New here. Build plans, advise needed.

[RickM]

Hello all. I'm new here, but have been lurking. I've just picked up a E350 today. My plan is to use it as a mtb racing rig, as well as to use it s a tow vehicle. My wife and two boys are my only passenger needs. I also ordered a Action 2 inch leveling kit.

Here is the plan.
AT tires/wider spaced wheels
Bushwacker flares
Roof rack basket. Like the aluminess but I'm not loving the price. Ladder though
Sienna seats
Stereo.

Here are some questions.
I'm wondering about rear wheel spacers. The rims will certainly be wider than stock but are spacers important?
Racks? Anyone have a good recommendation on a flat rack like the jeep avs racks? Is smittybilt a possibility?

 

[simple]

I would only use wheel spacers if the axle widths don't match. Even then, I would be looking to find a matching rear axle.

For racks, you might look at some of the construction racks. My E350 came with a nice light aluminum utility rack that could have been easily modified to carry whatever.

If you have a slider door wider rims and flares might interfere. If so search for the mod to make the door open wider at the rear.

 

[stormlover]

Having been agonizing over axles and all the permutations lately (props also to Ujoint for answering many emails) I'm not sure why you think you need spacers? It doesn't sound like you picked up a 4x4 so the rear should already be the same trac width as the front, no?

Simple is right in that it's better to avoid spacers if possible. The reason many of 4x4 vans have them (especially sportsmobiles) is that the conversion was done with the stock semi-float D60 rear axle. The spacers (1.5" on each side I think) bump out the WMS to WMS to match the rear with the front Dynatrac axle that SMB installs as part of their build.

Even if the rim is wider than stock you can get rims with different back-spacing.

 

[RickM]

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to skip the spacers. On the rack, my wife may have just approved a aluminess. I was hoping for a slightly shorter rack though thinking that a shorter one might sit farther back and impact fuel mileage better.

Fwiw. I do have the swing doors not a sliding door.

 

[simple]

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to skip the spacers. On the rack, my wife may have just approved a aluminess. I was hoping for a slightly shorter rack though thinking that a shorter one might sit farther back and impact fuel mileage better.

Fwiw. I do have the swing doors not a sliding door.

I've found that just about any roof rack will reduce highway fuel mileage 1-2mpg and increase wind noise. It's a little better pushed toward the back but not much.

 

[mikracer]

You could save a lot of money by going with a Yakima Megawarrior rack with the extension. The Aluminess racks are nice, but unless you need that much storage space or the need to stand up on the rack for taking photos or whatever, you could save about $1,000 or more. I bought a used megawarrior for $100.

 

[stormlover]

Since you are planning an mtb assault vehicle have you given thought to how you are going to carry your bikes? I find that 4 off the back is a bit much. I got tired of having to dance around a hitch rack to access the back of the van. I even sprained my knee once while doing a twist and turn move in Sun Valley getting around a hitch rack.

I much prefer having the bikes on the aluminess swing-away than on the roof. But again, carrying 4 is problematic so when I bring the kids bikes they go on the roof on using the Yakima bars on either side of a Yakima mega-warrior basket.

The nice thing about having them on the swing-away is I don't have to remove the bikes in camp. They are also up and out of the road dust for the most part. The con is needed a step stool to get them up there with the lift on my van and 35" tires.

 

[RickM]

It has been a productive day. Danger was averted when I figured out that the 7 lug pattern was only in the hubcap, so now the wheels have been ordered basically a black or seven spoke 16" pro comp. Don't tell anyone about my hubcap mistake. I also ordered some new BFG AT's that have an updated sidewalk. Should look awesome. Got the bushwacker flares on the way. I was also just looking at a smittybilt rack for the roof. 5' wide, by 7.5' long. That should be a nice amount of coverage, but somewhat shorter than the aluminess. It may also be 1/3ed of the price.

Stormlover. Here is my plan for storage. I was thinking for the most part, with two small boys and all, my bikes will go inside the van for security purposes, and still have plenty of room to put luggage. I do plan to use some black angle, and mount some fork mount on whatever rack I wind up with. I did this on the bed of an old ford pickup and it worked really well. How all this started is when we went to a race in really bad conditions in Austin a few weeks ago. I was changing cloths in the back of my wife 2500 suburban and getting mud everywhere. Dudes that were carrying bikes outside were scraping ice off the components just to ride. Now one could argue that maybe that was a better day to stay inside, but racin's racin. I do also plan to take a whole mess of mine and my sons bikes to Vail this summer. I will need all the space I can get, as we will likely be taking road/mtn, and bmx bikes up there. I will have a trailer and another vehicle with a rack to take advantage of on that one.

I would put up pics but no one wants to see a stripped down van pic right now. I promise pics to come.

Now I am on to the stereo and tint of the windows. I want to put a drop down dvd system in for my boys. Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[jjohnny350]

Rickm,
Sounds like a cool setup. What type of mtb racing are you doing? Sounds cool, I love my van for trips and camping, and pretty much anything. Took a great trip to Whistler from Utah a couple summers ago with 6 buddies and all our gear and bikes. Pretty rad machines. The security is nice inside, I have often put them in for that reason.
Also a thought on the overhead monitor, last time I looked they were pretty expensive, maybe theyve come down in price, but this is what I plan on doing. Getting a couple Ipads and they make a mount thing for them for the ceiling. Cheaper and more versatile, also you can take it out and use it for other things besides watching movies. I havent looked lately, but Im sure there are lots of good options.
Good luck, sounds like a fun project.

 

[RickM]

We are mostly just doing the tx state cross country races. That and we race bmx some. Fitting all the bikes in our old suburban was a pain.

Would be cool to use iPads as moniters, with hidden wiring.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

Found headliner mount monitors at the junkyard. Chryslers have nice self-contained units that just need power and do the rest (dvd player, etc) themselves. Do need a stereo with aux input if you want to use your speakers but the chryslers have nice wireless headphones too. Bought new headphones on ebay. Bet the whole units are on there too. Bet they're $$$.

Sold them tho. Hauling discs around was a hassle vs netflix on my tablet. Otterbox hooks nicely to the assist handle in the 4runner.

 

[RickM]

I think I simply need to go hit a junkyard and get myself in some trouble.

Stereo is going in as we speak, as is the window tint. Tomorrow when I get it back I will start posting pics of my van porn.

 

[RickM]

I need to get som pics up, but I got the sound system and DVDs system up and running today. I'm pumped about how it turned out.

Anyone ever move the 2nd bench seats back some? Maybe 6 inches. Wondering how difficult that would be to do safely? I like the sienna idea but that may have to wait a few months.

 

[tgreening]

Nope. Nope, no way. Two pages and no pics? Nope. Never happened.

 

[T.Low]

Found headliner mount monitors at the junkyard. Chryslers have nice self-contained units that just need power and do the rest (dvd player, etc) themselves. Do need a stereo with aux input if you want to use your speakers but the chryslers have nice wireless headphones too. Bought new headphones on ebay. Bet the whole units are on there too. Bet they're $$$.

Sold them tho. Hauling discs around was a hassle vs netflix on my tablet. Otterbox hooks nicely to the assist handle in the 4runner.

I'm sorry, :clapsmile: hauling DVDs around...in an extended body...a hassle. That's classic!