[makevx73]

Installed a Garmin RV760 LMT with their BC20 wireless camera. It comes with a clip to mount on the license plate but I cut the clips off and slipped it behind the lights mounting screw. Had to file a small grove on the back of the lens so the cable would fit behind it. The bulb is access from inside so I put a small bead of silicone around the lens to seal it up better also. It might not be a HD camera but it works quite well.

 

[makevx73]

Installed a rack system from VanTech in Brooklyn NY. It's their "H3" profile. Purchased from Eurocampers.com for less and it's drop shipped from VanTech. Oval profile anodized bars. Easy install, looks good and pretty quite as far as wind noise.

The bars use an elongated washer with an attached bolt/stud in the slot to mount attachments. I made my own washer sets for the slots so I could use some Yakima kayak saddles I had already. Cheap and easy. A bit harder to get the kayaks up on this than our RAV4 but we love having a changing room available after a paddle...

 

[makevx73]

Getting my floor and seat installed. (sorry pics are a bit fuzzy)

Put down a floor of 3/4" Birch plywood with two layers of closed cell foam spray glued to the bottom. The foam is usually used as underlayment for "pergo" style engineered flooring. The two layers equal about 1/4" to isolate the wood from the metal floor.

For now I am using some foam flooring squares and some extra indoor/outdoor carpet to finish it off. I plan to epoxy paint the floor, re-install the foam with glue and then put some better carpeting in. I've got a trip to Cape Cod coming up and don't have time to get the painting done until after...

 

[Ram3500']

good to see you protected the roof from getting scratched! some people don't protect their paint at all.

 

[makevx73]

good to see you protected the roof from getting scratched! some people don't protect their paint at all.

Yep. I figured I better cover-up as I'm always dropping things. The roof will get enough abuse from straps and lock cables securing kayaks all the time. I'm tempted to have the roof Line-x'd but I guessing all that textured surface area wouldn't help my gas mileage any.

 

[Ken Sinclair]

What rear / 2nd row passenger seats are you using?

 

[makevx73]

What rear / 2nd row passenger seats are you using?

It's a 2007 Dodge sprinter 3rd row seat w/arm rests. Fits nicely.

 

[makevx73]

Decided on what to finish the floor with. Bought two 4'x6' Andersen WaterHog Polypropylene Fiber Entrance Indoor/Outdoor Floor Mats. The type of mats you'll find at many office doors. Easy to remove, shake out, wash and dry. Theres a bit of a gap between the front one and the rear but it will be under the seat anyway. I put a piece of indoor/outdoor carpets in between to fill the space.

"WaterHog mats are constructed of rubber reinforced face nubs and the "waffle" design provides crush proof scraping action. Raised, "Water Dam" borders trap dirt and water keeping floors cleaner and safer. These mats are perfect indoors or out, especially outside your front door. The border for WaterHog Fashion features the same 100 percent polypropylene fiber system as the mat surface. When wet, the rubber reinforced surface allows water to be wicked to the bottom of the mat away from foot traffic while providing a slip resistant surface. Colorfast: Solution dyed for excellent light and we fastness. Unique ridged construction effectively stores dirt and moisture beneath shoe level. Exclusive rubber reinforced face nubs prevent pile from crushing in high traffic areas, thereby maintaining high performance and extending product life."

 

[makevx73]

Also finished applying Second Skins Damplifier Pro to the wheel wells. It makes an amazing difference in road noise. Plan to finish the wheel wells by covering with 1/2 closed cell foam then closing them in with wood covers.

So far my wood floor with foam underneath, the foam on top and the Waterhog mats have together made a very significant deduction in road noise.

 

[zwarte]

Clever use of those waterhog mats. Wish I had thought to use those.

 

[JDM]

I was thinking of using those puzzle foam blocks in the rear of my PM:2500-156" (if and when I get it). I'm in the Stand-Up Paddleboard biz and need something soft yet waterproof. Has anyone tried these yet? Thanks in advance, JD

 

[keeponvaning]

I would be afraid of water getting thru the joints and causing a rusted out floor underneath, personally. You might want to look into horse stall matting or some other product that is one piece instead.

 

[makevx73]

I was thinking of using those puzzle foam blocks in the rear of my PM:2500-156" (if and when I get it). I'm in the Stand-Up Paddleboard biz and need something soft yet waterproof. Has anyone tried these yet? Thanks in advance, JD

Thats what I have as floor padding. It works very well - easy to cut and install. It won't keep all the crud out of the joints though. I spray glued some foam underlayment (Home Depot) to plywood (3/4 birch). the underlayment is for noise and to keep the plywood from potentially squeaking on the metal floor. I then laid the puzzle foam on it for ease-on-the-knees. Then cut to fit the Waterhog mats on top of everything to catch all the sand, dirt, water, snow ect.

 

[makevx73]

A couple more things accomplished...

Finished mounting my GPS. Did it the "proeddie" way - thanks guy! Still have to add the extra 12 volt connector under the Cup-holder but I dropped the wire down and then just ran it back up the outside of the dash to the OEM 12 volt connection for now. I had the GPS suction cupped to a piece of plexiglass that was clipped on the clipboard. It bounced a lot but stayed put. This is much better...

Got my rear windows installed. CR Laurence glass. Nice dark tint. More expensive that the OEM windows but the PM I got didn't have um'. Not much work involved with this project. Just drank a cup of Dunkin' Donuts Dark Roast and let somebody else do the work!

 

[Hein]

Nice build. I think I have the same backup cam. Your work looks well planned. With no roof rails, how do the crossbar towers attach to the roof?

If you like what Damplifier did on the wheel wells, For the walls, you'll really like the 3M Thinsulate that we are providing to the Sprinter van folks. (our ad here) We can send a sample if you wish. Send me a PM.

Keep posting as you are breaking new ground!

-Hein

 

[makevx73]

Nice build. I think I have the same backup cam. Your work looks well planned. With no roof rails, how do the crossbar towers attach to the roof?

If you like what Damplifier did on the wheel wells, For the walls, you'll really like the 3M Thinsulate that we are providing to the Sprinter van folks. (our ad here) We can send a sample if you wish. Send me a PM.

Keep posting as you are breaking new ground!

-Hein

I used Vantech's H3 Rack. Promasters have "studs" mounted on the roof. The instructions have some pretty good drawings showing the mounting system. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/68440372/Vantech Instructions/-IEX-H3_Endcap_ProMaster_286.pdf

I researched the Thinsulate material and liked the idea of it but way too much $$$ for me. Other than 3M's claims there didn't seem to be much independent info to justify such an expensive product. Seems like a bit of "snake-oil" hype going on with the product to me? In theory it seems great but too much money for me to give it a try...

I'm gluing in closed cell foam which I think is a pretty good all-around choice for me. Not too expensive, provides sound and thermal insulation, a pretty good vapor barrier, no dust or fibers and pretty easy to install. I've ordered white foam so it with match/look ok with the white walls until I decide what to panel the walls with.

 

[Hein]

Thanks for the rack instructions. Sorry you didn't decide on Thinsulate. Many folks with Sprinters are really happy with it.. We would be happy to send a sample if you like. We respect your choice.

Agree that is is not cheap but we think our price of $8.88 per foot (60" wide) is really competitive. (about half of some online prices) Enough material for a typical van costs ~$500-600 shipped. The R-value is about 5 per inch and the SM600L expands to almost 2" thick. A layer of Reflectix under the wall panels can increase the R-value. It can be easily adhered to the sheetmetal with 3M 90 spray. The sound deadening is amazing.

 

[MsNomer]

Hein, my understanding of the Reflectix, etc, is that it should be installed with a space between it and the outside metal, IOW, a space to reflect into. I've been wondering if that can be accomplished with the thinsulate??

 

[Hein]

You are correct that Reflectix is designed to be next to an air space. It really only acts as a moisture barrier if used to seal the interior walls before installing finish panels. Plastic sheeting would do the same. Reflectix does install fairly easily with foil tape that can also be used to seal holes. Not much seems to stick to plastic sheeting.

There is some debate about moisture control in van walls. I recently ran across a publication about condensation control in metal buildings (link). Vans are essentially rolling metal buildings. My take away from the article is that a moisture barrier on the inside will keep moist living space air from entering the walls space and possibly condensing on the inside of the cold van skin.

It can be argued that moist air will eventually enter the wall cavity anyway and that is certainly true if the vehicle is operated in a wet environment for long periods. Thinsulate is hydrophobic so the material won't absorb moisture if that occurs.

We leave a portable dehumidifier running in our van when the rainy season hits here in the Pacific NW. It keeps the van dry inside. I just picked up a 12V>9V step down transformer so I can run it on 12V DC when we staying in the van.

 

[MsNomer]

I just visited Van Specialties in Portland, OR. I was surprised that they use plain household fiberglass insulation. She said it was because the fiberglass doesn't absorb moisture. There was no attempt to seal. She warned me to vent if I don't plan to heat in cold weather, which I don't.