A short day today. I spent just over an hour completing the install of the deadbolt lock in the driver’s door. I had done the mechanical work yesterday, and today I did the electrical work and re-installed the door panel. This mostly involved splicing into the existing Ford wiring harnesses to connect the deadbolt lock controls into power, ground, and the circuit that controls the lock mechanism. As this was my fourth (and last) door that I was doing, it went very well. Sorry, no pictures.
As I thought about the next item to work on, I realized that my progress in building the van has outpaced my work to create detailed plans and purchase components for other parts of the van build. So, I stopped with the van build for the day and dedicated the next two days to creating detailed plans for the upper bunk bed and the galley/kitchen module. By the end of the day, I had taken my rough plans for the upper bunk and created detailed plans. It helped that I had previously purchased the hinges I was using for the upper bunk. I also had the drawer slides. That made the measurements more accurate. I was also able to confirm measurements inside the van, and I feel more confident on my design. I placed an order for the AL extrusions, and this time I ordered them cut to length and machined. So, when I receive them, I should be able to assemble them rather quickly.
I also began the process for sketching out the galley module. Again, I was able to obtain accurate measures for the galey fabrication by measuring the van directly. I had previously purchased the refrigerator that I was using, so I unboxed that and took some actual measures of it to make sure it would fit. I then used the refrigerator literature to include enough space around it for airflow into my design. With the cabinet sized for the refrigerator and the space in the van, I got as far as ordering the countertop, sink, drain hose, and some temperature controlled cooling fans for the galley. The following day, I finished the design by purchasing a slightly smaller gray water tank for the sink that will better fit the space. I also created detailed plans for the upper cabinet where the microwave will be, and purchased the microwave I plan to use.
With a couple of days of planning, I’m ready to get back to doing some building tomorrow and will start work on the galley fabrication.