Search results

I'm not affiliated with Freedom Vans, just letting people know about a van meet in Bellingham, Wa.

willywalderbeast, that Chinook looks great! Is there a build thread for it?

A photo of a small part of my van. This is the front section of the ceiling in my Sportsmobile poptop. A solar panel was stolen off the roof of my van and I didn't find out until a week had gone by, and it rained hard much of that week. So now I am planning to replace all the ceiling panels in...

Looks like an Aluminess rear bumper. The weight of the tire and tray are carried on hinges mounted to the bumper, not the rear door hinges. I've had the same rear bumper with a tire and tray on mine for 11 years and the rear doors don't look like that. Might have your friend look for other...

Abitibi, Mine is the same since it was new. 2006 diesel E-350. Won't turn the wheels when stopped. Going from 305 wide tires to 285 helped a little. Never could tell if the pump was weak or are all the E-350 rigs this way? Every other vehicle I have owned could turn the wheels when stopped.

Wish there was an upgrade for the front brakes on a 2006 SMB with a Dynatrac axle. Have yet to find anything. The 2008 and newer SMB's have larger F550 brakes on them. I haven't checked with Dynatrac. I'm sure they could build a new custom axle to fit my 2006 with F550 brakes for a ton of money.

Glad to see this thread. These little rigs are solid. I have a 2001 Grand Vitara. Bought it at 90,000 miles and it's still solid at 130,000. Swapped out the front hubs for manual hubs. It's my DD so I never did anything else to it but drive it.

Thanks.

Vans at BC Overland Rally Got home today from the BC Overland Rally. Nice showing of vans at the event. Everything from Sportsmobiles to VW's to Delica's. Have a look: http://www.pbase.com/railvan/bc_overland_rally_2017

If you want to see a SMB 4x4 conversion, I'm in B'ham too. Let me know. Vanapalooza is coming up too. Lots of vans to look at. I have had it 11 years. Love it except for the maintenance and repair costs. It will go far beyond what my butt pucker will allow. The 4x4 has been used many times...

Thanks for the note. We did many trips together so I have many great memories of traveling with him. He was an early Astro 4x4 fan and inspired a lot of similar projects. I called him the Pope of a new religion when other people started following his lead. :^)

Chris, would you agree that on a SMB conversion, where you have about 2" of up travel before the springs hit the bumpstops, that the only way to get a softer ride ride would be to add maybe 2" more of lift and softer springs? Softer springs without more lift would seem like you would bottom out...

A few photos from June, 2014 on a trip up Fortune Creek Trail in the Washington Cascades with Tom Lowell and his Astro. It's been almost three years since this trip. Tom and I went up Fortune Creek together at least four times I can recall. These photos were taken right before we tried to head...

Both true... Love it here in the PNW, but keep it quiet...

Wow! Somehow I had not checked in on your build thread recently and had missed the roof top addition. Just saw this photo and was thinking, "Wait a minute... I know that ambo. Did he just add the tent or did he cut the roof?!" Awesome job! I have wondered why people don't do this with a full...

I put an old fuzzy blanket on his seat.

Any more photos anywhere? Does it have a slider or swing doors on the side?

That doesn't surprise me, as my SMB weighs 10,000 and it is a regular body, poptop, diesel. I'm guessing this 4x4 B190 would be at least as much.

Yeah, B190's are cool in their own way for sure. Long body and high top would be great for extended travels. Chris, do you know what this rig weighs?