Mercedes LP 813

[Proteus]

More drawers in the kitchen, still have two to be made

[rvmaker]

Quite sleek design. I like the odd angle in the closet to make access easier.

[jhud]

👍 very well done and good thinking on ordinances j

[Proteus]

Thanks !

Just trying to stay rational in my building thoughts/plans and manual skills.

I'm helping for now a neighbour who recently bought a van, converted as a RV, being poorly build. A shame to look at...

Sometimes sad to see how People think. In this case, the builder was a surfer, his main priorities were where to stow his surfboards, and the rest of the accommodation was put around those boards.

This is why I always point out to think, think, and draw,.draw before commencing any building.

Anyway, I'm coming here with my big mouth, but if I had to redo it, I would have changed two things: 1: keep the rear folding down door, to have a rear terrace, and 2: putting two apart berths in the front berthroom, it would have allowed me to put another two beds above.

[jbeech]

I must admit to appreciating this thread quite a bit 'and' learning a lot - especially with respect to water heating and his approach to a conversion using external access. Ingenious!

Regarding helping a neighbor with a van conversion, and the job being poorly built, I long ago learned there are differing standards of acceptability. That, and virtually all were below 'my' standards. Thus, I try really hard to bite my tongue and just help when asked because some of these people are not blind to the differences and are doing the best they can.

For example, a fellow I once helped with a model airplane was doing a shit job. I mean everything from poor glue joints where glue made the joint instead of balsa, to wrinkled covering, and crappy equipment installation, everything was at a very poor level. Turns out he was raised by his mother alone, e.g. no father, brothers, uncles, kindly neighbor, or any men. Absent a Dad to show him how to do anything, he was literally doing the best he could.

So I took to doing something part way whilst explaining what I was doing, then asking if he'd like to take over. And then watching carefully and offering pointers as he completed the task. Same technique I use with my grandson. He's getting better and could fairly be said to now be working to a good standard without my help.

The point being, despite my level being what I think of as quite good, I'm sure there are amongst us those who would look at my work and say it's shit, also! Takes all sorts and it's a credit to our friend he is helping the fellow with the shit RV conversion. If I were a betting man, I'd suspect that fellow will come out of his experience doing better and if he ever does another RV-conversion, it will be better for his experience with this one.

[Proteus]

We always are someone's idiot, period.

I'm no better than someone else, I agree with you, Jay.

But as you do, when I can help, I do it, if & when the beneficiary allows me to help him/her.

In this case, this neighbour (a woman with three young children) asked me for help. So, we both are looking to make her life easier within her RV.

She thought her gas driven fridge was toasted, I just showed her how to start it with the "Piezzo", she used a lighter before.

I showed her how to start her water boiler, it had to be filled to the top with water before it could be started.

I cut some struts around a lower berth, which were completely unneeded and which hampered the access to this berth.

She has five bicycle rails on the back of her truck, set vertically, she is completely unable to lift those weighy bikes into place before they can be strapped. I'll build a new horizontal bike rack, at a comfortable height for her.

And so on...

[jbeech]

You're a good guy!

[Proteus]

If you say so, hehe!

I never ask money to help, I even never ask for sex with those women. Some really are surprized.

By the way, I went further with the works, I had some place between the two rows of drawers, I've put in there a garbage/trash can, made out of plywood with the same front pine finish as the drawers.

Capacity is about 35 litres (10 gallons).

[jbeech]

Smart idea to use an otherwise wasted space for a tilt-out trash bin!

Regarding the surfer and his building out the neighbor's conversion van to RV use, I can appreciate that because my goal is building out to suit my use, which is attending model airplane flying events. This heavily influences what I'm doing 'but' I'm also not blind to the day I'm going to sell, e.g. what use the next guy will be making of my creation. That said, my build is quite basic.

For example, the Florida code for converting to motor-home use a commercial truck weighing over 26,500lbs (the point being to title it so that I'm not required to have a Class A driver's license for its operations) is it must include one of these three: plumbing, 110V-electrical, LP-gas hookup.

This leave quite a lot of room for interpretation. Will the next guy appreciate what I do? If I'm careful he'll never know what use I made of it and will instead see a nearly blank canvass for his own use.

[Proteus]

Kitchen doors and drawers completed.

The left row counts four drawers and two doors, the upper door hosts the gas valves and gives access to the sink siphon for repairs

the right row has 5 drawers and two doors, the two doors being the most important part of this "mobile man's cave", the bar, of course!

[jbeech]

Yes, no MMC is complete without a wee nip of whisky, and maybe some rum.

[Proteus]

Hi all,

as cleaning the box was useless, I decided to apply a new coat of paint.

I also put some adhesive letters to do a BMW motorcycle racing service truck lookalike

[Proteus]

I also built two funnels coming out above the roof, the little one is the fridge exhaust, the big one is the water heater exhaust.

[Proteus]

more pics of the water heater funnel cap

[rvmaker]

Are the pipes high enough if it pouring water?

[Proteus]

They stick for about one inch out, should be enough.

Experience will tell...

[hoodoo valley]

The new paint looks fantastic, nice job!

[Proteus]

Hi all!

At last, finally, I got the washroom ceiling done.

Insulation first, then the ceiling made out of 4mm thick MDF, which has been coated/doped with 5 coats of linseed oil followed by 5 coats of white paint.

Lighting, as all my lighting elsewhere in the truck, is done with led strip, located within a gutter, no direct light into the eyes.

the second picture depicts the lighting "in situ", while it already was dark outside.

[Proteus]

Funny story here.

One and a half year ago, I go to a old trucks meeting in France, with a few guys belonging to my truck club.

I meet there a guy telling me he has spares for my truck.

OK, after a chat, we decide to keep in touch and I forget the case.

Three months ago, the guy sends me an email with the same offer.

Being short on money for the moment, I'm sorry to tell him I won't be able to buy whatever he could supply.

Three weeks ago, he sends me another email, telling me he has to leave the place where he stocks the truck (Yes, the truck was whole, but the cab being dismounted and lying on the floor), and he proposes me to get the whole for free, but it has to be removed before the end of october.

After some head scratching, I found out some ways to ship the cab to my place, and the frame with engine/gearbox/front & rear axle will be brought within a few weeks.

[hoodoo valley]

(In America we have a saying)


Some people just suck. You sir.... SUCK! (laughing)


Nice score!