3 Things to Avoid Costly Mistakes in a Campervan Build

Life With No Anchor

Smart Entry Step Construction for Your Toyota Hiace Campervan Build  Join us as we tackle one of the most critical yet overlooked aspects of van conversion - building a proper entry step for our 2016 Toyota Hiace Super Long Wheelbase (SLWB) High Top 4x4 Japanese Import. Using 12mm marine ply, we demonstrate how to create a sturdy, functional step that serves multiple purposes in your campervan layout. This isn't just about getting in and out of your van - it's about creating a solid foundation that supports your flooring system while providing reliable access for daily van life adventures.  Maximize Your Budget: Smart Material Reuse Strategies  Why throw away perfectly good materials when you can repurpose them? We show you how to give new life to your van's original components by reusing the factory tread strip to finish our custom step edges. This approach not only keeps costs down but adds authentic character to your build. For anyone converting a van on a budget, learning to see potential in existing materials is a game-changer that can transform your tiny house on wheels without breaking the bank.  Create a Quieter Van Life Experience with Sound Deadening  Road noise can make or break your van life experience. We install Butyl Rubber sound deadener strategically within our step construction to significantly reduce noise transmission. This simple upgrade makes an enormous difference in creating a peaceful, comfortable living space - especially important for those long stretches of highway driving or when you're trying to sleep in noisy locations during your off-grid adventures.  Future-Proof Your Build: Planning for Maintenance Access  One of the biggest mistakes van converters make is building themselves into a corner. We demonstrate how to plan ahead for inevitable maintenance needs by creating strategic access points, including a fuel filter hatch and considering future mechanical requirements. This forward-thinking approach can save you from costly rebuild scenarios down the road and keep your Hiace camper running smoothly for years to come.  Timestamps 0:00 3 Things to Avoid Costly Mistakes in a Campervan Build 0:17 Intro and Overview 0:30 Planning the Entry Step 1:00 Reusing Original Materials 2:00 Slight modifications to out plan of atack 3:10 Fuel filter access hatch progress 3:31 Working on the step build 4:11 The step build so far 5:42 Planning for future servicing and potential mechnical mishaps  #CampervanConversion #ToyotaHiace #VanLife  Special thanks to UGOKAWA!  Previous Episodes Episode 1: https://youtu.be/_bnGqKQl29o Episode 2: https://youtu.be/JeEQsZfDxlU Episode 3: https://youtu.be/c-v8_4XAiOY Episode 3a: https://youtu.be/H4Myt9t2Zog Episode 4: https://youtu.be/qLX_OlvNsWY  Follow us on 🌐 Instagram www.instagram.com/lifewithnoanchor/ 🌐 Facebook www.facebook.com/lifewifnoanchor 🌐 X (Twitter) www.x.com/LifeWifNoAnchor

Transcript

00:00Off they go, bags in tow, Matt and Chrissie hit the road, maps unfold, stories told, adventure's never getting old.

00:10Matt and Chrissie roam so free, through the city, past the sea, finding joy in every mile.

00:17Good morning beautiful people, it is a lovely, it's a bloody cold morning moment.

00:24Quick rundown on the video, quick rundown for the band in the video.

00:27And today's project is to finish building the boxing that goes round the step entry for the drawer there.

00:36So, we'll have a support that runs down from here to give that some strength and integrity.

00:43We'll most likely put another one in the middle there as well to be able to shore it up.

00:47And this is going to be a couple of boxes for storage with just a lip over the top of it.

00:52And it could be whatever we choose to put in there.

00:54So, that's going to be the main access step in and out.

00:58So, we've got the original tread strip that went along the body of the van.

01:05This follows the contour of the existing body.

01:08So, we'll be able to mount the original tread strip over the top there for this being a high traffic area.

01:13And just trim it down.

01:14And then we'll run some angle across and dress this up, making sure that this curve here, this point, has had a little bit knocked off it.

01:23And we'll put a softer on the end there so that as you're getting in and out, that's not presenting any type of challenge.

01:29It shouldn't because there'll be a solid box running down along the edge there.

01:32But it's always nice to have a bit of edge protection there.

01:36And when this closes, there's roughly about a finger's width running down between the van and the door.

01:43We've got some more deadener.

01:44So, I'm going to finish this off once the day warms up and do inside the doors.

01:48And the back of the van there, so where that little hatch has been popped.

01:54We've mapped out where we want the GPOs.

01:57And there's one behind that timber panel that's been slid in there.

02:00So, both of these panels are a snug-ish fit.

02:04Once the electrics are all done, we'll put those back on and look like they can run their GPOs, whatever, through.

02:11And then we'll put whatever timber dressing over the top of any exposed faces that we're going to see, put them up.

02:17But most of the case, I believe, with this is that these could probably, in this side in particular, could just go back up as they are.

02:25Because both of them, pretty much outside of cables running through, they're going to be covered by cabinetry and bed base.

02:31So, there isn't going to be any need to buy any materials to dress those up and cover them over.

02:37Because you can see where the bed base is going to come to.

02:39The only thing that we would potentially do along there is mount some support running along that line.

02:48And this line here, so just above the base, to be able to support the bed on the edges.

02:54There will be cabinetry on this side, the passenger side.

02:58Because when we're going to put the bed hard up against this joint here, we'll build some cabinetry that pushes it away.

03:04And, yeah, it should be all pretty sweet.

03:09This little inspection hatch has worked out pretty well.

03:12I'm going to do a little bit more work in here a little later today.

03:15I want to silicon up all of the edges around there underneath.

03:18So, that if there is any kind of spillage or drippage during a service, it stays contained to this area.

03:27And it doesn't actually go in underneath the flooring.

03:31So, that's where we're up to.

03:33So, the next stage that we're at is getting this step sorted out.

03:49It's been an interesting process so far.

03:52So, I've used a couple of stencils to be able to help me get the right fit.

03:56And given it is one solid piece, I've had to cut it in the middle, roughly, about three quarters of the way up.

04:04Not under where we're going to be stepping.

04:05It's not on a load-bearing area.

04:07So, that we can line this up so it fits in.

04:11So, I'll show you what I've done.

04:14So, we've put the deadener in.

04:16And we're going to tidy those edges up.

04:18You can see there's a bit of a lip just underneath the top deck of marine ply coming down onto the metal base.

04:27And then we've got some of the deadener sort of curving around there.

04:30I've siliconed up under that edge there to protect the base from getting any more shit coming in underneath it.

04:36But what we've also done is we've got these two pieces here.

04:42This is still going to hold the jack and the tools.

04:45It'll be a space for us to be able to store any other tools that we might need.

04:49And then we'll have a wall that we'll build just here to carry the load.

04:54I'll put another one in here somewhere.

04:56So, that acts as a separating compartment to be able to keep the jack and all of the tools separate from whatever other tools we put in here.

05:04Might need to measure that and figure out how much depth I'm going to need first.

05:08Good idea.

05:09So, next thing is going to be syncing these into the peaks.

05:15Don't need too many of that.

05:16And then we'll figure out the backing and getting that sorted out.

05:20This is going to have the vinyl applied to it as a finish so that it'll be a nice transition from one step up into the other.

05:26I will put vinyl down on here as well because there's tools going to be in here.

05:32It'll probably help with reducing any vibration and noise coming through.

05:37So, that'll get a little bit of a treatment as well.

05:39So, that's where we're at at the moment.

05:43And the next step is as soon as the initial layers of silicon have sealed up and dried around the edges here,

05:50we're going to give it a nice smooth finish and clean that up.

05:52just so that if anyone is working on the fuel filter in the future, that it's all contained.

06:01And if there is a spillage, it stays within that space.

06:04It doesn't find its way underneath the flooring and potentially compromise anything in the vehicle.

06:10So, yeah, all those little bits and pieces.

06:13Hopefully, it makes it a much better build than what we're anticipating.

06:22We'll see you next time.

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