[klunytoons]

Hello All,

I'm the proud owner of a 2014 136 High Roof 1500! This is my first van. I plan to convert it to a camper to service my snowboarding/hiking/climbing addiction. I'm young, female, just bought my first drill and have no idea what I'm getting myself into. If anyone in the Denver area finds conversions fun and wants to help please let me know. I'm an able and willing learner.

Took her out for a spin for the first time last weekend to Telluride with my best friend. Drove like a champ! Didn't quite make it up the road to Bridal Veil Falls. We turned back on the third switch back when I realized the turning radius isn't quite switchback 4x4 road friendly. hahaha Sorry tree. Sorry to the small child and mother quite intelligently hiking the road rather than blazing up it in a 17 foot van.

Insulation starts this coming weekend. Very excited to get this thing ready and comfy for the winter! Thanks in advance for your patience. I'll try not to ask too many stupid questions and search the forum for existing threads before creating a new one.

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Welcome. I’m not in your area but I hope a converter or skilled worker here is. I’ll bet the van could have made the turns as it turns sharper than my 4 Runner which goes where I tell it to. You are very far front so you have to drive further out into the switchback than you feel comfortable and then let the back follow. The turning radius is VERY tight! Don’t use home glass fiber insulation or denim stuff or any cellulose product. Polyisocyanurate sheets from H-D or Lowes in 1” foil covered, great stuff doors and windows (buy a pro gun applicator) to “glue” it in and finish the edges. Hein a poster here has an automotive insulation/sound deadener called Thinsulate that many have used or used to insulate where the sheet of polyiso cannot go. Don’t rush into it and use something you will regret. Any of these insulation options quiet the van.

 

[MsNomer]

Kluny, my van and I will be cooling our heels in Denver Sept 25-27 while MrNomer attends a conference. I'd love to meet up with you and offer what assistance I can. PM me if you're interested.

 

[proeddie]

Kluny,

I would make it a priority to meet MsNomer while they are in your area!

She has lots of expertise in taking a van from empty to "just the way we want it"! I'll bet that you will have a better understanding of the project ahead, as well as some of the "gotchas" to look out for.

Good luck with your project... it may take a while, but half the fun is building it your way!

ed

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Yes MsNomer is a must!

 

[klunytoons]

Yay! I'll absolutely try to meet up with MsNomer. How amazing would that be!?

I am so excited to take on this new "hobby"!! It's up there with ski mountaineering and home coffee roasting on how happy it makes me.

You'll have to give me driving lessons, RD! I was mostly afraid to find out at which angle the unloaded PM would tip over. hehe

 

[MsNomer]

Kluny, this beast can outrun a tornado at 80mph in 65mph crosswind and stay in its narrow lane on a back country road. DAMHIKT

I suggest that you strongly consider Hein's Thinsulate. The cost is minuscule in the scheme of the total project and it is a dream to work with, especially if you ever have a change of mind as we did with adding solar.

 

[Zyzzyx]

You'll have to give me driving lessons, RD! I was mostly afraid to find out at which angle the unloaded PM would tip over. hehe

In finding pullouts while supporting Race Across America, I scared myself a few times. I had BoB tilted enough that walking inside was a bit difficult. Had another few times that it didn't feel too bad inside, but when I got out and looked back at it, eeep!

Granted that its not something you want to find out by the 'error' side of 'trial and error', but the PM (like most vehicles) will handle far more tilt than most folks are comfortable with.

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

You may be the only person to have ever suggested I could teach them anything about driving! Scary thought, but thanks!
See the video:

Some road!

 

[MsNomer]

I don't see anything on that road the van couldn't do. It can make a U-turn on a two-lane road.

 

[klunytoons]

hahaha This is great! Okay okay, I prob could have made it. In my defense, it looks like the road had just been graded in that video... and they're probably driving some kind of monster truck. It was quite washed out from a summer of heavy rains when I was there.

Basically like this:
http://m.telluridenews.com/news/article_700953f0-4f9c-11e6-a20e-2372278fb9ad.html?mode=jqm

 

[MsNomer]

Ewww. Yuck! Yeah, I'd probably have turned around from that. At least if one of us had gotten stuck there, we'd have an in-house toilet and refrigerator. >

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

That refrigerator and potty probably won’t work upside down, just say’n. Hey we all have our comfort level and should not get ourselves in situations that might be a great story at a party later but at the time are real anguish. On the other hand, oh no, better not go there. You did the right thing, kluny.

 

[jolene13]

Hi,
I'm building out my 136WB in Aspen. I may have enough thinsulate left as I ordered a big roll. I'm mostly using that with the foam boards for the ceiling with felt glued on.

 

[MsNomer]

What a wonderful day we had!! Kluny is full of great ideas and has the mind to figure how to implement them. Like I did at her age, she finds solutions to her lack of experience and tools. Besides, she's just plain fun to be with and we have lots of traveling/hiking experience in common. This won't be our last rendezvous.

Who woulda thunk that this grinning beast would have brought us so many new friends?

 

[klunytoons]

MsNomer, you're the best! Thanks so much for all your help. Hope to see you again soon!