Hi, my name’s Andrew, this is my van, Morpheus, and today we’re learning how to install a massive bonded cargo door window to let in some beautiful natural light for van life…preferably without making a $50,000 mistake!

Preparation

Back in June I bought a Ford Transit to live and work in, but, honestly, the cargo area felt less like a tiny home, and more like a metallic bat cave.

So I bought a cargo door window from Vanlife Outfitters, which came in less than a week, and then read and watched about twenty different articles and videos to find the best methods.

Tools

FYI, here’s a list of tools I used for the install…

Materials

Also, for the cargo window I went with bonded vs clamped, because it fits seamlessly on the outside of my Ford Transit (or the Mercedes Sprinter and Ram Promaster), but I also picked up a few other supplies, like…

Planning

Finally, before starting the install, I found it helpful to write down a step-by-step plan, check it against the manufacturer instructions, and then pick a day where it was going to be dry for at least 24 to 48 hours after finishing.

The ideal setup is to have someone experienced helping you, since metalworking mistakes can be both expensive and potentially dangerous, but…

I’m going to be working solo for several reasons, which I’ll explain in my next video.

Installation

If you’ve never installed a van window before, then it’s a good idea to deal with any potential distractions ahead of time and take some deep breaths, so you don’t get pressured into taking shortcuts.

1. Marking

For starters I used a marker and straightedge to outline my first cut on the bottom support beam, and then hand traced the two curved corners, staying an equal distance from the edge.

2. Cutting

Next, I drilled a couple overlapping pilot holes, inserted the jigsaw, and started cutting from the bottom.

Because the corners were tight I had to take the guide off, which gave me a better turning radius, but also made the saw harder to control, so I went slowly up and around the right side, added painters tape around the perimeter to minimize wobbling, and restarted my cut from the bottom left, moving up to the top.

3. Trimming

Not wanting to leave jagged exposed metal, I wiped the edge with rubbing alcohol, let it dry for a couple minutes, and smoothed it out with die grinder and sanding disc…

…blew any stray shards out of the crack with a shop vacuum (a compressed air can also works), picked the floor debris with a HEPA filter vacuum, and then wiped the edge down with rubbing alcohol, which I let dry for a few minutes.

After that I covered the raw metal with a tiny bit of rust paint using a foam brush.

Once the paint dried I gently tapped the rubber edging in place, working around all the way, and then trimmed the end (err on the side of too long).

Technically the paint’s supposed to dry for 2–5 hours, so you might want to leave the trim off and maybe even apply a second coat later in the day.

4. Fitting

Before moving on I dry tested the window with suction grips to make sure it fit and checked the weather again, because there was no going back after the next part.

Having confirmed the fit, I wiped both the outer van metal and inner window frame with a cloth, and then cleaned each of them with rubbing alcohol.

5. Bonding

Once that dried I placed some painter’s tape to the outside of the van and window, and then applied a thin layer of adhesive primer with a dauber to both surfaces, leaving a half inch or so gap on each side and allowing it to dry for a full hour.

After that I laid down the adhesive with a caulking gun in a Tootsie Roll sized (1/2”) bead around the outer edge of the window, leaving a 1/2” gap and making sure to overlap anytime I stopped.

The key is to keep the bead size as CONSISTENT as possible!

6. Placing

Using the vacuum grips, I lined the window up with the opening, bracing myself on the step ladder for support and making sure not to touch the adhesive until I had it it centered…

…at which point I pressed in gently, only making small adjustments, so as not to smear the adhesive, and then used a free hand to attach the tape to the van for security.

With the window positioned, I used my palms to gently press around until the edges lined up evenly with the rim of the van metal, leaving around 1/4” or so of space for airflow.

Finally, I added a few pieces of painters tap to each side for extra protection—although in retrospect I should have left the suction grips on and braced them to create pressure and prevent dipping, which is what I did a few days later for the rear windows.

FYI, you want to apply pressure gradually, because pushing too far in and then having to pull the window out could ruin the seal.

7. Finishing

After 3–4 hours the van was technically ok to drive, but just to be safe I left it in the driveway and tied a makeshift tarp tent over the roof and side to protect the window from rain, which kept it dry for a full 72 hours until I did the final leak test with a garden hose.

Conclusion

Overall, cutting and installing a huge cargo door window on a $50,000 van with no experience seemed intimidating at first, but with some careful planning, patience, and safety measures, I was able to do it myself with no problems…

…which felt AMAZING and also gave me the confidence I needed to tackle the rest of my van life build projects, like back windows, insulation, heating, and cabinets, etc.

Resources

All that said, if you’d like to support the channel, you can shop with the referral links below, watch my Van Life Day One video to see what it’s like moving into a Ford Transit for the first time, or subscribe to see more van life adventures.

Finally, if you have a question about installing bonded windows, or about van life in general, let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading, catch ya next time. Peace!