Meet Marcel
We returned from our New Zealand sailing adventures and got straight to work rebuilding our new [to us] van. The original plan was to rebuild only a few small things and get to our land-travels ASAP, but as usual plans change. The change happened because on day-1 I came to realize the Onan genset under the van still worked, which was pretty sweet news. Typically, we have no use for a genset, but this van also came with an air-conditioner already built in. If it too worked, then it would be worth keeping both. Alas, the AC was a bust, so the genset will [eventually] get removed and sold off.
A major issue that needed replacing was the old floor (which was a floor on top of a floor, on top of a floor). And we had decided on a floor-plan which removed one of the two couches (seriously, two couches in a van?). One other item was to move the galley cabinet further forward and replace the countertop. All of this meant we would just do a full rebuild. So started the “Great Regurgitation”! Everything was removed and tossed out the back doors. This pile was later hauled to the local land fill which totaled nearly 700 pounds of trash, with another few hundred pounds in donated items. Insanity!
The flooring was replaced with a sturdy foam decking (straight from our sailboat knowledge) and then the power tools came out. First the new galley countertop which now houses a new sink and stovetop, both shaped to use the space best. Then the new pantry at the rear of the van which holds a good sized fridge [for a van] and a slide out storage rack. But, the primary cabinetry that was necessary was a desk space for Kerri, complete with slide out keyboard tray and all the outlets she could possibly want. Kerri refaced all the cabinetry that was reused (above the galley) and covered the old wood with contact paper, really freshening up the old stuff. The closet went mostly untouched (for a later date) but the cabinet between the close and desk needed to hold all our electronics and battery… as well as serve as steps up into the sleeping area above the cab.
Speaking of electronics; a full suite of Victron systems were wired in, including a 50 amp Charger/Inverter (for charging from shore power and supply power to all wall outlets), DC-to-DC converter (for engine charging), and two 30-amp solar charge controllers (each with 400 watts of solar attached). All the lighting was replaced, although I suspect we may replace them again down the road.
And lastly, repairs. A ton of 12v wiring needed to be redone. Some was scary as hell. It is surprising the van had not burned down before, but that’s all in the past now. The waste water tank pipes needed replacing as well. But, the big one was pulling the cab-over front window out to reseal it [properly]. It had clearly been leaking – as they all do – but we have learned a few things how to remedy leaks while living on a boat. So the glass and frame we were removed, cleaned up, and completely resealed. Fingers crossed it won’t leak when ever we get to some rainy areas.
With just a few days short of a full month of work (no days off, just pounding it out) we packed up the new van named “Marcel” and drove off to start our summer tour of family and places.
