Shore Power and the Challenge of Curves

looking from the outside. 

Drilling a Big Hole in the Van
The wires for 12 volt and 110-volt are in blue conduit and run through the support structures inside the van.  However, Howard needed to drill a hole in the side of the van to install the shore power hook up.  He describes drilling a hole in a new vehicle as similar to doing surgery on yourself.

Never the less, in spite of the trepidation, all went well.  The hole wasn't hard to drill, it was the right size, in the right place (due to a guide hold drilled from inside the van.) 

A moment of pre-drilling tension

The shore power gadget fit in the hole perfectly, and looks like its always been there.  Whew.   Another little challenge.

No Straight Sides.
Howard continues to build the furnishings for the van, which are a constant challenge because just like a boat, there are no straight sides.  I think the Promaster has the straightest sides of any van on the market, but it still is not a box with nice right angles, and the cargo floor is definitely not parallel to the ground.  The rear of the truck is somewhat higher than the front.  We think this because the van is made to carry 5,000 pounds of cargo, and fully loaded it would be parallel with the ground??  The Ducato/Promaster is the number one van used for camper conversions in Europe, and in spite of all the websites about conversions, no one has said a peep about angles and curves. 

Building the closet.  The bench seats are ready for cushions, but the foam has not arrived yet.