We got out today to do a little playing on the ice with the van...
Ok, I think we really need some narrative on these pictures. As I scroll through each one I'm going ******? Looks like fun though.
Looking at a 4wd van, need some advice
- Thread starter ert01
- Start date
Ok, I think we really need some narrative on these pictures. As I scroll through each one I'm going ******? Looks like fun though.
Edited the first post to add some description to the pictures... I'll put more up and some videos hopefully...
Here's one of the slab coming out. The tongs are hooked up to the chainsaw winch.
Here's on of me cutting out the sides of the block around the trees. I initially cut the outline of the trees on the front of the block about 3-4" deep. Then went in from the sides like this to remove the block. A little axe work cleaned them up nicely.
This is a video of me cutting the block with the saw. It was taken with an iPhone6 using the slow motion feature, but I'm not sure how Vimeo handles the slow motion... or if it just runs at normal speed. We will see when it's done processing I guess...
[video=vimeo;115721157]http://vimeo.com/115721157[/video]
Here's one of the slab coming out. The tongs are hooked up to the chainsaw winch.
Here's on of me cutting out the sides of the block around the trees. I initially cut the outline of the trees on the front of the block about 3-4" deep. Then went in from the sides like this to remove the block. A little axe work cleaned them up nicely.
This is a video of me cutting the block with the saw. It was taken with an iPhone6 using the slow motion feature, but I'm not sure how Vimeo handles the slow motion... or if it just runs at normal speed. We will see when it's done processing I guess...
[video=vimeo;115721157]http://vimeo.com/115721157[/video]
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BigDan
Observer
ok ill give my opinion on soft vs hard top .....
I did lots of roadtrips with both .....
If you have kids ,id go hardtop : you will use the second bed all the time , hardtop doesnt absorb humidity like a soft top , hardtop cuts on noise when sleeping ...
If in cold weather , way easier to warm up ! those are things are to think about !
softop good side is lower height when you drive , wont catch in gusting Wind .....
Dan ,
I did lots of roadtrips with both .....
If you have kids ,id go hardtop : you will use the second bed all the time , hardtop doesnt absorb humidity like a soft top , hardtop cuts on noise when sleeping ...
If in cold weather , way easier to warm up ! those are things are to think about !
softop good side is lower height when you drive , wont catch in gusting Wind .....
Dan ,
Bbasso
Expedition goofball
while I've never had a soft top on my van I do have a fiberglass hi top now. Its plenty of room to stand up in. can easily be insulated as you already know and if your boonedocking it doesn't look any different. My recommendation is a fiberglass hi top. you could also mount things on top of it.
Thanks for the descriptions, very cool.
BajaSportsmobile
Baja Ironman
I have both. It is nice to have the extra head room while on the road, but it does get in the way when off road. In the deserts it is not a problem but in the mountains, with trees it is a problem.
Overall, for what I do, I like the pop top best - more versatile.
Overall, for what I do, I like the pop top best - more versatile.
Thanks for the input. It means a lot when it comes from someone who has had both types.
I often wheel on trails where my Jeep XJ even feels large. But I won't be taking the van on those trails... I'm thinking the van will be more for exploring BLM's and back country roads than it will be for actual offroad wheeling. I can always tow the XJ or carry our mtb's if I anticipate exploring tight trails.
We don't like to camp in campsites so the van will be used predominantly for back country sites, but I don't think I will stray too far from gravel roads with it.
Do you sleep up top at all? How is it sleeping in a hard top vs a soft top?
BajaSportsmobile
Baja Ironman
Will your van be 4X4? If so, you will be able and will want to take it most places you would take your XJ. The advantage to having a 4X4 Van is that you can camp on the journey not just the destination and the journey can take you places you never planned on.
I never sleep up top - to much of a PITA to climb up and down and get situated. We have a very comfortable bed in the back of our Sportsmobile that I really like - it can be hot because of lack of cross breeze. When it is my wife moves up top.
I never sleep up top - to much of a PITA to climb up and down and get situated. We have a very comfortable bed in the back of our Sportsmobile that I really like - it can be hot because of lack of cross breeze. When it is my wife moves up top.
BajaSportsmobile
Baja Ironman
Fixed top can't do this...
If you are looking at vw syncros I would suggest instead a Mitsubishi Delica. These vehicles are very popular up here in BC. Diesel 4m40 engine. Super Select transfer case, and reliable unlike the syncro. The JDM (japanese domestic market) right hand drives can be had with very low mileage for around $10,000 cdn. In Canada a vehicle must be 15 years old to import. I believe US is twenty. I just imported a 94 diesel Pajero(Montero) with 28000 confirmed miles for less than $8000. I did have a Delica van and conversion to camper is straight forward or there are conversions to be had. Cheers.
Yeah it is a quigley 4x4 currently.
Do you have the manual top or the electric top? How hard is the manual top to lift? And are they noisy at all when on washboard or rough roads?
I just keep reading stories on the sportsmobile forums of the hardware leaking and the roof cracking and the top wearing through the paint on the van gutters and the top not lining up properly when lowering it etc... It seems like a lot of hassle to me. But maybe it's just that the unhappy customers are more vocal than the happy ones?
BajaSportsmobile
Baja Ironman
I don't think my top rattles, hard to tell as everything else rattles, empty drawers with no weight, pots and pans, cook top... come to think of it the fixed top van rattles everything else also. My '97 has never leaked, cracked... but the bolts did get rusty so I replaced them the other day - they are starting to rust also, goes with living by the beach. It is manual, a little heavy for my wife but she opens it by herself, being 5'11" helps I'm sure. Yes it did wear the paint on a few spots. Clear coat started peeling on one of my fixed tops.
So... Pick your poison.
So... Pick your poison.
Got bored at home yesterday so we loaded up the kids and headed to the mountains last night. Spent the night in our family cabin and then did a little exploring in the van.
This is usually when we would use the XJ but it was a good excuse to test the van on some trails... So the XJ sat at home while to van got a healthy dose of Rocky Mountain pin striping.
The highways were a little slick and it was nice have 4wd for the trip
Exploring the foothills and trails
The road in to Ogre Canyon
Hiking up inside the canyon
More from in the canyon
If you follow the canyon in a ways, you come to a series of frozen waterfalls that are decent for ice climbing, but they hadn't built themselves up very good yet this winter so we didn't go too far. Maybe in a month or two they will be better.
One thing I really noticed on this trip is the lack of suspension travel on the quigley system. I need a bit more travel than the 2" it provides.
Also, the front coils are woefully soft and so are the shocks. Even going rather slow over some dips in the road bottomed the suspension and induced more sway than I'd like.
Time to boost it up a couple more inches and get some stiffer suspension under it!
This is usually when we would use the XJ but it was a good excuse to test the van on some trails... So the XJ sat at home while to van got a healthy dose of Rocky Mountain pin striping.
The highways were a little slick and it was nice have 4wd for the trip
Exploring the foothills and trails
The road in to Ogre Canyon
Hiking up inside the canyon
More from in the canyon
If you follow the canyon in a ways, you come to a series of frozen waterfalls that are decent for ice climbing, but they hadn't built themselves up very good yet this winter so we didn't go too far. Maybe in a month or two they will be better.
One thing I really noticed on this trip is the lack of suspension travel on the quigley system. I need a bit more travel than the 2" it provides.
Also, the front coils are woefully soft and so are the shocks. Even going rather slow over some dips in the road bottomed the suspension and induced more sway than I'd like.
Time to boost it up a couple more inches and get some stiffer suspension under it!
