As seniors spend their year wrapping up college plans, Senior Tate McGovern has something else in mind–a custom camper. With the help of his friend Nathan Lu and Mr. Mike Foor’s Woodshop class, McGovern has spent months designing, customizing, and building the inside of his 2010 Honda Odyssey into a movable living space.
“The van, we’re making beds and cabinets inside of it to make it kind of like a camper vehicle that we can take places and camp in,” McGovern explained, “It’s been a long process, but it’s coming together really well.” McGovern and Lu are planning to take the van out west to Grand Teton and Yellowstone, hoping to finish the project by summer. Lu says, “McGovern and I created the idea together; he was good with working on the actual build for the van, and I knew the geography.”
While the idea started with a mix of teamwork and creativity, it showed off a bit of brotherly competition. McGovern’s been driving the van for a little more than a year and says, “I always wondered if I could make it into a camper since there’s just so much space in it. My older brother also always told me that he didn’t think I could do it, so it kind of motivated me even more to make something really cool.”
Mr. Foor says the project was brought to his attention when McGovern simply asked him about it, and together they “bounced ideas off each other for a while” in order to come up with what they wanted to do. The project, which started earlier this year, takes place in Mr. Foor’s woodshop class, where McGovern and Lu have been putting in hours of work. “We’re just screwing the frames together right now. Later on, we’re going to be painting,” he said. “Sanding has been a big part of the process, too,” he added. Mr Foor says the journey has been going very good. He adds, “Tate works on it two periods a day, he’s in here all the time!” As for Lu, he works on the van during his 7th period, and “anytime outside of school for planning the trip in general.”
Still, the project hasn’t been an experience without its challenges. “There’s been a lot of difficulties—most of the time,” McGovern admitted. “I’m handy with it, but I’m not an expert like Mr. Foor. Sometimes progress is slower because there are certain tools I need him to bring in or things I need his advice on.”
Despite the hurdles, McGovern and Lu notice they’ve been gaining valuable knowledge along the way. “I’ve learned about the grain of the wood, where it can be most structurally sound, and what type of wood won’t stink up in the hot car,” McGovern said with a laugh. “Even just adding 45-degree angles between corners makes things so much stronger—I never really thought of that before,” he reveals. Lu says he’s “learned how to use some important power tools in Mr. Foors’ wood shop”, including the band saw and the other sanders.
McGovern is most eager to paint the van grey. He explains, “I think I’ll get a paint that’ll match the interior really well. But I’m also excited to see it completed. It never ends up exactly how I first imagine it, but it always turns out good.” Lu adds, “I’m mostly excited to see the beds completed, that’s what we’ve been working on the longest so far.”
With a whole project on his hands, McGovern has advice to share, “If you’re unsure about something, ask an expert. Do a lot of research. Don’t be afraid to go for what you want, but expect that some things won’t work out perfectly—you’ll have to improvise.” McGovern added, “Don’t be afraid if your vision changes along the way — that’s part of building something real.” As for Mr. Foor, his advice to McGovern revolves around safety, he says, “ I told him we’ve got to figure out when we’re done, and find out how to strap the frames in, in case of an accident.” Without straps, everything can fly up from behind!
For McGovern, this project is more than a build-it’s a lasting memory. “It’s my last year in high school, so it’s my last chance to build something really cool. We’re one of the last schools to even have a woodshop, so I wanted to take advantage of it while I could.”
