Blue View – More Upgrades to Blue

This has been a busy two months since we returned from the Via Francigena. In addition to doctor appointments, dentist visits, a couple of minor surgeries, a little landscaping work around the house and a camping trip, we’ve been continuing the work on Blue’s upfit. We managed to finish a few smaller projects, and Blue, our 2015 Ford Transit cargo-van-to camper conversion is a little further along. Here’s a quick summary:

Wall panels. We replaced more of those old, ugly black wall panels with Formica® laminated plywood panels. We also added a spiffy cover for the wire run along the ceiling.

Toilet enclosure. We built a new enclosure for our composting toilet. The old enclosure was a quick and dirty (no pun intended) project for our last big road trip. It wasn’t the most attractive carpentry job, and after using it for the past year, we realized there were a number of other ways it needed improvement beyond the cosmetics.

Headboard Up

Headboard Down

Headboard. Our bed design included a headboard. It was nice to prop up our pillows against it and read in bed before drifting off to sleep. We also wanted to be able to remove the headboard: when driving - so we could see out the rear windows; when we needed to remove the mattress; or just to make changing the sheets easier. In the original design, we lifted the headboard up and off, then stowed it underneath while driving. It took a few minutes to uninstall and stow it, and we never did manage to keep it from rattling when stowed. In this iteration, the headboard is hinged – we release two hooks and the headboard swings down. Now it’s all done in 5 seconds and no rattles.

New switches and USB charger

Electrics. Some of the electrical work was temporary until more of the carpentry was completed. The USB charging jacks and light switches, for example, were mounted in those black wall panels mentioned above. Now, they’re securely attached with permanent wiring.

What’s left? Lots… but we’re making progress. I want to add a vertical cabinet, finish enclosing the remaining wire runs, add drawers below the bed and get rid of the plastic bins we’re now using, replace the industrial flooring, add a filtering system for the floor vent, and a few other projects. The list is still pretty long, but we’re chipping away at it.

Still a lot of work to do

Or at least we’ll be back chipping away at the list next time we’re home. In the meantime, join us on our road trip and the first big stop, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.