Blog post 8

In an effort to keep things organized and also not forget anything, this post shows some misc. inside progress.  Since the front carpet of the van was garbage, I decided to use some inexpensive black carpet from Home Depot.  The roll was 6'x8' and was about $20.  At first I was going to use some sort of roll on bed liner, but I decided against it. I think the carpet has a nicer look and will be more comfortable and insulate better.  I did not use anything under the carpet. I used Permatex brand headliner adhesive for the carpet and the reflective insulation until I ran out.  I then purchased the 3M version of the headliner adhesive, and as usual 3M is better worth the extra money.  On the passenger side I left extra space for a swivel seat base which I will buy much later (hope it fits!), the seat bases are stupid expensive for what they are. The swivel bases are offset by a couple inches and move inwards when rotated rear facing. The cheapest I found was $270 shipped for a direct bolt in made for an express van. There are cheaper versions made for tractors (and also really cheap ones for boats), but they are not crash rated and are not offset which is probably needed to function properly..

I started installing some of the shiplap I bought.  I'm very happy with the look of this and the color.  I think it will tie in the grays of the floor and with the browns from the van well.  I also insulated the sides and inside the double doors.  I glued the foam board in and then used spray foam in the cracks.  Once the foam dried and expanded, it became very solid, I was concerned about the foam board coming loose and making noise down the road, but that wont happen.  I put the original door panels back on the double doors after the insulation.  I considered making new panels, but decided against that since the existing ones were usable (passenger van!).  I did have to ensure that they were secured better since some of the plastic attachments were damaged.  I used some small brackets and rivets at the bottom out of sight. I also installed an exhaust fan for the "bathroom".  It only uses 4 watts of power and will help remove air. The "bathroom" will be a small room with a door across from the "utility closet", and will store a portable toilet.  I intend to install a light a have a separate switch for the fan to keep it running if I choose.  The area under the passenger side window will contain the gray and fresh water tanks and will have a counter top and sink on top. I will try to preserve as much of the window as possible for this to keep the views.