I am standing in the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased with a die grinder. The van did not have any windows in the back, and we want a bright, open layout. The solution… cut big holes in the steel sides and install windows…
Is this something we should do ourselves? Should we just pay someone to do this install for us? The questions and doubts swarmed as I cut that first hole into the side of the van. What is that saying? “Measure once, cut twice”?? Honestly, we did lots of measurements, lots of layouts, and even more cutting. Eventually we found that a Jigsaw with a metal blade performed the best. Ten blades later, with only minimal frustration we had a van full of holes. Nine holes to be exact. Two for the rear door. Three for windows on both sides of the van. And finally, one for the roof vent/fan.
So what is the next step after cutting all the holes in the van. For us it was to pray it would not rain… Thankfully we had a large tarp, and sadly we had to use it.
Beyond the windows, we used this time to completely strip the interior. The aluminum walls and shelves sold quickly, and we now wanted to clean and touch up any paint on the inside. The whole family helped with this stage.
While we had it all open we applied sound deadening material on the entire floor and some on each panel. Amazing how this makes the inside sound so much better.
In the next post will share more on the windows, and what the final exterior looks like now. Such a transformation, and we love it. There are mixed reviews on adding windows to camper vans, as you cannot insulate as much, and you aren’t as “stealthy”. Oh well, the joy we get with all the natural light and amazing views from camp is worth the cost.
So what do you think? Would you have cut holes into the side of the van yourself? Do you think we are crazy?? Hopefully the windows fit…. Keep following and see how it turns out.
As always, wish you the best,
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