The Gnarhauler: Another white cargo van.

[Phish]

Looking good. Where did you pick up that battery tray at online? Looking for something similar.

[trekgurl]

Nice job and ,,, you're looking for inspiration??? ,, you’ve inspired me to get back on my van.

I got questions though cause I probably know the least of anyone on this board.

1) CLD (constraint layer damper, AKA Dynamat) treatment of metal surfaces. They make several kinds of this stuff, what exactly did you use?

2) Moog 880 coils for the front and Bilstein RV comfort series shocks for all four corners. Was this necessary or was this an upgrade to get a better ride? I have a 2013 e250 with 83k on it and while it rides pretty good the front end is a little “loose” feeling at slow speeds over drive way turnouts, speed bumps etc.

4) Last step before plywood goes in, 3/8" neoprene foam. What kind of foam?

5) Floor in the cab got the same treatment as the doors, 100% CLD coverage topped with closed cell foam and mass load vinyl. Is this the same foam as in question 4? Where do I get that stuff? What is the “mass load vinyl”

The next thing I need to do is work on my floor. I had it rhino lined and now I need to do something like what you've done for a floor system.

Good job on your van ,,,,,thanks for posting

sorry for all the questions,, I need all the help I can get.


trekgurl

[ibike]

See my replies inline below in red

Originally Posted by trekgurl

Nice job and ,,, you're looking for inspiration??? ,, you’ve inspired me to get back on my van.
Glad I could help! It can be daunting at times.
I got questions though cause I probably know the least of anyone on this board.

1) CLD (constraint layer damper, AKA Dynamat) treatment of metal surfaces. They make several kinds of this stuff, what exactly did you use?
I used a product called FatMat I found on Amazon. I opted for the 50ml thickness, but if I was to do it again I'd go with the 80ml version. Difference being the overall thickness, the 80ml does a better job at reducing panel vibrations, but at a higher weight penalty. Worth it in my opinion. https://www.amazon.com/Fatmat-Self-A...s=fatmat&psc=1

2) Moog 880 coils for the front and Bilstein RV comfort series shocks for all four corners. Was this necessary or was this an upgrade to get a better ride? I have a 2013 e250 with 83k on it and while it rides pretty good the front end is a little “loose” feeling at slow speeds over drive way turnouts, speed bumps etc.
The 880 coils offer a small amount of lift, total height varies on your van and the condition of your existing springs, I got ~5/8" of lift, I've seen claims of as much as 2". They supposedly have a more progressive feel to them over the factory springs, meaning they start soft and stiffen up as the suspension compresses. The first thing I did, and I'd recommend you do the same, is check out all the front end components (tie rods, shocks, ball joints, wheel bearings, i-beam and radius arm bushings) and replace whatevers worn. I really only replaced the springs for the added front end height to clear larger tires.

4) Last step before plywood goes in, 3/8" neoprene foam. What kind of foam?
This is the product I used in the valleys of the floor, I need something 3/8" thick, hydrophobic and antimicrobial and this was the most cost effective product I could find. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

5) Floor in the cab got the same treatment as the doors, 100% CLD coverage topped with closed cell foam and mass load vinyl. Is this the same foam as in question 4? Where do I get that stuff? What is the “mass load vinyl”
This site has lots of good info on sound treatment for vehicles, they also sell the product.
https://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/
Essentially there's three layers of material required for proper sound treatment. The constraint layer, (i.e. dynamat or fat mat), the decoupling layer (closed cell foam) and finally the sound dampening layer, in this case the mass load vinyl or MLV. The MLV layer actually blocks most of the sound waves, but is only most effective in conjunction with the other two layers. This whole process takes some time, and the cost of materials can add up. I opted to only do the doors and floor in the cab for these reasons. I also plan on insulating the walls in the rear. That in addition to the multi-layered floor should be more than sufficient for the passenger/cargo area.

The next thing I need to do is work on my floor. I had it rhino lined and now I need to do something like what you've done for a floor system.
Good luck, and keep us posted!

Good job on your van ,,,,,thanks for posting

sorry for all the questions,, I need all the help I can get.
Anytime, this site has been a wealth of information to me. I'm happy to contribute!


trekgurl

[ibike]

Originally Posted by Phish

Looking good. Where did you pick up that battery tray at online? Looking for something similar.

Thanks! Here's the tray I bought. Group 31 Battery Tray | Winter Fab Online

In hindsight, I may have gone with a 4D profile battery similar to this

https://www.apexbattery.com/12v-200a...SABEgKMcPD_BwE

Twice the Ah rating for way less money, and not all that much larger than the group 31 I bought...

[ibike]

One other noteworthy item in regards to the flooring. I've run into a few bubbles in the rubber floor since I installed it. I've gotten it to tack back down to the plywood subfloor by stepping on it, but I'd much prefer to use Weldwood or some other contact adhesive. I originally used 3M super 77 spray adhesive.

[photokit]

Terrific blog posts about build, thanks so much. I just bought a 2012 E350 passenger, plan to use it as my tow vehicle for my 18 foot camper, but also want to get out with boats and bikes for travel without the "dragon". I removed all the bucket seats, except the double behind the driver seat. And will build a short full bed base and storage. Right now, though, the weather stripping around the barn doors on the passenger side of the van is falling down. Can you suggest a glue to attach it again?

[surferdave]

That looks awesome I wanted to do that with the seats as well. Where did you get the track for the seats?

[OurayMark]

Great Project, great post! Thanks for sharing!

[ibike]

Originally Posted by surferdave

That looks awesome I wanted to do that with the seats as well. Where did you get the track for the seats?

Sorry for the delayed reply, I got 100" strips from www.cargoequipmentcorp.com. They drop shipped mine straight form Q-Straint.

[ibike]

Originally Posted by photokit

Terrific blog posts about build, thanks so much. I just bought a 2012 E350 passenger, plan to use it as my tow vehicle for my 18 foot camper, but also want to get out with boats and bikes for travel without the "dragon". I removed all the bucket seats, except the double behind the driver seat. And will build a short full bed base and storage. Right now, though, the weather stripping around the barn doors on the passenger side of the van is falling down. Can you suggest a glue to attach it again?

Probably just run a bead of CA glue or superglue inside the channel of the weatherstripping. New sections aren't terribly expensive, might be worth replacing if yours is starting to dry out.