Albert - Class B Grampa Van Build

[brianjwilson]

Well it definitely looks like a comfy bed. It's tough to get something comfortable above an E series for sleeping. I was looking at the fiberine super camper, which probably similarly high, but narrow at the top.

I would say that mileage is pretty good, considering.

 

[86scotty]

Didn't realize how much I use an A-pillar handle. Getting in and out of my truck, hanging off it while driving, etc. Going to have to look into something here. Or learn to get used to it?
You can add this from a newer E-series. 2006? and up have them. You just have to drill 2 holes I think.
Didn't realize how much I look at my tach. I knew it didn't have one but I figured with an automatic it wouldn't be important. Turns out I miss it. Add this to the to-do list one day.
Buy a $100 Scangage II. Digital tach, trans temp (priceless on these big vans), code scanner, etc.
The 5.4L is pretty damn quiet. Or at least it's quiet behind all the rattles of the cabinets.
It's probably the quietest van I've ever driven and I've driven a LOT of em.
The OD off light on the stick is pretty easy to miss vs. a dashboard one. See above two notes. Between a lack of tach and the quiet engine I definitely made that mistake once or twice.
You'll get used to feeling whether you're in overdrive or not.
That sail is thirstier than I had hoped. See above, haha. Ended up with 16.5l/100km (14.3mpg). That was on relatively, ok mostly, ok all flat ground at 105km/hr (65mpg)
Saskatchewan is flat.
That's pretty good. My 5.4 extended with a big top, roof AC, etc. rarely got above 14. People are going to tell you they get 17 out of these things. I never got over 14 but never under 13 or so. They like to rev. The power is high in the RPMs, just let it sing.
Despite being flat there is somehow 100's of km's without a good radio signal.
All in all the thing drove pretty good. The suspension was a bit mushy which I expected but it was a fairly comfortable drive home.
If you're going to keep it 2wd get some Bilsteins, but it's a big American truck, they ride pretty soft. Make sure you run e-rated tires!

 

[kevman]

Yeah a scan gauge is high, maybe first, on the list.

What Bilsteins are people running? My plan is to replace the suspension on all 4 corners. Going to have to read up a bit but I'm hoping to gain an inch or so to make room for the 265/75/16 tires that will be going on. On that topic, what is the offset on the stock wheels? My google skills are letting me down today. I'd like to gain an 1" on either side in track width to help balance the look of the bubble without going too wide. The 225's that came with it are tiny.

 

[86scotty]

Most people these days are running Fox shocks on their offroad vans. I recommended the Bilsteins because of their reputation for a firmer ride and you are 2wd. I'm no expert here though. I've had a 4wd van with Fox (RIP) upgraded shocks but totally different animal underneath.

 

[Bikersmurf]

Yeah a scan gauge is high, maybe first, on the list.

What Bilsteins are people running? My plan is to replace the suspension on all 4 corners. Going to have to read up a bit but I'm hoping to gain an inch or so to make room for the 265/75/16 tires that will be going on. On that topic, what is the offset on the stock wheels? My google skills are letting me down today. I'd like to gain an 1" on either side in track width to help balance the look of the bubble without going too wide. The 225's that came with it are tiny.

I'd look at Moog 880s or 880 for coils. The 880s gave me an inch on my heavy rig. I've got 35.5-36" to the top edge of the front fender on new 225/75R16. With a 5.4, 880 may be a better option... depending on your preference. I've got a 7.3 and 3k lbs on the front axle. In Canada you can likely find them for around $200.

Shocks I've got Bilstein 4600 shocks rated for an E350. There are two options the comfort series and H/D. You're likely better with the Comfort... I'm very happy with the H/D but I'm over 9k lbs on a good day with a thinning scale. They're available online in Canada for $123 a corner. Someone shared a link in one of the threads on Moog springs.

I'm very happy with 880s and H/D Bilstein. It has improved the ride and handling a lot. I no longer need to avoid bumps and the bump stops won't be so polished anymore.

 

[Bikersmurf]

I stuck with an OEM stereo out of a 2004 Ford Escape. Way more power, CDs, MP3, etc. It would be a direct replacement for an '02 without any wiring. I got it dirt cheap. They're many stock options available.

There are thousands of aftermarket options for any budget. They all require some form of kit/adapters to make them fit in the dashboard.

 

[kevman]

I'd look at Moog 880s or 880 for coils. The 880s gave me an inch on my heavy rig. I've got 35.5-36" to the top edge of the front fender on new 225/75R16. With a 5.4, 880 may be a better option... depending on your preference. I've got a 7.3 and 3k lbs on the front axle. In Canada you can likely find them for around $200.

Shocks I've got Bilstein 4600 shocks rated for an E350. There are two options the comfort series and H/D. You're likely better with the Comfort... I'm very happy with the H/D but I'm over 9k lbs on a good day with a thinning scale. They're available online in Canada for $123 a corner. Someone shared a link in one of the threads on Moog springs.

I'm very happy with 880s and H/D Bilstein. It has improved the ride and handling a lot. I no longer need to avoid bumps and the bump stops won't be so polished anymore.

I'm at ~33.5" from the ground to the fender edge so things are a little saggy. This works out to about ~19.5" from hub centre to fender edge up front. I'm another 1/2" lower in the back or ~19" from hub centre to fender edge.

Considering the rear doesn't have any load in it at the moment I'll definitely need to remedy that.

I'm hoping to get to the scales soon. I just need to finish the out of province inspection so I can actually get it registered.

 

[Bikersmurf]

Measurements to hub Center would be a PITA on the offset Dually wheels. A simpler measurement I already know... height of coils: 13.5" on level ground.

I could be wrong, but at first glance I've got about 2" on your's. 880s with a 5.4 usually net 2.5". I'd definitely point you towards 880. 880 are rated for 3690 lbs vs 880s 6000lbs/pair.

 

[kevman]

After being out of the country for the last week and enjoying some summer snowboarding at Mt. Hood I picked up the van from the out of province yesterday. The technicians were happy with the quality of the van but as expected I failed due to cracked sidewalls on the tires. No big deal, I've already ordered some new tires and they're on their way. Due to my OCD nature and not having service history I had a full engine service (plugs, etc.) and all fluids changed while I was in there. It came in a little over budget but I now know nothing should require servicing for a while.

I stuck with my plan to run 265/76r16's and ordered BFG AT KO2's mounted on 16x8 American Racing AR172 Baja's. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope they don't rub as is but I'm ready to do a little trimming and/or suspension modification as required. I'll be sure to post some pictures when they show up and I get them installed.

When measuring the coils I assume you're referring to the distance from the lower coil isolator to the highest point of the inner coil in the upper bucket? If so, I'm currently at ~12.25". I got my rig to the scale yesterday and with just myself and a full tank of water I'm at 1,540kg (~3,400lbs) front axle, 1,930kg (~4,250lbs) rear and 3,480kg (~7,650 lbs) combined. Pretty close to my sticker rating in the front of 1,610kg... Based on my math from the Moog springrates the CC880 should give me an approximate lift of 3/4" and the CC880s should lift it 1 3/4". Still haven't decided which direction I want to go but it's nice to have the actual weights when making the decision.

To be honest, I'm surprised my front end with the much lighter 5.4L is heavier than yours with the 7.3L. Sure there is some fiberglass up there but not that much.

Finally, and this isn't super exciting but everyone loves pictures so here's where I put the scangauge. I want to put an overhead console in with proper reading lights and storage which will eventually house the scangauge so this is just temporary. No drilling and the <5 minute install made it a simple choice for now.

 

[kevman]

I'd like to change the name of the thread to make this a build thread. Can a mod help me with this or should I start a new thread?

 

[temporarydweller]

I'd like to change the name of the thread to make this a build thread. Can a mod help me with this or should I start a new thread?

You can change the title yourself. Go back to your first post and click "edit post" then click "go advanced" from there you should be able to edit the title.

 

[kevman]

Oh that button... Haha. Very cool.

I updated the thread with a little background information. Shorter version is as follow....

Here's Albert:
View attachment 411366

Here's what we used to use:
View attachment 411367

And here's how we intend to use it:
https://youtu.be/4lvRGwvBa-0

 

[kevman]

New rubber day!




They needed a wee bit of trimming and I ran into a few other issues but I'll cover that with better photos when I've got a bit more time.

 

[grampswrx]

What size tire is that? Any plans to take off the running boards?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kevman]

The tires are BFG All Terrains 265/75r16 mounted on American Racing AR172 Baja 16x8" wheels with 4.5" backspace and 0mm offset.

I do have plans to take the running boards off but haven't gotten around to it yet. The tires don't rub the running boards so it didn't make the list of immediate concerns before our first trip in a few days.

Now to answer the "What is the max sire tire a 2wd will fit?" question. Some people say 265/75r16s fit fine, other say they don't. Some are comfortable with a little bit of trimming while others are not. Having tried to stuff big tires under other vehicles before I can say there is definitely a varying level of comfort when it comes to trimming. Hopefully this helps some people understand what may be required to fit this size.

The rear tires fit fine but I wouldn't be comfortable going much wider without spacing them out a bit. They may start to get a little close to the inner wheel well.


Before


After


The front got a little trickier. I had to trim a very slight amount from the lower bumper plastic. The area in question is when the plastic curls back under the vehicle so I did this pretty half assed since no one will see it and plastic doesn't rust.


And here it is in relation to the tire.


The pinch weld also needed a bit of trimming. You can peel up the wheel well liner and put it back down when you're done trimming. This is what I cut off.


Sometimes I find it easier to use a hand tool than find an extension cord.


And here is the tire installed with the wheel well liner back in place. It's still very close but the wheel liner is sticking out a little further than the actual pinch weld. If it were to rub it would just rub on the plastic and push it back a bit. So far I haven't been able to hear any rubbing and haven't been able to see any marks on the liner. I also used a hammer to gently tap back the actual fender. It's very slight and perhaps wasn't necessary but if nothing else folding the tab back in a bit helped hold the liner tighter. Also of note is the running boards do not interfere with the tires at all. As the wheel arcs the running boards are outboard enough that it's a not issue.


Before


After


If your comfortable with a very minor amount of trimming of non cosmetic areas I would say 265/75r16s fit without a doubt.