Vandwellers Forum

[will_mcfarland]

This seemed like the best topic to post under since my work so far has been carpentry.

I will go ahead and repost my link from my original one in the introductions forum.

I have spent countless hours in the past 2 months doing what little work I could after work in the sub freezing temps. It has been hard and I am sick of making cardboard templates and cutting wood. At this point, I don't care if I ever cut another piece of wood again!

Ok, I'll shut up, here are the links. They are public facebook albums. I don't have time to create a blog so I am documenting my progress via facebook albums. Feel free to share the links, and make comments or ask questions in this thread.

1. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2196172&id=26520245&l=3b24015e66

2. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2200033&id=26520245&l=23fe83a950

3. the newest update http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2207679&id=26520245&l=c7bb3eaa8e
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I am building a 2004 E-250 Super Duty into an RV for traveling to rock climbing destinations with my wife, myself, and 2 or 3 or 4 dogs.

[caper58]

you might want to check this out on fiberglass insulation.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4487562_lay-fiberglass.html
where they talk about how fiberglass loses its effectiveness when compressed.
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1996 Ford E150 Hi-top
1990 C6500 converted Snap-on truck
2003 Honda VTX 1800C motorcycle

"I'm pretty sure it can be done,
but has anybody figured out how to do it?"

Conversion pictures at: http://www.travelingdowntheroad.com

[will_mcfarland]

though it may not look like it, the insulation is only about 30% compressed. there is 5 inches of space behind the walls because of how the walls are made. It will suffice for a van. I've already used my heater on the low setting when it was 5 degrees outside and it will keep it around 65 in there without a divider for the front or covers on the windows, both of which I will have when it is complete. No joke, I was surprised. This was a good winter to test it because I don't remember it being less than 13-14 degrees in the last 10 years down here.
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I am building a 2004 E-250 Super Duty into an RV for traveling to rock climbing destinations with my wife, myself, and 2 or 3 or 4 dogs.

[gungfusteve]

i can't see the pictures because i am at work and facebook is filtered...and i can't see them at home because my ip address is blocked on this forum because someone from my isp is a spammer. i hope ipv6 allows everyone a unique ip addresses sometime in the future.

anyway, cardboard templates? good idea!! i have been researching vans and on saturday i will be test driving one from a guy craigslist...i'm excited! what kind of van are you starting with? 13-14 degree averages? sounds nice.

[will_mcfarland]

[will_mcfarland]

I have a few more updates to my van. I put in a better tile over the existing tile, installed a shore power plug through the side, and build the bed frame.

Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2212961&id=26520245&l=1170477fcd
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I am building a 2004 E-250 Super Duty into an RV for traveling to rock climbing destinations with my wife, myself, and 2 or 3 or 4 dogs.

[will_mcfarland]

I've updated this album since the post directly preceding this one. The new ones start at the picture of the battery box being built. Included are pics of my electrical system, which is working perfectly so far. I actually meant to order my inverter with the battery charger inside it, but I ordered the wrong one off of ebay, so I ended up buying an Iota IQ4 30 amp charger. I'm glad I made the mistake now, because the IQ4 processor has one of the best charging programs available, better than in the xantrex inverter I meant to buy. Plus, functionality is still the same, shore power plugged into the side charges the batteries and the inverter switches the outlets to shore a/c automatically (internal transfer switch)

I'm currently working on my cabinet with the sink, water, and tank in it. After I get done with that, hopefully by the end of this week, I start working on finishing out the front of the bed with painted wood and cut my mattress down to size. Aside from a few smaller things like window tint and fog lights, etc. I will be done with my conversion. I have been working on it since early November, it has been a lot of hard work! I didn't realize going into it that 85% of my time would be spent engineering how to do everything, I have to design and redesign constantly.

I hope to post my albums somewhere other than facebook soon because I know some people can't access them (it is a public album though)

No one has been commenting or asking questions, but I'd love to answer questions and see what people think about it, good or bad.

here is the link to the updated album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2212961&id=26520245&l=1170477fcd
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I am building a 2004 E-250 Super Duty into an RV for traveling to rock climbing destinations with my wife, myself, and 2 or 3 or 4 dogs.

[blkjak]

hi - nice peogress and nice pics.

i know that there are free image hosting sites but i choose to pay for one.
i pay $20 per year for a user friendly site and like it alot.

blkjak

http://www.picturetrail.com/
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2005 ford e-250 extended crew cargo van; stealth sleeper conversion, full time soon...

[surfcam]

Alot of time your IP provider will allow you a free web site with some many mega bits of space. It's enough to host quite a few pictures. They don't usually advertise this so you have to ask. I know my provider does and even supplies a phone number to use dial up if your really stuck. I'm using Telus. The best advertising and poor service at times. But the last 2 years have been good.
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4BTA 3.9 Cummins Stepvan
86 GTI gas
86TD Golf
91TD Jetta
http://www.antiquedollhouseofpatterns.com/

[will_mcfarland]

recent update, go a lot done last weekend. Just have to get window tint and re-install the front/rear divider.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2218404&id=26520245&l=8bdcd41e25


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I am building a 2004 E-250 Super Duty into an RV for traveling to rock climbing destinations with my wife, myself, and 2 or 3 or 4 dogs.

[PYSCHOWard]

Nice work, unfortunately time consuming.
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I Didnot Escape, I'm on a Weekend Pass.
If the house is a Rockin,Don't Bother Knockin, Just come on in (SRV)

97 Dodge 2500 Shorty
The Rock N Roll Train
1100 Honda Shadow

[will_mcfarland]

I camped in my van for the first time after the improvements, and it was a nice experience. We watched a movie on our laptop while laying in bed, then went to sleep. The bed was more comfortable than our bed at home and I didn't even wake up until the sun was up. It was nice to actually be able to make coffee in the morning with a real coffee maker instead of a french press like we used to use in our Ford Ranger (I don't like the taste of french press coffee).

The following is informational only, maybe someone who's designing their electrical system can pull something helpful from it:

On the way home, I wanted to test my alternator's ability and have a snack at the same time, so we popped some popcorn while going down the road. The batteries were at 12.6 volts (disconnected from alternator), when we turned the microwave on and with the alternator connected while driving around 35 mph for 5 minutes, they were still at 12.6 volts disconnected. It seems my alternator can, at least for 5 minutes in 80 degree weather, handle the 90 amps the inverter pulls while running the microwave, without burning itself up. The van's a/c and headlights were also on the whole time.

I didn't know what to expect out of the stock alternator because I've never done anything like this before. I also didn't know what to expect out of the batteries' capacities. We ran several inefficient lights and a laptop for around 3 hours (with aux. speakers), and we ran a decent sized 12 volt fan for about 6 hours and the batteries were still at 12.6 ~ 95+% charged the next morning. Also in the morning, I made coffee with the coffee maker, which pull around 68 amps from the batteries. It was on for about 12 minutes and afterward the batteries were still at 12.5 volts, though at first they were at 12.4, they went back up to 12.5 after 30 minutes at rest (my inverter usually shows the battery voltage a little less than it actually is due to the voltage drop in the phone line that connects the remote faceplace).

I connected the batt. bank to the alternator when we left our camp area and we drove 10 mins. down the road and parked. 6 hours later I checked the voltage they were at 12.7 volts resting voltage, so 10 mins of driving charged my batt. bank from 12.5 (90% charged) to 12.7 (100% charged) in 10 mins. Just a note, I have a stock 130 amp alternator with a smart relay and a 00 (2/0) guage wire running from my alternator aux. port (Ford factory option) to my rear batteries. There is a battery disconnect switch and I only connect the battery bank to the alternator if they are discharged. I'm also careful not to overcharge them, the alt puts out 14.2 volts. I also have a resettable 100 amp DC breaker in the same line so hopefully I won't exceed my alternator's capacity.

I just wanted to post this because information on real-world use is what I was wanting to read when I began my van project. I understood how to calculate what would work battery and inverter wise, but you really can't be certain until you install everything and actually begin using it, because everyone's usage rate and equipment is different.

EDIT: Forgot to add that the only complaint I have is how hot it gets in the van. It was a cool night but it took a while to cool off in the van even with the back doors and front and side windows cracked. The insulation and the 5% window tint I just got kept it from getting really hot during the 80 degree day, but the heat that was present was held in there at night. My next expenditure will be a roof vent/fan for sure.
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I am building a 2004 E-250 Super Duty into an RV for traveling to rock climbing destinations with my wife, myself, and 2 or 3 or 4 dogs.

[Sandy St. Louis]

A very Fine looking build ,thanks for the additional info it's sure a help to me . Looking forward to the next step ventilation or air conditioning? Best of travels Sandy
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If you can make it or create it in any self made form I am for it.

[PYSCHOWard]

Congrats on your 1st successful stay at the Econo Hotel, its Great when all the Hard work finally pays rewards. I think its a Long time Learning Process, but we all have alot of Fun along the way. Its good to have some kind of an idea of results from this or that, but you're right everyones needs and use's may differ, but still nice to have input on Real world use, thats the Beauty of this Group, thanks Will.
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I Didnot Escape, I'm on a Weekend Pass.
If the house is a Rockin,Don't Bother Knockin, Just come on in (SRV)

97 Dodge 2500 Shorty
The Rock N Roll Train
1100 Honda Shadow

[vanwrinkle]

Wow! I'm impressed with the talent you folk's possess! Very nice work - or pleasure
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Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive.