Sunday Summary #129

Cutting BIG Holes and Rain

Hi there,

Welcome to Scho & Jo’s 129th Sunday Summary. This edition of the Sunday Summary was written in northeast Florida.

Last Week.

We embarked on the last big cuts into our van with our final two windows. We installed a window behind the driver’s seat and another on the sliding door… and let me tell you, they look great! We really splurged on these windows. Typical windows that don’t open are significantly less expensive than operable windows. Both of these side windows are operable with bug screens, which will help tremendously with airflow and keep us comfortable in the van.

Like most things, installing our windows didn’t go according to plan. We had about three steps remaining before calling the project done when it started to pour on us. About 10 minutes before the downpour, we quickly taped a plastic tarp to the gaping holes in our van. Immediately when it started to rain, Elliot went into the van to check on our plastic tape job and saw we had water in the van. I quickly ran inside to get towels, and Elliot came to the conclusion that it was just the initial downpour and sideways rain that caused it to leak a little bit. It continued to rain on and off throughout the night.

The following morning, we woke up, took Ollie for a dog walk, ate breakfast (because nothing good happens when we’re hangry), and finished the remaining three steps. The van's windows look incredible, and we’re so excited to test open them and feel the cross breeze as we proceed on inside van tasks next week. The outside of the van looks dramatically different than a few months ago, and we’re so happy with how it’s coming out!

This Week.

We’re going to take a day to explore St. Augustine, a local destination. After a few weeks of nonstop van building, we’re in need of a little exploration and fun. Later this week, we’ll be installing our insulation and beginning framing! We can’t wait to start this step because it’s the beginning of interior transformation.

Videos.

We just released our video installing floors in our DIY campervan! It feels like we keep saying each project makes a huge difference, but it’s true. The installation of our van floors really makes the van's interior come to life in a way that brings a massive smile to our faces. We hope you enjoy our latest video!

Blog.

This week, we released blog posts on installing solar panels, how we decided on the walkable solar over rigid or flexible panels, and a blog post on our simple approach to flooring! Like our Great Loop Expenses, we’re compiling the total cost of our van build and sharing project-by-project expense breakdowns in these blog posts! When we finish our van build, you’ll be the first to know when we publish our final van build expenses post.

From the Eyes of Ollie.

I can’t wait for my parents and I to go on a fun adventure. We used to go on so many fun walks that always had different sniffs, but now the sniffs are mostly the same. I know the dogs at the park and the locals in our neighborhood. Hopefully, we can go on some adventures for new sniffs soon.

Gratitudes

Doing this van build has been challenging. Watching YouTube videos or seeing Instagram reels or Facebook posts can make it all look easy. Still, it’s been a lot of juggling learning all of the necessary skills and knowledge for constructing the van, creating content (shooting horizontal for YouTube, vertical for Instagram reels, and taking photos for our blog), and trying to balance healthy habits (working out, dog walks, reading, eating well). We’re grateful for our friends who have reached out, listened, and supported us. Friends are such a gift in life and something we never intentionally want to take for granted. We hope you have a few key friends who simply make your life better by being in it. Our friends certainly make our lives better by being in them, and for that, we are grateful 🤍

See you next Sunday!

Peace and love,

Jen + Elliot