DIY Van Conversion | Overhead Storage

DISCLOSURE:

I am not a van conversion professional or professional handyman. This is a documentation of my experience and you should make your own decisions on how to build your own van, and seek professional guidance if you are unsure. This blog post also contains affiliate links, so if you click a product link and buy from the merchant, I will receive a commission fee. The price you pay remains the same, affiliate link or not. Buying through my product links is the best way to say thanks if this blog post was at all helpful to you.

Overhead Storage

Everyone seems to build these out of plywood, but to me a 2×2 frame seemed way easier, especially given the strange curvatures (Vertically and horizontally) of the walls here. To start I cut 2x2s to the desired length and attached them with glue and screws to the studs in the ceiling and walls.

I then created 90-degree corners to create the frame and joined everything with pocket holes and wood glue.

Each corner piece required a different cut angle and length due to the curvature of the wall, something that was pretty manageable with 2x2s but would have been a nightmare to try and get perfect with plywood for me.

I then added a sheet of 1/2″ ply to the bottom.

The doors were made from one single 1×12 piece so that the grain flowed door to door. The stain I used ended up covering up most of the grain; so it’s difficult to see that detail in the end. The doors were then attached with the hinges and gas struts to keep them raised once opened. I had originally planned on using 2 struts per door (one on each side) But it was too much power so one ended up being perfect.

I also used a small hole saw to cut 1″ holes in each door so that you could open them with a finger.

Finally I closed the end of the overhead storage with a piece of 1/4″ ply leftover from the walls, and added the strip light below.

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