Project BigB... a 1977 Dodge Van 6x4!

[wrcsixeight]

Nice looking stove!

I put a stainless panel on the door of my fridge. I removed it from a client's house because she said she could not get it clean. I see what she means, but I have found wiping it with Olive Oil in the direction of the striations leaves it with a beautiful sheen. I'm sure regular vegetable oil would work just as well, but I have only tried Olive Oil.

Get that thing smogged already! I just rebuilt my front suspension, and after an alignment, new tires, and fixing my coolant leak I'll be ready for an outing. That might take me a couple months, but I'm just giving you a time frame.

[spencyg]

I will say this about propane stoves in vans. I have just a two burner cook top, and unless it is 30 degrees outside, it will drive you right out with the rate at which it heats up the interior. I have a exhaust range hood as well, and that doesn't even begin to help. My ideal situation would be to mount the stove somehow on one of the side entry doors (or back doors), and have the option of cooking inside or outside depending on the weather. I can't imagine how much heat that oven will dump into your interior...

I love the potential of a gutted interior

[Keyblazer]

I have a SS faced fridge at home, and have some spray that is specially for SS and it seems to work well.
I snapped up the stove for $70, so the fact it had 4 burners AND oven for that was awesome... Fresh Baked Bread out in the wilderness anyone?

Didn't even think about the heat issue Spencyg!
I guess I would have to open both sets of doubles to create a cross breeze or plan to bake when the evening is cold!
Btw, Spencyg, I love your Rig!
Thats what I was looking for when I found BigB! Awesome!

The Smog will be a later issue, but I am hoping to speak to a Smog referee soon to get some solid answers on what I need!

[wrcsixeight]

I have tried the SS spray cleaner on my fridge door but the olive oil works better. The striations are pretty deep, feels like 400 grit sandpaper in one direction, glass in the other.

I used to use a dual burner camp stove inside before I had strong exhaust fans on the ceiling. I then found the single burner that sits on the small propane bottle to be much more convenient to my interior, and adapted all my meals to be one burnerable. I still will break out the dual burner, but only when I have company.

I position the single burner stove next to my third captain's chair, and under the counter rotating 4.75 inch computer fans. If the flame is high, the fans cannot quite keep up, but I can boil pasta inside without fogging the windows.

Enjoy the Build up, and hope you befriend a smog shop.

[Keyblazer]

I am planning to put a Fantastic Fan in the roof at the rear... maybe I should add a fan in the roof side above the galley or figure out a way for the main one to perform both duties with some ducting and a removable shroud...

[Photog]

I am planning to put a Fantastic Fan in the roof at the rear... maybe I should add a fan in the roof side above the galley or figure out a way for the main one to perform both duties with some ducting and a removable shroud...

Two fans would be a better idea than pressing one fan to do both duties. For the stove area, you may be able to use a large "case fan", like those on computer cases. There are 120mm and a 180mm 12volt versions of this fan, and they really pull a lot of air. Shrouding the vent from rain, or ducting the air to an existing vent might be the hard part.

Cool van.

[scotter]

[QUOTE=wrcsixeight;689482]I have tried the SS spray cleaner on my fridge door but the olive oil works better. The striations are pretty deep, feels like 400 grit sandpaper in one direction, glass in the other.
QUOTE]

You should use mineral oil. The olive oil can go rancid and harbor bacteria, not exactly what you want on your food storage container. Mineral oil will give you similar results.

[Keyblazer]

The computer case fans are a great idea, and 12v too. Some simple ductwork and a weatherproof vent on the side of the roof.
Will try the mineral oil too!
Its been so hot here this last weeks I have not been doing much but planning. Its been a tough few months with the house move, trying to get my garage straight and tools laid out. A lot of my stuff is still in storage, and I have to get the girlfriend to agree on what can be thrown out of her stuff to make space for mine... these things take time.... I did get serious kudos this week by fixing her beloved Range Rover that was overheating... I was dreading a headgasket or worse, a porous block, but my tests uncovered a thermostat that failed closed!

[Riptide]

I don't know what your budget is, but I'd rethink the whole built-in generator thing. I have an Onan Microlite, propane powered, and I have to be desperate to run it, as in a small platform like yours and mine, they really rattle the whole camper...

When we get somewhere for awhile, I'd rather just hook up my little Yamaha.

A portable generator is so much more useful, I think, and it's more likely to get serviced, and used, if it's removeable. A good Yamaha or Honda are worth their cost.

Put the spare back under there, or tankage, or batteries, or whatever, but dump the genny. After you get the Fantastic fan or two installed, having the AC won't be quite so necessary...

[Keyblazer]

After you get the Fantastic fan or two installed, having the AC won't be quite so necessary...

Thanks for the input and I really do appreciate every comment!
However, I see you live in CT... and a fantastic fan might work there... but I live in SoCA, and my favorite haunt and weekend getaways is the high desert... and Death Valley. Two weeks ago I was at my storage, working on BigB, and the outside temp at 3pm was 106F... I was inside ripping out carpet, wood and cleaning up... genset was running and the Rooftop A/C was humming.... the inside temp was 79F... I was sweating, but that was because of the labor!
The genset is already there, wired and in fact runs great and considering the age of it. Looking at the way its mounted and insulated it runs pretty quiet, but with a small amount of work I can make it better.