With the platform bed in the van, it’s almost impossible to open the rear door from inside the van. We drilled a hole in just the right place to let us get out in a hurry.
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Rear door grab handle how-to
Here’s a quick how-to video on adding grab handles in the rear door area. There are already some threaded holes, but you might need to use one of the holes that doesn’t have threads. The video shows how to install a rivet nut to bolt the handle in place.
Magnetic mosquito nets
Who knew you could have so much fun looking at a web site that sells magnets? K&J Magnetics is an awesome site, with detailed information on each magnet they sell that helped us find just the right strength magnets for holding a mosquito / bug / insect net on to the metal walls and through the plastic B-pillar cover.
Sink cabinet built with 80/20 aluminum extrusion
We’ve been driving around with a prototype sink cabinet made from shipping crate wood for a while now. It was time to finish the job. We used aluminum extrusions with t-slots in each side to make the frame, then slid 1/4″ bamboo ply in to the slots to make side panels.
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Perfect phone holder for a Sprinter
We use our phones to navigate in the van, but it’s hard to find a good place to clip a phone on to the Sprinter dash without obscuring the air vents. We finally found a product that works.
Lowering the seat bases
We installed seats with air suspension and swivels. That combination made the seats too high for the van. So we swapped out the seat bases for lower versions.
Awesome lightweight chairs and table that fold up very small
We love the chairs and table we bought for the van so much that we’ve taken out the bench seat and use the chairs inside instead. Sorry – no more passengers!
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Fixing the tool cover bolt
The tool cover in the passenger footwell has a push-in/twist-out clip that seems to never push in properly and always twists out at the wrong time. We replaced it with a screw-in/screw-out solution that holds the cover in place really well.
Comparing van insulation options
We chose to insulate our van with Thinsulate and Low-E reflective foam/foil. We could have chosen foam, fiberglass, wool, or even recycled jeans instead. Here’s the pros and cons comparison we created so you can choose the material that’s best for you.
Bed area storage solutions
There are no bedside cabinets in our van. We wanted somewhere to hold water bottles, flashlights, our phones while they charge, and so on. Adding grommets to cheap car trunk organizers solved the problem.