E350 Gray Vhale Build Thread
- Thread starter FarmerFrederico
- Start date
ohpyramids
Adventurer
im almost ready for insulation. how do you like the thinsulate/reflectix combo? where did you buy your thinsulate?
this van is shaping up to be great!
this van is shaping up to be great!
volcomsurfer
Adventurer
So what's the patches of dynamat? Is that just placed on places that tend to vibrate? So do the walls sweat at all in extreme climates? Would that thinsulate grow mold if it gets wet?
FarmerFrederico
Adventurer
Thanks, ohpyramids! I'm really enjoying working with the thinsulate and reflectix. I've only used spray adhesive in a couple places, otherwise it's all going on with 3M double stick tape so it's easy to work with...I don't need any safety equipment, my toddler can play in the front of the van while I work for a bit, and I can just stop in the middle of my work without worrying about clean-up. I'm using the tape sparingly, just enough to hold things on before the panels go up as the last layer of the sandwhich. It works for me and how I'm able to work. I think the only other major advantages is that they don't hold water, and I'm leaving the inside skin of the van relatively unfettered - if water does condense on the inside skin it should be able to easily flow between the reflectix and the metal to the weep holes at the bottom of the panels. I got the Thinsulate from Heinvs@impact3d.com. He's super easy to work with and will basically ship the same day. I got 200 sq. ft. of it. If I have any left over after the major surfaces, then I'll try to squeeze some in to the rear pillars.
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FarmerFrederico
Adventurer
surfer - yeah, the Thinsulate shouldn't hold water or mold, and it is mostly separated from any metal surfaces by the reflectix. Dynamat is for sound control on those big metal surfaces and around and behind speakers. It is probably overkill but it was in my budget and if I was ever going to do it, it was now, so I did. I'm going to buy just a bit more because I have yet to tear up the OEM carpet under the front seats. Might go with a small QuietRide kit for up there when I get to it.
FarmerFrederico
Adventurer
I hear a lot of creaking noises when the body is being flexed even moderately. I assume it's the rear or side doors I'm hearing. Anyone have a fix for this? At first I thought it was the original plywood subfloor that was in it when I bought it but now that it's out, I still hear the same noise. Thanks!
FarmerFrederico
Adventurer
Sienna Seat L-Track
So I've begun laying down my L-Track. I bolted both of the UJOR bases to one pair of 4 foot L-Track as a jig for marking my holes. I used a center punch to mark my holes. With holes 4" on center, there were many opportunities for interference with the cross-bracing of the body under the van floor and with the frame itself so I just chose a place that would give me the movement I desired while still leaving plenty of track fore and aft of where my seats will be at in their extremes so that the seat is always in the "middle" of the track and not locked in right at one end. A center aisle is not a major priority in our layout. We are all slender in our family so squeezing to the back bed/bench won't be too much trouble. I think we've got about 10" to work with.
I didn't take a close up of my finished work but I filed down the ends of the L-Track to make it smooth for bare feet - it won't catch toes or clothing now. I also chose this style track because I thought it would leave the cleanest interface with any possible floor coverings I finalize in the future. Right now I have a VenRug and I'm hoping I can just use a long bladed utility knife to cut slots out of so it lays down flat over the four tracks, then the UJOR mount will clear above. I might wish I had the flange type in the future but this is what I ended up with...I think it's the only style I could find in 7075 series aluminum as well.
I chose to place it in the valleys of the floor because that allows the 3" attachment hardware to reach all the way through bracing below and gives a more stable and uniform surface for the track to sit on...plus more headroom.
Here is how I rigged up my "jig" to mark holes. Brown marks on the floor is Liquid Nails residue leftover from a plywood floor put in by the PO.
I took one UJOR mount off at a time to mark and drill more holes so everything would line up well.
The gas tank is removed at the moment so I didn't have to worry about drilling in to anything below. I'll post more pics as I finish up early next week.
So I've begun laying down my L-Track. I bolted both of the UJOR bases to one pair of 4 foot L-Track as a jig for marking my holes. I used a center punch to mark my holes. With holes 4" on center, there were many opportunities for interference with the cross-bracing of the body under the van floor and with the frame itself so I just chose a place that would give me the movement I desired while still leaving plenty of track fore and aft of where my seats will be at in their extremes so that the seat is always in the "middle" of the track and not locked in right at one end. A center aisle is not a major priority in our layout. We are all slender in our family so squeezing to the back bed/bench won't be too much trouble. I think we've got about 10" to work with.
I didn't take a close up of my finished work but I filed down the ends of the L-Track to make it smooth for bare feet - it won't catch toes or clothing now. I also chose this style track because I thought it would leave the cleanest interface with any possible floor coverings I finalize in the future. Right now I have a VenRug and I'm hoping I can just use a long bladed utility knife to cut slots out of so it lays down flat over the four tracks, then the UJOR mount will clear above. I might wish I had the flange type in the future but this is what I ended up with...I think it's the only style I could find in 7075 series aluminum as well.
I chose to place it in the valleys of the floor because that allows the 3" attachment hardware to reach all the way through bracing below and gives a more stable and uniform surface for the track to sit on...plus more headroom.
Here is how I rigged up my "jig" to mark holes. Brown marks on the floor is Liquid Nails residue leftover from a plywood floor put in by the PO.
I took one UJOR mount off at a time to mark and drill more holes so everything would line up well.
The gas tank is removed at the moment so I didn't have to worry about drilling in to anything below. I'll post more pics as I finish up early next week.
FarmerFrederico
Adventurer
More Insulation Work
Reflectix and furring strips are going up cleanly. Using 3M double-stick tape to secure the Reflectix to the van wall. I was going to lightly secure my Thinsulate to the panels but on realizing that the panels I'm putting up are only semi-permanent, I decided to just use the 3M spray adhesive to secure the Thinsulate. For time's sake so that we can get out exploring and find out what we do and don't like about certain layouts, we're just using the original panels and headliner that came with the van. I'm envisioning finalizing the interior next summer.
Reflectix and furring strips. The 2x2 on top of the wheel well was actually shortened to be the same length as the flat spot on the top of the wheel well.
Tucked Reflectix into the space behind the "crown molding interior ribbing."
Some strategic cut eliminated folds from bending flat stock into the corners.
Thinsulate was sprayed with 3M on the fuzzy side and Reflectix was sprayed as well. Wait 1 minute. Stick it up. Since I'm using the PO's headliner and panels, I couldn't really make a continuous inner shell of Thinsulate because I don't think I'd be able to get the original panelling up on the wall that way. Might try to do that when I finalize things next year.
I'm going to use sheet metal screws to attach the OEM headliner because I think the plastic rivets won't be strong enough or have enough bite to hold up against the extra insulation in place here. I left the upper metal ribs bare to make it easier to locate where to screw in to. I may or may not cover these in the future when I finalize design.
Reflectix and furring strips are going up cleanly. Using 3M double-stick tape to secure the Reflectix to the van wall. I was going to lightly secure my Thinsulate to the panels but on realizing that the panels I'm putting up are only semi-permanent, I decided to just use the 3M spray adhesive to secure the Thinsulate. For time's sake so that we can get out exploring and find out what we do and don't like about certain layouts, we're just using the original panels and headliner that came with the van. I'm envisioning finalizing the interior next summer.
Reflectix and furring strips. The 2x2 on top of the wheel well was actually shortened to be the same length as the flat spot on the top of the wheel well.
Tucked Reflectix into the space behind the "crown molding interior ribbing."
Some strategic cut eliminated folds from bending flat stock into the corners.
Thinsulate was sprayed with 3M on the fuzzy side and Reflectix was sprayed as well. Wait 1 minute. Stick it up. Since I'm using the PO's headliner and panels, I couldn't really make a continuous inner shell of Thinsulate because I don't think I'd be able to get the original panelling up on the wall that way. Might try to do that when I finalize things next year.
I'm going to use sheet metal screws to attach the OEM headliner because I think the plastic rivets won't be strong enough or have enough bite to hold up against the extra insulation in place here. I left the upper metal ribs bare to make it easier to locate where to screw in to. I may or may not cover these in the future when I finalize design.
mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Woot woot, great to see another sweet van build! Terrific interior insulation.
I also get some noises from my RR, but it's thudding, and even over jagged bumps in the road. Batteries seem to be solid, I think it might actually be the black plastic "diagonal tread" interior step(the one you step on getting into the van from the side cargo doors) making noise...will drive around with it off and check.
I also get some noises from my RR, but it's thudding, and even over jagged bumps in the road. Batteries seem to be solid, I think it might actually be the black plastic "diagonal tread" interior step(the one you step on getting into the van from the side cargo doors) making noise...will drive around with it off and check.
FarmerFrederico
Adventurer
Welp - I've made progress!
Greg's 4WD Extreme in Longmont, Colorado did the UJOR conversion for me. It was pretty easy to make the decision to work with Greg. He asked all the right questions when going through Chris's instructions, showed me some of the projects they were currently working on, was able to give me a solid timeframe of when he could start and when he would be finished. His quote for labor came in just under what Chris would charge, and Greg is just a really nice guy. It was easy to make the decision to work with him. He was cool with me poking my head in and asking questions while they worked and kept me up to date on all that was going on.
The only kink in the chain was Dynatrac...they shipped hubs with the wrong bolt pattern to Chris, and then didn't follow through on drop shipping things to Greg in a timely manner. If Dynatrac had had their ducks in a row, the van would have been in the shop Monday morning and rolling out with a complete conversion on Friday early afternoon. Greg and his team are on top of things! With Dynatrac's snafus though, we were rolling on the following Wednesday. Not too shabby!
I can't really say enough good things about the shop - super accommodating, honest, professional, upfront, experts...just good people.
Chris was right on the ball too...keeping me updated about everything as it was coming in and making sure we could keep making progress despite Dynatrac's hassle. Greg had a couple questions about a thing or two as it came up and Chris was right there to help out.
Keep in mind that I've only owned and driven stock vehicles over my life. I've done plenty of midwest off roading while working cattle, fixing, fence, and hauling grain on our family farm - drove 1980's-2000's 3/4 ton Dodge rams, a Chevy S10, my old Toyota's, and plenty of tractors through streams, up rutted old roads, nasty mud, and through our only little service roads for to fix fence and cut hedge posts. When I got in to this van I actually felt a little overwhelmed at its size...and I was kind of on the fence about how I felt about it actually until just the last couple days. Here's the rest of the story.
Hangers going in:
Rear axle got new 4.10's and is hanging off of new 6" leaf pack and Bilstein's.
Front springs:
Front hubs came in from Dynatrac and going on the beautiful axle Chris shipped:
Much improved front end!
Day before our inaugural trip to shake it down to Iowa and back from Colorado:
A scramble to finish the window and seats. It's the best I can do now...headliner will be replaced when we do a pop-top, and the floor layout will become more transformable at that time too:
Bed rug was rolled up and scored from below with utility knife and then finished the cut through the fuzzy stuff with scissors:
I actually had the track partially bolted down for a while with the carpet sitting over it with things like my spare tire and other gear sitting on top while it was at Greg's shop. The track left a perfect impression on the carpet of where to cut so it was easy to lay it out.
Seats bolt right down to the L-track with no fuss at all. I like.
You can see the bed platform over the dog's kennel. This is temporary too, we'll experiment with what we do and don't like for a few months before we settle on a final plan.
My wife was adamant about getting this big futon mattress. :violent-smiley-031::bowdown:
After helping me wrestle it in to the van and seeing that it cannot be moved and inch in any convenient manner, I think she'll be happy to have a little more flexibility down the road with the layout. I tried to tell her!
We took two-lane through Scottsbluff, Chimney Rock, and the Sand Hills all the way to the Iowa border and then hit I-80 again to southeast Iowa to see Grandma on the farm, then the 4th with my folks in the Iowa City area. Camped near a reservoir in Nebraska on the way and again near Ogallala on our way home - took I-80 and I-76 straight back to Colorado. Van did great! Wife, boy, and our dog really appreciated the extra space.
We got 13mpg going 65 with a tailwind going out and about 10mpg going back into 15mph headwind at 70mph. Right where I thought it would be. Can't have everything but it would be nice to have 15mpg in a V10 but I know I'm dreaming.
Home:
So, I wan't totally convinced about how much I was going to really get out of this van until Greg and I took it up to Middle Saint Vrain road yesterday morning. It's a tight road with about 3 decent obstacles. No issues whatsoever for the van. Greg spotted me on the hardest of the three to see what the articulation and clearance looked like but we didn't take pictures of that one. It still had 4" of clearance between the rocker and the one rock Greg was concerned about. I put some new pin striping on the side because the trail is so tight with willow and pine but that's what this thing is for, right?! No worries at all - huge grin on my face. We are going to have some great adventures in this rig!
Dropped it down to about 40psi from 60 so I could still drive HWY back home. Onboard air is on its way to me so I can get it even lower (30psi sound about right for a rig this size on 35's?) and then be able to get home.
Put some Bushwackers on today. Heading out to Oregon coast for two weeks at the end of the month! Got a stand alone fan for inside, skeater beeters, and a Yeti Cooler. I think the wheelin' and a few extra pounds of gear inside has it sitting a bit more level now too. Should be set!
Greg's 4WD Extreme in Longmont, Colorado did the UJOR conversion for me. It was pretty easy to make the decision to work with Greg. He asked all the right questions when going through Chris's instructions, showed me some of the projects they were currently working on, was able to give me a solid timeframe of when he could start and when he would be finished. His quote for labor came in just under what Chris would charge, and Greg is just a really nice guy. It was easy to make the decision to work with him. He was cool with me poking my head in and asking questions while they worked and kept me up to date on all that was going on.
The only kink in the chain was Dynatrac...they shipped hubs with the wrong bolt pattern to Chris, and then didn't follow through on drop shipping things to Greg in a timely manner. If Dynatrac had had their ducks in a row, the van would have been in the shop Monday morning and rolling out with a complete conversion on Friday early afternoon. Greg and his team are on top of things! With Dynatrac's snafus though, we were rolling on the following Wednesday. Not too shabby!
I can't really say enough good things about the shop - super accommodating, honest, professional, upfront, experts...just good people.
Chris was right on the ball too...keeping me updated about everything as it was coming in and making sure we could keep making progress despite Dynatrac's hassle. Greg had a couple questions about a thing or two as it came up and Chris was right there to help out.
Keep in mind that I've only owned and driven stock vehicles over my life. I've done plenty of midwest off roading while working cattle, fixing, fence, and hauling grain on our family farm - drove 1980's-2000's 3/4 ton Dodge rams, a Chevy S10, my old Toyota's, and plenty of tractors through streams, up rutted old roads, nasty mud, and through our only little service roads for to fix fence and cut hedge posts. When I got in to this van I actually felt a little overwhelmed at its size...and I was kind of on the fence about how I felt about it actually until just the last couple days. Here's the rest of the story.
Hangers going in:
Rear axle got new 4.10's and is hanging off of new 6" leaf pack and Bilstein's.
Front springs:
Front hubs came in from Dynatrac and going on the beautiful axle Chris shipped:
Much improved front end!
Day before our inaugural trip to shake it down to Iowa and back from Colorado:
A scramble to finish the window and seats. It's the best I can do now...headliner will be replaced when we do a pop-top, and the floor layout will become more transformable at that time too:
Bed rug was rolled up and scored from below with utility knife and then finished the cut through the fuzzy stuff with scissors:
I actually had the track partially bolted down for a while with the carpet sitting over it with things like my spare tire and other gear sitting on top while it was at Greg's shop. The track left a perfect impression on the carpet of where to cut so it was easy to lay it out.
Seats bolt right down to the L-track with no fuss at all. I like.
You can see the bed platform over the dog's kennel. This is temporary too, we'll experiment with what we do and don't like for a few months before we settle on a final plan.
My wife was adamant about getting this big futon mattress. :violent-smiley-031::bowdown:
After helping me wrestle it in to the van and seeing that it cannot be moved and inch in any convenient manner, I think she'll be happy to have a little more flexibility down the road with the layout. I tried to tell her!
We took two-lane through Scottsbluff, Chimney Rock, and the Sand Hills all the way to the Iowa border and then hit I-80 again to southeast Iowa to see Grandma on the farm, then the 4th with my folks in the Iowa City area. Camped near a reservoir in Nebraska on the way and again near Ogallala on our way home - took I-80 and I-76 straight back to Colorado. Van did great! Wife, boy, and our dog really appreciated the extra space.
We got 13mpg going 65 with a tailwind going out and about 10mpg going back into 15mph headwind at 70mph. Right where I thought it would be. Can't have everything but it would be nice to have 15mpg in a V10 but I know I'm dreaming.
Home:
So, I wan't totally convinced about how much I was going to really get out of this van until Greg and I took it up to Middle Saint Vrain road yesterday morning. It's a tight road with about 3 decent obstacles. No issues whatsoever for the van. Greg spotted me on the hardest of the three to see what the articulation and clearance looked like but we didn't take pictures of that one. It still had 4" of clearance between the rocker and the one rock Greg was concerned about. I put some new pin striping on the side because the trail is so tight with willow and pine but that's what this thing is for, right?! No worries at all - huge grin on my face. We are going to have some great adventures in this rig!
Dropped it down to about 40psi from 60 so I could still drive HWY back home. Onboard air is on its way to me so I can get it even lower (30psi sound about right for a rig this size on 35's?) and then be able to get home.
Put some Bushwackers on today. Heading out to Oregon coast for two weeks at the end of the month! Got a stand alone fan for inside, skeater beeters, and a Yeti Cooler. I think the wheelin' and a few extra pounds of gear inside has it sitting a bit more level now too. Should be set!
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FarmerFrederico
Adventurer
Still too clean...I'll work on that!
1upUSA rack on the back for 2" hitch. Eventually a fourth tray will go on. This rack is nice because it rises up the further back from the vehicle it goes...each bike sits higher than the first (increases departure angle compared to most racks) and you can stagger the bikes to avoid handle bar and seat interference.
1upUSA rack on the back for 2" hitch. Eventually a fourth tray will go on. This rack is nice because it rises up the further back from the vehicle it goes...each bike sits higher than the first (increases departure angle compared to most racks) and you can stagger the bikes to avoid handle bar and seat interference.