[dobermin]

The MaxxAir Deluxe (MaxxFan 7500) fan install took about 4 hours. This was the first mod we did to the van just hours after taking delivery. Nothing like cutting a 14″ square hole in the roof as the christening procedure to kick off the build!

I basically followed the instructions of Hein from Impact3d who sells the ceiling and roof adapters that make this installation a breeze. We only used his roof adapter.

Wrapping a 3/4" piece of plywood in old carpeting worked well to distribute my 220 lbs. while working on the roof.

For the final stage of installation, I had some old Eternabond rubber roof repair tape that I used to cover the screws, adapter plates and onto the van roof. This didn't work well as the tape was a bit to old I think. It looked like rain was coming along with darkness in an hour so I ran up to the local True Value Hardware and picked up some Rustoleum Rubber Roof Seal in Black and crossed my fingers.

This stuff seems pretty amazing -- liquid rubber. It's super thick - I brushed on one coat, waited 30 minutes and put on the second coat. So far, so good.

More photos and info here: http://ultimatevanproject.com/category/exterior/maxxair-fan/

 

[nebulight]

looking forward to following your build.

 

[dobermin]

Noico Sound Deadening Insulation Install

Noico Black 80 Mil 36 Sq Ft Car Sound Deadening, butyl automotive deadener restoration mat and Noise dampening insulation was installed in several of the open areas. We installed the Noico beneath the factory panels on the rear and sliding door and along the very top panels on our high top.

We still need to do under the main cargo panels on both sides and will do this when we remove them to insulate as well.

The Noico was very fast and easy to install -- we also used a roller to help adhere it and remove any bubbles.

 

[dobermin]

Luverne Tuff Guard

We installed the Luverne Tuff Guard this past weekend. Very high quality, heavy-duty product. Complete, easy instructions -- installation in a couple hours with one person. The only drilling were four 1 -1.25" holes via hole saw into the plastic front fascia to clear the bolts to re-install the fascia.

 

[dobermin]

Freedman Fold Away Seat Installed

We installed our fold-away style seat from Freedman Seating directly behind the driver’s seat facing the passenger side sliding door.

This is a somewhat difficult installation location due to undercarriage items such as the exhaust system, fuel tank and vehicle framing. We have to give a shout-out to “Phranc” from our forum for his assistance in providing a floor diagram detailing the limited open space underneath for positioning and mounting the seat. This saved a lot of time and an incredible amount of aggravation trying to figure it all out our self.

Once we located the acceptable mounting location we marked and drilled the floor holes and then created some backer-bars out of 1/4″ steel we picked up at ACO Hardware. We also used the same steel stock to create shims for the top side valleys between the grade-8 bolts.

The Freedman Seat itself is high-quality and designed well. It folds up in seconds freeing up some space if/when needed. We are still able to swivel the driver’s seat too.

 

[proeddie]

Nice installs all the way around. I used some fresh Eternabond and it worked well.

I read about your first trip on another thread and wondered about the "four adults" line.... now it all makes sense! A few more pics of the seat folded down would be appreciated. Hmmmmm... if I took out the kitchen cabinet....

 

[dobermin]

Luverne Grip Step

We'll start by quoting from Luverne's product page which sums it up accurately:

"Stop messing around and start getting the job done with LUVERNE Grip Step™ 7" running boards. These roughneck steps feature a unique expanded metal tread pattern for superior traction and a 7" x 2 1/2" rectangular design for reliable footing. They are built from aluminum alloy for exceptional, rust-free strength, and they are simple to install using high-strength vehicle-specific brackets.

As always, Grip Steps™ are made right here in the USA for quality you can trust and footing you that won't let you down."

We installed the Luverne side Grip Steps as well as the rear step. All components were labeled accurately and the instructions included descent diagrams. Once we had installed the shortest step, the driver's side, we learned the sequence and were able to complete the large passenger side full step as well as the rear step in a fifth the time as the first step took.

Luverne is known for their quality products, and these steps are no exception. The all-aluminum steps are super light, a lot of the hardware was stainless steel and the brackets were made of thick metal -- probably 3/8" steel.

We had to modify the installation a bit as some of the undercarriage of our van did not match that of the instructions but it was just a matter of purchasing some additional large self-tapping bolts.

The steps are functional and we like the look too.

More photos here: http://ultimatevanproject.com/2017/07/20/luverne-grip-steps/

 

[dobermin]

Polyiso Insulation Weekend

We just completed Polyisocyanurate Rigid Foam Insulation Board installation weekend!

It was very easy and fairly fast as the Great Stuff cures in about 15 minutes — we cut some templates from roll paper which we then transferred to the Polyiso and cut out with a fresh box cutter blade/razor knife. For some of the cuts we used our homemade foam board cutter which is basically a short circuit of some thin wire connected to a battery charge set at 2 amps all housed in pvc. Most of the panels were just measured and cut on the spot.

Polyiso will catch fire and burn with a direct short circuit as we experienced this several times…red-hot wire cuts very nice thou!

We used Great Stuff to glue the boards up and then filled in the gaps with it once the panels were set – this was a cinch using our pro foam gun and about a dozen large cans of G.S. We used approximately 5.5 sheets of of the 4’x8′ Polyiso for our 159″ EXT ProMaster.

I also found this to be a good time to remove those two large black foam gizmos at the ceiling/front of the van -- what the heck are they for - sound deadening / vibration?

 

[Hein]

Spray foam and polyiso sure looks messy to me. And it's flammable too?
What are you planning for all the un-insulated bulkheads?
That's where the condensation will form, and the noise, heat and cold will sneak in.
Sorry we weren't able to sponsor you with free Thinsulate(TM).
I think your installer might have appreciated working with it.

 

[dobermin]

I'm imagine it's a bit messier than Thinsulate! But was no big deal and it never got tiring using the foam gun --

BUT --- we will be using thinsulate as well in this hybrid-insulation approach --- we did purchase a large roll from you! It will be used in all the bulk heads, the doors and above the storage area over the driver/passenger compartment. We will have enough to put on top of some of the Polyiso as well.

I'll be publishing photos/etc. of the step as well.... thanks Hein.

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Both types of insulation are the solution I have advocated. I like your cutter! And I suggest for future work you only use the Great Stuff to make vertical stripes. It will hold fine and any condensation can then escape downward although with what you did I can't see how moisture could get back there. You WAY overshot the amount IMHO. A small bead of 1/2” was my standard and it held great! That makes it look neater too. No problem with it though and I too never tire of that Progun! I only used two cans BTW.

No one should expect free Thinsulate. It’s cost is not crucial to the overall cost of the conversion and I don’t see any alternative to what to do in the ribs. OTOH no one should expect free polyisocyanurate either.

 

[KilWerBzz]

Climashield apex is half the price, plus shipping ($11.57 fed x), of Thinsulate with the same r value.
https://ripstopbytheroll.com/products/climashield-apex-7-5-oz-sq

 

[ridesteeps]

Nice work

Nice, it looks like you are one week ahead of me in my build. In one of the photos there is some black plastic hanging down. Did you pre install some wiring conduit before insulating?

 

[dobermin]

No conduit [yet anyway] -- I think you may be seeing the wiring hanging down from the MaxxAir Fan. I believe most of my wiring will be run through ribs, etc. which have no insulation yet -- I will be using Thinsulate that we purchased from HEIN for that.

 

[Hein]

No conduit [yet anyway] -- I think you may be seeing the wiring hanging down from the MaxxAir Fan. I believe most of my wiring will be run through ribs, etc. which have no insulation yet -- I will be using Thinsulate that we purchased from HEIN for that.

I apologize for being harsh on the polyiso install. Sorry about that.
We very much appreciate your business and for providing a link to us on your site.

Bundling wires in split loom is great especially under neath.
It can rattle against metal which is a problem if buried in the wall.

Most OEMs are using cloth tape for wrapping wires:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OECD7W

SAE standards require that wires be 1/2" away from metal but
that's hard to achieve. Next best thing are grommets and edge
guard. You can get various sizes at McMaster Carr.

 

[dobermin]

Roof Rack - Main Made Studios

We hired the creative, energetic and innovative Main Made Studios of Florida to build a custom, low-profile aluminum roof rack for our 159″ EXT.

We needed this beast to serve the following functions:

• Mount using all factory rack mounting locations
• Mount at least two solar 100W solar panels up front
• Have decking to support a person or two for event viewing/photography, etc
• Cut out in rear for MaxxAir Fan
• Ability to mount lighting
• Ability to mount awning
• Removable horizontal mounting rails for kayak/canoe
• Side accessible matching ladder – fastened to rack not roof

David Main – the owner immediately jumped on the challenge! Updates to follow.......

 

[dobermin]

Bed Platform

We designed and completed 90% of the platform bed system we will be using. We started by obtaining some 2″ aluminum angle bar 1/4″ in thickness from a local supplier. We cut it to length and fastened it to the van’s main horizontal bar utilizing Rivuts. We choose this method as the Rivnuts allow us to easily remove a couple of screws to pivot the frame rails to adjust level should we choose to do so.

For the bed frame itself, we utilized a tri-folding aluminum loading ramp. We drilled out the hinges leaving us with three 18″ wide pieces that we cut to length using a circular saw with metal cutting disc.

We then caulked the top of the frame and screwed down 11/32″ plywood to each section. The sections can independently be taken out and ideally will be stored on an area above the rear door and or along a bench that is yet to be created. We are still contemplating what method we will use to fasten them to the support tails for use while traveling — either pins or bolts.

Other ideas include using the center section propped up as a back rest for either rear or forward facing bench and also foldable legs on the sections to be used as portable tables.

We plan on having a dinette under the area of the bed and removing the two front sections will provide enough clearance for this.

Still working on some of these ideas as well as mattress options. Initial research from others who have completed their beds reveals a 4″ memory foam mattress may be enough for limited use (we are not living in the van).

http://ultimatevanproject.com/category/interior/bed-platform/

 

[tahoematt]

I apologize for being harsh on the polyiso install. Sorry about that.
We very much appreciate your business and for providing a link to us on your site.

Bundling wires in split loom is great especially under neath.
It can rattle against metal which is a problem if buried in the wall.

Most OEMs are using cloth tape for wrapping wires:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OECD7W

SAE standards require that wires be 1/2" away from metal but
that's hard to achieve. Next best thing are grommets and edge
guard. You can get various sizes at McMaster Carr.

Hein, Can you explain this wiring approach more in depth? I'm just starting insulation now but don't know the best way to do the wiring/conduit. Please explain.
Thanks

 

[Josh Cissell]

Great looking build!

 

[Tom]

Hi Dobermin,

I'm trying decide which running boards to get.

I'm curious how the Luverne grip steps have been working out for you?

Would you still recommend them?

Thanks.