The Gnarhauler: Another white cargo van.

[ibike]

Just noticed I didn’t update that drawing to show the 1000w puresine Renogy inverter I added, it’s just connected to the house battery with another midi fuse like the accessory distribution panel.

[ibike]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

It's amazing how much "needed" (but not often used) stuff fits in those underfloor storage boxes. Believe you'll find the cost of purchasing one trumped by the value of storage opportunities it introduces.
I would also recommend the folding solar suitcase panel you're contemplating - they are very versatile & a great supplement to replenishing your house battery.

Thanks for the input, I'm actively searching for a 2nd hand Aluminess tire carrier now so I can get the spare permanently moved and start planning for the storage box(es). I'd really like to see if I can pull off two of them, between van tools and parts plus all the crap I need to carry for the motos and mountain bikes it seems like I could fill them both pretty quickly.

[chasejj]

When you load your KTM in the back. Do you clear the roof. How much of a headache is it say compared to a pickup?
Wondering if maybe a start device on the forks would provide some clearance for loading for the handguards to clear ceiling.
Have you ever loaded 2 motos? Curious as I am considering building a poptop van as a toyhauler/camp rig. I hate towing trailers.

BTW- Excellent work you've done. The floor you did and the seat mount is very well thought out. I appreciate the documentation of this. Moto vans are scarce on the interwebs.

[IanF]

I loaded a stock DRZ400 into my E150 conversion van. No problems clearing the door opening. My van did have a raised roof, so once inside strapping the bike down was easier than with a standard roof.

Mtn bike YouTubers Syd and Macky have loaded two dirt bikes into the back of their low-roof extended length E-series.

[TheLetterJ]

I've put 3 dual sport bikes in my EB, but it's really a time consuming PITA to get them loaded and locked in, so that is reserved for longer trips. 2 is no problem. One of my orange bikes is taller than the rear door opening by 2" so I picked up an axle mounted tie down ring from GatosBros that let me easily run a strap from the lower fork lug to the handlebars to compress the front end a few inches. Works like a charm.

I'm sure a holeshot device would work for getting the bike in, but I'd never get over the constant ribbing I'd get from my buddies for having one on a dual sport. Not to mention how big of a pain it would be to reset to get the bike out since it will pop free inside the van while tightening the straps.

[ibike]

Originally Posted by chasejj

When you load your KTM in the back. Do you clear the roof. How much of a headache is it say compared to a pickup?
Wondering if maybe a start device on the forks would provide some clearance for loading for the handguards to clear ceiling.
Have you ever loaded 2 motos? Curious as I am considering building a poptop van as a toyhauler/camp rig. I hate towing trailers.

BTW- Excellent work you've done. The floor you did and the seat mount is very well thought out. I appreciate the documentation of this. Moto vans are scarce on the interwebs.

One bike is easy, two is a little tricky and need to be staggered front to back, never tried three. As long as the bike stays relatively upright when loading, vertical clearance is fine. A pop top would definitley make the process a little easier. I like the idea of a fixed top, but for now I'm sticking with less is more. Plus I just dumped a bunch of cash in the U-Joint rack.

Loading in a truck is easier, the van requires a little technique.

Handguards will graze the ceiling when positioning the bikes but not really a big deal. Only bike that's been a challenge was a friends 300 XCW with bar risers, but once it was strapped down it was fine. Bars clear the rear door easily due to the angle of the ramp.

Thanks for the compliments, I'm actually debating ditching the Transit seat and building a DIY transformer seat/bed. The current seat is in the way more than it's actually used.

[ibike]

Made some progress on the floor storage box project. Found a local fabricator to make them for me. He’s building them based off a pair of marine deck hatches I picked up.



CAD (cardboard aided design) for box and lid layouts. I’m planning on cutting back the l-track and adding a few perpendicular strips near the box lids. You can see I got my house battery moved inside as well to make room under the van. It was soon replaced with a BattleBorn shortly after the Cyber Monday sale


Making space under the van. Tire winch removed. I drilled and punched out all the rivets. In hindsight I’d probably just cut the mounting ears off flush with the frame. It was a LOT of work getting those rivets out. I ended up having to cut one ear off the winch to get it free from the frame rails anyway....



Relocated the forward crossmember and re-mounted the emissions canister.

[ibike]

Swapping in the new Battleborn lithium battery. Super light compared to the old AGM. It was a Cyber Monday b-stock deal, I can’t find a single blemish on it. When I first installed the AGM battery on the frame I put in an inline Anderson connector to make servicing the battery easier. I repurposed it when I moved the battery inside. Makes the swap super simple.

[ibike]

Since I ditched the tire winch I needed an alternative way to carry my spare. Timing worked out and I scored a deal on a lightly used Aluminess carrier. Makes a great drying rack for snowboards as well.



I did run into one issue with the studs on the carrier plate. The threading on the lug studs didn’t allow the lug nut to thread on far enough to engage the steel wheels. This wouldn’t be an issue with a thicker aluminum wheel. My solution was grade 8 washers to take up the slack. All good now.

[ibike]

Back on to the interior. I got 50 linear feet of SM600L Thinsulate from DiyVan and started stuffing, gluing and fishing. I got it installed everywhere I could. Every cavity in the van, fished strips through the window frames of the doors and full sheets against the exterior sheet metal.



I think I stole this idea from Hein at DiyVan specifically for the roof. Cut your section of Thinsulate to the outside dimension of the roof ribs, then remove ~2” of the Thinsulate material from the scrim backing. This allows the material to cover better and offer a little more bite to the metal of the van. Might even help a little with thermal bridging.





I cut my roof sections 2-3” wider than the space between the interior wall pinch weld and was able to stuff the extra over the top into the cavity behind it. Came out nice and clean.