I have a bad habit of working on projects out of order. I can only blame part of that on my ADHD. The truth is, I am attracted by fun projects with a quick payoff, and dread work that, no matter how important it may be, isn’t any fun. This explains why I put a bed, desk, and storage container in my van before doing the walls and insulation, which obviously should be done first but is a lot less fun.

I recently hopped a curb in my van, which no damage at all to the van itself, but the hard drop broke both my bed and my table. Since both of those things had to be removed from the van to be repaired/rebuilt, I figured now would be a good time to bite the bullet and do the walls and insulation. As a dry run, I decided to tackle panels for the rear doors, which seemed simpler if only because they are smaller.

As you’ll see in the video, I struggled with the best way to make a template for the door panels. In lieu of butcher paper I tried using thin Christmas wrapping paper from the Dollar Tree, which tore and ripped as quickly as I could cut it. I tried cardboard, which worked better, and ended up free-handing some of the cuts which… well, you’ll see.

I’ve said this before and will say it multiple times in the next video in which I screw furring strips to the walls, but it is so liberating to own a vehicle that you can get in there and actually modify. I don’t mean changing out the stereo; I mean taking a saw to the dash and making a bigger hole for a stereo. This was the first time I’ve used self-tapping metal screws on the van and I have to say, it was a little scary but a little fun at the same time.

My videos are a little out of sync with the van build. I’m making progress on the walls, which will be covered in next week’s video. If you want more real time updates, be sure to follow me on Instagram: https://Instagram.com/BigRobsVan

Also, here are all the tools I used on this video. I am not sponsored by Ryobi but everything I’ve purchased from them has worked great and is still working. I have three battery chargers and half a dozen batteries, so I am never at a work stoppage. If you are just starting to acquire some tools, these are all pretty inexpensive and I haven’t had any problems with quality.

Ryobi Wireless Rotary Tool (Dremel): https://amzn.to/3UHkHCg
Ryobi Jigsaw (P5231): https://amzn.to/46pUSKL
Ryobi Impact Driver (PSBID01): https://amzn.to/47gSwz7
Ryobi Drill (P215BN): https://amzn.to/3STuJB8
Ryobi Circular Saw (P505): https://amzn.to/49L5lU2

Remember, perfect is the enemy of good. Do your best. Progress is more important than perfection.