After working some more on the kitchen countertop, I sit down and show some of the safety and rescue items that should be part of any Vanlife experience. Especially, when you head out to boondock or while off-road driving. Kitchen Countertop The movable part of the countertop, that hides the induction cooktop, returns to the… Continue reading Safety & Rescue Gadgets
Category: Projects
Kitchen Countertop
It’s time to finish the kitchen area of the van and that also means a new hardwood countertop! As always, I start rough-sawn hardwood and I chose Mahogany again, to stay consistent with the other countertop at the sliding door. It’s easy to work with and has usually an attractive pattern. I had one piece… Continue reading Kitchen Countertop
Hiding The Wires
Building a box to hide the wiring above the rear doors. Covered with some of the leftover Tweed from the ceiling. As a bonus, I include a hidden box to stash my valuables. To hide the existing wires above the rear doors, I build a cover out of 3/32 inch plywood. To give this plywood… Continue reading Hiding The Wires
Van Ceiling & Other Mods
I install a cabin filter in my 2016 Ford Transit, create a semi-automatic tire inflator, add a combined smoke & CO2 alarm and add more strips along the edge of the ceiling to secure and finish the ceiling. The main objective now to finish the ceiling throughout by placing Tweed covered strips along the sides… Continue reading Van Ceiling & Other Mods
DIY Separating Toilet – Part 7
This time, I install the toilet cabinet and connect the drain to the waste water system. Before the toilet cabinet is attached to the floor and side cabinet with screws, a Forstner bit is used to create a large hole, to allow passage of some electrical wires to an electrical outlet and some lights. The… Continue reading DIY Separating Toilet – Part 7
Mahogany Countertop – Part 2
The rough countertop is now scribed against the sides and back edge. After cutting it to size and sanding the edges, I start working on the front edge. By doubling up the edge, the illusion of a thick top is created. Because of the tension in the wood, I use screws in addition to the… Continue reading Mahogany Countertop – Part 2
Mahogany Countertop
This Mahogany countertop is meant for the two lower cabinets closest to the sliding door. Made out of 8ft long, 6in wide and 2in thick raw lumber, I first cut it to the four feet length, needed for these cabinets. The next step is to joint the narrow and wide sides at a 90° angle.… Continue reading Mahogany Countertop
DIY Separating Toilet – Part 6
I finish all the preparations, before the toilet is installed in the van. The toilet has a mechanism, that allows it to be on a sliding drawer, while being connected to the gray water tank, which is located under the van. I use a PVC connector at the bottom of the slider and an identical… Continue reading DIY Separating Toilet – Part 6
DIY Lithium Battery – 4
It’s time to install the new Lithium batteries into the van but first, I need to clean up and streamline some of the old wiring. And I have to add and replace some solar components. I will add 250A bus bars to accommodate the new batteries and the soon to be installed 3000W inverter/charger. A… Continue reading DIY Lithium Battery – 4
DIY Lithium Battery – 3
I continue with the assembly of the two LiFePo4 Lithium batteries by adding all the components, that connect and control the different parts of this setup. The assembly so far, indicates a slightly taller battery than expected; that forces me to enlarge the storage area access first. Now that I know that the battery boxes… Continue reading DIY Lithium Battery – 3