My biggest WW project ever

[BaileyNo5]

You know if you can make Kansas look that good, you are an excellent photographer.

Nice work on the van, that is impressive!

MsNomer said:

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Our first night was spent in Ellis Kansas:

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[Cooler]

Looks great. Did you use Dynamat for noise control? How quiet is it to drive?

http://www.b-quiet.com/?gclid=CNrrte6syc...HwodVmUDMg

[MsNomer]

Dynamat and Thinsulate. It's as quiet as my Corolla, which I perceive as quiet. It rained last night--could only hear a faint thud.

After a few more days, I'm having second thoughts about lowering the bed. May leave well enough alone.

When I picked up LOML, we loaded in 6 bear kegs, a large tent, duffle, etc. in addition to the usual gear. Van swallowed all this as a mere snack.

After sitting still for 2 days using fridge and fan, house battery voltage is 12.55.

[Lynden]

MsNomer said:

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After a few more days, I'm having second thoughts about lowering the bed. May leave well enough alone.

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It wouldn't solve the window-blocking problem, but a wood fold-down step attached to the front of each of the two drawers under the platform would help in getting in and out of bed.

[MsNomer]

You've got my attention, but I don't quite understand. Bottom drawer is 8", which would be a decent height for a step.

[Lynden]

MsNomer said:

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You've got my attention, but I don't quite understand. Bottom drawer is 8", which would be a decent height for a step.

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I haven't seen a picture of the front of the bed platform, so I'm only guessing about what might work. If the drawer is only 8" high then it would be a fold-up step rather than a fold-down step. A 3/4"x 3/4" x ? long strip would be attached to the top of the drawer front, and the top(back) of the 7-1/4" deep x ? long step (3/4" thick) would be attached to the strip with a 3/4" piano hinge (one leaf on the face of the strip and the other on the back edge of the step, pin at the bottom). Two 7-1/4" square fold-under legs (3/4" thick) would be attached to the bottom of the step at the sides with 3/4" piano hinges. Alternatively, a single 7-1/4" x ? fold-under leg could be attached to the bottom of the front of the step.

If you don't think an 8" deep step is deep enough, you could increase the depth by extending the strip at the top of the drawer front a couple of inches above the the drawer front (if you have room). Hope all of this makes sense. A Rubbermaid step stool is, of course, the easy solution.

http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-FG42008...B000VAZ4AU

[MsNomer]

I think I understand your description and will play with it when I get home--we're still traveling. What will keep the step from collapsing?

[MsNomer]

The Drawers:

Ten of them, each 28" deep. Four 3.5", four 5.5", two 9". One bank is 16.5" wide, the other 13.5".

Dovetailed with PC jig.

1/2" BB, even bottoms so bottoms can be flat. 3/4 face screwed on.

Frameless. Used 28" KV8400RV slides--spring loaded for RV's.







And what, you may ask, is that red/black thing hanging out?



Well, those slides are fine for operation on an incline, etc., but they are worthless on forward-facing drawers in even a 30 mph stop, as we learned the hard way. Ordinary latches have no place to latch when there is no frame, so I had to get creative. You are seeing the end of this webbing that is attached with a carriage bolt deep in the bowels:



Enter the "Drawer Stick":



The Drawer Stick is 1/2" BB backed with foam-backed headliner material. Bottom end is a piece of broomstick lap-jointed on. That green circle is to add depth so that the carriage bolt can be recessed on back. A short piece of salvage seat belt runs up the middle. A tit at the top fits between the pull-out tables (described below) to completely prevent lateral movement. The other end of the seat belt is attached with a carriage bolt to the vertical member behind the drawers, comes up through a slot in the bed board, then across under the mattress. The end tucks under the mattress when we are using the drawers. The drawer stick will live on or near the driver's seat at least until we have a firm habit of installing it.

Now to the tables:

There is a Formica-topped pull-out table atop each drawer bank. As there is no frame for them to rest on and they are also 28" deep, the top drawer is pulled out simultaneously. Together, these make a 28"- tall 30" x 28" table, or they can be used individually at any depth as counter space.





We have plenty of room for folding stools on the two open sides of the table. The split in the middle has not been an issue.

[MsNomer]

The Window Surround:

The windows are inset almost 3" from the plane of the wall. Commercial up fitters either have custom made plastic trim or they just have the window sunk in a hole in the wall covering. It took me a year to convince myself that I could make this:



Three days to make the prototype, half a day to make two final editions--10 more to go, plus the joining pieces and figuring how to install it.

[Bill Holt]

Looks like you have had "an out pouring of creative juices". "Necessity is the mother of innovation" or something like that.