I’m removing rust above the windshield and on both sides where the roof panel and side panels meet. I was hoping to finish in one day, but I spent all of yesterday on it, and I’ve been working since 7 AM today with still more to do tomorrow.
- Taking off the roof rack was a pain, and putting it back is going to be just as bad.
- The seam sealer on both sides was an absolute nightmare to grind off.
- I went through four rounds of grinding, applying rust converter, wiping it off, and repeating the process—yet there are still small spots of rust left, and I just can’t be bothered anymore.
- It’s near freezing, so I’m running a 3kW electric heater, which is going to cost a fortune.
- I didn’t do enough sanding, so now the line between the old and new paint is going to be visible.
- The antenna would’ve been a huge pain to remove, so I didn’t and that’s probably where new rust will show up in a year or two.
- I also did a poor job masking before applying the zinc primer, so now I’ve made a mess I have to clean up.
I just hate it when you try to do a good job, but everything seems to go wrong. You get frustrated, start rushing, and make more mistakes, and in the end, you’re left with a sub-par finish that you’ll probably have to redo in a few years because you didn’t do it properly the first time.
You converting a van into a camper? Which van?
Ford Transit. Roughly following the way faroutride.com did theirs. It’s never ending. I just put first wall in, now I need to re-route electric and rebuild the bed platform. Not a single square surface to be found, and to use factory holes instead of drilling self tappers, none of those are convenient either. I dread putting the heater in. That’s rather involved, removing gas tank, tapping the line, holes through the floor, electric, etc.