Leaderboard

Oh yeah, that looks soooo much better than the stock hubcaps. In case you're wondering what all the crap on the roof is. It's a 190W solar panel, awning bar, and solar shower. You can't see the kayak saddles from this angle.

Here's a quick glimpse of my minimalist TC camper build. Yes, the leg to my folding table is resting on the inverter, but unless I stack 50 bowling balls or a couple of anvils on it, I don't think it's going to dent the case. (the table went in years before the inverter). The internal fan keeps the inverter from getting hot, if I even use it at all, and the crutch leg / foot is impervious to heat. But then, again, there isn't any heat to worry about. The kitchen counter stows under the bed when not in use. I used coat hooks, bolted to the underside of the bed to hold it in place, and used a piece of carpet to keep the fit tight and act as a friction source to keep the table from sliding out / off the hooks. It works great. The coat hooks have rubber tubing on them for added friction and slip resistance. The angled, wooden trim under the table eliminates bowing / drooping of the 1/4" plywood counter top. I use similar wooden angled trim, fastened to the insides of the rear doors, to mount the kitchen counter to. Metal pins through the counter and into the trim, hold it in place. Since the cargo area of the 2010 TC is just 6' and I am 6' 4.5", I installed a 10" folding leaf to make the bed 6' 10" long if/when needed. To be honest, though, I never use the leaf. If I fold the passenger seat forward and push it back, the worst that can happen is I wake up with my feet resting in a very comfortable position against the back of the seat. I'm seriously considering removing the existing leaf and replacing it with a 6' X 10" folding leaf, mounted on the side of the bed, that will work exactly the same as the current design. The only difference being that the leaf wouldn't fold all the way under the bed, but hang on the side. Since removing my bulky, Camco, flushing camp toilet and replacing it with a bucket-potty, there is now a lot more room to work with on the side of the bed. As you can see, I do not have a sink, but just a 3 gallon bottle with an attached pump. It works great. I really like it. 1st Gen. TC's come with so little extra horsepower, the less you can weigh them down, the better off you and your fuel economy will be. The last picture is of my driver and passenger side window coverings. I use Reflectix on the other windows, backed up with black curtains for when I want privacy but still a little light. The front windows, however, get indoor / outdoor carpet, cut to perfectly fit the windows. They attach using the "hook" half of adhesive-backed Velcro that I have stuck to the window frames. The carpet, being fibrous, acts as the "loop" side of the Velcro, completing the two halves. I like the carpet because I can roll the windows down to let fresh air in, without also letting flying insects in. The windshield has a custom fit, reflective sun shade to keep things cool inside.

These are the original hub caps the Transit Connect came with. Only the second facelift (2010 onwards) introduced the generic looking full cover hubcaps. And yes, they fasten to the lug nuts.

Apart from maybe the original hubcaps, which are great. Too bad I lost mine.

The temporary table is a really neat idea.

I like what you've done here. The minimalist approach is how I think I want to approach mine once I get started. Been looking at the different things people have done for inspiration and ideas. I like to see the different approaches to solve similar problems. My time is limited right now but I am approaching retirement (but not soon enough). That looks like a six? inch single pipe on the solar shower? How does that work out in adequacy? Is it enough volume for long enough time? Like those new wheels too. I see what you mean about the extra holes.

I found some chrome spline nuts that should work for my application. Its a compromise to what I really wanted but often you have to shift to get the job done properly. BRANDSPORT.com gives plenty of info on the specs to make an informed decision.