Flooring

A lot of people put 15 or 20mm plywood on the floor or even compressed composite board. Going to that thickness adds a lot of weight and is not needed for a van build. I elected to use 12mm top grade marine plywood, for its strength and structural integrity as well as water resistant properties.

Cutting the plywood to the floor profile tested my skills. Curve fitting is not an easy exercise. It has to be precise, to minimise gaps and look professional. I made a cardboard templates first, which tried my patience as it is quite tough to cut with a knife as it needed to be thick in order to retain its shape over such a large area.

I created special jigs to trace out the curves around the wheel arches and behind the front seats.

Under the floor I insulated it with an high density foam lined with aluminium reflective foil. ( Bradford PolyAir.) This served not only to provide some insulation against the transfer of heat from the metal floor, but also the vibrations that could occur thtough driving. Not cheap as I had to purchase a large roll on special order, but it will serve other purposes such as sunshades for the windows and ceiling insulation.