New Class B Manufacturer

[ClassB4Me]

Interesting Design & Engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL6BXKLwEUE

[<<B-Guy>>]

Been watching George's Youtube videos for quite some time - he started out with a Sprinter based PW to which he made quite a few interesting modifications, then decided to build his own van.

A very ingenious fellow - with a great sense of humour in his videos and seems t be a very capable and meticulous craftsman.

I am sure though with his attention to detail, his vans will have to be pretty high end.

Although it is a very personal choice and not at all related to the overall quality of the product, I don't think I would be too keen on the shower /toilet arrangement he has on
Van #1. I guess it does contribute to a very open look though.

Brian.

[ClassB4Me]

A guest using the bathroom after a Mexican dinner could result in a Hazmat emergency in the van. Nothing beats an enclosed bathroom and strong ventilation fan.

[avanti]

Looks like there are a lot of crash-worthiness issues. The large open compartment above the front seats, the panels attached only by magnets, the unsecured shower slats out in the open... I think there would be a lot flying around that van in a collision.

[ClassB4Me]

Many of the things / issues you mention are prevalent in many of the Class B's on offer by Winnebago and others. As an owner, I would make sure those items are secure before mobile. George mentions in his own van and in this video the overhead space should be used for light objects (blankets, pillows, etc.).

It appears the new owner has decided they want those items overhead in those baskets.

[GeorgeRa]

Definitely a lot of attention to details and to esthetics such as matched walnut wood grain, nice touch. Being his van #1 I am sure there are some mistakes but his choice of 8020 aluminum framing will make improvements much easier. I like his choice of aluminum and hardwood mix, a little heavy but nice.

I also like his attention to future accessibility for troubleshooting or repair, commercial shops should listen. I made a few mistakes in my DYI forcing me to some changes.

I agree with Avanti that there are a few potential crash issues like:
- Bathroom floor can fly and kill
- Lack of positive latches in drawers, heavy loads in self-closing drawers can fly such as inductive cooktop

He used 8020 + sliding doors combo in overhead cabinets which I also have, based on my experience without a latch they can slide.

Feels good seeing quite few folks using my 2013 design of mounting Smart Plug to the receiver. https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...&postcount=391
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...&postcount=392

[Anachr0n]

He's also currently working on a build for another YouTube channel called Carey On Vagabond. He sure is a fan of that 80/20 stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeM...ci2uIuK6Vi7fmQ

"Currently" is a relative term in the YouTube world. The van could be finished by now in real-time.

[dhuff]

I'm a fan of George's work. The use of the 80/20 aluminum strikes me as sensible. I'd rather have my van interior made of metal framing, put together with nuts & bolts vs. even the nicest woodworking techniques. (on this topic, see also the Youtuber and blogger OurKaravan)

[Davydd]

This is basically the same floor plan as Sue Valentine’s Bucky by Advanced RV only she did it with a 144 WB short Sprinter. The design is great for a single person, but the bathroom situation has a lot to be desired. You don’t save anything by being open as you can’t use the space for anything else but get a view out of the passenger side back window. It seems to be a kludge to set up to shower and then you have wet floors, side bases and curtains to deal with. The shower area is nice and spacious but, IMO, too big for a Class B. I’m in a river boat on the Rhine River in Germany typing this. The riverboat has a bathroom shower that is pretty much ideal and completely enclosed but two glass doors open inward into the shower and leave an ample area to dry off. I assume that is a composting toilet. So you have to slide it out, close a curtain and sit down to pee. Prostate challenged men will hate doing this and the curtains will not contain the light getting throughout the van at night.

The drawers and cabinets are ingenious but I am skeptical of the magnets holding in an accident. You can latch down the shower floor but then if permanently enclosed you wouldn’t have to. The portable induction cooktop is ideal rather than built-in to the countertop as you would have a clean counter or use it outdoors. All you need is a positive latch drawer to prevent it flying.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Davydd

This is basically the same floor plan as Sue Valentine’s Bucky by Advanced RV only she did it with a 144 WB short Sprinter. The design is great for a single person, but the bathroom situation has a lot to be desired. You don’t save anything by being open as you can’t use the space for anything else but get a view out of the passenger side back window. It seems to be a kludge to set up to shower and then you have wet floors, side bases and curtains to deal with. The shower area is nice and spacious but, IMO, too big for a Class B. I’m in a river boat on the Rhine River in Germany typing this. The riverboat has a bathroom shower that is pretty much ideal and completely enclosed but two glass doors open inward into the shower and leave an ample area to dry off. I assume that is a composting toilet. So you have to slide it out, close a curtain and sit down to pee. Prostate challenged men will hate doing this and the curtains will not contain the light getting throughout the van at night.

The drawers and cabinets are ingenious but I am skeptical of the magnets holding in an accident. You can latch down the shower floor but then if permanently enclosed you wouldn’t have to. The portable induction cooktop is ideal rather than built-in to the countertop as you would have a clean counter or use it outdoors. All you need is a positive latch drawer to prevent it flying.

I disagree, I think the bathroom design is brilliant. I installed a teak wood floor mat in my wet bath and it dries very fast. As far as magnets holding cabinets closed in case of an accident, that is not what they are designed for. They are design to hold the cabinets shut in normal driving conditions. If you are involved in an accident, cabinets staying shut will be the least of your problems. I much prefer this design over moving parts that wear out. I have followed Advance RV from the time they started advertising. They have some brilliant ideas. However, many of their designs faced teething issues as well. This is George's first build. I think he has done a damn good job for a first build.

[booster]

Originally Posted by timp410

I disagree, I think the bathroom design is brilliant. I installed a teak wood floor mat in my wet bath and it dries very fast. As far as magnets holding cabinets closed in case of an accident, that is not what they are designed for. They are design to hold the cabinets shut in normal driving conditions. If you are involved in an accident, cabinets staying shut will be the least of your problems. I much prefer this design over moving parts that wear out. I have followed Advance RV from the time they started advertising. They have some brilliant ideas. However, many of their designs faced teething issues as well. This is George's first build. I think he has done a damn good job for a first build.

I think the magnet held doors are fine WHEN PARKED but not while driving. To trivialize what flying objects can do, IMO, not a wise thing.


I agree on the mechanical stuff wearing out sometimes, but that can be very minimized pretty easily.


When I redid out latches in our 07 Roadtrek, there were two priorities.


* No input needed to open other than a light pull - WHEN PARKED


* Secure latching for when moving.


I used simple spring loaded roller latches and magnets, with the force lightened for the daily parked us side of it. A couple of doors with spring closing hinges have no latching at all when parked as they stay closed on their own anyway.



I used high end marine pushbutton latches for when driving, which are very secure, stop rattles, and allow a quick look to show that all are secure before driving.


Very easy solution to optimize both conditions.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by booster

I think the magnet held doors are fine WHEN PARKED but not while driving. To trivialize what flying objects can do, IMO, not a wise thing.


I agree on the mechanical stuff wearing out sometimes, but that can be very minimized pretty easily.


When I redid out latches in our 07 Roadtrek, there were two priorities.


* No input needed to open other than a light pull - WHEN PARKED


* Secure latching for when moving.


I used simple spring loaded roller latches and magnets, with the force lightened for the daily parked us side of it. A couple of doors with spring closing hinges have no latching at all when parked as they stay closed on their own anyway.



I used high end marine pushbutton latches for when driving, which are very secure, stop rattles, and allow a quick look to show that all are secure before driving.


Very easy solution to optimize both conditions.

I think it depends on the strength of the magnets. There are some strong magnets out there. I do not place any heavy items in my top cabinets. I also hate the tension arms in my Roadtrek and many other Class B's. They constantly have to be re-tighten. I have even had a couple of them completely fall apart when I tried to re-tighten them. I prefer the spring idea that he used...imo!

[Bud]

"To trivialize what flying objects can do, IMO, not a wise thing."

In 1983 I watched a black and white 'film' on a TV. It was to motivate folks to wear seat and shoulder belts, later it became fashionable to wear them.

It was simply a highway patrolman talking. There were no blood or guts, nothing but the officer making his seat belt presentation, and it was effective. The fellow was from Kansas or maybe Nebraska and stated that he had Never unbuckled a dead person. After and earlier presentation someone came up to him and stated that had unbuckled a dead person. The guy was a highway patrolman from the US state just north, South Dakota maybe. A kleenex box on the back shelf in a passenger car went forward during a crash with the corner of the box striking the driver in the back of the neck. Don't put your umbrella there or...............................

Risk Taking can be an interesting subject.

Bud

[GeorgeRa]

Magnets could hold some light cargo in overhead cabinets but not in the way George deployed them - using disk edge. Using washer will improve holding strength but not near “mounting magnets” faced to steel plates. https://www.google.com/search?safe=a...w=1920&bih=937

Regarding the O/H cabinet spring, good idea but I would use a sleeve to prevent noise due to vibration.

Accidents in moving vehicles can cause scrapped vehicle or death, flying goodies in the van can kill.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Bud

"To trivialize what flying objects can do, IMO, not a wise thing."

In 1983 I watched a black and white 'film' on a TV. It was to motivate folks to wear seat and shoulder belts, later it became fashionable to wear them.

It was simply a highway patrolman talking. There were no blood or guts, nothing but the officer making his seat belt presentation, and it was effective. The fellow was from Kansas or maybe Nebraska and stated that he had Never unbuckled a dead person. After and earlier presentation someone came up to him and stated that had unbuckled a dead person. The guy was a highway patrolman from the US state just north, South Dakota maybe. A kleenex box on the back shelf in a passenger car went forward during a crash with the corner of the box striking the driver in the back of the neck. Don't put your umbrella there or...............................

Risk Taking can be an interesting subject.

Bud

There are many things in an RV that can kill you in the event of an accident. If I reach the point where I am afraid of being killed by a box of tissue, I might as well wrap myself from head to toe in bubble wrap and stay home.

When I look at the construction of those positive latches on my cabinets, I do not believe they could handle the force of a serious accident either. The part of the latch that hold the cabinet shut is made of hard plastic and the part it clamps to is held on by two small screws.

[booster]

From what I have seen and tested, if you put on magnets that are strong enough to hold stuff shut when even doing normal rough roads, they will be a complete PITA to use while camping when very easy open close is the best.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by booster

From what I have seen and tested, if you put on magnets that are strong enough to hold stuff shut when even doing normal rough roads, they will be a complete PITA to use while camping when very easy open close is the best.

Exactly right, similar to heavy duty self closing sliders for drawers. I use these Southco M1 latches, a finger pull to open and slam to close.

[InterBlog]

I watched about the first 60 seconds. His workmanship appears impeccable, but his result reflects the same concerns that I see in so many designs - failure to incorporate any female-oriented sensibilities.

Specifically, there is not a proper wet bath. Why go to all that trouble to incorporate shower implements without making a wet bath?! The space that he has devoted to the shower catchment area is rendered basically useless for any other purpose anyway. Might as well do it right and complete the danged job.

I'm middle-aged, have worked hard for a full 40 years now, and my husband and I have the savings required to support our camper van habit. I did not come all this way in life so that I could relieve myself on display in the open, in a slide out plastic toy of a commode that more resembles a cat's hidden litter box than a human restroom. Never going to happen. I don't need high-end luxury, but there's such a thing as privacy and interpersonal boundaries that should be respected. No married partners need to be subjected to what that van represents, thank you.

[PinIN]

And yet a woman bought it.

[Bud]

"failure to incorporate any female-oriented sensibilities."

Well InterBlog, I suppose that dumping your gray water tank while driving down some highway IS more male than female-oriented. But maybe I missed it, and George has decided not to do that.

Bud