2022 Ford F550 - DIY - Adventure Expedition Vehicle Build Thread

[Vance Vanz]

DBL Designs - Install Issues & Dishonest Business Practices

I have already created another detailed thread related to this topic, so I am not going to spend anytime in this post/thread giving detailed information about the issues. If you would like to know all of the details, please see the associated thread below.

Warning!! DBL Designs - Install Issues & Dishonest Business Practices

I’m going to try my hardest to keep this objective and on point. I promise to refrain from using subjective terminology such as hack shop, slimy, etc. I’m also attempting to keep this post as short as possible, but I know that will be difficult given the number of issues that I have...

forum.expeditionportal.com

I decided to create a new thread, in an additional/different forum in EP, as a means for the information to reach more people. The reasons why I am posting this topic in this thread, revisiting it, is to inform those that may not see it in the other forum and to show how I have fixed/addressed the issues on my truck as a result of DBL's installation. I'm also trying my best to keep the energy associated with DBL out of the build thread.

Note: I have addressed many of the issues related to DBL's Installation of the SRW conversion and front fenders, but some are still in process. Once I have everything completed, and back together on the truck, I will create another post with pictures of the repairs.

I'll have to say though, the toughest part of this was finding all of these issues the day after I finished all of the sanding on the exterior of the camper. (I should have been feeling some relief, should have been taking some time to celebrate such a milestone on the build-finishing all of the sanding on the camper 😔!) It was not only dealing with the reality/struggle of finding the issues, but also having to pretty much start addressing them immediately, as to not hold up other aspects of the build. Talk about kicking you when you are already down 😔😔!!

Back to the crazy thing called the build!

 

[Vance Vanz]

Coating Color Samples - For the Truck & Camper

Here we go. Two colors to chew on before the final decision is made.

The coating color scheme will be similar to ER: lower rockers and fenders black and the rest of the truck/camper one solid color.



I include two pictures: one is when the lighting is flat (overcast/cloudy), therefore the coating is a little more flat. The other is when the lighting is brighter/sunny.

 

[Vance Vanz]

Fuel Fill(er) Line Fittings - Recommendations Needed

I'm currently cranking away on the fuel fill and vent lines right now, securing parts.

if anyone has recommendations on suppliers for 1.25" and 1.5" fuel fill fittings (Barbed: 90's/45's & 1.5" to 1.25" reducers) let me know. Common auto parts houses, Filler Neck Supply, online searches.......... are coming up short.

I know most people run SS for the filler fittings. I'm open to this, but would also be interested in something similar to Tefen fittings (Nylon/rated for fuel). Something like Tefen barbed fittings in 1.25" & 1.5" would be great (cheaper & lighter than SS). I'm open to either, but am having trouble finding options.

I'm running Tefen fittings for all of my fuel vent lines, fuel filler vent lines and heater/coolant lines from the truck to the Rixen system. Unfortunately, Tefen only has barbed fitting up to 1" in size (if I remember correctly/did my home work well)

Thanks in advance!

 

[ITTOG]

Coating Color Samples - For the Truck & Camper

Here we go. Two colors to chew on before the final decision is made.

The coating color scheme will be similar to ER: lower rockers and fenders black and the rest of the truck/camper one solid color.

View attachment 873647View attachment 873648

I include two pictures: one is when the lighting is flat (overcast/cloudy), therefore the coating is a little more flat. The other is when the lighting is brighter/sunny.

If you are asking for thoughts on this, definitely not the white!

 

[ExpoMike]

I like the lower sample, which I am assuming is light grey.

 

[rruff]

Coating Color Samples - For the Truck & Camper

Here we go. Two colors to chew on before the final decision is made.

What is the coating? And pardon my poor memory, but what foam did you use?

The light grey PU paint I used on the roof is whiter than my white truck! But that's fine, it's good to keep it from overheating. You can use whatever you want on the sides, because even in calm conditions the sun is less severe and air flow much better.

 

[Vance Vanz]

Coating Color - For the Truck & Camper - Continued...... & Some Additional Info!

Well......, it looks like I'm going to have to disappoint my audience 😁.

Here is the inspiration for the coating color I chose, my Beach Cruisers 😎🤙!


I wanted to go with the lightest grey I could, without it being and/or appearing white. After months of looking at every grey vehicle on the highway, basically driving anywhere, (stalking a few cars/trucks to getter a closer look-seriously) and an extensive online black-hole-spiral-search, the light bulb finally went on. "Why don't I just coat the truck and camper the same color as my beach cruisers?" They are a perfect reference to see what the truck and camper would look like in light grey, with all black accent colors.

"SOLD, to the man who is about to be financially broke from coating his truck and camper!" 🤣🤪

So here we go .............


I'll try and keep the process of explaining my journey of 1. painting just the camper (to match the white factory truck/cab), or 2. coating both the truck and camper, short and sweet. Although, know it was a PITA x 2 and not a simple task or journey. OK, it will most likely not be short and sweet, but I'll try my darndest!

I will also be speaking in what I might call, generally-specific terms. I’m going to make generalizations in an attempt to simplify things and provide what may be the most important information one may need to know if they find themselves in a similar decision-making process/journey. I am not a professional painter or coater. I’m just a normal guy/consumer trying to make informed decisions while sharing the information as I go 🤓. "Don't kill the messenger!"

The price to coat both the truck and camper was the same price, or at most $1-2K more, than to paint just the camper (to match the white color on the factory truck/cab). I was surprised by this, but I guess it made sense given all of the extra sanding and buffing required for painting as opposed to coating. It also made the decision to coat both the truck and camper, as opposed to painting just the camper, simple. Coating was also a better choice, IMHO, on an expedition vehicle.

Finding a Coating shop that was: 1. Capable of completing a project of this size, 2. Confident that they could handle the scope of the project and 3. Wanted to take a project like this on, was not easy. There are a lot of shops out there that will give you the initial (Salesmen Yes) “Oh, of course, we can do anything”. The same shops who you will then call 2-3 times and never get an actual bid from, or those who never get back to you-basically the shops that can’t simply tell you they are not qualified to do a project of this size/scope.

Of the limited shops that you do get a price from, very few will be able to actually shoot the coating in a consistent thickness and texture over the entirety of the project. I looked at the coating jobs done by many shops and most of them did not look good and/or professional. They simply could not shoot a consistent thickness and texture, nor blend areas if needed.

Raprtor, Monsta, etc. Liner vs. RHINO, LINEX, etc. Coating: Many professional coating specific shops do not and will not shoot Raptor, Monsta, etc. Liner products. These are more DIY products and as one professional explained it, “They are more like a hardened paint as opposed to an industrial coating, two completely different products. The Liners use epoxy, or something similar, to give them their strength/hardness and Coatings are plastic” This was helpful because when I actually started looking at 2, 3, 5-year-old 4x4/commercial vehicles that had Raptor/Monsta equivalent Liners and RHINO/LINEX Coatings, (on the exterior areas that get the most abuse) I could see a distinct difference. The Coatings held up and the Liners had many scrapes and chips.

The few (actually one or two) shops that could produce a consistent thickness and texture over the entirety of the project and met the 1. Capable, 2. Confident and 3. Wanted to criteria, were professional Coating Shops (not paint shops that also shot Liner products). This ruled out Raptor, Monsta, etc. Liner products for me, as the professional Coating shops I was considering wouldn’t shoot them. This then put me in the RHINO vs. LINEX debate. My research, and what most people told me was “If you can afford the slight additional cost of LINEX, choose that.”

Of the final (only two) professional Coating shops I was considering, one of them finally recommended the other shop I was considering, the LINEX shop I eventually chose. He was honest with me and said he knew he wouldn’t be able to produce the results I wanted and he always sends this specialty type of work to the particular LINEX shop previously noted.

Know that this process involved contacting about 40-50 shops throughout Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California. I can’t tell you how many professional RHINO, LINEX, and other various brands of coating, shops gave me the initial and consistent “Yes we can do it/Do anything” routine, but never produced an estimate, or got back to me. Some of these were also the “best of the best shops” that “shoot full trucks every week and do all of the unique and large projects other shops won’t touch”. I even had a contract and was in the schedule with two separate Liner/Coating shops, and they just vanished (ghosted me) a week or two prior to the start date.

This journey sucked and represents all of the things you think are going to be easy, or “should not be that hard”, but surprisingly are. Please know that the number of professional coating shops and/or paint shops that will take on a project like this are few. Of those few shops that are willing to take the project on, the number that can actually do a quality/professional job is even FEWER. And once you find the one or two options, it will not be cheap, or at least will not be what you initially though it would or should cost. That is the other part of the journey that never stops on projects/builds like this. EVERYTHING WILL COST MORE THAN YOU THINK! EVERYTHING!!!!

Happy Sunday Funday Folks 😙!

 

[Vance Vanz]

What is the coating? And pardon my poor memory, but what foam did you use?

The light grey PU paint I used on the roof is whiter than my white truck! But that's fine, it's good to keep it from overheating. You can use whatever you want on the sides, because even in calm conditions the sun is less severe and air flow much better.

Responded in the latest post rruff (Coating) and Divinycell for the foam .

 

[Vance Vanz]

LINEX - Spraying Exterior of Truck & Camper

Here are a few pics of the initial process:

Since the seals on the windows need a flat surface, we had to hold back the LINEX around all six of the windows on the camper. Not a big deal, but just some extra time and effort to keep everything looking clean and functional.​

​

I also just noticed how different the color looks when these two pictures are stacked. This is something I noticed early on and was surprised by. When the truck/camper are in direct light, everything lightens up like the top picture (super light grey). Whenever it is overcast, or you look at the truck/camper in a way that the texture casts shadows on the surface (Even while in the light), the color can really darken up, or looks like it changes to a different color altogether. I know this sounds pretty obvious when dealing with something textured, but it's a trip how different the color can look every time you see the truck/camper in the slightest contrast of lighting. It's like having a version of a pearl paint job, although the color is flat. Just the other night I swear it looked like one part of the truck was glowing in the dark, while the other was a gun metal grey . Maybe I was just working way too late 🤪!​

All of the grey has been shot and now it is time to coat the rockers and fenders in black. It may be hard to see, but in the bottom picture there is a red laser line down the camper. This is the cut line for the black (not the masking tape). Everything is coming out smooth looking................, so far .​

 

[ExpoMike]

That is looking great!!!!

 

[Roam.Wild]

The line-x turned out way better than expected, looking awesome!

 

[Vance Vanz]

That is looking great!!!!

Thanks Expo Mike! The LINEX shop is working hard.

 

[Vance Vanz]

The line-x turned out way better than expected, looking awesome!

Thanks Roam Wild!

Yah, I spent a ton of time making sure the shop I chose could: get the LINEX on smoothly and consistently, avoid any alignment/rub issues of factory components (doors, fenders, hood.....) and prevent any factory weather stripping/seals from being negatively impacted.

These were all of the details that I had to explicitly ask about and request ahead of time, to ensure that we were all on the same page. Not many shops will actually take the time to truly listen, and more importantly, actually follow through with this level of detail (or what I would call standard-standard) .

Fingers crossed, we hit the finish line still looking like this !

 

[Vance Vanz]

LINEX - Spraying Exterior of Truck & Camper - Continued......

We're moving along well 🤜🤛!

Erin and I had to bounce down to the LINE-X shop, mid process, to rig the camper on the truck. We wanted to make sure that the rocker panel lines on the truck and camper matched perfectly. The decision was made to shoot the line on the camper first and then mask/tape the cut line on the truck to match the camper, while the camper was on the truck. This was the only way (chosen way) to ensure that there were no discrepancies in the black rocker lines.



I think we might finally have something called a somewhat cohesive looking expedition vehicle! Boy am I going to miss my flat black carbon fiber salmon skinned box 🫶.

 

[Blowby]

You definitely have attention to detail, looks amazing!👍😎