Van Build Trick: Perfectly Aligning Rivnut Holes in Wood

In this van build vlog, I continue working on the van interior framing by installing wooden battens and reusing old wood from the van’s original wall to save money. Instead of buying new materials, I cut and repurpose existing wood, knowing most of it will be hidden behind carpet, cabinets, and the bed anyway. I also make a small but important change to the van by removing the top section of the bulkhead to reduce overall vehicle weight. Every kilogram matters in a van conversion, especially when you’re planning to add insulation, cabinets, and other build components later. One of the biggest challenges in this stage is accurately locating the rivet nut holes so the battens line up perfectly. I show a simple trick using M6 spike markers to transfer the hole positions directly onto the wood. This method saves time and improves accuracy when drilling mounting holes. Along the way I run into a few real-world problems—drilling perfectly straight holes, bolts being slightly misaligned, and running out of materials before finishing the job. But that’s all part of the van build process! If you're planning your own DIY van conversion, this video shows a practical technique for mounting wooden battens securely using rivnuts and bolts. 👍 If you enjoy van build content like this, consider subscribing and following along with the build journey! Spike Thing: https://amzn.eu/d/09TI54HB 00:00 Starting the day and cutting recycled wood 00:45 Cutting and fitting wood for the van wall 02:02 Reusing old wood and covering it with carpet 03:47 Removing the van bulkhead to reduce weight 05:03 Securing the floor and planning next steps 06:24 Wood arrives and planning batten installation 06:54 Using M6 spike markers to locate rivet holes 09:03 Marking and drilling the first holes 11:05 Testing the bolt alignment 12:03 Fixing tight holes and drilling adjustments 15:20 New day – installing multiple battens 16:42 Showing the installed battens in the van 18:49 Running out of bolts and planning next steps #vanbuild #vanconversion #diyvanconversion #vanlifebuild #campervanbuild #vanconversionuk #diycampervan #vanbuildseries #campervanconversion #vanlifeprojects