intro/build thread and our poorboy attempt at a campervan. - Page 8

**BroncoHauler** · 07-22-2013, 09:15 PM

WOW. I'm guessing/hoping that your sister didn't have a passenger with her? She sounds very fortunate and I think you'll all have something to give 'thanks' for come Thanksgiving.

Herb

shenrie · 07-22-2013, 09:49 PM

luckily, she had no passenger and the person in the other vehicle (a newer audi sedan, and a big one at that) involved only had bumps and bruises. wreck didnt even enter his drivers compartment.

and yes, thankful is an understatement. ive lost a LOT of friends from accidents, suicides, and even murder, but ive been lucky with immediate family thus far. everyone always assumed it would be me (the "crazy driver") in a serious accident, so this was a huge shock for everyone in the family. bryce (my brother in law) said all of us had the same exact reaction "are you serious?"

on that note, she couldnt have picked a better man. i loved my brother in law from the word go, but seeing him during this ordeal... ive reached the conclusion that he is one top notch act. he didnt leave her side till we dragged him away. she did good

shenrie · 07-26-2013, 07:28 PM

ah, its the little things...

i hated not having a tach in the van. found one on ebay for 15 bucks and picked it up. a little help from a few members who have done this before me and wala.

now to go pack up for another outing...i love our van

86Scotty · 07-26-2013, 09:52 PM

Sweet mod!

buckkiller · 07-29-2013, 12:32 AM

Like the new cluster..
Buck
The Redneck Mexican
2002 E350 7.3 PSD 4x4 8inch lift pop top conversion....

shenrie · 09-06-2013, 06:30 AM

^^^ thanks gents!

finially had someone who knows how to work a camera snap a few pix last night. hopefully theres more to follow, but this was the teaser pic i had when i got to work this am...

Dentedvw · 09-06-2013, 09:32 AM

Another rider with an Eastern slash! I thought I might be the only one I would ever see. With it's awkwardly high bottom bracket though, I don't spend a lot of time on it compared to my other rides. What do you use it for primarily? Does the bottom bracket height bother you at all?
Also, can you tell me more about the cluster swap? A link to more information maybe?
I have been itching to snowboard Teton pass too, looks great.

shenrie · 09-06-2013, 10:26 AM

a buddy of mine owned a bmx/skate shop for a few years and a bunch of us commited to buying some of the higher end eastern bikes so he could do a buy in. all my group had gotten out of riding, so i was stoked for them to recommit again so I had others to ride with, plus the price was right. once the shop went under, they all sold their bikes and its mainly me and the wife again, lol.

im happy with the slash. it takes a beating for sure. we do a 12 mile (give or take) downhill 2-3 times a week when its not a 100 degrees here. we cross the creek 10-15 times and its every terrain you can think of. the high bb lets me over the bigger obsticles like downed trees and over big rocks where we freeride without a trail. i didnt like how it made me slouch, but a set of high rise bars helped a lot. the bike wouldnt be my first choice, but for what i paid, i couldnt pass up the deal.

we started riding the teton pass cause snowboards wernt allowed at our local ski resorts yet, then once we were accepted at the resorts, we realized what we had lined out up there was better than anything we paid for. the trip i posted is now an annual thing. other than its never ending popularity, the pass is one of my all time favorite places to ride. everyone over that way turns their nose up at what we ride (below the road), and thats just fine with us

Id think there was plenty of freeriding near you. the wasatch is an amazing area. ive been to brighton, powder mtn, and snow basin, but never any backcountry. once our van has a top on it, wife and i plan on doing a lot of winter camping and putting our splits to some good use on a more regular basis. would love to explore over your way some!

clusterwise, i was never able to find a writeup, so i found a member who had just completed the process with a similar year vehicle. he instructed me what cluster to get, found one on ebay for dirt cheap, then aquired wiring diagrams and just went for it. even with diagrams, there were still wires in places where they shouldnt ahve been, but the color codes are teh same for the trucks, expiditions, and e350's, so i was able to fumble through it. still need to try my cc on a different pin, but other than that, i was able to figure out the rest of it. i even left the seatbelt pin out and now i dont get the annoying beep when its not on.

Dentedvw · 09-06-2013, 10:52 AM

Aha, could you share the pinout for the cluster?

I split also, but don't get a lot of time to spend doing it, so I bought my first season pass this week to Solitude/Brighton. I will probably spend a lot of time exploring the BC using some lift access now. *cheating* If you make it down here, drop a line, I might have most of the winter free if this contract runs out and the company drops us.

I got my Slash from a buddy back in Michigan, who was ran a shop of sorts as well, back when I rode trials. Gave up trials and most urban bashing, but I still have the cushy weird Eastern. It was a cheap project, and it is a real hoot in the dirt jumps and pump tracks. Rides like a hardtail but forgiving when I make mistakes.

shenrie · 09-06-2013, 11:14 AM

my diagrams are full of scribble and chicken scratch after it was all said and done. no way for others to understand what i barely did, lol. what I can do is get some new ones and list out what ive done so far. Ill try to remember to pick some up next time im at my buddies shop.

i dont see any cheating methods to exploring bc... our local resort, bogus basin (appropiately named) hasnt had jack for snowfall for years. I maybe go there once or twice a year...if that. having grown up near the tetons, im a powder snob. for one, thats the conditions i grew up with and love. two, im old and fragile now. i cant take the hits on the hardpack and groomers anymore. just kills me. a small cult of bc'ers are getting an area up here going pretty good the last few years for bc access. numerous people will go and dig pits and give snow reports, where they skinned, etc. its getting easier and easier to access our local stashes now. all we need to to be able to crash out up there after runs. thats where the van comes into play. when its ready for trips, I will definitely hit you up. really appreciate the offer

same story with the bike. being 43 (keep in mind, its not the age, its the miles) with 10 years of BMX (even rode with your local hero, fuzzy, a few times), then 20+ years of mt bikes and 30+ years of snowboarding, my chassis is fuct. im lucky to even be able to ride, so the manner of how i ride is quite tame these days. the slash is plenty soft to keep me riding, lol. authritus is forming in my hands and its only a matter of time before i cant hold onto the grips anymore. Im enjoying what i can while i still can.