Category: Van Build

808Build: Overland Prep

808Build: Overland Prep

But wait, there’s more! Over the past few years the 808Van has left me stranded on the road a few times. Sometimes due to old parts breaking, other times due to debugging new upgrades. Getting stranded on public roads is unfortunate. Getting stranded off-road is dangerous. So before taking the 808Van anywhere too remote I…

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808Build: Make it Run!

808Build: Make it Run!

The 808Van was never meant to be just for #vanlife Instagram likes. It was always the vision to have a rig that had modern capability with retro style. So once the interior was done the next step was to get the van running as good as it looked. The interior was complete in early 2018,…

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808Build: The Interior is Complete!

808Build: The Interior is Complete!

If you were wondering, the 80/20 rule also applies to vans. It seemed like the van was “almost done” for several months, but each time I stopped by to check on progress, we came up with some more cool ideas to sneak in! When I finally picked it up at the end of January, it…

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808Build: Cabinet Assembly

808Build: Cabinet Assembly

We are now in the home stretch of the build with the interior beginning to take shape! No matter how much you plan, measure, and visualize in advance the build remains a fluid process. With insulation and the walls in place I had several inches less lateral room than I initially anticipated, which led to…

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808Build: Walls and Trim

808Build: Walls and Trim

Its been about a month since disassembling the interior of the van and we’re now at the point where progress is picking up. Up until now, a lot of time has been spent with unexciting prep work – plugging holes in the floorpan, laying insulation, and getting ready for the wiring and plumbing. But with…

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808Build: Interior Disassembly

808Build: Interior Disassembly

The day has finally come to start the interior build! The overall condition of the interior was actually pretty good for a 40+ year-old vehicle. The appliances didn’t work but that didn’t matter to me since I knew I would be doing a full build-out of the interior. I plan to use this van for…

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808Build: Planning & New Seats

808Build: Planning & New Seats

Being an engineer, I love the challenge of problem solving. I’m definitely a nerd, but I also have fits of creativity and style. Planning out the 808Van brings out the best of both sides of my brain: combining my analytical approach to optimizing space, with a passion for design. To say I obsessed over the…

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808Build: The Sportsmobile Gets a New Top

808Build: The Sportsmobile Gets a New Top

The first major update to the 808van would be new canvas for the pop-top. Being over 40 years old, the original canvas had been patched up over the years and smelled a bit . . . rustic. While it was not in terrible condition, it was the one area of the build I had absolutely…

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