Camper van shopping

[paddlenbike]

I've been wanting a small RV for a very long time and the addition of a kiddo has made me want one even more. I have owned one "RV" in my life--a Fourwheel Popup camper I had mounted on my 1994 Xtra Cab V6 truck. I didn't keep it long because storing it and taking it on and off the truck was a pain. I've been looking at small pull trailers for years now and while I found two trailers I could live with (the Winnebago Micro Minnie and the Forest River R-Pod), dealing with storing it offsite, being limited to 55 MPH while towing and the generally atrocious build quality of small trailers turned me off. I then became interested in Class B (van style) RVs for the simple fact that I could park one in my driveway and live/travel more spontaneously. YouTube and Instagram depict "van life" with lots of hot chicks doing yoga and hanging out wearing next to nothing, so there is that.

I have gone to dozens of RV shows in the past couple of years. I found one production RV that I liked--the Winnebago Travato based on the Ram Promaster chassis.
https://assets.lazydays.com/399220_Detail.jpg

It was one of the few Class B's that had seatbelted seating for more than 2 people, however even though I think the Travato checked most of my boxes, it, like all the other American RVs I've seen, they tried to cram too much stuff in too small of space. It was also expensive at $70k, but that's $30k less than the Mercedes Sprinter RVs on the market.

What I really WANT is a European RV. As an example, here is the Volkswagen California (which, ironically, you can't buy in California or anywhere else in the U.S.):
http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/1280x721+0+175/resize/800x450!/format/jpg/quality/85/http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/83ff7f757b3a9ae55fb49cd145ce7bd6/202127673/vw-california-t6.jpg
http://www.van-away.com/images/camper_van_california/11-VAN-AWAY_cuisine_campervan_volkswagen_california.jpg

They have seatbelted seating for four, the sliding bench seat makes a bed for two and there's sleeping for two more in the 'upstairs' tent. The one featured above also comes with a huge sausage. They have a refrigerator, sink, 2-3 burner stove, hot water shower off the back. Perfect for what I want. Of course they also have diesel engines and manual transmissions, but that's another story entirely. The closest thing you can buy here in the States was a VW Vanagon Westfalia, which they stopped making in 1991. Stop what you're doing and look online and see what those go for--a ratted-out 80s VW Westfalia will go for over $20k, often times closer to $30k.

I don't want to hang out in my RV, I want to be outside. But I want to do some long trips and have the ability to get inside when the weather turns, have a place to cook, sleep, and probably most importantly, a comfortable place to hang out and eat or play cards at a table if we get holed-up due to weather.

I realized the only way I was going to get my European RV was to build it myself. I was interested in purchasing a Ram Promaster and doing an RV build myself. After looking at them at the dealership and doing some reading online I quickly realized these Ram vans are built in typical Chrysler fashion--just totally slapped together. They saw Mercedes selling the heck out of their high roof Sprinter vans, so they built a van body, slapped the running gear from a Dodge Caravan under it, put this ridiculous low-hanging trailer axle at the rear and called it a day. I will bet anything that rear axle is also out of a PT Cruiser or something else, but I digress:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8USOjpe2qY/VF0am2DldbI/AAAAAAAAE3Q/Sf-BTKPwOpM/s1600/001-003.JPG

[paddlenbike]

That left me with one choice, or so I thought, the Ford Transit. It turns out that the high roof option isn't actually tall enough to stand up in, so you have to order the mega roof. When you order the mega roof you have to order the extended body. When you order the extended body, instead of adding wheelbase Ford just tacks a ridiculously long tail section onto the rear:
http://file.kbb.com/kbb/images/content/editorial/slideshow/2015-ford-transit-first-review/2015-ford-transit-11-600-001.jpg

Fugly. To avoid the Ford's dimensional problems I could have ordered a non-high roof non-extended van and added a Sportsmobile-style pop-up roof, until I found out those cost $7-8k.

I read online (do people read anywhere else?) that spec'ing a Promaster or a Transit with a diesel engine resulted in a price higher than a Mercedes Sprinter, it got me curious about those. I had assumed anything with a Mercedes badge would be way out of my price range. The build quality was much better than the Promaster and the proportions were better than the Transit. All Sprinters are diesel, with both a twin turbo 4 cylinder as well as an older single turbo V6 diesel available. I drove the 4 cylinder and came away impressed. Long story short, I got my local dealer to match a fleet price, then got to take advantage of the current $3,000 customer cash back, which resulted in a deal. Price-wise I ended up a couple of grand more than a bucket-of-bolts gas Promaster but less than a diesel Transit. I got a short wheelbase, high roof cargo van (which means it is BARE inside). Van goals:
https://instagram.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/14052731_1101414143261603_2013606133_n.jpg

Unfortunately, Sprinters are in very high demand and I won't even see mine until the end of the year. 4x4 Sprinters have a year-long waiting list.

My plan is to duplicate the floorplan of the VW California (Westfalia). The sliding seat will allow my daughter to ride directly behind me when traveling, the seat will slide further back and allow a table between it and the front swivel seats, then it will slide all the back to get out of the way when cooking or hosting a dance party ('cause everyone here knows I do those a lot.)
http://www.conceptmulti-car.co.uk/images/triostyle2.jpg

http://www.conceptmulti-car.co.uk/images/triostyle6.jpg

It's a long wait for the van and it will take me even longer to build this thing out, but it's a project I really look forward to starting. Had the VW California been available in the U.S., I would have been all over it. Until then, I'll just have to dream about van layouts, traveling, and meeting those hot #vanlife yoga girls I see all over Instagram and Youtube.

[Bob98SR5]

...I took nothing away from your detailed analysis except that you missed posting the Youtube mirror link to #hotmercedesjugaliciousvanlifegirls

[Robinhood4x4]

being limited to 55 MPH while towing

That is the nice thing about living in AZ. No special trailer speed limit. I do enjoy passing all the nancy's while doing 70 with my little popup.

[paddlenbike]

...I took nothing away from your detailed analysis except that you missed posting the Youtube mirror link to #hotmercedesjugaliciousvanlifegirls

IG won't let you down buddy.


That is the nice thing about living in AZ. No special trailer speed limit. I do enjoy passing all the nancy's while doing 70 with my little popup.

That's good. 55 seems so medieval.

My first challenge in this build is finding the best way to ship that sliding seat/bed from the UK.

[Seanz0rz]

I actually support the 55mph speed limit. I really don't want someone who has slept 2 hours in the last 4 days doing 75mph while hauling 80,000 pounds of questionable contents.

Can't wait to see your progress on it. As you have found, Euro and Aussy campers are so far ahead of US models it isn't funny.

[paddlenbike]

This is probably the coolest RV I've seen...4WD Toyota Coaster diesel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxagiMITOG4

[slomatt]

Congrats on the new van Ken. One of our neighbors has a lifted 4x4 Sprinter that I drool over when I drive by it every day on the way to work.

- Matt

[paddlenbike]

Congrats on the new van Ken. One of our neighbors has a lifted 4x4 Sprinter that I drool over when I drive by it every day on the way to work.

- Matt

The 4WD is a big upcharge at $6,800 and it also forces you into the old V6/5-speed combo. The tall height and limited articulation just don't bode well for offroading, so I skipped that option box and 98% of the time I think I will be happy with that decision. The other 2% of the time I'll probably be stuck on a muddy fireroad looking for your cel phone numbers.

The next gen Sprinter may offer the 4 cyl/7-speed drivetrain with the 4WD, which would be a nice combo. Hopefully they'll reduce the cost some too since the Sprinter will soon be built in South Carolina vs Germany.

[paddlenbike]

After a four month wait, this is waiting for pick-up today. (From the Mercedes-Benz Instagram page):

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/521/31103947504_550b3ca45f_b.jpg

Power tools come out Friday for the ultimate trial by fire--cutting a huge hole for an additional window.

[Seanz0rz]

Can't wait!

[paddlenbike]

And the cutting begins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8056kyfJeF0

[Seanz0rz]

Wooooooo! Congrats! That came out great!

[RobG]

Wow cutting something that new is pretty ballsy. Looks great and Video is great.

Looking forward to watching the progress as it fills with Yoga Girls.

[paddlenbike]

Wow cutting something that new is pretty ballsy. Looks great and Video is great.

I think my neighbors thought I had finally lost it.
That was my first video edit...iMovie makes it easy so maybe I'll do more videos when the saw comes out next. Thanks for the feedback.


Looking forward to watching the progress as it fills with Yoga Girls.

"Build it and they will come?" Hmm...I had better stop right there.

[Bob98SR5]

Nice Ken. Yes, can't wait to see the yoga girls!

[YotaFun]

That turned out awesome! This is going to be a sweet build!

[Robinhood4x4]

Good job with wearing safety glasses. Most people wouldn't.

[paddlenbike]

That turned out awesome! This is going to be a sweet build!

Thanks! The build will be at a geologic pace, but once I get the folding seat/bed in place we can at least start using it.


Good job with wearing safety glasses. Most people wouldn't.

I usually put the safety glasses on right after I get something in my eye.

The little powertrain in this thing is pretty sweet. It is not quick, but you can feel it has a lot of torque and it has 7 gears to keep the RPMs where they need to be. Dash display is showing 24.7 MPG in mixed driving. About the time the engine is broken in and MPG goes up, I'll be adding bigger tires (265/75R16s) and probably around 2,000 lbs of weight.

[paddlenbike]

Here's the next video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl1T3RLNz7o

It's getting a true leak test right now...it has been dumping rain for two days straight here in Northern CA.

[Seanz0rz]

Looks great! I might have to get one of those for my trailer project!

[paddlenbike]

Looks great! I might have to get one of those for my trailer project!

I recommend this fan over the more popular "Fantastic Fan." Because the aperture is always covered you can use it when it's raining and if you're parked under a tree it won't just fill the screen with debris. You can also have it open while driving.

In combination with the screened t-vent window I installed last week, I'll be able to crack that open and run the fan in either forward or reverse to get ventilation, without sucking in bugs.

I have some left over butyl tape I can mail you when you're ready.

[paddlenbike]

I haven't updated this page in a while but thought some of the metal work might be of interest to some of you.

So far on the van I have installed:
-Awning-style window on driver's side
-Maxxair fan in roof
-Installed a thermostatic Espar diesel heater under the passenger's seat
-Partially insulated and sound-deadened (need to do electrical wiring before I complete this)
-Plasti-dipped wheels (critical part of any van build)
-Stripped van floor and interior panels for seat-prep

I only have 7 hours a week to work on this, so progress is slow, but I'm okay with that. I figured I would spend a year on the build and it is now in usable form since it has seating, climate control and a bed. The seat install was very involved and took four 7 hour days to complete.

The seat is mounted in 8-foot rails--here is the mock-up still sitting on the stock wood floor:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2891/33456281300_520118deb6_b.jpg

...which must be supported underneath so the bolts are mounted to more than just van sheet metal. One of my good friends has done a lot of welding and offered welding services. This is what we came up with--a 3/16" steel strap that incorporates the vehicle crossmembers and provides the 7 seat rail bolts with a secure mount.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2946/33840648875_2a3e0f3f6b_b.jpg

The straps continue nearly to the rear of the van: (prior to painting and torquing down):
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3703/33456293160_781de23ac0_b.jpg

One of the rails passed over the fuel tank, which sits very close to the bottom of the body with no room for bolt/nut combination. We laser cut some strap to sit up in the corrugation of the floor, drilled two holes and welded blindnuts into the hole to keep clearances tight. The forward strap has a bolt head that protrudes into a place where the tank has a recess to accommodate it.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2908/33799907676_be93ef9b4d_b.jpg

The straps have a tab welded to the end to incorporate a thickened part of the vehicle frame.

Dropping the fuel tank is the easiest thing in the world. All of the food packaging I have encountered that says "easy open package" is always anything-but, however these Mercedes fuel line quick connectors really are quick. (Blue and black tabs in the pics.)
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2847/33711445481_b32a8e669a_b.jpg

All of that work just to accommodate these:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3942/33711453701_2a41249c61_b.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2914/32999502154_84e0208d65_b.jpg

This project is the foundation of my entire build, as having safe seating for my daughter was my highest priority. The seat has three panels that fold perfectly flat into a bed 6'1" long x 44" wide and slides 8-feet forward-to-back to allow passengers to ride near the front of the van (where the windows are), yet will slide back out of the way to allow access to the kitchen that will sit adjacent to this seat (and behind the driver's seat). Next up is flooring, followed by electrical (batteries, inverter/charger, solar). Hopefully I'll have the next update for you prior to 2025.

[slomatt]

I've been following your progress on YouTube Ken, great work!

[slimscherer]

Looking great, Ken!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Seanz0rz]

Looking great! I am really enjoying the youTube videos

[paddlenbike]

Looking great! I am really enjoying the youTube videos

Thanks guys! Up next, flooring followed by electrical (batteries, inverter, etc.) Lots of new trades I haven't dabbled in, yet.

[slimscherer]

Thanks guys! Up next, flooring followed by electrical (batteries, inverter, etc.) Lots of new trades I haven't dabbled in, yet.

Great! I need to look into the same. This will be perfect...I'll let you figure it out, and then I'll show up on your doorstep with a few beers and lend a hand if you dare.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[paddlenbike]

Great! I need to look into the same. This will be perfect...I'll let you figure it out, and then I'll show up on your doorstep with a few beers and lend a hand if you dare.


Adam, I think you need a Sprinter!

[slimscherer]

Adam, I think you need a Sprinter!

You should know I'm more of a Marathon kinda guy :) Honestly, I wish it was in my budget!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[paddlenbike]

Time for a van update. One thing after another has gotten in the way of any real progress, so I buckled down this holiday weekend and worked on the van every chance I had, which basically means "every time my 2.5 year old was napping."

Previously completed items:
-Awning-style window on driver's side DONE
-Maxxair fan in roof DONE
-Installed a thermostatic Espar diesel heater under the passenger's seat DONE
-Plasti-dipped wheels (critical part of any van build) DONE
-Sliding seat rails installed with custom under-floor supports DONE

With the 8' seat rails installed I needed to bring the floor level up to 1.07" to match the height of the seat rails. I needed a combination of materials to match that height that provided insulation and sound-deadening without being too heavy. I began by filling the low points of the corrugated floor with 3/8" closed cell foam. That leveled the floor surface.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2891/34002108820_a48dc97d9f_b.jpg
(Ignore the full-width closed cell foam, that goes in later.)

Over that I used a mix of 1/2" baltic birch battons and 1/2" polyisocanurate. Had I used all plywood I would have ended up with 1/2" plus the 5/16" factory floor, adding a lot of weight. So the battons provide strength and the polyiso provides insulation and helps bring the floor up to the level I need.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2850/34256391341_f7600920f8_b.jpg
The blue conduit will route wiring under the floor.

Over that is 1/4" closed cell foam. Instead of throwing away the really nice 9mm 6-ply Delignit factory floor, I incorporated it into the floor sandwich and it sits on the 1/4" closed cell foam. On top of that is a vinyl floor that is floating--there will be enough cabinetry sitting on top that gluing is not necessary.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4163/33927213063_18ce9f3d65_b.jpg

Finally, I trimmed-out the edges with 2" x 2" aluminum.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4290/35368545996_9b797db476_b.jpg
I would have liked to use stair nosing here but it seems all stair nosings are 1-1/8" high, which wasn't enough to cover the ugly bits that needed to be covered. In the end I really like the look of the aluminum and it matches the aluminum seat rail covers nicely. Now I've decided to go with aluminum as a theme of the build, so there will be quite a bit of raw aluminum incorporated in the interior. I am building my cabinets with extruded aluminum, but more on that later.

With the floor done it's time to start working on electrical. First thing I learned is modern electrical systems are finicky. My experience with our 2012 Acura and 2013 Leaf is that many modern vehicles no longer use discrete relays to control high amp loads, they now incorporate solid state relays into the main ECU. All circuits are designed for very specific loads and not only is it nearly impossible to tap into these systems for adding things like lighting, when you do it's common to burn up circuit boards because you are pushing circuit board traces beyond the loads they were meant to carry. I've read about plenty of 5th gen 4Runners with burned-up body ECUs just from adding lighting and plenty of random CEL or error lights on the dashboards when your LED lightbar is tied to a chassis ground and your body ECU sees loads it doesn't expect. Anyone working on a modern vehicle needs to learn to wire in a completely new way, which means NO CHASSIS GROUNDS--all loads must have a second return wire to a common ground. In other words, you must wire it like a boat.

The advantage is you can test your electrical mods before it ever touches the vehicle. Much to my daughter's dismay, her wagon becomes the test rig for the LiFePO4 battery and associated charging infrastructure.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4203/35196847801_f728457e0f_b.jpg

It may look like a bomb, but it's not. At least I hope it's not. What you see is a 300 watt single LG solar panel, a solar charge controller, circuit breaker, a contactor that opens if the solar charge controller faults and is headed towards overcharging the battery, and a mess of video cable for the monitor that tells me all the stats I need to know. Here's the thing with LiFePO4--it's not the technology in exploding hoverboards and 777s, this is a very robust lithium chemistry. You can put it in a dead short and worst case it will vent the battery. I wouldn't want to be around if that happened. This battery weighs 54 pounds and has 160 useable amp hours (200aH nominal), as you can use 80% of the capacity of a lithium battery. With lead acid and AGM you shouldn't go below 50% state of charge, and if you do you shortening it's life. It would take 197 pounds of battery taking up 3.5X the floor space to equal the power of this battery. It is also sealed and won't offgas like AGM under charging, which is safe to have inside the van.

[paddlenbike]

The LCD gives me all the geeky details including battery voltage, state of charge, individual cell voltages and temperature and it uses a shunt to constantly measure what is being taken from the battery and/or what is going into the battery via solar, so I can balance my electrical use.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4267/35412961325_006f084e1e_b.jpg

I can also check up on things with a smartphone app.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4208/35004669270_b004dbd825_b.jpg

At the time the screenshot was taken my 300W panel was putting out the equivalent of 240W of power at 16.3 amps. It also reports back battery voltage. If you really want to geek out it will tell you the battery starting and ending voltage and total solar intake each day for the past 30 days. You know, all the stuff the ladies in your life are dying to hear about.

Panel on roof. It took a buddy's scaffolding to safely get it up there. The cross bars are 80/20 extruded aluminum, do I get to talk about that yet?
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4241/35569137312_0bdbe92596_b.jpg

What I like most is the stealth factor--this picture was taken from a raised deck and you barely even notice it's up there.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4287/35352698790_ae396dcb1a_b.jpg

And now for the part I've been wanting to share with you guys--extruded aluminum. Anyone following the van build world knows that 80/20 extruded aluminum is all the rage. It's super strong, light and easy to work with. I have 80 pounds worth of battery, inverter, chargers, etc in a box in the rear of the van that I don't want hitting me should something horrific happen on the highway. Good luck making a compact, strong and light box to serve that purpose using wood. So here's the start of my electronics closet.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4278/35740616165_ddba863c76_b.jpg

I cut it in my Craftman miter saw using an 80-tooth non ferrous blade, cuts like butter. It's super easy to change your design and move pieces up or down or side-to-side, something you can't do when constructing with wood. The downside is it ain't cheap and the connectors are an absolute rip-off, so I made my own using 3/16" angle and 1/4-20 carriage bolts. Not my idea, some champs on the sprinter forums pioneered it.

All of my cabinetry will be framed with 80/20. It would be perfect for a raised bed platform in a 4Runner, for a drawer box in a pickup or as a super adaptable garage organizer in lieu of the Gladiator-type products. Where has 80/20 been my entire life?

Next up...more holes in the van--need to get the solar wiring inside, need to wire 120v outlets, DC distribution blocks, etc. Then I can finally insulate the walls. Then I can build my cabinets, and then finally cover up those godforsaken metal cargo van walls. I have people walking up to the van everywhere I go expecting some kind of marvelous interior and their reaction when they see inside is always the same...."ooooh." In other words, I've been camping in a FedEx truck.

[4x4mike]

While you're in the pseudo out of doors surrounded by forced air, insulation and AC power don't forget about the campfire.

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/article/only-you-can-help-save-the-campfire

[paddlenbike]

While you're in the pseudo out of doors surrounded by forced air, insulation and AC power don't forget about the campfire.

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/article/only-you-can-help-save-the-campfire

Yup, the whole point of the van is to travel further and longer than before. The van will be great for that but the 4Runner and tent (and fire) will not be forgotten.

[Robinhood4x4]

Very nice Ken. So at the current pace, when do you think you'll be done?

[Bob98SR5]

The LCD gives me all the geeky details including battery voltage, state of charge, individual cell voltages and temperature and it uses a shunt to constantly measure what is being taken from the battery and/or what is going into the battery via solar, so I can balance my electrical use.

....

I can also check up on things with a smartphone app.


Ken,

You make Team Japan from Cannonball Run proud.
https://image.middle-edge.jp/medium/fcafb8ff-a3ee-45ac-aeca-276e465ecfc8.jpg?1469442949



And now for the part I've been wanting to share with you guys--extruded aluminum.

Time to build a cargo box if this stuff is easy to work with!

- Bob

[paddlenbike]

Very nice Ken. So at the current pace, when do you think you'll be done?


Very nice Ken. So at the current pace, when do you think you'll be done?

Done? I think probably never; I can see myself constantly tinkering with it.

I am trying not to put pressure on myself with timelines as I want to continue to enjoy the process of building it. We are using it now and even in carcass form it's a game-changer for travel. Just the simple vent fan overhead makes sleeping more comfortable than being in a stagnant tent. That said, I still love sleeping in a tent. But to answer your question I think it should be mostly done by early next year, which would mean about a one-year build time, working on it 6.5 hours per week plus maybe an hour or two here and there. That's all the time I have with a little one at home.


Time to build a cargo box if this stuff is easy to work with!

Bob, I highly recommend 80/20. It's easy to work with and you can make changes to your design with ease.

[YotaFun]

Great work Ken!
This is an awesome build, looking forward to seeing what other fun gadgets you incorporate into the build!

The extruded-aluminum is a great idea, and Bob just got my brain working with the cargo box idea.
Do you have a local source for the materials, or did you find most of what you needed online?
I've only done a quick google search and there seems to be a good number of online sources it seems, but I am more of a tangible guy and like to look at the materials in hand and try to lay out my idea right there in the store... (I don't think Home Depot and Lowes were happy with me when I started using their isle with galvanized pipe as a mock wall of my house...)

[paddlenbike]

Great work Ken!
This is an awesome build, looking forward to seeing what other fun gadgets you incorporate into the build!

The extruded-aluminum is a great idea, and Bob just got my brain working with the cargo box idea.
Do you have a local source for the materials, or did you find most of what you needed online?
I've only done a quick google search and there seems to be a good number of online sources it seems, but I am more of a tangible guy and like to look at the materials in hand and try to lay out my idea right there in the store... (I don't think Home Depot and Lowes were happy with me when I started using their isle with galvanized pipe as a mock wall of my house...)

I got a good laugh out of the mock-wall comment. The two manufacturers of the stuff that I am aware of are 80/20 (the original) www.8020.net and Futura Industries T-Slots www.tslots.com. In my area the closest is Bay Area, and not wanting to drive there I ordered locally from Fastenal. It's more expensive through them but my original order was small volume so it was cheaper to order from them than paying shipping from the other companies. For larger orders I will probably drive to the Bay and perhaps harass Bob while I'm down there. Afterall, I have a FedEx truck so I may as well use it, as it easily swallows the 12-foot sticks.

BTW, 80/20 main location is Indiana.

[YotaFun]

I am a visual person, and am horrible at math and factions, so it is always best for me to actually lay it out before I build it.
This is a blessing and curse since I can imagine so many cool projects in my head but the actual scale of it could be way off...

Thank you for the info!
The www.8020.net was the first to pop up in my google search, but I haven't gotten a chance to explore the site much further from my phone. I will have to check out my local Fastenal, they are not as easy to work with out here as I remember they were out west.

So with the box complete, what are your thoughts on materials to close it all in?

[Robinhood4x4]

Mcmaster and Grainger also have the stuff, but I have no idea if the cost is competitive. If you've got a grainger store nearby, you can pick up from them so there's no shipping costs.

[Seanz0rz]

eBay is also a decent source, especially if you can live with shorter lengths.

I hear the killer for this stuff is the brackets and hardware. If you are able to make your own, that would save considerable cost.

[04 Rocko Taco]

I like the 80/20... makes me think about some mods to the LX... I probably won't... but it makes me think about it.

[Bob98SR5]

In my area the closest is Bay Area, and not wanting to drive there I ordered locally from Fastenal. It's more expensive through them but my original order was small volume so it was cheaper to order from them than paying shipping from the other companies. For larger orders I will probably drive to the Bay and perhaps harass Bob while I'm down there.

Kenny G,

Welcome anytime! Where's the store location?

Bob

[paddlenbike]

Kenny G,

Welcome anytime! Where's the store location?

Bob

80/20 itself is back east but their competitor T-Slots has distributors in San Jose and Milpitas.

Speaking of camper vans, I just returned from my first two week trip. Van worked great.

My sister's new 100-series:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4337/36383974406_2c8f0f5e9d_b.jpg

A 10/10 boondocking site:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4412/36381871136_12656347b5_b.jpg

Crater Lake with no people? For a while I thought they closed the park and forgot to tell me.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4365/36030569200_7e3abedbab_h.jpg

Reasonably scenic ocean
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4434/36381869326_f3d1a82c3a_b.jpg

Reasonably scenic waterfall
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4336/36427126405_8f78894c9e_b.jpg

Big trees
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4429/36381878786_ec3f4d3d71_h.jpg

Seeing this for years on IG, finally got to see this slab of rock in person.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4380/36381876906_c5486e87cd_b.jpg

Liquid hot magma (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MYAFfeNO00)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4378/36427119665_b276b26441_b.jpg

One of many campgrounds
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4364/35619577163_110b038cf8_b.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4380/35619580323_86f5bcbb14_b.jpg

Thanks to Mike for helping plan this trip. Now who wants to come along next year?

[Seanz0rz]

I'm down! Great pics!

[paddlenbike]

Here's a little more 80/20 work. Did I mention I love this stuff? It fixes all of the deficiencies I have working with wood. It doesn't warp, split, tear-away when cutting, connections are 90-degrees every time. Granted, not everyone is as terrible working with wood as I am. It is stout A.H. For my battery box I used standard 1" material. This stuff is 1.5" and is the "Lite Smooth" profile, which means you can order it with 4, 3, 2 or 1 slot. That allows you to make a more aesthetically-pleasing face without the grooves.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4458/23944294318_9e84a00280_b.jpg

Since that photo was taken the drawer slides and a couple of drawer boxes installed. Drawer slides are on the top-ten list of DIY RV conversion nightmares. I experienced no such thing. In a wood cabinet if you're off by 1-2 mm (not hard to do) and your drawer slides aren't perfectly parallel, you can't just move the drawer slides that little bit because your screws will fall back into their original holes. With 80/20 you just loosen the fasteners and give it a slide budge. Done. I am camping the next couple of weekends, but after that the bare walls are finally going to start getting covered up.

This stuff would be perfect for a raised bed platform/storage drawer setup in a 4Runner/LC, etc.

[Seanz0rz]

I have half a design for an 80/20 platform for the LX.

Looking great! Love the YouTube videos!

[paddlenbike]

This stuff would be perfect for a raised bed platform/storage drawer setup in a 4Runner/LC and LEXUS vehicles, etc.

Fixed.