From Freightliner ambulance to RV - we hope!

[rossvtaylor]

After work today, I got the pans permanently mounted with wires stubbed out.

The screws worked out really well and sit as flush as I could hope for.



Anyone for cookies or tiny cakes?



And, here's the back with the two brake lights, the two pans for floods, and the center cutout for the overhead winch.



Once it got dark, we had to play a bit. We're getting close to ready for paint. In case you forgot, the rig will be black and we'll have our logo painted (big) on the side. We took the projector out, this eve, to play with sizing and placement. Damn... we're excited now! This is reversed from how it will look, when done... it'll be a white logo on a black body. But, it gives us an idea. Go back to page one to see our original vision. We're getting close, now.

 

[patoz]

Ross, are the screws in the pans screwed into anything, or do they just run alongside the outer skin? They look good mounted, I just hope they are sturdy enough to support the lights when the vehicle get to bouncing around.

Using a projector to play around with realistic looking designs is a good idea. I'll have to remember that one!

 

[rossvtaylor]

Hi Pat,

The screws run underneath the skin. I used a scribe to mark the locations on the pans, so when I drilled the holes they screw threads catch the back of the skin. It's quite sturdy... I experimented with the first pan and found that I could tighten the screw so much that it would deform the pan, as the threads pulled on the back of the skin. So, I think we're good. Plus... (belts and suspenders, here) each one is bedded in a bead of black silicone all the way around (barely visible, as I didn't want any ooze out that would interfere with painting). After painting, they'll get another bead (filleted) around the perimeter. That's partly for looks, so it appears less like a pan with a rolled edge, and it will also add some extra waterproofing and bonding.

We'll see when we go bouncing, though!

 

[patoz]

Since you can no longer access the back side of the pans to tighten nuts, what is your plan for mounting the light brackets...,sheet metal screws, Riv-nuts, or what?

I have been thinking about doing this also so I can use whatever LED light units I want, so I'm really interested in seeing how your's turn out!

 

[rlrenz]

Aluminum Riv-nuts would probably do a nice job of mounting lights to the pans - and by using Riv-nuts instead of bolts, a light could be replaced with a different one at some time down the road.

 

[rossvtaylor]

Hi Bob and Pat,

Actually, we don't plan to have the lights supported by the pans themselves. They are pretty thin. The pans were just a convenient way to create a recess and cover the hole. The pans are about a inch deep, but the lights we're looking at are 2.5-inches deep or 3-inches deep. So, I'll be fabricating brush/branch guards for them and the lights will actually be mounted on the guards, with the back of the light poking into the recess a bit. We live in an area where branches are a concern and, without any protection, the lights would get ripped right out of the pans.

After all the work it took to install these pans, I ought to have just gone with my first plan (sketch posted many pages ago...) and welded recesses with built-in guards. But they look fine and will work well and won't rust. And we're almost ready for paint.

 

[patoz]

Ah....

I was wondering how deep those pans were, because they didn't look like they recessed the full 2" wall thickness.

 

[scooter421]

Great work on the lights Ross, it's awesome to find something like that and make it work. Can't wait to see the finished light product and truck painted!

Scooter...

 

[rossvtaylor]

Well, today was delivery day. Triplets... of the bumpers we (Ozrockrat, Scooter421 and I) ordered. Since we split the shipping, and it was the same price to ship one or 3, it came to $350 per bumper, delivered. These things are in great shape. If they were ever mounted, which I doubt, they were certainly never used in service.



I had already started the bumper work on my rig, before Oz found these, so I've got a frame extension and a Warn winch mounting bracket. I hung, and clamped, one of the bumpers on that bracket, just to see how it will look.



Happy, I am... yessss (said like Yoda). In its final location, it will be a bit lower and straight and not canted upwards, like it is in this photo. But, it will be a great fit and turns out to be just the perfect width, I think.

 

[rlrenz]

That bumper certainly has a lot of vitamins! It screams heavy duty.

 

[patoz]

It looks god on there Ross! Since you already have turn signals on the fenders, what are you going to mount in the cutouts on each end of the bumper? Maybe some white corner flood lights so you can see the Zombies lurking in the ditches, before they run out in front of you.

 

[guidolyons]

That'll knock a Prius or two out of your way... :elkgrin:

 

[Ozrockrat]

what are you going to mount in the cutouts on each end of the bumper?

I vote cameras so we can make sure we can run over the zombies (or cats if that's your thing). Or maybe IR lights so we can go in stealth mode. But seriously another set of indicators down lower might help the people driving low see them. (before we roll right over them ) Sort of like this but bigger and better.

 

[patoz]

Hahaha, you're got a point there!

 

[rossvtaylor]

Funny, all! Okay, you joke about the zombies... but, in our area, we've got to worry about elk and cattle and antelope. Having some ditch lighting makes sense, so my plan is to see if these fit. We've got a pair on the way and it seems like they'll fit nicely. The recesses are about 6 7/8 inches wide, 2.5 inches tall, and 2 3/8 inches deep. The lights are probably produced in one factory and sold by a gazillion different vendors, each of which has different dimensions listed... but, if I average them, it seems that they'll fit in those pockets pretty well. Some guards will protect them.