Van Buildout (Update)

 It has been five years since  I planned to build out my van. Luckily, I never did complete it.

Where did the time go (again)?

 Five years ago I published the same question covering the same year. Reading through my blogs on a rainy Sunday, I discovered that I neglected to update my blog for a very long time. 

Again, this year it is September and I asked myself the same question - where did the time go? It seems that the older you get the faster the time flies. Although the daily routine does not deviate too much it still is Sunday then Sunday again.

 

A Discovery of Witches

`A Discovery of Witches' is a fantasy series based on the similarly named novel of the `All Souls' trilogy, written by Deborah Harkness. Teresa Palmer portrays Diana Bishop, a historian who discovers a bewitched manuscript in the Bodleian library. As she attempts to unravel the secrets this book holds about magical creatures, she is forced back into the world of magic, full of vampires, daemons, witches and forbidden love. Forming an unlikely alliance, geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont, portrayed by Matthew Goode, helps Diana to attempt to protect the book and solve the riddles within, while at the same time dodging threats from the magical creature world. 

After seeing the trailer multiple times on various devices, I decided to watch the series. Series one's episodes were nebulous enough to continue watching it. Although it plays in the fantasy realm (as far as we know), the actions of various characters do not deviate from the plots of other "power hungry" movies too much. 

The interesting part starts with the time walker discovery. As many theories suggest the paradox of time travel, it does not seem have an effect in this series or does not play a role. I'm curious to see the possible change after the characters return to the presence. As suggested in the movie "The Butterfly Effect" the slightest change will have great consequences. I'll see what happens here in the mind of the authors soon.

Two days later

So I watched it to the end. No butterfly effect here, in the greater scheme of things it is not important to the story line. Although one fact lingers in my mind: Diana is pregnant in 1590, returns to 2022 - pregnant - this must be the longest pregnancy in the history of mankind, also, the twins are 432 years old when they were born ... 

It was an interesting plot line with enough intrigue to keep watching. The cinematography was outstanding, so were the costumes. The scenes in Venice with the boat steering towards the hidden island got somewhat old after frequent switches between countries. The slow gathering of species over several episodes was well done. Some of the travel between the countries did not make too much sense, especially in the last series where the imprisoned witch is in Poland and drives to France, Matthew drives from France to Poland. This takes a long time by car, however, the actions in either location have not progressed too much in the meantime. Little parts which jump out and make the episode look chopped up in the last series.

The discovery of the dependency of chromosomes between the species was a logical explanation for the ending of the series, which also led to the dismantling of the old hierarchy. 

"If there is something wrong with the hive, you have to replace the queen" (from the Beekeeper) would be very relevant in this scenario.

98" Television

 

I always wanted a "movie theater" environment. Before I was able to build a movie theater in one part of our lower level, I ran across a good offer for a 98" smart television. I thought it would fit perfectly in our already buildout lower level. When it arrived I was blown away how big it actually was. It took both delivery people to carry it down the stairs. After several days of having the TV setup on the floor, I had a chance to add mounting brackets on the wall and install the proper outlets and connections. Of course, I had to enforce the wall otherwise it would not stay mounted on the wall.

It was not until February that I had enough man power in the house for the Superbowl game to hang the TV. It took two people to lift it and another two to spot the hanging devices behind the TV. The additional Dolby Atmos soundbar gave the setup the finishing touch for the entertainment area.

Year in Review 2020

Looking back 

Even though the world is in turmoil because of the virus, it was not all bad.

We welcomed 2020 in the usual way as the new year, not knowing that this year was a life behavior changing event. 

The early spring delivered a mandatory vacation aka lockdown. I did enjoy the “guild free” time off, it allowed me to catch up on many projects around the house. Luckily, I was able to empty my storage unit before the lockdown. The unit contained most of my tools as well as items we did not have space for before.

I managed to finish the kitchen, laundry room, both guest rooms to our liking, also in preparation for guests later in the year. Of course, the guest visits did not happen as planned.

Romeo and Juliet Room

Laundry Room

Kitchen and breakfast area

In addition to the renovation of the rooms, I spent considerable time to automate and control areas of the house. As a platform I choose the Home Assistant running on a Raspberry Pi. It connects nicely to Samsung’s Smart-Things, Phillips Hue, Z-Wave and WIFI enabled devices. It took several months of programming, trial and error until I had the screen I was planning on. As usual it is more ornate than some of the other screens Home Assistant shows as demos. Below is the beginning of the year.

Shown is the Holiday theme, of course the screen changes from day to night, seasons, and switches the backgrounds on holidays or other special occasions.

Business started to pick up in the late spring, however, it was somewhat unnerving leaving the house every day to go to work. One of the welcomed side effects of the new situation was lesser traffic. It cut the travel time by at least 40%, and lesser tolls.

By June I was booked until September. I was planning on taking time off after October 1^st, but it did not happen until the beginning of December.

In between projects I continued to renovate and maintain the house. The annual power washing of the house, driveway, and the deck was one of the weekend projects. Finishing the garage was another challenge. Moving tools around, sorting various parts into bins, building doors for the existing shelves, applying epoxy paint to the floor, paint the walls, installing baseboards and crown molding (yes, I have crown molding in my garage), new lights, and a ceiling fan. Most of the crown molding were either giveaways or left over from jobs and they had to go somewhere.

Before including items from storage

In the early part of the fall the dining room took shape and we were able to use it for an excellent Thanksgiving feast.

Sadly, my sister was not able to make the trip from across the pond for my birthday because of the travel restrictions. However, there was a highlight this year in the form of a Harley Davidson FLHTCUI Electra Glide Ultra Classic as a birthday present. It has been my favorite motorcycle ever since I was allowed to ride one.

The latest creation was the master bedroom bathroom toilet area. Originally, I only planned on replacing the way to low toilet, but then I got carried away.

While working on the garage, I ventured into the attic space above the garage and discovered that there is absolutely no insulation. The attic space spans all the way across the house and also holds the walk in closet for the master bedroom. Another project in the making. It took many ladder climbing efforts to maneuver all the insulation batts through the tiny hole in the ceiling.

This year we were on time in getting our Christmas tree, the day after Thanksgiving. Compared to last years tree, this one was bigger. For a theme we decided on red and gold.

and the outside decorations

 

Yet, another highlight for this year was the Winter Solstice on December 21, which is the shortest day and longest night of the year, also when the sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation. Winter Solstice this year will see a rare astronomical event - the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. 

True to the saying that ‘every cloud has a silver lining,' the pandemic-ridden 2020 is bringing a year-end treat for all of us. 

This year's celestial spectacle is especially rare for a few reasons – it has been nearly 400 years since both the planets passed this close to each other in the sky. The last time it happened was in 1623, 13 years after Galileo Galilei built his first telescope, when it was given the name 'The Great Conjunction'.
 
It has also been nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night. The Great Conjunction is taking place at night this year, allowing many around the world to witness the extraordinary event of the alignment of these bright planets in our night sky. * 

I ventured out to see this rare occasion, however, I only saw a small glimpse then the clouds swirled in.

Soccer

 Needless to say, my beloved soccer playing was cancelled for the spring as well as the fall season. I am hopeful that by the time fall season 2021 comes around we safely can resume playing. 

Movies 

With most people at home, it seems that the B movie industry boomed. Apart from a few movies or series such as The Queen's Gambit and The Old Guard there were only a few other watch worthy flicks or movies far and in between. Although I binged on Hart of Dixie, Emily in Paris, The Punisher, Warrior Nun, Outer Banks, Lucifer, Shameless, Bodyguard. Even those movies became somewhat repetitive. There must be some writers out there who can come up with some more intriguing plots. Some of the latest seasonal movies resembled a high school play at best. 

Football 

Perhaps the thought was that after the name change and a new coach it all will change for the better. Not really. The return of a severely injured quarterback, Alex Smith, showed some promise, it also showed who can lead a team. Of all the divisions, the NFC East is a sad story. All the teams in that division have a losing record, yet the Washington Football Team are on top with one more win than Dallas and Philadelphia. Watching the games is somewhat painful in comparison with some of the more capable teams. Although a long-time fan of the WFT, I enjoy watching Kansas City or the Miami Dolphins more. Both teams have young quarterbacks (Patrick Lavon Mahomes II and Tuanigamanuolepola "Tua" Tagovailoa respectively) who think outside of the box and are very dynamic. Yes, the Baltimore Ravens also have a great quarterback, however, it does not seem to be a complete team. Especially when the quarterback has more rushing yards than the running backs. This year, 2020, it seems that the top is more distributed than in previous years – we will see. 

Conclusion 

 * By Jasmin Jose (Gadget 360) | Updated: 21 December 2020 16:50 IST

Where did the time go?

Indeed, where did it go? It was just May when I wrote about the rolling thunder event, now it is October ...
As I get older it seems that the time is going by faster, perhaps it is the fact that you already have a plan (or something close to that) on what needs to be done during the day, week, or even months. In the younger years there were always deviations from the daily routine, now, not so much - the rat race.
As Harry Chapin expressed in his 1974 folk rock song  "Cat's in the Cradle" - "There are planes to catch, bills to pay" - .. "if I could find the time, You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kids have the flu". A relationship between father and son - missed opportunities to spend time with each other ...

I venture to say that you should stop and smell the roses once in a while.

Rolling Thunder XXXII

After living in D.C. for some time now I decided to pay tribute to the "last ride" since I missed many before that run. It was a very moving and overwhelming experience to say the least. There were thousands of motorcycles of many shapes and sizes as well as thousands of people lining the streets. All the roads with access to the mall were closed and blocked with dump trucks.
I was lucky to catch an Uber driver who knew his way around, he dropped me off just across the street from the Hirshhorn Museum just in time to witness the first wave of motorcycle riders. I crossed the mall to view the rest of the run on Independence Avenue.

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Part of the program for Sunday
Sunday, May 26th

12 PM - Rolling Thunder XXXII First Amendment Demonstration Run

First Amendment Demonstration Run - Bikes leave the North Pentagon parking lot to begin their run through the Mall area. After the run, police will direct riders to West Potomac Park, where they will pay tribute to their fallen brothers and sisters.

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As the Washington Post reports:

Rolling Thunder takes its final ride in Washington

By Jessica Contrera

May 26 at 4:26 PM

It was the Sunday before Memorial Day, and in Washington, that has long meant that one of the world’s largest motorcycle rallies was in town. Every year since 1988, riders have roared into the District for “Rolling Thunder,” a demonstration in support of veterans, prisoners of war and service members who went missing in action. But this year, the organization’s leader, Artie Muller, had announced that the financial and logistical burden of making the rally happen had become too much; after 2019, the event in the nation’s capital would be no more.

The news inspired hundreds of thousands of bikers, likely a record-breaking number, to flock to the Pentagon parking lot Sunday morning, ready for their final ride into the city and around the National Mall.

WYZE cam (another follow up)

Yet another disappointment. The Wyze camera I raved about started spinning out of control. Even after several attempts to connect - it did not. No recording on the SD card either, just happily spinning around and around.
Now what?

TPMS (follow up)

Very much to my dismay the tire pressure readings from the ODBII sensor are way off. Excited as I was at first to see the pressure reading on the monitor I was skeptical. The readings showed the front tires 10 PSI higher than the actual reading was, whereas the rear tires supposedly were under inflated.
After I visited a Ford dealership the guy told me that he reset the light - not. So I went out to purchase a digital tire pressure Gage to double check and the readings confirmed that the tire pressure was normal for the front and the rear tires (hot and cold).
So now what?

TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitor)

The TPM light is blinking and staying on in the dash display indicating that there is either low tire pressure or one of the sensors is malfunctioning. I had the tire pressure checked and it was at the required PSI. My new system has a TPM display but failed to connect to the existing sensors. After some searching on various forums I came across the proper setup for the Torque app to show the tire pressure via the ODBII/EDU connector. Unfortunately I only copied the formulas and forgot to copy who wrote and published it - thank you for sharing this information.

I still have to figure out how to fix the indicator after all attempts to reset the TPM failed so far.

Left Front Tire Pressure (Driver Front) - Uses the vehicle's TPMS to read your tire pressure. GREAT for constant readings and to see how much PSI increase (or possibly decrease if tires get damaged) when driving! Each tire will get its own menu. All four listed below.

PID: 222813
Long Name: Left Front Tire Pressure
Short Name: Tire PSI (LF)
Maximum Value: 70
Unit type: PSI
Equation: (((256*A)+B)/3+22/3)*0.145
OBD Header to use: 726

Right Front Tire Pressure (Passenger Front)
PID: 222814
Long Name: Right Front Tire Pressure
Short Name: Tire PSI (RF)
Maximum Value: 70
Unit type: PSI
Equation: (((256*A)+B)/3+22/3)*0.145
OBD Header to use: 726

Right Rear Tire Pressure (Passenger Rear)
PID: 222815
Long Name: Right Rear Tire Pressure
Short Name: Tire PSI (RR)
Maximum Value: 70
Unit type: PSI
Equation: (((256*A)+B)/3+22/3)*0.145
OBD Header to use: 726

Left Rear Tire Pressure (Driver Rear)
PID: 222816
Long Name: Left Rear Tire Pressure
Short Name: Tire PSI (LR)
Maximum Value: 70
Unit type: PSI
Equation: (((256*A)+B)/3+22/3)*0.145
OBD Header to use: 726

The improved (another follow up)

I had a bit of time, which is rare these days, and tackled the USB port installation. This turned out to be a bit of an undertaking since there was no clear path from the top to the bottom of the dash board. I had to take off the radio enclosure and the switches for the fan and temperature Gage to get the USB cables to the proper location. At the end it did work out.

I also installed the front dash cam, not in the location I wanted it to be but it works as well where it is at the moment. Perhaps at a later date I will move it into the enclosure above the rear view mirror.

The improved (follow up)

To my dismay my existing ODBII connector did not work, besides, it was to bulky anyway. A quick order with Amazon fixed that issue. Now the connection comes up flawlessly on the Torque Pro app (included with the ATOTO system) and shows all the relevant, and not so relevant information.

Other than that the entire system works perfectly. Maps, radio, Pandora, telephone, equalizer, dimming of display, multiple screens to switch to, car information, and a multitude of other goodies which still need to be explored. The GPS system works well. I also added a WiFi hot spot to the car which allows for a flawless internet connection. To round it all up,  a power inverter allows for a laptop or even a battery charger for the power tools to be connected.

I still need to install, or rather extend the USB port which requires some drilling into the existing panel. The plan is to split the USB inside and have a dual USB flush mount in the dash board.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

It has been 90 days and roughly 4,000 miles since I purchased the Ford Transit 150 Cargo Van. I have to write that I'm very happy with the purchase decision. However, since I was not able to finish the build out in the first go around, mainly due to the cold weather, there are some observations I would like to share.

The good

More room - a two sided sword.

On the one side, it allows me to carry a myriad of tools without making several stops during the week to reload or reconfigure the car for specific jobs. Furthermore, it allows for more accessories to be carried which in turn makes jobs easier to complete. On the other side it makes a mess since all of it is organized in bins at the moment and not in designated shelve units. Some sharp turns, sudden stops, or acceleration can cause some of the smaller bins to topple over and the contents is all over the place despite the lit.

The extra room also allows me to transport left overs or trash easier and faster to the designated landfills or dumpsters. Below is an example of carrying about 2,100 pounds of tile plus several bags of other stuff, or a cement Grinder ( a million pounds if you ask me).

Yes it is a mess but it worked. I'm not sure if I will be able to do that after I finish the build out, whenever that is.

The bad

The van, like all the other vans in the same class, only averages 14 miles per gallon. I drive mostly back roads or city traffic which does not help, neither does the weight of the tools. My previous car averaged about 17 miles a gallon which is not that much of a difference, however, with the gas prices going up again it is about a $100 per month increase. Although the van is not that long, the height prohibits to park in most garages, public or private. The car still is easy to maneuver and park, just not inside. 

The ugly

Opening the doors is like a box of chocolate, you never know what falls out first ... It is ugly inside and looks very unorganized. Dust and other debris is all over the floor. I have to clean the dash board every morning before I start the drive due to the dust accumulated on it. Hopefully this state of looks will improve in the near future.

The improved

This heading is not mentioned in the title but I upgraded the "entertainment" system in the car. I know that there are several upgrade videos online, everybody with their own opinion and style, so I will not go into the nitty gritty details and just show what I did to my van's radio upgrade. Should you be adventures and go for a complete build out, not just a work van, visit this site which has the most detailed and well thought out description of how to do it.

While I was at it I added some desperately needed floor mats for the front. 

I ventured out in the infinite world of shopping to find exactly what I wanted in terms of performance. The particular piece I was looking for was an Android system with most of the bells and whistles for the least amount of money. After weeks of research and comparisons I stumbled upon the ATOTO ANDROID IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT system which addressed all the items I wanted in my dashboard, above all, it had the right price tag namely $179 on Amazon. Adding a new dashboard kit from Metra, wire harness, connectors, and adapters the entire new system was less than $240.

Since my soccer team had a bye week this Saturday I took the time to tackle the install. First I removed the existing top and front panels.

   

Second, I attached the wire harness and connected the cables in the order of ground, power, left and right speakers.

   

I turned the ignition key to turn on the power system and the system came right up - success.

Now came the fiddling with the brackets to align the screen with the panel. The small piece in front of the screen had to be cut so the unit slides to the back where it is fastened to the existing dashboard.

After mounting the side pieces, enlarging the opening of the screen front panel to fit the screen the unit was nicely in place and was working perfectly.

I will eventually write how the system performs in terms of radio, GPS, USB, Bluetooth, and OBDII.

Van Build Out (discontinued)

It is April already and the saga continues. Needless to say the cold weather threw a wrench in my well laid plan to finish the build out. As a result my van looks like the picture shown in my January 31st blog - the one on the right side.
Several large projects required too many tools, numerous trips to haul away left overs and trash, and, above all, lots of time. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and warmer weather in the forecast. Eventually I will find some time and accomplish what I set out to do.

Van Build Out (continued)

There are sketches of the layout, nothing concrete, just the basic idea. Most important is that the larger equipment will fit in the van so there is no repeating the mess from before. Here is the plan  after I placed all the equipment into the van.

With that in mind I went ahead and purchased the remaining wood panels.

Perfect height

I spent a day cutting the side panels to fit the contour of the inside and the shadow boxes to fit and extend the width of the future shelves. It is "only" a 2" inset, but every inch counts in that case.

More to tell once I get back in gear.

Van Buildout

Before I was able to get started with the "new" van interior build out I had to get to a stopping point at my current project. After that point was reached I had to take out all the equipment, gear, and whatever else was in the Sienna Mini Van and put it in the garage. Before it slips my mind, I appreciate the use of the garage and the driveway of my client, and above all, their patience.

Unfortunately, the back hinge of the Sienna broke a couple of weeks ago and had to be fixed first before I could empty the rear of the van. Installing the part was a short task, loosen some screws, remove the panel, loosen the old hinge, install the new hinge, re install the cover and screws, done.

 Although it is a known fact that you always have too much stuff, I'm was amazed how much stuff I accumulated and fit into the Sienna Van. All of it is piled up in the garage at the moment to be sorted out and organized into the new van.

After the seats were reinstalled in the Toyota Sienna I finally got started on the insulation of the Ford Transit Cargo Van.

One of the best web reference I found during my research is Isabelle and Antoine's blog about van life. They did an amazing job researching and blogging about the entire process. The blog can be read at https://faroutride.com/

Perfect fit

Much debate went into the thought of insulating the floor and provide a solid walk surface. I decided to purchase a molded floor mat for $180. It was an absolutely perfect fit.  Initially I was looking into laying insulation in between the floor ribs, covering it with Reflectix, and top it off with ¾” plywood. However, after adding up the cost (about $240) plus the time it takes to cut the strips, Reflectix, and the wood I decided otherwise.  There is always the option to add a sheet of plywood in between the left and right cabinets at a later date.

 

For the side walls I used 1.5“ thick Foamular 150 by Owens Corning. For the expanding foam I used Loctite Tite Foam especially formulated for large gaps -  also sticks to anything and everything.

Bunche cord helpers  

Last Panel with helpers

The ceiling was covered with ¼” plywood. In hindsight I should have used 1" foam board for the ceiling, it would have made the installation of the plywood much easier ...