Annnnd....we're done!

I started this project with a great deal of expectations.
If I've learned anything at all from it (and life up to now)
Its that expectations fail us.
Either life doesn't meet them, like due to their grandiosity,
Or life exceeds our expectations, humbling us & reminding us to keep going.
I imagined we would be done sooner than it was.
I imagined I documenting each step with detail & resulting in a stellar van blog.
I imagined we would be leaving sooner than we did.
I imagined we would be taking a route much longer than we will be.
Our imaginations, especially when we fail to strategically entertain it, can over take us
facilitating the creation of our own problems.

Throughout working on the van, I realized how much fun the process was.
Stoping production and development tasks just to document became a nuisance.
It started to clog our work flow. As the van slowly came together, we got more excited to keep working at finishing it than about having pictures of the process.

Upon us leaving Chicago, a few people asked that we document our travels.
Of course, we will be posting a few pictures here & there, but I find it to be exhaustive to maintain a blog in addition to random posts.

We are super grateful to all the support we've had in this little venture as we try out the West.
As promised, I will be releasing the total cost break down of the buildout to those interested!

To access the cost breakdown:

Click the link below
Provide name & email
Mark Simple Living

http://livefreewithdee.weebly.com/connect.html

Insulation Finish & WALLS!

I never thought I could be so excited about walls.

We learned a few lessons while finishing up insulation.

Patience and process matter.

All I could think about was walls, but there were still many steps until then.

As mentioned before we placed GT sound proofing mat everywhere we could.

Then we ran out, got more, and ran out again.

Luckily we found some foam/reflective duct insulation at Home Depot

decided it would do the job of covering the wheel wells. 

We then used insulation tape to cover all cracks and openings.

From there we purchased rigid foam with reflective backing.

We cut each one to size for the side panels and fixed them with adhesive spray and more tape.

The day finally came for walls!

I got so excited and so did Tom.

We cut the wood panel to fit over the tire well.

Lined everything up perfectly.

When to drill in the first screw....

then came to a halt.

It didn't go through (self drilling my ass..)

The day ended that way, with a kudos for progress and a bit of expectation hang over.

In the end it was a good thing it turned out this way.

After getting over expectation hangover, we realized we forgot to put single bubble insulation on the inside of the wall before drilling to the van!

Whew...it would have sucked to un-drill the whole wall to insulate it.

We had to pre-drill holes for the wall panels and scrounge around through the bajillion of washers that came with the van to prevent the screws from going through the panel.

Finally, one wall was up!

By this time, my problem solving brain was fatigued.

It began to feel like I was forcing it, Tom felt it, too. 

So we called it.

From here we plan to take a quick break from interior build.

We have a spare car to use for one more week, so it is a good time to finish up the rest of the mechanic work that needs done.

Rear brakes, steering arms, and a small transmission valve leak.

While waiting, I plan to sew the remaining window covers.

We also decided to change up our plan for the ceiling.

Originally, we projected to use the same wood paneling that was used for the walls.

Now, to simplify, we plan to sew felt fabric to the single bubble insulation and fix it to the roof with some type of adhesive. This will maximize headspace and be a little more flexible to work with.

A big theme presenting itself as we continue with this project;

TRUST THE PROCESS

Don't rush the process.

Here are pictures.

And a video :D 

Insulation Part 1

Spring is in the air people and we are FEELING IT! We have been so grateful and lucky to receive this warm weather right on time for our scheduled days to insulate the van.

It took us one day to come close to completing the first layer; a self-adhesive antivibration mat over all metal. The material was really easy to work with, is heavy, and makes a huge difference in the sound when driving. Unfortunately, I underestimated how much we would need, so we are on hold until a new shipment arrives this coming week.

Below are some photos taken during the process. In the meantime we will be tracing out a floor/door plan and buying out materials for the walls and the ceiling! Its coming together folks and my heart can barely contain itself!

Stay tuned for more updates.
I love you for reading this, and probably for other reasons, too.

Xoxo D & T

Sunshine rest breaks.

Best shoulder workout.

Measure twice, cut once.

Moving Forward

Here are my initial feels about the rusted holes of Frank's floor.

YIKES.

We took a good week or two to decide on a solution for this one.

Weighing all the variables.

Of course, weighing our egos, too.

Sometimes, taking responsibility for life involves throwing in the towel.

The foundation of anything, especially a van home, is just way too important.

Quality work is essential in this phase.

Rather than "DIY" it

(no matter how much I wish we could)

we've decided to hire a professional for this one.

&

It's happening this weekend! 

HOORRAAAAYYYY

Now that this vital part of the process is moving in the right direction,

I'm feeling another gust from the winds of inspiration.

Mmmmm.

Stay tuned!

After the welding job, 

Tom and I will try our hands at insulation.

If anyone has a space heater we could borrow for 1-2 days,

HOLLER!

SUPER AWESOME VAN PLAN CONTINUES

yeeeeeeeeHAW.

Living Adjustments

We are still deciding what route to take as far as the rusty floor holes go. 

Of course, we want the repair to be done well, to avoid later issues down the road. 

Only after the floor rust is under control, 

can we start adding layers of 

insulation, vapor reduction panel, and sound absorbing panel to the interior.

So for now, I am giving you a window 

into how the thought of living in a van 

has already began to transform our lifestyles.

Tom and I had been brainstorming and toying with the idea of tiny living. 

We both see great value 

in simple living and minimalism as far as material possessions go. 

Now that we have a van space with realistic measurements of storage space, 

we have really started the refining process of our possessions.

I don't have much, but when I look at the van

I still think there is so much more that I could get rid of.

I've managed to shrink my entire wardrobe into this little set up pictured below.

It includes all underwear, outerwear, tops, bottoms, both warm and lite.

Also included is by BJJ bag and a bag for dirty clothes.

Plus, the cat, who insists on photo bombing as much as possible.

This is everything in the "packed-up" phase.

Shoes to left

Laundry below shoes.

Mani standing on clothing boxes.

BJJ Bag at my feet.

Coats in grey bag to left of BJJ bag.

Here's how I've narrowed down everyday clothing.

Tops in the top bin.

Bottoms in the middle bin.

Underwear/Swimsuits in bottom bin.

At some point, I think it would feel good to layout all my possessions.

Take a little inventory to see exactly just what I need.

Will post an update photo of that whenever I do it :D

Stay tuned for more happenings with our

SUPER AWESOME VAN PLAN.

xoxo DM

Bodywork Pt 2

This weekend we found some time to add more primer to spots we'd already sanded down.

We also revisited the failed Bondo job on the holes near the exterior wheel wells. 

Bondo is super interesting stuff.

Its this clay looking slime, mixed with a red looking slime.

It starts harding into a bonding hardened surface that allows for sanding.

Once sanded, it becomes nice and smooth.

HOLES GONE!

Then it called for some primer as well.

Tomorrow we plan to add another coat of primer.

Our next step is to address the rust holes on the interior.

We have a few options;

1. Spend lots of time and effort fitting sheet metal to the floor bed.

Sandwich the holes between fitted metal with heavy duty adhesive and drilled screws.

2. Inquire about the cost of having a professional do a welding repair.

3. Buy floor bed sheet metal already shaped, and weld at my dad's shop at work.

Remember, towards the finish of the van, I will release a copy of the total expenses.

In case you're thinking about trying out this project, too.

You'll have some idea of how you can budget and make your van dreams come true.

Stay posted on what happens next as we continue to fulfill our 

SUPER AWESOME VAN PLAN.

Bodywork Pt 1

Whew! Bodywork part 1 was a success! 

Because we were limited on time this weekend,

we decided to focus on rust removal on the outside first. 

We figured we should take advantage of the nice weather 

and handle as much of the outside rust as we could.

We are not rust removal experts...nor auto body work experts.

BUT

We are good listeners and skilled at researching.

Thanks to YouTube tutorials we managed to get some initial rust maintenance finished.

Step one involved using an angle grinder to grind the rusted metal down to just metal.

Power tools are seriously the coolest things.

Of course, I had a healthy dose of fear before trying to use one.

Luckily my courageous man was up for the job.

Once we found out how easy it was to use, we decided to rent another one.

Now, at this point we are both looking and feeling hella bad-ass

power tooling the shit out of all the rust above the wheel wells.

We attempted to use Bondo to fill in a small hole near the wheel well.

I was in charge of that.

I quickly found out that we may have skipped a step.

We forgot filler, so I just put plain ol' hardener in the hole and called it good.

We're gonna have to revisit that job some time soon. 

After grinding, we did a bit of fine tuning with sand paper. 

Then we wiped down the van to remove rust/metal dust.

Then it became time to tape and cover up around the areas we worked on.

Tom took charge of priming all the spots with one coat. 

Enjoy the tape job.

We aren't perfect, nor professional contractors.

We are well aware of our limitations, but choose to learn through them

Rather than become defeated by them.

Stay tuned for bodywork pt 2.

We will be working on the inside to patch and secure some decent sized rusty holes.

According to Tom's research this should be a fun one.

By fun, I mean super involved, tedious, and time consuming. 

Here is a before picture...just to get you all excited :D

I will do my best to document.

I must mention how difficult it is to take pics and vids during this.

Mostly because by the time I think to do it, I'm super dirty.

AND it's so much fun that documenting looks to be more of a hassle in the moment. 

SUPER AWESOME VAN PLAN CONTINUES <3