Article: How to prepare for fitting out your van with an Exokit furniture kit?
How to prepare for fitting out your van with an Exokit furniture kit?
You've finally found your utility vehicle, the foundation for your dream van. To make your conversion as simple as possible, take 5 minutes to read these few lines and avoid losing hours or days during your build.
A/ Check the compatibility of your van with our available catalog
Go to the vehicles page to confirm if your van appears in the list. Please note, the majority of our kits are made for utility vehicles (sheet metal interior), but some elements may be compatible with versions with more finished interiors (especially those with rear seats). Make sure the chosen furniture corresponds to your vehicle's version.
B/ Interior lining
You have confirmed that your van is on our list, and you are preparing the interior to receive the kit. Please note, our kits are designed in 3D to perfectly match the interior curvature of your vehicle. They are therefore intended to fit the shape of original linings (where present) or a 5mm plywood like those in our linings.
Avoid insulation and linings based on battens and paneling, which can look very nice but will make you lose a lot of space inside the van. You can easily lose about 4cm on each side. That's as much space lost in the width of a bed…
Prefer thin insulation (sprayed cork, Armaflex…) to stay as close as possible to the vehicle body.
C/ Assemble the furniture outside the van
Set aside a dedicated space for assembling your furniture kit, and assemble it outside your vehicle. You'll be much more comfortable working outside the vehicle than inside (height, steps for getting in and out…). Take the opportunity to pre-wire your furniture with your electrical equipment, plumbing, etc.
If possible, have two people carry the furniture, emptying it as much as possible when installing it in the van.
D/ Tools
To assemble your Exokit furniture, you will need:
- a Phillips screwdriver and a bit holder or a screwdriver with a PZ2 bit.
- a set of Allen keys (at least 4 and 8mm)
- 10mm drill bit
- Rivet gun, to install threaded rivets if you want to be able to remove and install your setup regularly.
Caution : Limit the tightening torque if you assemble the furniture with a power drill. There's no need to overtighten the Exofix screws. By entering the wood, the screw creates its thread, and overtightening could simply strip it. We recommend tightening them by hand.
