Anyone interested in doing this on here?

 

hi - i would subscribe to the thread. i am planning on doing a stealth sleeper conversion in the future ____ blkjak

 

I have done the conversion 50%.... using basically the same vehicle... but with a diesel.

 

hi - can you post some pics____blkjak

 

Reminds me of the Glory Days of Vannin back in the 70's.
O6 E-350 Diesel, Deep Dark Maroon paint with dark red and gray crushed felt upholsstery, 16in raised roof, side bench seats that make a full size bed, 120v rv plug/cable, and roof ac. All except roof done by friends and family. Sleeps two great and rides well. Have 54000 traveling miles on her already and luvin every minute of it.
Dubble click for larger pic. Sorry about the mud on her.

 

Very nice!

Lets see how many people we get interested in this... and then see what topics are people interested in!

 

sounds good - i will be living in my van full time within a year...

here is a couple of sites i visit...


Sportsmobileforum.com • Index page

4x4 Vans : Quigley Motor Company, Inc. > Home

Stealth Van Dweller

cheaprvliving.com


____blkjak

 

Let me start off with a topic that should have appeal to all of us:


Insulation.

In order to convert a vehicle to a "home" of any sort, there MUST be insulation -- in hot climates, to keep out the heat, and in cold climates, to keep warm.

A van, cargo or passenger, as it comes out of the factory, is about as well insulated as a tin can with a glass viewing glass.

Excessively hot, cold, etc.

So one of the first and most important task to make a van livable is to insulate it.


I went and researched a lot of options, and here is what I ended up with.

A) Mostly Fiberglass insulation.

Reason: cheap, readily available, prickly to work with, but once you are done, you are done.

Furthermore, it has tremendous acoustic insulation value, unlike other kinds of insulation.


B) How

Installed 1 X 1/2 strips of wood on the existing ribs of the roof, then added as much (nearly a full R12 batt) insulation as I can squeeze into the cavity.

Then applied a very thick layer of plastic on top of insulation, to yield a barrier of tightly compressed fiberglass insulation that is faced with wood paneling.


Estimated R value - R 5 to 8... tiny by house standards, good by aircraft or shipboard standards.

Side panels --- here, there are many holes, etc. that lead to the boxed in cavity between the side and the inside structural members.

I pressure washed the inside of these cavities to remove as much dirt, rust, as possible,

Went down under the vehicle to poke at the water drains at the rocker panel to clear it.

When the water ran out clean, I closed off the section with very heavy gauge nylon plastic sheets... forming an airtight barrier to the outside.

Then I cut / made framing as follows:

- 4 X 1/2 strip along the entire length of vehicle at 24" height from floor for mounting furniture, etc.

- 1 1/2 X 1/2 strips for framing

- More insulation, covered again with thick plastic... and then paneled.


Bed --- built across / atop wheel wells as a short Queen


I am only 5 ft 7,and laying diagonally on this, it is quite comfortable

Taller people will prefer a single or twin bed running the length of the van.


C) Additional Insulation


Under old rubber floor --- layer of plastic, then fiberglass, the original cotton waste removed.... then rubber mat on top.


D) Engine / Carpeted area

Floor mat removed, underside overlayed with plastic, fiberglass insulation applied.

Then rubber mat on top.. and new outdoor carpeting laid on top.

In order to do this, the seats had to be removed.


E) Dash disassembled, cleaned with compress air, then fiberglass in heavy plastic bags added all over to improve noise insulation.


F) Engine cover / storage unit removed and insulation applied in between


G) Doors

All doors are disassembled, and insulation added in cavities.

 

good post - that plastic/insulation/plastic on the walls is a good way to go. i just bought my van and my budget is horrible being recently re-tired and broke. i will post what i do as i go at a snail pace.
blkjak____

 

Here is a tip:

Don't bother buying plastic vapor barrier --- it is inferior to what you can get for free.

Many vendors of home insulation sell them in 3 bundle packages that are wrapped in a thick nylon plastic wrap.

You can go to Home Depot or Lowes and get these "packing material" for free just by showing up and asking at the right time (at the end of day, when they have a pile, before they throw it out.

It is identical to the material used to hold 6 packs of cans or bottles together in the supermarket.

Very thick, strong, and essentially, equivalent or better than the thick polyethylene barrier Ford uses on the doors between the door and the trim.

The real bonus is the poly vapor barrier I bought tend to wrap itself around drill bits or screws.

This nylon material just let the drill / screw cut right through.


It is free, and it is superior to anything I can buy readily on the market.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearloose1

Here is a tip:

thanks____blkjak

 

We do the camping van thing with an '05 V10. This pic shows 2 beds, but I've since reworked my passenger back seat to do a full recline for the second bed.


We run a Honda EU2000i now for the A/C and electric heat.




We had equipped her with an inverter/battery for a the first Alaska trip, but have since found the generator much handier.




Second trip to AK w/ A/C in back window using generator instead of inverter for 120VAC needs. Most of our nights were in WalMart parking lots...


I absolutely love this van. It's been driven 12 times and has 90,000 miles on her.

 

I have a 15 passenger, stripped out the rear seats, but a conversion van sofa/bed over the axle, stereo system in the rear with a battery, soon to build a deck for extra cushions, to extend the bed all the way back when folded out. I had factory limo glass, so I got a tint shop to put another layer over it, making it really dark and impossible to see in. I have the factory carpet and insulation, but looking to update later, use the reflective backed bubble wrap type stuff on the floor, and in the wall with some expanding foam. My favorite is to secure conduit in the walls and spray expanding foam around it and in hard to reach areas, leaves access to run wiring.
Vannin ain't dead, I've been to some truck 'ins, missed out this past 2 years due to money issues, but there are some great customs still being done, I've slowly been at mine. I've installed some non traditional stuff, LEDs in custom fabricated arrangements inside for interior lighting, and hidden them outside for a flashing arrangement that could be considered illegal for on the road use.
Depends on what you men by conversion, are you making a people hauler, camper or all out custom designed by yourself to be different than a "van?"

 

Has there been any Progress on these vans?

I have been waiting for the weather to warm-up before jumping into finishing the inside of my '04 E350 and the time is getting close. I was hoping that this thread was going to continue so that I can gather some ideas. So far I have barely gotten past the thought process but intend to start getting any new wiring installed, like speakers and house battery wiring. If you guys come back maybe I'll stop lurking on this site and try to contribute something at least what progress I have made.

 

The only thing's I've added to mine lately are a 1000 watt inverter for use while actually going down the road and a STRONG paper towel rack behind and above the front passenger seat. That towel rack really came in handy on our last two trips totaling almost 4,000 miles. Wish I had put it in four years ago.