Project BigB... a 1977 Dodge Van 6x4!

[Photog]

Maybe a mild bead-blast would clean up the burner parts. They look like neglected stainless. If it is plated, there is no fixing it, unless it gets re-plated.

 

[Steel Walrus]

you can media blast that cook top and just have it powdercoated. should hold up just fine

 

[1leglance]

I would really like to feature this van as it is on the Disabled Explorers website. It goes to show that with some creative thinking folks have been getting themselves into the backcountry for a long time.

Great find and mega project.

Does the wheelchair lift currently work?

What an amazing story this rig has to tell. Thanks for taking on the project and keep the pics & ideas flowing.

 

[BaseCamp]

I would never use a catalytic heater, the safety always concerns me, propane is what fuels the heater, though there is no exhaust to rid of any gases emitted/remained. I think the forced fans work better anyways, I actually just picked up a new furnace for my rig, its the suburban nt16se, I got it for 400 at adventurerv.net, I would get one of those, I've had an nt16se in my past 2 campers(same one just switched over, the buyer of the pop up camper bargained his way into getting the furnace, thumbs down). They work really good, easy to set up, with the experiences I've had, I'd take a suburban over atwood. One of my campers was built into a 4runner, so instead of drilling holes, we built an insert for the window and rerouted the exhaust pipes to the insert, thus allowing me to sell the car without having holes or a suburban exhaust port on the side(I could only imagine the looks I would have gotten from the buyers, had I told them I lived in it from October to April at 10,000 ft in Colorado, but I never spent a cold night because of that furnace). Good luck, excited to see the rest of the build, you should think about lifting it a little more, maybe something like this?:
http://www.4x4offroads.com/south-pole-expedition-world-record.html

 

[r_w]

Even if you have all the safeties for CO and low O2 on a vent-free/catalytic heater, they put a LOT of moisture in the air. Fine for heating a drafty house that needs the humidity in the winter, but really creates problems in a small airtight space.

But I don't think your van qualifies as small :088:

 

[Keyblazer]

Ok, cool.
I need input and advice on heating and hot water...
One idea I had was one of those coolant powered units?

 

[Keyblazer]

Gotta share a couple of great moments...
As I posted before with Pics, when I went to look at BigB, I was surprised to find a Generac XP 5000w Generator nestled under the rear floor...
The unit had not started for about 7 years, but with a fresh battery, the switch was put to run, and I heard the electric pump start sucking the old gas in...
It fired up on the second try!

I had not heard of Generac before... Onan and Honda were the two generator companies I knew of.
Last night, I searched the on the Internet, and found to my surprise that they are still in business, still making generators too!

I filled in their online contact form, just managing to make out the model and serial number on the photo I took of the ID plate, and requested a manual...
I did not hold out much hope for a getting something...

Today, less than 18 hours later, via email I received...
A full owners Manual, and full exploded parts drawings for every part of the Generator, right down to the cradle and everything in PDF format!

What a GREAT COMPANY, and what service!

Generac.... You people ROCK!

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

generac makes whole house and industrial backup generators....

so they still gots parts...:sombrero:

 

[cstamm81]

Ridiculously cool find... makes my eventual build seem less daunting.. good to see someone else building up an old Mopar van.

 

[arz]

I showed your pictures to SWMBO and she said "nice photoshop job"

then I showed her all the other pics. "Somebody actually made something that ugly?"

"Yep. Isn't it cool?"




that's when she shook her head and walked off not understanding the awesomeness of your find.

 

[Keyblazer]

LOL, Yes its been very polarizing, but its about a 90% thumbs up...
The 10% that look at me like I just crawled outta the cheese..
These are the snobs who give me the same look when I drive up in my K10, or my Suburban.... Now I make a point of showing them my projects... just for the hell of it!
What really makes me smile is that I am a "Well spoken" Englishman...
So the first thought "Redneck" look is unsurped quickly by a quizzical look!

 

[cstamm81]

An Englishman hopping out of this thing.... that takes the cake. I wish you were my neighbor!

 

[Root Moose]

Awesome rig.

Didn't read the whole thread. If/when you do the body work think about painting it to look like a diesel electric locomotive or a 747.

 

[jcbrandon]

...think about painting it to look like a diesel electric locomotive...

That would be awesome!

 

[unreng]

Holy schnikies...looks like a james bond movie set. :Wow1:

What's the turning radius on that monster? Doya need a CDL to drive it on public roads?!? :ylsmoke: