Clifford - 1998 E350 Build

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by bemerritt

- Bedding -

I think you guys are right. 8" is massive haha. My cooler right now stands at 17" and my frame will be 2". Add the 1" plywood and 8" mattress and that brings the top of the bed just under the window indent. Doable, but I think we will stick to this 4.75" mattress.

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Ge ... l#shipping

Worst case we slap a 2" on top if it isn't comfy enough, but I'm sure it will.

- Floor construction -

I think I will copy Hal's build and do .5" rigid insulation under .5" plywood. Aligned so the seams don't match up.

I want an industrial like floor that looks decent, affordable and easy to clean. This is what I think I will get.

http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/Ru ... oduct.html

Stack up 5 gallon buckets/milk crates, etc at your proposed bed height and see if you can sit upright without your head hitting the roof....assuming that you also want to sit on the bed.....

Those rubber coin rolls are 4' wide, so you will have a couple of seams.......That stuff is available in wider widths if you want to do a single piece.

[bemerritt]

Originally Posted by rockbender

I know the curved CR Laurence windows are not cheap, but I wouldn't step over a dollar to pick up a dime here. If you found a window that you liked that was about 10-12" tall I thibnk you might get away with a flat plane window, but any taller I really think you'll want something curved. I could be wrong, but put a straight edge on the outside of your van and see what it looks like.

Great base rig to start with - should be a fun project!

I am really beating myself up over window selection haha. I've noticed that the CRL windows that are curved are also very, very big. At least ones that have sliders. All of them would require cutting of the interior support. How safe is that? It seems pretty common practice around the web.

I'm leaning to just two small windows, 12" tall and hoping for the best. There isn't too much of a gap and it seems some people have reported it to straighten out the wall a tiny bit. Worst case I end up replacing them down the line with bigger, contoured windows.

Lastly, is there a place that actually shows the price of the CRL windows? I have sited that don't offer prices!

[bemerritt]

Originally Posted by boywonder

Great idea with the crates. I am going to weld up the frame myself, so i will easily be able to adjust the height if need be.

Any link for winder rolls, hopefully located in so cal? I found a place with 4' rolls in santa ana and had planned a pattern that all seems would be under the bed or storage. But a 6' or even 8' roll would greatly simplify things. Thanks!

[shenrie]

Originally Posted by bemerritt

I am really beating myself up over window selection haha. I've noticed that the CRL windows that are curved are also very, very big. At least ones that have sliders. All of them would require cutting of the interior support. How safe is that? It seems pretty common practice around the web.

i did too for a long time, until i finally tracked down a pn for the window i was interested in (only took 2 years, lol). its a slider but its designed to go in the spot right behind the driver without cutting any major supports. you can see some pix of the install here: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=10176&start=135

its the second to last post on that page. end results are on the last page. we are still very happy with the choice we made with that window and our passengers have been too!

[Viva]

I would do just about anything before silicone in the floor holes. It's not that great a filler product, and it leaves a nasty residue that makes it hard to ever do anything else (re-silicone, paint, other anything). It's not permanent, so you will end up having to do something at some point.

I'm not an expert at filling holes in sheet metal (more of a fiberglass person), but it seems there must be a better way. Galvanized metal and polyurethane might be quick/easy if that's what you are looking for. Others here could tell you the good way (because my suggestion is not the good way, just much better in my mind than silicone).

[bemerritt]

Originally Posted by shenrie

i did too for a long time, until i finally tracked down a pn for the window i was interested in (only took 2 years, lol). its a slider but its designed to go in the spot right behind the driver without cutting any major supports. you can see some pix of the install here: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=10176&start=135

its the second to last post on that page. end results are on the last page. we are still very happy with the choice we made with that window and our passengers have been too!

But you did have to cut the middle support. Any safety concerns? This question is mainly for my wife haha.

[bemerritt]

Originally Posted by Viva

I would do just about anything before silicone in the floor holes. It's not that great a filler product, and it leaves a nasty residue that makes it hard to ever do anything else (re-silicone, paint, other anything). It's not permanent, so you will end up having to do something at some point.

I'm not an expert at filling holes in sheet metal (more of a fiberglass person), but it seems there must be a better way. Galvanized metal and polyurethane might be quick/easy if that's what you are looking for. Others here could tell you the good way (because my suggestion is not the good way, just much better in my mind than silicone).

I did read on another forum to silicon pennies over the holes. Seemed like a good idea to me. That way i would pain them with rustoleum and then silicon a penny over it. Either way they should be fine living in california, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

[rockbender]

Originally Posted by bemerritt

Lastly, is there a place that actually shows the price of the CRL windows? I have sited that don't offer prices!

Figure out what model you are interested in and then search Amazon or ebay for best pricing/availability.

[shenrie]

Originally Posted by bemerritt

...Any safety concerns? This question is mainly for my wife haha.

nope, none. that support is not present in the passenger vans with a window in the same exact place.

and i paid just shy of 250 for that window. you can look around, but the prices dont vary much. crl has a nice tight market on their products. with all the searching i did, if i found it cheaper, the shipping costs always seemed to get it right back to 250 (ish).

[JWA]

Originally Posted by shenrie

nope, none. that support is not present in the passenger vans with a window in the same exact place.

Agree 100% with Shenrie on this----the only factory inner structure would be located fore and aft of his cut out in the body side. The inner structure shown is for factory installed pop out windows but doesn't reduce sidewall strength if/when removed.

While I detest dealing with CRL (being in the glass biz) they do have the aftermarket van window market pretty well covered. Their biggest thing is availability and distribution, both aspects very, very well covered. However because windows like these need to be considered once-in-a-lifetime purchase which to my mind greatly reduces their real cost.