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  • 1 year ago
Continue following our Toyota Hiace SLWB Hightop campervan conversion journey! In this episode, we focus on the critical aspects of sound deadening and insulation that can make or break your van build experience.

We share an honest look at a significant measurement error that taught us valuable lessons about double-checking calculations in complex van spaces. Watch as we progress with marine ply floor installation and discuss our upcoming solar system plans.

This episode also covers realistic expectations for DIY conversion timelines versus professional builds, as we balance our van life dreams with practical project management. We're working toward having our basic setup ready for an Airlie Beach adventure.

Perfect for aspiring van builders, DIY enthusiasts, or anyone interested in the real challenges of creating a mobile tiny house. We show both the successes and setbacks that come with transforming a commercial vehicle into a comfortable home on wheels.

Episode Highlights:
Critical measurement mistake and lessons learned
Marine ply flooring installation process
Solar installation planning and preparation
Realistic DIY conversion timeline expectations
Balancing project goals with practical constraints

Timestamps:
0:00 Shocking Measurement Fail We Should Have Noticed
0:17 Intro
0:55 Using ChatGPT to help with campervan conversion
1:58 Tin foil hat protection
3:22 Allowing time for materials and trades
4:00 Toyota Commuter campervan conversion timeframe
4:38 Matt's expectations on timeline
6:49 Planning for solar installation
7:40 Matt's Starsailor cover attempt
8:08 Bloopers

Tags: campervan-conversion, toyota-hiace, van-life, diy-camper, australia, tiny-house, van-build, mobile-living, off-grid, solar-installation

*Previous Episodes*
Episode 1: https://youtu.be/_bnGqKQl29o

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Transcript
00:00Off they go, bags in tow, Matt and Chrissy hit the road.
00:05Maps unfold, stories told, adventures never getting old.
00:10Matt and Chrissy roam so free, through the city, past the sea.
00:15Finding joy in every mile.
00:20There you go, that's how you know we've started.
00:24Hi guys, we're back again.
00:27What a day.
00:28This has been a big day.
00:29So, what, maybe four hours, five hours?
00:34Yep.
00:35I reckon we're probably close to you.
00:37And as an update, as you probably recall, Matt said that we had an obscene amount of lining.
00:47What do you think about it?
00:48Well, okay.
00:50I didn't rely on my mathematic capabilities, which are nothing to brag about.
00:56I use ChatGPT.
00:57Look, there's nothing wrong with taking some help from time to time.
01:04Not at all.
01:05Not at all.
01:05But I suppose, words of the wise, there's two factors to consider this.
01:09Number one, don't trust AI implicitly.
01:11But number two, I didn't really take into consideration just how much more aware we would be of spaces down behind the panels.
01:22Like, we've gone down to the point that we're a good forearms length down in between the panel work here to really apply the sound editor and the insulation.
01:34So, it's interesting sitting in here now talking and the...
01:38It's echoing.
01:38Well, it's echoing a little bit, but it's not echoing like it did before.
01:43I suppose, given that the timber's off the sides...
01:45True.
01:46...they would have almost acted like soft furnishings, I suppose.
01:49True.
01:50But now it's just a metal shell, pretty much.
01:53And there's one bit there and some lovely maroon fine foil.
01:57For those conspiracy theorists out there, we're net tinfoiled.
02:02Yeah.
02:02I don't have to go to bed with a tinfoil hat on anymore.
02:06It's like our own little Faraday cage.
02:08Oh, okay.
02:12So, Matt's ordered another roll of sound deadener.
02:17One more.
02:17Same deal.
02:18And whatever this insulation is.
02:20We've got three panels at the top here that still need to be filled.
02:24A few gaps in the front areas and the door and the back door as well.
02:30So, eight metres we're hoping will be enough.
02:33I think if we're slightly short, it's not the end of the world.
02:38We have got a tiny bit of sound deadener still there.
02:43Maybe, what, a metre?
02:45About a metre.
02:46Yeah.
02:47So, yeah.
02:48I don't have a square metre because it's about half a metre wide.
02:50So, yeah, we'll probably get that stripped down above the door with that.
02:55And that'll be that.
02:57Here's that.
02:59So, while we're waiting for the rest of the sound deadener,
03:03we're going to start cutting the rest of the floor bits, I think.
03:07Yep.
03:08Last time they were quite quick at delivering, which was fantastic.
03:12What was it, maybe three days, four days?
03:14No, it was closer to a week.
03:16Was it?
03:16Yeah, closer to a week.
03:17But it was still pretty good.
03:19It came up in Victoria, so this will be coming up again, same sell-off.
03:23Yep.
03:23So, if you are ordering, make sure you allow time.
03:27In my experience, or our experience, doing renovations, subdivisions, and property stuff,
03:36Oh, time.
03:38It always takes twice as long as what you anticipate.
03:41So, if they say nine months, double it.
03:43Yeah, the gestation period for a house is not nine months.
03:47Yeah, that's a pregnancy.
03:51So, I think we're tracking pretty well.
03:56I'm happy.
03:57We met with a couple, well, a guy, actually, when we picked up the freight cage, and they
04:06had been working on their conversion, and it had been two years of work.
04:12Now, I'm pretty sure that was in between their day jobs, and all the rest of it, and he mentioned
04:19that they had engineered everything, and...
04:22Well, they're both engineers, so they've re-engineered it.
04:24Engineered everything.
04:26I don't know that we will be that pedantic.
04:29No, no.
04:31More functional, get it ready.
04:33Because we want to get up to early beach in about five weeks tomorrow.
04:36So, in the next five weeks, ideally, I'd like to have the floor down, the solar installed,
04:43the last of the deadener done, and the bed frame least built, so we can get a bed in here.
04:48Yes.
04:49That will then pretty much just be a carcass underneath for us to be able to build the
04:53drawer assembly that we're after.
04:55Yes.
04:55And the cage fitted, which, I mean, it's probably going to be close to, like, more over the halfway mark.
05:02I think we'll be well past the halfway mark.
05:05We met with Marson from Stagbit, and he had said that when he does his fit-outs, it takes
05:15about three to four weeks.
05:18The extra week is to allow for unforeseen things, so if there's rust and so forth.
05:24We don't have any rust.
05:25We made sure when we bought the van that there was no rust.
05:28That was high priority for us.
05:30And I don't know.
05:34I think for us, we don't have a template.
05:37We're making the template as we go.
05:40We've never done this before.
05:40We've got an idea.
05:42We know what we mean.
05:42And we're seeing how things fit.
05:46So I think the fact that we are looking at this from an ultra-practical perspective is
05:52probably going to be what helps us get across the line that a little bit quicker.
05:56The soft furnishings and finishing touches, all those sorts of things, still happen in
06:00time.
06:01We're not in a rush.
06:02Yeah.
06:03Keeping in mind that Marcin is doing this full-time.
06:07That's his gig.
06:08That's his business.
06:09They're good-looking outfits.
06:11They look fantastic.
06:12And he's got a template, as I say.
06:14But this is something we're doing in our spare time.
06:17So I'm anticipating it will take longer.
06:21And look, as long as we've got a platform that we can put a mattress on and we can chuck
06:27our bags underneath, that's good for me to go.
06:29Yeah, we won't be plumbing in anything.
06:33The closest we'll have to anything that's permanently installed will be the solar with
06:38a couple of GPOs, which once we've got the floor down, we'll map out where we want, what
06:42we want, and we'll just drop the van off with the solar mob and they can do their work.
06:47There is still quite a bit of work that needs to be done as far as identifying who we're
06:53going to work with for the solar and there are local people.
07:00It has been probably a little bit more challenging than we expected finding someone to do the work.
07:07But in saying that, the people we have spoken with have been very helpful and referred us.
07:13So we just need to make the time to reach out to those businesses and we will keep you posted on that.
07:20Yeah, we'll see you in a couple of bottles of wine later.
07:25We're having wine tonight, okay.
07:27Tomorrow.
07:28Tomorrow.
07:29Okay, so next up we're going to go on the floor.
07:33Go on the floor.
07:34So...
07:36Keep your posted.
07:38Go on the floor.
07:40Go on the floor.
07:42Full on the floor.
08:03Go Nuts!
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