[Little Mother]

Thanks, @Sacpro1500 ! If your side windows are open and your vent fan is running, do you think there's sufficient ventilation with just the rear windows open? Our biggest concern is having enough air flow over the low-rise bed - vent fan will be behind the front seats.

 

[Sacpro1500]

Thanks, @Sacpro1500 ! If your side windows are open and your vent fan is running, do you think there's sufficient ventilation with just the rear windows open? Our biggest concern is having enough air flow over the low-rise bed - vent fan will be behind the front seats.

If I'm reading your proposed set up your bed will be in the back and the fan in the front. Since our fan is directly over the bed in the back I can only speculate how the airflow would be in your situation. My guess is that you would get more airflow in across the rear bed with the rear windows open and the other windows shut. How much you would feel the air flow would be dependent on the height of the "low rise bed". Opening the side windows would draw more air into the van however I don't know that it would provide additional air flow over the bed. You might want to ask other forum members that have the vent fan in the front how it is working for them. With our fan in the back over our bed when we want to really feel the air we have the fan draw in air rather than in the exhaust mode. Hope that helps. Enjoy your build. It is quite a process, but worth the satisfaction you will get.

 

[Little Mother]

If I'm reading your proposed set up your bed will be in the back and the fan in the front.

Exactly! We won't have any other operable windows other than the ones in the cab. Our bed will be only about 21-23 inches off the floor due to the low roof. We weren't sure about airflow given that only one-fourth of the window can open (vs. an awning-type window). Thanks for the info!

 

[travelvanvan]

I would think the ventilation with those windows is quite good. I say this having a completely different configuration. My vent fan is in the back right over a cross-wise bed. And I have the factory rear windows (no vent). But I crack open the passenger window in the front about 2 to 3 inches to facilitate airflow. Even with the vent fan at a low speed (20%) so that it's not noisy, I feel a nice breeze at the passenger window. I can imagine that sleeping right next to the (open) window would be quite breezy in fact.

Perhaps you can augment with a fan or even 2. I am experimenting with some AC powered fans because I'm picky about airflow and noise, some have a motorized swing. They are on sale everywhere now.

Edit: missing word

 

[Little Mother]

Thanks, @travelvanvan! Our bed will be running back to front (not transverse), so both of us would benefit from rear windows. 😉 Also, that way, we don't have to crawl over a body to exit the bed if nature calls.

 

[MsNomer]

Also, that way, we don't have to crawl over a body to exit the bed if nature calls.

Just make sure both of you know how to exit the bed without dragging the covers with you. MrNomer never did learn. In the lengthwise bed of our truck tent, every time I sensed he was getting up, I had to grab the covers with iron fists to keep him from dragging them off the bed..

 

[keeponvaning]

That’s what happens when you marry a "real" man🤔

 

[RnR]

Training with one of those remote controlled shock collars is effective in breaking bad habits.
The trick is doing it exactly at the moment of offense.

 

[MsNomer]

Training with one of those remote controlled shock collars is effective in breaking bad habits.
The trick is doing it exactly at the moment of offense.

Good idea. I’ll keep it in mind. How well do you respond to it?

 

[RnR]

Good idea. I’ll keep it in mind. How well do you respond to it?

Not well, actually. Nothing really works.
She basically puts me outside most of the time and medicates me when I'm in the house. That doesn't always work either.

 

[RnR]

And the neighbors don't appreciate it

 

[Sacpro1500]

Upper Cabinet:

Based on the cardboard templates I had made earlier I built the first section of cabinet. I used oak hardboard flooring I received from a neighbor that I planed down smooth for the face frame and some leftover oak plywood for the sides.


The doors are frame and panel construction with the enclosed panel some of the left over 1/8" hardboard wall paneling.



That worked out well so I made some more.



Used overhead bin hinges from Rockler and to make sure they didn't open up going around curves I installed some of those childproof plastic latches. The cabinets were attached to the previously (before putting up the ceiling panels) installed attachment boards with corner brackets on the top rail of the face frame and to embedded wood blocks behind the wall panel at the top of the side panels. They feel quite secure and good news, there are no screws poking out of the side nor top of the van! Building these was almost as much fun as building the bed/bench/table arrangement.

Next up the Galley cabinet.

 

[Sacpro1500]

Galley cabinet:

This was just a simple cabinet to hold the porta potty, water and kitchen supplies. Since we didn’t plan for running water the dishes are simply done in plastic tubs.



Frame and panel again for the doors with concealed cup hinges.


More of the tongue and groove oak flooring for the top.



The finished cabinet sans handles.



As luck would have it (or call it good planning) I was able to attach the cabinet to the original hold down location, and to the back of the cabinet to one of the pre-installed wood blocks behind the wall paneling.



Next up the electrical set-up. As you can tell from the previous posts this build didn't necessarily occur in the order it has been presented here. Some things have to be planned out way ahead and before other items are completed. Duh!

 

[Sacpro1500]

Electrical:
While there is plenty of useful information on the forum and elsewhere about building a power system, batteries, inverter etc., I was still a little intimidated and was looking for something much simpler. After doing some research I decided on the Kodiak lithium ion self contained unit. This was exactly what I was looking for, easy to charge, portable and compact, nothing to build, simple. An added plus is that I could use it to run some of the household appliances in the event of an electrical outage. Yes it is a little pricey, but in my mind well worth it for the convenience and time saving. We have minimum electrical needs and I don't see that issue changing. Plus if I need to add more power I can simply add to the Kodiak.
We have minimal needs and low power draw. Dometic CF25 cooler, LED lights, coffee and possibly a microwave. Thus far the Kodiak has served us well. Another shout out to Gary BIS and his excellent "Build a Green RV" site describing in great detail how to determine your power needs, wire sizes etc.
Our set-top has three LED ceiling lights, two under counter LED lights, two over the bed reading LED lights, MAXX fan, in addition to the cooler, coffee pot and microwave.

This view shows the installed lights. The back set of overhead cabinets on the drivers side haven't been installed yet.


The fuse panel for the 12V LED lights and the fan is in the center pillar.


The Kodiak is secured with threaded inserts in the plywood floor and threaded rods. The black electrical line plugs in to the 12 V outlet in the Kodiak to the fuse panel and the white electrical line plugs in to the AC outlet in the Kodiak and powers the two outlets above the galley cabinet. The Dometic cooler rests secured between the seats and plugs in to the Kodiak.


I am very happy with this set up and thus far has performed well.

 

[Donna]

We're looking for windows for the rear doors. Which ones did you install? (Couldn't expand the thumbnails.) And do you get sufficient ventilation through them?

I wanted awning type opening windows in the rear doors (so I could open them even if its raining), so I installed Bomar boat hatches.

 

[Little Mother]

Just make sure both of you know how to exit the bed without dragging the covers with you. MrNomer never did learn. In the lengthwise bed of our truck tent, every time I sensed he was getting up, I had to grab the covers with iron fists to keep him from dragging them off the bed..

Have the opposite problem - I usually end up getting his share of the covers in the middle of the bed and some on me. One reason for a queen-size bed so I can hug the side and avoid the "avalanche." 😉

 

[MVanP]

The documentation continues, the floor was the first installation.
Floor system:
1” polyiso, ½” plywood secured with bolts in the built-in tie down location.
Connected the plywood joints with glue and dowels. Finished the plywood with satin finish water based polyurethane.
Based on what I read on the forum it appeared that filling the floor indents was not necessary and only added minimally to the insulation and sound deadening qualities, so I didn’t do that.

View attachment 65998 View attachment 65999 View attachment 66000


Vent Fan:
Had the MaxxFan 7000 installed by a local upfitter at the back above the eventual bed. Installed wood frame around fan. Secured to van ceiling with Loctite PL 8X adhesive.
View attachment 66001 View attachment 66002

Next came the windows:
Windows:
Our first road trip was to Vancouver Washington and had six Motion windows installed.
View attachment 66003 View attachment 66004 View attachment 66005

Who in Vancouver did the windows? I live in Portland and will be doing a136” HT soon as well and want the same six windows. Was thinking of doing them myself, but if there’s someone nearby that can do them affordable...

 

[Sacpro1500]

Who in Vancouver did the windows? I live in Portland and will be doing a136” HT soon as well and want the same six windows. Was thinking of doing them myself, but if there’s someone nearby that can do them affordable...

The Motion Windows were installed by the manufacturer:
Peninsula Glass Company
6005 NE 121st Ave
Vancouver, WA 98682
(360) 944-4446
www.motionwindows.com

We could have had a local firm order and put them in but we wanted to have the mfg. put them in in case there was an issue, and we wanted to take a road trip. By the way my wife wasn't very keen on my cutting holes in the van as a DIY project.
Good luck on your search.