My 2010 Ford Transit Connect conversion.

[BigT]

Can you tell me what is the length from the rear doors to the back of the seats?

Also width just above wheel wells?

These vans look great.

The floor space measures 4' X 6'.  The fenders add an extra 9.5" of width.  
I'm 6'4" so I added a hinged leaf to my bed, giving me an additional 10" of legroom if I want it.  I just tilt and slide the passenger seat forward to make room for the leaf. 
It gets a little cramped in there on kayak trips because of all the gear, but on hiking trips or just getting out for the day/weekend, it's positively spacious! 

As for the shower-tube thread, it might be a few days before I get that done.  I just got home from three days of kayaking two rivers on the Northern California coast: Albion River & Russian River.  I'm beat!  

Albion, Ca.  Two tiny little houseboats that have been there for decades.  They're actually pretty darn cool and were obviously built by skilled artists.  
The one on the right was especially nice.  Lots of windows, lots of skylights, artsy stuff hanging in the windows.  I'd love to stay in one for the night! 
There is absolutely NOTHING anywhere near those floating cabins.  No roads, no houses, no people, just miles of Mendocino County forest.  

 

[Baloo]

Paddle on over to Tennessee, I need a kayaking buddy! Love the van, great setup!

 

[GypsyDogs]

The shower tube (aka passive water heater!) is Brilliant! I may steal that. I may have to make room on my roof after my solar install.

 

[BigT]

^^ Thanks! ^^

You can find build ideas on YouTube using "ABS Pipe Solar Shower" as part of your search.  Truth is, however, that ABS plastic pipe doesn't really heat the water up all that much.  ABS is very porous, so it acts more like insulation than a heater.  I does heat it a little, though, and you can always heat some water on your stove and add it to the tank.  

Most people compress the tube with a mini 12V compressor, but you have to be careful not to pump it up too much or it could burst, injuring you with flying plastic shards.  
A mini compressor with a built-in pressure regulator, set to 25 - 30 psi, would be ideal.  
You'll also want to use a low-flow shower head to conserve water and air pressure.  

You take "Navy Showers" with these things, not super long, luxurious showers where you leave the water running while you suds-up. 

Right now I'm working on a shower curtain/rod system that slides out of my crossbars. 

 

[masterplumber]

ABS is pretty much all "cell core" anymore. That is why it insulates somewhat. PVC is available in both "cell core", for waste and vent applications, and solid core for pressure applications. The solid core will also hold more pressure, so you could pump it up to 60 or 70 psi if you wanted - any more than that and you could build your own exfoliator! It also doesn't warp or move in the sun so much. You could build the system from that, and then paint the whole thing flat black to absorb heat.

 

[BigT]

I thought about PVC, but it weights 3 times more than ABS. Cheaper, though.
Sometimes, if I'm worried about, which isn't often, I'll put hot water straight from the water heater into the tube when I fill it instead of cold water.
The insulating properties of the ABS keeps it warm for a long time.
I made the aluminum frame for the tube almost the length of the tube itself to eliminate the chances it would warp.

 

[Baloo]

Good idea in the u-channel to keep it straight.

 

[BigT]

More on the shower tube (aka a "Solar Shower").  This is really a work-in-progress than a completed system.  I'm still in the process of building a shower rod/curtain system that slides out of the crossbars, but I'll post what I've done so far.  

I decided to go with gluing a threaded fitting w/cap over a 2" hole I drilled in the side of the ABS instead of using a t-fitting, because the t-fittings are $25 each. They're also pretty darn big.  Placing a piece of sand paper on the side of the pipe is a good way to insure that the fitting perfectly seats against the pipe-wall.  





Fitting the Schrader valve to the end-cap takes a little more finesse, as the ABS is too thick for the sealing area of the stem.  A spade-bit works well as a countersink bit.  
Clamping the end-cap to a piece of wood is a good way to ensure that the drill bit stays centered in the hole.  





I used a radiator drain valve to release air pressure from the tank to make it easier to remove the cap.  



This angle gives you a better view of the curve I sanded into the fitting/filler-tube.  



As stated, there's a 2" hole under the threaded fitting for filling the tube with water (or beer, as a friend suggested).  Once the glue sets, the finish is much cleaner than as seen in this photo.  



I went with a 4.5' length of aluminum channel I picked up for $10 at the local metal scrap yard to mount the tube to, but in hindsight I probably could have just used a length of Super-Strut from Home Depot.  The Super-Strut would likely have been much lighter weight, but it would also have been a lot more expensive.  

 

[BigT]

My system, however, is considerably more sturdy than what the S-Strut would provide, so I'm not really sorry I chose it.  



As with everything but the kayak rack, I used u-bolts to secure it to the crossbars. 



Originally I was just going to use a simple valve and shower head, but I quickly realized that if I was going to have pressurized water at my disposal, I was going to want to have the option to use it for more than just showers.  



Having a hose gives me a lot more options, like washing the salt water off the the kayak and solar panels, and washing the dirt off my feet before putting them inside the van after getting out of the water.  I've also used it to rinse off my neoprene gear before removing it and placing it in its plastic tub.  Pretty much anything I need water for, this system provides, though I don't drink it or cook with it.  

Some people feel that the toxic chemicals that go into the production of ABS plastic can leach out into the water.  Personally I'm more concerned with the toxic glue I used to fasten the pieces together, getting into the water, so I don't ingest it.  


So the hose system won out over the shower head.  I used a low-flow shower head at the end of the hose, and have a valve at both ends of the hose.  



I was going to use a 12V mini compressor to keep the tank pressurized, but most of 12V systems I found were far too loud for my taste, so I went with a simple foot-pump.  It's silent and works just fine.  I rarely pressurize the tank more than about 20 psi.  



I went with simple brass fittings and valve to deliver the water from the tank.  I was going to use plastic, but it was 3X larger and 2X more expensive than brass.  I painted the valve with flat black paint so the brass wouldn't stick out on the side of my van, tempting scrappers to help themselves to some free cash at the local recycling center.



Well, that's it for now.  I'll post more when the shower curtain project is competed.

 

[highdesertranger]

very cool. excellent write up. you will be glad you went with brass, especially if you are every in freezing temps. highdesertranger

 

[BigT]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]very cool. excellent write up.  [/font]you will be glad you went with brass,  especially if you are ever in freezing temps.

Thanks!

Durability is another reason I went with brass.  The tube shades the valve most of the time, but it will still be outdoors its entire life, so I wanted something that would stand up to abuse and extended exposure to sunlight.  

I'm still shopping for an affordable, quiet, 12V mini-compressor with a pressure regulator.  Being able to set it to 20-30psi and forgetting about it would be nice.  Though there is something nice about the entire system being silent. 

 

[BigT]

The shower tube is Brilliant!  I may have to make room on my roof after my solar install.

That's exactly what I did. 

 

[BigT]

Bob.   You said you wanted to see the details on the shower tube.  This is the thread. 

 

[scrinch]

Wouldn't you be better off with the black abs pipe above the aluminum channel in the sunlight rather than shaded beneath it? I mean ultimately at least when you deal with your carport clearance issue.

 

[BigT]

Wouldn't you be better off with the black abs pipe above the aluminum channel in the sunlight rather than shaded beneath it? I mean ultimately at least when you deal with your carport clearance issue.

I address that in post # 15. 

That's the plan, but for now it's not an option.

 

[ALuckyDuck]

Bravo, your creativity is inspiring.

Questions about the roof rack: Do you know what model it is? And how much it might cost? I've been debating building vs buying a TC rack since they are hard to find used, and the roof does have factory installed bolts.

Also, is that a renogy PV panel per chance?

Keep the updates coming, this is a fantastic thread

 

[BigT]

Bravo, your creativity is inspiring.

Questions about the roof rack: Do you know what model it is? And how much it might cost? I've been debating building vs buying a TC rack since they are hard to find used, and the roof does have factory installed bolts.

Also, is that a renogy PV panel per chance?

Keep the updates coming, this is a fantastic thread

Thanks, it's been a fun project that I'm just about done with!  

The rack is a Yakima with towers designed to mount to the factory hard points on the roof.  I think I paid (way too much) about $400 for it. 
The panel is a 190W Grape Solar I picked up at my local solar shop for a little less than $1 per Watt.  

Right now I've switched from modifications to tracking down a pair of niggling issues.  
1) The right window no longer goes down.  I think it's the switch.  (I used to be able to punch the switch a few times and that would do the trick). 
2) My right-front door sensor keeps telling the computer that it's open and unlocks all the doors.  Ugh!

 

[highdesertranger]

ah yes electronic gizmos. highdesertranger

 

[BigT]

Fortunately these are very minor electronic gizmos and are easy to fix.  
I've already narrowed down the window problem to the switch, and I've located the door issue as well.  Both will be remedied in short order once I get the parts.   

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

I like the PVC Pipe idea ....but....this shower sure does look like it might do everything ya need, + be portable and a bit cheaper : http://www.duckworksbbs.com/gear/shower/

KinA