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Originally Posted by h.grenade
The penthouse would be great for standing room and you keep the cabinets and bed where they are. Where did you get that bench seat btw? I looked forever and couldn't find anything.
But yeah parking in a garage and getting drive thru on the road are great features
I would really like to know how the UJOR conversion handles on the road. In tight corners, highway, etc. I am leaning towards coil vs leaf for the conversion but I'm in the same boat as you. I have spent to much on our "RV" features and don't have much left for off roading haha
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See my response below to BCam for info about the seat.
As for the U-Joint 4x4 conversion I have been thoroughly impressed! I went round and round trying to find the right company and suspension system and I am so happy that I put a little more into it and went with U-Joint. I have driven 3 different coil conversion vans, and one older Quigley on leafs and I think the U-Joint ride is the best! I know others may have different opinions, but for me, it is the best I have driven.
Highway Driving: The van drives great tracks better than stock, and has zero bump steer. Very little body roll and is way more fun to drive than stock.
City Driving: Around town, it drives great! I think it's still easy to park, easy on the tighter curvy roads, predictable in traffic, and just enjoyable. Also as you know we have plenty of roundabouts in Bend and it does great through them with little body roll.
Ride Quality: Is far improved from stock with it being smooth and predictable on and off road. I think the shock tuning is what really makes or breaks a suspension system's ride quality. No matter what you choose I would get custom-tuned shocks because that will make a world of difference.
Turning Radius: Everyone always points out the steering radius on U-Joint vans, and I have to say personally it has hardly been noticeable. The van isn't a small car to start with, so it's not going to be easy to maneuver in tight parking lots no matter what at least that is my mindset on it. I have a relatively tight turn to get in and out of my driveway from my alley and before the conversion, it usually took a 2-point turn, and after it usually takes a 2-point turn. I personally think the turning radius is made into a bigger issue than it really is but I know factually it does get affected some by the conversion.
Company: Chris and U-Joint in general have been great to work with, very responsive to questions and products are top notch! I would highly recommend their products not only because they do a great job,l but also because the customer service of things is some of the best I have had during this whole build.
Hope all this helps in your decision making between coil and leafs!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCam
I'm also interested in the seat, especially the key measurements in addition to the source.
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Key measurements of the seat/bed are.
Seat Mode: 20.5" Seat Depth x 53" Wide x 18" High from cushion to the floor
Bed Mode: 72" Long x 53" Wide. x 18" High from cushion to the floor
I have had quite a few people reach out about the bench seat and tried to keep the build thread from saying too much about it. I've sent quite a few private messages to people who have asked but have avoided publicly saying who I got the bench seat from because it was not a good experience working with the company and don't really want this thread turning into a discussion about the company. I'll spare the details but let's just say it was a huge hassle and I wouldn't recommend the company. If you want to know more I can PM you the info and drawings I sent to the others who have reached out.
Here is a bit of information I have compiled and shared with others who have asked about the seat.One thing I did learn about halfway through my whole seat ordeal is almost all these seat/bed frames are being manufactured by a few companies based out of the midwest. One of them is Shrock. I previously had links and names to a few companies but I can't find all of them now, sorry. So this means that if you can find a local upholstery company to do the upholstery side of things you could possibly source the frame from one of them and then have it made locally to match your specs. Now knowing what I do I would have gone that route.
Another option I would look at is reaching out to Axis Vehicle Outfitters. I haven't worked with them directly so I can't say how they are, but I did reach out to them previously when I was looking for a seat and they said they would possibly be able to sell a seat, but by the time I got that email, I had already placed my order with the other company. At a minimum, they might be able to tell you where they get the frames from.
A few other options I had previously found were Danny's Vans, Ok Custom Van Interiors, and Discount Van and Truck.
One last option depending on what level of effort you want to put in you could buy just the hinge assembly (Jackknife hinge replacement) and build or have a fabricator build a seat frame and then have an upholstery shop do all the upholstery of it. This option is obviously the most work, but would most likely allow you to get the specs just right for you.