My Safari GT with solar panels and a RapidWing awning
- Thread starter mudshark
- Start date
olddodgevan
Observer
Interesting! How is the interior set up?
Mwilliamshs
Explorer
Please tell me you climbed a pine tree to take that picture?!
How do you like the RapidWing awning? Have experience with any others you could compare it to?
How do you like the RapidWing awning? Have experience with any others you could compare it to?
dcguillory
Adventurer
equally interested about the tree
Thanks for your interest in my van. I have quite a few pics of how the van use to be set up, but I tore it apart to ad a 4 ft. by 32" sliding floor in the middle. After 2 camping trips without this feature, my wife and I agreed that getting at our gear at the back of the van (remember; this van has only one side door) required the use of a slide.
I'm also rebuilding the bed which is a full double at about the height of the windows. It would be nice to be able to sit up in bed, but we can't. This was necessary because the bed goes all the way from the rear doors to the back of the front seats. It had to clear a Kanz kitchen, a propane locker and a 50 qt ARB fridge freezer, which explains why it's so high.
Other features include 2 deep cycle 6 volt batteries under the floor, a FanTastic fan/vent combo, a Vornado under cabinet circulator mounted to the ceiling console, facing towards the back to blow air over the bed, 2x100 watt Grape Solar panels, a Blue Sky power controller, a 1000w inverter, a Noco Genius charger.
Yes, I climbed the tree to get the pic. I wish I'd have had the courage to go to the next level, but I hate heights!
I love the Rapid Wing. It sets ip in about 7 minutes. It covers the side and rear of the van (nice when you cook off of the back of the van). The quality of the materials and workmanship is military grade (slight exaggeration).
I should have the interior finished in a week. I'll post some more pics then. Our next trip is in October to cover some of the Skyline Drive and the Blueridge Parkway.
Thanks again for your interest.
I'm also rebuilding the bed which is a full double at about the height of the windows. It would be nice to be able to sit up in bed, but we can't. This was necessary because the bed goes all the way from the rear doors to the back of the front seats. It had to clear a Kanz kitchen, a propane locker and a 50 qt ARB fridge freezer, which explains why it's so high.
Other features include 2 deep cycle 6 volt batteries under the floor, a FanTastic fan/vent combo, a Vornado under cabinet circulator mounted to the ceiling console, facing towards the back to blow air over the bed, 2x100 watt Grape Solar panels, a Blue Sky power controller, a 1000w inverter, a Noco Genius charger.
Yes, I climbed the tree to get the pic. I wish I'd have had the courage to go to the next level, but I hate heights!
I love the Rapid Wing. It sets ip in about 7 minutes. It covers the side and rear of the van (nice when you cook off of the back of the van). The quality of the materials and workmanship is military grade (slight exaggeration).
I should have the interior finished in a week. I'll post some more pics then. Our next trip is in October to cover some of the Skyline Drive and the Blueridge Parkway.
Thanks again for your interest.
T.Low
Expedition Leader
Luv the 1st Gen Astro. It's the best looking van ever built.
I know Lk Superior really well. I've paddled and camped The Apostle Islands in Wisconsin, much of Michigan shoreline, Provincial Park, Pukaskwa, and the Slate Islands. Judging from your photo, I can't tell where the hell you are. :coffeedrink:
Like to see pics on you're slider.
Cheers.
T.Low Tom
I know Lk Superior really well. I've paddled and camped The Apostle Islands in Wisconsin, much of Michigan shoreline, Provincial Park, Pukaskwa, and the Slate Islands. Judging from your photo, I can't tell where the hell you are. :coffeedrink:
Like to see pics on you're slider.
Cheers.
T.Low Tom
Hi T.Low,
Thanks for the response to my post.
We had a campsite right on the lake shore in Agawa Bay, on the eastern side of L. Superior in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Such a beautiful spot, and so many empty campsites!
As for my slider, this link will show you the slides that I used (the 48" long ones);
http://www.leevalley.com/en/Hardware/page.aspx?p=50505&cat=3,43614,43620&ap=1
I bought 2"X3" piece of aluminum angle to create brackets to fasten the slides to the floor, and 1"X1" piece of aluminum angle to attach the 3ft X 32" by 3/4" plywood floor to the sliders (actually I think it was more like 31 1/4"). I covered the plywood floor in a piece of matching blue carpet before screwing it into place. I'll make sure to include pics of it in about a week when I finish the new bed frame and re-shoot the van from top to bottom.
Thanks again for the interest. More pics in a few days.
John B
Thanks for the response to my post.
We had a campsite right on the lake shore in Agawa Bay, on the eastern side of L. Superior in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Such a beautiful spot, and so many empty campsites!
As for my slider, this link will show you the slides that I used (the 48" long ones);
http://www.leevalley.com/en/Hardware/page.aspx?p=50505&cat=3,43614,43620&ap=1
I bought 2"X3" piece of aluminum angle to create brackets to fasten the slides to the floor, and 1"X1" piece of aluminum angle to attach the 3ft X 32" by 3/4" plywood floor to the sliders (actually I think it was more like 31 1/4"). I covered the plywood floor in a piece of matching blue carpet before screwing it into place. I'll make sure to include pics of it in about a week when I finish the new bed frame and re-shoot the van from top to bottom.
Thanks again for the interest. More pics in a few days.
John B
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