DIY CEILING FOR VAN CONVERSIONS
Many of our vans feature this slatted ceiling and each time we put it in, we’re impressed with the look it brings to the small space.
The slatted ceiling concept is quite simple: A dark or light backer board and contrasting colored wood slats mounted over it. It is a nice ceiling, but it can get pretty heavy and hard to install if you don't do it right.
This example is based on a ceiling we built for a Promaster 159 EXT. The measurements will vary for your van make and model, but the building principles are the same. Enjoy!
What you’ll need
2x, 1/4", 4x8 Plywood. Look for plywood with at least one side that doesn’t have knots or filler)
11x, 1"x3"x10’ Solid Wood Slats. (Pine is an inexpensive choice)
1x Black paint.
1x bottle of Interior Wood Stain - Dark Walnut, or any wood stain of your choice.
150 grit sandpaper
16ga Nail gun
Trim router
Jig Saw
PLAN
Since all vans are different, you’ll want to make sure you know where you want your ceiling to go. In our vans, we install the ceiling on the whole “rectangular” surface of the van’s roof. The cabinets are then secured “on top” of the slatted ceiling, meaning there are slats behind the cabinets.
Measure the length and width of the vehicles ceiling area. Then prepare the plywood using those dimensions. For this example, the Promaster in which the ceiling was built is a 159 Extended. Our measurements came to 154” long x 57.5” wide.
PREPARE AND PAINT BACKGROUND PLY
Prepare your plywood. Since the standard size of plywood sheeting is often 4x8, you’ll have to work out how to best cut and fit these pieces in your designated ceiling area. In our Promaster, the plywood is in four pieces covering the entire length of the vans interior roof.
Ideally the joints of the plywood align with the vehicles cross members on the ceiling. Not doing this will create weak spots in the system.
Paint your plywood panels black or another dark color. It’ll make the wooden slats stand out, no matter what color they will be (except if they’re also black).
CUT, SAND, STAIN, & SEAL SLATS
Cut your slats to the overall length of the ceiling. This will vary depending on which model you have. For the Promaster 159 EXT, this length is around 154” long. So your slats need to be 154” long.
Sand your Slats. If you’re starting with smooth slats, you can jump to 150 grit sandpaper to even out the wood and prepare for staining. If you’ve got rough lumber then we recommend starting with a lower grit and working your way up.
Stain your slats. Now, this part can be tricky. Do not put too much. Put a drop of MINWAX (or the stain of your choice) on a piece of linen, and swipe it across the wood promptly. If you put too much, the pine will turn black. Let it dry.
Seal your slats. We recommend a good brush-on Polyurethane to prevent the wood from absorbing moisture. Two coats with a light sand in between will give you a clean finish.
PREPARE CHANNEL FOR WIRING
Ever wondered how those puck lights turn on when you flip your switch? The wiring is done through the center slat of the ceiling. The idea is pretty simple: you will cut a channel with a router through the back of your center slat. That channel has to be deep enough to let your fan and light wires go through like shown in the drawing below.
Make sure to check which wire gauge to use depending on the length of wires, the type of lights and the type of fan you are installing. We usually use gauge 16 for those components.
ASSEMBLE CEILING PLY & SLATS
Temporarily assemble the plywood and make sure it fits in the designated ceiling area. You will probably need help here: hefting with a large piece of wood is never easy. Confirm your ceiling area by pushing it against the roof of your van, and take plywood back to the workshop. We use these extension supports to help us keep parts in place while we measure and make adjustments.
Nail or screw the stained pine slats to the plywood FROM BEHIND, starting from the center, with the slat that has the wiring channel. You will want to leave the same gap between each slat. (Pro Tip: use “wood spacers” to space everything out evenly). You might have to push your slats into place against those wood spacers to avoid natural curves from the wood. The nails will hold them in place.
CUT HOLES FOR PUCK LIGHTS & FAN
Cut the slats where the lights go with a hole saw in the center slats. Make sure you didn’t leave any wires laying around in that slat before you cut. Once the cut is done, make sure your puck lights fit and connect them to the wires in your center slat.
Cut the slats AND the plywood where the fan goes with a jigsaw. Make sure you measure twice, otherwise, you’ll have to start your ceiling over if the fan hole isn’t right. You’ll connect the fan to the wires in the center slats once the ceiling is installed. Make sure your wires run all the way up to the fan hole.
BRACE & INSTALL CEILING
Install the ceiling. Depending on your van, you’ll want to screw your ceiling to the existing cross members of the chassis. We typically screw and glued wood braces (3/4” Russian Birch pieces - In blue below) to these cross members to make sure the ceiling’s screws could hold the weight. You then screw your ceiling upward against these wood braces between the slats.
Now you’ve got a good looking ceiling! DM us your ceiling pictures on Instagram at @Vanlife.Customs and ask us questions if you need help with something.
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