What did you do to your SMB today?

[rallypanam]

Originally Posted by BajaSportsmobile

"Raptor Lined" the Penthouse and Roof and installed a new PH Seal.

Since when did you have time to work on your own van?

[daveb]

Originally Posted by yvrr

The GPS that I installed in our SMB in February 2009 (http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/vie...hp?f=13&t=2616) started having some minor problems so I decided to replace it with a new/larger model. I choose a Garmin nuvi 2798 LMT which has a 7" screen and wireless backup camera (the backup camera I installed back in 2009 was still okay but requires a separate monitor while the Garmin unit uses the same monitor for both units). I also wanted a unit with built-in Bluetooth since I don't have a hands-free smartphone unit in the SMB.

Jack, I have one of those in my work truck and love it.



The backup camera is OK but is kind of slow to real time. Big fish eye and impossible to use to find a hitch. I'm not sure is they have different cameras though.

You mind posting what it cost? After using this I'd like to get one for the van. The big screen is so much better. It also has custom POI's and in our case is used to find meters, transformers, switches, and other equipment in the field. Best thing the company has got us in a long time. A few months back I flattened a stop sign so they added the camera.

[sbgrimm]

Jack and Daveb, we bought the Garmin nuvi 2798LMT from Amazon in June for $399. We had just bought our SMB and really wanted the backup camera feature. Love the large screen and the satellite acquisition is much faster than our 5 year old Garmin. Didn't install the backup camera until a few weeks ago. I was a bit hesitant to dig so deep into the guts of the van, but finally got up the courage to do it. Ended up drilling a hole in the plastic just above the license plate and mounting the camera with the license plate bolt. Connected to the reverse light and fished the wire up through the channel above the tail light. The wire was just long enough to mount the camera transmitter to the headliner above the rear door, which gave me a good line of sight to the GPS. I was a bit concerned that it may be too far to get a good image, but it hasn't been a problem. The image is the same whether the GPS sits on the dash or if I move back to within a foot of the transmitter. Like Dave said, it's not a great image but it certainly adequate and has been a big help backing out of our twisty driveway. I'd give the GPS 5 stars and the back up camera 3.5 Mounting the bike rack may obscure the camera in it's present location, but the license plate mount seemed to be the easiest place to put it. I guess I can move the camera if I have to.

[skyrat]

Originally Posted by saabman

Glock? Plastic guns
I used to work with SIG 228
Used a Glock from time to time...

Looks like a Springfield XD to me... Still a striker fired plastic gun. My favorite kind...

[Ford_6L_E350]

Replaced my house batteries.

Damn, AGM batteries are pricey! My rear dinette has to come apart to get to the batteries. 4 hours, including driving to get the batteries and reassembly.

Mike

[Viejo]

Not really today; I did this when we first got the van but I've never shared it before so..

The step on the rail is fine for getting in but awkward getting out, especially for old slow inflexible people, so I put this step extension together out of scrap materials.



The channel iron piece grips the board from above and hooks around the back of the rail step. The raw board in the center locks in place at the front of the rail step.



On the road it rides behind the passenger seat. The pink tape is to see the step edge in dim light. It's the first thing out and last thing in at just about every stop.

[reelchef67]

Got up at 2am went out at 45mins later to drive noticed a hissing on a neighbours car tire. Got to work found i had a flat in progress. Couple hours later called out in house mechanic to fix my tire he calls back and informs me left front is also flat now.
Frak. I call my wife turns out nearly 200 cars in my neighbour had 1-4 tires spiked with an ice pick. Also a motorcycle was set on fire in carport UNDERNEATH a living room in a neighbours condo.
could have KILLED people. Also a 10000 lb e250 with deflating tires on the transcanada highway could have killed me...

Blood was found allover one persons tire so at least one bastard cut himself.
Problably quarter millon dollars in damage all told.
What the frack is wrong with people.??
Anyhow Since I had a front and rear destroyed And mixing a front tire with rear tire difference in wear is not safe I decided to replace all four(all were spiked in sidewalls with big pointy item) I went from
225 75 16 toyo open country AT 2 to
245 75 16 Nokian Rotiva AT All weather tires.(snowflake rated)
The tires look great


Also some husky liner mats I had ordered online showed up. The mats are even better than I expected.

[jage]

Technically yesterday, but I dropped the house batteries and removed them. Took about 3 hours, not the least of which was cutting off the massive wads of self-sealing tape I'd put all over the terminals.

[gcvt]

Removed the blend door motor to inspect it. Unfortunately it's fine. Now it's time to remove the heater core and replace the blend door assembly.

[TexGX]

I have been looking at that large white area on the bed platform since I got the van thinking how cool it would be to have a map of the USA up there. I was in Target today and found the perfect clinging USA map for that area:





Sorry about phone pics, but it is a dry erase board so you can wright on it then erase if needed. Might get some stickers to mark places The Yeti has been.

TexGX