Willie – the next stage

As we last left Willie – the yellow hell-machine the bed as well as the side cupboard where successfully installed into the back.

The original plan was to mount the electrics first and then continue with the side panels to mount the interior. Well, up to that point the solar system has been ordered and was due to delivery but had not arrived yet. So I figured why not work on the parts that have been delivered and will not interfere with the electric system later on. Oh boy, that would cause some trouble later on.

The roof window

So I started with cutting a massive hole into the ceiling of the van. 39 by 39 cm square, but I’ll have to admit even a 5 by 5 would have freaked me out at this point. I’d like to add that I’m pretty secure with tools and feel confident when drilling and cutting. Not so much while doing that. 

After I had cut out the massive piece, I was quite happy with the results at first. It turned out that the frame which was fitted into the hole was far wider than the hole itself. Well, no shit, Sherlock?! The roof, however, is not flat and although the cutout piece was flat, the frame did not sit flat on the ceiling at first, which would be a massive problem to seal off the van’s roof. After improvising and using a whole package of construction glue the work was done. 

I think I can’t describe in words what a huge relief it was for me to check it when the first rain came pouring down and to see that it was scorched inside.

However, the frame did not sit perfectly on the roof because the insulation is soft and spongy. An ordinary wooden frame would provide a sufficient surface that pressure will spread out evenly and so screws can be fixed. 

Progress while waiting

Since the solar system had not arrived yet, I tried to think about all the cables which could be of need later on and added quite a few. All of those ending in the battery compartment.

I figured the side panels which could be mounted without cables underneath and started installing them. Since the car has a curved shape from the bottom panels up, I used 8mm wood so it can be bent with screws. The result was quite good looking without the waste of a cm space. 

The kitchen unit will be next to the bed, so I also framed the two water tanks for fresh and wastewater in the kitchen area. Talking about the kitchen area, it’s time to go back to Birchwood for the top plate.

Starting the kitchen

The kitchen should be big enough to comfortably prepare food and do the dishes without an enormous amount of effort since I am quite lazy. I knew that I will not use the kitchen unless it’s easy to use. Since money is a big thing on the journey cooking for myself and investing a little bit of time and effort will pay off later on. I figured the space between bed and doorway will be used entirely for that purpose.

Starting from raw wood again to planks to a massive board. I can’t tell you how much I love that kind of work since the material used gets through an enormous transformation. 

Cutting out the holes for the gas cooker and the sink left me with two large boards which I decided to reframe and use as cutting boards.

After the top plate was done I needed to figure out something different to the cupboard on the opposite side of the van but since the looks should be quite the same there was some brainpower required to get the kitchen the way i wanted.

 

TBC…