Brit it’s been awhile, so pleased that you found the right guy. Sorry that things never worked out as intended, but hay least you look as if you are happy and having an adventure of a life time. 🙏❤️
Two suggestions : Put lipstick on the nut wher it touches your board. Saves a step of cutting off bolts . Cut on the backside of your board where you want it to bend with cuts going side to side. Start with a quarter inch depth and make several cuts. You might have to go as deep as a half inch . Make the cuts start a little before the bend about a inch before and continue about a inch after the end of the bend . Cuts will open up and bend will be easy .
I agree with your assessment of "vapor barriers". You can't keep water from condensing inside a van and the best strategy is to provide max ventilation for it to air out. The Dometic RTX 2000 should be key in keeping the humidity low.
Lol I spun so many plus nuts during my time trying to build out. What I ended up doing was using super glue every time I installed one. That way later when I screwed into it it didn't end up spinning and requiring drilling out
Mike, if your recessing for the bolts with the 1/2 inch drill, do it with drill switched to reverse. Then it won’t grip the timber and pull through x lovely job you two xxx Roly in England
Question for you. Did you consider not framing the cabinets and instead connecting the cabinet frame directly to the vehicle frame using the rivnuts to save weight and space?
Great video guys, so many good tips. i'm also in the same stage with my Van Build and this help me to make some adjustment to my design. Here goes my subscribe!
Hey Mike, fantastic data for a newb like me and I do appreciate it. I was wanting to relocate the lights I removed from the front section of the cargo area to the rear beam an d noticed you have done that. Where is the little plug in 'socket' in the rear? I haven't torn anything apart, but it is not obvious to me at first glance. Again, thanks for taking the enormous amount of timer and effort to share your processes. So damn helpful!
For anyone else wondering, there are a couple sets of electrical connectors for the two LED lights if you do not have them in the rear and want to use the ones you likely removed from the front, so just use the connectors taped down to the harness running across the back. For me, black wire went closest to the screw.
Great Videos!! Thank you so much for putting them here for our benefit! I know you made these quite awhile now, but do you recall how far down you adhered your 1x4s from the ceiling? Can I just allow enough room for the harness (per your video), or were you allowing room for anything else in future videos? Thank you mightily! 😊
Thank you, we're glad they're helpful! We would say it was about a half-inch to one inch from the ceiling. We only allowed enough room for the harness.
I just did mine. On the wiring harness that runs above the back door they taped the connectors for the lights. Untape and run the wires into the D Pillar and connector your lights.
Thank you! Since we didn’t do spray foam (and would have needed to do wiring first in that case) we decided to do wiring after since we had seen others (I think FarOutRide) do it that way. It actually ended up being helpful because at one point we mixed up which wires went to what outlet for our kitchen, and we could trace the wire back through the wall to find where it came from and what we intended.
@@britandmike OK- I like your reasoning ... We are just finishing up with the insulation and framing so wiring next week... I hope! You know how van building goes!
Hi, I want a bed crosswise in the rear but I don't want to elevate it for the extra length. I,, want the framing 15" from the floor. Can you tell me what the measurement is between finished walls and the 15" platform in the rear. I'm guessing it's 63-64? Thanks! Enjoyed your video.
Great job. You love making your house on wheels!! I am curious, you spoke about a heating floor. Will it be electric with some kind of plastic film like "Quiet Warmth"? Can you share this with us? Thank you
Hi. I thought of buying the Quiet warmth but after seeing Tim and Katie video on RUclips, they bought the same kind of heating film in Germany but 12v instead of 110v. It is called Mi-Heat. They have a 12v thermostat. It looks like it is working fine. They are happy with it. So I send Mi-Heat my needs , the same day I had my estimate including shipping, customs and taxes and currency. I paid. I should receive it in 50 days. Go take a look. You may be interested. Markus seems in charge of web orders and infos. He also commented Tim and Katie video. Have fun
The wiring harness in my 2015 Transit is completely wrapped in tape and appears to be much bulkier than yours. I dont see how there is room for it at the ceiling to wall angle. Did you unwrap yours to make it smaller? What did you do with the wiring harness in the rear of the van. I didnt see it in your videos. It is bulky too and I dont see how it would fit behind a wall or the ceiling. There is also a wiring harnness along the passenger side of the van that I dont see in your videos? Tell us what your magic trick was!!
Never mind. I saw answers to my questions in the beginning of the ceiling install video. Thanks again for al the great info. I marvel that Mike has had no previous woodworking/building experience. I have years of home ownership maintenance and remodeling experience, plus rehabbing to large sailboats. I find designing from scratch and building a van to be very challenging!! I don't know how you manage to do such a great job. Congratulations!
Could you have skipped this part if you used 8020 to frame your cabinets? My 2022 van will most likely arrive early June and I plan on using 8020 so I am interested in Ford transit conversions and 8020 construction.
I will be using 8020 also and will not be framing out the walls with wood. The 8020 will mount to the van with some heavy mass vinyl in between as a temperature break. We're building vans at a good pace with no parts shortages so far in 2022. Hope your van comes in early.
@@bobstransitvan3053 It would be nice to get it early though I am not holding my breath! I am seriously considering using a Husky tool chest 61 long X 23 deep 19 Gage steel as one side cabinet and mounting the refrigerator on it. I would run 8020 cabinets above to save weight since the husky weighs 400Lbs. I saw this in another van and it was working out great for him! I would get a white chest for a brighter look and it is totally lockable. The guy said the chest did not rattle and taking the casters off and adding a toe kick worked out great. Van lifer's are known to think outside the box. I made a great living solving peoples problems and plan on getting creative on this build! Where are you building these vans Bob?
This amount of framing is excessive and unnecessary. Wall then insulation then paneling . Bolt the paneling to the wall directly with rivet nuts. Framing wastes valuable space. You only need framing in places where there is no van frame. Studs need to be vertical not horizontal.
I disagree with your ideology that if moisture goes in your walls, it won't dry. First off, havelock wool or another similar insulation is antimicrobial and will dry just fine. Putting cork over it solves the problems you think you'd have. Idk why everybody thinks wood walls are necessary.
Keep putting out these videos! We’re about 6 months behind you in our mid length and these are ridiculously helpful
We definitely will, thanks for watching! Good luck with your build!
@@britandmike thanks xx
I have watched this video so many times. Its so underrated! You deserve more views/comments!
Thanks so much!! Glad it was helpful!
Brit it’s been awhile, so pleased that you found the right guy. Sorry that things never worked out as intended, but hay least you look as if you are happy and having an adventure of a life time. 🙏❤️
at 8:00 minute mark; BRILLIANT tip!!!
Thank you!!
Thank you - especially about figuring out where the bolt holes go. This is great, much appreciated.
Glad it was helpful, thank you for watching!
Two suggestions : Put lipstick on the nut wher it touches your board. Saves a step of cutting off bolts . Cut on the backside of your board where you want it to bend with cuts going side to side. Start with a quarter inch depth and make several cuts. You might have to go as deep as a half inch . Make the cuts start a little before the bend about a inch before and continue about a inch after the end of the bend . Cuts will open up and bend will be easy .
Great tips, we will keep this in mind next time!
I agree with your assessment of "vapor barriers". You can't keep water from condensing inside a van and the best strategy is to provide max ventilation for it to air out. The Dometic RTX 2000 should be key in keeping the humidity low.
That’s a good point. Thanks for watching!
Great job guys. Love the tutorial
Thanks so much!
Lol I spun so many plus nuts during my time trying to build out. What I ended up doing was using super glue every time I installed one. That way later when I screwed into it it didn't end up spinning and requiring drilling out
Love your progress!! It's slow going for me on my 2017 Transit. I really enjoy your videos, very easy to follow and enjoyable😁
Exciting!!❤
Thank you so much, hope your build is going well!
Thanks for your videos, I always look forward to them! Cheers!
Cheers, thanks so much for watching!
Mike, if your recessing for the bolts with the 1/2 inch drill, do it with drill switched to reverse. Then it won’t grip the timber and pull through x lovely job you two xxx Roly in England
Thanks for the tip Roly!
Amazing craftsmanship!
Thanks so much!
Question for you. Did you consider not framing the cabinets and instead connecting the cabinet frame directly to the vehicle frame using the rivnuts to save weight and space?
Making good progress!
Thank you!
What is the purpose of the reflectix being applied directly to the van walls?
Hey guys, great content!
How much sq ft of the Ez cool insulation did you end up using ?
Cheers
Great video guys, so many good tips. i'm also in the same stage with my Van Build and this help me to make some adjustment to my design. Here goes my subscribe!
Thanks so much for watching! Hope your build is going well!
@@britandmike it's going great, mine is a vintage van, hopefully putting the subflooring this weekend and some insulation.
Since you ended up with so much extra, how much Low E would you buy if you bought it again? I think your link said you got the 40 linear feet.
Hey!
What was your reasoning for using battens instead of directly screwing plywood walls to the metal walls of the van?
Hey Mike, fantastic data for a newb like me and I do appreciate it. I was wanting to relocate the lights I removed from the front section of the cargo area to the rear beam an d noticed you have done that. Where is the little plug in 'socket' in the rear? I haven't torn anything apart, but it is not obvious to me at first glance. Again, thanks for taking the enormous amount of timer and effort to share your processes. So damn helpful!
For anyone else wondering, there are a couple sets of electrical connectors for the two LED lights if you do not have them in the rear and want to use the ones you likely removed from the front, so just use the connectors taped down to the harness running across the back. For me, black wire went closest to the screw.
Hello from Turkey Brit and Mike.We self build a Ford Transit 4WD.I want to learn what is thick of the wood you use for framing.
Hi! We also want to move our cargo lights to the rear. Is there a place to connect them back there? Thanks!
In my transit there is an empty grey connector in the back identical to the one they are plugged into up front.
u need to do snap chalk line also much easier
Use 8mm Hexagonal Rivet nuts. They do not spin. Bolt depot.
How do you feel about the CR Laurence windows now that they are installed?
We like them! We haven’t lived in the van yet but they have been great for extra light and airflow while working in it
get the tool needed it will save u more time no value loss to corret to cuz ur going to need that counter sunk bit
Great Videos!! Thank you so much for putting them here for our benefit! I know you made these quite awhile now, but do you recall how far down you adhered your 1x4s from the ceiling? Can I just allow enough room for the harness (per your video), or were you allowing room for anything else in future videos?
Thank you mightily! 😊
Thank you, we're glad they're helpful! We would say it was about a half-inch to one inch from the ceiling. We only allowed enough room for the harness.
@@britandmike Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help!!
We also want to move our cargo lights to the rear. How did you connect them to the harness?
I just did mine. On the wiring harness that runs above the back door they taped the connectors for the lights. Untape and run the wires into the D Pillar and connector your lights.
What size Riv nuts did you use ?
Another great vid! How did you decide to do insulation, wire then framing? Why not wire first with no insulation in the way? Thanks
Thank you! Since we didn’t do spray foam (and would have needed to do wiring first in that case) we decided to do wiring after since we had seen others (I think FarOutRide) do it that way. It actually ended up being helpful because at one point we mixed up which wires went to what outlet for our kitchen, and we could trace the wire back through the wall to find where it came from and what we intended.
@@britandmike OK- I like your reasoning ... We are just finishing up with the insulation and framing so wiring next week... I hope! You know how van building goes!
So why not use self tapping screws?
Hi, I want a bed crosswise in the rear but I don't want to elevate it for the extra length. I,, want the framing 15" from the floor. Can you tell me what the measurement is between finished walls and the 15" platform in the rear. I'm guessing it's 63-64? Thanks! Enjoyed your video.
At 15” high, it is about 66 3/4” across from wall to wall!
Question, was there a reason why you just didn’t use self tapping screws?
We wanted to eliminate metal shavings from getting inside the wall as much as possible, to prevent long term rust damage
Great job. You love making your house on wheels!! I am curious, you spoke about a heating floor. Will it be electric with some kind of plastic film like "Quiet Warmth"? Can you share this with us? Thank you
Thank you! Yes, we haven’t figured out all the details on that yet, but so far we are thinking it will be something like Quiet Warmth.
Hi. I thought of buying the Quiet warmth but after seeing Tim and Katie video on RUclips, they bought the same kind of heating film in Germany but 12v instead of 110v. It is called Mi-Heat. They have a 12v thermostat. It looks like it is working fine. They are happy with it. So I send Mi-Heat my needs , the same day I had my estimate including shipping, customs and taxes and currency. I paid. I should receive it in 50 days. Go take a look. You may be interested. Markus seems in charge of web orders and infos. He also commented Tim and Katie video. Have fun
Why put wood over the beam on the roof than just drill the wood panels straight into the metal? Seems like added work.
Did you preplan where your framing is going to go or did you just put a rivet nut in every available hole lol
We pre-planned! It would have taken forever to put one in every hole haha
The wiring harness in my 2015 Transit is completely wrapped in tape and appears to be much bulkier than yours. I dont see how there is room for it at the ceiling to wall angle. Did you unwrap yours to make it smaller?
What did you do with the wiring harness in the rear of the van. I didnt see it in your videos. It is bulky too and I dont see how it would fit behind a wall or the ceiling. There is also a wiring harnness along the passenger side of the van that I dont see in your videos? Tell us what your magic trick was!!
Never mind. I saw answers to my questions in the beginning of the ceiling install video. Thanks again for al the great info. I marvel that Mike has had no previous woodworking/building experience. I have years of home ownership maintenance and remodeling experience, plus rehabbing to large sailboats. I find designing from scratch and building a van to be very challenging!! I don't know how you manage to do such a great job. Congratulations!
What size bolt did you use?
Came here to ask the same thing
Could you have skipped this part if you used 8020 to frame your cabinets? My 2022 van will most likely arrive early June and I plan on using 8020 so I am interested in Ford transit conversions and 8020 construction.
Yes, Mike says 8020 would serve the same purpose as the wood framing we did. Congrats on your new van!
@@britandmike Thanks for your reply! I will be following your progress!
I will be using 8020 also and will not be framing out the walls with wood. The 8020 will mount to the van with some heavy mass vinyl in between as a temperature break.
We're building vans at a good pace with no parts shortages so far in 2022. Hope your van comes in early.
@@bobstransitvan3053 It would be nice to get it early though I am not holding my breath! I am seriously considering using a Husky tool chest 61 long X 23 deep 19 Gage steel as one side cabinet and mounting the refrigerator on it. I would run 8020 cabinets above to save weight since the husky weighs 400Lbs. I saw this in another van and it was working out great for him! I would get a white chest for a brighter look and it is totally lockable. The guy said the chest did not rattle and taking the casters off and adding a toe kick worked out great. Van lifer's are known to think outside the box. I made a great living solving peoples problems and plan on getting creative on this build! Where are you building these vans Bob?
@@joenovak9366 I work at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant where the Transits are built.
Can I just ask why you say acrost instead of across? Lol. I bloody love your videos tho my mate. So informative. Keep them coming bud.
Carpenter here 58/years you do not need such high quality lumber. You would be much better rips g down plywood of your choice and thicknesses.
What kind of dog is that?
She's a cockapoo!
This amount of framing is excessive and unnecessary. Wall then insulation then paneling . Bolt the paneling to the wall directly with rivet nuts. Framing wastes valuable space. You only need framing in places where there is no van frame. Studs need to be vertical not horizontal.
I disagree with your ideology that if moisture goes in your walls, it won't dry. First off, havelock wool or another similar insulation is antimicrobial and will dry just fine. Putting cork over it solves the problems you think you'd have. Idk why everybody thinks wood walls are necessary.
We are vegan so we didn’t want to use havelock wool insulation