Ceiling: Tongue and Groove Wood Planks Installation

Ceiling: Tongue and Groove Wood Planks Installation

Photo of author
Updated:

Below is how we installed the tongue and groove ceiling in our Transit campervan conversion.

It’s still a work in progress at this time; we will update as we progress!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click a product link and buy anything from the merchant (Amazon, eBay, etc.) we will receive a commission fee. The price you pay remains the same, affiliate link or not.

Portrait-FarOutRide-Van

Installation


First things first, here is the numbering we use for the cross-member frames:

Time


TBD

Cost


TBD

Weight


TBD

Material


ITEMDESCRIPTIONQTYBUY
12mm (1/2″) Baltic BirchFor cross-member frames.
We prefer Baltic Birch (or equivalent) for its superior stability and screw grip.
1Buy locally
M6 x 25mm Flanged Button Head Screw
(Stainless Steel)
Two per cross-member frame.1Amazon
M8 x 25mm Flanged Button Head Screw
(Stainless Steel)
Two per cross-member frame.1Amazon
M6 and M8 Rivet NutsTo attach the cross-member frames to existing holes in the van.1M6 | M8
Polyurethane Wood FinishTo seal the cross-member frames.1Amazon
1/8″ Minicel
(Low-E would work too)
Thermal break between the metal and the cross-member frames.VARFoamForYou
5/16″ Knotty Pine Tongue and Groove Planks
(3-1/2″ wide x 96″ long)
The ceiling area of our extended Transit is roughly 66 square feet.7Buy locally
(e.g. Rona)
#6 x 3/4″ Flat Head Wood Screws
(Brass)
We use brass simply because it blends well with the pine.1Amazon

Tools


ITEMDESCRIPTIONBUY
Transfer ScrewsTo mark the location of the rivet nuts into the cross-member frames.Metric | SAE
Rivet Nut Setter ToolTo install the rivet nuts for cross-member frames attachement.Amazon
Tap and Die SetTo clean rivet nut’s threads (to prevent them from spinning).Amazon

1. Cross-Member Frames


We first CNC’d the cross-member frames out of 12mm thick Baltic Birch, per these dimensions:

Cross-members 1, 2, 4, & 5:

Cross-member 3 is wider (towards the front) to allow the 96-inch planks to reach the ceiling foremost point (otherwise, they would come a bit short near the cabin):

We used our Shapeoko to CNC the cross-member frames, because why not, but the frames are actually very easy to make by hand (they’re basically just rectangles). We’d recommend, however, not drilling them initially. Just install transfer screws in the M6 and M8 rivet nuts, then press the cross-member frame against the metal to punch the location of all holes into the cross-member frame. Then you know exactly where to drill!

Transfer screws (Metric | SAE)

The cross-members will be subject to condensation and moisture, so sealing them to prevent molds is essential. We also trimmed 1/8″ Minicel for thermal break (Low-E could work too) that we bonded with 3M 90 to the FACE UP of the frame (between the metal and wood):

We then installed M6 and M8 rivet nuts in each cross-member frame as follows:

Always start threading fasteners into rivet nuts by hand. If you feel any resistance, back off, clean the threads of the rivet nut with a tap, then start over. This should prevent any spinning rivet nut!

We then installed all cross-member frames (remember, frame #3 is wider!). It’s easier to start with the M6 screws, then partially install the M8 screws and let the wood relax to prevent cracking it. Come back later to gradually thread them more and add more bending.

Just a close-up to show the bending, the M8 screw, and the Minicel between the metal and the wood:

Keep going for all frames!

And you’re done 🙂


2. Tongue and Groove Planks


Coming soon… ish!


On Second Thought…


This is an exact duplicate of FarOutVan #1 ceiling… so it’s fair to say we’re happy with this method and would do the same if we started over!


Want More?


WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED.

Stay in touch!


JOIN 40,000+ FOLLOWERS VIA FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM OR YOUTUBE:

About us


NICE TO MEET YOU.

About-Us-Narrow

Hello! We’re Isabelle and Antoine 🙂 In 2017, we sold our house (and everything in it), quit our engineering careers, and moved into our self-built campervan. Every day is an opportunity for a new adventure... We’re chasing our dreams, and hopefully it inspires others to do the same!

Exclusive Deals!


Thanks to all of you, we managed to negociate group discount on these. Strength in numbers!

Leave a Comment