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.