cunningstuff
Member
Hello CRVL Forum fans and lifestyle people! I am 52, I live in Australia and I am currently repairing an unusual van that I have fallen in love with! Her name is Maxie and she is a 1984 Ford Econovan Maxi with a 2.2 4cyl diesel engine and 5 speed! manual transmission. She does +120Kph with a bit of struggle but cruises well at the Australian average speed on the highway of 100kph. She is also very unusual in one really awesome way, there are no wheel wells inside her cargo area! Talk about your mini box van. Maxie also has a fully wired trailer hitch on her bumper, but I am not planning on using it at this time. I would not want to tow more than say 600 kilos anywho.
She is in rough shape currently, but her core is strong and good running, it is mostly panel repair and a passenger-side floor that needs the help. She is rusting from age and outside sitting neglect, but not rusted away. Her rot is mostly the skin, like 95%. Approximately two full sheets of steel are going on her, and then I will grind, smooth, sand, and paint her in some sort of manner I can afford. I think in a month and a half I will have the outside skin ready for the road. The roof is in great condition. I will mount two solar panels, a roof vent, and a half top roof tray for super extra storage.
The last few weeks will be building into her with mostly free pallet wood for a gorgeous interior that is mostly carbon neutral! I have a lot of plans to go with this, it is ambitious and a bit crazy, but I think I have the right idea. I will be using an oil on the wood, perhaps a deck oil. It will cover the walls and the floor, with some sort of insulation. I have an idea to do, but it's all in my head at this point in time. I am thinking king single pullout, which serves as a couch on the passenger side, with a desk/kitchen on the driver side that flows into an L at the front of the cargo space.
The seats need a complete reupholstery, but I may dump the passenger seats for a flat storage area up front that I can store water and other things on. I am almost sure that's what I am doing actually. Then it is just the driver's seat that needs to be fixed.
Power is a different approach. I have 400-500 watts of solar, well maybe less, that I am getting off two solar panels that go on the roof. I am sticking to a pure 12v approach, as I am using a propane bottle for a gas burner or two. Most unusual is an ATX 300 watt power supply I found for my energy usage computer, so I am going to try to build a custom PC into the van furniture! Most everything else runs on 12v to USB, or just straight 12v like the lighting. I don't see a need for the inverter, plus I am looking at roof mounting a 2200 watt generator I bought for tools and work.
Lots going on, and I do not know what all I can pack into Maxie, but whatever happens, it's going to be an amazing build when I am done! I will use this thread to update you on everything going on, but it will be a bit slow until after Xmas.
Video -
Pics - https://www.flickr.com/photos/151483692@N02/shares/5ReF87https://www.flickr.com/photos/151483692@N02/shares/5ReF87
She is in rough shape currently, but her core is strong and good running, it is mostly panel repair and a passenger-side floor that needs the help. She is rusting from age and outside sitting neglect, but not rusted away. Her rot is mostly the skin, like 95%. Approximately two full sheets of steel are going on her, and then I will grind, smooth, sand, and paint her in some sort of manner I can afford. I think in a month and a half I will have the outside skin ready for the road. The roof is in great condition. I will mount two solar panels, a roof vent, and a half top roof tray for super extra storage.
The last few weeks will be building into her with mostly free pallet wood for a gorgeous interior that is mostly carbon neutral! I have a lot of plans to go with this, it is ambitious and a bit crazy, but I think I have the right idea. I will be using an oil on the wood, perhaps a deck oil. It will cover the walls and the floor, with some sort of insulation. I have an idea to do, but it's all in my head at this point in time. I am thinking king single pullout, which serves as a couch on the passenger side, with a desk/kitchen on the driver side that flows into an L at the front of the cargo space.
The seats need a complete reupholstery, but I may dump the passenger seats for a flat storage area up front that I can store water and other things on. I am almost sure that's what I am doing actually. Then it is just the driver's seat that needs to be fixed.
Power is a different approach. I have 400-500 watts of solar, well maybe less, that I am getting off two solar panels that go on the roof. I am sticking to a pure 12v approach, as I am using a propane bottle for a gas burner or two. Most unusual is an ATX 300 watt power supply I found for my energy usage computer, so I am going to try to build a custom PC into the van furniture! Most everything else runs on 12v to USB, or just straight 12v like the lighting. I don't see a need for the inverter, plus I am looking at roof mounting a 2200 watt generator I bought for tools and work.
Lots going on, and I do not know what all I can pack into Maxie, but whatever happens, it's going to be an amazing build when I am done! I will use this thread to update you on everything going on, but it will be a bit slow until after Xmas.
Video -
Pics - https://www.flickr.com/photos/151483692@N02/shares/5ReF87https://www.flickr.com/photos/151483692@N02/shares/5ReF87
