Slow progress

kenking · 06-15-2008, 04:10 AM

my van to B project is moving along slowly... today I got the plywood down for the sub-floor in the very rear, one of the bed/seat/storage boxes upholstered and mounted and decided it is going to have a refrigerator after all. That will be accomplished with a mini-fridge and an inverter, because I found out they draw less than 100 watts, well withing the capacity of my inverter and battery setup.
Tomorrow if I have time after a fishing tournament I'm in I will try to get the other seat done, and maybe take some pictures. Then it's on to the table, and both counter tops... all of which will be cut from a butcher block table top I have. A little heavier than I'd like, but material I already have which hasn't found any other use in the 2 or 3 years I've had it stashed away.

julievojo · 06-15-2008, 04:05 PM

Pictures would be great! I would love to have the knowhow to do something like this. We have been thinking about buying a very small used trailer (like a Casita or a Scamp) and converting the inside to an office for Chino. Then we can spend the winter parked on a beach somewhere and he'll have a place to work.

kenking · 06-22-2008, 03:07 AM

This week I didn't do half of what I had planned, but I did make and install the bathroom door and bit the bullet and bought a mini-fridge today. Tomorrow if it doesn't rain and I can spend the time I'll clean the tournament stuff out and get some pictures.

Cornbread Red · 06-22-2008, 05:29 AM

I have an old 1950's travel trailer that I made into a silversmithing shop. I removed the bed, dinette, and built sturdy workbenches in it, as well as 110 volt outlets.

These old camp trailers can be had (Execpt for deer season!) for a song.

I'd love to have a Casita, but even used ones are too muy rico for my budget. That was what made me decide on my B, -about half what a used fiberglass camp trailer was selling for.

Have you also looked at a T@B trailer? Aluminum Teardrop style, but larger (You can sit in it).

Chip

julievojo · 06-22-2008, 04:00 PM

We've also been keeping an eye out for a small used trailer (I would also love to find a Casita) We would strip out most of the inside and build in an office for Chino. That would make it possible for us to take longer trips in the winter, if he were able to spread out a bit and work.

kenking · 06-23-2008, 02:39 AM

More progress... the van now has a sink! I built a cabinet that hold the fridge witht the sink above it. The garden sprayer/ water tank goes to the left side of the fridge, and the "gray water" container also. I need to do the plumbing yet, which requires a short trip to Home Depot for a fitting. That will likely be done this week. The cabinet is 31Hx20Dx32W, which actually gives me a small counter too.
I've pretty much decided that my 4 burner stove with oven is too big for the van, so I'm going to look for a 2 burner stove top and put a microwave in.

kenking · 06-24-2008, 02:45 AM

Today's progress.....
Digital TV converter... I'm in the modern age! I bought the Digital Stream DTX 9950 because of reviews I had read. I have it all mounted and wired in, except that the power cord isn't placed permanently as yet (I still need to wire the van for the 110 circuit).

kenking · 06-26-2008, 03:55 AM

Bought this Onboard Charger Inlet today. Went to Bass Pro for something else and saw this...should make it easier to add 110v to the van and be neat about it

markopolo · 06-26-2008, 06:03 AM

That's a handy part.

Onboard Charger Inlet:

It's made for a boat so it should be watertight.

kenking · 06-28-2008, 03:37 AM

Cheap too....was looking at inlets in industrial supply catalogs, had prepared myself to buy a "cheap" one for $30... the BPS one was $15, much better!

kenking · 06-30-2008, 12:05 AM

Todays' project is making cushions for the seats/dinette/bed .... my first time with a ^&%$%&* sewing machine. I'd be kinder than that, but I think I've pulled the thread out of the needle about 50 times and these old eyes ain't what they used to be! Finally took time out to go to Walmart and buy a needle threade...much better now!
Pictures after the thing is all done.

julievojo · 06-30-2008, 02:39 AM

It sounds like you're making great progress!!

kenking · 06-30-2008, 02:55 AM

Well, if I were someone else I might actually have something completely done in there... as it is the passneger side dinette seat is " done", the driver's side box needs to be upholstered and cushions made, the table mount needs to be made, the sink/fridge cabinet is there, but needs lots to be completed, the bathroom needs part of the floor raised to lift the porti-potti up to house toilet height...you get the idea. Last to do is the new carpet....which is after I stain all this plywood. Ugh.
Hope to get it wired for 110 this week.

kenking · 07-06-2008, 05:39 PM

Well, no progress at all this 3 day weekend...except for acculating more parts. Bought a new faucet, finally have a proper container for the sink drain water, bought shallowe electrical oxes and outlets...and some other little stuff. Picking up a white laminate computer desk (Craigslist) tomrrow, which will be the tops for the 2 cabinets, the table and the microwave shelf.... might as well have some coordinated items in it!

Cornbread Red · 07-08-2008, 09:39 PM

I ended up buying a two-burner stainless steel "camp" stove (Brinkmann brand) at Walmart to replace the built-in one on my B.

It folds up just slightly thicker than a laptop, and as I don't cook hot foods much in the motorhome, I can easily take the thing outside, plop it on a table, hook up the propane and viola' -Keeps the motorhome a lot cooler, and it'll still work inside if the weather's nasty.

Cuts down on weight, and adds just a skosh more space for my packrat ways..

Chip

kenking · 07-09-2008, 04:03 AM

Sounds like a cool stove. I had a plan to use a 4 burner stove and a built in propane tank for mne, but ended up giving the stove away and now plan to use a Coleman stove, for exactly the reasons you stated.

kenking · 07-09-2008, 04:28 AM

Worked on the van ( it now has a name... " Mite B") for a bit tonight. Added the power inlet to the rear right side, about a foot over the bumper,(I finally decided on that location because it would be possible to make a mount for the generator and be plugged in while driving down the road. Not sure why I think I might like that option.... or if I'll ever do it, but now I can if I want.) but haven't wired it in yet, as I haven't decided if the fuse box will be in that corner, or behind the driver's seat, which is what I'm leaning to. I also added an outlet under the front of the raised roof for the converter box and antenna amplifier and ran the wire along the top of the right side wall, behind the top trim. At this moment the inside of the van looks like a bomb hit... I ran out of time for tonight and quit about 10. I'm sleeping in this thing this Friday and Saturday nights, so tomorrow evening ought to be a long one! If we weren't so busy at work right now I'd take Thursday or Friday off and spent the day on it... there's that much left to do.
Almost forgot... my "water system" is done! I bought a laundry sink faucet at Home Depot for $14 the other day to replace the leaking hand pump. The hand pump not only would not shut off the flow if the sprayer tank was pumped up at all, it leaked water that ran down over the fridge. I capped off the hot water supply pipe to prevent the possibility of someone turning that faucet on and running a stream of water over the fridge. The container that the sink drains to is a 2.5 gallon spring water jug. I'll aat least be able to brush my teeth and rinse my brush now.

Davydd · 07-09-2008, 11:16 PM

We carry a Coleman camp stove in our B even though we have a built in two burner stove. We much prefer to cook outdoors. If leaving out a built in stove had been an option, we might have taken it out.

If B manufacturers were really smart they should design the inside with a built in portable stove that could hook up directly to the propane supply or be taken outside.

Cornbread Red · 07-10-2008, 06:21 AM

Ken, if you don't want to fork out $$ for a Shurflo water pump, Harbor Freight has a nice 12v. pump that's always on sale for around 25 bucks.

It's about twice the size of a Shurflo, but still small enough to stick under the sink or whatnot.

Chip

kenking · 07-11-2008, 11:28 AM

Cool... I'll need to look that up. The pressure sprayer loses pressure too quickly for my liking really... though I haven't checked to make sure it isn't leaking air somewhere yet.
Worked on it again last night...which consisted of a trip to the hardware store. Walmart for sewing machine needles, and then sewing the last two cushions. 2nd night in a row of going to bed at 2 am. I slept later today though...didn't get up until 6. 4 hours sleep is way better than the 3 of the previous night!

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