Very cool!! I guess you can be satisfied in knowing that not only your work is being put to good work but even more so that you do quality work .. if this guy uses the product and he is obviously very smart and good at want he does it must be good!
I swear if I ripped all my cabinets out of my motorhome and replaced with this foam I think I'd save about 500lbs. Seriously intriguing and makes me wish I had a van to build from the ground up. Tutorial was THOROUGH and easy to understand. A+!
This is so awesome. As an "older" woman who does not have a space to do a big build requiring a bunch of power tools, this technique lets me do what I want in my van inexpensively, without advanced carpentry skills and helps me save on gas by not having heavy builds. I can't wait to get my van and get started.
I went to school for historic decorative building restoration and for samples we used latex primer on poster board that looked like the real thing when finished. We learned how to do marble, woodgrain (Cherry, Pine, Burl wood, etc.)plus a bunch of faux finishing techniques that would look amazing on this stuff! There are how to books for many of these same techniques if you so desire. I had planned to buy a small ready made camper but now I want to restore/convert my own. Thanks a lot! (I think, lol).
I have watched literally hundreds of vids on build-outs of vans, but this was hands down the most creative, and informative. I look forward to the paper process to come. I have seen that technique used for floors in a cobb building and it came out great. Great job!
this is the most innovative and informative video I've seen in RUclips. thank you. this is what I've been seeking for years... no resin...commonly available materials...simple tools. Perfect.
Definitely worth watching. The folks building foam model airplanes have been using masking/craft/tissue paper as the tensile layer with excellent results, might be worth checking out. I like the paint idea for adhering the layer...the white glue typically used shrinks as it drys necessitating doing both sides at the same time to minimize/avoid panel warping.
This is incredible. I don't understand why more people don't do this. I see so many vans where they cover so much of it with stickers anyway so the aesthetic of build material is out the window once it's all covered up
Wow! He is super intelligent, can't wait to try this, you totally opened my mind to a whole new realm of creative options. Your video production is top notch too, I felt like I was watching a episode of This old house or something like that. Good job Jeb and thanks.
god damn it I wanna rebuild my whole rv now haha! great idea. love it. my cabinets are so heavy and flexible lightweight solar is so cheap that I wanna redo my roof. damn so much cool rv van stuff being built lately
I was thinking with some of the larger vans why not have 6-7 120 flexible panels for close to 900 watts. also with that power you might have incinerating toilets and grey water desalination-reuse.
Also, for extra "stealth" solar for the side of the vehicle -- you could apply a "strip" of flexible solar on the side of the van or RV (on the outside of the vehicle. From the outside of the vehicle, the solar panels would look like pen-striping (like a thick one) from the side of the vehicle. I believe you can actually "cut" the flexible panels to any shape, and the panel with still work! (you might want to fact check me on that; It's been a few years since I discovered this freakish property of the flexible solar panel. You'd have to get the artist in yourself to create the pen-striping shape. But yeah!
Don Decoste Good idea, but maybe even a solar pullout and an all-electric van. push a button a 4' awning comes out on each side at 7' from ground. but there is no reason you could not put panels along the side and it would really generate power in winter. But, the problem might be appearance and theft.
+William Prowse Hi William I messaged you a month or so ago about keeping electrics down to basics on one of your videos if you remember. Well I just bought myself a Ford Transit Van $4400AU with 350 watt solar panels, deep cell batteries, Charge power regulator and 1500 w ( Peak ) 1000 w ( continuous ) pure sine inverter already installed. Still got another 120watts of panels I`ll be leaving as emergency power with another 2 batteries giving 1100 amps of storage at 13.4 volts. Deep cycle already installed give 1200 amps. People I bought it off ( a couple ) had already lived in it for 4 years. They`ve stripped a lot of stuff out already but I`ll be turning into my own setup anyway. Still a long way to go before I can head off though. Body looks a bit rough but the man kept everything mechanical in tip top condition. I got all the receipts for the work too. Already bough a toilet and have a bunch of other stuff I`ve been gathering for years just for such a project. I`ve been scanning sites for Thinsulate ( aluminium sandwiched around bubble wrap ) to complete the insulation process. Then I found an advert the other day selling 375mm x 25 meter rolls of bubble wrap for $10. I`ll be buying 6 - 8 of them then buying around 4 rolls ( 60 meters each ) of thick kitchen grade aluminium foil using a foil/bubble wrap/foil/bubble wrap/foil layer before the rest of the paneling goes back in. Doing the insulation like this will save me around $400 on materials if I were to buy the Thinsulate in rolls. Already got all the glue and tape I`ll need. Anyway just though I`d let you know. Hope things are going well.
I'm so happy to see this!! I'm one of those lot of people who this will help out. I used the thicker black mesh for roofing or some other structural use which I found at Lowe's on the base of my kitchen counter. I figured it was cheaper, stronger and wider than the strips of drywall and cement board tape. I'm going to use some to smooth over the bad mud job someone else did. I'm looking forward to making storage for my Astro van and for my house!! So many possibilities!! Thanks guys!!
KISS!!! This video came at such a great time, I was seriously considering giving up on my interior build out due to previous failed attempts and the complicated nature of trying to scribe all of the katywampus angles and curves in a Ford cargo van!!!
@@IntoTheMystery13 interesting approach to save money. funny the sound of that brush on foam gets right up my spine though like teachers fingernails down a blackboard
Mind blowing info! This is so awesome. I’m rebuilding (reconstructing) a 97 Jayco 1207 KB into a rigid side trailer and I’m thinking of how useful this material could be for a ton of applications. This can be my interior walls if I put 1/8 plywood on one side. This can be my shower if I seal and tile the other side. This can be cabinets and counter tops. I’m so impressed with this concept. I’m so glad I found this during the demo phase and not after the fact. Kudos and mucho appreciation!
I work with an aviation maintenance program and our content teacher is familiar with this kind of build. He recommends light colors to extend the life of this type of construction as sunlight will break it down.
This is really great! I'm actually getting ready to build a sink cabinet for our camper, and this process is lightweight, strong, and super easy to build. but I'm gonna take mine one step further... First off, I'm going to put triangle cut wood blocks inside all my corners so when I screw my cabinets together, I've got something solid to screw into, plus it'll really make my corners ultra-strong! I could see someone accidently falling against one that hasn't been blocked and breaking them. I see you used this idea when you built your wood cabinets. Second, I'm gonna round off all my corners. The corners of the cabinet, plus the faces of the shelves on the inside. This will give the everything a nice, finished look, and not the raw foam inside the door frames. It'll make it look almost like adobe. And last, I'm going to cover my entire cabinet with FIBERGLASS RESIN. With a nice layer of resin, you can sand out any lumps and make your surface beautifully flat. That will not only make it again, super strong, but it'll make the surface glassy which will finish it out beautifully. Awesome video! Thanx for posting this!
This is awesome information! I've worked with fiberglass in the past, so I get the technique. Very smart and inexpensive method. Thanks for bringing this to us!
With all the aircraft being scrapped these days, you should try and source/collect some scrap aircraft floor panels. Most are a combination of aluminum composite honeycomb. They are fire rated, extremely strong, and lightweight. It would be a perfect material for all this.
Jed, this is Awwmazing!! please make sure that Jamie and his group out at Lake Havasu sees this video they're going to be doing all that work out there and this is totally mind-blowing ! Please make sure he gets it okay ? Thank you so much, this was amazing! I loved it! This is Really the answer that we Females need, we don't pack around a lot of tools and this is just incredible! One thing that I am never personally without and that is a couple of good exacto knives they come in different sizes and work so well. This is absolutely one of my favorite videos I need to check this guy's build out, even though tank is all done I would love to be able to help someone else with this process!🐙 ☺
I love this trick, I'm so glad I found this video. I'm looking forward to using this technique, I have exciting plans for this. It's going to be challenging because I'm planning on using some complex bends. Thank you so much.
that's crazy - you win the 'cheap and easy' award for January 2,020, and are a runner up for best value DIY. A couple things - 1 = so there's no COMPRESSIVE BENDING strength with screen unless you do both sides of something (then you have tensile strength x 2.) You get compressive bending strength with any wood product, but not very much at 1/16 - 1/8 inch. Screening both sides would be better / stronger. 2 = you can order SILK SCREEN in white and specify mesh. The more mesh the stronger tensile and the closer to cloth. 40 mesh would be about twice window screen. However, the stuff is designed to not take paint easily - and it may not work with some paints. I assume / think that a bond with the screen itself is quite important. Therefore only a coarse screen (20-40) might work well.
I'm impressed, i'm going to toy around with building a cabinet or something this weekend, but this will definitely be incorporated into my Van build next year, thank you so much for taking the time to share this. Got a few days to think about what my first test project will be, lol.
so glad I found your channel.......and couldn't wait to see this particular video. I'm anxious to dive right in....I've got a ton of projects I would like to try using this method and these materials. Thanks so much
This was an excellent video! Its the one I've been waiting for! When I'm done with my future home on wheels, I'll look you up and let you shoot it on a vid for your channel! Again thank u so every much.
That's really a good idea. This might make using aluminum screen more viable, as it can be difficult to work with. But it's much much more rigid than using fiberglass screen
Kurt, eeh, he already cuts the screen up after it's been painted over in some places. I'd attach the screen over all flat surfaces with 1 layer of paint. Cut out any holes. Glue the whole cabinet structure together. Attach screen in the corners and joints with a layer of paint. Then apply another layer of paint which would clean up most of the issues..you might have to do a touch up 3rd layer in places. (which you would no matter what) Then do the paperbag thing.
Nicely done, and well explained. In terms of the methodology, I would be tempted to make a complete sheet of the laminate in one go, using a roller to apply the paint. Then I could cut the sheet, make the cabinet, and finally just reinforce the corners with the process you showed. I wonder if this might be a little bit more efficient, and neater, what do you think? Thanks for an excellent video. :)
Very, Very Cool video...it so cool to be able to build this way and make cabinets. Its kind of like how a surfboard is built using the strength of fiberglass, but using screen instead of cloth and paint instead of epoxy resin. I will definitely be giving this a try and can't wait to see what you do next with this new found knowledge ...way cool....
I have a suggestion that would work just as well as using screen, but it eliminates the need to cut it down into strips. Use the drywall mesh tape. It's a roll like regular drywall tape and it comes with a mild adhesive on one face. Then just mud (oops, I'm mean paint) over it, eliminating the mess on the fingers and very possibly the second coat of the paint. it's worth checking out.
I have tried an old sheet to cover a polystyrene foam box with an exterior latex/acrylic paint to water proof the foam box to cover my air conditioner. It worked great but it lacks structural strength. It put a rubbery somewhat flexible water proof outer layer on the styrene foam box. It works fine for an air conditioner cover. I have been wondering on how to use several rolls of new and used fiberglass window screen to create more strength and this video has has answered my questions on how to do it. I may want to buy a different foam for larger projects as mine is compressible but the foam is a sunk cost, and I don't have a lot of it. Should be enough for a small test project. Thanks for your information.
Thanks so much. Since you posted the first video, I was googling like MF looking for more details. Have not found a van I like yet but I am looking and I will be doing this method.
All rigid foam insulation boards are flammable and produce toxic fumes and smoke when burned which is why building codes require them to be covered with drywall (gypsum) or plywood when used as wall insulation. Assuming you're doing some cooking inside the van, you wouldn't want any of that exposed stuff around, wouldn't take much to fill the small space in a van with toxic gas.
CannabisBananabis Very little of this is actually accurate. Yes, polystyrene will burn like nearly any organic material (wood, paper and fabric included), but in many regards it's actually safer than most common household combustibles.The autoignition temperature of polystyrene (600 -700 degrees F) is actually higher than wood, paper or most other common household combustibles(about 450 degrees F). It's not simply going to burst into flames from cooking around it, just as wood and paper towels don't just burst into flames in your kitchen (polystyrene is actually BETTER in this regard)Regarding toxic fumes, this is simply not true. Here is a direct quote from a government-funded study: "Although burning Polystyrene gives off black smoke, the toxicity of the released smoke fumes is considerably less than those of other commonly used materials. This was already concluded in 1980 by the TNO Centre for Fire Safety14 for both EPS in its standard design and EPS to SE quality. The toxicity of fumes was measured for wood, wool, silk, cotton, fire retardant treated cotton and three sorts of EPS (see table). In the case of Polystyrene the toxicity of the smoke appeared to be considerably smaller than that of the other materials."Again, polystyrene is LESS TOXIC while burning than most common building materials. And even if it wasn't, more people die from smoke inhalation during a fire than any other reason, and that has absolutely nothing to do with Polystyrene. When organics burn , they consume oxygen and release CO and other deadly gasses - yes, wood included. It's really a moot point anyways-- if something is burning, you don't want to breathe it. That includes almost anything, wood and polystyrene included.Here are a few references if you wish to draw your own conclusions, but in the end nearly any fire study done on polystyrene has concluded that it does not increase the risk of fire. epsindustry.org/building-construction/fire-resistanceosfm.fire.ca.gov/codedevelopment/pdf/wgfsbim/EUMEPS_FireBehavior.pdfblog.cheapwallinsulation.org/2011/03/polystyrene-ignition-test.html
I do something similar using Titebond II and woven weed suppressant mesh, which is inexpensive, very strong and after painting produces a smooth finish.
Thank you very much for sharing this guys. These are basically UBER lightweight SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels) *used in modern home construction The window screen style looks great! Super easy for Rubber Tramps to make, can do it right in the Home Depot parking lot with no power tools. Though for our purposes.. i think the 1/8" plywood SIPs will work better for the lower section of the van.. Might hold up to the rigors of being a multi-use van (Gold mining, Camping, Traveling and Working) better and use the lighter weight screen-style ones up higher in the van. You have filled my head with ideas! Thanks..... LOL ☮✌
You could definitely use SIPs this way. I'm not convinced it's needed though. During the couple of tours we did, Jed sat right on the lower cabinetry with no issues. I would say the weakest point to this method is probably impact resistance, so from that standpoint it might make sense to have a tougher skin for that purpose if you expect a lot of impact from tools, etc
It's not too hard. On the two hightops I've done, the bottom of the upper cabinets sit right on the top frame rail and top of the cabinet has several wood blocks inlaid that attach to brackets holding it to the roof. On another, I glued wood strips directly on the van sheet metal that lined up with wood I glued to the inside of the cabinet, and just ran screws right through to secure them together. Could definitely be the basis of another how-to though
We did the paper technique to our bathroom walls after finding out that a single roll of wall paper that had that look was $200. A couple of coats of poly and fabulosity everywhere!
LOVE the concept! Seems like there's lots of time spent on painting the screen onto the surface AFTER you've built the basic cabinet, so, does it not make sense to paint the screen onto both sides of the foam sheets FIRST and THEN cut to shape? Seems to me you'd save a lot of time by not having to cut little individual pieces of screen to fit into the small areas. Just a thought!!! The concept is pure genius!!! GREAT video and MAHALO for sharing with us ~ ~ ~
I'd have guessed that a little extra difficulty cutting would be worth doing initial glue-up with the full panel instead of all the little pieces then just reinforcing the corners? I'd love to see a demonstration of how strong they are, perhaps testing to failure over Josh's head would be fun :D
BradKW yes, I've done it this way also and it does work, but it does take quite a bit more time. I've also done double layers of screen for extra strength in some areas. Lots of room for variance in the technique!
Wow just found this on RUclips after watching for two years Im a car camper in a Subaru Outback. And I’m an older lady I wish he would’ve shown us how to do the cabinet doors with the wood pieces??? Does anybody know how to do that. Because I’m assuming we’re gonna need wood pieces to attach these cabinets. To our vehicles. 💕💕💕💜💜💜💕💕
I'm glad I read the comments. I was about to buy a bunch of EPS for my van...now I'll buy XPS. Do you think this would work for a bedframe? I'm poor and my van is rusted so I don't want to put more weight on it than I need.
se zaback I gather one just simply paints it onto the bare foam (I understand some foam is coated with something smooth). think of it like paper mache but this is an assumption of mine, you replied to my comment :)
Did something similar but for a 3d printer enclosure. Needed it to be insulated for heat since most of the advanced material requires a ridiculous ambient temperature and also sound dampening but that wasn't the main goal. Also added the "sound proof" foam on the surfaces on the inside for the fire retardant properties. I think this foam is also fire resistant. Im curious if you guys tried other composite materials, instead of glass fiber, carbon fiber rolls? The prices dropped by a metric shit ton since you published this video. For a bit more you can turn it into automotive grade carbon fiber with resin curing.
Easiest cutting I've found; I use a special angled drywall blade that pulls rather then pushes on my oscilating tool. Cuts like butter and can do any pattern I want with minimal effort.
just a thought when one is freehanding the cuts you use a thumb tack and set the mesh up to the foam and then cut it . The Little holes will not hurt anything.
Awesome vid but the paint type was not very audible. The paint used is Glidden Gripper Latex Primer, and I believe foams are fastened to each other with Gorolla glue. would that be right Jon ?
DUDE I just had a wonderful idea. I have my trailer hitch HITCH HAUL I bet this could be formed to make a perfect fitting box for the rear of the car. That would be more aerodynamic. Then one can carry generator extra gas cans bikes out the weather and closing that gap on the outside just removes all that drag experienced the old way.
Very cool! I am seeking lightweight DIY options for my teardrop. Do you have any pics of the finished product? Also, the purpose of the screen is reinforcement, I see. Cool.
I was able to see the lot code on the board and I'm proud to say I made that board at the Rockford, IL plant in 2006.
How cool
Very cool!! I guess you can be satisfied in knowing that not only your work is being put to good work but even more so that you do quality work .. if this guy uses the product and he is obviously very smart and good at want he does it must be good!
these kind of connections are what make the internet worthwhile for me. so cool!
Nice one and now I chatted to the guy who made the board ;)
Winnebago County!
I swear if I ripped all my cabinets out of my motorhome and replaced with this foam I think I'd save about 500lbs. Seriously intriguing and makes me wish I had a van to build from the ground up. Tutorial was THOROUGH and easy to understand. A+!
This is so awesome. As an "older" woman who does not have a space to do a big build requiring a bunch of power tools, this technique lets me do what I want in my van inexpensively, without advanced carpentry skills and helps me save on gas by not having heavy builds. I can't wait to get my van and get started.
:)
Lori Smith - Please read my comment above before you start. This was a good video but there is a WAY better method and material to use.
I went to school for historic decorative building restoration and for samples we used latex primer on poster board that looked like the real thing when finished. We learned how to do marble, woodgrain (Cherry, Pine, Burl wood, etc.)plus a bunch of faux finishing techniques that would look amazing on this stuff! There are how to books for many of these same techniques if you so desire.
I had planned to buy a small ready made camper but now I want to restore/convert my own. Thanks a lot! (I think, lol).
One of the best building with foam tutorials I've seen yet
7 years ago … you gave me a genius idea.
I have watched literally hundreds of vids on build-outs of vans, but this was hands down the most creative, and informative. I look forward to the paper process to come. I have seen that technique used for floors in a cobb building and it came out great. Great job!
So glad I found this, with the wood prices now this is the best idea I’ve seen for cabinets
this is the most innovative and informative video I've seen in RUclips. thank you. this is what I've been seeking for years... no resin...commonly available materials...simple tools. Perfect.
Definitely worth watching. The folks building foam model airplanes have been using masking/craft/tissue paper as the tensile layer with excellent results, might be worth checking out. I like the paint idea for adhering the layer...the white glue typically used shrinks as it drys necessitating doing both sides at the same time to minimize/avoid panel warping.
Best how to video for van building I have ever watched. What a great Idea.
50/50 water pva mix , with brown wrapping paper . Leaves it with a great finish for paint , after a light rubbing down .
Very cool!! This is essentially how a surfboard is made. Resin on mesh with a foam core. But paint instead of resin is used.
This is incredible. I don't understand why more people don't do this. I see so many vans where they cover so much of it with stickers anyway so the aesthetic of build material is out the window once it's all covered up
Wow! He is super intelligent, can't wait to try this, you totally opened my mind to a whole new realm of creative options. Your video production is top notch too, I felt like I was watching a episode of This old house or something like that. Good job Jeb and thanks.
god damn it I wanna rebuild my whole rv now haha! great idea. love it. my cabinets are so heavy
and flexible lightweight solar is so cheap that I wanna redo my roof. damn so much cool rv van stuff being built lately
I was thinking with some of the larger vans why not have 6-7 120 flexible panels for close to 900 watts. also with that power you might have incinerating toilets and grey water desalination-reuse.
Also, for extra "stealth" solar for the side of the vehicle -- you could apply a "strip" of flexible solar on the side of the van or RV (on the outside of the vehicle. From the outside of the vehicle, the solar panels would look like pen-striping (like a thick one) from the side of the vehicle. I believe you can actually "cut" the flexible panels to any shape, and the panel with still work! (you might want to fact check me on that; It's been a few years since I discovered this freakish property of the flexible solar panel. You'd have to get the artist in yourself to create the pen-striping shape. But yeah!
Don Decoste Good idea, but maybe even a solar pullout and an all-electric van. push a button a 4' awning comes out on each side at 7' from ground. but there is no reason you could not put panels along the side and it would really generate power in winter. But, the problem might be appearance and theft.
William you could dump the car and drive the superlight camper everywhere
+William Prowse
Hi William I messaged you a month or so ago about keeping electrics down to basics on one of your videos if you remember.
Well I just bought myself a Ford Transit Van $4400AU with 350 watt solar panels, deep cell batteries, Charge power regulator and 1500 w ( Peak ) 1000 w ( continuous ) pure sine inverter already installed.
Still got another 120watts of panels I`ll be leaving as emergency power with another 2 batteries giving 1100 amps of storage at 13.4 volts.
Deep cycle already installed give 1200 amps.
People I bought it off ( a couple ) had already lived in it for 4 years.
They`ve stripped a lot of stuff out already but I`ll be turning into my own setup anyway. Still a long way to go before I can head off though.
Body looks a bit rough but the man kept everything mechanical in tip top condition. I got all the receipts for the work too.
Already bough a toilet and have a bunch of other stuff I`ve been gathering for years just for such a project.
I`ve been scanning sites for Thinsulate ( aluminium sandwiched around bubble wrap ) to complete the insulation process.
Then I found an advert the other day selling 375mm x 25 meter rolls of bubble wrap for $10. I`ll be buying 6 - 8 of them then buying around 4 rolls ( 60 meters each ) of thick kitchen grade aluminium foil using a foil/bubble wrap/foil/bubble wrap/foil layer before the rest of the paneling goes back in.
Doing the insulation like this will save me around $400 on materials if I were to buy the Thinsulate in rolls.
Already got all the glue and tape I`ll need.
Anyway just though I`d let you know.
Hope things are going well.
I'm so happy to see this!! I'm one of those lot of people who this will help out. I used the thicker black mesh for roofing or some other structural use which I found at Lowe's on the base of my kitchen counter. I figured it was cheaper, stronger and wider than the strips of drywall and cement board tape. I'm going to use some to smooth over the bad mud job someone else did. I'm looking forward to making storage for my Astro van and for my house!! So many possibilities!! Thanks guys!!
KISS!!! This video came at such a great time, I was seriously considering giving up on my interior build out due to previous failed attempts and the complicated nature of trying to scribe all of the katywampus angles and curves in a Ford cargo van!!!
That was one of the most amazing things I've seen during my van build research~^^
Its really changed things for a lot of people
Into The Mystery ⓭ why paint and not glue?
@@IntoTheMystery13 interesting approach to save money.
funny the sound of that brush on foam gets right up my spine though like teachers fingernails down a blackboard
i guess Im kinda randomly asking but does anyone know a good site to watch newly released movies online?
@Marc Harry I watch on flixzone. You can find it on google :)
VERY informative. This guy did a fantastic job of explaining it.
But in future, I would NOT use your head as a rigidity tester. ;)
LOL, think, maybe his Dad called him a 'knucklehead' for a reason...
Mind blowing info! This is so awesome.
I’m rebuilding (reconstructing) a 97 Jayco 1207 KB into a rigid side trailer and I’m thinking of how useful this material could be for a ton of applications.
This can be my interior walls if I put 1/8 plywood on one side.
This can be my shower if I seal and tile the other side.
This can be cabinets and counter tops.
I’m so impressed with this concept.
I’m so glad I found this during the demo phase and not after the fact.
Kudos and mucho appreciation!
This guy is Brilliant and explains everything in layman's terms. Thank You so much.
Oh NO!!! Now you got me thinking about rebuilding my entire van build again. Wow this is just amazing.
Ha ha, your not kidding; that idea is gonna help everyone! Thanks for sharing! That guy is smart. Lucky you found him!
I work with an aviation maintenance program and our content teacher is familiar with this kind of build. He recommends light colors to extend the life of this type of construction as sunlight will break it down.
This is really great!
I'm actually getting ready to build a sink cabinet for our camper, and this process is lightweight, strong, and super easy to build.
but I'm gonna take mine one step further...
First off, I'm going to put triangle cut wood blocks inside all my corners so when I screw my cabinets together, I've got something solid to screw into, plus it'll really make my corners ultra-strong! I could see someone accidently falling against one that hasn't been blocked and breaking them. I see you used this idea when you built your wood cabinets.
Second, I'm gonna round off all my corners. The corners of the cabinet, plus the faces of the shelves on the inside. This will give the everything a nice, finished look, and not the raw foam inside the door frames. It'll make it look almost like adobe.
And last, I'm going to cover my entire cabinet with FIBERGLASS RESIN. With a nice layer of resin, you can sand out any lumps and make your surface beautifully flat. That will not only make it again, super strong, but it'll make the surface glassy which will finish it out beautifully.
Awesome video! Thanx for posting this!
I Love this stuff! I'm not a van dweller but it crosses my mind, daily. I like this efficient approach to building and constructing. Great vid!
This is one of the best "how to" video I have ever seen. Presenter did an awesome job! I will do this when I get a van.
You are helping me get the courage to try building some "Furniture" into my truck canopy. Much appreciated!
This is awesome information! I've worked with fiberglass in the past, so I get the technique. Very smart and inexpensive method. Thanks for bringing this to us!
With all the aircraft being scrapped these days, you should try and source/collect some scrap aircraft floor panels. Most are a combination of aluminum composite honeycomb. They are fire rated, extremely strong, and lightweight. It would be a perfect material for all this.
I'm about ready to customize the interior my van, and this information is exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you for making this video!
This is absolutely next level, thanks so much for making such an informative video. I will definetly use this in the future!
This is beyond amazing, thanks for taking the time to make this detailed video. Thanks to the genius behind the idea as well!
This is a game changer for camper construction. Excellent and well put together video.
Thanks for showing us this! You just saved me heaps of weight. Can't wait to design the inside cabinetry.
fantastic idea, gas millage is crucial in any van build.
I'm new to all this. But I have to say that this was an amazingly helpful video. Thank you.
Jed, this is Awwmazing!! please make sure that Jamie and his group out at Lake Havasu sees this video they're going to be doing all that work out there and this is totally mind-blowing ! Please make sure he gets it okay ? Thank you so much, this was amazing! I loved it! This is Really the answer that we Females need, we don't pack around a lot of tools and this is just incredible! One thing that I am never personally without and that is a couple of good exacto knives they come in different sizes and work so well. This is absolutely one of my favorite videos I need to check this guy's build out, even though tank is all done I would love to be able to help someone else with this process!🐙 ☺
i knew i would want to do something like this ...ever time i see a bunch of wood in vans i am thinking about the amount of weight that is in that
oh yeah, not to mention the fact most of these vans can tow 3,000 pounds no problem....
The most important part is definitely not using wood, that way you have better control while driving. It makes all the difference going lightweight.
I love this trick, I'm so glad I found this video. I'm looking forward to using this technique, I have exciting plans for this. It's going to be challenging because I'm planning on using some complex bends. Thank you so much.
that's crazy - you win the 'cheap and easy' award for January 2,020, and are a runner up for best value DIY.
A couple things - 1 = so there's no COMPRESSIVE BENDING strength with screen unless you do both sides of something (then you have tensile strength x 2.) You get compressive bending strength with any wood product, but not very much at 1/16 - 1/8 inch. Screening both sides would be better / stronger.
2 = you can order SILK SCREEN in white and specify mesh. The more mesh the stronger tensile and the closer to cloth. 40 mesh would be about twice window screen. However, the stuff is designed to not take paint easily - and it may not work with some paints. I assume / think that a bond with the screen itself is quite important. Therefore only a coarse screen (20-40) might work well.
Thank you so much for these movies!! This is gold. You're gold. Keep it up :)
+Tash Leigh thanks Tash!
I've seen this done in a high dollar rv using fiberglass and carbon fiber absolutely fantastic
Wow thank you so for this video!! Still on the edge of buying a used class b or building my own:) This video is very mind opening!!!
I'm impressed, i'm going to toy around with building a cabinet or something this weekend, but this will definitely be incorporated into my Van build next year, thank you so much for taking the time to share this.
Got a few days to think about what my first test project will be, lol.
so glad I found your channel.......and couldn't wait to see this particular video. I'm anxious to dive right in....I've got a ton of projects I would like to try using this method and these materials. Thanks so much
This was an excellent video! Its the one I've been waiting for! When I'm done with my future home on wheels, I'll look you up and let you shoot it on a vid for your channel! Again thank u so every much.
To save time, you could apply the screen to the entire sheet of foam board first, build the cabinet, then add corner reinforcement pieces.
That's really a good idea. This might make using aluminum screen more viable, as it can be difficult to work with. But it's much much more rigid than using fiberglass screen
I was thinking the same thing.
Kurt, eeh, he already cuts the screen up after it's been painted over in some places. I'd attach the screen over all flat surfaces with 1 layer of paint. Cut out any holes. Glue the whole cabinet structure together. Attach screen in the corners and joints with a layer of paint. Then apply another layer of paint which would clean up most of the issues..you might have to do a touch up 3rd layer in places. (which you would no matter what) Then do the paperbag thing.
Wow, this is incredibly useful! Call me "mind blown" and I'm going to use this technique when we move into a bus. Love it!
Nicely done, and well explained. In terms of the methodology, I would be tempted to make a complete sheet of the laminate in one go, using a roller to apply the paint. Then I could cut the sheet, make the cabinet, and finally just reinforce the corners with the process you showed. I wonder if this might be a little bit more efficient, and neater, what do you think? Thanks for an excellent video. :)
I agree with your thought process 😉 Happy building!
This has me so excited to get started on a van project of my own. This video is so informative, I just love it. Thank you so much!!!
grade A van content, 10/10, great work guys
Serious man, you killed it, thanks for this video!
Great video! That board is called extruded polystyrene (XPS), as opposed to expanded polystyrene (EPS).
Very, Very Cool video...it so cool to be able to build this way and make cabinets. Its kind of like how a surfboard is built using the strength of fiberglass, but using screen instead of cloth and paint instead of epoxy resin. I will definitely be giving this a try and can't wait to see what you do next with this new found knowledge ...way cool....
I’ve been wanting to build cabinets in my space ship now I’m in business. Thanks!!
I have a suggestion that would work just as well as using screen, but it eliminates the need to cut it down into strips. Use the drywall mesh tape. It's a roll like regular drywall tape and it comes with a mild adhesive on one face. Then just mud (oops, I'm mean paint) over it, eliminating the mess on the fingers and very possibly the second coat of the paint.
it's worth checking out.
Wow... I love it! So glad I saw this before I started installing my cabinets.
This is the perfect lightweight material I just love this process I can't wait to make something with this process.
I have tried an old sheet to cover a polystyrene foam box with an exterior latex/acrylic paint to water proof the foam box to cover my air conditioner. It worked great but it lacks structural strength. It put a rubbery somewhat flexible water proof outer layer on the styrene foam box. It works fine for an air conditioner cover. I have been wondering on how to use several rolls of new and used fiberglass window screen to create more strength and this video has has answered my questions on how to do it. I may want to buy a different foam for larger projects as mine is compressible but the foam is a sunk cost, and I don't have a lot of it. Should be enough for a small test project. Thanks for your information.
Thanks so much. Since you posted the first video, I was googling like MF looking for more details. Have not found a van I like yet but I am looking and I will be doing this method.
+Gary Parks Check the link in the description, there is write up on it on my website
All rigid foam insulation boards are flammable and produce toxic fumes and smoke when burned which is why building codes require them to be covered with drywall (gypsum) or plywood when used as wall insulation. Assuming you're doing some cooking inside the van, you wouldn't want any of that exposed stuff around, wouldn't take much to fill the small space in a van with toxic gas.
CannabisBananabis Very little of this is actually accurate. Yes, polystyrene will burn like nearly any organic material (wood, paper and fabric included), but in many regards it's actually safer than most common household combustibles.The autoignition temperature of polystyrene (600 -700 degrees F) is actually higher than wood, paper or most other common household combustibles(about 450 degrees F). It's not simply going to burst into flames from cooking around it, just as wood and paper towels don't just burst into flames in your kitchen (polystyrene is actually BETTER in this regard)Regarding toxic fumes, this is simply not true. Here is a direct quote from a government-funded study: "Although burning Polystyrene gives off black smoke, the toxicity
of the released smoke fumes is considerably less than those of other commonly
used materials. This was already concluded in 1980 by the TNO Centre for Fire Safety14 for both EPS in its standard design and EPS to SE quality. The toxicity of fumes was measured for wood, wool, silk, cotton, fire
retardant treated cotton and three sorts of EPS (see table). In the case of Polystyrene
the toxicity of the smoke appeared to be considerably smaller than that of the
other materials."Again, polystyrene is LESS TOXIC while burning than most common building materials. And even if it wasn't, more people die from smoke inhalation during a fire than any other reason, and that has absolutely nothing to do with Polystyrene. When organics burn , they consume oxygen and release CO and other deadly gasses - yes, wood included. It's really a moot point anyways-- if something is burning, you don't want to breathe it. That includes almost anything, wood and polystyrene included.Here are a few references if you wish to draw your own conclusions, but in the end nearly any fire study done on polystyrene has concluded that it does not increase the risk of fire.
epsindustry.org/building-construction/fire-resistanceosfm.fire.ca.gov/codedevelopment/pdf/wgfsbim/EUMEPS_FireBehavior.pdfblog.cheapwallinsulation.org/2011/03/polystyrene-ignition-test.html
I do something similar using Titebond II and woven weed suppressant mesh, which is inexpensive, very strong and after painting produces a smooth finish.
Thank you very much for sharing this guys. These are basically UBER lightweight SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels) *used in modern home construction
The window screen style looks great! Super easy for Rubber Tramps to make, can do it right in the Home Depot parking lot with no power tools.
Though for our purposes.. i think the 1/8" plywood SIPs will work better for the lower section of the van.. Might hold up to the rigors of being a multi-use van (Gold mining, Camping, Traveling and Working) better and use the lighter weight screen-style ones up higher in the van.
You have filled my head with ideas! Thanks..... LOL
☮✌
You could definitely use SIPs this way. I'm not convinced it's needed though. During the couple of tours we did, Jed sat right on the lower cabinetry with no issues. I would say the weakest point to this method is probably impact resistance, so from that standpoint it might make sense to have a tougher skin for that purpose if you expect a lot of impact from tools, etc
Ha, ha Never heard the term "Rubber Tramps"
Can't wait to see how you securely anchor these to the wall
It's not too hard. On the two hightops I've done, the bottom of the upper cabinets sit right on the top frame rail and top of the cabinet has several wood blocks inlaid that attach to brackets holding it to the roof. On another, I glued wood strips directly on the van sheet metal that lined up with wood I glued to the inside of the cabinet, and just ran screws right through to secure them together. Could definitely be the basis of another how-to though
I would like to see a video of how you attached the upper. I love this idea!
Please do Jon!
We did the paper technique to our bathroom walls after finding out that a single roll of wall paper that had that look was $200.
A couple of coats of poly and fabulosity everywhere!
LOVE the concept! Seems like there's lots of time spent on painting the screen onto the surface AFTER you've built the basic cabinet, so, does it not make sense to paint the screen onto both sides of the foam sheets FIRST and THEN cut to shape? Seems to me you'd save a lot of time by not having to cut little individual pieces of screen to fit into the small areas. Just a thought!!! The concept is pure genius!!! GREAT video and MAHALO for sharing with us ~ ~ ~
I'd have guessed that a little extra difficulty cutting would be worth doing initial glue-up with the full panel instead of all the little pieces then just reinforcing the corners?
I'd love to see a demonstration of how strong they are, perhaps testing to failure over Josh's head would be fun :D
BradKW yes, I've done it this way also and it does work, but it does take quite a bit more time. I've also done double layers of screen for extra strength in some areas. Lots of room for variance in the technique!
Thank you for that video. Just what I needed for my next project. Now the video on how they did the brown paper bag coveting.
Coming soon!
AWESOME IDEA! I was going to do something similar to this but with cardboard, felt and Fiberglas. Thank you for sharing.
Great Video Guys... Very Informative !!! so simple, no power tools needed. user friendly is the key. Thanks for Sharing !!!!
This was so amazing! Great idea. This could be so useful for pop-up campers and trailers. Thank you!
This was a great one. going to use it in my van i think. I'm right at that stage now. just waiting for the cardboard and finishing vid now!
Totally digging this stuff. Will save me a ton of weight and materials!
Wow just found this on RUclips after watching for two years Im a car camper in a Subaru Outback. And I’m an older lady I wish he would’ve shown us how to do the cabinet doors with the wood pieces??? Does anybody know how to do that. Because I’m assuming we’re gonna need wood pieces to attach these cabinets. To our vehicles. 💕💕💕💜💜💜💕💕
Awesome video. You changed my game!
This video clip is super helpful, thank you so much of showing this! Bravo!
The side effect of this brilliant technique is electronic storage in high heat climates. Great video.
Awesome vid Jed. Keep the great stuff coming!
I'm glad I read the comments. I was about to buy a bunch of EPS for my van...now I'll buy XPS. Do you think this would work for a bedframe?
I'm poor and my van is rusted so I don't want to put more weight on it than I need.
brilliant idea. for an Idiot like me to do when i get my van. storage is everything, strong storage is & light weight is a must.
wow!!! I understand tensile strength. well done thinking out of the box, amazing! XD
how do i prep it?am i to take all that shiny paper off,or sand it down
se zaback I gather one just simply paints it onto the bare foam (I understand some foam is coated with something smooth). think of it like paper mache but this is an assumption of mine, you replied to my comment :)
Did something similar but for a 3d printer enclosure. Needed it to be insulated for heat since most of the advanced material requires a ridiculous ambient temperature and also sound dampening but that wasn't the main goal. Also added the "sound proof" foam on the surfaces on the inside for the fire retardant properties. I think this foam is also fire resistant.
Im curious if you guys tried other composite materials, instead of glass fiber, carbon fiber rolls? The prices dropped by a metric shit ton since you published this video. For a bit more you can turn it into automotive grade carbon fiber with resin curing.
Easiest cutting I've found; I use a special angled drywall blade that pulls rather then pushes on my oscilating tool. Cuts like butter and can do any pattern I want with minimal effort.
just a thought when one is freehanding the cuts you use a thumb tack and set the mesh up to the foam and then cut it . The Little holes will not hurt anything.
Covering with paper prevents the UV from destroying the product.
Awesome vid but the paint type was not very audible. The paint used is Glidden Gripper Latex Primer, and I believe foams are fastened to each other with Gorolla glue. would that be right Jon ?
That's correct. He also used some drywall screws to hold the foam in place while the gorilla glue was drying.
DUDE I just had a wonderful idea. I have my trailer hitch HITCH HAUL I bet this could be formed to make a perfect fitting box for the rear of the car. That would be more aerodynamic. Then one can carry generator extra gas cans bikes out the weather and closing that gap on the outside just removes all that drag experienced the old way.
Very cool! I am seeking lightweight DIY options for my teardrop. Do you have any pics of the finished product? Also, the purpose of the screen is reinforcement, I see. Cool.
man this is so useful and clever trick. I think i need to test this on my van. :)
Great video and explanation. Looking forward to the next installment. Thanks Jed ~jman
how about putting the screen on the whole panel and then cutting it out to build your cabinet? Lining the corners with the screen after the build.
Thank you guy's, great stuff ! Really get's the imagination going.
that was like a master class. thumbs up to you two
This looks great. Can polyester resin and fiberglass be used on EPS foam?
The foam in the video is XPS, not EPS, but polyester resin will attack both types. You need to use epoxy resin over these foam types.
I've always thought about building a truck camper with foam using 2" just not sure what to put on the outside and how to reinforce it?
Extremely helpful! Thank you very much.
stunning & amazing! What do you use now that Glidden doesn't make Gripper anymore?
Great info, I like the way you guys give other examples of tensile strength products to use.