FINAL PICS

 

Final Update: The Transformation is (Nearly) Complete!

I almost forgot that I promised one more update on the "final" additions to Ansel.  

"Final" is in quotes because I still need to build the upper cabinets in the galley area and at the foot of the bed, as well as complete some trim.  I also have a "punch list" of miscellaneous, mostly small items that I want to do.  This includes rebuilding the galley drawers and replacing the drawer slides at some point (I wasn't happy with how the drawers turned out...the drawer slides were cheap-a**, and I did a real hack job on the drawers themselves).  And no doubt, I will likely be continually tweaking and modifying things as time goes on.  So as they say, "It's a work in progress"!

Bottom line, the van was very functional on Ansel's inaugural trip, and everything worked extremely well.  I was especially pleased with the electrical system, which functioned as designed, perhaps even better.  The only real issue I had was the latch on the door under the bed that opens to the garage.  It's a long story, but after several iterations, I think I finally have the problem licked.

Since the inaugural trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a couple National Forests in North Carolina (see blog), I took one quick overnight trip to Tawas State Park.  I'm hoping to get a couple more overnight winter trips in (yes, it does get cold in the van, but my zero degree sleeping bag works amazingly well), and then some 2-3 night trips in the spring and summer of next year.  After that, my next big trip will be to NW New Mexico, including Bisti Badlands/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Area, and Lybrook Badlands.  I really excited for this.  Anyone want to meet me there??  

With that, I'll leave you with a bunch of photos of the "final" additions to the van, including a few I've made in the past couple weeks.

The refrigerator cabinet with new knife holder on the back side of the butcher block top (I didn't like how they were rattling around in the drawer)

I posted a picture previously of the butcher block cutting board but this one shows the new knife holder.

The lower galley cabinets.

Galley countertop -- custom-built from scrap oak I had.  I used epoxy dyed black to fill in the knot holes and cracks.  Turned out really cool!  Note the area above where the upper galley cabinets will go.  Also need to add trim on either side of window area. 

Cushions on the "guest bench" thanks to MJ's sewing proficiencies!

Birds-eye view of the two bench seats with the pull-out table extended.

Wide view looking back towards bed (I know, bed spread doesn't match the color scheme...hoping for a new one for Christmas!)  Note TV at left (I watched a few movies on my trip, plus I was able to use it for photo editing from my laptop). Area at upper left above bed is where the bedroom cabinets will go.

Wide-view looking from bed towards front of van.  Note the curtain to right of the passenger's seat.  I can pull this across the cab area for privacy.

Since the van is to facilitate my photography adventures, I figured I needed one of my photos on the wall!  This one is from my 2020 Utah trip. The exposed white metal will eventually get covered with trim.

Garage view.

"Secret" compartment under driver's side bench to store extra camera equipment, laptop and other valuables while I'm away from the van. (Shhh, don't tell anyone!)  Eventually I will add a hidden lock.

The toilet will be located under the bench on the passenger's side.  Since I've pulled the toilet for the winter, it's just being used for storage right now, which includes the ever-important, back-up emergency sh*t bucket!

INTERIM UPDATE: The Dream has Come True

My dream has finally come true.  As I type this I am actually on the first adventure with my very own campervan, Ansel.  I will add a post later with some photos and more details regarding progress since my previous post, but I wanted to let you know what was happening, in case you were wondering (probably not, but here goes anyway).

I had originally planned to leave this past Wednesday but it was obvious I wouldn’t be finished in time, so I delayed it to Thursday.  Then I ran into some issues, first with the stove and propane supply (for the sake of saving face, I won’t give any details at this time) and then with the water supply (I had some serious leak issues).  Plus finishing up everything, particularly the cabinet fronts, took an interminable amount of time.  As a result, Thursday quickly slipped to Friday, and Friday soon slipped to Saturday.

All the critical elements (category (a), remember?) were finally complete by late Friday so Saturday would indeed be the day.  Was there more I wanted to do?  Of course.  But it was time to say “enough” and head out.  By mid-day I was on the road and heading for my first stop, my niece’s place in Cincinnati.  Tomorrow I will head to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

It has truly been a mix of emotions, and I haven’t really processed it all yet.  I am of course excited about the trip and finally getting a chance to do some photography again (I have REALLY missed it).  But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I am a bit nervous and anxious as well.  I’m confident in the work I’ve done, but you never know if something will go wrong (I’ve brought extra tools just in case). Bottom line, I am just physically and mentally exhausted.  It’s been an enjoyable project, but it’s been a lot of work in a relatively short period of time, so it will be good to take a break, get away, and have fun taking some photos!

On that note, I will be starting a new blog on the photo excursion itself, so stay tuned.

A beautiful day for an adventure.  Thanks to my best pal for helping my dream come true.  

Race to the Finish Line!

Problems are not unexpected when tackling a project, and I've certainly had my share of them with Ansel.  Most times the fixes are relatively easy and occasionally even quick.  Unfortunately, a few problems cropped up in the past few days that have taken much more time to resolve than I would have liked at this stage.

The most significant issue was that the refrigerator would not fit into the cabinet.  I knew it would be snug -- and in fact wanted it to be -- but what I hadn't realized is that the insulation on the sides of the refrigerator bulge slightly.  Not by much, mind you (maybe only an 1/8 inch or so), but just enough to keep it from sliding into the cabinet space.  I tried a few things to make it fit but eventually concluded I needed to modify the cabinet.  I cut one side out, and replaced the 3/4" plywood with 1/2" plywood, giving me an additional 1/4" inside width.  This did the trick, but the problem cost me nearly an entire day.

The other major issue was that the drawers would not slide into the cabinet (a similar problem, but a different reason).  I couldn't figure this one out for the longest time since my measurements were dead on!  It seems there were two issues: (1) these were cheap slides with a lot of "play", and (2) the slides were wider than the standard 1/2"...I discovered after the fact that the dimensions were metric, effectively adding about 1/16" on each side.  Again, not much but enough to cause the drawers to bind.  My solution?  I used my dado blade to cut a slight "channel" along the drawer sides to virtually narrower the drawers.  A true hack job, to be sure, but at least I got them to work.  In hind sight it would have been faster (though more expensive) to simply rebuild the drawers.  I've added this to the "future to do list" (along with new, better quality slides).

As a result of these and a few other less significant issues, I decided to hold off building the upper galley cabinets.  I don't really need the upper cabinets now...the biggest driver  was so I could mount the lights over the cooking area.  But temporarily I can mount these on the ceiling or rely on other lighting.  So, it looks like I can still meet my planned departure date!!!

Originally I wanted to cover the step leading to the cab with wood or something else.  But I realized that when the cabinets are in place, this would be more difficult, at least for the left-most section.  So, I just painted it for now (it used to be white).

Another hack job.  The cabinet right behind the drivers seat wouldn't slide all the way over on the base due to some "protrusions" in the van molding.  I couldn't modify the molding and modifying the base was not an option.  So I used my router to cut away some of the plywood.  This was a trial and error process that also took some time.  The good news is that this hidden and no one will ever notice!

Doors for cabinets ready to be polyurethaned and hung

Galley countertop being glued up.  I put the first coat of finish on tonight, and it looks sweet!  Will install tomorrow.

The (modified) refrigerator cabinet

Rather than mess with cutting boards I decided to make a cutting board/butcher block top for the refrigerator cabinet.  This was made from scrap wood I had laying around (at least 8 different species), and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!

To solve the dome light issue that I talked about in the previous post, I installed this "courtesy light" on the side of the refrigerator cabinet.  There's a switch on the opposite side that I can turn on when getting in the van when it's dark.

One of the benches and cushions made by MJ!!!  The small black thing at the lower left of the bench is a propane detector.  You'll also notice that I've started to install the faux ship lap.

Another contribution by MJ, the privacy curtain between the cab and the living space.  I found the curtains at Costco, but MJ had to shorten and hem them.  Thanks, honey!

The galley cabinets.  The plastic jug is for grey water.  It'll be hooked up to the sink once it gets dropped in.  The fresh water line is just above it, and the black hose at left is the propane line.

Headin' into the Home Stretch

The tentative departure date for my photo trip is just a week away, and things are starting to wrap up.  But will I make it in time?  Well (long pause)...I think so!  As I've said before, there will still be things left to do, but I am now needing to prioritize tasks according to (a) those that are "must haves", (b) those that are highly desirable, (c) those that need to be done before (a) & (b) since there won't be another chance to do so, and (d) those that can wait.

I had a little delay last week when I discovered that the van battery (not the lithium "house" battery) was dead....and I mean REALLY dead!  That in and of itself was not a huge problem since I was able to jump the van and get the battery fully charged.  But, there was an engine warning light and "service engine" message every time I would start the van.  I figured it was related to the battery issue, especially since I really hadn't driven it much (one reason for the battery being dead).  However, I couldn't be sure, so I started get a little anxious.

I called my favorite mechanic Raymond (everybody loves Raymond, right?), and he said Ram vehicles will generate an error code when the battery is disconnected for an extended time (the battery was probably dead for a long time, so this would be the same effect) but that I should bring it in so they can check it out.  So I made an appointment.  In the meantime, I was working on replacing the boring cargo area dome lights with new LED lights.  In the process, I shorted something out, and as a result, NONE of the interior lights worked.  I couldn't figure out what happened (no, it wasn't a blown fuse), so this just added to my anxiety!

When I took the van in a few days later I asked Raymond to also look into the dome light issue.  And, replace the headlamp that I noticed was burned out as I was driving it to the shop!  The good news is that he replaced the headlamp and was able to clear the error code.  The bad news is that he couldn't figure out the problem with the dome lights and wanted to keep the van longer.  Fine.  More bad news: a day later and he still couldn't figure out the problem and was going to have their "interior lighting expert" (that must be a thing) look at it.  Ok, fine I guess.  Even more bad news: they may need to take off some of the things that I've installed so they can trace the wires.  No, no, no, I said!  I'll take the stuff off myself, which I did first thing the next morning.  Could there be more bad news?  You betcha.  Raymond called in sick two days and the "interior lighting expert" hadn't had a chance to look at Ansel, so it was just sitting there.  This was Friday morning, and I couldn't afford not to have the van over the weekend and however much longer they might need to resolve the issue.  I firmly told the service person I would be there in 15 minutes to pick up the van.  After all, it was just the freakin' dome lights.

Long story (not so) short: it appears the problem may be with something called the BCM, or Body Control Module.  I don't know what the heck else the BCM controls, but as near as I can tell, everything else seems to be functional.  So, fixing the BCM falls into category (d)!!!  In the meantime, if I am getting into the cab area when it's dark (which probably won't happen often), I'll just carry a flashlight with me.  And, if I am entering the living area, I can simply flip on some lights quickly.  (I've since designed in a "courtesy light" that I can easily switch on as I am entering...a nice feature to have anyway.)  In the end, I didn't lose much time with all this since I was working on the cabinets in my shop area.  It just created lots of anxiety!

Ok, yada, yada, yada...what have I accomplished and what's left?  The ceiling is in, the ceiling lights are connected, some additional trim is done (category (c) and some (b)), the water and propane lines are run, the lower galley cabinets are built, one of the benches is built, the drawers are partially built, and the countertops are nearly finished. To do: polyurethane and install the lower cabinets; build, stain & polyurethane the upper galley cabinets; finish and install the countertops, install the sink and stove, finish building & installing the cabinet drawers and doors (including staining and polyurethaning), put up the faux ship-lap, and finish connecting end electrical devices.  Sounds like a lot to do, but most of this should go quickly....let's hope!

Interior wall paneling for upper galley cabinets.

Trim below the storage area over the cab.  Initially I was going to wait to do something with this, but it actually fell into category (c)...once the upper galley cabinets are installed, it wouldn't be as easy to do this.

Getting creative to hold the ceiling panels up while I nailed them to the furring strips.

Ceiling with lights on!!

Control panel light switches (the last on the right is for the under cabinet galley lights, which are yet to be installed).  I plan to label these switches, partly for me but also for whoever might borrow the van.

Another view of the ceiling.  The section at the upper right will be the bedroom cabinets, which are category (d).

The propane hose connected to the propane tank.

Propane hose (left) and water line (right) being run up to the galley area..

Custom trim work...this probably took me an hour or more to construct!

Framing around window.

Custom "box" above sliding door.  This could have easily been category (d) but it was driven by desire to retrofit dome lights (wires at right), which turned out to be a bust.  Anyway, I will put a couple coat hooks on this.

I'm Wired! (and so is Ansel)

Except for the final connection to end devices (e.g., light fixtures, outlets, etc.), Ansel is fully wired up, and the electrical portion of the project is virtually complete!  This was a HUGE milestone.

Since the last time I talked about the electrical system (see August 2 post), I completed the following:

• Fired up the DC-to-DC charger, which included connecting the van battery to the charger.  It tested successfully, which means I can now charge the "house" battery from the van battery/alternator while driving.
• Fired up the 1000W inverter...it works great!  I was actually able to use it to power another fan during the hot weather.
• Ran wires to all end-device locations.  This wasn't hard, but it required a little strategy to run the wires in an efficient manner.  (Could I have done it more efficiently...and cleanly?  Yes, of course, but it would have taken longer and probably cost more.  Bottom line: it works, and nobody will see it!)  Because there were so many wires and so many connection points, one thing I had to do was label the wire ends lest I forget what they were for...it would have been extremely easy to get confused!  FUN FACT: In just 14 gauge wire alone, which was the most common wire size I used, I ran over 300 feet of wire...that's the length of a football field!
• Built and wired up the "control panel", which included installation of the stereo system.  Originally I wasn't going to do this until later, but as I was preparing for the ceiling installation, I realized that I needed to know exactly where this would be and how big.  Plus, I should ideally test the light fixtures as I put the ceiling up, which meant that at least part of the control panel needed to be functional.  Of course, one thing led to another: since the stereo was installed, I decided to mount the rear speakers, which meant I needed to put up the sub-wall between the living space and the garage (see picture below).

Also, while not directly electrical related, I needed to design and build the slide-out dining table to be sure it didn't interfere with the main electrical panel in the garage.  In the end, I did have to modify the top support for the electrical panel slightly, so this was good timing.

OK, you may be wondering (and if you're not, I don't care), what's left to do before my photo trip in October.  Here's a list:

1. Put up sub-walls (you can actually see these in some of the pictures that follow).
2. Install the ceiling and connect the light fixtures (half of the ceiling is up as of today).
3. Build the upper and lower cabinets.  Since I have experience building cabinets and the fact that these are simple frame-less cabinets with flat panel doors/drawer fronts, I'm hoping this goes relatively quickly.
4. Build the benches.  Again, should be straightforward, but if I am crunched for time, I only need to build one (i.e., the one I will sit on).
   
5. Finish building the countertops (I'll talk more about this in a later post), and put up the backsplash/trim around the window.
   
6. Install the sink & stove, and run the water/propane hoses (the latter is actually in progress as we speak)
7. Finish ship-lap.  This should be a quick job.
   
8. Finish remaining electrical
9. Time permitting, various trim work & embellishments.

Will I get all this done in time?  Some days I think I won't. but other days (like today) I am more optimistic. Bottom line is that I have some flexibility in my departure date, so if I need a few extra days or even a week, no big deal.  Plus, I know there will be things that I won't get done and things that I want to add after being on the road (hopefully there won't be anything I need to change).  As long as I have all my basic functionality, I will be good to go!

Wiring for some of the ceiling lights.  The duct tape is just there to help hold the wiring up until the ceiling is installed (unfortunately, the hot weather caused some of the duct tape to soften, partially negating this measure)

A few wire bundles going up one of the walls.  In some cases I needed to drill holes in the metal supports using a step bit so I could feed the wires (and wire loom) through.  The upper right-hand corner is the future location of the control panel.

Wire bundles underneath the bed frame.  I knew there would be a lot of wires, but I was actually a little surprised how big the bundles were!

More wire bundles.  One of the benches will be to the right.

Back side of the electrical panel with all the cables run.  It was a little challenging to achieve at least some sense or order, but even then, it definitely looks chaotic.

The fuse box.  I certainly could have shortened up the wires a bit, but who cares?  As I was running wires, I ended up combining circuits and not using all the terminals.  Consequently, I will need to redo the labels.

Wiring of the control panel in progress.  This was just the beginning...it got much worse!

The finished product!  Clockwise starting from upper left: battery monitor, remote on/off switch for the inverter (the inverter consumes power even where there are no 110V devices being used), the stereo (AM/FM/CD/DVD/Bluetooth...the green aux cord is connected to my iPod), Bluetooth transmitter for solar power controller, and lighting gang switch panel (I like to multi-zone lighting).  Note the door on the side.  This is in case I need to access anything in the back, versus taking off the front panel.

The sub-wall for the garage with speakers mounted (there will be two more in the ceiling near the front seats).  The rectangular object below the right speaker is a power panel with two USB ports and a 12V socket, and the object next to left speaker is a 110V outlet.

This is a repurposed monitor that I previously used for photo editing, so it will work great for preliminary editing on the road.  It's connected to the stereo via an HDMI cable running overhead.  There's a front HDMI input on the stereo, to which I will be able to connect my laptop when editing photos.  Plus, I can watch a DVD if I'm really bored!

The pull-out dining table in the stored position (it'll have a front panel and a latch) .  The black object below is a pull-out waste basket, which I found a thrift/consignment shop for $10!  It will be hidden behind a door.

The pull-out dining table in place.  I wasn't exactly sure how I was going the build the table then quite by accident I found this 1" thick teak (yes, teak!) panel at Lowe's.  It was absolutely the perfect size, and all I had to do was polyurethane it.  To avoid the electrical panel to the right, I had to locate the drawer slides (which I found at the Habitat for Humanity store for $5!) closer to the center of the table, which worked just fine.

SPECIAL EDITION: Ansel Adams was a Campervaner (sort-of)

I recently ran across this photo of Ansel Adams taken by Cedric Wright in 1949.  It depicts Ansel cooking on the tailgate of his "woody" station wagon.  I do not know the location, but judging from what he appears to be cooking, the long shadows, and the fact his tripod is set up, I'm guessing he is waiting for sunset or some other optimal lighting conditions.

In any case, it's rather exciting to consider that Ansel apparently was an early practitioner of what I am trying to accomplish with Ansel the Campervan: drive my living accommodations to (or close to) my photo destinations.  Though I don't know where Ansel slept, clearly he cooked on location.

Speaking of Ansel and cooking, I also ran across this recipe by Ansel for eggs poached in beer.  As an avid homebrewer and beer lover, I definitely want to give this a try and may even make my own strong ale for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• ¹/₄ cup (2 ounces) butter
  
• mixed spices
  
• dash sherry
  
• 1 bottle dark malt liquor or strong ale (ordinary beer is not strong enough)
  
• ¹/₄ teaspoon salt
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 pieces toast
  
• dash paprika

Directions:

1. Melt butter in microwave oven, but do not allow to brown. Add a dash of mixed spices and sherry.
2. In a small bowl, microwave malt or ale with 1/4 teaspoon salt just to the boiling point. Carefully slide eggs into this hot liquid, cover with paper plate or glass bowl (to retain thermal heat), and cook as desired in microwave. (See note below on microwave cooking.)
3. While eggs are cooking in microwave, make 2 pieces of toast. Spread part of the butter-spice mix over the toast.
4. Serve eggs on the toast, and pour over the rest of the butter-spice mix. Add a dash of paprika.
5. Note on microwave cooking: I like my eggs poached soft. I find that 1 egg in the hot ale or malt takes about 1 minute to cook, 2 eggs about 2 minutes, etc., all the way up to 8 eggs about 8 minutes. When working with as many as 8 eggs, the bowl should be moved around every 2 to 3 minutes.