2014 Ford E-350 12ft SRW Box Truck

[CaptainBuilt]

My current van is stranded in Pittsburgh, PA. We went on a trip to Niagara Falls / Hudson Valley, and I lost the torque converter climbing the West Virginia mountains.

It's currently at a storage unit in Pittsburgh (and for sale). We got a rental cargo van to finish out the trip:

I've been hunting for a SRW 12ft box truck for a while. I found a used rental truck for a decent price with just over 100k on it.

It will have a sideways bed, a RV door, and a mini split A/C. Probably 4WD once the interior is finished and have the finished weight.

I work on a boat, so I have to wait 3 weeks before I can pick it up.

It doesn't have cruise control, so gotta fix that ASAP, and then do all the driver's cabin stuff like new radio/speakers, backup camera, CB radio, etc...

It's located in Chicago, but was a Southern truck. No rust. On the way home, I'll pass Elkhart, IN, where they build every RV in America.

They have tons of wholesale RV stores. Hopefully I can pick up a RV door and a few other things I need.

More to come!

 

[gaetzjm]

Bad luck on the torque converter breakdown. Was that on the 4x4 E-Series EB Van in your first pic? The box Van looks like a good spacious platform. Are you intending of having a pass-through from the cab to the back? I have a camper converted E-450 4x4 Ambulance and have learned to appreciate the larger inside space and easy access to the back. Negotiating tight spaces is always harder when driving 'tho. Good luck with the build.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Bad luck on the torque converter breakdown. Was that on the 4x4 E-Series EB Van in your first pic? The box Van looks like a good spacious platform. Are you intending of having a pass-through from the cab to the back? I have a camper converted E-450 4x4 Ambulance and have learned to appreciate the larger inside space and easy access to the back. Negotiating tight spaces is always harder when driving 'tho. Good luck with the build.

Yea that's my van I'm selling.

It will have the cab pass through. Flat walls are the best lol.

 

[gaetzjm]

Flat wall are certainly the best for DIY ease of interior build-out, as opposed to say Sprinter Van walls. There, everything is curved in every which way. You have to be a Leonardo da Vinci brainiac type to get that right on the first go.
Are you going to frame using wood or 80/20 or ???
Cheers

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Flat wall are certainly the best for DIY ease of interior build-out, as opposed to say Sprinter Van walls. There, everything is curved in every which way. You have to be a Leonardo da Vinci brainiac type to get that right on the first go.
Are you going to frame using wood or 80/20 or ???
Cheers

My plan right now (which it might change), is to rip down 2x4's in half, paint one side and use VHB to attach them to the walls. VHB needs a non-porous surface to work the best. For the ceiling, attach furring strips to the ribs with rivet nuts and then attach the ceiling.

I'm going to spray foam the entire box.

I've been doing TONS of maintenance.

Changed the oil / air filter / PCV valve / new belt / idler pulley / diff fluid / and oxygen sensors.

Replaced the OEM radio with a Alpine unit and where the RSC button would have went, I added the USB for Apple Carplay. Looks factory.

Painted the wheels black:

I saved the old running boards I had on Betty Sue before I installed the UJOR side steps. I cut down the passenger side and re-welded the cap on it and installed them.

Still waiting on everything for cruise control to come in. And gathering everything for the roof rack, which will have 800w of solar.

And the Pioneer 9k btu 21.5 SEER Mini Split is also on the way.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Just weighed the rig at the local landfill. When you have a box truck, you move stuff.

6200 lbs. My old van was 9800. She's light as a feather.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

I've been painting all the solar panel frames black. When the extrusions come in, they will be black. And since the the solar panel frames will sit a little higher than the rack frame, I don't want the panels to stick out.

Also painting the condenser for the mini split.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Replaced the catalytic converter. I was having the "P0420" engine code. I tried replacing all 3 o2 sensors and it still popped up after clearing the codes. After changing it, so far so good. I know I need new plugs and coils, that will have to wait a little bit.

I welded on the o2 sensor bung and the old mounting plate. It's a generic converter.

Started working on the bench seating where most of the systems will go like water tanks and electrical stuff.

This frame will have 1/8" plywood skins on them. The whole thing is super lightweight and strong. Right now, I'm sanding and painting the frame.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Roof rack is partially done. Still need to add more cross members and build brackets. Also, add the wifi and cell boosters.

 

[RVflyfish]

So that’s 80/20 extrusion and Chris’ corners? Looks good! What are the dimensions?

 

[CaptainBuilt]

So that’s 80/20 extrusion and Chris’ corners? Looks good! What are the dimensions?

Yes. It's 12ft long and 6'6" wide. I ordered all the aluminum from TNUTZ.com

 

[CaptainBuilt]

I'm working on a bracket solution. I think I should go to @ujoint and use the CNC, press brake, and powder coating oven. I'm sure he won't mind!

As it sits now, it's just sitting on the roof. I should have the brackets finished before I go on the boat Wednesday.

 

[ujoint]

I'm working on a bracket solution. I think I should go to @ujoint and use the CNC, press brake, and powder coating oven. I'm sure he won't mind!

As it sits now, it's just sitting on the roof. I should have the brackets finished before I go on the boat Wednesday.

Neil loves distractions

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Neil loves distractions

I'd mess everything up lol.

I ordered 1"x1" bars to go under the solar panels as support. Those were not enough, they just bent. The 1"x2" cross bar I was gonna use for the rest of the rack build had to go under the panels. I'm just gonna have to order more 1"x2" extrusions, like a lot more.

The mounts are 2, 1.5" angle welded together like a "Z", with a 2" flat bar welded on the back side for more support. I used 1 every 24". 2 in the rear and none in the front. This thing is SUPER stout. When I add more cross bars, I will have no worries at all about it.

I still need to add the last solar panel, which will go on the rear of the box. I want to put the vent fan on the middle if possible since I'll have 2 windows on each side of the bed.

 

[iggi]

Looks awesome! Something I found handy when I was building out my garage/bed and deciding on tubing sizes. https://metalgeek.com/static/deflection.php