Family Adventure Van 2.0

WUZombies

WUZombies

Adventurist
The well enjoyed Family Adventure Van is enjoying its last few trips before it will be sold. The first van (the blue van) is a 2003 E-150 with a 4.6. The "new" van is a 1999 E-350 (15 passenger) with a 7.3L diesel. It was my buddy's van and he has already added a fuel powered hot water heater/pump with external attachment. Also from my buddy is his CVT RTT that was on his camping trailer. We aren't giving up the canvas wall tent, we're just adding a solid option for single overnight stops (we don't like to do less than 2 nights when we setup the wall tent).

The gear platform/fridge slider/storage system from the blue van is going to the white van, as are the radios, aux battery system and the rear bumper I made. The roof rack and lighting are staying so I could make a longer rack to also fit the RTT. Progress has been slow to start, but things have finally begun moving with the build. Our deadline is June for the big family camping trip.

Build plan:
Complete maintenance squawk list
Make/mount a full length roof rack
Install awnings/lighting/CVT/antennas to rack
Mount bumper from blue van
Install gear platform from blue van
Transfer aux battery system
Install radios/commo gear
Mount water tank in gear platform
Mount air compressor/tank & plumb air lines
Install WeldTec lift
Install ARB locker
Make front bumper with winch mount


FAV 1
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FAV 2

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Fabrication on the roof rack has finally begun, a departure from the design of the one on the blue van, this one is already much stiffer and easier to stand on.

I'm not very good at SketchUp, but this is the general idea.
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I'm not that good at welding either, but so far so good.
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An angle grinder and a bad attitude...

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Far from perfect, but good enough for me!

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Our planned last trip in our blue van failed to launch after I had loaded all of our gear. I found one tire that was beginning to fail in my final pre-trip inspection, unwilling to spend the money on a tire for a van that is going to be brought out of service and sold, we unloaded that van and stripped it of all our equipment.

Last time the blue van is to be the family adventure van (it is a little sad, it has been a good van and has taken us many tens of thousands of miles as a family to wonderful destinations):

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First, nailing down some cold start gremlins, I tested and replaced the failing GPR, tested the glow plugs and learned some new swear words reserved for the Ford engineers who stuffed such a large motor in a F***ing van before I installed a block heater on the only 7.3L Powerstroke in the history of mankind that didn't have one.

The rear gear platform had to be modified to fit (4" too long due to having built it for the blue van with re-positioned seating), sort of ironic with it going into a larger van. I'm 90% done with a heavy duty center console that will take a really cool panel for switches and radio mounting from Front Panel Express and have storage (photos coming later, forgot to take them). Making progress on the roof rack, the entire base is done, all that is left is the top rail, spacers and mounts for lights/awnings before I can paint and mount it.

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Work makes for slower progress , but the panel from Front Panel Express came in and things are picking up speed!

Center console or command center? (And that bottom panel is being replaced

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The roof rack isn't complete, but it's far enough along to test fit this coming Saturday, then take off, make any adjustments and paint. So hopefully the roof rack will finished and mounted with the RTT within two weeks as long as I'm not traveling for work too much and the weather is good. Then I can finish the center console wiring, wire all the auxiliary systems (aux battery system, radios, cellphone repeater, lights, etc), mount and plumb the air compressor and tank and modify the bumper/swingouts I made for my other van and mount that to the new van.

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Test fitted the roof rack today with the help of some friends. A couple of minor changes, a couple more brackets and paint then it goes on for good. The different rails on different sides is for the RTT.

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woodienut said:
A giant rack for a giant van. Looks solid, is egress to the tent on passenger side or drivers side? Just wondering?
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Tent folds out to the drivers side over the front half of the rack. It's hard to see, but the top rail is only the back half of the rack on the driver's side.

The two awnings from the blue van are going on this track, too. On the passenger side and off the back again, like before.

I hope those positions work out right, since I'm making the rack to fit them.
 
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The center console (command center?) Is in, the switches are all gang wired and awaiting further wiring from all the accessories and systems, and the radios their antennas.


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java230 said:
Thats a lot of switches! :D
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We'll see if that works out the way I think out will. I might be removing some of them in the future or not, we'll just have to see.

Some are redundant system back ups, like the ability to activate the Stinger solenoid from either the main van battery system or the aux system so I can overcome a failure in either and keep the fridge running or self-help jump start using the aux battery system. Some run the solenoids to actuate systems like water pump for the hot water/fresh water tank. Others do things like activate the dash cam (So i can leave it on and recording when parked if wanted/ needed), turn on things like the Wilson repeater, etc.

Until then I can reenact Apollo 13 in the van for entertainment .
 
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Reworked the water carrier swingout to remove the ammo can that held my compressor (the compressor is getting a tank and going on the frame). Also modifying the cage to better fit the new square shaped water containers and to allow them to lay flat.

I should have this and the roof rack ready for paint this week. (I hope)

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