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Thought I’d kick this off, since I technically started building yesterday by swapping out a radio receiver.
First some background:
Design Goals
First, things I’m not going to do
Stretch Goals
I had a manager who said a project should always have a few stretch goals to advance the state of the art and keep things interesting. This project has more than its share. Here’s where Walter White will “break bad” and become WisenHymer.
I fully expect some or all of these to fail.
I expect #5 to be controversial.
A few points on this
Goals
Preliminary Bill of Materials
Fabrication
I’m a bit up in the air on this one. I’m considering using a profile system for the overhead bins at least, as I have experience and tools to work with aluminum. I also plan to use prefabricated items where they make sense. Prototyping will likely be in plywood.
Floorpan
Here’s what I have. The app I’m using on my iPad is a bit wonky, and the measurements are likely a bit off. I'm looking for another application for this. Don’t hold me to much of this, it’s a rough preliminary plan.
Some notes on the floorplan
Whew! If you've made it to the end of this TL;DR post... thanks! I'm going to need as much help as I can get, and I appreciate your attention and your inputs and opinions.
First some background:
- Who Me? I’m a son of a brilliant Electrical Engineer and accomplished Artist who grew up in Africa, because my grandfather was an elephant hunter turned game warden. I work as a Software Engineer, but I also designed hardware for many years for a cellular equipment manufacturer— mainly designing interface circuit boards and embedded controllers. I have design for manufacturability and 6 Sigma training, but something about me loves a good hack. It’s a value system that my father instilled in me modeled after the way he MacGyvered his family’s way through Nazi-occupied Holland during WWII after his father died.
- What A ProMaster van conversion of course. With a few unique twists. My aim originally was to build something similar to a Hymer Activ for a third of the price, but I took a left turn somewhere after I joined the forum.
- Why First, I been dreaming about building a Tiny House for years now or becoming a seasonal full-time RVer. There’s a whole host of legal and zoning issues surrounding Tiny Houses, and financially, full-time RV-ing will have to wait until I retire in a decade or so. So I combined the two and stopped dreaming and started doing. Second, Florida is hurricane country and I’ve seen my share since I moved here. I’ve been without power for weeks on end. I’ve had no generator and just a barebones evacuation plan. In light of Katrina and Harvey I feel the need to step up my hurricane game. This dove-tailed nicely with this project and I’ve been collecting dual-use equipment to support both efforts.
- When Someone asked how long this project was going to take, and I said forever. I really can’t say how long this is going to take. The important thing is I’ve started. The oppressive heat and humidity of Summer in Florida limits me right now. I’m not in a big rush, but I’m guessing a year might do it.
- How Good question. I’ve been told I have many good ideas (and an equal share of bad ones), but I’m not long on execution. So it’s fitting I’ll be working on an Italian-designed van. I plan to do a lot of proofs of concept and prototyping to hone my build and finishing skills. I’m not much of a visualizer, so I will be doing a lot of practical modeling and rendering to get things right. I’m not a cabinet-maker either, so I’m looking at weaving some prefabricated products into the project in unconventional ways. I work best with collaborated and appropriated designs, so I’ll be reaching out on the forum for solutions to problems, design exemplars, and I’ll hire outside help for some of the harder stuff.
Design Goals
First, things I’m not going to do
- Swivel Seats. Seems like no-one is happy with these unless factory.
- Propane tank. (I may have a 1 lb backup tank for a butane stove, however)
- Lithium Batteries. I don’t think this is a mature enough solution yet.
- Arbitrary Solar, Inverter and Battery sizing. I intend these to be measurement based, with decisions made Just-In-Time.
- Bathroom sink. Plan a stainless bowl in a holder that you take to the galley and fill up with hot water for shaving. Don’t see the need for redundancy.
- Design for more than two people. If more can fit, fine. But visits can take place outside the van.
Stretch Goals
I had a manager who said a project should always have a few stretch goals to advance the state of the art and keep things interesting. This project has more than its share. Here’s where Walter White will “break bad” and become WisenHymer.
I fully expect some or all of these to fail.
- Solar water heater (fallback: engine coolant heater)
- Murphy Bed (fallback: revised floorpan)
- RV size bathtub (fallback: shower/wet bath)
- Moveable/removable Thetford toilet (fallback: fixed wet bath)
- Window mount air conditioner installed on roof and ducted through a vent (fallback: conventional RV AC)
- Standing desk(fallback conventional)
I expect #5 to be controversial.
A few points on this
- Air conditioning is a way of life in Florida
- The air conditioner in question has dual use. It’s also in reserve to cool a room in my house off a generator when power fails (part of Hurricane plan)
- The intent is to run AC off the smallest generator possible. I don’t intend to try and run it off of batteries, although I may try and run it off of an inverter while the ProMaster is running.
- If it doesn’t work, all I’m out is some ductwork and some off-the-shelf RV air-conditioning parts that I can sell at half-price on eBay/Craigslist
Goals
- Semi modular Layout where bathroom and under bed storage options are mission-defined.
- Dog Friendly
- Aesthetically Pleasing plan on some artwork in bare wall spots that go along with a murphy-bed layout. Plan to modify the plain white exterior with an understated partial body wrap in lieu of painting.
- Full service close to retail class B facilities, where possible.
- Use best-in-class solutions where they make sense and are affordable
Preliminary Bill of Materials
- Gasoline Espar heater
- Engel MT80F-U1 Cooler (dual use)
- Froli bed system
- Westinghouse Microwave oven (600 watt) (dual use)
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (800 watt) (dual use)
- Induction burner(s) (800 watt) (dual use)
- Butane/Propane Gas One stove (dual use)
- Pontoon boat sofa (sofa/dinette/possible house battery storage)
- RV sink Chinese Smev from eBay
- Solar Panels TBD
- Charge Controllers TBD
- Inverter TBD
- House Batteries TBD likely AGM, possibly located in pontoon boat storage
- Kitchen Cabinets Ikea
- Medicine Cabinet Ikea
- Curt Trailer hitch
- Pioneer AVH-4201-NEX receiver with backup camera
- Westin Running Boards
- Tern Overland Seitz-style windows (if I can get them to fit)
- RV bath 40 x 24” Etrailer
- Awning TBD
- Water Heater Isotemp Spa 5 gallon
- Tanks Fresh inside, Grey underneath
- Generator TBD portable
- Insulation TBD present plan is 1” polyiso possibly with some thinsulate
- Lighting hope to use some (tasteful) dimmable LED strips I have on hand.
- Finishing TBD looking at tongue & groove pine, but may go with something else.
- Toilet Thetford Curve— ordered a manual pump for this from Amazon.de as the electric one is trouble-prone. I’m considering getting another one for spare parts and an extra “cassette”.
Fabrication
I’m a bit up in the air on this one. I’m considering using a profile system for the overhead bins at least, as I have experience and tools to work with aluminum. I also plan to use prefabricated items where they make sense. Prototyping will likely be in plywood.
Floorpan
Here’s what I have. The app I’m using on my iPad is a bit wonky, and the measurements are likely a bit off. I'm looking for another application for this. Don’t hold me to much of this, it’s a rough preliminary plan.
Some notes on the floorplan
- Yes, the Murphy bed does incur a bit into the tub area. Presently the area above the tub is open and there’s a bendable shower rod that extends to the ceiling and avoids the bed. I also plan a L-shaped privacy curtain rod for the bath area as another layer of water abatement. There’s two walls of bath surround. One on the van wall, and the other between the water heater and the bath. This arrangement has some minuses, but it solves the path to the toilet in the middle of the night problem.
- It doesn’t show, but there’s a fold-down table planed to meet the pontoon boat couch. This is only roughly planned and will take a lot of experimentation to get right. I’m considering a TV/monitor and some foot rests in this area as well. It’s going to take a lot of experimentation to make this work.
- The Engel cooler sits over top of the water tanks behind the driver. It’s pretty darn heavy, so I’m looking at ways to safely secure it and help lift it. Might need a block and tackle or a winch.
- The Thetford Curve is intended to be mounted on a teak shower mat, so that it can be moved or removed as necessary. I’m looking at a tent-like wardrobe at IKEA that fits in the tub too. On trips where you won’t plan to use the toilet, you can leave it at home and swap in the wardrobe.
Whew! If you've made it to the end of this TL;DR post... thanks! I'm going to need as much help as I can get, and I appreciate your attention and your inputs and opinions.
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