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Old 09-09-2016, 01:03 AM   #41
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Originally Posted by Jsweezy View Post
Van is looking really good!

Ok, so you can't just say you got a concussion and put up pictures of an injured hand and not share the juicy details...
Ha, pinning it in an enduro race is hard. Heart rate is through the roof and so easy to make a mistake at warp speed. Having done a couple of enduro races I want to hear the story too

Awesome build thread!

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Old 09-09-2016, 08:48 AM   #42
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@ Abitibi- Correct, the shower is planned and on order. I did however order it with 1/2" barb connections so I can use PEX tubing. Let's keep one another informed on this shower install...

@ Jsweezy and JoeH- Ha! Sounds like you guys are familiar with taking the occasional dirt sample.

At the end of July I got a group of friends to do a 2 day, 109 mile each day, enduro in South Fork, CO. It was touted as a good ol' reliability enduro through some epic terrain in the Rockies. Well, while the event was well organized, the race course was more like a desert race at elevation. Unfortunately, there was no single track, only two track atv trail, which made for some fast special tests. I averaged 36+ mph in the special test if that gives you any indication. Usually, I don't care for super slow and tight riding but this was at the other end of the spectrum.

Anyway, last special test of the day I caught up to my friends riding a few minutes ahead. We were all able to enter the last special test section one after another in 15 second intervals. At that point all I wanted to do was reel the guys in and pass them. The special test section followed an atv two track across the top of a mountain void of tree cover and surprisingly rock free in comparison to the rest of the race course. It was on. I reeled in my first friend riding just a bit out of my comfort zone having my 250XC flat out pinned in top gear. All I remember is passing him and that's it. The rest of the tale is second hand.

He came around a bend only to see me already laying in the dirt. Approaching me he asked what hurts to which I replied, "Everything." He sat me up for a little while another friend pulled up. Still out of it, I insisted that I was going to finish the race. I got back on my bike, without recollection, and finished the special test section. The scorer caught wind of my get off and tried talking me into calling it quits right there rather than ride out the last transfer section to the finish. That wasn't part of my plan though. He gave me a quick, "what's you name?", "what day is it?", to which I replied, "race day!" Smart huh?! Then the old count to ten which I did. Then I got really smart saying I would do it backwards, which I did and then said I was out of there. Only, I had to ask why I had a score sheet on my fender and when the heck did I get it. Still out of it...

My memory comes back as I am coming down a short rocky descent and I fall again. This prompts my friends to insist I call it quits and sit my ass down. Nope, I had them pick my bike back up and off I rode to the last gas stop. Only there did a course worker talk me out of riding the last 10 miles to the finish. He said he'd give my score card to my friends to have it scored as having finished. Fair enough. I took a more comfortable ride back to the pits in the passenger seat of a truck.

One of my friends thought that maybe my rear tire hit a short stump that threw me. That could well be. I don't know.And that is how I ended up with pins in my left hand even though I mashed the ground with the right side of my body. Broken bone tally goes to 17 and it's another dirt bike tale.

Pic pre-crash changing a tube between special tests. Yep, stayed on minute.
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Old 09-09-2016, 09:06 AM   #43
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Is that some old hardware on your ulna in the X-ray?....ouch....

Concussions are serious business as you know.....and they are crazy weird when they happen to you.....I got a good one in 2007 riding MTB....struggled recalling my coworkers names for a week or two...and had a headache for a couple of months...

Did your riding buddies realize that you had a concussion after the crash?

I used a couple rolls of that same ultratouch insulation from Home depot...worked out well so far.....I like the idea of denim way more than fiberglass...
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Old 09-21-2016, 02:18 PM   #44
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Alright, got a few more things done over the weekend after being gone for work for a week.

Exterior accessories were tended to so that the interior insulation can get wrapped up. Being the holes were rather small and not too numerous I wasn't all that nervous going forward with a hole saw and drill to the body. Vantasi got a porch light on each side, a shower on the rear passenger side, aluminum L track to mount sand ladders to over the driver's side rear wheel, and mounts for a portable or detachable aluminum table on the passenger's side rear.

After measuring everything 13 times off various body lines holes were drilled, painted and accessories mounted with butyl tape applied to the back of everything. The butyl tape did squeeze out from behind all the mounting surfaces which was trimmed by using a plastic putty knife.
In order for the aluminum L track to mount vertically it had to be slightly bent to follow the body contour. Luckily we had a pipe bender on hand for another related van project. More on that later.

On the passenger side I opted to mount two plates that are typically used for motorcycle wheel chocks in trailers. These will serve as the attachment points for an aluminum table with two posts (stainless bolts with a round head) off the back which will slide into the wheel chock mounts. Depending on how much of a lip I end up putting on the aluminum table I may not need any guy wires as additional support. I did put backing plates on the inside of the van which made the whole thing really solid. We'll see what happens with the additional leverage of a 14-16" deep table.
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Old 09-21-2016, 02:20 PM   #45
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Passenger side pics.
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Old 09-21-2016, 05:45 PM   #46
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Oh boy oh boy do I remember enduros. Lots of fun but painful weekends. For me, lots of broken ribs. It's no fun driving a delivery truck, in and out of the seat and carrying boxes 50-100 times a day on those Mondays after a race. Makes me hurt just thinking about it.

Van is looking good!

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Old 09-21-2016, 06:50 PM   #47
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Looking great! I'm taking notes too
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Old 09-21-2016, 09:50 PM   #48
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The curved L track looks great! ....and those wheel chock keyhole thingy's could have lots of uses....keep going!
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Old 10-04-2016, 12:54 PM   #49
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Sparks and Sliders

My brother has been a great help in making my build a reality. I make the demands and when he feels like it he makes the product. In all seriousness, he does great fabrication and welding with fairly minimal tools. A huge thanks to him. Alright, enough of the sap...

Rock sliders were on the list for a while. While there are lots of options for trucks there are few for vans and fewer for a set that is frame mounted and removable. So, we made our own. With three mounting points on each side and stout 2x4" rectangular tubing these things are heavy duty but not actually that heavy. They may way around 40-50 lbs.

Aligned the main slider tube to the brackets welded to the frame. We did have to remove and relocate the e-brake cable brackets as far up on the frame as they could go to get them out of the rock slider attachments. It worked out well in that it is now tucked up and out of the way.



Finished product. Now they will get a quick sand blast and then Rhino lining to match the body.



While we were at it we added an air tank mount located on the driver's side tucked up between the frame rail and body.



One more thing we addressed was to properly weld the front and rear frame horns to the frame. From the factory they only have a small weld on one side only or just the top and bottom as was the case for the front. Now if the bumpers get a hard tug they are staying put.



Everything got painted and now it's on to water tank and house battery trays between the rear frame rails where the spare tire used to sit. We already cut out the original tire carrier and frame rail to make room for both trays and a new frame brace. Onward!
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Old 10-04-2016, 04:19 PM   #50
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Looks great! Your brother can probably sell a few of those sliders if he made more!
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