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Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
For years I've wanted to build a lovely campervan and drive round Europe for a while being a bum and doing cool stuff. I have picked the absolute worst possible year to attempt this, but I own the van now so the build is happening either way. I have absolutely no prior knowledge or experience in this kind of project and the only thing I'm even remotely confident with is 12v electrics.

Without further ado this is the van, a 2004 Renault Master LWB which I got for just under 2 grand from some shady used van yard in Essex.



It's basically a huge shitheap but should do the job. Engine and gearbox are good and it's free of any corrosion because the French realised decades ago that they need to galvanise their vans. It definitely needs some suspension work but I'm sure we'll get to that in due course.

The basic concept is to be able to carry two adults in comfort, with a fixed double bed, cooking facilities, a porta poti for emergencies and some comfy seating, with storage space for mountain bikes, bouldering matts etc.

The basic layout sketch looks something like this, with the bed being raised to around waist height allowing storage underneath.



The cargo area of the van was super damp and dirty when I got it, pretty sure it's previous lives had been as an iron mongers van and then a landscapers van, so first order of business is to strip everything out and get it cleaned up.




These photos do not accurately convey the smell of damp, rotting plants and petrol that was overwhelming while I ripped everything out the back, nor the amount of swearing it took.

After getting all the crap out I wiped everything down and got it as clean as it is ever gonna be. I was kind of hoping the existing ply floor would be in decent enough shape that I could build on top of it, not least because it was held in by a lot of rounded out/broken screws going straight through the vans floor.

(note pile of debris which entirely came of of nooks and crannys around the floor)


Alas, even after a few days of being left to air out the floor was pretty obviously rotten and soaked with petrol or something. Cue more swearing.



We've got a nice clean empty shell and no idea what the hell we're doing. And like I said, basically no corrosion on a 16 year old wagon. Mercedes and VW please take note.

Gonna call that good for the first post, although I've got a few more jobs done and will catch up to now over the next day or two.

Next up, building a raised insulated floor. Badly.

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cakesmith handyman
Jul 22, 2007

Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

Awesome, if it's not too late now is the perfect time to pressure wash the interior. Didn't know they galvanized these, honestly surprising as other makes seem to treat theirs as entirely disposable.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
All the French manufacturers started galvanising way back in the early to mid nineties. It makes them a really good choice for older vans in Europe.

Sadly the ship has sailed for pressure washing. I considered doing it, and in hindsight I should have, but ultimately I didn't want to run the risk of struggling to get it dry in unpredictable spring weather.

builds character
Jan 16, 2008

Keep at it.
Cool project. What are you going to do for ventilation and heat? How about storing your mountain bikes? Outside or inside? If outside, do you have to worry about theft at all?

CAT INTERCEPTOR
Nov 9, 2004

Basically a male Margaret Thatcher
If you want ideas or see someone screw up and be a warning on what not to do I highly recommend Seth Bike Hacks series on a van fit out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNn8Jq235Dg - Full playlist.

bolind
Jun 19, 2005



Pillbug
Recently, for no particular reason, I've fallen into the YouTube hole that is home built camper vans. There are some super cool ones, and a whole bunch of lovely #vanlife stuff, but I urge you to check it out, if nothing else to get ideas.

Key takeaways:

  • It'll either be miserably cold or miserably hot unless you actively (heater, A/C) do something about that.
  • Smells from waste and/or the shitter will drive you insane.
  • Having a place to stand up == bliss.
  • Some forewent the shitter and didn't really miss it.

This guy has a very cool ride: https://youtu.be/wssu8Wp9W74
So does this couple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D_I9AB_BvY

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried

builds character posted:

Cool project. What are you going to do for ventilation and heat? How about storing your mountain bikes? Outside or inside? If outside, do you have to worry about theft at all?

We will get to ventilation very soon - I've actually already finished that job and it's pissing with rain today so got a chance to check everything is sealed. Bikes will be inside under the platform bed, there's just no way I'd trust a nice mtb on the outside of a van overnight.

bolind posted:


Key takeaways:

  • It'll either be miserably cold or miserably hot unless you actively (heater, A/C) do something about that.
  • Smells from waste and/or the shitter will drive you insane.
  • Having a place to stand up == bliss.
  • Some forewent the shitter and didn't really miss it.

I'm not too worried about heat, most of Europe isn't that hot and I'm pretty used to summer tent camping so am pretty happy to either go somewhere with AC or just hang out in the shade during the hottest part of the day if needs be. Cold will be more challenging. It's not going to be full time living so one option is just to avoid the cold, but I guess at some point I may consider a diesel heater.

Standing room is the whole reason I've gone for such a tall van. I'm 185cm (6'1" in American) so most vans I'd end up stooped over.

I've not heard anything good about having an onboard toilet. I'm only including one shoved under a seat in case of getting caught out, it's absolutely not there for regular use and if it is used it'll be dumped and cleaned ASAP.

I will check out the videos also, thanks for linking them!

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
Ok so as promised the next job is building a raised insulated floor.

First I rattlecanned all the areas with damaged paint. No point leaving bare metal exposed. Then my plan was to lay down some 25mm/1" wooden beams, lay insulation between them and then screw 12mm/1/2" ply on top of that. You may have noticed we're in the middle of a global pandemic lockdown, so I had to order my timber online. The treated timbers I ordered to use as floor beams were incredibly warped, and rather than getting better timbers I pushed on which created a few issues.



You can see how off the timbers are. My original plan to to glue the fuckers down, then lay the ply and screw it all down as one if necessary, but that turned out to be a total ballache because of how crooked some of these beams are.

Next mistake was using cheap polystyrene sheet insulation for the floor. I was thinking I wanted something rigid and that it didn't need an amazing rating due to heat rising, but holy poo poo it's the worst material I think I've ever worked with. Messy, fragile, shite.



For some reason I don't have a picture of it with the ply laid before any other work was completed, could have sworn I took one but clearly not. All I have is a screencap from an insta story. Whatever.



It was at that point I discovered that I needed to put quite a few screws through the ply and beams down into the sheet metal to hold everything flat. At some point I'm going to have to crawl underneath and seal all the screws, which will be a poo poo job.

Oh and I drilled a hole in my finger when a cheap HSS bit snapped off in the floor and the stub slammed into me. Moral of the story being not to buy cheap drill bits.



Next we'll tackle the rooflight and solar panel install. A terrifying but ultimately quite simple job.

taqueso
Mar 8, 2004


:911:
:wookie: :thermidor: :wookie:
:dehumanize:

:pirate::hf::tinfoil:
Cool, looking forward to more

meltie
Nov 9, 2003

Not a sodding fridge.
Niiiice! Will you pop a window out of the firewall between the cockpit and the living space for more light and space, or keep it sealed for privacy?

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
I've actually completely removed the factory bulkhead and I'll be building a new one out of thick ply and some big timbers with a window/access hatch through to the cab.

Tomarse
Mar 7, 2001

Grr



Nice one! Good to see a thread. Hoping it might motivate me a bit. I’m struggling to find the motivation to do mine at the moment and every time I start something I find I have to do something else big first.

I’m gonna be struggling for wood supplies for my internal build out too in a couple of weeks I think if I can get my internal panelling done. I’ve got lots of plywood but almost zero other useful timber.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
If you're in the UK Wickes click and collect is about your only good option currently, unless you've got a local woodyard who are both open and not completely backed up. It's definitely an extra challenge not being able to think 'poo poo I need some more 50mm wood screws' and run to a shop, but rather order online and wait days.

meltie
Nov 9, 2003

Not a sodding fridge.

Blacknose posted:

I've actually completely removed the factory bulkhead and I'll be building a new one out of thick ply and some big timbers with a window/access hatch through to the cab.

Girt lush :)

Tomarse
Mar 7, 2001

Grr



Blacknose posted:

If you're in the UK Wickes click and collect is about your only good option currently, unless you've got a local woodyard who are both open and not completely backed up. It's definitely an extra challenge not being able to think 'poo poo I need some more 50mm wood screws' and run to a shop, but rather order online and wait days.

Yeah I am in the UK - the landrover camper conversation thread is mine!

I’ll check out wickes. I need wood to repair my broken bed too which is now starting to feel fairly essential after a week sleeping on the sofa!

cursedshitbox
May 20, 2012

Your rear-end wont survive my hammering.



Fun Shoe
gently caress yes another camper build

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried

Tomarse posted:

Yeah I am in the UK - the landrover camper conversation thread is mine!

I’ll check out wickes. I need wood to repair my broken bed too which is now starting to feel fairly essential after a week sleeping on the sofa!

Ah course it is, you mentioned it in the RV thread. Only issue with Wickes is you need to queue to access the website, and you can anticipate a day or two wait for the click and collect. Also double check your order carefully, I had two orders delivered (when they were still delivering) with significant errors in them and now can't get hold of customer services to have it resolved.

Pomp and Circumcized
Dec 23, 2006

If there's one thing I love more than GruntKilla420, it's the Queen! Also bacon.

Blacknose posted:

It's definitely an extra challenge not being able to think 'poo poo I need some more 50mm wood screws' and run to a shop, but rather order online and wait days.

Screwfix is still open for click and collect, FYI.

Cool project. I used to drive a van just like yours, and while it wasn't an especially enjoyable experience, I can't fault the vehicle at all. Good van.

For the timbers, I'd look at screwing them in from the bottom up, you can use the screws designed for tin roofs that have a rubber washer on the shoulder.
Plus you are then screwing into wood, which is something you can actually screw into.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
You'd be surprised how effective screws are into the metal of a van. I tested with a piece of scrap timber and two wood screws. The timber started to fail at the holes before the screws so much as budged with me hanging all my weight from it.

I considered trying to screw from the floor up, but there's some challenges there. First I would need to know where the timbers are, which would be a faff, second it needs to be accessible and there's a ton of stuff under the van in the way. Third, I don't have to access to any kind of ramp so crawling underneath it is something I'd prefer to limit. I am going to keep the idea in my back pocket though, just in case current fixings prove insufficient.

Pomp and Circumcized
Dec 23, 2006

If there's one thing I love more than GruntKilla420, it's the Queen! Also bacon.
The solution to the alignment is that now you've already screwed in from the top, you can remove every second screw in each piece of timber, and then replace them with ones from underneath, then repeat for the other screws. But yeah, if you can't get under the van to do it then there's no point.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
That's very true, and not a bad idea. Like I said, if I have any doubts about the security of the floor I'll give that a go.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
Cutting a massive hole in the roof of a van, followed by drilling 24 holes for solar panels, is definitely going to rank as one of the more intimidating jobs of the build. It actually turned out to be pretty straightforward though.

You may notice that in some of the pictures there's a sneak peak of other stuff - these jobs are slightly out of order just cos I'm posting up all the finished jobs before moving on to stuff that's in progress or new init.

First up, cut a huge hole in the roof with a jigsaw:





The blade had gone kinda blunt by the end, but I just wanted to get it finished rather than climb back off the roof to get a fresh blade for the last 10cm of cutting. And yeah, those off brand monster energy stickers really need to come off.

By the way if you're cutting fibreglass do no unthinkingly brush the dust away with your hand. jfc.

I'm using an inexpensive but well regarded rooflight from Fiamma. You can add a fan at a later date if needed but for now it's without - I may run a cable up there behind the cladding just in case. As you can see I have done a really neat and professional job of sealing it. I used a permanent sealant called CT1 rather than a standard silicone, working on the theory that if I ever need to remove the rooflight something has already gone pretty badly wrong. If I was building into a shiny 10 grand plus van I'd have used a removable sealant and spent time to do a neater job, but for this rolling scrapheap, whatever.



Also in the picture lined up ready for fitting are 2 of the 3x100 watt solar panels. Super pleased with how easy the solar was to fit with the Z brackets. Just chuck some more CT1 on the feet, drill pilot holes, screw in the self drilling screws and make sure everything's sealed.



300w of solar fixed, and the cable gland sealed on too. I'm just waiting for some link cables to arrive and they can all be connected up, just as soon as the battery is in the van.

Next up: internal finishing of the rooflight.

cakesmith handyman
Jul 22, 2007

Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

Please tell me you lined the panels up after that shot, right?


Right?

Phew, last picture didn't load right away. Good job.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
Hey now, I may be a bodge artist but I'm not a monster. They were just lifted onto the roof to get the rough position length ways for the rooflight.

Tomarse
Mar 7, 2001

Grr



Don't ever use silicon sealant on the external bits of the van, especially the roof - it wont last. It will seal fine to start with but then after a while it will leak.

I think it just cant take the combination of the vibrations and heat. Ask me how I know this!

I don't know what CT1 is like but I am now a convert to Sikaflex 221 which is loving amazing at sealing and gluing stuff together and can be overpainted unlike silicone. Its £7 or £8 per tube off ebay. You can tell it is good poo poo because if you get it on your hands it will be there for atleast a week,

meltie
Nov 9, 2003

Not a sodding fridge.

Tomarse posted:

Don't ever use silicon sealant on the external bits of the van, especially the roof - it wont last. It will seal fine to start with but then after a while it will leak.

I think it just cant take the combination of the vibrations and heat. Ask me how I know this!

I don't know what CT1 is like but I am now a convert to Sikaflex 221 which is loving amazing at sealing and gluing stuff together and can be overpainted unlike silicone. Its £7 or £8 per tube off ebay. You can tell it is good poo poo because if you get it on your hands it will be there for atleast a week,

With experience from looking after boats and ships; if you want something to be waterproof, drill as few holes in it as you can.

cursedshitbox
May 20, 2012

Your rear-end wont survive my hammering.



Fun Shoe

Tomarse posted:

Don't ever use silicon sealant on the external bits of anything

seconding this.
I've never used CT1 though I'm curious. I'm a fan of 3M's 4000 and 5200 series marine sealant. Eternabond is also your friend.

E: sikaflex p2b (eh it's alright), 3m windoweld, and butyl for window or high vibe environments.

cursedshitbox fucked around with this message at 16:06 on Apr 18, 2020

Elmnt80
Dec 30, 2012


5200 for lyfe!

LloydDobler
Oct 15, 2005

You shared it with a dick.

I don't know how creative you want to get but your floor plan, while simple, looks like a ton of wasted space. It's just two flat seating and sleeping areas. One thing a lot of old school motor homes would do is have the bed be multiple pieces so you could lift the center section up and use it as sort of a booth style dining table, or fold the table up completely so it was a seating area. Also one of the coolest things I've seen is how space efficient the micro camping trailers are, they basically have the kitchen outside the trailer but the space under the kitchen is for feet when sleeping. It's incredibly efficient in that it makes use of the vertical space as well as the floor plan space, and doesn't require any floor area to stand inside the unit. Like this:



Now, I'm not saying to copy that, as I don't see how you would, except to say that it might give you ideas. Also I understand that's really only useful in good weather. But if you could put the kitchen in the back of the truck so it was accessible from inside or outside with the doors open, it might be kind of nifty. Or do a murphy bed with a couch or table that folds down out of it. etc etc. I personally love the idea of stuff that's out of the way when you're not using it, or takes advantage of dual use. And basically remember that hallways are wasted floor space. Obviously you have to be able to get access to things but again if you can make them dual use or movable you can really make the most out of the space.

Those back doors are a great opportunity to have something that slides or folds out to make the thing feel relatively huge or useful, like a picnic table or entertainment center or something.

Also these are just ideas driven by jealousy and intended to inspire, so please don't take them as critical.

LloydDobler fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Apr 18, 2020

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
I agree that a permanent fixed double bed is a lot of space. The reasoning is two fold, firstly it means I can use a real mattress and be comfy af when sleeping, the other is storing mountain bikes underneath. The height of the bed will be such that you can just about sit up in bed without your head touching the ceiling in a van with over 2m of load height, to give you an idea of the garage space underneath.

I thought long and hard and you just can't do that with a rear sitting area.

Also r.e. CT1, it's a permanent adhesive/sealant comparable to the caravan sikaflex, 512 I think?

Blacknose fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Apr 18, 2020

meltie
Nov 9, 2003

Not a sodding fridge.

Blacknose posted:

I agree that a permanent fixed double bed is a lot of space. The reasoning is two fold, firstly it means I can use a real mattress and be comfy af when sleeping, the other is storing mountain bikes underneath. The height of the bed will be such that you can just about sit up in bed without your head touching the ceiling in a van with over 2m of load height, to give you an idea of the garage space underneath.

I thought long and hard and you just can't do that with a rear sitting area.

Also r.e. CT1, it's a permanent adhesive/sealant comparable to the caravan sikaflex, 512 I think?

Sounds like the perfect van tbh; an MTB garage out back and a permanent bed to crash out into without faffing about at the end of a long day. Aside from beers and a small camping stove, what more could a trail dirtbag need? :)

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
Pretty much yeah. Secure bike and tool storage was a non compromise want, along with a fixed bed.

Maybe I should do a post on that kind of thing actually, like my considerations and assumptions for the chosen design.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
So, following onto that.

Must haves
  • Fixed double bed
  • secure bike and tool storage inside the van
  • decent indoor cooking facilities
  • the ability to stand up
  • an electrical system for 12v stuff
  • ability to get between the rear and the cab, cos if someone nicks the van while I'm in it I don't want to be stuck in the back

Nice to haves

  • a toilet, even if it's just shoved under a seat
  • some kind of showering facilities (this will end up being a solar or manual pump shower to be used outdoors)
  • enough solar and battery for longer periods stationary in cloudy weather (lol yup)
  • 240v inverter (undecided)
  • big fresh water tank (have a 70 litre tank)
  • an oven (didn't make the cut)

Tomarse
Mar 7, 2001

Grr



Blacknose posted:

So, following onto that.

Must haves
  • Fixed double bed
  • secure bike and tool storage inside the van
  • decent indoor cooking facilities
  • the ability to stand up
  • an electrical system for 12v stuff
  • ability to get between the rear and the cab, cos if someone nicks the van while I'm in it I don't want to be stuck in the back

Nice to haves

  • a toilet, even if it's just shoved under a seat
  • some kind of showering facilities (this will end up being a solar or manual pump shower to be used outdoors)
  • enough solar and battery for longer periods stationary in cloudy weather (lol yup)
  • 240v inverter (undecided)
  • big fresh water tank (have a 70 litre tank)
  • an oven (didn't make the cut)

You should add an Awning to your list. They are both awesome for shade when its sunny and somewhere dry when its rainy!

I'm currently undecided about a fresh water tank for mine. I've so far got 6 20L water jerry cans which I can stick on the roof and I might stick one inside too (to keep it cooler).

I'm partly undecided about a fresh water tank because I'd need a custom one (or atleast a universal one that I could fit my own filler/take off too) and it would have to go under the floor inbetween the main chassis legs and I haven't managed to work out how the filler pipe would work because all the tank manufacturers i can find are terrible at documenting stuff on their websites.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
I'm lucky to have room under the bed for one of the big blue fiamma jobs. I considered an underslung tank but it was double the cost. Your vehicle is a bit more restrictive when it comes to off the shelf stuff though I'd imagine.

Haven't really put though into an awning yet. Might add one at some point I guess.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
Quick post about finishing up the interior of the rooflight.

One downside to the Fiamma rooflight I used it that the maximum roof thickness is around 40mm, and the height from my roof boards to the outside is something like 80 or 90mm. Result is that I've made a 25mm timber frame that sits inside the hole and which the rooflight is screwed into through the roof its self, then I've made a a frame to sit on top of that and surround the inner part of the rooflight. The roof boards can then be screwed directly into this giving a reasonably neat finish.

That pushes the thickness out to 80mm or whatever while giving a fairly neat finish.

The frame that the rooflight is screwed into. Note really poo poo quality timber. It's treated so not worried about the fact that it looks like it may have gotten damp at some point.



Dry fit of the inner frame.



And the whole thing mounted up with the inner rooflight offered up, although not fastened as yet.



In the next post we will start to cover building the wooden ribs inside the van for the boards to attach to, and the cladding its self.

Tomarse
Mar 7, 2001

Grr



Blacknose posted:

I'm lucky to have room under the bed for one of the big blue fiamma jobs. I considered an underslung tank but it was double the cost. Your vehicle is a bit more restrictive when it comes to off the shelf stuff though I'd imagine.

Haven't really put though into an awning yet. Might add one at some point I guess.

There are some second hand awning bargains to be had on ebay if you look around. I have a manual one with 2 aluminium tent pole style legs but would love a self supporting electric one.

An awning pretty much doubles the usable space that you have when parked up! I had a proper camper van for a while and after owning that an awning was high on my list for my landrover.

I could fit a generic rectangular tank too if I can find one that fits around the prop shaft travel. I've got a shitload of space under the rear floor but there are the main chassis legs on either side which will make a filler a challenge.
I don't think i have actually looked at the fiamma tanks. that 70l might actually fit under my floor though i suspect one edge might have to deal with being very occasionally beaten by my prop shaft at full spring travel and the filler pipe might require a 40mm tunnel either through the chassis or through the floor and into the interior..

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
That tank comes with fittings for a remote filler, plus it's not pre drilled so you can kind of work it to fit your setup as long as there is space for the tank.

Anphear
Jan 20, 2008
The single track sampler guys van has a bed at a similar height as you except that it 'breaks' in half when he doesn't need it to open up more space on the floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5pZ5KzBBGM

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Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
I realised I don't have any photos of the bare ribs in the van so I've cobbled together what I can to show how it's done.

The basic idea is to have some 18x44mm timbers going from floor to where the fibreglass high top joins the metal body, which tongue and groove cladding will be screwed to, same repeated across the roof, then a frame across the back above the door and something a bit more improvisational to join the walls and ceiling together. The lining is all going to be 9mm tongue and groove cladding. Glad I chose these, they're cheap, super easy to work with and unlike ply don't require making super accurate long cuts across expensive boards. They seem to be really popular with #vanlife knobends and also travelling folk here in the UK because of their ease of use if you don't have a serious woodshop.

The insulation I'm using is made from recycled plastic bottles. Couple of big advantages to it:
  • Relatively inexpensive
  • Recycled
  • Totally non toxic to work with
  • Reasonable R value

No vapour barrier because honestly if 16 years of being a work van, including several as a constantly damp landscapers van, hasn't made it go rusty I don't think this will. And it's not like it's got another 10+ years of life left in it anyway, chances are - if it was a £20k van I'd consider it. Also it seems well effort.

My first idea was to do this, with the timbers running floor to ceiling, but it takes out a chunk of width plus the timber is under pretty serious stress.



So instead I cut them shorter, to the level of the high top, and cut shallow slots in them for flexibility. I ended up adding some standoffs in the middle of each rib to give them some more rigidity, but noth ends are screwed directly into the metal.







Made a frame to hide the void above the back door, which a couple of cladding boards will go over.



Then started chucking up some tongue and groove cladding boards to get a feel for the process.



Chucked up a wall and a half in a less than a day. Note also the ribs in the ceiling.



Half the ceiling went up yesterday as well. Pretty pleased with how it's worked with the rooflight frame, although still needs sanding and finishing,





Today's goal is to finish the ceiling and run the conduits for the downlights and the solar cables. I also need to remove half of that nice finished because I changed my mind about how exactly I want to attach the bed frame and need access to the vans structure.

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