2014 Express AWD cargo van PNW 4 season camper

[iridewheelies]

I've been spending most of my free time skiing and snowboarding so not much new on the van.

I pulled my dash to get to the back of the radio last weekend. I needed to plug in the cable to my new backup camera. More on that later.

I wanted to share this. The traction control button always looked like a waste of a switch panel to me.



So I moved it.



It's the little things in life that give the most happiness.

 

[DEFENDERBEAM]

I've been spending most of my free time skiing and snowboarding so not much new on the van.

I pulled my dash to get to the back of the radio last weekend. I needed to plug in the cable to my new backup camera. More on that later.

I wanted to share this. The traction control button always looked like a waste of a switch panel to me.



So I moved it.



It's the little things in life that give the most happiness.

agreed. That was a nice little revision. came out good.

 

[iridewheelies]

Update on the Webasto. It might be fixed.

Yesterday I contacted Webasto Tech support and asked if I could send my heater to them. I wanted to make sure all of the components were operating properly and have them reset everything to factory specs. An hour later I got a call from one of the techs. This was a guy I hadn't talked to yet, he told me he's been working on them for years and years and that he knew a few tricks.

He told me the gas version of the airtop can be more finicky than the diesel version.

His advice was to pull the unit apart again, clean the glow plug with emery cloth and look for a small hole under the glow plug. If it's clogged the clean it out. This small hole passes air over the glow plug and helps it start combustion. He gave me his cell phone number and told me to call him at home when I had the heater apart. Excellent customer service, above and beyond what I expected.

When I got home there was a break in the rain so I pulled out the heater. I got it out just in time; it started pouring rain as soon as I got inside my shop. I've pulled the heater apart a few times now so I can do it pretty quick. When I got the glow plug out and down in the recessed area under where the plug sits I saw the little hole, completely plugged up with black carbon! I hadn't removed the glow plug when I took it apart to clean it last time, that was a mistake.

Here's where the hole is -



There was another brief break in the rain so I ran out to the van and bolted the heater back in. Sure enough, it fired right up! I ran it for an hour then shut it down and let it cool off for a while then tried it again and it started right up. Same thing this morning, quick start, no fumes or gas smells. I can't wait to try it up at the pass this weekend.

I wish I would have known about this months ago. I should have removed the glow pin the first time I cleaned it, oh well. Live and learn.

 

[simple]

Dang! That thing is fiddly. Hope it falls in line after this.

 

[TeleSteve]

Glad you got it working again. Mine was working for nearly 2 months of daily use. I just got back from a 4 week trip and on the second to last night of my trip it started coding and would not restart. I have only been home a few days and haven't had a chance to dig into it yet. I will update you when I get into it. I am on the road again starting this weekend so should get to it before then.

 

[iridewheelies]

It's pretty easy to clean out the soot. I don't mind cleaning it once a year. It beats dealing with a propane tank every weekend.

Another tip the tech have me was to put wiring loom around the fuel lines to keep them a little cooler. The gasoline expands and turns to vapor if it gets warm. I had already wrapped them with loom for protection from road debris.

 

[TeleSteve]

I had a chance to pull it out before hitting the road and it was full of soot same as last time. Cleaned it out and it is working again. I don't think the elevation adjustment is working.

 

[iridewheelies]

I think the heater troubles are behind me.

I ran it at the 1/3 setting on the adjustment knob parked at 4500' for about 7 hours on Saturday with no problems. It fired right up and there were no noticeable exhaust smells. I'm so happy to have it working now that the ski season is almost over.

Now, on to some other projects!

Right now I'm finishing with insulating and paneling the fiberglass roof.



I'm also working on some LED campsite lighting. I have 4 LED "awning lights" to mount to the top. They are supposed to be 750 lumen each and provide a nice even flood of white light. I like them because they are very slim, the wiring is hidden and they are tilted down at 40 degrees so I won't waste power shining light up at the sky.

Link: Dream Lighting 12V Waterproof Awning Lights/RV LED Porch Lights/Exterior LED Lights for Trucks, Motor home, Caravan, Camper trailer and Boat, 21.65inch, Cool White, Black Shell, PC Cover https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ODSBS9W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_uAd8wb115893C

I'm cutting gaskets for them tonight. I should have them on in a day or two.

 

[Petrolburner]

Great to hear that there was somewhat of a break through in the heater saga.

 

[iridewheelies]

Mounted my campsite lights last night. I used masonry string to help me align the lights. There aren't many straight lines on the van. The top of the fiberglass roof, the horizontal line on the top and the vans rain gutter are all curved.

I used double sided masking tape to hold the lights up on the top. This gave me a chance to step back and see how they look. I've learned that it's more important for something to look level or straight then for it to actually measure level or straight!



Next I marked and drilled 12 holes. Two each for mounting and one for the wires.



Here is the finished product.







I'm really happy with the amount of light and the beam pattern. This was one of the things i missed the most about my vanagon. I can't wait to test them out in the dark forest.

 

[simple]

Nice choice on those lights! They look great.

 

[iridewheelies]

Camped out above post canyon near Hood River last night. I like to find the spot above a clearcut where the loggers cleared a space for the yarder. It's usually flat and has a nice view.



My campsite lights worked perfectly. They put out a very even area of light. The lights aren't so intense that they blind you when you look at them. I had some 27w led floods on my vanagon that were so intense that you had to wear a baseball cap to shield your eyes. These are much more subtle.

 

[Petrolburner]

Those lights look awesome. Thanks for the link.

 

[iridewheelies]

I'm loving the lights on this trip.

 

[photogdave]

With the lights placed where they are, I'm guessing you are going to forego and awning?