I’ve been joking to Olivia that the RETROvan needs a disco ball for future dance parties with our friend Addie. And then I found this on Think Geek:

Too bad it’s so big (16 inches in diameter).

And now I’m trying to figure out how to make wheel covers out of these 15″ cast aluminum 35mm film reels.

Here’s an old one I already have. The diameter nestles in there pretty nicely. My friend Dave says custom wheels would cost $1K each, so that option’s out.

Today I hung a few more things and also mounted the headrests to the walls with Velcro. The strips are 2 inches wide and 54 inches long. The first step was measuring things out and marking the top with a strip of Frog Tape. Then I stretched out the Velcro and will simply slice it at the panel edges with a utility knife. I had to use my heat gun to set the adhesive better on the vinyl, and it seemed to work.

Here’s the passenger headrest floating above the backrest cushion. The ergonomics are good. My dad had helped me find the right height, and you can still sit sideways and use the backrest as an armrest too.

Olivia is in Tampa this week, spending some time with her and family while her mother clings to life. So last night I slept in the RETROvan and watched home movies. But I may need to head east soon.

Ooh, I hear the UPS truck approaching…

Well whaddayaknow. Today I dodged torrential rain and finished installing the flooring!

I had picked up some nice vinyl and laminate tile samples from Home Depot, but I ultimately decided to use the six boxes of flooring I had purchased months ago. Mostly because the RETROvan is a woodgrain- and Earth tone-free zone.

I started dry-fitting the tiles from the back moving forward, carefully bisecting the van down the middle. And to my surprise, the tiles finished nicely at both points of egress. I encircled all three pedestals by using a 12″ platter and a 9″ plate as a template. Then I cut the holes with a utility knife. I used my table saw and a fine blade for most of the straight edge cuts.

To slip the tiles under the heavy helm, I just slid it back and forth and tipped it a bit. The refrigerator was pretty easy to pull out and lift back in, being careful not to scrape the flooring or spill any beer.

If you missed it earlier, this product is made from the same rubber as flip-flop shoes — a high-density non-toxic EVA foam. The tiles fit together as a puzzle, and they feel really great to walk on. Just the right amount of cushiness, with some sound-damping and insulation benefits too. I didn’t bother using any adhesive, but I can always apply some silicon if necessary later. This stuff is really cheap, so if some tiles get dirty or damaged I can easily replace them.

And man does it give more of a finished look to the RETROvan. It’s 7 PM now and Mazy is here watching The Twilight Zone with me. I think she likes the floor too. It must feel good on her old lady kitty paws.