gtrv style homebuilt van

[wanderer-rrorc]

wow...all freakin day to get some nusance things done...

didnt care for the 6x9 speaker location and not sure what to do with my 10in subs...

so I moved the 6x9 by the sliding door...put the 2 subs in the box (one mounted flush the other not...)...bass ports...

got the last 2 white LED's installed and wired...ones on the back section to illuminate the floor and inside the metal storage lockers...the other is INSIDE the couch base and does an EXCELENT job of giving me light inside the box to find whatever I may need...

discoverd that 2 55gal wvo drums will fit nicely on the non-carpeted area between the seat and the shelves...


got 2 more 12vt fans installed...and the powerline to feed the rear power outlet that will be by the fridge/couch...

got the shelves painted and all secured...got the speakers wired..got the fans wired...

and smoked a corn beef brisket..and 4 chicken quarters..played with the dogs and the family...even did some laundry...

im tired...:eek2:

OH...and discovered our 6ft plastic table fits NICELY in the van if we ever want to take it with us!!

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

alrighty...no pix...

got 2 new series 31 batteries from napa that were $40 off EACH!!...$60 for some serious battery life and strenght!!

got the camp toilet from walmart...I was nervous about it being a big guy..after gettin it and non-functionaly testing it...its a BIG thumbs up!! good quality and good price...glad to add it to the campin list!!!

ordered one of those CHEAPO fridges..but wanted one bigger than the 42qt...so I got the 63qt..and APPARENTLY I ordered it the NIGHT before the price JUMPED $100!!!...so im in it for $425 including the coupons someone listed in that thread...

time for matress/couch foam to be gotten and stiched!!! and shortly a mini-campout to see what we might have forgotten before we're actually out in the wilds...:wings:

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

VAN weekend...well sorta...

got the couch pulled out for stain seal and paint...got the floor stained...

but wanted to show ya how much stuff I can fit in it!!

3 overstuffed pillows.
2 sleeping bags (1 kid size)
1 comforter
2 bigboy chairs
2 regular people chairs
tool bag
air matress (for bed untill I get cushions made)
hiking bag...
still has a LITTLE room...

bubba chair

idea of what the bed/couch setup works..

and a couple shots of the 62qt fridge...thats a 24 pack down in there!!

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

spent all day polishin n waxin me wood!!

stained and poly'd my floor piece and the bench...painted the inside white (more coats applied after pix..nice and pretty now!!)

now I got all this wood dryin...

floor..

bench...and some spypix of the 59 fairlane thats gathering hood ornimants!

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

well me and the oldest kiddo bunked out in the van lastnight for the first time since the work began.,..

bunked out in the side yard...so we had some streetlights to contend with...shades are half made..the rest need to get cut out and installed for privacy and keep the sun out in the early mornings...

lemme just say...airbeds are awful....I cant WAIT to get some dang foam cushions!!

we didnt do much other than sit around the campfire and goof off...then it was bedtime...she slept in the pass front laid down flat with her feet on the pass mid-seat...she snored all night!! (not really...but she was super comfy!)

she even slept thru the rainstorm...

and the bear....yup...a dang bear....im layin sound asleep...doors locked...window at my feet shut...and the van rocks...I look up to see if kiddo got up... nope...she's cuddled down in her sleeping bag...van rocks again...so I pull back the window cover...nada...then I can hear something moving..and KABOOM!!..right on the open outter box...our cat BEAR (not really his name)...drops off the roof of the van and meows at me...

he honstly scared the poop outta me...I've slept in the van a dozen times...never had anything mess with it..rain..cold..snow...hot...and a dang KITTEN wakes me up and scares me!....I did laugh..you should too...:elkgrin:

some pix...we did have it all setup but packed it in for the day...folding table..4 chairs...and the wind kept blowing the pop-up privy over...even with 4 stakes in the ground it would bend..

it needs more lights outside under the awning...and some glow in the dark chord for the privy and some kind of hanging light..(glowstick?)...

 

[wrcsixeight]

I have the displeasure of sleeping on an air mattress when I Visit the 'rents over the holidays. If you think it is bad with one person, try 2. Intolerable!

I ordered a custom foam mattress from this joint. They made a nice tight fitting denim cover as well. I think I got the Everflex v34 medium firm foam in 5 inch thickness. I might have gotten the Everflex v44very firm foam, cannot remember. It is very comfortable. I weigh 220 lbs.

It is not cheap, but it is worth it. Took about 3 weeks to be made and delivered. It has not sagged or gotten any softer after 33 months of fulltiming. http://www.foamorder.com/custom_cuts.php?product=conventional&shape=1

Previously to this I had a Jackknife sofa bed that I replaced the foam on. It was about half the price, but it quickly became deformed and too soft.

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

I ordered a custom foam mattress from this joint. They made a nice tight fitting denim cover as well. I think I got the Everflex v34 medium firm foam in 5 inch thickness. I might have gotten the Everflex v44very firm foam, cannot remember. It is very comfortable. I weigh 220 lbs.

It is not cheap, but it is worth it. Took about 3 weeks to be made and delivered. It has not sagged or gotten any softer after 33 months of fulltiming. http://www.foamorder.com/custom_cuts.php?product=conventional&shape=1 .

I usually sleep on a 4in memory matress...and I hate it..the wife and I managed to deform the middle with "alternative" activites and now ya end up rolling over and getting stuck in the middle...

I'll checkem out!!...usually when we camp we use individual air matresses..but not for this temp setup..this matress is bigger and thicker and terrible!!

oh...

more pix!
pix of the inside that somehow were skipped..still gotta get the couch cushions made up...

 

[wrcsixeight]

I hate the memory foam as well. Too dang soft for my tastes. Too hot as well.

And BTW, why is someone with your fabrication skills, and obvious attention to detail, allowing those long, thin fridge power wires to just dangle around vulnerable in a high traffic area?

I'll be needing to see an engine isolated, Fused power distribution panel in your next photos. This of course must be powered by 2, group 31 AGM Lifeline brand batteries and charged by it's own dedicated alternator over 4/0 cable and dedicated 3 stage voltage regulator, in addition to the solar panels and MPPT Charge controller you will have installed by then.

Chop! chop!
:sombrero::wings::coffeedrink:

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

I hate the memory foam as well. Too dang soft for my tastes. Too hot as well.

And BTW, why is someone with your fabrication skills, and obvious attention to detail, allowing those long, thin fridge power wires to just dangle around vulnerable in a high traffic area?

I'll be needing to see an engine isolated, Fused power distribution panel in your next photos. This of course must be powered by 2, group 31 AGM Lifeline brand batteries and charged by it's own dedicated alternator over 4/0 cable and dedicated 3 stage voltage regulator, in addition to the solar panels and MPPT Charge controller you will have installed by then.

Chop! chop!
:sombrero::wings::coffeedrink:

I havent run the powerline yet...I threw that together (really..I grabbed both spools of wire and threw them to the front of the van)...for a weekend of hauling cars and kids playsets for myself and friends...that way we had cold pop and water...it was WONDERFULL to be winchin a dam car out of its 15yr grave and walking up and snaggin an ice cold bottle of water or mt dew!!:victory:

only need one 31 series...waitin on the solar panels for the fuse panel..(and the money)..:coffeedrink:

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

well its been slow...recaulked the gutter to stop it leakin inside...got a compression bag so now 3 big pillows take up the space of a small sleeping bag...

I did sent a spare injection pump out to be custom built and returned with matched injectors (read more power!)

filtered 15gal of WMO today an put some in to bring her up from half a tank..:elkgrin:

got this idea from another thread to make a caribener strap...that way I can hang all the hiking bags and some other asundry items..

OH..and found a key for the cabinets to lock them so they dont pop open and dump out on the floor and I have to watch my coffee pot roll around the back in traffic..

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

welp the trip to grocery store today included the list to stock the van...

4 cans each
white potatoes
red kidney beans
corn
carrots
green beans
crushed tomatoes

6 pks each
chicken ramen
beef ramen
tomato sauce in a can
tuna -sweet and sour (foil pack)
tuna- lemon zest (foil)
tuna-regular (foil)

spices
red pepper
black pepper
garlic
salt
chick bulion
chili powder

coffee!!!
coffee creamer (de-leche moca)
peanut butter
2pks of spagetti
box of hot chocolate and assortment of teas (mint/orange/grey/camomile)

so all we need now is water/soda and some either chicken/hamburger outta the fridge and off to the wilderness!! :campfire:

and the next 3 weekends are booked with crap to do...

OH...and it ALL fit in one cabinet!!

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

well discovered tuesday that it takes LESS than 10min to dump the chairs and the bed/gauncho (and all the chairs/bedding/pillows/shelters) out of the van...after the wife bought a new couch..and it was POURIN down rain..so no-trailer-haulin...

everything worked as designed to remove it quickly and hassle free!!

oh...and a present for the van arrived...$700 worth of CUSTOM fuel pump and matched injectors...she should run like a scalded dog!!..and get 17mpg!! (maybe more)...

oh..mostly intown driving is gettin me 14.5-15mpg..not bad figuring about HALF the fuel tank is FREE fuel...:ylsmoke:

used the winch yesterday and today...yesterday to pull bushes...did a great job..and today to turn the 1959 galaxy around so I can get it outside for sandblasting and un-cluttering the garage..

that is all...:coffeedrink:

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

update...

my sewing-lady should have the covers done soon....for the bed...

I spent 3 days last weekend WRESTLING the new injection pump and injectors into the van..

dude...it shouldnt be this FAST!!!! its MORE powerfull than my 4dr 4x4 F350 that had the 460 and manual trans..and that thing would pull down a house and haul it uphill like the shuttle takin off!!

*giggle*...

sorry...i did just giggle a little...

its just so much FUN...

plans had been to camp this weekened...but the lows were to be in the low 80's...and with 2 babies I didnt wanna makem uncomfortable and listen to them cry...gotta see what next weekend looks like!!:sombrero:

 

[Jerulator]

Lookin good man ! Once again I've got some inspiration from you and the other great people here on EP ! BTW, I might been using some of your ideas myself, really like the swing out camp stove system ! Way cool.......l8r
Jerry

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

kicking this back to the top!!!

Im gonna steal some of this guys idea with my new YOLANDA build...

he is a smart guy...


This van did actually end up being sold and drove to California..the gentleman that bought it worked in the movie industry and I never heard about her again..hope shes ok..I miss her often...