Shabazan is built out with a 1.5″ extruded aluminum framework. All of the metal parts were sourced from tnutz.com. It was built in six stand alone sections:
- galley – fully self contained (except for power).
- side benches (2x) The tops of these are hinged for access to storage area below.
- bed area – 6’x6′ using three 4″ thick 2’x6′ foam pieces from fabric store. I use 2 of them to sleep east-west when solo and all 3 when traveling with spouse (north-south). This way no one has to climb over in the middle of the night.
- wet room / AC shelf – I don’t need a standup shower, so I can dedicate the top part to the AC unit, power supply and additional storage.
- power center / fridge – I like to keep an eye on these critical components.
Each of the sections are attached to the adjoining section, and each side is bolted to Shabazan body in 5 places – using the provided ‘D-ring’ tie-down locations. Every bolt is secured using Loctite red thread locker. While the layout selection was inspired by the “mini beach house” from these fine folks, I did have to make adjustments to align with the pre-existing bolt locations.
I first built sample fames using 1.5″ wood, then covered them with cardboard or brown paper sheets to get a feel of how everything would look. The original design had a counter to the left of the wetroom. I shifted the room back to leave more space behind the driver. This space became the fridge & power center.
Shabazan has 3/4 plywood covering the bed area (6’x6′). All other sheets are 1/2″ or 1/4″ to reduce weight. As a building tip: add a thin strip of foam between the extrusion and the plywood to eliminate vibration noise.
Wetroom frame
Initial design showing the counter on the left.
Wetroom Mockup
This layout didn’t leave enough room behind the driver for a fridge or power center.
Bench frame
Testing out the size and height of the two side benches.
Galley Mockup
This cardboard mockup let me know the best size to be able to bolt the galley to the floor using existing holes
Bolted to the floor
Under the galley is the forward connect point to the van structure.
Bench Build
The passenger side bench, as built. Each side is about 6′ long. Only the front 2′ will be used as a bench.
Galley Build
The passenger side bench, as built.
View from the back
From the back view, you can see the attach point just behind the wheel. Also note the extrusion rising from the back corner. This fixes the assembly to the side wall attach points
Shabazan 