The following is a brief overview of the steps we took to finish the ceiling in our van – a 2021 Ford Transit.
The first step was to add Kilmat, a sound deadening mat to dampen the noise.
Next, we went through and identified the places where the furring strips would go. We used the existing beams across the width of the van, which had plenty of pre-drilled holes for installing rivets. If the hole was a little bit bigger, a plusnut was installed.
We were hoping to get the furring strip from one end of the van to the other, but the curve was too much for the 1/2 inch plywood to bend. So we decided to cut a long piece for the center, and 2 short ones on each end. Because of the curve, it took very many attempts to get the holes to line up with the bolts we had installed on the ceiling. This part of the build took quite a long time!
For the short furring strips on each end, we used 3/4 inch plywood.
After the furring strips were up, we cut sections of foam board insulation, and put it up between each beam and furring strip.
Then we covered it all up with Reflectix, leaving openings for our 2 fans, and the electrical wires for the lights we’ll be putting up on the ceiling. At each section of the ceiling, we had to remove the furring strip, tuck the reflectix underneath, mark where the holes were for each bolt, and attach the furring strip back over the reflectix. Some spots were quite frustrating, but we got it all done.
We were looking for something lightweight to finish the ceiling with, and found this cork flooring from Facebook Marketplace. We screwed each panel in place. Very few went in easily. We had to make adjustments for lights, fans, and mostly for all the curves of the Ford Transit.
The back end of the van, just above the back doors needed something a little different. Alex did some strategic cutting and shaving to fit this 2×4 snugly up to the top.
And here it is all done. It looks much cozier now – We love the way it turned out!
Watch our video to see how we did it:
2021 Ford Transit – Ceiling
Thanks for visiting our site! Check our Van Build Journal page often as we’ll documenting the progress of the build.
Yours Truly …. Yula
