Transit 148 High Roof Wall and Ceiling Kit Installation Guide – Featherbuilt

Step-by-step instructions for installing the Featherbuilt wall and ceiling panel kit and aluminum rail system in a Ford Transit 148 high roof. Every step is written out below, with the hole maps and diagrams from the PDF. The PDF has the same instructions if you'd rather print them.

Download: Transit 148 Wall and Ceiling Kit installation guide (PDF)

What you'll need

Permanent marker to mark the factory holes you'll expand and your match-drill holes
Cordless drill. Don't skimp on the drill!
10mm step-up drill bit to expand the factory holes
1/16" and 3/8" drill bits to mark the match-drilled holes in the panels and rails, then expand those holes to fit the 1/4-20 screws
Rivet nut gun with 1/4-20 and 10-32 mandrels
Rust prevention paint or primer to protect the bare metal after you expand each hole
5/32" and 1/8" hex wrenches: one is included, but a backup doesn't hurt
6mm hex wrench for the threaded inserts in the front ceiling spacer

The process at a glance

Prep the van. Remove ALL factory wiring harness clips, plastic trim pieces, cover plates and anything else that could get in the way of the panels.
Mark your holes. Use the hole maps below to note which factory holes you'll use.
Install the factory-hole rivnuts (see how to install a rivnut below).
Install the rails and panels that need match drilling: rails 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 6.1 and 7, and panels C and D.
Mark and install the match-drill rivnuts. The rails that need match drills are marked.
Loosely install all the panels and rails. Trust the process.
Tighten all the screws. And you're done!

What is match drilling?

Match drilling means drilling a hole through several assembled parts at once, so the parts line up exactly in the final assembly.

Each van has a series of holes from the factory ("factory holes") that the rail system uses. A few extra holes are needed to make the system more stable and to hold some of the larger panels in place. Those are the match-drill holes.

On the rails, the factory hole locations are the larger holes. We pre-drill a 1/16" pilot hole to guide each match drill, and each one is labeled "Match Drill".

How to install a rivnut

Every rail and panel screw threads into a rivet nut (rivnut) set in the van's sheet metal. Do this at each hole:

Drill. Use the step-up bit to expand the hole to 10mm. Test the size by lightly setting a rivnut in the hole. Don't expand the holes marked in blue on the hole map: those take 10-32 rivnuts and are already the right size.
Treat. Carefully remove any metal debris from the hole, then apply primer or rust prevention paint to cover the exposed sheet metal.
Set. Insert and set (crunch) a rivnut in the drilled and primed hole (1/4-20 for the rails and panels, 10-32 for the blue holes).
Check. Carefully thread in a screw of the matching size to make sure the rivnut is properly set and the threads are clean.

Match drilling

Install rails 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 6.1 and 7, and panels C and D.
Make sure the rails are tightly installed and lined up with each other.
Drill a 1/16" hole through the indicated pilot hole. Don't drill through the side of your van! Use a short drill bit, less than 1¾" long.
Uninstall the rails, then install your new rivnuts as usual before the final installation. Also expand each match-drill hole in the panels and rails (3/8" bit) so the 1/4-20 screws fit.

Tips:

The wall panels have some play between the rails. Make sure they're lined up where you want them to stay, and that the flexible panels are flexed into place, before you drill the 1/16" hole.
Pro tip: hold a panel in place with a self-drilling screw while you mark the match-drill hole.
We do our best to pick a good match-drill location. If your van needs a different spot, go ahead and use it.

Rivnut locations

On the wall maps, yellow marks factory holes, red marks match-drill holes and blue marks factory holes that take 10-32 rivnuts and should not be expanded to 10mm. On the ceiling map, yellow is for the rails and panels and purple is for the ceiling spacers.

Rail and panel diagrams

The driver side and passenger side diagrams show where each wall panel and rail goes. The ceiling has panels A to G.

Your kit may have different window, fan or electrical cutouts, or other custom features, than the diagrams show.

Install the wall panels

Start at the bottom. Starting with the lowest row, place the panel first and then the rail above it.
Move up. Continue up the side of the van, alternating panel and rail.
Stay loose. Start every screw, but keep them loose. The panels and rails have a bit of tolerance that works best when everything can shift until all the parts are in.
Tighten. Once every panel and rail is installed, and after any changes for outlets, wiring and so on, go back and tighten all of the screws.

Unlike our Sprinter system, the Transit panels don't use a tongue-and-groove fit with the rails. The rails hide the seams between panels and act as attachment points for the rest of your build.

On the driver side, the factory wiring harness can sit inside the rail (held with zip ties) or run over it, if you plan to use that rail to mount cabinets and other hardware.

Install the ceiling panels

Start with the side spacers. The ceiling spacers fur down the outer edge so the panels can flex to the shape of the van. They sit between the ceiling ribs and the ceiling wing panels and use the longest 1/4-20 screws.
Right and left wings. With a spacer behind one wing panel (front or rear), thread a 1/4-20 screw through the panel and spacer into the lowest rivnut on the ceiling rib. Repeat for the other three wings.
Fit the center panels. Starting with the rear center panel, loosely install the center panels with the 1" 1/4-20 screws. Keep the seams consistent and make sure they won't interfere with the rail rivnuts.
Front spacer. A spacer spans the very front center ceiling panel for strength and rigidity. It's secured with rivnuts on the driver and passenger sides of the van ceiling, and the final panel attaches to it with threaded inserts.
Rivnuts and inserts. With clamps or a second set of hands, hold the spacer up and mark its two match-drill locations on the upper driver and passenger sides. You'll need to remove the foam blocks to fit this piece. Install rivnuts at the marks, screw the threaded inserts into the wood spacer with a 6mm hex wrench, then attach the spacer securely.
Slide in the last panel. Gently pull down on the headliner and slide the panel as far forward as it will go. Pop out the plastic trim clips that hold the headliner to the ceiling if you haven't already; the panel fits around them, and they clip back in once the panel is in place. Line the slots in the panel up with the threaded inserts in the spacer and attach the panel, keeping an eye on the seam between the center panels.

The ceiling panels are flexible and are meant to curve into place to match the ceiling. They may be a little snug, so don't be afraid to push them up to flex them in.

Keep every 1/4-20 screw loose until all the panels are in. It takes some adjusting and shifting to line up the seams before you tighten everything.

Install photos

Products this guide covers

Need a hand?

You can do this, and we're here if you get stuck. Email support@featherbuilt.com or send us a message from the chat on featherbuilt.com. Photos of where you're stuck help us answer faster.