Fred the Van. The More We Explore's Adventure Van Build Thread

[sixstringsteve]

I was just wondering about weight distribution hitches today. 37s are only going to make my hitch 1" higher than 35s, so I think I'm going to run into that issue regardless. That would be a major bummer if I couldn't use a weight distribution hitch due to my lift. I'll have to research this.

 

[guidolyons]

Steve, keep in mind to use the actual diameter of the tire, not what is on the sidewall for a more accurate calculation. Actual RPM will be slightly higher since tires are usually a bit smaller than their published size. The GrimmJeeper calculator is pretty awesome to play around with to see how changing gear ratios and/or tire size will change RPM. Automatics usually sap more power than a manual, so you may want a gear/tire combo that gets you a slightly higher RPM.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Yeah, usually tires are a good inch or two smaller than advertised. At this point, I've decided on 4.10s. They're getting installed in the next couple days, and I'm picking up my 4.10 rear axle tomorrow.

I'm still undecided on 35s or 37s. I think I'm going to see if I can borrow a friend's wheels/tires to see which one I prefer.

 

[silvrzuki77]

I'm running 37's and other than a bit of howl they're just fine on the road. I don't have any spring rubbing either like someone else mentioned. Not sure why the different results.

What tires do you have? I have the new toyo rt and are a true 37 per their spec sheet. Also might be you have different backspacing?

At least with the 4.10 it will be better for pulling the trailer. My friend owns V5 now I drove that first and than decided on the 37's. Hey either way it will be awesome!

 

[tgreening]

37/12.5-16.5 Goodyears. Rims are recentered H1 double bead locks with 3.5" back space. Stock was 7". Juuust a bit much.

 

[silvrzuki77]

I have 4 brand new military tires darn rsc junk cant run 16.5 rims! The toyos are noticeable bigger than the military goodyears.

 

[k9lestat]

You giving them away?

Sent from my QMV7A using Tapatalk

 

[bknudtsen]

Yeah, usually tires are a good inch or two smaller than advertised. At this point, I've decided on 4.10s. They're getting installed in the next couple days, and I'm picking up my 4.10 rear axle tomorrow.

I'm still undecided on 35s or 37s. I think I'm going to see if I can borrow a friend's wheels/tires to see which one I prefer.

Everytime I see 37's on these vans, I am always drawn to the rear fender opening and think, "How is that tire going to fit up in the wheel well?" I always laugh when I see a truck with big tires and a huge lift that has less wheel travel than it did stock. And... after picking up a 35" Toyo MT on an alloy wheel, I remember thinking, "Glad I don't have to lift a 37" spare." 37's will rub the leaf springs, but so will 35's depending on wheel backspacing. It's a personal preference too, I think 35's look more proportionate to the shape of the wheel openings. Preferences aside, if you choose 37's, just be prepared to take some additional steps to address the effect they will have on braking, clearance and weight. Either way, I am looking forward to seeing your video series on the install. Should bring back some good/painful memories...

 

[sixstringsteve]

I have no worries about enlarging the rear wheel openings if needed.

Here's a pic of an old taco of mine. 35s with no lift. No rubbing after LOTS of cutting, grinding, and welding.

I eventually ended up lifting it 2.5", but even before the lift it all drove fine with no rubbing.

I am looking forward to seeing your video series on the install. Should bring back some good/painful memories...

I hope to have episode 1 up by early next week.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Videos coming soon, I promise.

I'm working on the stereo right now. I try to avoid amplifiers in vehicles if at all possible, but with how huge the vans are, a stock stereo just isn't cutting it, and head units don't have enough power to really drive the speakers well. I'm installing two amps in the van. I'm having a tough time finding a good spot to pass the wires through the firewall. It'd be ideal to pass the wires through the passenger side of the dashboard, but all I've found so far is a small rubber plug above the steering shaft. Are there any other grommets out there I should be looking for? One of my amp's power wires is 4 GA (as thick as a sharpie), so that's going to take up most of the grommet/plug.

I'm considering an SPOD, but I need to learn more about them. I wonder if I should run the amps through an SPOD or not. I imagine with how big the wires are, it might make sense to just run them straight to the battery.

I don't know a ton about electronics. I can wire a sub and stereo just fine, but big stuff still confuses me. I plan on covering the roof with solar at some point and having a battery bank to store the power. I'd also like to be able to plug my travel trailer into the van, so the van's aux battery bank can power the trailer if needed. I've got a lot of research to figure that out, and that's still a few months away.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Our stock stereo went out in both our camper and our truck. Looked into a ton of options for replacing and upgrading the both of them. After hours spent researching, I just bought this Bose Bluetooth Speaker and was done with it

The battery life on it is 14 hours, it has awesome sound, it can move from both the truck, to a camping spot, to the boat, to a friends house.....etc without taking up any space. I cant say enough about how good it sounds, how easy it was to use and in the long run, we saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Now we just run Pandora or music off our phone/iPod and forget the hassle of everything else

Just an idea to think about. And I have nothing to do with Bose and I'm not paid to give kudo's to their products

 

[sixstringsteve]

Bose makes some fantastic products. I think something like that would be great for the trailer. Is it loud enough for your truck? I am a musician and a bit of a nerd with my music listening, and I like to be enveloped in sound while driving long distances.

Thanks for sharing that link.

 

[bknudtsen]

An sPod is pretty slick, but not a good application for amps.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

I agree that when traveling on long road trips, I enjoy the music to be quite loud if I want to really crank it up. This will not envelope you in sound the way a good stereo with subs would do. BUT, placing it on the dashboard facing into the windshield will produce some impressive sounds.

I had originally spent hours hooking up speakers in the camper and had to have them rigged to be run off of 12volt and hardwired to the batteries, which was a chore, especially since the camper can be hooked to shore power, but the two could not be linked. Again, simply grabbing this BOSE radio and moving from truck to camper or where ever I want to carry it, and there are tons of others out there too, I just chose this one after being at a friends house party and he had this sitting out in the back yard, and I was blown away when I found out the sound was coming from such a small speaker.

For $300, I couldnt begin to think about even fixing the units in my rigs.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Great input guys, thanks. If the trailer we get doesn't already have some sort of stereo (or even it if does), we'll most likely get a little battery powered bluetooth unit. For the van, I've already got the amps, sub, head unit, and speakers. Tonight I'll be running wires. I'm just hoping to find a big ol' 2" plug in the firewall on the pass side (or even the driver's side), but I don't think there is one.