Great to see your videos again. You have the best videos and your daughter is really growing.

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, much appreciated! And yes, she’s growing up quick!

I love the economy t-nut hack, saved much time and money!. I had some pipe wrap laying around and cut little chunks of foam - easier to use than tape - especially on the vertical channels.

@ourkaravan

2 жыл бұрын

Things I wish I would have known from the get-go!

Yep. Your designs are so simple and using off the shelves products... it's the LEGO of van builders. There is definitely a market for "online order" DIY van conversion parts like this. Awesome stuff.

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

I definitely like the simple approach when I can find one. Seems like every project threw various challenges my way, some more complicated than others. Thanks for the positivity!

Thanks for this video, Ken! We were working on how we might 'seal' off our sink cabinet from our shower-toilet box, and your plywood inserts in the 8020 were a great idea, as was the simple plywood panel you used between your sink cab and the lower cabinet by the seat. Also the main theme of this video - the removable shelf under the sink! Brilliant. I love how Kara was workin' the drill press!

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Brenda, I always appreciate the words!

Once again, you've proven your ability to help the rest of us visualize quality simplicity, and productivity at its finest, thank you Ken! We ordered your kit, and ended up being super creative with it, but have no regrets. You took so much overwhelm out of the process for us! =)

@ourkaravan

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Tamara, your kind words made my day! I’d love to see photos of the galley when you’re done-I love seeing other peoples creative tastes and use of different materials.

Awesome, thanks

Kara for the win on the drill press! Nice work, as always.

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you John, come on over and I’ll put you to work too!

@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt

3 жыл бұрын

@@ourkaravan I'll let you know when I'm out your way!

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Please do!

Appreciate the roll in tnut hack and good use of child labor.

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, in this case I approve of child labor. 😀

Very informative, as always, many thanks!

Great stuff Ken! Simple but so practical.

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

So simple that at times I wondered why I was even making the video, but it's a question that has been asked a lot. Thanks Dominic, always appreciate your support!

That rug really ties the whole van together! Edit: That van is really light for what it is. I weighed my work truck a couple weeks ago and it comes in at 9000 lbs!

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Best comment ever!

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

I’m fairly sure the hot tub addition is going to put me at gvwr

Another great video. Your van videos started about the time I built my 2017 Transit mid-length mid-height. I tried - I wanted to - but did not use any 80/20 at all! Before Covid, I slept in it for a total of 15 months 62k miles. I'm impressed that your weight is 7,600+ lbs - mine "trip ready" is at 7,950 but I've lost 50lbs during Covid- so that should help-:)

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

You lost weight when many others gained it, so congrats! So many of these DIY vans are over GVWR and your is not, so pat yourself on the back. Thanks for following us through the years; I have really enjoyed putting the videos together.

Ken, We expect videos at a faster rate now that you have Kara as your full time helper. Another great video. Thanks.

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

The video work takes longer than the projects. I’ll bring her up to speed on Final Cut Pro and the KZread Creator Studio. 😀.

So much detail and attention. I bet if a van builder built this same exact van it would be $300k+ considering all the time and attention to detail. Great job!

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

It took me two years to build the van and another two to make it mine. Needless to say its value to me is much higher than its actual value. Thanks for the kind words!

Nice job! Thanks for sharing, I have thought about utilizing that same space so now I know a great way to do it. Does the shelf get in the way of removing your water jugs?

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

I left the shelf high enough that I can still remove the water system with ease. As we add bikes, paddle boards and a bunch of stuff I’m always looking to recover some space. 😀

Love your videos. Thinking about buying the kit for framing the cabinet. I would want a similar shelf where you built yours. Could you give me a source for the bamboo You used for the fronts and sides?

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Hi David, the product I used is made by Plyboo, and am aware of a similar product by Cali-bamboo. I have been able to order it from two different hardwood stores in my area, Hughes Hardwoods in Rancho Cordova, CA and Auburn Hardwoods in Auburn, CA. I would think most good hardwood stores should be able to order for you. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.

@TamaraStaton

2 жыл бұрын

Can't go wrong with the kit, David!

Does your tee nut require a bolt long enough to reach the nut, but not so long that it contacts the channel when tightened?

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Correct. A 1/2” long 1/4-20 bolt works perfect when bolting the thin aluminum to the profile. Obviously if you bolted 1/4” plywood or a thicker material you would need a longer bolt, but 1/2” was perfect here

Another great instructional vid. What is written on the blue tape on the back wall of the drawer @7:30?

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Oh man, I didn't realize all of my life secrets were visible for everyone to see! Just kidding, it's instructions for me on how to use my backup electrical system, supplied from the Mercedes auxiliary battery.

Great to see another upload. What are the dimensions of the travois when it's in bed mode? Twin or standard size?

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

The version I have is 6’1” (I think) and 44” wide. Thanks for the kind words! I’ve been uploading some travel videos (which I greatly enjoy making), and I include a bit of van tech in each one. Keep a lookout for some new stuff coming too!

Thanks Ken for sharing your experiences building your Van home with 80/20. My wife and I will be new to the VAN outdoors so I have been following videos like yours to get the feeling of DIY camper VAN. We won't receive our VAN for another ten months, crossing fingers. I am pretty good working with my hands (tools, ham-radio projects, field networking) so I am pretty comfortable building our VAN. My question is, not necessarily related to cabinet but the 80/20 framing. Do you secure or bolted down the gallery, cabinet frame to the subfloor or do you secure them through the VAN floor? If this is the case, do you use stainless still nuts under the VAN or do you use T-nuts? I think the latter is a bit harder to do because one would have to make your holes align with the 80/20 frame structure. What is your personal recommendation? Thank you. - Otto.

@ourkaravan

Жыл бұрын

Congrats on the incoming van! I bolted mine down in a variety of ways. For the kitchen galley I slid 5/16" carriage bolts down the back slots of the 80/20 framing and put them through holes I drilled in the sidewall of the van. On the inside of the wall I used large washers and a nylock nut to secure it. I think I did six of these for the kitchen galley, then I leveraged two of the factory floor tiedowns by removing the tie down and replacing it with a longer bolt, sent through an angle bracket attached to the 80/20 structure. For my rear cabinetry I bolted an 80/20 rail to the wall and bolted the 80/20 structure to that. I have a couple of videos on KZread about it. I hope that helps and good luck!

Hi Ken, can you provide a link to the felt you like to use for the anti-rattle. Thank you!

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

This is what I used: amzn.to/3hiRpGl I have also used it in other areas of the van to reduce rattles, so it's good stuff to have on-hand.

How do you keep the sliding doors from rattling? Mine are annoying.

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

I put some felt on the sliding portion. It was actually too thick and when I tore it off the thin layer of felt left behind was perfect. That was four years and it’s still working out great, even if discovered by accident.

Where did you get that drill press table and fence?

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Harbor Freight in Davis. 😜😆😛

Where can I purchase the quick release/check valves?

@ourkaravan

3 жыл бұрын

Here’s a complete write up with all the parts. ourkaravan.com/van_water_system/

Where did you get your bamboo from?

@ourkaravan

6 ай бұрын

I have ordered from two separate hardwood stores in my area and neither had any difficulty obtaining it. I recommend Auburn Hardwoods in Auburn, CA.

What drawer slides and cabinet hardware did you use? I love the look of bamboo, great choice!

@ourkaravan

2 жыл бұрын

Hi, I have an article on the drawer construction here: ourkaravan.com/building-drawers/ Thanks for the compliment!