Ace Vantura! ALLLLLLLLLLLRIGHTY then
- Thread starter ohpyramids
- Start date
illking
Observer
blasting a puddle of crud on top of prewitt ridge in bug sur.
this picture.. you can hear the SlaYEr cranking through the alpine. How was the light bar?
ohpyramids
Adventurer
continuing with the list...
interior build:
Gaffers tape This stuff rules. Easy to tear off the roll by hand, but very good stickiness and ability to move without falling off. Critical for making the thinsulate/reflectix sandwich.
Stinger Roadkill sound dampening mat. Very happy with this.
http://www.amazon.com/Stinger-RKX36...d=1449084120&sr=1-1&keywords=stinger+roadkill
Southco push to close M1 latches. havent installed yet, but these will hold the bench tops closed without rattles (i hope)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=FTZUCFPM7UCPDZCR
Amarine 550 Lb. shelf hinges x 2. Worked great on the foot rest/ endtable flip up. Very strong. Was able to support my full body weight.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=DOUJZ4I2HEELN7Z6
table base x2:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=4TG5AYW33U2HQHXY
table leg:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=6GFBFLCX4YRTAELM
EternaBond Sealant tape. Great reviews in the marine world.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=SLATNQQ3NND2XRIH
Por 15 starter kit. Looks small but a little goes a long way. was able to do my work with tons of leftovers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=EVPBFH7AV34OBRYR
Reflectix this roll pretty much handled all the windows, walls, and ceiling surfaces in the van. I haven't finished completely, but it was a great amount.
Reflectix tape x2. Thermal isolation and reflectix mounting tape. Critical.
Thinsulate Insulation. Hit up Hein at impact 3d. He was great to work with and shipped very quickly. He has an amazing writeup on the Sprinter forums about how thinsulate works in vans. Really happy with the product. I got 30 ft.
interior build:
Gaffers tape This stuff rules. Easy to tear off the roll by hand, but very good stickiness and ability to move without falling off. Critical for making the thinsulate/reflectix sandwich.
Stinger Roadkill sound dampening mat. Very happy with this.
http://www.amazon.com/Stinger-RKX36...d=1449084120&sr=1-1&keywords=stinger+roadkill
Southco push to close M1 latches. havent installed yet, but these will hold the bench tops closed without rattles (i hope)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=FTZUCFPM7UCPDZCR
Amarine 550 Lb. shelf hinges x 2. Worked great on the foot rest/ endtable flip up. Very strong. Was able to support my full body weight.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=DOUJZ4I2HEELN7Z6
table base x2:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=4TG5AYW33U2HQHXY
table leg:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=6GFBFLCX4YRTAELM
EternaBond Sealant tape. Great reviews in the marine world.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=SLATNQQ3NND2XRIH
Por 15 starter kit. Looks small but a little goes a long way. was able to do my work with tons of leftovers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ode=as2&tag=kinstv-20&linkId=EVPBFH7AV34OBRYR
Reflectix this roll pretty much handled all the windows, walls, and ceiling surfaces in the van. I haven't finished completely, but it was a great amount.
Reflectix tape x2. Thermal isolation and reflectix mounting tape. Critical.
Thinsulate Insulation. Hit up Hein at impact 3d. He was great to work with and shipped very quickly. He has an amazing writeup on the Sprinter forums about how thinsulate works in vans. Really happy with the product. I got 30 ft.
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ohpyramids
Adventurer
electrical:
ScanGauge II: found this to be great for monitoring the voltage in my sketchy batteries. Also was nice to offset my actual MPH to gps speed as well as estimating MPG. Will eventually use it to monitor more important things like HPOP once I figure out how to use the codes.
32” Cree light bar for $150. This was a total impulse buy, but overall Im VERY happy with it. Helped us to navigate remote areas at night. The stock lights are SO BAD on these vans. Came with a harness and mounting hardware. Wasn't too hard to install, except for how dang tall the van is. I had to jump up on the front bumper and climb all around under the hood to run wires.
10W Cree Flood light pod for backup lighting. Haven’t installed, but when i tested it- wasnt too disappointed for $19
Rear Floodlight harness. No brainer harness for the rear flood at $13.
snake skin electrical wire loom. tech flex 1/4” 20ft. (x2) great to work with and doesnt look bad.
snake skin electrical wire loom. tech flex 1/2” 25ft (x2) great to work with and doesnt look bad.
rocker switches:
Led light bar switch (red)
ARB Locker switch (red)
Air compressor switch (red)
Rear light switch (middle finger) (red) excited to install this...
infinity reference 6x8 speakers for the rear doors. They didnt come with speaker grills, which was a bummer. Overall, they sound great for the price. Install was easy.
Recovery gear:
Antigravity Battery pack strong enough for many days of phone charging or jump starting a diesel. My van was sounding weak after it sat for a few days or cranking on cold mornings. I decided to get this insurance because we were going camping in cold and isolated locations. Thankfully, didn’t have to use it this trip.
60” Hi Lift Jack. I used the 48” model to lift and move a 15’ shipping container. figured that since the van is taller- i’d get the 60” model. haven't used this one specifically yet. its a beast to store and move though. Interested in how itll store on a rear aluminess bumper....
Daystar Hi Lift jack handle isolator. I hate rattles. kinda.
Hi Lift tire straps. Haven’t needed them yet.
Professional Air hose chuck. Beefy air pressure gauge and inflator. Works well with my onboard ARB compressor.
tools:
Astro rivnut gun. Found this to be a good solution for panels that are removed frequently. For ex. the rear doors went in/out for insulation, speakers, and installing speaker fabric. i felt better doing some nuts over a bunch of sheet metal screws. also grabbed some extra 5/8” and 1/4” 20 nut packs.
(borrowed) Festool Palm Random Orbital sander. Amazing sander. Used 80 grit paper to knock down cabinetry edges without problems.
(borrowed) Festool TS 75 track saw. This track saw was crucial. I couldnt use a table saw to rip 4x8 sheets by myself due to being setup in the back yard with no great work surfaces. The track kept everything straight and easy to do. Amazing tool.
California Air Tools Quiet 10 gallon compressor. Was a bit too small to keep up with my husky die grinder without cycling so much. But man, its super powerful and super super quiet. Im really happy with it.
Magswitch 300Amp magnetic ground clamp was super useful when welding on flat steel- since my normal ground clamp wouldn't have anything good to clamp to.
ScanGauge II: found this to be great for monitoring the voltage in my sketchy batteries. Also was nice to offset my actual MPH to gps speed as well as estimating MPG. Will eventually use it to monitor more important things like HPOP once I figure out how to use the codes.
32” Cree light bar for $150. This was a total impulse buy, but overall Im VERY happy with it. Helped us to navigate remote areas at night. The stock lights are SO BAD on these vans. Came with a harness and mounting hardware. Wasn't too hard to install, except for how dang tall the van is. I had to jump up on the front bumper and climb all around under the hood to run wires.
10W Cree Flood light pod for backup lighting. Haven’t installed, but when i tested it- wasnt too disappointed for $19
Rear Floodlight harness. No brainer harness for the rear flood at $13.
snake skin electrical wire loom. tech flex 1/4” 20ft. (x2) great to work with and doesnt look bad.
snake skin electrical wire loom. tech flex 1/2” 25ft (x2) great to work with and doesnt look bad.
rocker switches:
Led light bar switch (red)
ARB Locker switch (red)
Air compressor switch (red)
Rear light switch (middle finger) (red) excited to install this...
infinity reference 6x8 speakers for the rear doors. They didnt come with speaker grills, which was a bummer. Overall, they sound great for the price. Install was easy.
Recovery gear:
Antigravity Battery pack strong enough for many days of phone charging or jump starting a diesel. My van was sounding weak after it sat for a few days or cranking on cold mornings. I decided to get this insurance because we were going camping in cold and isolated locations. Thankfully, didn’t have to use it this trip.
60” Hi Lift Jack. I used the 48” model to lift and move a 15’ shipping container. figured that since the van is taller- i’d get the 60” model. haven't used this one specifically yet. its a beast to store and move though. Interested in how itll store on a rear aluminess bumper....
Daystar Hi Lift jack handle isolator. I hate rattles. kinda.
Hi Lift tire straps. Haven’t needed them yet.
Professional Air hose chuck. Beefy air pressure gauge and inflator. Works well with my onboard ARB compressor.
tools:
Astro rivnut gun. Found this to be a good solution for panels that are removed frequently. For ex. the rear doors went in/out for insulation, speakers, and installing speaker fabric. i felt better doing some nuts over a bunch of sheet metal screws. also grabbed some extra 5/8” and 1/4” 20 nut packs.
(borrowed) Festool Palm Random Orbital sander. Amazing sander. Used 80 grit paper to knock down cabinetry edges without problems.
(borrowed) Festool TS 75 track saw. This track saw was crucial. I couldnt use a table saw to rip 4x8 sheets by myself due to being setup in the back yard with no great work surfaces. The track kept everything straight and easy to do. Amazing tool.
California Air Tools Quiet 10 gallon compressor. Was a bit too small to keep up with my husky die grinder without cycling so much. But man, its super powerful and super super quiet. Im really happy with it.
Magswitch 300Amp magnetic ground clamp was super useful when welding on flat steel- since my normal ground clamp wouldn't have anything good to clamp to.
ohpyramids
Adventurer
the planning:
Time to commit! The final plan of action: build what I can finish in the time that I have. Dreaming big is great, but if I end up with a useless project van when vacation time arrives, I will be very bummed. So- in a basic way, just make the van comfortable and ready to camp for cold weather in 11 days. Everything started with sketches and lists from above.
Detailed sketch of the living area at the rear of the van...
To keep from being overwhelmed, I decided on just addressing the rear of the cargo area and working my way forward with a simple weekender type layout. For me- that's two inward facing benches with a passthrough and a simple popup table that would bridge the gap to make a bed. This is something that can host a gang of campers for dinner, as well as being a huge comfortable bed for 2 (or 3
) at night.
With plans and scope in place, amazon prime become my new best friend. I also had to buy/borrow lots of tools, parts, and hardware before I even started building.
Before I could get to the good stuff like building tables and beds, I had to get tackle important things like preparing the walls and floor. This meant insulation and rust prep! The rust prep was fairly laborious but straightforward. Clean and grind crusty areas, clean and weld holes. The van came from a contractor who had big steel shelves inside, which meant tons of bolt holes in the floor. I grinded and welded the holes that made sense, used por 15 on top of bigger areas that were more surface rust, and patched weirder plugs and holes with eternabond marine tape.
My Battleground for a few days
Time to commit! The final plan of action: build what I can finish in the time that I have. Dreaming big is great, but if I end up with a useless project van when vacation time arrives, I will be very bummed. So- in a basic way, just make the van comfortable and ready to camp for cold weather in 11 days. Everything started with sketches and lists from above.
Detailed sketch of the living area at the rear of the van...
To keep from being overwhelmed, I decided on just addressing the rear of the cargo area and working my way forward with a simple weekender type layout. For me- that's two inward facing benches with a passthrough and a simple popup table that would bridge the gap to make a bed. This is something that can host a gang of campers for dinner, as well as being a huge comfortable bed for 2 (or 3
) at night.With plans and scope in place, amazon prime become my new best friend. I also had to buy/borrow lots of tools, parts, and hardware before I even started building.
Before I could get to the good stuff like building tables and beds, I had to get tackle important things like preparing the walls and floor. This meant insulation and rust prep! The rust prep was fairly laborious but straightforward. Clean and grind crusty areas, clean and weld holes. The van came from a contractor who had big steel shelves inside, which meant tons of bolt holes in the floor. I grinded and welded the holes that made sense, used por 15 on top of bigger areas that were more surface rust, and patched weirder plugs and holes with eternabond marine tape.
My Battleground for a few days
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ohpyramids
Adventurer
Grinding away some rust around a body plug only revealed a way larger hole. Dang. Eternabond to the rescue.
For floor insulation I settled on a two part system. Against the metal would be a closed cell foam material called volara. On top of that were two 5’x5’ sheets of baltic birch 3/4” plywood. Volara is great at dampening sounds and temperatures differences. I got some 3/8” to fill the deeper floor channels and 1/4” to make a complete sheet in roll form from a place called FOAM MART in culver city (they also sell online). After working with my materials, I would have just stuck with 1/4" to fill the gaps and make the single sheet over top, but its not a big deal. The Volara was an impulse buy that turned really great. Its a closed cell foam that will return to its original shape, is super dense, and really easy to cut to size. Heres a shot from the holy grail of foam.
I also got some foam special ordered for the bench tops, but it didn't arrive in time to be useful for our trip.
boardrider247
Weekend warrior anarchist
POR15 is great. It doesn't actually "dry" but rather cures when exposed to moisture.
"POR-15 is cured and strengthened by exposure to moisture and will dry faster under extreme humidity, but moderate to dry atmospheric conditions are most desirable when applying this product,because extreme humidity may cause an immediate surface cure, trapping carbon dioxide gas below the surface. When this happens, bubbling may occur. Extreme humidity at the time of application may also interfere with proper adhesion of the POR-15 coating to metal because it's almost impossible to keep metal dry under such conditions."
Anyways good luck with it. I have had both good and bad experiences when using it. When it works, it's awesome and super tough. When it doesn't work (most likely my own fault) it comes off in sheets.............
ohpyramids
Adventurer
It was more dry as I applied the first coat, but around 10pm it got super damp from the marine layer. Luckily everything stuck. Was still a bit sticky the next day at 9am but was cured by 11 once the sun hit it.
ohpyramids
Adventurer
Thanks man! Hard to answer that for me. When I first got the kit done- I took the van through Death Valley and got to maybe 45-55mph on my way to the hot springs. The washboards were pretty brutal and I had a completely empty 1ton van so the suspension was not helping at all. I was also only aired down to 35 psi. It was rough, mainly due to not having any weight in the van.
My recent trail stuff was 10-15mph in narrow woods areas. The van feels nimble for its weight (diesel) and the couple hundred pounds of cabinetry are helping to activate the rear suspension.
I'd say if you want a high speed Offroad van- you may want to stick with a pickup platform. Or maybe one of the non- straight axle kits like from agile or weldtec.
I'm real happy with my Ujoint kit overall though. It looks great and it's just pretty damn fun.
To be honest, I ride my ktm if I need to haul ***, but I take the van when I need to haul everything.
Stitebunny
Adventurer
Really nice job so far!
Thanks for taking the time to snap pics, post links to products and give a review of them. It will be very useful for a lot of people I think!
Can't wait to see the rest of the van come together!
Thanks for taking the time to snap pics, post links to products and give a review of them. It will be very useful for a lot of people I think!
Can't wait to see the rest of the van come together!
Dragos28
Adventurer
Cool, I was just asking because i saw the upgraded leafs and fox shocks.
I'm sure once you get it loaded down with a few hundred pounds of weight it will smoothen out.
after i installed my rack & rtt on my truck it handles much better, but we're comparing apples to oranges.
Either way, awesome build!
Let me know if you need any fabric for the interior, i own one of the largest fabric stores on the west coast
ohpyramids
Adventurer
Either way, awesome build!
Let me know if you need any fabric for the interior, i own one of the largest fabric stores on the west coast
Pm coming your way soon! We are looking to do the walls and seat foam covers in something like Pendleton patterns.
mgmetalworks
Explorer
Let me know if you need any fabric for the interior, i own one of the largest fabric stores on the west coast
Company name? website?
Thanks!