[ThomD]

Our van is primarily about carrying bicycles. Design priorities:

2 road bikes must go in with zero effort.
2 mountain bikes must go in with minimal effort.
4 bikes must go in with some effort.
Must have a shower and head.
Must have a fridge.
Must have a coffee maker.

We may never sleep in the van, so while we will try to make something work, it is not a priority. There is no need for seating for 4. We aren't riding our tandem, so that doesn't figure into the design.

Here we go.

 

[ThomD]

First on the list of upgrades were cabin comforts. We hadn't bought a vehicle in 10 years and then in 4 weeks we bought the van and an Audi Q5. The contrast is pretty stark, so I wanted to make driving the van a little less spartan.

We installed seat swivels with lowered bases. I had to cut down the base side covers to fit. We needed to keep those because the seat heater switches mount into the base sides.

I added a dash cam. For now it is wired to the dash USB. I'll clean that up when I pull head liner for insulation.

I replaced UC5 with a Kenwood unit with Android auto. That was straight forward with available adapters (documented elsewhere on forum). I added some dash overlays to break up the sea of black plastic. This is the B&I kit in brushed aluminum. I order the medium kit. This kit is a mix of 3D molded pieces and flat pieces. There difference between the 3D pieces and the flat pieces is noticeable. The 3D pieces look great and align with existing seams. The 2D pieces mostly look crummy and would have looked cheap if we installed them. Most of them would have obviously looked like they had been stuck on the original surface. They are a few millimeters think and would have not blended in. We only installed the piece around the dials because it didn't look out of place.

 

[ThomD]

I decided to use Tern Overland's Eurovision windows. I like the build in screen/shade and the ventilation these should provide. I originally ordered the 550x900 windows. Just before I installed them I realized they would be 7 mm too tall for the required interior framing to fit. The company made sending those back and getting replacements very easy and quick. We have dual sliders, so I put 500x900 a window into each one.

I was very concerned about flat window frames and the van's curved walls. After a lot of thinking about how I could shim the installation, I decided that would be more work than needed and add leak potential. I'm very happy with how they came out.

These windows require a wall thickness of 24-34 mm, so I built a frame out of stacked 1/2 plywood. I used VHB tape to attach the frame to the van. While VHB is instant setting, it does require 15psi to get maximum adhesion. So, I clamped the frame for 5 minutes.

This shows the gap between the sheet metal and the frame before I insert the window.

Finished product.

 

[dttocs]

Thanks, the windows look good. Why did you choose to attach the frame at top and bottom only, and leave the sides free? (Clearly it worked, and I'll be doing a similar install in a couple of weeks with a 450x1100 window, but I was planning to secure the frame to the van skin all the way around)

 

[ThomD]

I didn't see the need to secure the sides. The skin curves away from the sides and clamping that up would have been tricky-ish. Since VHB has sheer strength of around 100 psi per square inch that frame isn't going anywhere. I only ran the tape the full length so I would not end up with gaps along the edge.

The window frame easily closes up those side gaps.

 

[ThomD]

Key to this van design is bike transport. I've installed a drawer in the rear to hold bikes. 48 inch full extension, lock in, lock out slides and OneUp bike racks makes loading the bike about as easy as it can get. This video is at the prototype stage.

 

[CorndogCaravan]

Can you post an interior shot of the window frame? What did this window cost with shipping? I'm looking at the S4-S7's from Dometic/Seitz and just trying to get some comparisons.

 

[ThomD]

I don't have any interior pictures because the wall is not finished yet. Tern Overland has pictures and prices on their web site. They ship from Prescott. Shipping to the SF Bay area was about $75 for both windows.

https://www.ternoverland.com/eurovision-windows

 

[nebulight]

wowza, look at that bike drawer! This guy wins the bike drawer contest.

You could probably fit more than 4 bikes on that thing if you get creative. Taking the front wheels off would probably make it go a faster and you could fit more in there. *EDIT* I just reread your first post and saw that you may not be sleeping in the van. I guess then you don't need to worry about taking the wheels off to fit a bed above.

 

[ShaunB]

Our van is primarily about carrying bicycles. Design priorities:

2 road bikes must go in with zero effort.
2 mountain bikes must go in with minimal effort.
4 bikes must go in with some effort.
Must have a shower and head.
Must have a fridge.
Must have a coffee maker.

We may never sleep in the van, so while we will try to make something work, it is not a priority. There is no need for seating for 4. We aren't riding our tandem, so that doesn't figure into the design.

Here we go.

Your priorities look very similar to ours, plus we want to sleep in it with 2-4 bikes. I have a bike drawer like your's but we need to drop the seats and remove front wheel if the bed is in the lowest (eg. sleeping position). I still don't have a build thread, but my instagram accounts show the build in some detail. @sherpathevan and the old account @ShaunBike. Have fun with the build. I like those windows!

 

[CorndogCaravan]

I don't have any interior pictures because the wall is not finished yet. Tern Overland has pictures and prices on their web site. They ship from Prescott. Shipping to the SF Bay area was about $75 for both windows.

https://www.ternoverland.com/eurovision-windows

I looked at their website and saw the pics with the window shades installed but was hoping to see the rough in view. Will you install your finished wall up to the edge of the surround or have you decided yet? Great job on the bike tray.

 

[ThomD]

I'll try to get an interior as-is shot. When I panel the wall, I'll pull the shade/blind frame and run the panel under that. It is just 4 screws to take the frame off.

The drawer took much longer than the windows, but the current (I hesitate to say final.) version looks great. More picts this weekend.

 

[ThomD]

Here is a view of the interior. I rounded the corners of the plywood subframe so that the sheet metal would conform more naturally. I still need to do some painting and insulation before the finish panel goes in.

 

[CorndogCaravan]

How much clearance do you have when opening the door? Thanks for posting the pics. Any other windows that you considered?

 

[ThomD]

How much clearance do you have when opening the door? Thanks for posting the pics. Any other windows that you considered?

The door gets narrower at the top, so the bottom roller element in the window is basically aligned with the plane of the inner door frame while the upper roller element sticks out (into the van) about 5/8 inch. No problems with opening the door, plenty of room.

These are the only readily available windows that offer double panes and integrated shades/screens, so these were the ones for us.

 

[ThomD]

This feels like those Sear Christmas catalogs we'd pore over as kids. Nearly 4,000 pages - 7 3/4 lbs of industrial stuff.

Apparently, MC won't sell them to the public, so I went to eBay.

 

[ThomD]

We are coming up on a year with the van. Progress continues at a glacial pace. But, things are getting done. We are using the van, even in its incomplete state and really are very happy.

The electrical distribution panel includes custom switch covers from OTTRATTW. They look great and cost a lot less than the switches.

The drawer unit finally gives us a place to secure things. Still need to refine some parts of this and put the skin on it.

Last week's big achievement was the skeleton for the galley. "Soon" it will hold the water heater, fridge, drawers, coffee maker and microwave. The fridge is in, but needs a strap to hold the drawer closed until I get the latch installed.

 

[dttocs]

Last week's big achievement was the skeleton for the galley. "Soon" it will hold the water heater, fridge, drawers, coffee maker and microwave. The fridge is in, but needs a strap to hold the drawer closed until I get the latch installed.

Looks good! I'm Interested in more about the suppoort for your Engel fridge when slid out. What’s the weight bearing capacity of the slides?

 

[ThomD]

Looks good! I'm Interested in more about the suppoort for your Engel fridge when slid out. What’s the weight bearing capacity of the slides?

The fridge is on 100 lb, 24 inch, full extension, hold out slides. Lee Valley tools, $25. They don't lock at full extension, but have a detent to resist closing. This should keep it stable when open if we park on a hill.

That fridge was a pain to work out. It has to come out far enough for the top to open past 90 degrees so it stays open, but the aisle it opens into isn't very wide. The plywood face will be 20"+ tall. That's far too long to support the latch, so there is an 80/20 frame that runs from under the fridge deck (bolted through the plywood) and forms the load bearing face of the drawer. The space is so tight that I had to move the fridge latch from the "front" to the side. There is no room to get your hand between the fridge and the drawer face to undo the latch.

 

[keeponvaning]

This feels like those Sear Christmas catalogs we'd pore over as kids. Nearly 4,000 pages - 7 3/4 lbs of industrial stuff.

Apparently, MC won't sell them to the public, so I went to eBay.

I buy things from them all the time and I’ve never, ever had a problem with them selling to me (just like Grainger). I think all you need do is give them a company name (of your choosing) although I just use my own name.

There are cheaper sources than either of these two but sometimes it’s easier, and in the long run, simpler to just buy from them up front.