Installing New Header

I removed the header before working to insulate and build the ceiling of the van. I still wanted to have storage above the driver seat since the van is so tall and there is plenty of room to not waste.

We got to work building a face frame for the header making sure to leave space for the wiring and cab light of the van. I wanted it to look perfectly integrated into the design of the van. 

First we measured and cut the wood to make a face frame for it. After getting the face frame installed, we secured it to the studs in the ceiling and attached to the side panels of the van. I used the same knotty cedar from the ceiling and walls to create the bottom of the shelf. I was careful to match up the lines on the ceiling with the lines of the knotty cedar on the shelf. It was tedious and required a lot of angled cuts to make sure the pieces fit perfectly. Once all the knotty cedar planks were in place, I used a nail gun to secure them in place and added some trim pieces to clean it up. 

I store my pop up chair, camera equipment, some work equipment, shower bag, and a couple other things up in the header so it was a great addition to the build. 

See more photos of the header installation process here.