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Old 02-28-2016, 06:02 PM   #21
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Put the lime in the coconut and you drink it all up!



Ever wondered, 'where do I put this?' when you got your hi lift jack? You probably want to read this if you've got any kind of lifted truck. Bet you haven't tried this.


https://themodness.wordpress.com/201...r-duper-bumper

Oh and you know those custom bed boards I made to replace the stock Colorado Camper Van overhead bed boards? I sent Derek the specs and they liked them so much, now they are shipping all their vans with the aluminium c-channel board setup! Told ya they were better. Hurrah!

Here's the link if you missed it.

https://themodness.wordpress.com/201...banging-heads/


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Old 02-28-2016, 09:17 PM   #22
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I would be VERY wary of that cut down jack handle. I was nearly bending my stock handle last week, cut down it definitely would have bent on half, potentially causing injury. There is a ton of force in these high lift jacks.

Also, they don't work well when coated with mud and stone chips and snow and salt, as yours will be when hanging out back there.

But it's a free country and your van!
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Old 02-28-2016, 10:40 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by rallypanam View Post
I would be VERY wary of that cut down jack handle. I was nearly bending my stock handle last week, cut down it definitely would have bent on half, potentially causing injury. There is a ton of force in these high lift jacks.

Also, they don't work well when coated with mud and stone chips and snow and salt, as yours will be when hanging out back there.

But it's a free country and your van!
Thanks! I always carry a section of pipe as a breaker bar, I had that in mind. Now I will definitely use it. the jack fit but was pretty uneven with the 48". 60 inch may not need modification to be centered. The key is that angle between the ratchet assembly and where the pipe lays flush to the jacks side. It's gentle enough to snug the jack with getting it stuck.

Maybe I'll punch a hole in the side of a duffle for the hitch. That would be an easy way to cover it all up.
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Old 02-28-2016, 11:37 PM   #24
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You may be asking yourself, why not just mount the unmodified hilift to the side of an aluminess box? I can't fit it on the insides of the boxes cause the backup camera has a just large enough field of vision as it is. Also they've got lots of weight planned already. and there are lots of stories of incessant rattles with horizontal mounts. The roof is out because the van is exactly 7'10", as planned. All space is reserved for future mods. Any taller and all the local parkways are out. Not to mention I'd rather sacrifice the $100 jack in a mid speed collision than the $1600 boxes.

But those are not the real problems. I'm a NYer and sometimes this van travels around Manhattan. The van needs to look as 'normal' as possible. Something happens to your brain when you live in Manhattan. It's like a perpetual panic attack. I just didn't want someone to call the police about a van with an antiaircraft gun strapped to a box on it's back.

Paranoid? Perhaps. But I only need to get tazed by SWAT once to make another course of action seem REALLY stupid.
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Old 03-01-2016, 09:52 PM   #25
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Just had the entire ass of the e350 in the air and the hilift extreme + superbumper handle mod was perfectly stable and exerted no penalty.

As usual do nothing you can't assume full responsibility for. I know nothing. Warranties are for the weak. IANAL and even if I were I wouldn't tell you. Ask your parents permission. If you knock your van off a cliff and it falls 300 ft and explodes video or it didn't happen. etc. etc.

I would recommend gloves. Probably a good idea in general.
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Old 03-14-2016, 02:53 PM   #26
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Ever wonder if you could use one of those climateright air conditioners on your camping van? Wonder no more.

https://themodness.wordpress.com/201...ularly-summer/

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Old 03-15-2016, 08:40 AM   #27
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checked out your AC build page at the link you shared. Creative and thinking outside the van.

Maybe I missed it in the text but do you plan on removing the AC when beyond the season's need for cooling?

: ) Thom
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Old 03-15-2016, 09:10 AM   #28
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checked out your AC build page at the link you shared. Creative and thinking outside the van.

Maybe I missed it in the text but do you plan on removing the AC when beyond the season's need for cooling?

: ) Thom
LOL outside the van. Thanks.

I was planning on leaving it on year round. Space is tight in the garage and it does have pretty effective heat if we get surprised on a trip. It does AC, fan, heat and dehumidify! I do keep it covered. Cover is super elaborate, a pretty nice laundry bag! LOL.

I didn't mention it but August 2015 and newer models can be fitted with a wired remote run through the tube. So if you wake up cold or hot, just roll over and change the temp!
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Old 03-15-2016, 11:00 AM   #29
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Very nice. I have always felt I would go for a window mount A/C if I needed one, rather than something like the Starcool. No matter what type you have, you still need shorepower or a gen to run overnight, so an inexpensive home unit would be my first choice. GTRV mounts them directly on the rear door as an option, but I would remove a rear window and adapt it to the resulting hole. In winter, it would be easy to put the window back and the whole project could be done inexpensively. Your solution is great, but I'd be to afraid to put holes in my canvas. Well done, now are you going to paint the unit to match the box?
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Old 03-15-2016, 11:39 AM   #30
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Very nice. I have always felt I would go for a window mount A/C if I needed one, rather than something like the Starcool. No matter what type you have, you still need shorepower or a gen to run overnight, so an inexpensive home unit would be my first choice. GTRV mounts them directly on the rear door as an option, but I would remove a rear window and adapt it to the resulting hole. In winter, it would be easy to put the window back and the whole project could be done inexpensively. Your solution is great, but I'd be to afraid to put holes in my canvas. Well done, now are you going to paint the unit to match the box?
Hi

Nope not going to paint it. Thought briefly about plasti dipping it but either way the entire unit would have to be disassembled and gutted to do it right. With the cover (you can see it on in the rotopax photos or the hilift post.) it's more or less invisible, so it will only be obvious at camp. I don't mind that.

I thought about the rear window, problem is I really wanted to keep the rear cabinets in and out of the van tall Still going to squeeze some stuff in there and it dresses it up, you'll see. Lots more planned.

As for power, I have some honkin solar panels meant for the van. The goal indefinite solar dry camping with electric heat and cooling. Problem is I'll be past the weight limit on pop top. ~100lbs Personally I think it's over engineered, if so I should be OK.

We'll see. I have quite a few tricks still up my sleeve.
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