Voted Best Fit and Finish

This week we met up with a couple with a self built van that won "Best Fit and Finish" at a recent Van Expo. Then I finally get around to responding to a question from a viewer: Packing the Van.
Links to items mentioned in our videos (and my camera gear) can be found on my Amazon Storefront. As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you shop from this Amazon portal:
www.amazon.com...
Favorite bike pump: www.amazon.com...
Moonshade (affiliate link}: moonfab.com?sca_ref=2840305.8fOH1OGxFf
Music in this video is from a subscription with Epidemic Sound.
Sewing Resources
Sailrite.com
Seattle Fabric: www.seattlefab...
Ripstop by the roll: ripstopbythero...
Wawak : www.wawak.com/- I buy most of my thread, YKK zippers, machine needles from Wawak. Their YKK zippers are a good price too.
All my fabrics and threads are POLYESTER, which is UV resistant.
Here are supplies and vendors I used for the projects you asked about. The 4 season UV window covers:
WeatherMax black (Seattle fabrics)
WeatherMax tan (Seattle fabrics)
Thinsulate: diyvan.com/col... thinsulate-tai1547
Low-E reflective foam coar insulation: diyvan.com/col... products/low-e-ssr-reflective-foam-core-insulation-60-wide? variant=33381457035323
Sunbrella® Acrylic Bias Binding Tape Black (Sailrite)
TotalElements: totalelement.com/ is a great source for magnets.
For the shower
HyperD 300 (Ripstop by the roll)
Grosgrain ribbon (Seattle Fabrics)- This is great to use on straight runs as binding.

[@BillSprague]

Just a thought…. Tools are comfort for handy men. John’s got the knack. Thanks for a great video.

[@pebbles_tale]

Debbie, thanks for sharing our van build with everyone!

[@FromShetoMe]

Our pleasure! You’ll see it again when we get to the Expo.

[@NelloCambelli]

Genius tracks in ceiling for keeping balance rolling down the road. & stuff hooks. John is getting the mechanical details from Eric - really important stuff.

[@NelloCambelli]

Debbie, there ought to be an Academy Award for interesting stuff made by you from fabric - the Academy does have an award for costume & set decoration. John gets his Award for packing, squeezing and enjoying life.

[@FromShetoMe]

Thanks but I don’t even deserve a nomination. There are so many clever people out there who inspire me.

[@janetfolkerts5827]

I love seeing what others do inside their van and I really appreciate seeing what and how you pack. Clearly, experience shows what is needed. Thanks for sharing your journey..ALWAYS enlightening and a joy !

[@karentucker346]

It was really nice to meet you two at the van show at North Shore. I have to admit, I was a bit star struck and shy - I’ve never met a you tube producer before. It made my day! Thanks, from Karen

[@FromShetoMe]

LOL. We’re just normal people who video stuff. Nice to meet you, too.

[@mickeydyke392]

This like a zoom meeting! Everyone talking at once.

[@FromShetoMe]

Will try to do better.

[@camperab]

Great video. And I have learned again. But I am always surprised that two people still fit in a Sprinter with all the equipment stored there.

[@maryshurmantine2602]

Such a fun video with so much info. Especially love the info about paved but quiet rides, as I only have a road bike and not electric. Thank you again!

[@timsmith7625]

Thanks for the van tour as I can get some ideas for mine. Starting this winter. Have had two zoom calls with them and things are moving forward for my van plans.

[@christinegreydanus2069]

Thank you Debbie and John! Great info.

[@jann4732]

John did a really nice job with the presentation. Indeed, he’s a natural at it.

[@Beeceebeach]

I think one of our favorite parts of vanning is meeting the campground hosts. Almost always fun, friendly and interesting folks! And so needed. Many thanks to all of them. We finally installed our new bathroom faucet and shower head! Such an improvement! Thanks for the tips. Cheers. ✌️👋

[@bettyjorodgers8552]

Thank you once again for another great video.

[@allankawakami]

Good info 👏 I use horse stall mats in my garage gym. Wanted to mention that the mats come in different thickness, so you could get a thicker one and carry less.

[@Trishstitch61]

Love the tour of other self made vans and your organization tips have been a great help. Ours too is a self made sprinter van. Do you do many long trips during winter months? I have found the long nights are hard to take with not as much daylight and too much time in the van with limited space to enjoy my hobbies like I do while at home. So we keep those trips to just a week or two, since we live in No Utah we like to escape the cold and snow during Winter and especially those dreaded inversions that are common during winter around here.

[@FromShetoMe]

I agree, winter is tough but we have done longer winter trips. Once to Florida and some desert trips. But most of our winter trips are in the 3 week range.

[@judyfeldman5066]

Nice shout out! And that bike pump seems like it is good to have.

[@joycem2795]

Saving this video to my KZbin library for later reference. This is very useful information for future and newbie van owners. Thanks for posting this!

[@garygus5966]

I had no idea you guys carried so much stuff in your van...wow I am impressed with your packing ability!!!

[@abbysomebody9792]

Hi Debby--our van transmission was doing the same thing. Really clunky shifting around 1800 rpm if we eased into it. If we gunned it, it would be better. Took it in and the same thing, they couldn't find anything wrong according to the codes. The transmission specialist said he has run into this before and thinks it's not actually the transmission but an EGR valve. It gets gunked up with carbon. They can try cleaning it but it's best to just replace it. Our part is on order and we'll see if that helps 😊

[@FromShetoMe]

Great info! I’ll ask our mechanic to take a look. Thanks and let me know how it works out.

[@mikemanjo2458]

Such a cool van! Thanks for sharing it with us. It would be nice to have the skills they have...they are certainly talented folks. Y'all have a great (and safe) week. See you next week! Jane in SC ❤🙏

[@kxrv6629]

Greetings from Tobermory, ON. We’re on our last week in Canada working our way around Great Lakes. Couldn’t do an RV without full toilet. Divorce kayak, LOL. We briefly had an inflatable one. Loved our Pungos until we sold our house and hit the road. Miss them

[@FromShetoMe]

Hope your weather is holding. Had our first dusting of snow in the Sierra yesterday.

[@kxrv6629]

@@FromShetoMe So far… at least for a few more days. The leaves are starting to turn… things start shutting down for the season on Oct 15th regardless of the weather

[@rhondatraywick3724]

More room than one would think if packed right! Safe travels! Happy fall!! 🎃🌞

[@pdub6453]

We use our LUNO shoe bag all the time to store our extra pair of shoes, wet or dry.

[@FromShetoMe]

Shoes are such a challenge.

[@walterdibartolomeo3157]

Great video. I have a humble request for a future update on the new bikes. No rush. Stay safe.

[@FromShetoMe]

Will do! Thanks.

[@doubled5037]

Thanks for sharing good stuff

[@bettyschulz693]

Good job!

[@bobbydale1957]

Good stuff as always.

[@billsherer7629]

Thanks for doing this overview. We are prepping our Ontour for retirement and hope to run across you guys soon! Questions: Do you carry camp chairs and spend much time outside the van (when not hiking/biking)? I ask as our garage is a bit more packed than yours :) Would you mind sharing your arrival setup process in a future video?

[@FromShetoMe]

We always carry camp chairs but don’t spend much time in them. Go figure! I laughed about your other question but will share soon. Will explain then. Thanks.

[@KCanfield-n5c]

You mentioned you thought you had transmission issues with your van we have a 2021 Pleasureway Plateau TS and after two of our long trips I noticed the van would skip and lose power in the mountain passes. I thought it was the transmission. It was not. Mercedes new exactly what to fixe and both times the EGR valve was replaced. They said it should normally clean itself but it could get clogged if you idle the van for any length of time. We learned why the diesel van should not be idled.

[@FromShetoMe]

That’s great to know. We will let our mechanic know. Thanks.

[@billsherer7629]

Double-dipping: would John mind listing the power supply system he mentioned in your Amazon store? Afraid I’ve been using a surge protector 😢

[@FromShetoMe]

The one in our storefront is an equivalent. It has an EMS. Looks like the price is less than what we paid.

[@leahkahn8472]

I remember when you got your Trasharoo there was a challenge with installing it on the spare tire. Can you please detail your installation? And I love that you are revisiting what you're packing in your rig now vs. five years ago. Thanks!

[@FromShetoMe]

You have to make an X with the straps behind the tire and be able to reach behind. I’ll insert a video in a few weeks. It can be a pain.

[@leahkahn8472]

But it appears that it has remained secure and in tact over the years with the X strap method, and withstood the elements being left out in all sorts of weather conditions. I'm assuming that you never take it off when you get back home after a trip. I'm just afraid it will fall off and also afraid of theft, but I guess if they really want the black tank emptying stuff...................although losing a bike helmet would be a bummer.

[@FromShetoMe]

We remove it when home. I’ve been told you can throw in the washer and it comes out looking new. I’ll have to try that. I prefer to keep my helmet in the garage for safe keeping.

[@FromShetoMe]

@@leahkahn8472 yes

[@patraspante]

Hi Debbie, I noticed that you had what looked like a really large visor over your helmet. I wonder if you could share some info about that. Thank you. I really enjoy your Vlog.

[@FromShetoMe]

Thanks. The brand is called “Da Brim”. Not available on Amazon. On the company website they have lots of color variations.

[@petefrost1787]

Thanks for another beautifully made video. Just one question: could you tell me the brand of the magnetic bag you bought in Canada. It looks like it would be very useful in our van and, being from Canada, I should be able to source it here. Cheers and happy/safe travels to you two.

[@FromShetoMe]

Luno shoe storage bag (not available on Amazon)

[@sandrab7394]

What is the brand of the rechargeable tire pump you all use? Love the small size!

[@FromShetoMe]

There is a link in the description box. It’s also in my Amazon Storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/fromshetome

[@erniedevries3243]

Their sliding doors look very interesting. Searching for "rea hexa" or "reva hex" turns up nothing. Can you provide a link? I didn't see one in the description.

[@FromShetoMe]

I will see if Jodi can provide more info.

[@pebbles_tale]

It's called Riga Heksa, commonly called Hex Ply. It was difficult to source 2 years ago but found a supplier in LA that shipped it.

[@davidthomson5183]

We are on the road and will be coming towards Sacramento from Vegas next week. Do you still camp along 395 this time of year? Nights look be getting towards freezing. Traveling in a 2021 OnTour.

[@FromShetoMe]

We've been camping along US 395 all week. The first part of the week got just below freezing but we've never had a problem at those temps. I keep a Sensor Push Thermometer under the van in a magnetic box so that I can monitor the temps near the tanks. It's usually 4 degrees warmer down there than the outside temp. (and it doesn't reach those cold temps until just before the sun comes up) You might want to do something like that. You can find links in my Amazon Storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/fromshetome Last night we were camped along the June Lake Loop. Tonight we will be staging our stop closer to home so like to camp at Fossil Falls or Goodale Creek. You should be fine this week. You can pick up a Fall Color Guide in one of the towns for the best fall color (it's just starting to pop).

[@davidthomson5183]

Thanks for that info on the thermometer and sounds like we should not miss the fall colors. Since we are passing through, we can avoid a chilly night. I hope to go over the Tioga pass if open.

[@FromShetoMe]

@@davidthomson5183​​⁠The color in McGee Creek yesterday was good. Tioga Pass will be open this week and if you are up for a hike, Saddlebag Lake is great. Going up Tioga is great, coming down is spooky. Nellie Deli at the Mobile gas station has good food.

[@davidthomson5183]

Saddlebag Lake was gorgeous! Thanks!

[@bertkelly7650]