Flooring in a Sprinter van | Van builder's secrets for the DIY warrior
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ต.ค. 2020
- Watch this video once and it seems like common sense! But when it comes to building a van, these simple tips are worth their weight in gold! It all starts with the flooring in a Sprinter van.
The Amazon link to that awesome Milwaukee caulk gun along with all the other Humble Road approved tools are on my website www.humbleroad.tv
#onahumbleroad
#customvanbuild
#diyvanbuild
The Amazon link to that awesome Milwaukee caulk gun along with all the other Humble Road approved tools are on my website www.humbleroad.tv
What is your opinion on the need for radiated floor heating or not.. I am not sure if I need to have my 1st heated or not want to know your opinion on it.
with most builds from other people id fast forward to the interesting bit, with Georges videos the whole thing is interesting. who'd have thought watching a floor go down could make me sit still for 25 minutes,and dont forget the extra 18 seconds
Not Cake Boss, George - You’re the Van Boss!! Another great video - thanks!
George is a Sprinter artisan! He didn't learn Sprinters. He spent thousands of hours building a relationship with them! Thank you for your time and teachings.
It's not weird, right? Dreaming of a van every night? Admiring frame structure from afar... keep an eye on me, Neal, I may need to see a doctor. 😉😁
@@HumbleRoad 😝 it's called PASSION! When you see that doctor, teach him a few things! 😉
Dreaming of Van's every night? Need to see a doctor? They don't have a name for what that affliction is. "It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again!". 😄.
@@NealHill0 Where passion meets opportunity = Being in your element!
I am in AWE of your amazing attention to EVERY detail of your build .... from the design through to the finishing ..... and ALSO the thought of a "possible" future need to access and trouble shoot any foreseeable mechanical problem, ... down the road !!!! :) :) :) :) :)
This IS what puts Humble Road so far ABOVE , ANY of the competition out there ........
Thank you Rick!
George, I am literally watching each of your videos with a notepad and a pen because I am learning from EVERYTHING you are doing for my "girl-van" build! You rock! Thank you so much for everything you do! You are INCREDIBLY awesome! You are my surrogate dad! LOL! You have extra kids and you didn't even know it! LMAO!
That is awesome!
I've been calling TH-cam my second Dad for long time now.
.
Sunday morn... Cup of coffee in hand... Alone; a light reflection of my laptop off my tired face... Mesmerized by images of mamaluke batteries, high points and dollops... Soft custard-like extractions from an electric caulk gun that would even make Tom "Cookie Puss" Carvel proud... All means to an end for a masterfully puzzled Sprinter's rear deck!! I am so relaxed now! I even forgot there's an election soon!! Thank you George for always taking the time sharing your incredible thought process and techniques!!
Beautiful writing, Perry! Will you help me with my memoirs?
@@HumbleRoad Hahaha!! Keep making memories, and you got a deal!! I'd be happy dolloping for you! I'd be damn good at dolloping! ;-)
😁
Love the meticulous thought processes, not for construction only, but for (gulp), “possible repair access.”. You’re right, George, not the usual manufacturer mindset.
It is a joy to watch an engineer-artist at work. Thank you for sharing with the world. 🥰
+1... Gold, Solid Gold workmanship. .. Norm Abraham's of This Old House & New Yankee Workshop would be proud!!
every week it a van building workshop . I know how much more time it take to do the video and build . so thank you !!!!
Thank you. Do you think you'll ever get back here? Enjoy following you on IG.
New Humble Road watch party drinking game; take a drink every time George says “mama Luke” 🥂 😬
George. WOW!!! Now that is an excellent "how to video"! Showing all details, reasons why, options, how to. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Another fantastic video. You pay so much attention to detail. If I was having a professional building me a van, there is nobody other than you I'd feel confident they would do the right thing without cutting corners. Mr. & Mrs. Sprinter are lucky they went to you to build their van.
Too bad the leveling company didn't put rivnuts in the floor and run their mounting bolts up from underneath.
You are a true craftsman sir!! Looking forward to having you build my van someday
I love your attention to detail!! Van build perfection 101. I am dreaming of doing my own build with the help of my brothers, so thank you very much for your videos.
Such attention to detail.. you are a master outfitter.
For a while there when you glued down the foam board I thought ‘oh no, he forgot to cut out the access hatch’. I should have known better. Thx for all the details and forward thinking. Keeping the client in mind always!!!
George you are The Van Builder Man!! Thank you for sharing all your hard work with us!
You are very welcome
Wonderful work, thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing George! Beautiful and amazing works love it. 👍😍
Many thanks
Another great video. Thanks George
When I do my Van I'm going to use this system.
Great work! Great planning!
It's really nice to see a well thought and well executed project. Thanks for your tutorial of how a pro thinks and works!
You're very welcome!
I am so loving your builds with all your thought processing. Clean work spaces and clarity of build. These vlogs need to be standard practices for all pro builders. Cheers from Canader eh!
Thank you so much!
Awesome video, thanks! was going to put a 1/2 in sub over formular but never considered what the weight of everything will do. Will not have the luxury of perfectionism like you so will have to find a solution. Thanks again!
Amazing work there
Well done sir !
Very detail , great video , well done sir.
Thank you kindly
He's the detailman!
I want you to build my van! This is great!
Bonasera will be there for you on that floor, George, should that day ever come...God forbid.
Excellent video, as usual.
Another great Sunday morning start to my week with a Humble Road video. You give such thoughtful, detailed instruction to all the DIY’rs. people get a master class of van building by watching your channel. I know you have a channel to share your passion, and that’s fantastic. I think you should have a link to an Amazon affiliate shop. I’m sure many of your over 45K viewers, shop there, I certainly do. A long, long, time ago when building van #1, you had a link to buy some electrical stuff, wago something I believe. When I shop on Amazon I still go back and use that link to buy my items. It doesn’t cost me anything extra but a few seconds of my time. I’m certain others would do the same. Something to consider for sure. You have thousands of loyal viewers that I know would support you in that way. Thanks again for being the artisan craftsman that you are, yet still fun to watch. 🚐🛠👨🏻🎨❤️
Thank you Maitilda. I think it's time for me to build my Amazon store.
@@HumbleRoad you probably just sold a 1000 tubes of glue on Amazon and 100 glue guns!! Might as well make something off of it!!
I don't know what they pay this guy for these builds, but it seems like it's very worth it.
I had a good laugh when you mentioned your plumbing while pointing toward your backside.
I enjoy your channel...entertaining and informative.
BTW; I am 67 years old and have been a professional photographer for 48 years.
I had planned to go full time RV upon retiring at my 5O anniversary.
But the Covit has destroyed my business so I may begin earlier.
Thanks 👍
The economic crash of 2008 pretty much destroyed my photo studio. I never recovered, so I started building a van!
Nice Show!
Did you consider screwing the aluminum joists to the floor instead of glueing them? In Sprinter you have some factory mounting points that could be used. Great work and great videos by the way :)
Excellent video as always.
I've seen a video on a Sprinter build. Its a independent company.
They use the over the wheel well water tank.
And the guy built the shower with powder coated metal. It's a tall metal box or large locker.Metal door too.
I like your van with wood.
Those over the wheel well water tanks are well designed. I just want more capacity without joining them together. I like to get at least 40 gallons of fresh, 45-50 is even better.
Oh yes, I've seen the stainless steel shower stall. I like the long term low maintenance. I would definitely consider that in a future build.
Why didn’t I think of that! My wood joists are molding already.absolutely brilliant! I love aluminum! I might have even go as far as putting the 1 inche foam cut outs inside the channel to fill them up
Go for it! 👍
George, I love spening time in your mind - it's a nice place to be.
Can I stay here, please?
SUBFLOOR: 1” x 1;8” aluminum joists are glued to high points on van floor rinb. Each glue point on van floor ribs was ground / sanded to bare metal so aluminum joists can bond to ribs. Spaces between each aluminum joist are filled with 1” polystyrene foam (Polyiso has better insulation qualities, is less messy to cut and lis more hydrophobic.) Foam sheets are glued to van floor ribs.. On top of that goes 1/2” plywood.
This subfloor allows airflow between the van floor and underneath the subfloor.
Story sticks? Transfer joist locations from glued-up floor assembly to story stick, and then from stick to wall. Or simply use a saddle square to transfer the centerlines of your aluminum ‘joists’ to the top surface and just draw all the centerlines on the plywood subfloor.
Love the screen door .Best of all. Oh also have to have shower in back.
From Georgia
The next two vans will have a rear bath.
I love the power glue gun!
Me tooooooooo
Sometimes I wonder whether Humble Road Studios exists so that George can justify buying a bunch of cool toys. And the power caulk gun is very cool.
SHHHHHHH! 🤣
You’re attention to detail is inspiring! What caulk-adhesive are you using to mount the aluminum strips to the Van floor?
He mentioned Loctite PL Marine in another video. It might be that.
Great job on the floor. Looks solid. What kind of adhesive did you use? Was it still the PL Marine or did you use the PL Loctite? Is this adhesive compatible with xps? I am assuming that it is (as you wear suspenders), however checking because I want to wear suspenders as well. lol.
Such a pleasure to watch your master class videos George. With the benefit of time and kaizen, are the methods and materials used in this video still your go-to, preferred flooring system? I believe one of your responses to a comment was to be careful of potential off-gassing with Polyiso and XPS. Since EPS uses O2 as the “expansion” gas, would you think this might me a “safer”, albeit slightly less insulating, option?
We call those secret access points "soft patches" in ships. Too bad many van builders ignore their importance. A classic head-scratcher is the missing soft patch access over the floor access panel to the fuel pump in many Japanese vans.
Oh mon bon seigneur ! Fondant tarte tatin et crème brûlée 😂👌❤️❤️ you are a great
Nice work! Could you insulate the floor joists either with expansion foam or cut foam to fit?
I’ve watched this video at least 6 times. Thank you for the detail. I’m hoping to shamelessly steal the flooring idea. One question…. I measure the distance from the door sill to the place where the first Al tube is to be about 1 1/8” (the width of your plywood spacer). Once you overlay the plywood floor, what do you do to finish off the space between the 1st joist and the plastic sill? Thanks so much for posting these videos!
I just put rubber stair nosing on the rear edge of the plywood and leave that little gap between the nosing and the plastic. It is a Van after all not Ethan Allen furniture.
Like a glove!
Simply brilliant! What I really admire about you, apart from your professionalism and attention to detail is your forethought with regard to potential issues further down the road like ensuring access to parts/mechanicals etc is possible. How I wish you were located here in the U.K. as I would be down your shop placing an order for my dream vehicle. Huge respect Sir.
George is so meticulous. His attention to detail is superb.
12:35 Do you grind just so the adhesive has a rough surface to adhere to? Or to make the high spots all be at the same height?
Thank you, George! This video helped me understand the thing I need to keep in mind when doing my own van floor. I remember from an earlier video you used a heavy rubber sheet over the floor to stop the thermal transfer. In this build you are gluing directly to the frame of the van. Does that mean that the plywood will act as the thermal bridge insulator?
Yes, in addition to the dollop of P&L Marine adhesive.
I love this guy this is the best podcast on van conversions however I was wondering are you going to put a rubber strip under those joists so it doesn't transmit it says thermal isolation
Never mind I think with your plywood subflooring and flooring that there's enough of a thermal isolation my bad
Always classic act work
Great stuff! What 80/20 profile are you using for the joists?
I now know how to spell Mamaluke. Thanks!
You are a camper genius, but I can’t help mentioning, that those aluminium floor beams are the ultimate thermal conductor.
I thought the same thing. Ironically George is the one that mentioned something I hadn't thought of which was putting a piece of rubber between the 8020 and the van metal to prevent thermal bridging.
Hi George, what is the best source for those large cardboard sheets you use for mock up and templates? I just love the 80/20 as the framing, no other options allow you to change your mind!!!
Another excellent video, George. I was wondering whether the adhesive layer between the van steel floor and the aluminium squares would be enough to block the galvanic corrosion between the two dissimilar materials?
I believe the dollop of adhesive is enough of a barrier between the two.
@@HumbleRoad Thanks! I guess the adhesive is not water based so it might work.
Hello George: I am wondering if only scratching the paint glossy finish would have been sufficient instead of grinding to the bare metal. And BTW, that electric gun is fantastic!
Possibly. I take great care in making sure the entire grind spot is covered with adhesive.
I enjoy your videos George. Hey wouldn’t the glue stick to the paint 🎨 ? Will rust be an issue from grinding off the paint?
I keep a careful eye on making sure my dollop of adhesive completely covers the grind spot.
My grandmother often told me, "Always skosh around the dollops."
Sikaflex with the suitable primer should be more than strong enough without removing the paint - with all the problems of potential rust that could result..
Even though there is adhesive in between, I wonder about bare steel and aluminum in contact.
@@cclarke6 In a conversion it is important to retain the basic integrity of the vehicle , removing paint to bare metal really compromises that.
Having dissimilar unprotected metals in close proximity when there is a risk of condensation , seems to me to be a recipe for future problems. Better leave well alone and keep the vehicle as stock as possible with intact factory protection.
Respecting the integrity of the chassis is a big part of my philosophy. As demonstrated in the video, these are not "unprotected metals" as you say. The dollop of P&L Marine cures to a thick rubbery waterproof bond. It is not a water based product.
@@HumbleRoad The surfaces to be bonded would only require keying with a light scuffing with a scotchbrite pad , degreasing , priming with the appropriate sikaflex product , then application of the adhesive. Removal of the vehicle's finish is not necessary and is neither received wisdom or accepted practice with commercial vehicle upfitters.
The only occasion when bare metal is necessary would be for a welded joint.
We forget how powerful these adhesives are - and if you have been used to old school practices , as a lot of us have , it is difficult to accept that they will deliver on performance and ease of use - if preparation is to specification.
A floor on a RV is unlikely to stretch the capabilities of these modern adhesives - it is really worthwhile looking at the data sheets for these products and optimising the product for the application.
When you think aircraft are stuck together with similar products we should not be unduly worried.
Please don't take this as criticism of your work in any way - just a heads up .
Everybody has their own way of working , yours is very thorough and of good quality - maybe what I said would save you time while still maintaining your quality and the vehicle's integrity.
Well said Fraser. I will reconsider my approach. One commenter suggested 3M VHB tape as an alternative. As I replied to him; this could be the million dollar idea.
Great work George! I’ve watched this video several times now and hope to get going on my floor build very soon. I’ve been researching a bit on the poly iso. You mention in this video that you’d prefer poly iso. Specifically, I’m looking at the Johns Manville product as they stock it here locally. Foil face ok or do you use something else?
Foul face is fine. Just be sure the foam product does not off gas in a hot van.
Going to do some more reading....I'd think the foil face would be good for reflective properties especially since I'm leaving the valleys of the floor open for ventilation (aka a small air space). Where the high points touch the foil face of course the reflective property would be cancelled since no air space.
Hey George, what glue do you use to fuse the aluminum joists and foam board to the chassis? And what's the purpose of the primer in this case, is it just to provide a better surface for the glue to adhere to?
Hello George, what type of fastener do you use to screw 8020 through plywood to aluminum joists? Thanks
George - love all the videos! I'm curious, though. I note that you use the mass vinyl as the last inner layer of the walls, ceiling, etc., but I don't see any mention of mass vinyl in the floor layering. Did I miss it? Seems like the floor would one place you really want sound deadening.
You must remember I am building for the client. In the case of this latest Promaster, for example, we had to omit it due to height restrictions. Most of a van build is getting all the components and materials to play nice together. Sometimes one or two have to get omitted for one reason or another.
What is the advantage of gluing aluminum joints to the van floor? Could screwing them to the van floor be stronger? Thank you for your videos, they are very helpful.
holes = rust
@@MrDaveB123 but unnecessarily grinding off the paint also will cause rust for any moisture trapped against the cold steel...
Amazing tutorial George. You're really a good teacher and craftsman. I have a question for you. Gluing the floor makes it permanent. Is it possible to screw the floor on the trusts instead so you can change it if you ever need to or to change the insulation? I know that there's little chance that you have to do it. But just in case...
If you simply screw the floor down without glue it has a better chance of squeaking when you drive and walk on it
@@HumbleRoad I put a layer of heavy mass vinyl on the entire floor of my ProMaster build before foam, battens and 1/2' marine ply. No glue no screws. Three years later no squeaks or rattles, no issues. The rest of the build holds everything down. Where is it going to go?
What kind of adhesive is that does it provide any rust prevention? Otherwise u made urself a pretty nice rustnest.
George, why didn't you put rebates to hold/support the access panels in the subflooring? Add a thumb-hole or indent for lifting and removal of the panels and use a low strength caulk to keep the access panels in place.
I explained that the chances of needing access are slim to none. If so, a plunge cut is all that's needed. A prudent compromise I think.
I heard. However, based on your thoroughness and speel regarding making provisions for future repairs I thought this would be a better approach. The future repairer would have no need to make a plunge cut and damage the subflooring that you worked so hard to fit, the insulation (cut into a plug attached to the panel), and, possibly, the paint underneath. As you said, that is someone else's worry.
George , why not just make a light mark on the wall of the van, or just use tape pieces as the mark?
How confident would you be to rebuild a 16-ft motorhome body using 80/20 it has the cab over bunk
What kind of adhesive are you using if you dont mind me asking?
The van company that I previously was referring to is Titan Vans. They are on TH-cam.
What kind of glue do you use? Thank you for the great class!!!
Loctite PL3
Amazing video!
With all the metal, are you not creating coldbridges?
In terms of the floor system, I believe the dollop of adhesive helps break the thermal transfer. The alternative is wood, which will soak up moisture like a sponge. In a van, I believe that's worse.
@@HumbleRoad and the reason for having the alu is to ensure the floor does not bend?
I get, that the adhesive will give a thermal break, but I was still thinking, that where the alu is, there is almost no insulation, so a thermal break must be present?
But you consider the strength to be more important
Strength, lightweight and will not attract insects or moisture. I like to use inorganic materials whenever practical.
Very detailed. You can tell you take pride in your work. Just curious, for the 1" aluminum square joist, is that T5 or T6? I know the T6 is stronger (more money too), but since only spanning a few inches from each rib, I didn't think it would matter. We were thinking of using 3/4" solid aluminum instead, slightly better cost, and using 1/2" polyiso (less R-value, but adequate for our build). Do you think the 1/4" lower the solid square aluminum would be adequate compared to the 1" square tube for joist? Again, thanks for doing your videos...always enjoyable and helpful!
Solid aluminum would be fine, IMHO. My main concern is be sure of transferring the weight of your modules or components directly down through the joist to the van floor. I always use layers within my insulation "package." If you've got 3/4" of internal height to play with and you want to use 1/2" polyiso, then throw in a 1/4" layer of HMV or fiber insulation. Just don't sandwich two layers of non-breathable panels (vapor barriers), you will get condensation between!
@@HumbleRoad What is HMV?
@@mckcjj heavy mass vinyl
HR (Humble Road) I had a dream about you last night! The dream part you are in was : My son and I was driving to pick up the "dream" Van Build you and your crew did on the Van you suggested I buy. You were going to give us a tutorial on the whole thing...then the dream digressed to a car dealership..lol I'm exhausted!. My question is: how long a wait for you to build my "Ship of the highways" I just turned 70 so time is limited. lol
Ha! Well, the build takes approximately 10 months and the next build spot is October 2023
Hi George, I love your videos! Currently we are designing a self build home (in England) with a fabric first approach for maximum thermal efficiency. I’ve been investigating thermal bridging which compromises insulation hugely. Your supports metal to metal trigger as a no no, is there no way to support without breaking the thermal barrier? Sorry if this triggers more questions but I’m curious as to whether it’s even important in a few square metres of living space. S x
I consider the dollop of adhesive as some level of thermal break. However, I have made the decision that the benefits of my method far outweigh the risks of thermal transference. Consider a T-Bone crash, or a head-on collision. I want EVERYTHING I install to be as safe as possible.
Thanks you so much! I love having your thoughts, thank you for this idea and for teaching us all. Bummer there isn’t the perfect solution for all the problems (trade offs for sure!)
Thanks for a great vid. If I missed it I apologize but what's the maximum spacing o.c. apart of the square tubing?
12”
@@HumbleRoad thank you Sir George, I'm a fan from Northern California
At 5:33, don't you need 1" off the left (I think Aft side for a joist because it is at the end?
I wrote you earlier about just discovering Van Life, all the youtube channels and especially yours. How hard is it to work with the 80/20? I am a handy guy, but haven't worked much with metal. Also, you talk about expense, about how much for a standard build?
8020 or any extrusion is easy to work with providing you have the proper tools. 8020 is one of the more expensive brands.
Hi George,
Great video as usual...! I will now use the aluminum method instead of Baltic birch.
I could not see what glue that was by the way - what brand is it ? Also, would it be best to leave 1/8” gap between the aluminum pieces and the polyiso so as to prevent the likelihood of any squeaks caused by friction between the two ? Thanks and keep the videos coming !
The adhesive is P&L Marine by Locktite
Thank you.....and the need for a small space between the aluminum and polyiso ?
Vagabond van is traversing the Pacific Northwest without any mention of floor squeak. And those foam panels are just floating in between the joists. Now, I am gluing the foam panels top and bottom.
What kind of adhesive are you using?
Whats the depth of a dually wheel? Trying to trace out a template for flooring. Thanks
yay
Hey George! Thank you for this educational video. I learn a lot from your builds. :)
[/ending kisassness]
May I please ask you, what do you use to thermally insulate 80/20 from the van frame? I've never seen you use anything. (I just watched your other video and you said rubber, but what kind of rubber? Gaskets? Do you feel Silicone gaskets would be better?)
Thank you!
PS: I am looking forward to your Ford Transit comparison build. You have convinced me to not get a Sprinter now, because of how hard it is to maintain. In Europe there are more Ford Transits than ProMasters though.
Thanks a lot for what you do!
I was curious about the same thing. Thanks for asking!
Do you think if your joist had channels to where the foam board can slide into, like an I-Beam, would help with stability?
I'm sure it would help, but need to consider if it is necessary.
My ocd is sated.💕😊
What about the Lowes logo!? Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight! 😉😁
Would you do this same insulation for the ceiling? Heat rises, so it would seem to keep warm the ceiling is even more important than the floor
I have several videos explaining my theories and procedures for the ceiling system. So far, out in the wild, it has proven to work quite well.
Hi! Loads of realy useful tips there.
One thing : any reason to go for aluminium joist instead of wood ones? Aren’t they much more of a termal bridge as metal is much more of a termal conductor?
Organic materials attract moisture, mold and bugs.
@@HumbleRoad if the wood is pressure treated, and the floor correctly sealed there shouldn’t be any moisture getting in there and dammage made to the wood , right?
Why floor itself is wood anyway.
Having the floor to rest on metal bars directly in contact with the metal floor of the van doesn’t just defeat the all insulation process?
@@JonathanVuillemin pressure treated wood is toxic. Not meant for indoor use
Also George, 3m tape, better choice than glue, zero grinding, will pull up, add thermal break.
Have you considered how it would perform in a T-Bone crash? A head-on collision?
Humble Road
Not sure, I just know I have used the 3m tape to mount solar panels on the roof of an RV...The heavy duty stuff is pretty reliable, great work George..get a roll and experiment if you have the time. Might be something you find useful...
What is your reasoning for using aluminum (with its high thermal bridging and high cost) for the joists vs wood that does have some insulation properties and a much lower cost? Structurally both are certainly adequate for the application. Thanks for all the great videos.
The cost at my local metal yard is minimal. The structure far exceeds wood in terms of supporting the weight of the components during the earthquake that is inside a moving van. But the primary reason that I choose aluminum in spite of the thermal bridging is its inorganic property. No moisture no mold no bugs no degrading over time.
yes,,thermal bridging ,,take a flir camera take video,,it will show how flawed this design is,,
What kind of adhesive are using for bonding the aluminum to steel. Looks like you're using a 1 part adhesive.
Yes, we tested several and settled on PL 3X