the number of jobs a corkscrew is good for that have nothing to do with removing a cork from a bottle of wine. Other than those items I have learned through years of camping and RVing that the road will tell you what you need even if you don't ask it. Best of luck to you on your van adventures!
The cushions are a nice contrast against the black carpet David. Items for kitchen, bottle opener, corkscrew, scissors.
It’s not wonky it’s character
Looking a real treat now even though you still have a few bit to do bro. All the best and hope you are keeping cool in the northern hemisphere heat wave.
Take with you a little dishwashing bowl, so you can throw the water out without filling your grey water cannister........
The van is looking very nice. I would not have thought about using a newspaper template for around the windows - I might have just made a complete mess over the windows by putting it all over then cutting out the middle - your way is much better! I love the solution for the bed legs too. Looking forward to your travel vlogs in your van now =D
Very nicely done sir. Carpet looks good to me. Are you on a dow kick... lol... Back splash behind the stove, I'm sure you will be doing that soon before cooking. Subjection on the large shelf over the hob as you call it. If you put stuff on it it's going to sag in the middle. Are you going to put some brackets under it to prevent sagging? Something all chefs need is some spices. Salt, pepper, & what you like to give your food some flavor. If you like that kind of stuff called tasty.. lol..
I think it looks great other wise. You probably not going to cook a 3 course dinner for someone... unless you get a date with that sexy van....
I love what you've done with the van built. You have a cheery good time in it with your many advantages in the future.
Chris from Missouri
Cheers Chris. I dislike any kind of spices in food so the traditional van spice rack is not for me :-)
Vandemonium tottaly understand. So if I ever come & see Robbie & you. I'll bring my own... lol... Or I'll go out & get my own. lol... It looks good w/o a spice rack anyways.
Have a great night.
Chris
The whole project really came together. As for the solar panels, it may be worth looking into a air deflector if the noise gets to you. I had one for the Thule rack on my car and it made a great improvement. But that's a little tweak to do along the way.
Lastly is congratulations on the legal status.
40 plus mpg is amazing.
UK gallons, of course (not sure where in the world you are)
Canada. We use imperial gallons as well. Litres now. At least a litre is a litre.
Like the pillow color . You may want to get some lightweight foam or some other way to secure the cups from hitting each other over bumps and breaking. The carpet around the windows looks good , very well done. A good 1st aid kit is better than nothing but I'd put together some sort of trauma kit , stuff for bigger wounds / major bleeding type stuff, which i hope you would never need but always good to have if not for you but for someone else . Stay safe on the road man and you all say cheers :)
Looking good David. Glad you are going to put some lips or an edge on that long shelf. That would keep things from sliding off and give it a bit more strength. As it is it looks like it couldn't support more that a Kg maybe 1.5 Kg without bowing. Since you are also getting a holder for some paper towels, you could put paper towel sheets between the plates and glasses. They looked like they were ceramic and with rough roads it won't be long before the start to ship. You know you could get that small Telly in your boat and put it in the van. :-) Of course the boat will need a newer, bigger, fancier one. Maybe with a built in DVD. LOL
Yes, the shelf is not designed to hold weight, it's more for teabags and minor miscellany than anything else. I am not putting a telly in the van!! ;--)
Well done looking forward to seeing your travels 🌺
David, Thank you for the update. The van is looking good. Have you researched any type of airfoil that might be fitted in front of the solar panels and attached to the top of the van? This might eliminate the sound from the solar panels and reduce the drag on the top rack and panels. Could help with your miles/gallon. Large trucks pulling trailers use them for this purpose. Keep up the good work and looking forward to videos of your travels.
Congratulations! Van is looking splendid...thanks for taking us along on the build.
you should try and find a wind deflector you can attach to ya solar panels
Have you placed rubber mats on the bottom of the shelves? They help immensely in keeping items from sliding to and fro as you're driving along.
I will do!
Loved every aspect of your build
Your meticulous attention to detail on all the hidden item that will never be seen was fascinating
Unfortunately your corner shelf and top shelf looks like something I made and I have the carpentry skills of a blind paraplegic.(no offence intended)
Can’t wait to see what you’re up to next
It’s your fault that I’ve sold my beautiful home and at present am in the process of buying a narrow boat
👍
We KNEW we weren't the only ones that David had enticed into considering narrowboating! He is a great ambassador for the lifestyle. Great to hear you're actually doing it. We plan to check out the narrowboat scene on an upcoming trip to the U.K. We don't plan to actually buy a boat, but David's subtle salesmanship may be more than we can resist. Happy shopping!
Well done on the completion in the 6 month deadline, the camper is looking great. One thing which may help with the wind noise from the solar panels would be some sort of wind deflector both at the front and back, oh and the collapsible colander sounds a good idea.
Great work! I'd have glued bits of carpet to myself if given the task...your patience is super-human ;)
Perhaps you can find a wind deflector to mount on the roof in front of your solar panels...though I suspect there are few that are either flexible or quite the right curve to sit snuggly on the roof panels...still, worth considering to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency
I think my suggestion would be to go camping and see which other bits you need. I’m very impressed with the work done. Good on you!
Great job David, It must be nice to now have it pretty much done and very usable. BTW, I'd say the shelf has "character"!
Tongs and an egg flip or lift !! A GOOD can opener, maybe a mixing bowl or two and a mixing spoon !! Frying pan and sauce pans. Seeya Rob
Looking very nice David. You must be pleased with all your efforts. I hope we will get to see you out on your maiden trip.
Would suggest you consider a paper towel rack, may need to secure same. I find paper towels a necessity, drying hands, general van clean up, etc, etc. Your Van looks great! Richard, in Arizona.
Nice window trim David, the whole job has come out really well for a first time conversion.`Well done indeed.
can opener?
torch?
first aid kit?
You have done very well the work on your Campervan.
Well done David 👍
I like your vlog very much. Gives a good picture of the challanges of making a campervan.
Love the videos great job!
Heh... warming the soup and making a mess are not mutually exclusive. Another good video, thanks!
Another UK summer like y'all are havin this year and you will have to fit a roof a/c unit!!
We are wondering if a roof rack wind deflector might help with the solar panel noise.. many designs out there..just a thought... watching from Weed Ca U.S.A.