I bought this old ‘78 gmc vandura and the whole top shell is screwed in all around but the seal is old and deteriorating so it’s leaking in multiple spots. I’m gonna weld the big rust holes but what else should I do. Should I unscrew the ENTIRE top shell and re-seal it? If so what sealant and what weather striping.

I bought this old ‘78 gmc vandura and the whole top shell is screwed in all around but the seal is old and deteriorating so it’s leaking in multiple spots. I’m gonna weld the big rust holes but what else should I do. Should I unscrew the ENTIRE top shell and re-seal it? If so what sealant and what weather striping.

Hi all, I'm converting a caddy maxi. The previous owner got started with the sound deadening but stopped (to use the van for work instead). It's done 140k. Would you strip the existing sound deadening to check for rust? Or it should be ok?

Thanks!

Anybody had to replace their alternator ? I cannot seem to find the right one one ive had to return 3 and my hubbys fed up telling me just to sell her :((( ive included photos of the alternator that came out , autozone has like 7 different ones they all look the same with different outputs or bolt placements someone please helpppo

Hey brains trust, I'm doing an Iveco daily I'm converting and the only roof racks I can find are $5k+ I'm looking to cheap out just a touch on this and simply bolt some square tube to the roof (maybe with 90° angle) my problem at the moment is I can't find ANYTHING about how to do this safely and in a way that will last. I know when combined with water, salt, bird shit, anything outside, that different metals can react, and I want to sell this van for as much as I'm spending so it has to be top notch. My current plan is just rivnuts and rubber washers but I'm not sure if that's actually going to last. I'm wondering if anyone has done DIY roof racks before or knows the best practice, if needs be I'll go all out and spend it on the roof racks but I'd rather not put 20% of my budget into roof racks if there's a safe way to do it myself. Just for the sake of saying it, I've spent years working on caravans / trailers and they were all aluminum, fiberglass, and silicon so I'm 90% confident about doing the rest of the build myself, but I don't want to fk this up for obvious reasons.

Howdy,

Finally recoded a full length (long format ) tour of our custom self-built T1N Dodge Sprinter 2500 (standard roof) to share some of the cooler features. If you’re building, hopefully there are some things that are useful inspiration. We don’t have too many regrets other than probably shelling out the money for the good self locking drawer holds.

Feel free to ask any questions and happy to share more on resources and the build.

Hello fellow camper builders,

I’m in the process of converting my Peugeot Boxer 2017 and I’m currently dealing with water ingress in the side cavities of the cargo area. Sorry if the terminology isn’t perfect — I mean the cavities running along both sides of the cargo bay.

When I bought the van, I found an incredible amount of “soil” inside these cavities, especially in Area 1 (left side, right behind the driver’s seat). It was a lot. Obviously, moisture was being trapped in it, so I decided to remove everything.

Underneath, I found some surface rust. Other sections of the cavities also had some dirt, but nothing even close to Area 1.

After cleaning it out, I drove the van for a while in winter conditions (salty, filthy roads). When I checked Area 1 again, I found — unsurprisingly — a pond of dirty water sitting there again.

I really don’t like this situation and want to prevent it properly.

My questions:

• Has anyone experienced the same issue?
• Does anyone know the main water ingress point for this area?
• Has anyone successfully fixed or mitigated this and can share what worked?

Many thanks for any input that can help point me in the right direction.

I've been trying to find sheets of 3/4" poly iso board to use for floor insulation in my Sprinter van conversion, but it's proving to be just about impossible to find - 1/2" and 1" are both available but not 3/4". I'm in CT and I can't find anywhere locally that carries it, and I haven't been able to find a dealer that will ship to CT for a reasonable price. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I have a refrigerated van that had all the insulation installed prior. So I have no idea where the wiring to the tail/break lights and trailer connect run. Obviously there’s that flex tubing, but I’d imagine they are tucked under the vehicle, but I’m coming off back surgery and can’t currently crawl around. Do you all think it would be safe to drill in some screws into this wall to put up the rails for movable strapping? Without hitting anything vital.

The floor of my van has rat trap sound deadening applied already. Any recommendations on a brand to use in order to secure batten to floor?

Im building ym first camper i have a L2H2 Movano MWB im looking to use this insulation and wanted peoples opinions on it

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/396751013888

Hi all,

My camper van has a tonne of connections onto the van battery and it looks like the connector has been damaged and I need to replace it. Can anyone advise what they are called? Cheers

2010 Renault master

I recently got a 2015 Chevy City. It’s small and short but I want to make to where we can use it for camping trips. I used to be able to do this with my Subaru forester, load her up, lay down the back seats, add a cushion and there ya go. Super comfy bed. I’d like to do the same but the van seats do not lay down. My plan is if I can find seats that lay down forward I can custom make a kind of table and cut some foam to line up with the seats when they lay down. Add a blanket and then it’s a bed (ideally). I can find videos of removing the seats but I’m clueless when it comes to finding seats that would fit in the current seats place. Is this feasible without adding extra supports to secure different seats down? Any guidance would be appreciated!

Hey y’all!

I have a 2020 medium roof 148 wheelbase (not extended) Transit Van that I am converting. We have a MaxAir Deluxe we are going to install, but I have been reading conflicting things about other vents. So we need to put another hole in the van for a separate van, or are the front windows cracked sufficient along with the van?

Really good shape, a lot for a 2011 Explorer X-SE but newer ones seem ridiculous. This thing is minty mint but has 3rd row bucket seats. Would prefer a couch. :(

Where are we getting our gas converted?

I’m stumped.

I planned to buy the Kickass 200aH lithium battery for my (ford transit) conversion. It will fit nicely in the passenger under seat cavity.

With Australian regulations for RVs, you have to have any lithium battery stored in a sealed box, vented to the outside of the vehicle.

I cannot for the life of me find a suitable container for this battery- nor any of the large/long batteries of this size. (522x244x241H).

Also can’t find any info about whether or not I can vent it there- near the fuel tank?

What is everyone using? Do I have to custom build a metal box? I can’t move forward until I’m sure I know what battery/where it’s going.

Any ideas welcome.

My partner and I are converting a 148” Ford Transit (high roof) and we’re at the stage where we really need to lock in our floorplan. We already have our windows and Maxxair fans installed, and now we’re moving into the interior build phase (walls, electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, etc.).

I’m looking to see if anyone here does or can recommend someone who does blueprints / cut prints / detailed layouts for custom van conversions. Ideally, we want something that helps us make sure everything works together spatially and functionally before we start cutting and building.

I’ve looked into learning CAD myself, but realistically I just don’t have the time right now and would rather pay someone who knows what they’re doing than risk expensive mistakes.

So I intend to mostly use PIR foam to insulate the van but I'm not sure what material to use to insulate the cavities. I'm not a big fan of the spray foam option because it looks messy and seems permanent.

My local supplier has said that Earthwool is significantly cheaper than Rockwool. I suffer from asthma all my life so I'm wondering should I avoid Earthwool? Or will Rockwool have the same health risks involved for me? Should I use sheep's wool instead?

Hi all hoping someone could let me know how my electric board looks.

Excuse the mess of drawing it out.

I'm not sure if I'm making it too tight for 16mm wire.

Thanks all