[RamVanGuy]

You’d think that finishing walls would be part of Stage 1, but after 9 years and 15 cupgolders, I’m just now addressing the walls around the rear side windows. 🙄

I hear you! I am probably at end of Stage 1 and instead of doing the items needed and necessary like enclosing the shower, finishing the dinette, doing wall coverings over all exposed beams, enclosing electrical cabling in a footbox, etc..... I am fussing right now on the little things like how to add deflectors, increase ventilation, add mudflaps, and so on.

 

[rumpus]

MYTH: Plus-nuts are superior to Rivnuts. It seems to be an article of faith across the web-o-verse that Plus-nuts are better/stronger/less prone to spin-out. I mean, just look at 'em, they look so much burlier! But it's just not so. A properly installed Rivnut is plenty strong, easier to set properly, less expensive (both the tools and the nuts themselves), and I would argue less likely to spin than a Plus-nut. I've installed thousands of Rivnuts and never had one spin. The folks over at FarOutRide did an excellent test, for those who haven't seen it yet. The key is proper hole prep, and to set them with enough force. For people using the manual "bolt cutter-style" tool, that means more than a single full squeeze. If you're new to setting Rivnuts, save the sheet metal you cut out from your fan or window install and use it for practice, that way you can really see what's happening on the backside before you install Rivnuts in your walls. Final pro tip: use a tap to chase the threads after the nut is set, it only takes a few seconds, and helps ensure there will be no binding or cross-threading.

 

[sunnydays]

You dont need a "garage" in the van. You can have a murphy bed attached to the horizontal rib which will swing up to the roof allowing for up to a twin size mattress. This bed when folded down has plenty of clearance underneath. When folded up takes no more room then the wheel well. Also this becomes a defacto bunk bed because someone can also sleep underneath on a mat.

edit: Maybe a super high would allow for a full?

I love this idea! Do you have a picture of it? The issues I see: Wouldn't the mattress interfere with any fan on the roof? Or block a window?

 

[jetmelt]

I love this idea! Do you have a picture of it? The issues I see: Wouldn't the mattress interfere with any fan on the roof? Or block a window?

3 pics uploaded. Bed up. Bed down. And the hinge.
Now that’s not a twin mattress but before I had a twin there and there is still room to walk between the bed and the kitchen

 

[el Jefe]

You dont need a "garage" in the van. You can have a murphy bed attached to the horizontal rib which will swing up to the roof allowing for up to a twin size mattress. This bed when folded down has plenty of clearance underneath. When folded up takes no more room then the wheel well. Also this becomes a defacto bunk bed because someone can also sleep underneath on a mat.

edit: Maybe a super high would allow for a full?

All True from my experience.

 

[Woofus]

Plumbing Myths:
You need to install a carbon cartridge filter on the inlet to your water tank port (Camco style). This is wrong headed - it removes the chlorine that is necessary to protect the stored water in your tank. Instead install the filter on the outlet from your tank to protect what you use.

We use a carbon filter when we are using water we don't know about e.g from a campground. We carry a mini bottle of bleach (found it at the $ store) to add bleach back into the tank at the recommended rate.

 

[Carchey45]

Does everyone use a moisture barrier under their flooring?

 

[83Grumman]

Does everyone use a moisture barrier under their flooring?

Myth?

 

[SteveSS]

Does everyone use a moisture barrier under their flooring?

Nope, that would be redundant. Sheet-metal and sheet-foam insulation are both moisture barriers.

 

[Carchey45]

Nope, that would be redundant. Sheet-metal and sheet-foam insulation are both moisture barriers.

Ah cool. I'm going to be using 1 inch foam board for the floor.

 

[ohecht]

You can’t fit more than 25 cables through the backup camera housing to avoid drilling a single hole in the van roof or sides other than for the fan and windows…

 

[KDaven]

Ever notice how some mistaken ideas just won't die? They take on an air of truth simply by being repeated over and over on the internet (YouTube, etc). Recognizing and disregarding these myths will save you time and money. Here are a few to get started:

1. Sheet-foam insulation (Poly-iso, XPS, etc) under a plywood floor will get crushed. NO, and there is a ton of real-world experience and published material specs refuting that notion. Think snowshoes and splatchers. And for the same reason, the floor valleys do NOT have to be filled. XPS is preferred for floors since it does not absorb water; poly-iso for walls and ceiling because it withstands higher temperatures. Hydrophobic batting (Thinsulate, Havelock wool, etc) works just as well on walls and ceiling.
2. Sound deadening mat (Kilmat, Noico, etc) is needed on surfaces that will also be insulated. NO, it isn't. Sure, it makes a noticeable difference before insulation, but it becomes redundant afterwards. Sound deadening mat reduces noise by dampening sheet-metal vibration. Insulation does the same thing when attached to sheet-metal surfaces.
3. Framing out the walls and ceiling with wood is necessary. NO, it isn't. It reduces valuable interior space. Embrace the curves instead. Finish walls and cabinets can be attached directly to the van's ribs and channels. Select finish wall materials flexible enough to conform to the slight wall and ceiling curves.
4. Levelling the whole van before beginning the conversion is necessary. NO, unlike a house, the van will not stay level during the conversion process, or afterwards. Instead, use the van’s floor as your reference plane and square everything to it (cabinets, etc). Likewise, suspension alterations to compensate for the van's original rake, i.e., the back being higher than the front, should NOT be undertaken before the conversion is finished, if at all. Added weight from conversion materials and equipment will reduce the rake. Plus, a perfectly level van will only be level on perfectly level camp sites, which are rare.
5. A Promaster can be transformed into an off-road beast with all the agility of a 4x4. NO, but with realistic expectations, good AT tires, and a cautious, skilful driver, a Promaster is still able to negotiate some pretty rough roads. Also be aware that some forum members have posted having problems with suspension lifts.
6. Buying and converting a diesel Promaster is a good idea. NO, it's most likely asking for trouble. The diesel version was only produced in limited numbers from 2014 to 2017 before it was discontinued. Its European engine and transmission have never been used in another North American vehicle before or since. Consequently, parts and knowledgeable mechanics are increasingly hard to find. Search this forum to learn more. The gas Promaster is just the opposite. Its engine and transmission are found in many other North American vehicles, most notably the ubiquitous Chrysler/Dodge minivan.

EDIT: reformatted based on comments.

Wow! Thank you

 

[aaronmcd]

Myth: Propane heat causes moisture.
Truth: Burning all fossil fuels create moisture. That moisture can go out of the van. I think this myth comes from the Mr Heater Buddy, which is just one brand of heater that doesn't vent. It happens to use propane so some people think propane is bad for heat.

Myth: You need to bolt/glue down your floor.
Truth: A floating floor doesn't move unless you flip the van. Go ahead and bolt away if you want the floor to stay put while all your cabinets fly around the van.

Myth: You need 3/4" plywood for cabinets.
Truth: Well constructed cabinets can be glued up from 1/2" plywood with zero problems.

Myth (mostly concerning full time): You can't have pets.
Truth: The majority of nomads have pets on the road and do just fine.

Myth (also concerning full time): You can't bring much stuff.
Truth: You'd be surprised how much can fit in a big van. People travel with bikes, motorbikes, surf/snowboards, kayaks, guitars, hand drums, an array of festival outfits, flow toys with white gas, house plants, ceramics, full workshops, etc.

Almost-myths (things I see a ton of people doing that don't really make sense):

Shiplap. OK fine if you really personally love being in a dark tunnel with parallel lines going long ways to make it seem smaller, adding extra weight and making the build a lot harder on yourself, by all means do it. But a lot of people just do it cuz they see someone else do it.

Same with puck lights. Why run one wire to strip lighting installed after the ceiling is up, and have less direct, even lighting, when you can run multiple wires all over above the ceiling and cut a bunch of holes in precise locations to have point lights?

AC. Some people really are happy with their AC running 2 hours a day in the summer. Most people don't use it and would rather have more roof space.

On demand water heaters. Most people I know who use one complain about it.

800Ah lithium with 300W solar. Please tell me how you plan to charge those batteries. Unless you are a weekender or hookup-camper, those extra 650 Ah will be almost useless.

On the topic of the Camco filter at the faucet before filling - I've done that for years and never had a water tank issue. I plan to keep doing it that way. I mostly do it as a first stage filter to keep crud out of my pump strainer.

 

[Woofus]

Myth: Propane heat causes moisture.
Truth: Burning all fossil fuels create moisture. That moisture can go out of the van. I think this myth comes from the Mr Heater Buddy, which is just one brand of heater that doesn't vent. It happens to use propane so some people think propane is bad for heat.


Same with puck lights. Why run one wire to strip lighting installed after the ceiling is up, and have less direct, even lighting, when you can run multiple wires all over above the ceiling and cut a bunch of holes in precise locations to have point lights?



800Ah lithium with 300W solar. Please tell me how you plan to charge those batteries. Unless you are a weekender or hookup-camper, those extra 650 Ah will be almost useless.

I think it is also because many times the propane=water thing is brought up because someone is debating against cooking with propane vs electric.

puck lights... I like task lighting, I prefer the van darker at night and DH wants bright light to read. We also have task lighting over the cooktop so we can see well without being lit up like crazy in the whole van. We have four different circuits for different kinds of lighting plus some small rechargeable lights next to each side of the bed. I can turn a light on to use the bathroom at night that doesn't shine a lot where DH is asleep.

Big battery, low solar. Our first year with the van we didn't have any solar, we tend to move a lot so the alternator charged us. We have 400ah, ours is charged by midmorning most days so we could probably manage with less solar. I guess it depends if you need 800ah for daily use or if you have 800ah for less frequent use. If you have it so you can run heavy loads once or twice a week then you can slowly charge the batteries back up over the week, it will take more than a day if you don't have enough solar and you aren't driving. Or maybe they have a generator that they run for short periods because they are somewhere where it isn't allowed at night.

 

[Carchey45]

I have a question. Should I use the rest of my 3m thinsulate roll to shove in the nooks and crannies in my van? Or should I buy a small roll of pink insulation?

 

[GaryBIS]

I have a question. Should I use the rest of my 3m thinsulate roll to shove in the nooks and crannies in my van? Or should I buy a small roll of pink insulation?

Thinsulate

 

[MsNomer]

Stuff it loosely, dont jam it in tight. Remember that the insulating is done by dead air.

 

[SteveSS]

MYTH: It’s OK to insulate the areas underneath all those black plastic triangles running along either side if the floor inside the van.

NO, it isn’t. The areas under the holes covered by the black triangles are called rocker panels. Some claim the holes are meant to drain moisture from inside the van. That may be another myth. But even if that was true, water can also enter the rockers through body gaps in wheel wells (etc) and around the fasteners holding the black plastic trim panels on the outside. Insulation can catch and hold water preventing it from evaporating or draining freely. That's a recipe for mould. Plus, most of the rocker surfaces are below floor level where insulation is pointless. Insulate over top of the black triangle holes, if you wish, but not inside them.

 

[SteveSS]

MYTH: You can't look at user's manuals and installation instructions before you buy something.

Not true. These days, nearly every manufacturer makes PDF versions of their user's manuals and installation instructions available for free download, no purchase necessary. Normally, there is a "documents" or "downloads" link somewhere on the sales webpage for each product model. Read these documents to understand if something will meet your needs before you buy it. Installation instructions for electric equipment usually include wiring diagrams complete with wire gauges and fuse sizes. Some maintain online archives for discontinued products/models within their "Support" section. You can also find Promaster user's manuals by googling "<your model yr> promaster user's manual".

 

[el Jefe]

MYTH: You can't look at user's manuals and installation instructions before you buy something.

Not true. These days, nearly every manufacturer makes PDF versions of their user's manuals and installation instructions available for free download, no purchase necessary. Normally, there is a "documents" or "downloads" link somewhere on the sales webpage for each product model. Read these documents to understand if something will meet your needs before you buy it. Installation instructions for electric equipment usually include wiring diagrams complete with wire gauges and fuse sizes. Some maintain online archives for discontinued products/models within their "Support" section. You can also find Promaster user's manuals by googling "<your model yr> promaster user's manual".

I agree. I know. I know. My favorite Blue Brand can never be trusted with a printed manual. I have grown used to the sometimes weekly firmware and software updates which for all intents and purposes, makes a printed manual obsolete. Good thing they update their manuals in digital format. When was the last time you were notified of an update on Renogy equipment that would improve equipment operation? Think about it.