Hi everyone. I started my build of Red Zeppelin today. Site is a valuable reference and the members are top notch. I will be offering some clam$ tomorrow to show my appreciation and support.
Gallery has some basic shots from the day I picked her up. I started working on the floor over the last week or so and here are some shots. I doubt it will be as detailed as Wvvan's and others but I'll give it a whirl.
Shot of the cargo area with rubber mat. I need to get that weatherstripping locked down.
Two shots of the jack and jack support brace being removed.
Cargo floor after removal of mat and jack. Floor was in pristine condition except wheel housings which were a little worn to the metal. Passenger side shown below was not too bad and it is hard to see. The driver side was worse but I didnt take a photo before addressing it. I think this was a carpet install van as I found fibers and can picture the rolls rubbing and abrading the wheel housings. Overall, a little cleaning and some quick rust inhibitor and I was on my way.
First piece of Fatmat Rattletrap Xtreme 80mil. Purchased 100 Sq Ft on eBay for $160. Great transaction, received fast as heck and was in perfect condition. Very easy to work with (unless it is cold).
After a quick application of rust inhibitor on the wheel housings I applied Fatmat. The areas that were worn through the paint had not corroded or anything but I figured it to be a good idea to spray them.
Driver side wheel housing with rust inhibitor.
Passenger side wheel housing with Fatmat applied.
Both wheel housing are finished with Fatmat. Expanding foam next to get the nooks and crannies. I already have installed the first sheet of insulation and I fastened the first 3/4" plywood piece to the floor. More on this with pics next post.
love the tops and popups. i wish i could use them in my build. aside from the expense, they just dont give me the roof area that i need for my build.
ive designed a custom rack using stock parts and a few mods that will suit my needs perfectly but it wouldnt scale to the reduced area of a topper. some of the flat top camper styles come close but not quite. its a shame too since i would really like to be able to stand up (who wouldnt) and im only 5'10" so i wouldnt even need a tall one. the roof area trumped my need to stand.
i suppose if something comes along later i can install one.
rack should be installed by mid june or so. till then, i have more interior building to do. and pic taking. and posting.
been driving around for over a week and i am thrilled at the way the fatmat rattletrap 80mil product works. i have to strain to hear road noise coming from the back of the van and wheel housings. and i have only completed what you see in the pics above thus far. i still have the front half of the floor, the back foot or so by the doors as well as the walls and ceiling.
here in jersey the dpw crews love to drop useless cold patch to fix potholes. driving over or anywhere near these spots soonafter they are filled results in what can only be described as a hailstorm UNDER your vehicle. it was really strange to hear it only in the front and not in the back.
just in case anyone is considering and application of a product like this i can recommend it without reservation. i always thought those audio guys were obsessive with the stuff. now i see why lol.
next step is to determine if i need to cover everything or if i can just select the largest flat areas of the walls and ceiling. i see that wvvan had small sections of the stuff applied. i wonder if that is just as effective and covering everything is overkill?