"One Piece At A Time" Build
- Thread starter Corneilius
- Start date
yurtdweller
Observer
Super nice build! Would love to build one of these myself!
Corneilius
Adventurer
No real updates, just been enjoying the van. Big trip planned for this weekend so getting a few things in order.
Pulled the truck in for a refresh, pulling it to Windrock this weekend for a little trail riding.
Pulled the truck in for a refresh, pulling it to Windrock this weekend for a little trail riding.
Twinsies!
Corneilius
Adventurer
Lol his graphics were less "Swoopy".... and he wanted a lot more than I paid for mine
Probably a good thing. They might mate, then you'd have a mongoloid, and they eat too much.
Corneilius
Adventurer
I put the Van through the paces this last weekend (truck too). Pulled my Nissan 3 hours west to Windrock Offroad Park, camped and 4wheeled. Had a great time, broke ALOT of stuff on the truck, had to limp back to camp. Van did GREAT.....I wouldn't say "I didn't know the trailer was back there" but it didn't slow us down too much. She pulled grades through Great Smokies at 60-65 and could cruise at 70-75 no problem. VERY impressed for a 5.4 with 200k and 35's. Coming back to a cozy van with a heater and fridge was great after a long day getting tossed around.
After I loaded up I couldn't find the trailer tag lol
Started snowing on us coming home
Truck is going to need several repairs, my alternator stopped charging and thats what eventually sent us back to camp. We ran the battery down until the engine was cutting out, then strapped on a Jump Box and limped back
After I loaded up I couldn't find the trailer tag lol
Started snowing on us coming home
Truck is going to need several repairs, my alternator stopped charging and thats what eventually sent us back to camp. We ran the battery down until the engine was cutting out, then strapped on a Jump Box and limped back
Corneilius
Adventurer
HA! The truck was my DD several years ago when I bought those tires, wanted an AT for street use....Van will be getting ATs this spring. Truck has General Grabber AT2s, been very happy with them. Van has Toyo MTs and while its a good tire, its too loud for my tastes.
djbonsu
Adventurer
The Toyo R/Ts are pretty quiet compared to the M/Ts
Corneilius
Adventurer
A little mod to make my life easier. Added a storage box and chainsaw shelf to the rear door. Id been needing someplace more convenient to store my tool bags, I have a place inside for them but they were always in the way. At the same time I needed an easy, exterior mount for my chainsaw, we heat with wood and I do a fair amount of cutting with my little West German 024.
I sourced one of the cheezy rear door spare tire mounts. Ive seen these damage doors, but only after being back into something. A factory spare weighs about 80 pounds, I chose a small box to keep the "Loaded" weight below that.
I cut off the spare tire plate and added a vertical brace.
Two slots keep the chainsaw bar from moving around
Mounted the box with four bolts, big fender washers will hopefully keep the box from deforming.
The body of the saw sits on a piece of 3/4" rubber, whipped up this little shelf. It has three gussets beneath it to support a little weight. Again, I didn't go oversize with the shelf so that I won't be tempted to load it up with a bunch of weight.
With this setup I can still open the door from the inside and one handed from the outside. No separate swing out. I am also going to be very aware of how much I ask it to carry since it is through bolted to the door.
I sourced one of the cheezy rear door spare tire mounts. Ive seen these damage doors, but only after being back into something. A factory spare weighs about 80 pounds, I chose a small box to keep the "Loaded" weight below that.
I cut off the spare tire plate and added a vertical brace.
Two slots keep the chainsaw bar from moving around
Mounted the box with four bolts, big fender washers will hopefully keep the box from deforming.
The body of the saw sits on a piece of 3/4" rubber, whipped up this little shelf. It has three gussets beneath it to support a little weight. Again, I didn't go oversize with the shelf so that I won't be tempted to load it up with a bunch of weight.
With this setup I can still open the door from the inside and one handed from the outside. No separate swing out. I am also going to be very aware of how much I ask it to carry since it is through bolted to the door.
Nice work on that little project! I also love to carry my saw, but hate to keep it inside the van. I feel like I'm always struggling to find a better place to put it. I like the solution you came up with. With the bar going down behind the box, you've really made the best of the space. Do you just put the bare bar in there or did you make the mount slots big enough for the scabbard to fit? Just curious what you're going to do to keep the chain from chaffing.
Is that a Pelican box? Do you recall what size it is? I've seen a few people do that as an alternative to Aluminess and it has always seemed like a good idea to me. The Pelican style cases have the advantage of low weight and being dust and water tight. Nice work.
I love that you have found lots of ways to greatly improve the usability of your van without spending truck loads of cash. I guess it helps to have fab skills though.....
Is that a Pelican box? Do you recall what size it is? I've seen a few people do that as an alternative to Aluminess and it has always seemed like a good idea to me. The Pelican style cases have the advantage of low weight and being dust and water tight. Nice work.
I love that you have found lots of ways to greatly improve the usability of your van without spending truck loads of cash. I guess it helps to have fab skills though.....
Corneilius
Adventurer
The slots were cut to fit the scabbard, I do need to add a bungee hook to keep it on the blade. Driving down the road its fine, but when extracting from the slots it sometimes gets snagged.
When I first started this project I had no intentions of the chainsaw mount, but when I saw that dead space in between the steel frame and the van I had a Eureka moment.
It is not a Pelican case, it originally housed our little shop plasma cutter actually, its a very nice box with four latches and a gasket that keeps water out, we'll see about dust.
Your last statement I consider a compliment of the highest order. I take great pains to plan and execute highly functional (and aesthetic) mods that require very little cash outlay. I of course am very fortunate to have a fab shop available and an excellent boss that encourages me to plan and develop my van in different ways. Sometimes he busts me day dreaming about my van....I call it Market Research.
My inner 12 year-old finds humor here.
Slapmackie
Observer
Damn, you gots it going on duder! How have I not seen this!? I'm about to install the same foot pump for H2O that you have, how did you mount it, straight up screw it into the floor?