Yes, the day to day real world life in a van must be considered when building. I think.

I like that idea!

Thank you. The Humble Road followers certainly hold a special place in my heart.

Thank you, this are very kind words. And shop was my favorite class!

You're very welcome!

Thank you April! We enjoyed our 40ft Class A for many many years, and a fifth wheel lives even better than that!

Thank you Beth! Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you Judie!

Thanks Timothy! Stay tuned! (boy, that's an old saying! I wonder if young people even know where that comes from?)

@@HumbleRoad back in the day of live radio? "What will happen next...only THE SHADOW KNOWS!" stay tuned till next time to find out.

I'm OK with that! :-D

I agree, except remember: the first prototype is always the most costly and labor intensive. You need to work out all the "kinks". We viewers are lucky to have him ride the learning curve.

Hey Susan M, your right I've picked up a few tips watching this mad scientist /engineer create this monster/van. 😉✌

High quality components dont come cheap.been enjoying the build.

Free Eagle...people with money always get to have these splendid things, many of which ordinary people don't even know about! I think "overkill" IS ordinary to people with money. And if it isn't overkill, they won't have it! He is an extraordinary man himself, with major talent!!! LOL Judie

Welcome to Humble Road, Papa! Hello Bandit! You have a bit of catching up to do! Go ahead and binge watch EVERYTHING! We'll wait.. ;-)

Well I think you should watch it several times! LOL!

But thank you, I appreciate your comment.

Of yes...multiple views are enjoyed. 👍👌😎

Very nice of you to say, Scott. There is a whole lotta great work being done these days. I think it is the time for the van and a high tide floats all boats. (see what I did there?)

Thank you B 9. I appreciate your watchful eye.

Thank you Theresa.

You are correct. This is why I am focused on a "breathing" van. Unless you can guarantee a 100% flawless vapor barrier, you will have created a worse condition by not giving the moisture any air flow in order to evaporate. My idea is to minimize condensation, close to nil, but with the ability to keep fresh air flowing throughout every nook and cranny of the van.

Thanks Sam. If I use two backer panels, the overlap would be 3-4 inches. Enough to settle in with each other. I have wrestled with one long piece and it was difficult. That wouldn't bother me to do so, but if I am building this van to sell, and sell at premium, everything MUST be as close to perfect as possible.

@@HumbleRoad Yep. I wasn't thinking about that much overlap. Should work well as you have described.

The vinyl is one pound per square foot.

Starting out in Tampa for the big RV show.

That was my motivation for this design. While I have never experienced any kind of heartache when it comes to repairs, I can certainly anticipate and be proactive.

I chose the pine boards for their insulative properties. As far as the milling, I don't mind doing it all myself. I like the idea of handmade.

I hand made the tongue and groove for 2 reasons. First, my finished thickness is less than dimensional lumber, so if I milled down the store bought T&G, I might have had an alignment problem. And second, I just wanted to have hand made tongue and groove on the ceiling! 😆

Thank you! This van that I am building is for sale. I hope to have enough of it completed by the Tampa RV Show that prospective buyers will have a better idea of exactly what kind of product this is. Can't blame anyone who may be interested to continue to lurk in the shadows, it's an empty van for Pete's sake! I am building it, however, as if I were going to live in it full time for the next few decades. Now if I win the lottery, all bets are off! :-)

@@HumbleRoad Suggest: your next build is on a wide-body van (8-foot). That extra 12" - 14"+ width (and no wheel well to deal with) really makes a world of difference toward not making you feel like you are in a cave. Not too many manufacturers are still making widebody vans though Check out the specs on this: www.startransbus.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=398&Image=17126 Mine work in progress is a used original Senator version with 4 doors and I love how unobstructed the floor is and how vertical the walls are and how flat the ceiling is. I love the ground clearance, too, but I need a step ladder to climb into the driver's seat! Still building it out, but using some of your ideas, too.

I will be using pvc sheets in the shower area.

Yes. All the same, EXCEPT...I replaced the HMV with polyiso foam to save weight up top.

(2) Yes we did tongue & groove in the latest 4x4 Sprinter we just released a couple months ago. And I'm considering it for one of the Transits in house now.. (3) Reflectix needs an air gap in front of it to work. If you glue it directly to the van sheet metal, it does nothing.

Thank you-Doug

2” by full length strip of rubber on each of the 4” plates where they mount to the chassis ribs.

I like the way you think.

Yes, with the segmentation of the boards and the cross banding of the supports, I thought it would be too busy, visually, to have those dark strips running front to back. So rather than use the walnut strips to define the boards, I decided on using shadow (tongue & groove). Now, the first thing you see is an entirely white ceiling. Then the more defined shape of the boards and banding comes into focus.

@@HumbleRoad yes walnut, not mahogany! Makes perfect sense, thanks :)

The van roof struts will be insulated on the inside and isolated with a gasket of rubber.

Thanks....I have a much older shuttle bus I'm converting. Square metal supports that I hope to fill with closed foam before I cover them up. Hadn't thought about rubber gaskets!

Make sure the foam is non toxic and will not retain moisture, mold resistant.

That can be solved with a travel lock. Just spitballin' here but something as simple as a clevis pin going through both doors at the overlap.

Yep.

It's a PVC Utility panel called Poly-Wall. Very flexible lightweight PVC in 4x8 sheets. Very easy to work with. And when bowed, it retains a nice semi-rigid shape. Home Depot or Lowes

Oh no! I don't think the result would be as serious as you describe, but I have a thermal break between the van body and any interior aluminum.

The only mount point where I could not install a thermal break is with the 4 carriage bolts that hold the topmost rail of the wall cabinets. Now, once I start re-installing all the framework, I will point out all those details.

We think alike. Good luck with your build!

No. The reflection needs an air gap in order to work.

@@HumbleRoad gotcha... because the bubble Reflectix is also a vapor barrier. Like Joe Lstiburek says... a vapor barrier in the wrong place is worse than none at all. Thanks!

The reflectix requires at least 3/4” air space to reflect through. The white fiber of the Thinsulate is the air space .

@@HumbleRoad I was looking at how you wrapped your tires. reflectix first then thinsulate? Thanks.

roger littlejohn that is not reflectix on the wheel wells. It is Noico- sound deadener.

My mind never lets me rest... 😩 In order to be a good commercial studio photographer, you need to be an artist, engineer, carpenter, rigger, physicist and first aid expert!

My camera angles are never random! LOL! I am starting to hear grumblings about when this project will end…dunno. I'll copy and paste a reply I made a few comments back: I planned on full completion in five months. Now I'm halfway through the eighth month! I think to two major issues here are (1) I did this build backwards, intentionally, to demonstrate the modularity of my designs. So now, after all this time, I'm back to an empty van doing utility systems. And (2) honestly, working outside in Northern NJ presented many weather delays. Rain, rain and more rain. No worries, I'm not going to rush, I've been a creator all my working life and I know the way to quality's doorstep. As always, Doug, I appreciate your support and good commentary.

@@HumbleRoad Hey, I was just kidding of course. Sure I'm a bit anxious to see completion but I love the design/build/plan part. I really enjoy and admire people demonstrating skills and ingenuity I will never possess. Thanks.

No worries, Doug. I know you were kidding. :-)

I wish! Ima gonna start buying lottery tickets!

Reflectix needs an air gap to reflect the heat back across. The Thinsulate serves as the air gap. Reflectix right up against the van roof does nothing.

@@HumbleRoad 👍 thanks!

@@HumbleRoad it doesn't do anything next to thinsulate or vinyl either.

It's called heavy mass vinyl. You should source it locally, it's 1lb per sq foot.

You cannot maintain continuity between the van and the reflectix. If so, you have one big thermal conductor. I had not considered the cabinet backing as a vapor barrier, but you are correct it is! In which case I might add another layer of thinsulate.

Brilliant observation! Thank you!

@@HumbleRoad how are you sealing up the thinsulate from the air in the van.... are you sealing the edges of the heavy vinyl to the metal struts? since they are inlaid in between the roof and wall supports.... the edges are at risk for leaking humid air into the thinsulate unless sealed off somehow. maybe you are covering that in a different video im not sure.

Lady-T, you have an excellent understanding of these systems. What I neglected to say in this video was that I will have a four inch piece of vinyl laying on top of each of my 4" aluminum flat crossbars, acting as a thermal break from the van roof struts. So the vinyl that runs inside the channels will rest on a 2 inch overlap of vinyl on top of the aluminum flat bar. It is a mechanical seal via weight.

@@HumbleRoad my bad. lol i do like your videos, and your build looks fantastic btw.

Sure, an air space of a few inches would be beneficial, but in the case of a van build, not very practical. I am considering the air "in and around" the Thinsulate to be the required airspace for the reflectix. The black layer of the thinsulate is very porous and a non-conductor of heat, nor cold.

By itself, Reflectix is an insulator. I have cut pieces of it to fit my Ascent’s windows and wrapped all of the under-floor plumbing with it, too. Without additional airspace, I can say with some certainty that it does provide noticeable insulating barriers to both summer sun and winter cold. So my guess is that your sandwich with Reflectix as the salami will do a credible insulating job, Chip.

It has an R value of 1 if it is sandwiched between other material. That's not very good. The R value is much higher if you leave it exposed. Nobody wants their van to look like it's wrapped in aluminum foil, but that's what it takes to get the higher R value they advertise. I see van-build videos of photogenic but blissfully ignorant millennials making the same mistake all over the place. This is basic physics and stated right in the manufacturers specs.

@@desmondtutu7916 There is a white-sided reflectix - one side is white. How would that work in a van build without looking like a tin-foil space ship?

@@desmondtutu7916 I agree with you 100%. There is a time and place to use reflectix and this is not it. Some people just won't do what little homework is required or they just love throwing away money.

While that may be optimal, all factors must be considered and practicality weighs heavy. It is after all, still a van, not a house.

Thanks for watching and commenting! It's what keeps this wonderful community going.

Thank You kind sir, for taking the time and effort to catalogue this journey and the generosity to share it... And for your patience in answering pesky questions. :) Although I must admit, watching someone approach a project such as this so meticulously, thoroughly and consistently, while mesmerising, has made it rather difficult to enjoy other videos about van conversions. :D

I have reached out to Reflectix in order to start a dialogue on this subject. Reflectix has become a commonly used product in van builds. It's time to address proper applications. And, I would say, there is not only one way to apply this stuff. Motives, intent and performance factors must weigh in to each individual situation. I would even drive the van to their facility to do some video testing with them.

Greg Virgoe's provided the most cogent treatise on the subject of insulation in a campervan. To the one, I've not seen a single example of the proper application of Reflectix. In order for it to be effective requires a 3/4" air gap between the Reflectix and the outer surface of the vehicle. Having no air gap equates to less than no effect. This application is actually worse than no Reflectix at all! Simply stated, you want a vapor barrier that prevents as much interior moisture as possible from migrating to the inside of the cold vehicle body where it'll condense. Next, you want a hydrophobic insulating material such as mineral wool, closed cell foam insulation (XPS), etc. Optionally, a sound deadener can be directly applied to the inner surface of the van body. This is solely to dampen vibration of metal panels. That's it. Pretty straightforward while highly effective and very affordable.

Reflectix instructions on the package identify MANY different ways to use the material and provides the R-value for each application, from air gaps, to double layers, to direct application. Generally for van builds to keep temperature control you do NOT want to put Reflectix directly onto the body of the van unless you are doing a double layer with a gap between the layers, but an air gap between both layers would be even better. Reflectix instructions say it works best with at least 1/2"~1"" air gap away from the primary surface.

Not sure, I'll have to re-watch that video!

I never named it, I just call it vinyl.. 😁

The reflectix will not touch any metal surfaces. It "floats" between the roof struts.

@@HumbleRoad im not saying about reflective.im saying about the cotton type foam which will be above the reflective

explain the layers you speak of.

Im saying for ceiling

Ahhh OK! I understand. You do not want the foil reflectix touching any of the metal surface of the van. That will conduct the heat or the cold very well! The Thinsulate or white cotton type as you call it, is mostly impervious to moisture retention. And with all the layers under it, there should be zero condensation up there.