Design Session July 20 2022

July 20, 2022 was our first in person design session with Momentum Vans.  Our appointment was at 9am so of course we had to leave West Seattle at around 7am (stopped at Starbucks on the way).  This session would introduce us to the products and colors of the finishes, have detailed discussions about design choices, and get that much closer to the products we wanted installed in our van.

Leading up to this meeting, I increased my research time on what we wanted or no longer wanted on our van. 

The following are the main things we no longer wanted

1. A winch.  We have a winch on our 2010 Xterra and we have never used it.  I've never found myself in a position in the Xterra where it was needed.  If I didn't need it on that vehicle, I most definitely don't need it on the van.  The likely scenario where we would be stuck could be remedied with traction boards.  So I'll opt for those in lieu of a winch.
2. Floor heat.  This seemed like a luxury.  I'm sure my feet will be chilly in the winter but there will still be significant amount of insulation in the floor plus we will have a hefty dose of cabin heat.
3. Side Ladder, Rear Cargo Box, and Rear Tire Carrier.  I wanted to slim down the look.  I decided to stick with a rear ladder and nothing more.  We'll install Roam Adventure boxes on the roof and opt out of the rear cargo box.  As it turns out, we can keep the spare under the vehicle - so we will go that route.
4. No third seat.  We are opting to have a bench/dinette seat instead.  So only belted seats for driver and 1 passenger.

Of course, you always add things. 

1. AC.  We want 12V AC.  So added Nomadic AC2000 to our build.  We debated this quite a bit.  We wanted it...then we didn't want it...and now we do.  It's a big power draw but we have a good size battery bank allowing us to run it a few hours at bedtime.  I sleep HOT so this will be a big deal to me.  We also have pugs  and this will help their well being.
2. Switching to Sleep fore/aft.  We want to maximize our bed size.  Pretty simple.  Right now we plan to keep the flares.  We both like the look but appreciate the extra space it provides , especially if the pugs use the space.  The big negative with keepings flares is the added cost.

We spent over two hours reviewing flooring, wall, ceiling, cabinet, and counter material.  Staying true to Momentums prior builds and style, we are not straying too far away.  I mean, why would you choose them if you planned to upend what they are good at.  Our cabinets will be made with bamboo - solid, resistant to all sorts of stuff, repairable, renewable.  The main negative is weight - it's a heavier wood. 

Floor is 2Tec2 flooring and Lava (https://www.2tec2.com/woven-vinyl-floors/new-basic/lava-31) is the color/pattern we chose. 

For the walls, we chose Hester Moonmist (https://dvpfabric.com/product/hester-moonmist/)

For the ceiling, we chose Pegasus Brilliant White (https://eastcoastfabrics.com/product/vinyl/softside-collection/pegasus-peg-1613-brilliant-white/)

For countertops, we were looking at Corian and Avonite.  I prefer the cement looking tones and Steph gravitated to some of the lighter spreckled/terrazzo appearances.  We will need to make a decision but have time.  There was one from Paperstone called Cabernet (https://icestoneusa.com/product/cabernet/) that would be a bold choice.  That is still a possibility.

While there we toured the shop and the van builds that were being done.  Always fun to see vans in all stages of the build.  One was completely done and getting professionally photographed the next day.