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Old 06-03-2011, 06:27 PM   #41
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Here are interior shots with headliner and carpeted walls. We still have some trim to go but we are nearly finished.

Side slider showing ACU nylon fabric kick board matching smitty built seat covers. ACU is the trim theme throughout.



above door pockets for stunt kites and another for long items such as tent poles for our kelty noah tarps. and an insert showing trim detail around fantastic fan.



last image for the day is the rear doors with ACU trim on door hardware.



I will be working on the froli system next week and have some photos up them.

====> Plug for my wife and soul-mate... her attention to detail is amazing. I am one lucky guy to have her as part of the build team. While i have an eye for the big picture and design, she is honestly the one who has trimmed this up to a class-act! <====

happy trails.
thom

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Old 06-06-2011, 12:43 AM   #42
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Wow really nice!!!
How do you get that nice looking carpet so nicely fitted? Is it glued?
Anyway, congratulations for the great job!
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Old 06-07-2011, 10:50 AM   #43
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Greetings and thanks for the kudos.
We purchased the "Geometric Hulliner 72 Inches wide" in sand color that was a nice match to the stock Chevy headliner at a Portland auto upholstery shop. It is un-backed fabric so it can be stretched and formed easily similar to what you might find in a trunk liner material. Very nice look to it. My wife went GaGa with it and the 3M 77 adhesive spray!
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Old 06-08-2011, 07:16 AM   #44
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Looks Great,

Ron
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Old 06-10-2011, 10:24 AM   #45
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Finished building/installing the Froli Sleep System : )

Here are some build images and i will post one with the bed inside the rig this weekend. I don't know how much 2 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" marine ply weigh but this bed is built to last a lifetime!

this shows the layout with shoulder springs installed:


here all springs are installed and ready for side rail-frame to trim it up:


and the finished product with 1/2" closed cell pad next to springs and a nice 2 1/2" gel-foam mattress topper on top with ACU camo trim:


: )
Thom
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Old 06-10-2011, 06:55 PM   #46
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

really impressed with the froli system from what i have seen and read here and on their website.

a simply bed sized "tray", add froli, add mattress. done.

im even envisioning a simple gaucho using froli. it appears the grey tracks can be permanently fastened to whatever base youre using although they claim it isnt necessary.

so howd ya sleep?

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Old 06-11-2011, 06:43 PM   #47
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

You are correct in thinking the grey base supports can be mounted to just about any surface. My suggestion would be to add some soft foam (~2") under the front edge of the springs that would be the front edge of the sofa/gaucho. This will add some support and i think help the spring life? This is what we did on the foot of the bed that we might find ourselves crawling over to enter the bed or sitting on. I did screw through one arm of each corner grey support so it would not slide around.

The sleep was great once we added the 1/2" closed cell pad directly above the springs...about an hour into trying it out (we could feel the springs through the 2-1/2" gel mattress topper. but with the added 1/2" closed cell pad we feel nothing of the springs/base.)

Highly recommend the Froli. It is easily as comfortable as our sealy pillow top at home.

(PS: Sunday June 19... still raining outside so unable to take nice pics of bed in van)
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Old 07-15-2011, 05:11 PM   #48
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Just back from a 1200 mile road trip ~80% highway ~15 city ~5 off road. It was quite shocking to average out the fillups but the van, fully loaded and 6800lbs at the scales with us, fuel and food/water for one week... averaged 18mpg! I did the math on each fill, and the trip from Sumpter Oregon to Hood River Oregon was 20mpg against the headwind going west down the Columbia river gorge.
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Old 07-15-2011, 10:10 PM   #49
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

With the top! That's awesome. Those 5.3 chev vans slaughter everything else (gas) on fuel economy!
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Old 07-16-2011, 05:19 PM   #50
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Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project



yea i'm impressed beyond expectations! Before purchasing this van my wife and i drove a 2010 sprinter and loved the drive/feel of the rig and might have gone that way but for two things...1) we live ~100 miles from the closest place that would service the rig, and 2) we were really bent on having AWD. When we chose the Chevy we believed we'd be stuck with mid-teens for mileage, but even in town as a daily driver we average ~16/17 (~3 minutes warm up in driveway for a ~mile drive to work) so the advantage the Sprinter had sort of disappeared once on the road. And since we've been down some pretty tight roads the regular wheelbase has been a blessing even though the extra ~3feet of the sprinter we looked at would have been nice once at camp. Our van's floor plan currently has the space available in front of the permanent bed/storage a multifunction area that can be a shower in 5 minutes or a toilet-area in 2. My wife made a few comments (complaints) while shuffling things into position the first trip out, but once i reminded her of how agile the rig is she recanted and is really liking the rig and multifunction interior (opposed to having a permanent shower/head in a much longer wheelbase sprinter)

...rambling : )
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