Gallivanter: An Ominous Beginning and an Optimistic Future
- Thread starter Backcountry Pursuit
- Start date
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
guidolyons
Addicted to Gear Oil
This is getting mo' bettah.
Van#2 looks to be in better shape than van#1.... I have a feeling there is van#3 in the near future.:snorkel:
Van#2 looks to be in better shape than van#1.... I have a feeling there is van#3 in the near future.:snorkel:
Pinnacle Campers
Chateau spotter
I donated (my winter) items on consignment to Backcountry Pursuit as of April 7th so we should be seeing a report soon.
$ = :beer: = more typing
...by the way is van #2 roadworthy yet?
$ = :beer: = more typing
...by the way is van #2 roadworthy yet?
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Still trying to get vss sorted. Gave up on using the Abbott converter and splicing off the rear axle abs vss. Now I have a latched abs light and might have possibly screwed up the module while trying to scavenge the signal. Next I tried a gps unit that is supposed to feed in 8000 pulses per mile.
I had my new business opening in Spokane on the horizon. I really wanted to take Gallivanter. I ordered this Intellitronix unit off of Summit and paid $25 for overnight shipping. I thought I had it solved. The unit was DOA. It never gave me lights saying it was talking to the satellites. It took two days for tech support to call me back. They admitted they had a bad batch of antennas from a supplier and said they would overnight one to me. I told them it didn't matter. I had to get loaded for Spokane. I loaded up van #1 and headed up.
Van #1 ran like a top for the trip and I have a ton of confidence in it. It will be a very good work van.
When I got back I plugged in the second unit they sent. I got one more light than last time but still not the three that are required. When I called tech support I knew more about electronics than the guy on the phone. He asked how I was so sure I had a good power and ground. I told him because I have a degree in aircraft electronics and I used to wire $30 million dollar airplanes for a living. That shut him up, but only briefly. Next he tried to tell me I was putting too much power into the box. Like 12V off the fuse panel? Are you serious? That's when I hung up.
I suspect I have a bad second box. I am going to track down an oscilloscope and see if this thing is putting out a 5V square wave or not. If it is and it just not working with the van, I have to rebuild my transmission so I can install "truck parts and then use the Abbott box to make everything happy".
I had my new business opening in Spokane on the horizon. I really wanted to take Gallivanter. I ordered this Intellitronix unit off of Summit and paid $25 for overnight shipping. I thought I had it solved. The unit was DOA. It never gave me lights saying it was talking to the satellites. It took two days for tech support to call me back. They admitted they had a bad batch of antennas from a supplier and said they would overnight one to me. I told them it didn't matter. I had to get loaded for Spokane. I loaded up van #1 and headed up.
Van #1 ran like a top for the trip and I have a ton of confidence in it. It will be a very good work van.
When I got back I plugged in the second unit they sent. I got one more light than last time but still not the three that are required. When I called tech support I knew more about electronics than the guy on the phone. He asked how I was so sure I had a good power and ground. I told him because I have a degree in aircraft electronics and I used to wire $30 million dollar airplanes for a living. That shut him up, but only briefly. Next he tried to tell me I was putting too much power into the box. Like 12V off the fuse panel? Are you serious? That's when I hung up.
I suspect I have a bad second box. I am going to track down an oscilloscope and see if this thing is putting out a 5V square wave or not. If it is and it just not working with the van, I have to rebuild my transmission so I can install "truck parts and then use the Abbott box to make everything happy".
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Missed the deadline did ya? I can easily fix that. If you didn't pick up your stuff it's in storage for the summer. When it comes out next fall I'll work my magic and you'll get credit when your stuff sells.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Good chatting with you the other night. I wish your fix for vss would work for me.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Soon. Tomorrow is my first full day off since February. Without exaggerating or being optimistic I worked about 400 hours in March. My new store is open in Spokane and the Boise stores are both changed over to summer. I just wrote a proposal to consult on opening a forth store in June. Sometime soon I will find the time.
You guys have no idea the hell I've been through on this project. The story really hasn't even started yet.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Back to the story. No pictures and it doesn't make this thread worthless. I told ya you are going to have to read a lot! Many pictures coming once I get to the actual mod part of the story. Read on minions...love you!
Nearing the end of July 2016 after my Selway River trip I had stumbled upon MG's thread. I had seen it once before when he was just starting to jam the Cummins in the frame. I didn't dig into it at the time because I was probably off on some wild goose chase like solar or van heating, but I noted it for sure. Now I came across something in another thread that he was looking at doing a pop top. As I am in the dreaming stage, on many wild goose chases and still devouring information, I decided it was time to tackle his thread.
This was a great example of “vanning”. I read MG's thread cover to cover in all but a few sittings that each ran well into the wee hours of the morning. Holy smokes the things this guy is doing is incredible. Much respect to the electronics integration he has undertaken. (He makes my current VSS problems look like peanuts.) It did turn out that he was looking at designing a pop top, but more importantly he was building a new conversion kit to use newer 05+ radius arm axles in a van conversion. I didn't know that before and I need to talk to this guy.
I left a comment in his thread and submitted a request for info though his website in the very end of July 2016. I got a PM back though ExPo on July 29th with his cell. We then had a long chat on the phone and I committed to be the first person to buy his new kit. (Besides Jsweezy who was the Guinea Pig).
I like being the first with stuff. I like having the newest shiniest gear. That's the way I buy all my outdoor gear from skis to bikes to tents to rafts to motorcycles. I bought Hobbes (click link in sig) sight unseen and un-test driven because of a magazine article that released in Europe before the bike even hit the shores of the USA. The article said it beat the F800GS in every area I didn't like about the F800GS when I test drove that and it was enough for me to write a check for whole bike in one shot. (I was busting my *** at the time working mega overtime on a military aviation contract and I had funny money). The first time I rode a Triumph 800XC, it was mine, paid for and it had landed on the shores of the good ‘ol USA from England just a little more than week before. I was the third person in the country to check into the 800XC thread on ADV rider that I had gotten my new bike. I like stuff that pushes technology and what is possible forward. MG's kit was going on my van.
In the meantime of chatting with MG, I began work on the parts van to grab all the XLT bits off of it. After all, I had promised my loving girlfriend that I would have it gone in two weeks. Disassembly is much more fun than reassembly, especially when you don't have to put it back together again. I began disassembling the parts van in my girlfriend's driveway.
I stripped that van and most of the time without the proper tool. As this parts van was at my girlfriend's house, I just brought a bucket-o-tools to her house from mine and made do with what I had since the rest of my tooling was in the garage at my house.
I pulled all the plastic panels and the headliner. I cut the seat belts out and saved them for unknown future projects I might need webbing for. I pulled the door panels with all the switches I would need for power windows, mirrors, and locks. I pulled the entire steering column that had tilt and also all the buttons for cruise control. I pulled the cruise control computer. I pulled all the doors and door seals off since the ones on van #1 were **** or missing. I pulled the wiring harnesses from the B pillar back. I made a huge bucket of fasteners and bolts. I pulled the motor harness just for good measure. Hell, they sell for good money on eBay and I might be able to recoup some cost. I pulled the lights and the grill and the even the handles off the pop out side windows that are notorious for breaking. Then I got really serious and started pulling the dash.
I am really glad I don't have to put the dash back in. I fought that thing for hours. Turns out there was one bolt I couldn't find and I dang near destroyed the entire thing and almost broke the windshield several times before getting it pulled out. Once the dash was out, I pulled the two main wiring harnesses from under the dash. I would need these to retrofit van #1 with all the power bits. I pulled vacuum lines and electronic modules and anything else I could remove. Did I need it all? No. Probably not anyways, but it wouldn't hurt to have random parts around for the next few years of this mod. This was a learning experience and about the best way to get intimate with the van.
Anything I could pull off that van I did. Once all the easy stuff was stripped I went to work on the hard stuff. I have never pulled an automatic transmission before, let alone a full size 4R100. I did it though while rolling around in the gravel and miserable goat heads (Google it) that have infested my girlfriend's driveway. Oh, drain the torque converter first. That was a fun lesson. Good thing I was on gravel in the country. I had looked into swapping in this 4R100, but the gains were not worth the hassle. Still, I had pulled my first transmission. It was glorious and I felt like a real mechanic. The $125 Harbor Freight 800lb transmission jack made it a hell of a lot easier and it was money well spent. Damn I love Harbor Freight.
I've decided on my conversion kit, the parts van is mostly stripped, it's mid August 2016 and I think I might just have this van ready for ski season…. More famous last words.
Nearing the end of July 2016 after my Selway River trip I had stumbled upon MG's thread. I had seen it once before when he was just starting to jam the Cummins in the frame. I didn't dig into it at the time because I was probably off on some wild goose chase like solar or van heating, but I noted it for sure. Now I came across something in another thread that he was looking at doing a pop top. As I am in the dreaming stage, on many wild goose chases and still devouring information, I decided it was time to tackle his thread.
This was a great example of “vanning”. I read MG's thread cover to cover in all but a few sittings that each ran well into the wee hours of the morning. Holy smokes the things this guy is doing is incredible. Much respect to the electronics integration he has undertaken. (He makes my current VSS problems look like peanuts.) It did turn out that he was looking at designing a pop top, but more importantly he was building a new conversion kit to use newer 05+ radius arm axles in a van conversion. I didn't know that before and I need to talk to this guy.
I left a comment in his thread and submitted a request for info though his website in the very end of July 2016. I got a PM back though ExPo on July 29th with his cell. We then had a long chat on the phone and I committed to be the first person to buy his new kit. (Besides Jsweezy who was the Guinea Pig).
I like being the first with stuff. I like having the newest shiniest gear. That's the way I buy all my outdoor gear from skis to bikes to tents to rafts to motorcycles. I bought Hobbes (click link in sig) sight unseen and un-test driven because of a magazine article that released in Europe before the bike even hit the shores of the USA. The article said it beat the F800GS in every area I didn't like about the F800GS when I test drove that and it was enough for me to write a check for whole bike in one shot. (I was busting my *** at the time working mega overtime on a military aviation contract and I had funny money). The first time I rode a Triumph 800XC, it was mine, paid for and it had landed on the shores of the good ‘ol USA from England just a little more than week before. I was the third person in the country to check into the 800XC thread on ADV rider that I had gotten my new bike. I like stuff that pushes technology and what is possible forward. MG's kit was going on my van.
In the meantime of chatting with MG, I began work on the parts van to grab all the XLT bits off of it. After all, I had promised my loving girlfriend that I would have it gone in two weeks. Disassembly is much more fun than reassembly, especially when you don't have to put it back together again. I began disassembling the parts van in my girlfriend's driveway.
I stripped that van and most of the time without the proper tool. As this parts van was at my girlfriend's house, I just brought a bucket-o-tools to her house from mine and made do with what I had since the rest of my tooling was in the garage at my house.
I pulled all the plastic panels and the headliner. I cut the seat belts out and saved them for unknown future projects I might need webbing for. I pulled the door panels with all the switches I would need for power windows, mirrors, and locks. I pulled the entire steering column that had tilt and also all the buttons for cruise control. I pulled the cruise control computer. I pulled all the doors and door seals off since the ones on van #1 were **** or missing. I pulled the wiring harnesses from the B pillar back. I made a huge bucket of fasteners and bolts. I pulled the motor harness just for good measure. Hell, they sell for good money on eBay and I might be able to recoup some cost. I pulled the lights and the grill and the even the handles off the pop out side windows that are notorious for breaking. Then I got really serious and started pulling the dash.
I am really glad I don't have to put the dash back in. I fought that thing for hours. Turns out there was one bolt I couldn't find and I dang near destroyed the entire thing and almost broke the windshield several times before getting it pulled out. Once the dash was out, I pulled the two main wiring harnesses from under the dash. I would need these to retrofit van #1 with all the power bits. I pulled vacuum lines and electronic modules and anything else I could remove. Did I need it all? No. Probably not anyways, but it wouldn't hurt to have random parts around for the next few years of this mod. This was a learning experience and about the best way to get intimate with the van.
Anything I could pull off that van I did. Once all the easy stuff was stripped I went to work on the hard stuff. I have never pulled an automatic transmission before, let alone a full size 4R100. I did it though while rolling around in the gravel and miserable goat heads (Google it) that have infested my girlfriend's driveway. Oh, drain the torque converter first. That was a fun lesson. Good thing I was on gravel in the country. I had looked into swapping in this 4R100, but the gains were not worth the hassle. Still, I had pulled my first transmission. It was glorious and I felt like a real mechanic. The $125 Harbor Freight 800lb transmission jack made it a hell of a lot easier and it was money well spent. Damn I love Harbor Freight.
I've decided on my conversion kit, the parts van is mostly stripped, it's mid August 2016 and I think I might just have this van ready for ski season…. More famous last words.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Since I have now decided on MG's kit to convert my van to four wheel drive, I need to start amassing all the parts that go with it. I sent another email to Chris at Ujoint and told him I wanted to place an order. This time he responded in less than a day and apologized for not responding the first time. I forgave him and also apologized for sending such a long rambling first email when I just should have done some more research. I give the guy a lot of credit for dealing with as many nOOb questions and emails as he must get. Mine included.
I told him I wanted to order the following: (copy and paste from my email)
6" rear leaf springs.
NV271 transfer case-you've got a great price on a refurb unit and I'll take one.
FT001 gas tank mod kit.
TC002 shifter kit. Are they the exact same for either the E40D or 4R100?
TX002 transmission cross member.
AB001 Trans control box.
WS001 wheel adapter. I am searching for a 2013+ front axle assembly from a F250/F350 for MG's kit. Whatever I need to match that....
He drew up an invoice and emailed me back. Chris was really the one who talked me out of not trying the 4R100 swap and sticking with the E4OD. He told me about six weeks for the rear leaf springs.
Jesus, I ramble a lot. Looking back though these emails to tell the story I just go on and on about stuff….
I got the invoice from Chris on 8-17-16 and paid him the same day or the next for $3225 including freight on the stuff from him including the transfer case and shipping on the springs. Nobody said this was going to be cheap. Chris does have good prices on his stuff especially for a totally remanufactured transfer case at $849.
At this point I started seriously started shopping for a front axle. For all you getting going on this, car-part.com is awesome! Totally the best way to look for used parts outside of eBay. BEWARE! You are dealing with salvage yards and not protected by much. (Foreshadowing again).
I was going round and round about gearing at this point. My van has a 3.73 open rear diff. I know I want to go to higher gearing eventually, but this project is going to cost a lot and is $1000 to regear an axle worth it at this point? I think I have decided that I am shopping for a 3.73 front axle. If I am going to re gear my rear axle, I am swapping it out to a Sterling or at least a full float Dana 60 and building it with a limited slip or a locker. 3.73 it is.
I am also looking not just for an 05+ Dana 60 front, but a 2012+ Dana 60 front because it has the bigger 14.29” brake rotors. I found a 2015 axle in New Mexico at A-1 auto recyclers. I guess that should have been my first clue. A-1. Sounds awesome.
I called down there and talked with a yard monkey name Daryl. I told him what I was doing and sent him the same poached picture of the lifted 4x4 van with the CCV top popped. “Daaaaang that is ************!” is the response I got. He worked with me. I needed all the parts that came with that axle. I needed the radius arms, rotors, calipers, brake lines and mounts, and all the hardware including the $11 a piece (x6) radius arm bolts. The axle was still on the truck and Daryl said that for $1900 he would even throw in the front driveline!
So many people on this forum will pipe in and say they got an axle for $400. Well, their axles don't have 22,000 miles on them and include all these extra parts. Plus, they were probably shopping for a Ujoint leaf spring conversion and the axle is from 1999-2004, has 200,000 miles on it, has been sitting in a field for five years and needs a total rebuild that you are going to dump thousands into. This one I am getting should be bolt in ready to go.
I worked though freightquote.com and it cost only $180 to ship the axle to Idaho. It's crazy that it will sometimes cost $20 to ship a jacket off of eBay, yet an 800 lb axle is only $180.
My axle is on the way!
That's all the farther the story is getting for the night. I had hoped to get further, but drunk again. Typing is hard again. I'm going skiing tomorrow at a resort for the last time of the season. There is still more skiing to be done in the backcountry and much more writing to be done on this story. But I'm done for the night. Laters.
I told him I wanted to order the following: (copy and paste from my email)
6" rear leaf springs.
NV271 transfer case-you've got a great price on a refurb unit and I'll take one.
FT001 gas tank mod kit.
TC002 shifter kit. Are they the exact same for either the E40D or 4R100?
TX002 transmission cross member.
AB001 Trans control box.
WS001 wheel adapter. I am searching for a 2013+ front axle assembly from a F250/F350 for MG's kit. Whatever I need to match that....
He drew up an invoice and emailed me back. Chris was really the one who talked me out of not trying the 4R100 swap and sticking with the E4OD. He told me about six weeks for the rear leaf springs.
Jesus, I ramble a lot. Looking back though these emails to tell the story I just go on and on about stuff….
I got the invoice from Chris on 8-17-16 and paid him the same day or the next for $3225 including freight on the stuff from him including the transfer case and shipping on the springs. Nobody said this was going to be cheap. Chris does have good prices on his stuff especially for a totally remanufactured transfer case at $849.
At this point I started seriously started shopping for a front axle. For all you getting going on this, car-part.com is awesome! Totally the best way to look for used parts outside of eBay. BEWARE! You are dealing with salvage yards and not protected by much. (Foreshadowing again).
I was going round and round about gearing at this point. My van has a 3.73 open rear diff. I know I want to go to higher gearing eventually, but this project is going to cost a lot and is $1000 to regear an axle worth it at this point? I think I have decided that I am shopping for a 3.73 front axle. If I am going to re gear my rear axle, I am swapping it out to a Sterling or at least a full float Dana 60 and building it with a limited slip or a locker. 3.73 it is.
I am also looking not just for an 05+ Dana 60 front, but a 2012+ Dana 60 front because it has the bigger 14.29” brake rotors. I found a 2015 axle in New Mexico at A-1 auto recyclers. I guess that should have been my first clue. A-1. Sounds awesome.
I called down there and talked with a yard monkey name Daryl. I told him what I was doing and sent him the same poached picture of the lifted 4x4 van with the CCV top popped. “Daaaaang that is ************!” is the response I got. He worked with me. I needed all the parts that came with that axle. I needed the radius arms, rotors, calipers, brake lines and mounts, and all the hardware including the $11 a piece (x6) radius arm bolts. The axle was still on the truck and Daryl said that for $1900 he would even throw in the front driveline!
So many people on this forum will pipe in and say they got an axle for $400. Well, their axles don't have 22,000 miles on them and include all these extra parts. Plus, they were probably shopping for a Ujoint leaf spring conversion and the axle is from 1999-2004, has 200,000 miles on it, has been sitting in a field for five years and needs a total rebuild that you are going to dump thousands into. This one I am getting should be bolt in ready to go.
I worked though freightquote.com and it cost only $180 to ship the axle to Idaho. It's crazy that it will sometimes cost $20 to ship a jacket off of eBay, yet an 800 lb axle is only $180.
My axle is on the way!
That's all the farther the story is getting for the night. I had hoped to get further, but drunk again. Typing is hard again. I'm going skiing tomorrow at a resort for the last time of the season. There is still more skiing to be done in the backcountry and much more writing to be done on this story. But I'm done for the night. Laters.
derjack
Adventurer
You're not a friend of short words, are you?
PS: I don't get the hard to find thing: in whole Europe are roughly 1, max 2 Quigley per year offered. I mean in complete Europe. This is hard to find. Building yourself if illegal or extremely hard and expensive (several k) to get permissions.