Marvin gets Cabinets and Beds

Last year we used some camp cots on our trip to Kansas. This year FabHub used his skills to make something more permanent. He used some Ash boards from a tree he cut down several years ago and some high-grade plywood from his old WoodTech manufacturing days. The boards have all been stored in the barn for a lot of years and are well cured! I cannot imagine the cost if he had bought the wood recently!

There was much cutting and sanding.

He used a Kreg joiner to put the panels together. Lots of wood protector to bring out the glow. The height of the cabinets was determined by the height of a hitch rack travel box I bought. 

We call it the Big Box. It is intended for carrying propane, a stove, and other things we do not typically want inside the van. It seemed best to set the cabinets at a height that allowed the Big Box to be moved inside the van in case of unknown circumstances. 

Self-closing hinges and double ball catches on the doors.

They are installed with bolts into the van walls.

I think they turned out fabulous!

The bed frames are set on top of the cabinet with routed wood blocks to raise them off of the countertop. The frames are the two pieces that came as a queen-sized platform bed intended to be bolted together. They also used to fold in half, so FabHub took the legs off each piece, fixed the folding part to be solid, and TA-DA, two cot-sized frames.

The back of the bed frame is held by a gate latch mounted to an L-shaped wooden bracket drilled into the back of the cabinet. That latch keeps the outer edge of the frame from rising when we sit on the edge of the bed. It was a significant adjustment to the plan. 

The inner edge of the bed frame is supported by tie straps instead of a leg so that there is room for the Big Box, a kayak, or who knows what we might need room for on the floor. 

The overall look with no extra "stuff" on the floor. Well, except that step stool. The beds are a little high, and I didn't want to slide on and off. I like to say we are using more of the verticle space than if they were lower. 

This is an older photo from a squeak and rattle road test of how we will store the beds. Both beds are on that same cabinet held in place by the tie strap. There is vinyl flooring on top of the cabinet to protect it from the metal frame. We are happy to report there were no noises. 

As for the beds themselves:

I ordered some 30"x72"x6" cot mattresses in August 2020.

I unrolled and let them expand last week.

Then I used fitted sheet straps to keep the twin sheets from getting loose.

Then I used safety pins to attach a blanket to the same strap to stay in place. That side of the bed is up against the wall, and with the coverings attached underneath, they should stay in place.

The mattresses are encased in a regular twin-sized futon cover that is zippered across the top and one side. It's a little bit big, but the zippers are not too tight, even with the blankets inside. That makes it easy to keep the beds from getting travel dust on them. It also adds another light layer if the night gets chilly.

That is the setup for 2021. The cabinet depth allows for all sorts of storage. The foam ceiling adds some color and helps with heat reflection. The Norco sound deadener keeps the sheet metal rattle down. The bug screen is good for ventilation. The blackout curtains let us sleep in crazy places. The table gives me an armrest and some storage. The vinyl floor makes cleaning up easier. Trip's kennel is behind the driver's seat. 

Now let's pack up and head to Kansas in the morning.

Marvin Gets a Vinyl Floor

We have been building and planning for building on Marvin for a long time. Now that school is out and we have plans to do some traveling it is time to get projects completed. I posted this week about the craft projects that I have been working on and finally got installed. This post is about what we did with the flooring. Lots of Van Lifers put a lot of work into this project but there are is no extra insulation, heated lines, or hardwood here. We do things the "almost" simple way.

The original floor in Marvin is a black rubber mat with some sort of shredded denim-like insulation that helps level out the floor by fitting in the metal bed gaps. 

 

It does a good job and is much better than the plain metal floor that is visible above where FabHub removed the step cover. You can also see the reason he wanted to change the exposed flooring. Every time we get in and out with shoes on there are footprints left behind. Cleaning them up is not on this somewhat grippy texture is not as easy as sweeping or a quick damp wipe. We decided to get some grey vinyl coin flooring.

Husky-Coin-10-ft-Wide-x-Your-Choice-Length-Grey-Commercial-Grade-Vinyl-Flooring

We unrolled the vinyl flooring in the garage and then used a variety of things to weight it down while the curls were worked out of it. Surprisingly it did not take nearly as long as I had thought it might to flatten out.

While that was happening I used the brown paper wrapper to make a template for cutting the vinyl.

Yes, we could have pulled out the original matting and used it as the template, but that would be too easy. Or maybe not. By the time I got the template done, the vinyl was flattened out. So we moved on to slicing into the floor.

FabHub got the driver's side cut and then we test fit it before cutting the second side. Amazingly, my template was a great fit!

The next step was to cut the passenger side out and installation!!

We put the vinyl right on top of the original matting. We (ok, just me I suppose) were concerned that the clips holding the step cover in place might not work due to the extra thickness of both layers. Or that the edge of the cover would be bowed up some. Not a problem!

 

The side-to-side fit is pretty tight because I wanted to make sure it is sealed up. That might turn out to be a problem if the temperature expands the vinyl. The cabinets are going to cover most of the edges but we will be able to make adjustments if necessary.

Speaking of CABINETS - after we got done with the vinyl FabHub started working on the bolts for attaching the cabinets to the walls. Build and installation post coming soon.

Marvin Catches a Breeze

In 2020, when we took the van to Kansas we slept in it while stopped at a truck stop and when we were at the lake. That all worked out okay, but at the truck stop, we were concerned about leaving the window open for air, and at the lake, we had to set up a creative screen solution to avoid the flying bugs and get some cool air. We don't plan on punching a hole in the roof for a ventilation fan so it became time for a craft project and some creative ideas that would allow Marvin to catch a safe, bug-free breeze.

The craft project involved some bug screen, fabric, magnets, and a sewing machine.

I read that bugs get confused by zebras stripes. Whether that is true or not, I had the material and no other plan for it, this project seemed like a good place to use it. There is a strip of heavyweight duck cloth that gets slammed in the top of the door. The flag material above the window doesn't make sense, but I did it anyway. The zebra cloth wraps around the back of the door. I sewed several magnets into a channel at the bottom to hold it from flapping in the wind. 

I intended to make one for each door, but then I didn't like the way the inside looked or how it would have to be "caught" in the door to stay in place. I decided that sewing the two pieces together and making it a sort of bag that slides over the door frame would be easier. So there is a screen panel both on the inside and the outside. Air will be able to move, but bugs should be slowed down. This one ended up fitting the driver's door and I don't know if I have the patience to make another one for the passenger's door, or if I even need to make another. 

The creative part of helping Marvin Catch a Breeze came when I ordered a patio door screen to fit in the back door. 

The screen is velcroed across the top of the rear frame of the van and down the inside of that pillar. There will be cabinets on both walls and I requested that there be enough room for me to work with the velcro just in case I need to reach in that space. The screen is a little loose at the moment because I held off on doing the velcro on the other side of the door until the cabinets are done in case there is an issue. That white stripe is made up of magnets that hold the entrance closed. The grey handle is an after-market addition to help me get in and out of the van. 

In evidence is Marvin's side job of hauling bags of small animal feed. He comes in pretty handy when we go shopping with lots of room for groceries for all the animals and people on the farm. When the cabinets are in there will still be room for them. They will just be stacked higher. 

Another after-market purchase will help with security when we are stopped for the night at a truck stop on our next road trip.

I don't know if it has a real name, but it hooks in the rear door latch and allows us to leave the door gapped open for air and still be locked up. It works too. Shut the door on the extended latch and hit the vehicle lock. There is no way to reach in and grab anything or unlock it. Especially since we will be in there!

That's it for my latest projects. I did get the rest of the ceiling panels from the last post put up and they don't seem to be in danger of falling off so YAY! The next projects are mostly FabHub's furniture/storage solutions. One half is done, but the humid weather won't let the clear coat dry! We might have to put it in the van to bake with the curtains open.

Quick Marvin Update

Building Marvin has been slow over the last few weeks, but we have been working on the plans. FabHub is figuring out the layout for the cabinets, and I have been figuring out the ceiling.

Since the roof is exposed to the most direct sunlight, I decided that it needed some insulation to reflect that heat back out. I had previously installed a black sound deadener on the white roof. So putting up the insulation after covering it with fabric using spray glue would help cut down on the black/white look and give the ceiling some character.

The picture below shows the first two panels of polystyrene installed. I used "Great Stuff" insulating foam to glue the panels to the ceiling and a stacked board and clamp system to hold them up there while it cured.

I have two more panels to put up, and then we will spend time driving around, hoping they don't fall off. That stuff is sticky, so it ought to work. It isn't perfect for insulating us from the roof heat. The beams between the panels and the walls will still transfer heat, but this should help while driving down the road.

Other changes since the previous post include new floor mats in front, installed a set of Carcraft seat covers, and a giant sunshade because that windshield is huge! I have also been working on a door screen so that we can leave a window open and not let all the bugs in, 

Next projects include the cabinets, some flooring, and full door screens for when we are parked for a few days. We are looking forward to our next road trip with Marvin!

Buying Marvin and the Pandemic Trip

The plan was to head to Kansas on a summertime trip during the pandemic. We usually take two days for the trip, stopping about half-way at a pet-friendly hotel, eating dinner at Lambert's Cafe, and then finish the trip the next day. This trip would have to be different. No hotel and no tourist trap restaurant. And I wanted to bring a kayak for the lake.

To do that we needed a vehicle that we could put the camping cots in so that we could Boondock in a parking lot, bring some of our other camp gear, have room for a kayak, space for the dog, and that we could stand up in. I started looking for vans. 

There were none in our local area that met any of those requirements for a couple of weeks. I found one in Pearisburg, but it was already sold. Then I found one in Charleston. We called, it was still for sale. We hopped in my 19-year-old Sport Trac and came home in a 2019 Transit van that is now named Marvin.

Admittedly, the transaction ended up being a good one for the dealer. We know we could have done a few things differently, but we knew what we wanted and ended up with a good vehicle that works for us.

The thing about cargo vans is that there isn't much in there to keep it from being a great big echo chamber. Driving home that day we knew there had to be a change. So the first thing I did was get some Noico sound deadener and install it all over the big empty white space.

Then I took the wheel well covers off, covered those noise makers as much as possible, and put the covers back on.

Because we intend on Boondocking in truck stop parking lots I ordered and installed blackout curtains using spring-loaded curtain rods behind the front seats and across the back doors.

Next on the list was covering up those big holes on the bottom of the walls. We got some FRP panels and trim, FabHub measured twice and cut once, and I installed with heavy-duty Velcro. It not only looks better but also helps keep down some of the road noise. 

The sound deadener is installed, the panels look nice, the curtains are up, it is time to hit the road. The interior van length was just barely enough for my kayak to get strapped in above us. We have very comfortable cots that we use for camping, so we used them. The leg spacing of the cots fit perfectly over the wheel wells and left enough space for a cooler by the back door. The width of the cots left just enough space to stand up between them without having to scoot to the end to get out of bed. 

Luckily, the dog's crate fit between the end of the cot and behind the driver's seat. He wasn't real happy about the situation, but we don't want him wandering around the van or jumping out when a door opens. After we got going he slept most of the time anyway. 

The drive out to Kansas was pretty nice. The Ford Transit is a very comfortable vehicle to ride in. The road height is good and the power is just what we need on the highway. We picked up drive-thru dinner and stopped at a Flying J truck stop when we got tired. They have a parking lot design that allows people to take a break away from where the trucks are parked. 

In the morning we filled up with breakfast and fuel and headed back out to Mom's house. We did spend a few days out at the lake with family and friends to make the purchase worth it. 

The next update will be the process of giving Marvin some permanent fixtures that make it possible to travel without having the beds down and in the way all the time. We already have most of the pieces and parts to get that done. FabHub has some construction to do and I need to quit buying things.

In case you were wondering. This is Marvin. 

Along with the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

How the Marvin Adventure Began

We love to travel. Because of our time in the US Air Force, we have been to a lot of places and seen a lot of things. On our own, we have traveled even further and had even more adventures. Most of those adventures are shared in my original blog - Making It - Seeing It - Sharing It - which I have not updated since our Amtrak trip to Seattle in 2018. Blogspot won't let me add new posts there so this is a new start.

In the last couple of years, a theme in our discussions about future travel adventures involved the idea that someday we would buy a vehicle that we can use to travel to remote places. A camper, a bus, a van we talked about a lot of options. We have the truck and trailer that we take camping at the lake, and though the combination is great for that use, FabHub doesn't want to drag it around the country.

So, we kept talking and thinking that someday we would be ready to retire and get a vehicle that was easier to drive. Something easy to navigate in cities, a vehicle to camp out of if necessary, and with room available for hauling things if we needed it for that. There are people to visit and Cornhole tournaments to hit all over this wonderful country. That was our plan for the future, maybe five years or so down the road.

Then in 2020, the pandemic happened. Travel plans to anywhere were pretty much put on hold. We hardly left the farm for more than groceries and animal supplies. The virus was everywhere and we worried that it would be even worse later in the year. That created a problem we needed to solve. 

We had been visiting family in Kansas at Christmas for the last few years. We did not want to risk not seeing them this year or have the trip canceled due to the virus. Who knew what the situation would be then and being teachers we were concerned about carrying the virus either out of our classrooms or back into it after the trip. Due to those concerns, we decided to make the trip in July instead of waiting for later in the year.

There are so many different things to do in Kansas in July than in December! We discussed some touristy things to go see and then realized that wasn't a good idea and besides, all of those places started shutting down. One thing stayed open, the State Parks! I suggested that we pull the trailer out there and camp at Lake Eldorado for a few days. We could bring the kayaks and all of our regular camp setup! As I mentioned above, FabHub was not so into the idea of pulling the trailer across the country.

Thus, began the search for a Ford Transit cargo van. Someday was about to become a day in June 2020!