This was the first big job we did on the Sprinter and the first time we were starting to add bits to the van instead of removing.

We’ve covered how to strip and prep the van for insulation in a previous post. Now it’s done, we’re ready to start framing, insulating and laying the floor.

Shopping List

Timber battens – 25mm x 38mm – Link 12mm plywood – 2400mm x 1200mm Self tapping screws – Link – (optional) 25mm foam board insulation – Link ‘No More Nails’ adhesive – Link Jigsaw Circular saw or hand saw Measuring tape Roofing square – Link – (optional) Marker pens Wood screws

Step 1: Preparing the Plywood

There’s a reason we have put this first (which we’ll explain further down). Use the floors you removed from the van originally as a template for the new plywood.

We used 12mm plywood for the flooring as we had read this is plenty thick enough with a decent frame underneath.

Put the plywood sheets on a flat floor, lay the old floor over the sheets and mark them out on the plywood and cut these shapes out with a jigsaw or your preferred tool.

We laid out all 4 sheets of plywood, put together with no gaps so we could lay the 2 pieces of the floor directly on top and draw one big template.

Make sure you mark each piece of plywood to show which is at the front and back, and which side is the underneath and the top.

Once you’ve cut these out, lay them down in the van to make sure they’re a perfect fit.

Once you know the all fit perfectly, mark and then remove the front piece of plywood, then draw a line where the front and second plywood sheet meets. These will be where your horizontal battens will go to make sure you have each sheet flush with each other.

These photos below are of the finished floor (spoiler alert) but show you what it looks like using the other floor as a template.





Step 2: Battens

This is not particularly difficult, you just need to make sure you plan it properly.

We bought 25mm x 38mm timber battens. 25mm is the thickness of the insulation we bought so everything should fit perfectly when in place (hopefully).

We started the frame with the step first, then the horizontal battens that go in between each sheet of plywood (as mentioned in step 1). Use the line you drew as the centre point for the batten. Simply measure the width, cut and put them in to position. Don’t glue or screw them in yet. It’s better to lay them out to get your template right before screwing or glueing in to place.

When laying the vertical battens, make sure you use a 90 degree angle (we used a roofers ruler tool) to make sure it’s straight.

Once you have your whole frame laid out, put a bead of glue on the underside of each batten. You can simply glue them down or you can screw them in to the metal floor like we did using self drilling screws. Some people don’t do this, we decided to on some of the more important beams for extra security.













Step 3: Insulation

Now it’s time for the insulation. You just do this methodically, rectangle by rectangle.

Measure the first rectangle’s width and height, mark out those dimensions on the foam insulation and cut. We used a long stanley knife with a long ruler to do this but I’ve seen people use hand saws or turkey cutters. Because it’s only 25mm deep it’s easy to cut (once you get the hang of it).

Once you have the piece cut out, lay in the rectangle gap and tap down if it’s a bit tight. Do this one-by-one until you’re done.

Once this is all in place, use the aluminium tape over the battens from the aluminium side of the insulation to the other piece of insulation as in the photos below.











Step 4: Lay the plywood flooring

This is the easiest part of the project. Because of the previous planning, everything should meet up perfectly.

Lay down the first sheet (we started from the rear), then you need to mark where the vertical battens run so you know where to screw. Using a marker, simply mark on each end where the battens start and end, then use a straight edge or measuring tape to mark a line from one end to the other to identify where the batten is.

Once you’ve marked it all out, simply screw in to each end of the sheet in to the horizontal battens, then screw in to the vertical battens.

Do this 1 by 1 until the whole floor is screwed in place.











You’re done!

Have we missed anything out or made a mistake? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Next up, installing a window