#vanlife #sprinter #extrusion #vanconversion #vanbuild #diyvan

In this video we will walk you through our thoughts and experience using aluminum extrusion throughout our van conversion.

Although not the cheapest material around, without having to worry about mold/mildew or warped material, extrusion can be a great way to frame out those sections of your build that require high strength and precision.

If you’re in the market for extrusion a simple google search can send you in the right direction, but if you’d like to use our sources I’ll provide links below.

Before you go ordering anything though, you should come up with a rough estimate of the amount of material you’ll be needing by creating a basic blueprint of your van build. You can do it by hand using some graph paper or give something like SketchUp a go which is free for personal use.

SketchUp : https://www.sketchup.com/try-sketchup...

We sourced all of our material through a third party called Heitek who also helped us decide on the amount and type of material we needed by assisting on the structure of our layout.

Heitek : https://www.heitek.com/manufacturer/8...

Now this isn’t absolutely necessary if you already know what and how you plan on building with aluminum extrusion. If you want to save time and money you can order the product directly from a manufacturer like 80/20 or a distributor like Amazon. Amazon might have some 3rd party manufacturers of extrusion along with the hardware to assembling everything at a cheaper price. It is more cost effective to order full lengths at larger quantities and cut them down yourself.

In order to cut aluminum extrusion quickly and easily, you should get an aluminum cutting blade for your saw. Make sure to get the proper size blade for your saw. They also recommend having some WD-40 nearby if your blade starts to get hot. That way you can spray it and keep it from welding your pieces back together during the cutting process!

10 Inch Blade : https://amzn.to/3b2UriI
12 Inch Blade : https://amzn.to/3mItIui

Now when it comes to the assembly of the extrusion there are various bolts, brackets, and T-Nuts to choose from. You can purchase everything directly from 80/20 or you can find the majority of what you need on Amazon.

80/20 Extrusion Hardware : https://8020.net/fasteningmethods/har...
80/20 Fasteners : https://8020.net/fasteningmethods/ext...
Extrusion Hardware/Fasteners On Amazon : https://amzn.to/39nx82D

You might be able to save some money purchasing your bolts from McMaster-Carr.

McMaster-Carr Bolts : https://tinyurl.com/kkt6ux7p

You might also want to grab yourself a Rivnut tool kit in order to place strong mounting points within your van. That way you can connect directly to the vans body with your extrusion.

Rivnut Tool Kit : https://amzn.to/3QlSw8T

We also used a double sided foam tape for all the connections we made to the van body in order to prevent squeaks as well as create a small thermal barrier.

Double Sided Tape : https://amzn.to/3xQQ8Q8

If you have any questions make sure to shoot me an email at [email protected] or leave a comment!

You can also support the channel by becoming a Patreon member!

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=27667694

Oh yeah, we have some air fresheners available on our shop page here:

https://dogcatmanvan.myshopify.com/

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