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PLAN B : THE VAN BUILD

Started by VanGuy Steve, July 12, 2017, 04:39:15 AM

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sparkyboy

Very cool van, man! I love the van life as well
Van people seem to be the coolest around, I recently met a really cool (and hot) van dweller chick with a high roof dodge and a huge great Pyrenees puppy :-)
I personally have a 1977 g10 and a purebred German shepherd and am loving not paying rent and all that nonsense
Cheers man!

VanGuy Steve

43 days and this is Plan B ready to go. Mostly done for free with stuff i had and stuff my brother gave me . Under $2,000 bucks in this build including purchase price of the van,new alternator and battery.




The shelf is not at an angle. Was just the camera angle.

Greenhill

#17
Quote from: Campeer_Dan on September 12, 2017, 10:09:55 PM
Looking GREAT Steve!  I love the as opposed to opening ones, sure helps with interior space.

Looks good Steve!

Camper_Dan

#18
Looking GREAT Steve!  I love sliding doors as opposed to opening ones, sure helps with interior space.
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

Shawbags

Looks a cracking van especially for the money , I've always wanted an American day van but with the uk fuel prices it just wasn't practical, love your conversion, good luck with your travels , shawbags
Live life to the full
😉 Travel in a van 😜

VanGuy Steve

Well the inside is closer to being done. Had her out boondocking a few times. Buddy The Adventure Dog approves.


Found me a new set of wheels too. No more black steel rims for this baby. Now sitting pretty on 15x10's
They are offset different and let the tires rub  now and then. Fixing that now.


Just finished up the rear lift install. Has this temporary new stance lol. Should get the front done in a day or two. Weather and back permitting.

Camper_Dan

Looking pretty good, and Buddy certainly seems to approve!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

VanGuy Steve

Yanked the running boards off yesterday. Like it much better without them. Ran dual exhaust today.

VanGuy Steve

#23
Couldn't sleep last night. Put this together. CRANK IT UP!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE5L7EhpD04&index=11&list=PLT3GoiKUn6Kt8p9QlBcYWdQ8T9sL9BdTd

Camper_Dan

Greetings Steve!

That metallica video gave me a headache!  That flashing, swirling stuff is TERRIBLE!  The still shots were flashed up and gone way to quickly.  The shot going into the van through the side door was too quick too, need to slow down so we can enjoy the interior view and soak it in...

Most of the actual video I really enjoyed though!

I don't mean to be overly critical, or discourage you, just trying to offer some constructive criticism to help you make your video's even better.

Cheers!

Dan
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!


peeela

Quote from: Camper_Dan on July 13, 2017, 05:35:09 AM
Every experienced full timer I have ever met has always said to never put any holes in your roof.  After fighting my roof vents in previous vans I have to agree.  I got my bed drenched once when the rain sensor failed, and again when the wind ripped off my closed roof vent lid.  My floor was soggy for months when a front vent decided to start leaking, only 2 weeks after it was professionally installed.  Took until summer to get it dried out.


As a way of balancing up the gloomy voice in this forum, a survey of 13 full time van life builders I conducted, showed that after two years, none at any leaks in their van at all. 100% leak free!

Of those 13, 2 had leaks after initial install, but before insulation. After adding more sealant, no worries.

100% of the 13 most notable YouTube published video bloggers have no leaks in their roof vents.

What were their top tips?
- Prepare the surface with a rubbing alcohol
- Use lot's of sealant tape
- Use a bit more silicon to cover all screw heads, mounts etc.
- Test the seal a couple of days after install with a hose. Try to make it leak.
- If there are any leaks, identify them then, add more sealant.

These are the vanlife builders I surveyed. All have a specific video dealing with their van build, and most have a specific video about roof van installation.

David Sandel
The Restoration Couple
Van Derlust
Brett Currie
The Restoration Couple
Will Burston
Kenetube
Aves Sin Rumbo
Tyler Finlay
Leftcoast
KiteVanMan
Vince Amendola
The  Bradfords

Enjoy your new roof fan vent!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Camper_Dan

#27
Unfortunately you're asking the wrong people...  2 years is a very short time, and the people promoting van life are totally the wrong people to ask. 

The people you need to be asking are the campers who have years of experience, and nothing to lose by telling people the truth.  A very large portion of these people don't have computers and aren't on the internet.  Most of them don't even have cell phones.  They work for a living and camp out mostly  in the cities where their jobs are, escaping maybe on the weekends, or during their vacations.  They do show up at campouts in their areas if they know about them.  Most of these urban campers have been doing it for 10+ years.  99% of these people do it out of necessity, not totally by choice, but the bottom line is they won't pull any punches in telling it the way it really is.

With all the years I've been doing this, I've run into hundreds of these folks, and one of the biggest topics at any of the campouts, even at places like Escapees get togethers, is how to stop roof vent leaks, or any roof leaks for that matter.

One of the most common sayings in the camping world is: "There's 2 kinds of campers, those that leak, and those that will leak."  These things have been determined by thousands of campers, not just a handful. 

The other day, it was very refreshing to find an honest seller of a roadtrek, when accompanying an aquaintance to go buy one.  When asked if it leaked, the seller responded "Only when  it rains...".  When the buyer asked "Have you tried to have it sealed?", the seller responded "Dozens of times, and it'll be good for a while, but she'll leak, and always at the worst times.  There's a tarp under the bed to throw over it real quick when that happens, that's the best and quickest thing you can do.  It's normal, and you'll get used to it...". 

These promoters are looking to make a profit, they aren't looking for the truth, or interested in spreading the truth.  The truth comes from the people who have nothing to lose by telling the truth.  I work full time, and nobody pays me a dime to promote anything.  If roof vents or holes in your roof were truly a good thing, I'd be the first to sing their praises.  In the meantime, the truth is more important than the hype.

Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

peeela

#28
Interesting Camper Bob.

Camper_Dan

#29
I'm not Bob, I'm Dan, but I think I've heard of Camper Bob but can't quite recall where from.  Doesn't really matter a lot, most of the people who've been doing this for years probably all sound alike.  The school of hard knocks and all...

Go to some of the gatherings, all the long timers sound very similar.  Many of us have made the same mistakes, and figured out the best solutions.  By about 10 years in you have most things figured out pretty well.

Is Camper Bob on here, or another forum, or ? ? ?
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!