Building a Bulkhead (With Hatch!) | Transit Van Conversion E18
Vložit
- čas přidán 16. 10. 2021
- In this video we're building an insulated bulkhead in our van to separate the cab from the living space, and to give us a partition wall to front the kitchen.
This was particularly tricky on our Transit van conversion as the chairs stick out into the living area, so we had to build a custom bulkhead with a recessed corner piece to allow for the handle and stops of the sliding door.
We added a hatch into the van bulkhead wall to allow us get into the cab if we need to.
Throw in a bit of steam bending of plywood and a bit of carpet lining and we found building the bulkhead to be one of the most involved project of the van build so far, which we weren't expecting!
Thanks for watching! Any comments or questions? Let us know below!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Products used in this video (includes affiliate links *):
↠ Kreg R3 Pocket Hole Jig - geni.us/mbJk (Amazon)
↠ Trim Fix Adhesive - geni.us/6iaVu10 (Amazon)
↠ Rivnut Tool - ebay.us/VnROZ9
↠ Rivnuts - ebay.us/i4tG0K
↠ Adhesive Foam Insulation - ebay.us/M8URnV
* Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you choose to click on them we may earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Support Us
------------------
If you're enjoying our videos and would like to say thanks you can buy us a tea or coffee here!
☕️ www.buymeacoffee.com/selfbuil...
Resources
------------------
You can download our diagrams and power audit spreadsheet here:
↠ www.buymeacoffee.com/selfbuil...
🚐 Follow Us
------------------
🔔 Subscribe on CZcams: czcams.com/users/selfbuiltst...
↠ Follow us on Instagram: / selfbuiltstories
↠ See our full van conversion playlist: • Transit Van Conversion
Filmed with:
↠ Sony ZV1 - geni.us/LW73Jx (Amazon)
↠ GoPro Hero 5
↠ Zhiyun Crane M2 - geni.us/WhUBT7I (Amazon)
↠ Rode VideoMicro - geni.us/tzPbJ (Amazon)
* Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you choose to click on them we may earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
***************************************************************************************
All our videos are for entertainment and show our process of converting our campervan. They're not intended to be tutorials and we may make mistakes along the way, so always do your own research and if in doubt about anything then make sure to get advice from a suitable professional
***************************************************************************************
#vanconversion #campervanconversion #vanlifeuk
Awesome job! Super satisfying to see all that slot together!
Cheers! Yeah it took absolutely ages but it was quite satisfying when it finally came together 😀
13.26 We know!!! We defo know how much a nightmare that is to build. 3 days now on and off we've been faffing around with how to do it. Still haven't done it as gave up in 28 degree sunshine! Going to follow your lead on that bit.....thanks both! What a headache. Here we go again tomorrow!😂
Haha yeah we can relate, that corner took so much work!! Very relieved it's withstood all the stress of being on the road and we don't have to do it again 😂 Did you manage to get it done? 😎
Your van build series is now my favourite, such attention to detail. Your a great team, very in sync with each other and you would put professional trade people to shame. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your build,
Ah thank you very much! That's very kind of you to say, we're really glad you're enjoying watching the videos 😊We hope the future ones don't disappoint 🙂
Your bulkhead looks absolutely solid and just beautiful. The way you screwed it into the frame makes it so useful, no matter what you plan to use it for later as it will hold a lot of weight!
Cheers 🙂 yeah we're very happy with it, it's worked out great for fixing our cabinets to and also being insulated it makes a huge difference to how quickly we can heat the van and maintain a nice temperature. We can have it 20c in the 'house' but poke your head through the hatch and there's ice forming in the cab 😄
Love the use of riv nuts, and steam bending off the scale! Full binge watch this weekend! Well done.
Thank you! That steam bent piece took a lot of work but happy to report it's still holding up great with many miles on the road so worth all the effort 😄
Watching and rewatching this whole series after checking out your electrics and solar videos. I've come to admire your attention to detail but this particular project is the poster child for "sticktoitiveness".
I could, and have, watch you two work all day. I wish my wife and I could work together like this.
Cheers! This one definitely tried our patience at times with all the awkward shapes but we're happy with how it turned out in the end. It would have been so much easier if the seats didn't stick out into the back of the van, but that's the nature of van building! Happy that you're enjoying the videos 😊
I've been watching a lot of your van build videos and I must say that both of you are doing a fantastic job. I consider myself to be a perfectionist however, ya'll are incredible. I admire your attention to detail. I can't wait to see the finished product. Also you two work great together!! Thank you for posting your build!!!
Thank you very much! We wanted to take the time to get everything just right for us 😊 You're welcome, thanks for watching and we'll hopefully have more videos soon!
Well done, guys. Thanks for sharing.
Your video has given me new ideas of how to properly fit my subwoofer and multiple midbass speakers + tweeters in my Renault Trafic.
Cheers, and awesome, good luck with it! 🙂
wow that section is an absolute triumph. The dedication, trial and testing you guys do is fantastic. My favorite build.
Thank you very much! 😊
Watching the two of you work together is a pleasure. Good luck in your adventures!
Thank you very much! It's a challenge sometimes figuring everything out but we're getting there! Looking forward to when the actual adventures in the van can start! 😊
My partner and I just bought a Ford transit. We're really enjoying your content. Thank you for sharing your process and journey!
No problem, and that's great to hear! Glad you're enjoying it 😊 What model did you pick up?
@@SelfBuiltStories we got a 2018 high roof extended 350. They are hard to find in the states right now, but we got lucky. Where do yall plan to travel to first?
Ah cool! So a slightly newer version of ours - good choice! 😎 We plan on taking it around Scotland and other parts of the UK for the first real test trip (so we can get back to the 'workshop' for any adjustments if needed!), then we are planning on taking it up to Norway 🇳🇴 🙂
Don't know I've missed this vid🤨. But genius work that bulkhead and storage! Genius😁
Haha cheers, it took a while this one but pretty happy with it! 🙂
Thanks for posting this video. You’ve given me some ideas on how to tackle my Ford Transit bulkhead. I love that you’re both equally engaged in the process of building out your van.
No problem, and glad to hear! We definitely had a few head scratching moments trying to figure out how we were going to do it! And we have an unwritten rule that we both have to have a go at everything 😊
Enjoyed your awning video but this was even more interesting. Most people remove their bullheads but you are putting one in .... so interesting. And your procedures and skills were great to see, in particular the "wood bending". I'll definitely continue watching your progress. Thanks for uploading.
No problem, thanks for watching! We did consider briefly not having one and having swivel seats in the front instead, but decided that we'd much rather have it in. The main reasons being insulation (the whole bulkhead has foam insulation in it which is really effective at letting us heat the home part), safety (if we're in a collision we didn't want projectiles to be able to fly straight at us), and kitchen space (having the wall there allowed us to build our kitchen right behind it with space for the oven and cupboards. We've seen some nice layouts without one too but this is working out really well for us 🙂
@@SelfBuiltStories Is there a regulation that requires leaving the bulkhead? In Poland we must leave original, tested bulkhead if not changing the car to 'camper status'. We are wondering if other countries also have such stricted regulations.
@@barbaramiowska9173 Hiya, nope we don't have any regulation like that in the UK that I'm aware of. It is interesting the different rules between countries. I think in Italy you're not even allowed to self convert a van but it's a lot less strict over here. The vehicle has to be safe and road legal and there are extra requirements around electrics and gas if you want to rent it out, but we didn't need to leave the original bulkhead in
Amazing attention to detail. This is fast becoming my favourite van build…
Thanks 🙂
Best to use the original bulkhead just put a facia over it, as all it needs is to look good, it doesn't need structural integrity as the original bulkhead is made for serious impact..Cut out the entrance, sure that up with a thick aluminum surround, or wood under the fascia..Buy a thin ply that looks like shiplap as fascia, maybe Marine glue 15-25mm pine timber battens on bulkhead as to insulate and attach fascia....If you can see my reasoning, save A LOT of work...I have a 2023 Ford LWB, with a glass porthole, I will cut an entrance and do as I said above but with a small door keeping the porthole as to see out the back, as I have rear glass windows..But will slightly curve top of door to give it a boat vibe...You did a great job regardless☺🤙
Cheers :) Yeah we thought about using the original bulkhead but decided against it as it was really curvy and bulbous which wouldn't have worked very well for our layout, we wanted something completely straight so we could build our kitchen off of it. We have our cabinets against it now with tiles and things, and the depth allowed us to squeeze in 25mm PIR board in the void which has been really welcome in some of the places we've been. It was a bit of work for sure but it's worked out great for us, good luck with your build 😊
I agree. In the last two builds, I've left bulkheads in and cut out what space I've needed.
@@ktd2956 cool, the nice thing about a van build is being able to make it exactly as you want :)
That corner piece looked so fiddly but it was so well executed! Very impressed, well done!
Thanks very much! 😊
I love your attention to detail. I have finished my VW t5 but I am thinking I want a crafter next, so thank you for all your great ideas!!! :)
You're welcome, have fun with the next build 😛👍
Just started watching your build as I am thinking about converting a Jumbo Transit myself.
The way you film and work together, getting the how and why you are doing things is brilliant.
Had to comment on this one as the amount of work you put into that corner piece and the finish was outstanding, don’t know if I would have the patience.
Well done and can’t wait to watch the rest of your build journey
Thank you so much and glad you're enjoying the videos 😊 It did take a long time to do this one, a lot longer than we had anticipated that's for sure (same with everything!). Really happy with how it turned out though in the end 🙂 Good luck with your build if you decide to do it!
OMG Just started watching your van build. And this one on the bulkhead just blew me away
I know I'm a perfectionist but you take it to another level. That tiny piece of carpeted ply behind drivers seat. This is not criticising, thus is praise Vantastic job you 👏
❤️ it
Haha thanks, this one was particularly interesting! We thought it would be an easy project when we started but it ended up being one of the most involved (at that point anyway... 😛). So many awkward shapes and so many moments just starting at it figuring out what to actually do next. Very pleased with how it eventually turned out though. And yeah, wanted the whole cab to have the nice carpeted look to it, it's still visible when you reach behind the seat to use the storage boxes! Glad you're enjoying watching them 😀
Huge props for filming it and keeping resolute on the plan and amazing finish you guys are amazing :)
Thanks! There were bits that were a little tedious but we're happy we stuck with the plan 🙂
11:54 Screw-catch like a boss!
Haha, thanks! Had to go back and re-watch that bit 😅
Really enjoying your van build. You have so much patience. This video in particular, it looks wonderful and the attention to detail is testament to all that head scratching!
Thank you very much! Yeah this one definitely needed quite a bit of patience...! It did drag on a bit but we were happy with how it came together eventually 😁
Wow.. what a precise and tidy job you did here, a professional couldn't have made it any neater. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks Erin 😊It definitely took a while to build, we love it, but quite glad it's done now too! 😅
Thank you so much for posting… you two are great together! :).
Our pleasure, and thanks :)
That special corner piece looks really nice. I can easily imagine the effeot it took.
Thanks, yeah it was a bit of a mission, we were pretty happy when it was finished! But really happy with how it turned out and how it has held up 🙂
Awesome! That is exactly what I have been waiting for. Except I am going to have two doors that are horizontal. The one folding down will rest on a bench and the top will lock up. This will allow the seats to recline back. And the whole thing will close and latch. This will close off the whole cab.
Cool, sounds like a nice design. Hope it works out for you!
Great Job!!! You Guys are Amazing!!! If I was wanting a buildout I would Definatly hire you to do it!!! Blessed Travels
Haha, thanks! We're pretty happy just doing the one build though given how much work it is 😄 Thanks for watching 😊
Looks awesome, super fiddly but well worth all the time and effort, great finish to it. Keep up the good work and enduring patience!!
Cheers! Yeah definitely a fiddly project! A large amount of that time was just spent head scratching figuring out how to tackle it 😀
Love your vids. Great guides and nice to follow 😎
Cheers, glad you like them! 😀
I'm not putting a bulkhead in my van as I've only just pulled the bugger out and therefore I wasn't going to watch this bit but I'm so glad I did,you did a fantastic job and I would have paid good money for someone like yourselves to do this to my van(if I was putting one in).
Well done👌👍
Wow thanks very much for the kind words, this one did take a long time and there were definitely moments where we were questioning our sanity 😆 But we're very glad we stuck with it. Hope your conversion is going well!
Well done looks professional
Thanks :)
That looks great guys, a lot of work for a beautiful result.
Thank you , yeah it was a bit more work than we were expecting but we like how it ended up 🙂
Great video. inspired me with my bulkhead that I am about to tackle 👍🏻
Thanks! Wishing you luck with yours, it was definitely a head-scratcher!
Cool stuff but FR - a router is one of the power tools you have to really know what your doing and do things the right way - do it wrong and it's like riding a bike at top speed and putting a stick in your spoke - the bike cops it or the stick cops it but either way, you don't want to poke around your wheels while you're going for a ride
- i just saw hair near a power too while i was typing - if a router caught a decent chunk of that it's not the stick or bike gamble - it's a lot worse lol
I'm not safety sam at all normally but thought worth noting for any newbies ❤
Cheers, yeah since this video we ended up using the router a lot, it quickly became one of our favourite tools so we built up a lot of experience with it. We try to be safety conscious with everything we do and it's definitely something we got better at and more aware of as we went along. Thanks for the concern 👍
Fantastic guys.
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Well done!
Thank you!
That was bloody brilliant. Well done!
Haha, thanks so much!
Awesome job, looks fantastic👍👍👍
Thank you very much! 🙂
You are doing such a great job!You are inspire me a lot.Thank you.
Thank you for the kind words, we're glad you're enjoying our videos 😊
Amazing really well done it looks brilliant
Thank you! 🙂
Great videos, well done!
Cheers! 🙂
Legal meus amigos parabéns 👏👍🙏🙏🙏🙏
Cheers!
Great job you guys, I love it
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Im so inspired! Now time has passed, is there anything you would do differently in your van build? We are at the buying materials stage but still need to iron out our plans.
Love your videos!
Glad to hear! 🙂 And we always have a list on the go of things we think to upgrade or tweak, but for the most part they're all pretty small and we're really happy with the van. A few things though are that we'd put in a larger waste water tank as it fills up too quickly for our liking, and we'd also consider getting the slightly larger fridge as well and making the drawers a little smaller to accommodate it. When we laid the floor there's also one area where the very end isn't completely sitting on a batten so it overhangs slightly, which meant the join was noticeable sometimes when you were walking around. Since all the furniture went in we don't really notice it anymore though.
We'd also probably use slightly thinner insulation in the roof just because it made it so awkward in places as it stuck down further than the recesses in the van ribs. Great to have the extra insulation but a faff to make it work.
Oh and we definitely wouldn't build it outside, in the Winter, in Devon 😅😂🤣
At some point we'll probably make a video about anything we'd change but that's some of the ones off the top of my head right now. Glad you're enjoying the videos and good luck with the build 🙂
@@SelfBuiltStories Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! It seems like such a learning curve. I look forward to any more videos you put out :)
@@OCResearch125 No problem, hopefully there will be some more soon! 😎
I cannot wait to see your entire build, you do everything so well!
Us too! We can't wait to see it all finished 🙂
Great video and very carefully explained. I would like to know however what a screw bits / bolts you used to fix the partition in to the van with ? thanks 😊
Thanks! And we bolted all the wood to the van where we could using the existing threaded bolt holes that the original metal bulkhead was secured with. For the piece that attached to the headliner shelf they were M6 bolts, it might have been the same for the wall sections or possibly were some M8 too there but it was a while ago so can't remember exactly. We bolted some wooden chocks into the van frame and then screwed the bulkhead into those using 60mm recessed wood screws. And then just for the corner piece we bolted it in with M6 machine screws with a countersunk PZ head as those ones are visible. HTH! 🙂👍
Great job!! Can you do my van now LOL.
Haha sorry, can't wait to finish our own van! Need to actually spend some time travelling in it 😃 And thanks!
Your bulhead looks WAAAYYYY better than mine. I also have a double passenger seat in my Renault Trafic. I (Stupidly) decided to do a door in my bulkhead which is pointless unless I swap to a single seat as the gap is too narrow between the seats. :o( I may just copy your idea and have a big as possible hatch. Well done again! BTW - That chicken is super fast. They always look funny when sped up in clips.
Ha thanks, we thought about replacing the double passenger bench for a single and having a door, but decided against it in the end as we like having the third seat. It did take a lot of pondering to build though! They makes us laugh too, there's often a cameo chicken somewhere. They've been known to jump into the van sometimes 🐔😂
You are becoming carpenters fit for the trade! 😉
In E01 you removed the metal bulkhead - would it not have been easier to retain that, cut a window and insulate it with some dense foam material?
Regardless - the result is just perfect and you keep getting better and better at it. Truly amazing!
I am looking forward to the next steps - just have to resolve some health issues. 🤷
Best regards from the other side of the pond! 😊
Haha, thank you! It was quite funny how we ended down the rabbit hole of steam bending wood for this one, but that corner shape was just so fiddly to try to make anything to fit! Doing a conversion definitely requires you to brush up on a few skills 🙂 The original bulkhead was quite bulbous so we decided we'd build a custom one so that we could have something straight and square to make it easier to build the kitchen off from and allow us to have a completely custom design. It's a fair point though, as it was a bit of work! Would be a lot easier if the seats were a little bit further forward (we did spend a while toying with the idea of just moving the seat base to make it easier!). Very happy with how it turned out in the end though 🙂 Hope you're able to resume your build soon, look forward to seeing the progress 😊
🌼👌🏻👍
😊
I have a Renault Master and am having similar problems with my bulkhead
Was a bit of a head scratcher for sure! Would have been so much easier if the seats didn't stick out into the house part of the van. Good luck with yours 🙂
Don't understand why you needed to build a bulkhead. We put in one cross member to screw units to . This gave a light airy feel to inside of van , saved loads of weight and time . Also easy access to cab with great views.
We did consider a layout with swivel seats and keeping it open which would have also worked well, but in the end decided we liked the separation and the full space to build the kitchen behind, suited the layout we're going for
I have a ford transit 23 foot B Plus RV but the driver compartment is ice cold in winter ❄️ so I was searching for a solution. I have used Velcro. And hung a blanket. That helped but not enough so I was looking for a solution.
I think I may get another blanket possibly a down comforter to Velcro in place. That will be light. Yet not see through. I may try it. Because in Summer I just need a blackout curtain Velcro doubt that works great.
Yeah it's noticeably colder in the cab than the house side so pretty glad to have the insulation in the wall there. Hope you get yours sorted 🙂
Great job guys. What did use to fix the joints together?
Thanks! The main part of the bulkhead was 44x44mm timber joined with pocket holes and gorilla wood glue. And the corner piece was 6mm birch ply with a small rabbet made on each edge then glued together and clamped. Then a mixture of bolting into the original holes in the van with rivnuts and screwing into the wooden support chocks we made to secure it all down.
I am going to do a pocket door. I am much too old to squeeze thru a hole.
Yeah it is a bit of a squeeze, not designed for every day use but there if we need it. At the moment that's mostly for grabbing things from the cab 😛
Worked it very nice, are you guys closing the hole?
Thanks, yeah we are planning to put come hatch doors on the front to close it up once we've built the kitchen area, so you'll be able to open the doors to climb through 🙂
Subscribed. Will the hatch have a door?
Thank you 😊Yes we're planning on putting hatch doors on it once we get round to finishing off the kitchen area 🙂
Self Build Stories Hi i've been watching your playlist and the build is looking super well so far , and i love that carpet you are using , do you have a link to it , keep up the good work
Thanks a lot! And sure, the carpet we have is the silver colour one from vanliningcarpet.co.uk/product-category/automotive-marine-carpet/ 🙂
@@SelfBuiltStories thanks a lot for the link , just finally caught up to your latest video ( the heater ) this morning , can't wait to see more
@@joedeath332 No problem!
I'm curious, why you didn't use the existing bulkhead?
Hiya, we did contemplate that but the original metal bulkhead was quite bulbous and awkwardly shaped, we wanted something that would be nice and straight to back the kitchen cabinets, and allow us to easily cut through it for the hatch and things. It also gave us a nice place to add some more insulation between the colder cab and the house part, it's surprising how much cooler it is instantly just from leaning through the hatch
What size timbers did you use for the framing ?
They're all 2x2s, 44x44mm planed all round
Hi, just curious at to why you didn't insulate and cut a hatch into the original metal bulkhead? Thanks :)
Sure, we did contemplate it but the original metal one was quite a bulbous shape and we wanted something that would be nice and straight to back the kitchen cabinets and allow us to easily build off and secure things to, and a straight wall to add some cladding on the house side. It also gave us a nice place to easily add a decent amount of insulation within the framing, it's really surprising how much cooler it gets instantly just from leaning through the hatch, especially with the freezing weather at the moment!
@@SelfBuiltStories cheers, makes sense. I'm keeping my metal one but likely building a wall in front of it with storage between the two... insulation of course will be applied :)
@@drmvh Cool, yeah that's a nice idea to avoid having wasted dead space in the middle. Hope it goes well! :)
:)
🤗
Why not just leave it open.
Yeah we did seriously consider having it open and putting in some swivel seats at the front, bringing the living area forward. But we decided in the end we preferred the layout having the bulkhead there to build off from as the kitchen wall. As a bonus it gives us a bit of extra insulation, separates the cab from the van, and gives a bit of protection from small projectiles in the event of a collision.