my van build progress

[coolerinfrederick]

let me know what you guys think

 

[Beeps and eats]

Like the stealth AC unit

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[coolerinfrederick]

yea I've been doing commerical / industrial a/c work for 20 yrs., there was no way i wasn't putting one in

 

[coolerinfrederick]

unfortunately the build went a** backwards and has caused alot of headache, i paid cash for the van at a local dealer, only had 114,000 miles on it, body in good shape, no rust, good car fax, thought it was a good one, paid 7500 cash for it, that night and the next morning i went on spending spree online to do the buildout, the next day the engine blew up, i was so distraught, i couldn't believe i was fullfilling a dream of mine and bam, the engine goes which is the worse case scenario, the warranty co. was a joke and said it was prexisting and didnt cover a dime, actually they even made me cover the diagnostic costs as well, i battled with the dealer and they eventually covered the labor to install it and i covered the cost for the engine, i also had them do a new water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, coils hoses and a belt since all that needed to come off anyway, i bought it march 3rd and got it back april 29th, mean while the batteries showed up, the bed, ac, tv, the floor carpet and foam etc. etc., it was all laying in my living room for 2 months, so anyway, when we finally got the van back the wife demanded i get all the stuff out of the house, sucks cause im in the process of insulating it with all that stuff in the van

 

[Beeps and eats]

I can only imagine how you are feeling, I got the other side of the coin. I bought an E150 Chateu for 600.00 it needed an ignition switch and some repairs to the steering box. The AC needs a recharge because I pulled the front end off to work on the box. But that's it as far as mechanical work. I have found that buying from an individual verses a dealer is cheaper in the long run because you can get it inspected by a mechanic or in my case drive it a bit then get a good look at it.
It's a 1999 with 200.000 miles on it but the original owner took it from Ohio to BC every year so that's not really an issue.
The build starts this week!
Hope all else with your build goes smoothly and you get the results you want.
Best of luck with your new van.

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[WanderingBiker]

Thanks for the pics and updates...

wont be long and you will be on the road..... and look back and wonder how you made it through, but you did...

im still working on getting a Tow Vehicle and Toy Hauler and will start my official thread
when I get something ...

good luck on the rest of your build


jT

 

[coolerinfrederick]

Heck, I’ve already taken it out 3 times, I fricken love my van, wish I had a 12v fridge though, but I have a 600 ah battery pack and it performs awesome, my 115v mini fridge barely puts a dent in it, I do want to test how long I can go without charging but that will have to wait until it gets colder out, as far as charging, I use the Ctek D250SA and smartpass 120 dc to dc charge controller and I have a powermax charger/converter for backup, I like having the powermax cause if anything happens to the battery system I can still plug it into my generator, isolate the batteries and power up my 12v circuits and of course it’s also a 3 stage charge controller, any ideas on cabinets or shelving? 1 note though this isn’t meant for full time living,, that will happen in 10 yrs when my last daughter turns 18 lol

 

[wistful vista]

I like what you've done so far.  Good luck with the rest.  I'm considering a similar a/c set up when I build my retirement van in a couple of years. 

Question:  how do you plan to  get rid of the hot a/c exhaust?  Will you have an exhaust vent; or keep the rear doors partially open; or?

 

[coolerinfrederick]

i just keep the 1 door open with a bungy and insulated both sides of the wall, i guess i could cut holes in the van but I'd prefer not to, I've e used it once when it rained out and i threw a tarp up over the back doors held up with magnets to keep the inside dry

 

[Beeps and eats]

Cabinets and shelving,
Why not complete your build and instead of a permanent install use catch bolts so you don't have to remove screws as far as wall cabinets go you can cut an oak board down the center at a 45° angle and add one to the wall long piont out and up the other one to the cabinet the same way just facing down. One set on top and the other on the bottom. The cleats will hold the cabinet very well. If the board on the wall is left long you can adjust the cabinet to a place you like or slide it out of the way. I've tried metal van shelving, in my opinion it's just too noisy and has the feel of sleeping on the job while at work. I have seen them covered in luan and toolbox liner, the rubber non skid. Used on the shelves. Better but still not that "home" feel. But as you know, Just sit back and envision your van it will come.

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