backsplash

Aluminum angle was made into a backsplash again this time around. The only difference is that it's a little smaller and thinner, but it still seems to do the job of holding the countertop in place against the wall. The angle bracket that holds the refrigerator against the wall had to be filed down a tiny bit to fit above it so it wasn't necessary to drill more holes and relocate it. Also, as you can see in the photo, the mirror from the old truck has been installed.

bars

Iron water pipes were cut to length and threaded for the shower curtain bar, towel/drying racks, and closet rod. That way, flanges could be screwed on tightly to allow the bars to slide in place and then loosened to fit perfectly.

door

We could have replaced the bulkhead door entirely, but didn't want to lose the look of a standard delivery truck so we decided to add another door behind it. A custom sized insulated steel door ordered from a home improvement store seemed like the best option for us. I think panels can make doors look pretty fancy, but we decided to just go with something flat and simple to ensure maximum insulation. There's just enough room for the handle and deadbolt between the new door and the old one.



In other door related news, John weatherproofed the threshold with aluminum angle and flashing then added a hinge pin stopper to keep the door from hitting the wardrobe.

wardrobe

John didn't want to buy ready made furniture for the new truck since we don't have extra space to waste for anything that isn't perfectly sized for our needs. Plus, we often end up disappointed then heavily customizing it when we take that route so it rarely saves time or money. The wardrobe, closet, simple box drawers and doors are all made out of plywood and painted white to match the rest of the built-ins. The box drawers for the refrigerator cabinet are finished now, too.

On the left side, the section with two doors is for hanging clothes and we each claimed one of the four drawers below that for folded clothes and personal items. The other two are reserved for dirty laundry and clean linens. The single door section on the right side will house musical instruments, and the two drawers below will be for miscellaneous storage.

flooring

We were going to reuse cork from the box truck, but most of it was warped or otherwise damaged and the rest was really difficult to remove without ruining it in the process. Plus, it was too damn cold out there. We were miserably shivering, trying as hard as we could to power through the discomfort but after tons of effort and few recovered planks to show for it, it didn't seem worthwhile to continue. Instead, we spent about $60 for two boxes of click-lock laminate flooring, skipped a full day of tearing out the old floor and got to start installing it right away. Plus, I think the lighter color looks better with the new design and it perfectly matches the countertop.

hot air & hot water

We decided to stick with the Dickinson Newport propane heater from the box truck, but not the 10 gallon Rheem electric water heater. Instead, we went with an EZ Tankless Ultra that also runs on propane. We don't use much hot water, so the extra cost for propane will be negligible. Plus, it takes up much less space and not needing to plan ahead for showers will be nice. (We'd turn off the tank after using it to save power and now with half the roof space for solar panels, it'll be even more crucial to budget electricity when we get to the point of going without shore power.)