After installing the floor, the exhaust fan, a deep-cycle battery, and a temporary bed platform, we decided to finish the ceiling. The curved roof of the Ford Transit would again make this a difficult project.

The van had large structural cross-beams that supported the roof. But there were long, empty stretches in between them that would not provide any support for the ceiling inside. So, we started by building a stud frame using inexpensive 1×4 pine stock. First, we installed receiver nuts into the metal cross-beams, then bolted 1x4s to them, pulling the wood into a smooth overhead arch. The 1x4s were wider than the underlying beams, which provided a convenient “hanger” for the next part. We cut more 1x4s to width to span the ceiling from beam to beam, doubling up the studs at the edges and down the center line. The edge studs were bolted to the side of the van, while the rest used a lap-joint to sit on the hangers and a marine-grade adhesive to adhere to the roof.

The stud framing, now about 3 inches deep would hold our insulation. We wanted to use wool insulation (like we ended up doing later for the walls), but the closest vendor was in Tennessee and the shipping costs were exorbitant. We ended up using loose-fill recycled paper insulation, which had some similar qualities and R-value. A corn-based landscape sheeting, stapled to the stud frames, held up the insulation as we stuffed it into every available space.

Once the insulation was in place, we screwed up ¼-inch plywood as underlayment. It was thin enough that it was fairly easy to pull snug against the curve of the ceiling. At this point, we also installed a metal track where we intended to hang a curtain at the end of the sleeping area. Fortunately, one of the structural cross-beams, with a 1×4 wood stud bolted to it, was in exactly the right spot for this.

Finally, we installed 4” wide beadboard planks, gluing them to the plywood using nothing but liquid nails and support cleats. At 3/16” thick and with tongue-and-groove edging, they conformed very well to the curved ceiling. After the glued cured, hours of sanding, and several layers of polyurethane, we had our ceiling completed. Yeah!

The beadboard gave us aesthetically-pleasing lines that makes the van seem longer than it really is. The knotty-pine aspect added a natural rustic element to our build-out that complemented the cedar limb grab bar we’d already installed. And forgoing any stain kept the ceiling, visually, very light and open.

Altogether, this project took about two weeks to complete, but we were happy with the end result. The only downside with the finished ceiling is that there is now only 5’-8” of clearance. We spend most of our time in the van sitting, kneeling or sleeping, so this hasn’t really been a deal-breaker. But if you’re taller than that and standing fully erect is important to you, then we’d advise getting the tallest version of the Ford Transit for sure.