Stunning campervan SLATTED CEILING | Fiat Ducato | UK Self-build Campervan
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2024
- We did it! After what seems like forever our wooden slatted campervan ceiling is up in the van and looks great! We're so pleased with it. This is the story of how we planned, prepared, insulated, cut, sanded, oiled, built and fitted our van ceiling. We made it from 5mm plywood painted black and 18mm by 70mm strips of pine stained with Osmo Wood Wax Oak to give it a golden finish. These were then glued and nailed together before the entire thing was lifted and fitted to the van roof! Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below or over on our instagram @OurVanPlan and hope you enjoy the video!
Mark & Neil
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Products Used
Osmo Wood Wax Oak amzn.to/3sAo6Ex
Osmo Wood Protector amzn.to/3j2Ajyx
Nail gun amzn.to/3sCCPi2 (similar one in Screwfix)
Rivnut Tool: amzn.to/3wCO8au
Zinnser Primer: amzn.to/3r4y8g8
Vapour Barrier: amzn.to/36sAmwm
Makita Combi Drill & Impact Driver: amzn.to/3wwzJ0B
Timings
00:00 Intro
00:53 Planning the ceiling
07:03 Insulating the ceiling
07:57 Building the ceiling
10:06 5mm Plywood Base
13:29 Cutting & Measuring
17:27 Sanding & Staining
21:03 Assembling the ceiling
25:50 Fitting the ceiling in the van
29:53 The finished ceiling
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WHO ARE WE?
We're Mark and Neil and this is Our Van Plan. We've always wanted a camper van and took the plunge in 2020 by ordering a brand new medium wheelbase (L2H2) Fiat Ducato. We are converting it ourselves into the van of our dreams with little previous experience. We're glad to have you along for the ride!
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FOLLOW US
You can follow our build in real time over on Instagram....
/ ourvanplan
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#ukvanconversion #vanlife #campervan #ducatocampervan
You guys are awesome. The ceiling looks amazing and truly inspirational. The ceiling gives the van such a professional, quality finish and will be a perfect contrast for your oak worktop. Have been looking around for ideas for my van build and this is the ticket. Thank you and can’t wait for the next instalment!
Thanks Dave. Appreciate the comments and seeing it in place makes all the blood, sweat and tears worth it!
Great looking result for the roof! The attention to detail in the build continues to impress.
Ah that’s so kind to say that. It’s a long haul but really pleased with it!
Wow, looking great. Missed you guys. First time I’ve seen the ceiling assembled then installed
Thanks Chris. Going to try and speed up on the edits 😂
Beautiful. Loving your systematic approach and attention to detail. Stunning finish!
Thank you, much appreciated
Play dough is genius! Wish I'd thought of that during my framing!
Looking great, it just goes to show how much work goes into the build
Fabulous job, it looks amazing. So glad your back. I have just finished putting the superliner over the sound deadening. This took absolutely ages due to my OCD had to put it in every orifice!!! well it looks a bit like a patchwork quilt but it does the job. Have 3 out of 4 windows done, getting there all but slowly. I am retired so don't have the energy levels but hey ho onward we go. So looking forward to your next video, take care and stay safe guys xx
Ah thank you, really appreciate the kind words. Sounds like yours is coming along nicely. That early part seems to go on forever but progress does get quicker! We decided to make sure we enjoy it so taken any pressure off us by not having a deadline! Good luck and keep in touch 😊
Looks amazing. 👏🏻👏🏻
Have just discovered your channel. Thanks for all your input. Best channel yet. Everything thought about and everything explained. Picking up a crafter today ready for conversion and sure things will go a little more smoothly thanks to your well explained informative videos. Thanks again 😊
Thanks for the comment, appreciate it and glad you find the videos helpful. Enjoy your conversion, it’s a great experience if a little stressful in the early days 😆
Great job lads, first class work. love the editing and the music too!
Cheers, music is important to me!
Looks fantastic, love the attention to detail
Thanks Mick
Great job guys attention to detail and taking your time . also walking away having a break coming back to it refreshed enjoy making great memories good luck Gary
Thanks Gary, yes important to step back sometimes to see all that you’ve achieved.
I have just fitted my ply and thinking what to do next ,thanks guys you just answered my question 👍👏😃
Haha good luck, it’s worth the effort!
Stunning I’m inspired
i've been scratching my head ( and procrastinating heavily) with getting back on it with my van, especially the ceiling but after coming across this video today - I'm ready to crack on tomorrow !. Keep up the good work fellas !
Glad to hear we served as a bit of inspiration and motivation. I remember the ups and downs and the can’t be bothered feeling! But it’s true what people said to me, as you get half way everything seems to come together really quickly and progress ramps up!
Thanks for the useful tips.
Great ceiling!
Thank you
Super helpful, thanx!
Nice vlog, more frequent please. Love the playdo tip
Thanks! There’s a few in the queue, just struggling to find the time to edit but will make sure the gap is shorter next time 😊
Now this has given me ideas. I might just run LED strips between the slats.
Very nicely done 👍
Thanks Mark. Yeah we did think about the LED strips. I think they’d work really well.
I'm thinking exactly the same. Looking at individually addressable LED's so the bed area and living area can be lit differently depending on what you want
I have been waiting for this for ages! I thought you had both given up on your channel! Well done it looks great. I will be doing the same but with 12m rather than 18m I think.
Love the colour finish and right choice with the OSMO!
Thank you! Yeah haven’t had any time lately with a new job and trying to get the van done so editing has taken a back seat. Hopefully be more regular content from now on! Thanks for sticking with us 😊
That looks top notch, well done
Thank you
Nice job. It looks great.
Thanks 🙏
Well done 👏
Thanks
That looks A1 chaps 👌🏻
Thanks 🙏
Great job well done 👍
Thanks 🙏
Really helpful, very many thanks
Glad you found it helpful 👍🏻
These videos are a great way to record your build. Your work is excellent. If you ever sell the van you will get top dollar 💵!
Thanks Chris! It’s definitely good to be able to look back at what we’ve achieved!
Great video 👏👏👏
Thank you
Great job!! Thanks for posting. FYI I agree, it was well worth the effort ;-)
Thanks glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻
Hard work but looks great 👍🏼 good job
Thanks 🙏
Really nice job. When I saw your van tour, I thought the roof had been done by a conversion company. Well done.
Ah thank you, appreciate it. Glad you liked the video 👍🏻
I love the ceiling and what I’m planning on too 👌🏻
Thanks, you won’t regret it. Tho maybe think about making it lighter 😂
@@OurVanPlan yes it’ll be lighter without compromising the look of it. Thanks for sharing 👌🏻
@@OurVanPlan I was thinking one way to make it lighter is to use a dado blade to remove wood from the slats - leaving 1/2 inch on each side to nail to and 1/4 inch on the top. A bit of extra prep work , no doubt, but worth it.
very nice like the style ,update on nasty tongue and groove which i personally hate great job again
My van (L4H3) should be here in a few weeks, its the new facelift model, new car like interior and a slightly different front bumper, im going to do the same ceiling as you and like you said it looks really good..im panting mine white because I want the inside to be bright and not dark like some ive seen although the colour you have does look nice also because I dont want any part of the inside looking like a sauna..lol, Another great video though guys 👍👍
Thanks. Your van will be a beast, so much space. Very jealous. Sounds like a good plan and we did consider painting ours. We’re trying to make sure we keep the rest of the van as light as possible as know what’s you mean. Also didn’t want a sauna 😂
You've really played down how much hard work all that is , well guys looking good
Thank you, appreciated 😊
Class job there van is looking sweet 👌 perfection 💯👉🍻
Thanks Stephen 🙏
I have watched a few of this series and you have been very thorough with every step of the way. I was just wandering if you have done a cost analysis for your full build compared to buying a ready made one. I guess your empty shell cost around 23k.
Another great video. Think I’m going to try this in sections. Think you could hide the joins with the black ply.
Yep that’d definitely work and make it easier to manoeuvre.
5:56 .. that glue will make a noticeable difference, it's really very strong! :)
Wicked
That turned out really nice, well done!
I was thinking of doing the same thing, I'm glad you've done it first 😉 I've got a ducato l3h2 so following you has been great.
Im very conscious about keeping weight low, you mentioned using 12mm pine instead. Do you think there's any other ways? Different wood for the slats, thinner ply board or different underlayer ? Etc
Thanks 🙏 I think overall the weight is ok although I was thinking about 12mm thick pine slats instead of 18mm. That would be worth considering on the L3.
Great looking ceiling. I have one question; do you think that the stick pins for the insulation will stay stuck to the Dodo Mat stuff?
Absolutely love watching your videos and even though I've watched them all before I am going back through them again.where did you get your roof slats from? I see you said they were 18mm x 70mm but just wondering where you acquired them? Thanks
Glad you’re finding them useful. The slats were from Sydenhams but I must say they weren’t the best quality so shop around. Didn’t help I bought them in April after months of snow and rain so some were a bit warped.
Looking to do the same with a LWB sprinter. Will have 2 roof vents and will use the gaps for individually addressable LED strips. Definitely looking to reduce weight where possible so would opt for 12mm. Would a thinner version of the ply work better? Are there any plastic alternatives that would help reduce weight further? I think the black background and wooden slats looks so slick! Looks way easier to construct upside down away from the van and then put the finished piece in rather than trying to get the slats mounted one by one to the ceiling. removes the need for covering up screw holes in the wood too
You won’t regret it. Building it first was challenging with the install but looks better I think. I’d definitely go with 12mm and you could also hollow it out behind using a router. The ply I painted black was pretty thin tbh but I did consider that black plastic sheeting you can buy from Wickes (not sure what it’s for maybe roofing) but because it’s so thin you’d have to put that up first then the slats.
Lads, another great video. It's obvious you have really researched each job.... which is great for me cause I'll just copy 😀.
How much celotex did you use in the van. I know you have 25mm floor and ceiling with 50mm walls.
I want to try and work out what I need for my l3 ducato when it comes next year.
Thanks David. I think I used 2 x 25mm and 1 x 50mm for ours. Depending what you’re doing with the walls, and with an L3, I could imagine you’d need another 50 at least.
Thanks mate, I thought id need a lot more to be honest. I look forward to seeing the rest of your build
Roof looks brilliant. Could I ask where you bought the strip wood? Can't find any suitable at my local places. All 2.4m lengths.
Thank you. We got it from Sydenhams. It wasn’t the best quality to be honest but ok.
A belated thanks for a great video. You look like you might be a similar height to me (6ft). I’m torn between a basic thin white ply ceiling which would give me slightly more head room and this beautiful option here which would mean I may brush the ceiling depending on footwear. Does this happen to you and would you give me any advice to help my decision?
Glad you found the video useful. Yes I’m 6ft and Neil is a bit taller. No problems at all with the height of the ceiling for us other than under the fan as that comes down a bit lower but really don’t notice it at all. I think we could have used thinner planks (12mm rather than 18mm) to save weight too but we love the chunky look of it.
Where did you purchase the 3m long pine strips from, I only seem to be able to source 2.4m long .
They’re from Sydenhams although the quality wasn’t great. There’s a Sydenhams timber yard near us which is different to some of their normal locations but had loads of types of wood.
Hi,Have you done video on "over head lockers ? Good videos
I will be, haven’t started them yet but it’s next in the list.
Also kitchen unit. many thanks for taking time to do videos
Hi Guys, another great Video, still waiting for my van, just quick Q when you put the ceiling up was that a vapour barrier as well I saw? Thanks
Thanks Gary. Hope yours arrives soon. Yeah we had the insulation and aluminium tape already on the ceiling but for belts and braces we put more vapour barrier across the back of the ceiling ply before fitting it.
@@OurVanPlan Good plan, it looks brilliant. I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all and haven't even got the van😂
Yeah I had a right nightmare with the rivet screw nuts spinning when fixing my bed to the van wall. Had to rip it out like you did. Nightmare! 😆
I live in California we have a nice toasty weather out here,do you think it’s enough with air fun vs air condition install to keep it nice and fresh?
It does get hot when it gets to around 30 degrees. At night the fan can cool it down nicely but I’d expect you’d need air con in cali!
great job guys! I´m just wandering, what´s the headroom after the ceiling and floor is done? I want the same van l2h2 but i´m a bit worry with my 185 cm to fit in.
It’s fine I’m 183cm and have about 3cm clearance. We could have been more efficient and given more headroom, or used less chunky pine slats, but it doesn’t feel low or cramped.
Brilliant job looks fantastic iam going to do 1 just like this could you tell me where you got the wood from thanks
We got the wood from Sydenhams but it wasn’t amazing. I’ve been recommended Champion timber.
@@OurVanPlan brilliant thanks for your help your van looks brilliant 👏
It looks ace. Interested to know why you decided to do it all outside the vehicle, seems like quite a big extra time cost.
Haha yeah it was but we wanted to fix the slats from behind so you couldn’t see it from inside! Also makes it easier to make sure the slats were straight and evenly spaced.
I think I’d have just cut plugs, but again, it looks fab.
Beautiful job on the ceiling! I love your attention to detail and commitment to getting things right. We’ll definitely be referencing your videos when we do our own build.
I wondered if I could ask you a question please? We, too, are in the UK and are planning to factory order a new Fiat Ducato to convert, and I noticed in one of your first videos you said that you got a massive discount on the van as well as the options you selected. Would you mind telling me how much the discount was and which dealer you went through? And did you have to negotiate quite a bit to get it, or did they simply offer it to you? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question -we’ve always purchased used vehicles and never had to haggle about the purchase price of such an expensive item before.
Many thanks for any advice you can provide and good luck with the build!
Hi, I ordered from here just depends on what you think is a good discount, they do most vans www.vansalesuk.co.uk/new-vans/Fiat/Ducato/options/WebsiteCategory/VAN/StockType/N/
Thanks Carole, glad you like it. We feel lost at times with it all but hopefully it shows if we can do it anyone can 😂
Regarding the van, speak to Steve at Johnson’s Fiat in Swindon and mention Mark and the van conversion. It was a promotion at the time but I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have similar discounts now. Only thing is with vans a bit scarce it might have pushed prices up. I would say though that with new vehicles, even cars, be bold. You can get thousands off the quoted price without too much hassle!
Thanks both - we’ll just try to do our best! I know that the discounts on Fiat are steeper than more luxury brands like Mercedes.
Thanks for the details of your dealership, Mark. Swindon is only an hour and a half for us, so we will definitely look up Steve at Johnson’s Fiat and mention your name.
Hi I've been doing van conversions for years, one thing i`ve noticed is nobody is putting a air barrier between the steel inner shell and the insulation anymore by doing this it cuts down on and eliminates heat and moisture build up in the thermal liner, two ways of doing this is to leave a bit of space between the steel shell and insulation other way is to glue the tin foil bubble wrap insulation to the steel shell, the tin foil bubble wrap is the better way because you get 3 in 1, air barrier, sound deadening + an extra 25mm of insulation in a very thin material, i do this so my van conversions can be used all year round, no heat coming in in the summer and no heat loss in the winter, just putting it out there encase you are thinking about starting a van conversion saving you money on buying sound deadening proofing mat
Think you've just saved me a load on sound deadening material, thanks for the idea!
Nice ceiling. But don't understand why you've used good quality ply. When you won't notice what quality it is. And I'm pretty sure your battens are pine not oak as you mentioned
Yes they are pine with oak oil stain. Ply wise, we used the standard stuff from Wickes for most of it and the light weight ply for the visible places as the finish was better. Eg kitchen.
How tall are you? Cheers
6ft so can stand in shoes and not touch the ceiling. Only a cm in it though!
@@OurVanPlan roof looks mega, I’m trying to find a l2h2 but the used market hasn’t got much to offer
so many of these video on the net, blind leading the blind
Volume control .. I have a habit of staying up late and watching youtube, informative videos like ths ne.
And this is to all youtube content creators, can you stabilize the volume please??? I have to constantly raise the volume to HEAR you, then crank it down fast when the annoying music comes on. So it doesn't wake up everyone in the house.
Like how hard is it to set the volume the SAME for the entire video???
And no I do not want "gamer head" skull deformation from wearing headsets all night! :) ... I have to keep an ear out for other sounds to.
!!!!! you should NOT place your towels on the ground if you intend on using them again as they will pick up little bits or stones that could scratch your wood, just thought