Headliner Shelf - DIY Sprinter Camper Van

[@guidolyons4912]

You know, for a guy that claims to suck at woodworking, you continue to do an amazing job putting the van together. Nice job.

[@ourkaravan]

Ha, thank you!

[@ianrmcdaniel]

Better than 95 percent of van life builders. Will definitely use your design tips but will cut Slots into plywood to hide brackets Thanks for sharing

[@hakunamatataadventurebus5944]

I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. You’re one fine craftsman!

[@sandygraham7943]

Great craftsmanship!

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you!!

[@kenmarapese9085]

Looks factory and that is a lot of storage space gained. I don't miss the music! Bam, the holes lined up, love those moments. Nice to see you padding your knees.

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you, yea, total dumb luck on the holes, that never happens! Thanks for the feedback on the music, or lack thereof.

[@alifeofdiversions3174]

That is such a nice job! Looks like it came straight from the factory like that!

[@ourkaravan]

Why thank you!

[@treynewsom1817]

In the same stage of my van build! Thanks for the fabric install. That's what I was looking for!

[@joecocklin8596]

Every time I watch one of your videos motivates me to do my own build. You're a real inspiration.

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you Joe, super nice of you.

[@offgridphilosophy7959]

I like that you're not using music in the background now. It was a distraction. Great work as usual!

[@ourkaravan]

I was literally in the middle of editing a soundtrack for this video when I got an email that one of my videos got a copyright strike. (Second one in the past two months.) It's a real problem; I only use music that is copyright free, but I think songs eventually go to license and then you're stuck with a copyrighted song. You won't have to worry about music in my videos any more!

[@cr0ft-2k]

You just have to break out the piano and DIY some tunes! :)

[@mwatercress]

When I watch your videos, what I want to hear is what you have to say. Don't sweat not having a music track. Great content!

[@ourkaravan]

My music making skills are about as bad as my woodworking. For your benefit, I will pass. ;)

[@HuangXingQing]

Wow, this is perfect! After years of avoiding this, decided to build a shelf there and your idea parallels my own. So glad I've slowed down before making changes. Thanks! Your build is clean and pro so that's the main reason I follow.

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you, I appreciate that!

[@Repsolwhite]

your attention to detail hurts my brain....in a good way! Much respect, love the build!

[@ourkaravan]

Haha, I'll take that a complement.

[@jaydranson]

Fantastic work as usual Ken, you provide a lot of inspiration to the rest of us! Appreciate the effort that goes into making these videos.

[@ourkaravan]

Very nice of you, thank you!

[@raynoladominguez4730]

Nicely done, that looks really good.

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you. Using the tweed helped "tie the whole room together," if you don't mind a quote from the Big Lebowski movie.

[@DattaGroover]

Fine workmanship!

[@HumbleRoad]

Nice work. You are going to love having all that storage space!

[@DattaGroover]

Great idea, putting the shelf a little higher

[@coyotedreams3902]

Wonderful, informative, and easy to follow video. Thank you so much!

[@taxslave5766]

You're a very patient man! Nice job as always! If you get sick of your regular job you could open a customs shop.

[@ourkaravan]

I would love to!

[@themostexcellentadventure5473]

Lol. Your assistant was the perfect size for the job!

[@kevinshea4776]

Hard work and time pays off! Another quality video improvement...Glad you did the pan-around at the end to see the current look of your van build...now if you can park your van in my driveway (with the keys in it!), I would be grateful! -Nice job!

[@ourkaravan]

Ha, I'm pretty excited to get it out of my driveway, but I had fall colors more in mind. ;)

[@paulb6161]

Nicely done!

[@Memyselfandvan]

Thanks for sharing, lucky indeed with those holes, make sure you put the lotto on this week.

[@ourkaravan]

I think my luck is all used up for the year. Maybe next year. ;)

[@shupingyin8082]

that shelf looks great. i'm looking for a cargo net for a shelf like yours

[@donjones3355]

Wow! Great job! Shelf looks perfect. Thanks!

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you!

[@banjobenson9348]

looks like it came from the factory , nice job

[@ourkaravan]

Exactly what I was going for, thank you!

[@nmartin5551]

Super nice work!

[@ourkaravan]

Thanks a lot!

[@leestewart4064]

Brilliant build. I like the tip about the soldering gun. I personally would of hidden the brackets

[@ourkaravan]

Thought about hiding them but the shelf won't go in with brackets in place. Needing to have the screws accessible killed that idea, but perhaps you can find a way.

[@robertw1524]

It is such a pleasure to see how much thought, care and fun you are having ! On the somber side, these are dark days in Cali, how are you making out with all these fires ?

[@ourkaravan]

Thanks Robert, it has been a very rewarding project for sure! This has been the worst fire season in history. It has been smoky in my area but no fires in my immediate area. Thanks for following along!

[@Panzergrennie]

Hey there, came across your channel more or less by accident, while following another van-builder. Binge-watched all your videos over the weekend. I really love your build, especially the alu-carcasses. I might even try to replicate that. Keep up the outstanding work and videos. So sad to hear about your wife, my condolences. Best Regards from Germany, Bernd

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you Bernd for the message, I really appreciate it!

[@Surfingthe805]

Great video. I couldn't stomach trying to trace out the shape and ultimately ponied up for the RBC shelf. I added 1/2" foam to the bottom because I knew I'd slam my head and wrapped in the same tweed you used. It's a great storage spot for bulky things - i.e. pillows and bedding. I'm also thinking about attaching a bungee cargo net to the underside so I can quick stash jackets, hats, etc. Thanks for the video!

[@ourkaravan]

I questioned my sanity in not buying the RBC one...I spent way more time with a wood file than desired!

[@SethKendallD]

@@ourkaravan I did this same thing a while back. Using a compass scribe and cardboard for my template made it fairly easy to get the right shape. I have a leading edge lip on the front of mine to add stiffness and keep stuff from getting stuck in the smaller portions of the front. That part was a bit trickier, but an orbital sander helped polish the shape wonderfully. The RBC kit looks solid, but the savings/function ratio was way in favor of the DIY version. Love your channel, and hoping to replicate a few of your projects.

[@ourkaravan]

I thought about the RBC one as well, but ultimately the cost savings was too much to deny! This also gave me the opportunity to have a padded shelf with material that matches the rest of my van rather than just an aluminum sheet. :)

[@mtforger]

Excellent work! I want my shelf to be the same height and maintain the shelves above the visor.

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you! If you use the same brackets your shelf will end up at the exact same height. Any lower and you will lose the ability to use the factory storage pockets.

[@vraymond108]

Great job. Not my next project but certainly one I want to complete soon.

[@thelwood]

Awesome work!!

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you!

[@75kwbsrdds]

Great eye for detail! Love the craftmanship.

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you!

[@peterc2312]

You’re awesome! I’ll learn from you to make my own shelf. Thank you so much!

[@ourkaravan]

You’re welcome, best of luck!

[@ajohnson7735]

Shelf Is Perfect!! & Little Helper the Perfect Size 😊😄 take care ✌

[@aaronrames8150]

Great video as always!

[@deb16acres20]

Thanks great tutorial

[@ourkaravan]

thank you!

[@LadyTSurvival]

nice shelf. looks great

[@danwhiteman2529]

Awesome Job!

[@ironwooddesigns9532]

excellent work. Thank you.

[@ourkaravan]

My pleasure!

[@sowewent]

Nice work and nice video. Thanks for putting this together!

[@ourkaravan]

Glad to see you guys started a channel; I'll be following along. And thank you! -Ken

[@Oldbrokenbones]

Nice and concise vid there! well done (you should have made paper templates for that shelve (I'd have bought one)

[@Scrambler85]

Excellent work

[@kennethoros4043]

Looks Awesome!

[@mmanut]

Great Job. ‼️👍👍 Vinny 🇺🇸

[@tomprevost2477]

Nice job Ken, Looks like you used a charcoal paint instead of the black so the brackets don't stand out quite so much.

[@ourkaravan]

I did! It's called midnight metallic paint, but it's more of a graphite color.

[@annpacheco4359]

Great job!

[@evelynrobles5513]

Nice job👍🏼

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you!

[@clifflang8678]

Very nice as usual. Planning on doing the same thing. Did you consider putting a small piece of wood to strengthen the front similar to the back? I think just a shorter piece in the center part in the front maybe two feet long might strengthen the front enough. But since you used 1/2” ply maybe it is not really needed. Do you think a set of golf clubs would fit up there? I think width wise they would just wondering how much room is above the shelf?

[@crinabobo6860]

Nice job. Do you have the template to share with others?

[@ourkaravan]

Take a look at my headliner shelf article in the van build section of ourkaravan.com. There I provide a number of different options for completing one; one option includes a template. -Ken

[@mygamertag2010X]

You need to wait 1-3 minutes before actually pressing both surfaces together that you've sprayed. Also, 77 won't survive getting really hot in a summers day in full sun.

[@ourkaravan]

I wouldn’t recommend the 3m-77 to others, but it has done fine the past couple of years in the constant 100 degree heat of the California Central Valley.

[@nancysavidge7611]

Great inspiration, I have just finished trying to create scribes for my template but before I continue do you have an approximate distance above the grab rail attachment point that you started your template? My visor/grab rail is off and I am afraid I may not be giving the plastics enough room. Thanks for posting this.

[@ourkaravan]

I'm not sure the easiest way to describe where I'm measuring from. Did you buy the same brackets I used? If so, I would go ahead and temporarily bolt them up, then you'll know the exact level at which the shelf will sit. Just a thought.

[@nancysavidge7611]

Great thought, they arrive next week so I don't think we will do any permanent cutting until I can use those to measure, thanks so much!@@ourkaravan

[@nancysavidge7611]

Thank you, that is a great idea, I will not do anything more until the brackets arrive. Thanks again for posting this video! @@ourkaravan

[@YarsinioVelázquez]

How much do you Charge for that project

[@ourkaravan]

:)

[@techcommtools]

I'm wondering...wouldn't a strip of 8020 been easier and more functional than the vinyl-coverd wood support?

[@ourkaravan]

Lots of ways to do this, but yes you certainly could.

[@brucebondi6104]

GREAT videos! I would really like to know where you purchased the bamboo wood? is this something you found locally or did you have to special order?

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you! There are two major manufacturers that I know of, Cali-Bamboo and Plyboo. I used the latter. I have ordered it from two different hardwood stores in my area, so any decent lumber store should be able to get it for you. A 4x8 3/4" thick sheet runs about $500, but you only need one, and it's really what makes the interior...

[@clifflang8678]

I guess my persistence paid off. I was able to pick up some Plyboo from a distributor about 2 hours from where I live. And it was quite a bit less. The local lumber yards said they could not get it.

[@ourkaravan]

@@clifflang8678 Nice, glad you finally found it.

[@moody-1984]

Hi,Great build and I love the shelve, so where is the best place to buy Baltic Burch here in California (Bay area)?Thanks

[@ourkaravan]

I would google local hardwood stores in your area, there should be plenty. I make the drive to Auburn, CA to Auburn Hardwoods.

[@patc.5872]

Hi there, What fabric did you use to wrap everything? Thanks.

[@ourkaravan]

Hi, Gray heather marathon fabric from perfect fit.com.

[@CarpenterJerry]

How does the shelf effect the function of the side airbags?

[@ourkaravan]

The shelf sits quite a bit higher than the airbags…when deployed the airbags go down and out.

[@dianemillar3613]

Could you please give me the link to the brackets you have used?

[@ourkaravan]

Sorry for the delay--write up and links here: ourkaravan.com/headliner-shelf-for-camper-vans/

[@mecanictransmision]

Me suscribo!

[@mayjortom3770]

Hey! AWESOME videos as always! Cant wait to build one of those in my van! BY THEY WAY! I had an idea for your "music issue"! i'm sure there are people who follow you on here and perhaps have music channels or recordings with their own music. You can maybe do a sort of collaboration, where you get to play their music in the background and show off these awesome building skills, and in return they get more exposure to their talent and channels for making music! No harm done, everyone wins and greedy KZbin can suck it! Thoughts?

[@ourkaravan]

Sounds like a good idea. I've read about this problem before before I had several sneak up on me in a short period of time. Part of the problem is using music I find on youtube channels that have millions of subscribers. I think they help these artists get 'found,' then they decide to license their music and it's game-over for us.

[@Escourse99]

have you found the 3m 70 spray to do sufficient work with the tweed as the 90?

[@ourkaravan]

Both seem to be holding fine but the 90 seemed tackier.

[@paulchea3842]

Hi Ken, how much fabric did you use for the headliner?

[@ourkaravan]

I don’t know exactly as this was leftover from doing my wall panels. There are converters online that will help you translate from square dimensions to lineal yards

[@paulchea3842]

Thanks Ken. I’ll look it up.

[@hadejames3012]

How do you remove the coat hanger clip?

[@ourkaravan]

You can use a flat blade screwdriver to pry the rubberized cover off the metal hanger, then the hanger removes with a single screw.

[@lostgriz]

How much for a template? You know you gotta sell them.

[@ourkaravan]

Thought about it, but it's the time-factor of getting to the post office to mail them out, handling customer service, etc. Free time is not in my favor these days!

[@lostgriz]

@@ourkaravan you get the red rosen paper, cut a bunch of them (10) and put them in envelopes. $35 each.

[@kacotr27]

All you would need to do is trace on to tyvek, list your supplies and sell thru Facebook market place or eBay. All your planning would really help all of us out here still in the planning process

[@HuangXingQing]

@@kacotr27 I've tried to provide such when I convert a unit but most of the time the greatest hindrance are issues dealing with xport/customer service. The product profit motivation is minimal. His is about the best site for imitators like us because he has great site with graphics and sources on the products he uses. Most owners just so show/tell for ego reasons and the viewers are left with only a wish. hehehe I plan to imitate this shelf this month. I don't think he mentioned the gross yardage on the foam/tweed but since I have a Perfect Fit locally so that's not really a prob.

[@TobyCostaRica]

The RB components one is a solid option. Can do a pull up from it and there is zero movement. I like this design though as it keep use of the visor pockets

[@MIKESTREED]

I’ve been trying to figure this out...

[@cr0ft-2k]

Great looking shelf, even though it was made of wood and not 8020. It would have been silly to not utilize that space.

[@ourkaravan]

I know, I know, inferior materials. ;) Seriously though, I forgot how heavy plywood is. This shelf reminded me how heavy my van would be if it were made from it.

[@cr0ft-2k]

Hah, well - on the other hand, you use the appropriate material for the job I suppose, I have no idea how you'd do a pleasing shelf there out of 8020. I suppose there are more spage-age materials than plywood as well but those are expensive and hard to find. Perhaps 1/2 inch thickness was a bit overkill though.

[@nastasiaj]

Quality work my friend. Quality work!! :-)

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you!

[@mikewarner2285]

Clean

[@raffsbev]

What year is this van? My Sprinter is 2019.

[@ourkaravan]

2016. They made this body style through 2018.

[@absoluteelectricwat]

I had to pause this video to tell my wife you're so OCD, you pulled out a touch to bend the metal and my respect for you doubled. She pointed out that I am man crushing right now.

[@ourkaravan]

Ha! OCD is scientifically proven to aid in the creation of a quality van build. ;)

[@TairnKA]

It looks good, great work. Though, it's a shame you couldn't hide the brackets better but that would have been excessive. ;-) Talking of excessive, I'd cut out the wood shelf above the visor shelf's (1" past visor edge), add a wall around the opening between the ceiling and top of wood shelf for that little extra room.

[@cognizable1]

Anyway to send me a paper template of this cut? I would gladly pay you for it

[@ourkaravan]

I did not, but check out my article here...one option includes a template and mounting hardware: ourkaravan.com/headliner-shelf-for-camper-vans/

[@living.thealps]

Thanks for another video! You could still use free youtube music for content creators, you just have to credit the song in your comment box

[@ourkaravan]

Correct, but I've had two videos now where the previously unlicensed music was later licensed. Subsequently you receive a message from KZbin warning of a copyright strike. It's a pretty common thing with no real good answer other than paying for a music subscription. KZbin is already a net loser for me, so I'm not willing to invest any $ into it.

[@Garland77]

I prefer not having the music, able to hear your voice much better.

[@ourkaravan]

Thank you for the feedback. The video seems pretty boring without it, but I'm sick of dealing with the music editing and licensing issues.

[@lamonttblackshire1638]

Another excellent video! ….👀👀 WHERE ARE YOU GETTING BALTIC BIRCH FOR $35 a sheet??!!! I will pay you a $20 commission for every sheet I buy at that price and still save $40 a sheet!😂😂😂

[@ourkaravan]

Haha! Those were pre covid prices, unfortunately.

[@motsigman]

57 1/8 far easier as 146cm (roughly) ....lol good videos.

[@diycampers7878]

Another great video. Shame about the music.

[@ourkaravan]

Eh, it just added a lot of editing time. I'm over it. :)

[@eugenemcgurk1068]

sorry brackets should be on top,whats with the space at the front????

[@ourkaravan]

You can build yours any way you like. If you're going to put the brackets on top I recommend screwing all the way through the wood and using bolts up top along with a backer plate. The screws going in to 1/2"ply won't be strong enough alone. Keep in mind that the shelf is below eye-level. Putting the brackets on top will not completely hide them. I did consider it.

[@longhairmullet]

ourkaravan ha, kind of you to walk through the brackets on top idea with correct detail. Yes perhaps brackets show in both positions but shelf resting on top of bracket rather than relying on screws to hold weight was the better choice. THAT’S why people ‘’I “ follow YOU ! Kudos.

[@ourkaravan]

Thanks for the message! I fully expect that some are taking my initial design and finding ways of improving upon it. It's much easier to do when the foundation has been laid out for you. My work will be sub-par for some people and overkill for others, but you get to decide which direction to take when it comes down to it. Thanks for following along! -Ken

[@scnomad3626]

eugene mc jerk, your method would be much weaker. What’s with the space between your ears?

[@PictureMeFree]

Here’s to 1/2” Baltic Birch for $32 a sheet 😩

[@ourkaravan]

No kidding. It’s come back down some, but not enough.

[@belgrave1984]

Great vid bud u can’t send me that template I pay u

[@ourkaravan]

Unfortunately I never really made a full template. I scribed the corners and essentially transferred these marks to plywood. That part does not take long to do.

[@stephanegenest6793]

Oh God thanks for no music me I tired to hear this sounds of Mickie squirrel singing.