Look what just drove up in my driveway, it's Rusty!

[StraightOuttaBallard]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

I've started another thread for the second rebuild of Rusty which can be found here

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...tml#post175985

Sorry for the convoluted mess it is but I think it better fits in the homebuild section.

Which engine in this? Sorry it's like information over load for me - though I can appreciate and the attention to detail and hard work put into this...

[mikracer]

Originally Posted by straightouttaballard

which engine in this? Sorry it's like information over load for me - though i can appreciate and the attention to detail and hard work put into this...

...460 - v8...

[86Scotty]

What ^ he ^ said. Good old 7.5l 460 Ford. Bulletproof, virtually maintenance free and pre-OBDII. Gets 10 mpg, always, uphill, downhill, pulling 10k lbs, empty, AC on, AC off, backwards, forwards, rock crawling, 55 mph, 95 mph.............10 mpg. Get used to it.

[Jb1rd1973]

Hi Scotty,
Can you tell me what brackets you used to install the CVT Awning? I have an ARB with ghetto fab brackets that are connected to the roof bars, this set up is temporary until the SMB top is installed in Mar/Apr. I have been struggling to find a gutter mount system that will work. I think the Fiamma brackets might work as well but can't find a specific part number for the E series. FWIW the mounting plate on the ARB is an extruded aluminum flat plate with 2 channels routed out about 1"3/4 2" apart, bolts slide into the slots and allow for fore/aft adjustment.

[86Scotty]

Hey there, I'm guessing you're JB1RD from Expo? Welcome to the quiet side.

I used the Van Specialties brackets which were a direct copy of the older Z's Fiamma brackets, which lucky for you are now made and sold by 1der here on this forum. You can use them for any awning I'm aware of, and he has them a little cheaper than they used to be, but the good ones aren't cheap. You'll have to get on the list for the next batch.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...tch-16967.html

[Jb1rd1973]

It is nice an quiet over here Thank you for the info, hopefully I can ditch my ghetto-fab brackets soon!!

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

Hey there, I'm guessing you're JB1RD from Expo? Welcome to the quiet side.

I used the Van Specialties brackets which were a direct copy of the older Z's Fiamma brackets, which lucky for you are now made and sold by 1der here on this forum. You can use them for any awning I'm aware of, and he has them a little cheaper than they used to be, but the good ones aren't cheap. You'll have to get on the list for the next batch.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...tch-16967.html

[dbhosttexas]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

I'm almost out to the end of my to-do list on my van, but the original 9(?) gallon water tank wasn't cutting it, especially since I added an outside shower and a hot water heater. I removed my rear transferflow tank which was rusty and leaking, cleaned it up under there, and this was the space I had to work with.

Yep, need to do that too. And yep, getting close to the end of the todo list myself, tackling the plumbing which in my case is just GONE. Outside shower as well (Joolca) with heater. It looks like you took out the rear crossmember behind the stock spare tire carrier. Any concerns with frame rigidity?

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

Cold climate SMB owners will naturally ask why I would put a water tank there, outside...

This 25 gallon fresh water tank was only $69 shipped on Ebay, and fits the space perfectly.

I figured you were southern as well. Not super worried about freezing it, BUT when I do my install I WILL plan on installing tank heaters. I have to GO where the freezing is, it rarely ever comes to me, so I can prepare for it well in advance.

But most importantly, what are the dimensions of that tank? With the crossmember in place I have 36x15 before I get too close to the exhaust. And I am going to be installing a receiver hitch there as well so that may have an impacct, but 25 gallons is about the perfect capacity for me.

If it weren't for your compressor, would you have simply moved the cross member rearwards to get the space you needed?

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

It leaves just enough space for my air compressor and tank, and has nearly tripled our fresh water, all while lowering the water tank weight (#225 or so) a good bit. I built a simple H angle frame to support it and used long grade 5 bolts. This was actually a pretty simple upgrade.

Onboard air IS something I am interested in doing, but I figure outside of the frame rail on the drivers side....

[86Scotty]

Wow, a blast from the past. You probably already saw that I responded to your PM but here's some more info. From the pic above you can see the two big angle steel spars going across. Those were there when I bought the van. It came with a leaking aux fuel tank which I removed. Made it pretty easy to add the water tank though. The factory cross member/spare hanger was long gone.

I checked my Ebay history and it only goes back to 2017 and it looks like I did this in 2016. I'm not near my van but all the frames are the same width. Measure your opening from inside to inside and get the biggest tank you can that fits. I'm pretty sure that's what I did above and it was 25 gallons, or so I said. I honestly don't remember much about that old van. I've been trying to find it for years. Old Rusty was awesome.