VanDweller's stepvan conversion part 3

PART 3

INTERIOR

PICS ARE BEING ADDED WITH EVERY UPDATE
(And as I have time I'm filling in the words...)

Interior - first layer:
I suggest if you won't be driving it during conversion, you get it on level ground, up on jacks, level side to side and front to rear. Ideally it's a heavy duty vehicle and rides high in the back on a strong rear suspension ready for a load to start with. With the house built into it, 2 people and gear and full tanks, it'll ride closer level. A little higher in the back is ok, but level is the way. Now when you go to build the house part, you can level it as you go and it'll all be level. In my case, I drive this to see how it's coming in terms of running tweaks and reduced road noise and de-rattling, plus to put as many miles on it as possible before its maiden voyage. I want to know the machine, understand how it speaks to me, differentiate trouble noises & vibrations from happy noises & vibrations, know how it likes to be driven in any situation, what it can & cannot do performance-wise and handling-wise in case of situations where I need all of it, how to drive the best gas mileage out of it, see how the suspension is handling the increasing weight as I build in the inside. So mine's not on jacks, I'm measuring everything as I go. MUCH easier in a square-walled vehicle to begin with though, I'll tell you!

	Relocated drivers seat
	Passenger seat holes Before I covered the floor, I figured where I wanted the co-pilot seat. Holes were marked, tiny pilot holes drilled to make sure I'm not going to drill out anything underneath... then the biggies. With the flooring on, I'll drill out the two I can get at with the drill from underneath, use the seat base to mark the others, drill those from the top, and in we go. I did this with the plywood and then the actual flooring.
	Floor Underneath examine where your brake & fuel lines and any chassis wiring is - we screw stuff through the floor now! Here's the plywood down on the floor. I like to lay the first piece whole whenever possible & fill in around it. The middle towards the cab on this layout is the walking area so that gets the whole piece. I'm using 5/8.
	Why is this space here?! Good grief.
	Walls Reused the surprisingly clean insulation, doubled up, into the new ceiling and refit the panels. This required two extra hands, thanks Jake! I used leftovers from a current homestead project for the rest needed. This will be sealed up well. Plastic sheathed fiberglass insulation was used for the walls. I was going to use the more eco-friendly shredded blue jean insulation but the only place in the area that had it was out. That stuff's quite expensive too, but I'd have used it.

	Bed


	Partition
	Walls

	Wheel well boxing & under-bed partition 1x2s, 3 frames built for each and then "liquid nails", small brad nails, and green decking screws get it together & installed.
	Plan your work & work your plan.


	Counter framing I like things to float (be mounted with no walls) until I figure out what's going where & get all the piping & pieces where they need to go. So the counter framing starts with a 2x4 perimeter. Overkill, but there's plenty of room for screwing the counter down (as opposed to 1x pieces), everything snugs together nicely, and only 1 supporting leg or wall will be needed. Here it is leveled & braced so I can start fitting things in around it.
	Skipping ahead a bit, here's a comparison shot from later in the build. I used fairly thick T111 on the walls because a bunch of stuff will be getting screwed into the sheathing and you can't do that with thin stuff and expect it to hold whatever it is you're screwing in.
	View through back doors of bed framing and divided under bed storage.
	Rear roof framing & insulation, vent.
	The rear wall is addressed on the "Back door area" page linked at the bottom of this one; here it is, and the bed platform pieces have been pulled out...
	...so they can get insulation stapled to the underside before proper installation. They'll remain removable (gaps were left so the wall boards don't jam them, for example) but are fastened down snug with a handful of screws.
	The wheelwells are insulated & boxed in and the floor is put down.
	Finished up for the road trip. The top wall boards are temporary in that they'll eventually be behind overhead cabinetry. Like most in the van they are screwed on for ease of removal as needed to get to the wiring behind them.
	Another shot.
	Now we make it a home... 72x48 RV/truck mattress...
	Cozy, a getaway cabin that can really get away! There'll be a later page as the interior gets further built out - overhead cabinetry, trim out, color scheme of red, black and natural wood, custom van style divider into the bed, etc.

With the interior, the noise is extraordinarily less, and the suspension is softened from the weight so it's not shaking a kidney loose on every bump. My second measured tank of gas was 1.5 MPG up from the first. We're over 10 now, that was all driver's smoothness; I want 14 and I'll get it over time. I'm sure there's another 1 left in my skills behind the wheel despite the heavier weight with the interior. Then we look at aerodynamics, driveline speed & losses, and mechanical upgrades. Past a point you spend money to save fuel, but it's not really about saving money - it's about using less, being as minimally piggish as possible. I could always try this in a 40 MPG Geo Metro, but that's just not realistic... what's realistic is minimizing the space & complexity needed and then getting that which works with your reality as efficient as possible. If it was all about saving every penny I'd just stay home. Reality is I am saving money not eating out every meal on the road, not staying at hotels or driving out of my way to find facilities. I pull over and have everything I need.

Part Four: back door area