Windsurf.me.uk

M8 Bolts (well actually set screws) passed
through existing holes in the bodywork, then held in place with a
retaining washer, and then passed through 9mm holes drilled in the leg. I
also drilled recesses on the front face of the legs / rails using a
25mm bit. The recesses allowed nuts to sit below the surface of the wood
and so gave more bolt length to play with.

Overnight,  I realised that whilst I could
not get a full lenth section of ply in through the tailgate diagonally
and then have room to manoeuvre it to fit the rails, if I built the
platform in two sections, it might work. After much measuring, I worked
out that I should be able to get a two section platform in through the
side door. It would not fight flush with the sides at the widest point
of the van, but with roughly a 5mm gap, it should work. Cutting thin
(6mm) ply as a template seems to confirm this.

I'd got this far when I discovered the big
problem. Actually 'discovered' is not quite the right word. Rather it
was pointed out to me in this thread

https://www.boards.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13321

on the Boards forum.

After much sweat and swearing fitting this, I was faced with the
prospect of dismantling it, building the sleeping platform in the van
and then reassembiling the ply, rails etc. under the platform. A
horrible plan.

This is actually a bitch of a job as the ply
has to be bent into place before the bolts will protrude. Having an
assistant on hand would help.

The templates fit (hooray), though as there
is some flex in the thin ply, fitting the real platform sections will be
tougher. Also the extra thickness of the real sections will mean the
sections will be slightly wider when on the diagonal. I think I should
just about get away with it though.

This photo shows the height of the side rail
that will support the sleeping platform. This is also the stage where
it nearly all went wrong. PAY ATTENTION NOW! My big mistake was to
assume I could slot the platform in above the rails at a diagonal and
then push it down onto the rails. However I'd failed to take account of
the van narrowing above the point where I'd bolted the rail in. I failed
Geometry 101. All looked good at this stage. I discovered the big
problem later.

I did the ceiling with silvery bubbly stuff,
but for the sides of the van I used 'space blanket' rockwool from
B&Q. It comes in plastic sheathing, which does cut down the itching.
I sealed the end of each section I cut off with duck tape.

I used the (already drilled) rail and legs as a template to mark the position of the holes.

Ignore the leg thing. It's not part of the
construction. It's just there to stop the thin ply from flexing whilst I
get the sizing right. I may have to build a proper leg to support the
front though.

412 viewsBoth panels in, secured to the rails with screws at the edges, and varnished.

Three boards (bagged and with footstraps
padded to prevent squishing), seven sails, five skinnies in padded bags,
kit box, kit bag, fin bag, oh and three booms, all chucked in.  The
space isn't being used very efficiently as yet, but it's proving the
point that I can fit the kit I need in.

Getting the panels back in the van was a
mare as they were heavy and there was only millimetres clearance. The
fit with the side of the van was not perfect, but it was enough to
ensure they were properly supported by the rails. I also put a strip of
lino on top of the side rails to act as a gasket to reduce the chance of
squeaks and rattles.

Once screwed, bolted and bonded to the ply, I
then glassed over the strengthening struts with epoxy resin, with epoxy
'fillet bonds' along the sides of the struts.

This is a long strip of ply with positions
for screw holes marked and drilled. This was used to ensure the holes
drilled down through the panels (for fixing the struts underneath) were
correctly positioned. The struts were fixed at each end with 70mm M8
coach bolts, with woodscrews used at intervals across the panels.

Here's the rear panel removed from the van
for proper fixing of the struts on the underside. As well as the
coachbolts at each end and the screws at intervals along the struts, the
struts are bonded to the ply panels with epoxy resin.

Load lashing rings, bought of ebay, bolted to the sides of the sleeping platform. (and no, I don't need trying down at night)

18mm ply panels cut to shape using the thin
ply templates as a guide. There are two panels, and it was a squeeze to
get them in, to the point that the trim on the pillar behind the
driver's door needed to be removed to give an inch or so's extra
clearance.

I've now screwed loads of these into the woodwork to use as lashing points. Very handy.

As I got fed up of (bagged) masts sliding
around the van, I now carry them in a sling hanging from the cross beams
of the sleeping platform. I screwed eye-bolts into each cross beam and
then hook a short bungee into each set of eye-bolts to make the sling.

Showing how the cut-out by the sliding door leaves a changing space.

The platform is supported on one edge only
(by the side rail) where it's in front of the cross-beam. There's a very
small amount of fles in it, but that's no problem.