Almost done!

[LoneStarJR]

I visited SMB-TX today and my van is almost ready!

It's a 2008 Chevy diesel (6.6L Duramax) with a Quigley 4X4 conversion. The van is in the "finish" area and still needs seats, the under floor storage, as well as a few other goodies installed. It's a standard RB-50 floor plan. We're also waiting for some parts that are delayed in transit, but they should be here by Friday or Monday and I'll take delivery at that time.

Here's some pics.

Front View of bumper with winch (fairlead not yet installed)


Hella 4000's won't fit on the bumper next to the hitch on a Chevy, so we're going to have to hang them from the top rail


Hella work lights mounted on PH top & Stryker GoLight on roof. Also, still waiting for the generator box from Aluminess to arrive. The awning is out getting painted.


The wheels are the American Racing Teflon coated Mojave's


Rear work lights - each of the 4 lights is individually switched


Interior shot - note the new style AC unit they're calling the Danhard (not Starcool IV).


After waiting all this time, it's hard to believe it'll be ready in a few days.

In terms of what's in production, there's a plethora of Sprinters in various stages of production as well as a van identical to mine (same color & also a Quigley conversion) with Maryland plates waiting to start it's conversion.

Thanks for letting me share!

JR

[pjpvi]

JR -

I'm very interested to see pictures of the finished van and get your impressions of both the Duramax Diesel and the Quigley independant 4x4 system. Looks great so far.

A couple questions for you.

- How are you mounting the lights on the top bar of the Aluminess bumper? Are you drilling through the bar, welding a tab, or is there a clamp bracket that exists?

- Since you are wandering around the facility, could you snap some pictures of "50" style vans with 16 and 20 gallon water tanks? I'm curious what the configurations are and how / where they are mounted.

- What size tires did you go with?

Thanks and have fun with the new toy.

Phil

[LoneStarJR]

All excellent questions:

1. I've got to double-check the tire size. But note that Chevrolet does not offer a 4:10 differential option and having Quigley change the diff's would've voided my GM warranty. I didn't want to sacrifice torque for oversized tires & wheels.

2. This is the Quigley solid axle, not the independent (IFS) 4X4. This is a pic Quigley took of my front axle installation.




3. There are no other Ford or Chevy vans in the shop today. (Just another Chevy 4X4 that hasn't yet started.) Aside from mine, all of the others are Sprinters and I didn't see any with the "50" floor plan. (Lots of center aisle arrangements.) I won't be back over to the shop until my van is complete.

4. To mount the lights we're going to have to drill through the rails. I believe there are clamp mounts available from some aftermarket suppliers, but I think it'll look a little cleaner drilling through the bar. There's really nothing structural about the bar so I'm not concerned about any weakening as a result of the holes.

[MikewTV]

Hey JR, great to see the pics of your Chevy 4x4. I currently have a Tahoe that I like and did consider the Chevy as a platform for my SMB which is on order now with Indiana but...ended up going with a Ford. You mentioned getting the Starcool IV(Danhard?) A/C. I am waiting to hear the latest on that so I can decide whether to still get a Starcool III or this newer unit. Can you explain what the differences are in the new unit? Indiana didn't have all the details yet when I met with them earlier this month.

Thanks, Mike.

[LoneStarJR]

I don't know all the technical specs, but the unit runs totally off the inverter even when the engine is running. It draws much less amperage than the old StarCool III and a Honda 2000 generator can now supply all of its power needs. (The old unit drew about 2500 watts.)

My understanding is that all of the R&D was done by a company in Dallas and tested at SMB-TX. I happened to be at the Texas facility when they were field testing a Ford van in the hot Austin sun and it remained in the 70's inside while it was almost 100 outside.

Below is a link to the manufacturer's website

http://www.danhard.com/

[mmocken]

JR, sweet ride, thanks for sharing.

Any idea how many BTU's the danhard is?

[LoneStarJR]

I'll ask about the BTU's when I go back in.

[MikewTV]

Great if you could find out BTU's. Plus, how long can you run it on house batterys and inverter. And, how long can you run it off inverter while driving. This is the last remaining item on my order that isn't nailed down. Indiana was going to get me more details before I went with either this or the Starcool III.

Thanks.

[mmocken]

2 more questions, what is the ground clearance and overall height?

Originally Posted by LoneStarJR

I'll ask about the BTU's when I go back in.

[Greggd]

Lonestar ,
Double check thru Hella about the mounting of your 4000 Lights . They don't recommend hanging these light's if they are the HID model .
Greggde