I finally found the right van and flew out to Colorado to pick it up on Tuesday. I still haven't made it back to Mississippi. I got to fish with a friend in Boulder, dropped in to see my cousin's newborn in Fayetteville, AR and now I'm going to backpack 19 miles on the Ouachita trail for the next two days. My final stop will be to see a friend's newborn in Little Rock before I make it home to Oxford on Sunday.
I've ordered Dynamat, 3M insulation and a maxxair fan. The van has two back windows and a window on the slider. I called my local glass shop and ordered a fixed CRL window for the front panel on the driver's side.
Josh what is the thinking about the fixed window not an awning? That Fan will want a place to get air from to exhaust out the top (or in). We notice our van sitting in the sun here on 95º days is much cooler if the awnings are open and the vent open even if the fan is not running.
Josh what is the thinking about the fixed window not an awning? That Fan will want a place to get air from to exhaust out the top (or in). We notice our van sitting in the sun here on 95º days is much cooler if the awnings are open and the vent open even if the fan is not running.
Started on the sound dampening tonight. Have to remove the panels on the inside of the cargo area doors tomorrow to finish up. Then I have to decide where to use the last few sheets. I installed it using a rubber mallet instead of the tool you but from dynamat. The thing that I found to work best was to use the matte (finish) side of the paper off the back of a piece of dynamat and rub each piece down onto the van walls.
Maxx air fan arrived today, dicor should be in tomorrow. 3m insulation from Hein by the end of the week.
I plan to put an AC up top. We live in Mississippi so without the AC we're pretty much limited to later in the fall, winter and early spring. Thinking I'll put the fan in the back over the bed, 2 100watt solar panels in the middle and the AC up front. Anyone foresee a problem with this?
Finished putting in the dynamat tonight. Removed the panels and put in doors, on wheel wells, and ceiling.
Plan is to start working on the floor covering tomorrow. I think I'll go with luan, 1/2” polyiso, 5/8 hardwood plywood. I'm not sure what I'll finish the floor with yet. I've used vinyl planks in rental houses that glue down so I'm thinking that may be the ticket.
I’d skip the Luan below the Polyiso as it serves no function AFAIK. The air gaps under the Polyiso is a good thing for insulating value and the 25 lbs./sq inch support of the Polyiso is sufficient.
But then I dislike cheap sheet goods like luan, CDX, OSB, MDF, particle board etc. They are heavy or weak or warped or all the above. All fail if moisture gets to them and some even without it. Try hardwood plywood or baltic birch or a good multi laminated marine ply and the extra spent will be rewarded by years of builder bliss! Rant over!
I did that as well. polyiso with primed and painted ply on top. I used porch and deck paint and it has held up really well on the plywood. I'm still undecided if I'll cover the plywood with anything, so far the plan is just some rugs or outdoor carpet as needed.
Lots of goodies came I'm yesterday. Thinsulate, fan roof adapter, and window. I covered the wheel wells with thinsulate, made a paper template for the floor from builders paper, then cut the polyiso and installed. It was a tight fight so I'll have to go back and make sure there is a 1/4" Gap all the way around. I'm guessing if I don't I'll have squeeks while driving. Then I'll take that polyiso and use it as a template for the plywood.
I also picked up a water based polyurethane from the paint store. Going to put two coats on the plywood.
I was meaning just for the purposes of sealing it. I'm going to use a waterbased poly to seal it and then the final finished floor will be vinyl hardwood planks.
Finished cutting the floor out today and had a couple of friends come over to help install the window. Took about 3 hrs but we double and triple checked everything then cut the window a little small so had to keep going back and fine tuning. As many of you know, it wasn't near as bad as you would think. I followed the same procedure as cutndry. It was super easy to remove the brace on the panel. I just drilled out the spot welds and it came right off.
Here is a link to the procedures I used to install the window. Only difference is I just used the template on the side of the van to guard the paint. http://www.promasterforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56922&page=2
I plan to remove the floor tomorrow, seal it with two coats of water based poly, then use bolts in the anchor bolt holes to bolt it to the floor. Will probably put a few self tapping tek screws in as well. If I get that done I'll probably cut the hole for the vent fan in the back.
A friend of mine has a pop up camper that is no good because he ripped up the canvas. Instead of spending a fortune to fix it he said I can have the AC and anything else in it that I want. I think he is going to make a four-wheeler trailer out of it. That will save me a ton.
We had a little fun before we cut the panel out. How many times in your life do you get to sign your name on the side of a vehicle then cut it out? I'm in the maroon shirt and my wife behind me. Then the hired help.
In all of the google, I can't, for the life of me, find a lift kit for the Promaster City.
I've got a 2016 and it's built like a snow-shovel.
I need more clearance and bigger tires.
Any ideas?
Thank you!
Recently traded the Tundra in on a 2019 159 HR. The first (only) option on the priority list was driver/pass 6way seats. This one had them and one better-....both heated. Only a few other options that I could've lived without, but will make use of them since I have 'em. It has 2 factory LED...
I’d like this thread to be a place we could send new builders to get basic advice on what they need to do BEFORE they send off those orders and even buy the van. Please use this to give general advice on preparing for the conversion process. Here goes:
Consider what you will use the van for...
Looking for electrical input here:
I need switches for 3 runs of lights (4 set of pucks, 2 set of pucks and an led strip) as well as my propane solenoid and H2O pump. Saw a nice looking illuminated rocker panel with 6 switches and ordered it. Once I looked at it I realized that all the switches...
I rarely use my van overnight in winter, but want to start to do so for at least a half dozen nights (skiing) during winter and early spring. So I am installing a cheap chinese knockoff diesel air heater. My low usage doesn't justify the nicer euro models.
I've helped 2 friends install webasto...
