Be thankful. My dog occasionally sings along, but he picks his own key and melody. And changes the lyrics.
And now for something completely different...
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Trust me to “Defiantly”;
Post a message on my iPhone, while wearing contacts, & in haste as a grandchild is seeking attention. Definitely no card in the mail, so thank you for the MPD wish 😁.
Acute actually ,,, It was pretty subtle actually & I think only an enthusiast would pick that up.
I too have to re-type rivnut ,,, sometimes multiple attempts.
Love the quote
Assembled the port bed frame support, a 2" x 3" x 55 1/2" poplar board, 1" down from the edge of the sidewall and flush to the back edge. Measured and drilled thru the whole structure for the eight M8 x 1.25 x 70 bolts along the top, and beginner's luck, they lined up with the rivnuts I had previously added in the octagonal holes in the horizontal metal of the van. Still have to pull it off to paint the back side and add insulation. Starboard side tomorrow, hope to sleep in it by the weekend.
![Motor vehicle Wood Automotive lighting Automotive design Gas]()
I name things slower than I build...So, no - haven't named her yet. Red would be a good one, but several other vehicles in the family are also red, so that doesn't narrow it down enough... "Hey, toss me the keys for Red" and I would get 5 sets of keys thrown at me. I also can't just say "the van", as I have two and my son has one. Still holding out for something unique, probably won't become evident until I start driving her more. I rarely call my dogs by name, cause their personalities weren't fully developed when they were 8 weeks old.
Only obvious and unique personality trait right now is her giant forehead.
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Bugeater already taken.
Yess!! I love it. @Sather what do you think?FRED... short & sweet...and just a bit more than plain ol' RED !
Appreciate the effort, but a pass on Fred. Too generic, and coincidentally lost a good friend named Fred a few years ago.
I'm leaning towards something nerdy, like SAROS or SYZYGY, especially since she started as an eclipse chaser and currently getting prepped for April 2024. But those are TOO specifically technical. On a Venn diagram, it should be in the intersection of the "unique names" and "simple names" sets. Poochmobile and Tetris are both excellent van names.
Betelgeuse is red.
I'm leaning towards something nerdy, like SAROS or SYZYGY, especially since she started as an eclipse chaser and currently getting prepped for April 2024. But those are TOO specifically technical. On a Venn diagram, it should be in the intersection of the "unique names" and "simple names" sets. Poochmobile and Tetris are both excellent van names.
Betelgeuse is red.
Well, that was overly ambitious. And unlikely. Since it was temporarily covered by the sidewall plywood, I forgot I had yet to finish the insulation. So, a couple days later, back on track. Insulation in this area is 1/2" polyiso above and below the ridge in the body sheet metal, then 1" polyiso over the top to span the gap. Leaves a bit between 1 and 2 inches to fill with Thinsulate, allowing room for expansion. Added six M8 rivnuts to hold the bed frame. (+2 original threaded holes from standard tie-downs = 8 total per side.)
Was getting a little frustrated with losing stuff. Put a pencil down, five minutes later its gone. Put a retractable razor knife down, can't find it later. Then I noticed my 14 month old puppy... I'm sure he thought it was great fun, when I put something down, he would wait until I turned my back and then come steal it. I believe animals have the same range of emotions we do... joy, sadness, guilt, love, embarrassment. Guess we can add a sense of humor to that list.
Yup. @keeponvaning and @cno answered that question waaaaaaay back in posts #31 and #32... Sep 2020. Collective gasp, followed by "Wow, Sather, you really DO build slow!"
That is what these cutouts are for, to not block airflow to the vent. I think the Thinsulate will not be airtight, either, so I can still sandwich it there. If that doesn't work, I have access to it later (by popping off the grill cover) to slit the fabric.
![Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Automotive lighting Automotive tire]()
That is what these cutouts are for, to not block airflow to the vent. I think the Thinsulate will not be airtight, either, so I can still sandwich it there. If that doesn't work, I have access to it later (by popping off the grill cover) to slit the fabric.
2016 136WB low roof diesel, converted to an RV by Sportsmobile, TX
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You aren't making plans for October 2023? It's not a total, but an annular is nothing to sneeze at.
My daughter lives in Portland, so yes. Big IF the van is "long-trip worthy" by then. I'm going to start with some short trips. Northern MN and northern WI trial run this September, hence the push for at least having a bed. Subsequent longer expeditions until I am satisfied I can be self-sufficient (electricity, food, water). The goal is 2 to 3 month-long outings and 1 to 2 weeks unsupported (parked somewhere remote, else gas would be the limiting factor). I strive to be more of an Amundsen 🇳🇴 (extensive planning and testing) than Scott 🇬🇧.
Sheet metal screws
Spent most of the day putting up furring strips with sheet metal screws. Sill seal placed between the wood and metal as squeak deterrent. I know there are lots of different ways to do it, but this technique seems to work for me...
1. Mark on the wood where you intend to run the screw. i.e. safe places in the underlaying metal that don't already have holes. Don't use areas if you don't know what is behind the metal. Such as a gas tank, or the track for the sliding door, or the exterior skin of the van. Use a screw of the appropriate length.
2. Drill a hole thru the wood the same diameter as the outside edges of the screw threads. So the screw will spin freely in the hole and NOT push the wood away during installation.
3. If you are using flat head screws, countersink the hole just enough so the screw is flush or slightly submerged. Too deep and you weaken the wood. Not applicable if you use round / pan head screws.
4. Holding or clamping the wood in place, drill a pilot hole for the screw, the same or slightly smaller diameter than the full shank of the screw. USE A DRILL STOP! (You don't want to inadvertently go too far.) If you have more than one screw (and you likely will), do each separately, i.e. drill the hole, install the screw, drill the next hole, install the next screw, and so on. It is probable that you are attaching to a slightly curved surface, and as the wood conforms to the curve, the target hole will have moved.
5. I personally do not use self drilling sheet metal screws. Some have a drill bit tip, some have wings that cut wood but break off in metal. Nothing wrong with them, but I prefer to "feel" how the screw is doing. And I lose that ability with a power driver.
6. Here is where I attempt to describe how a typical sheet metal screw should feel. As mentioned, it should spin freely in the wood, so you will easily find the pilot hole with the tip of the screw. The tip is pointed, so the threads here are tiny and fragile, making this IMHO the most likely place it will fail. You need to keep strong pressure on the screwdriver to force the screw tip to bite into the sheet metal. You will definitely get a blister on your palm. After a few quarter turns, the screw should have cut threads into the sheet metal - the resistance to turning drops off notably and it will continue sinking into the wood, pulling the wood tightly against the metal. If not, the tip of the screw may have failed and it will just continue to spin and not cut threads. Throw that screw away and use a new one. Note - my experience is that stainless screws are weaker, and more likely to fail at this point during installation. So I prefer Zinc for interior / protected locations.
7. Once you have cut threads, just hand tighten to firmly snug. I doubt you will be able to strip the hole by hand, but with a power tool it becomes more likely. You may go back over them as you move along, as as the wood conforms it may affect this. If you leave access, check and retighten if required, in the event they back out or loosen during use. If buried, consider some way to ensure they don't back out. I have had good results filling the top of countersunk screws with JB Weld and scraping it flush, like a spackle. When cured it holds the screw head, kind of a poor man's version of Loctite for screws. YMMV.
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A few critical places are through-bolted, but IMHO sheet metal screws (almost 150 of them) are sufficient for the ceiling. The ceiling itself will be light, and a high G (front collision) scenario would test the combined shear strength of ALL the screws, not their individual pull-out strength. In a roll-over, all bets are off, as metal gets bent many things can break free and the inside of the van becomes a blender. Y'all be careful out there.
![Light Green Wood Rectangle Motor vehicle]()
Spent most of the day putting up furring strips with sheet metal screws. Sill seal placed between the wood and metal as squeak deterrent. I know there are lots of different ways to do it, but this technique seems to work for me...
1. Mark on the wood where you intend to run the screw. i.e. safe places in the underlaying metal that don't already have holes. Don't use areas if you don't know what is behind the metal. Such as a gas tank, or the track for the sliding door, or the exterior skin of the van. Use a screw of the appropriate length.
2. Drill a hole thru the wood the same diameter as the outside edges of the screw threads. So the screw will spin freely in the hole and NOT push the wood away during installation.
3. If you are using flat head screws, countersink the hole just enough so the screw is flush or slightly submerged. Too deep and you weaken the wood. Not applicable if you use round / pan head screws.
4. Holding or clamping the wood in place, drill a pilot hole for the screw, the same or slightly smaller diameter than the full shank of the screw. USE A DRILL STOP! (You don't want to inadvertently go too far.) If you have more than one screw (and you likely will), do each separately, i.e. drill the hole, install the screw, drill the next hole, install the next screw, and so on. It is probable that you are attaching to a slightly curved surface, and as the wood conforms to the curve, the target hole will have moved.
5. I personally do not use self drilling sheet metal screws. Some have a drill bit tip, some have wings that cut wood but break off in metal. Nothing wrong with them, but I prefer to "feel" how the screw is doing. And I lose that ability with a power driver.
6. Here is where I attempt to describe how a typical sheet metal screw should feel. As mentioned, it should spin freely in the wood, so you will easily find the pilot hole with the tip of the screw. The tip is pointed, so the threads here are tiny and fragile, making this IMHO the most likely place it will fail. You need to keep strong pressure on the screwdriver to force the screw tip to bite into the sheet metal. You will definitely get a blister on your palm. After a few quarter turns, the screw should have cut threads into the sheet metal - the resistance to turning drops off notably and it will continue sinking into the wood, pulling the wood tightly against the metal. If not, the tip of the screw may have failed and it will just continue to spin and not cut threads. Throw that screw away and use a new one. Note - my experience is that stainless screws are weaker, and more likely to fail at this point during installation. So I prefer Zinc for interior / protected locations.
7. Once you have cut threads, just hand tighten to firmly snug. I doubt you will be able to strip the hole by hand, but with a power tool it becomes more likely. You may go back over them as you move along, as as the wood conforms it may affect this. If you leave access, check and retighten if required, in the event they back out or loosen during use. If buried, consider some way to ensure they don't back out. I have had good results filling the top of countersunk screws with JB Weld and scraping it flush, like a spackle. When cured it holds the screw head, kind of a poor man's version of Loctite for screws. YMMV.
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A few critical places are through-bolted, but IMHO sheet metal screws (almost 150 of them) are sufficient for the ceiling. The ceiling itself will be light, and a high G (front collision) scenario would test the combined shear strength of ALL the screws, not their individual pull-out strength. In a roll-over, all bets are off, as metal gets bent many things can break free and the inside of the van becomes a blender. Y'all be careful out there.
Thanks again for the tip, @proeddie. On your advice, I did order a 3 meter extension cable, which came a few days ago. During a few lulls in the overhead work, I took the opportunity to fish the cable from the inside the rear door (A), along the wire loom through the hinge (B) and up the D pillar (C) and (D) to the top valley along the roof (E). In hindsight, I think I will pull it back to the top triangle cover in the pillar, so if I ever need to change a damaged cable, the connector will be accessible.
In addition to stealing small items, Kirby never passes an opportunity to go on a drive. So, anytime car door is open, I know where to find him.
Nah, he's just a supervisor. Watches and points out my failures. He never actually does any work.
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could name the van " the Doghouse "
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