windguy

Yakima and Thule do sell tracks that have a universal u-channel design as well as a few other companies. It's a different style than the OEM in that they are flat and flush with the channel of the van. I like that feature so it's flush when racks are not in use. Depends on how you plan to use your racks and how often. See pics in the thread linked below.

@herb - easy solution to turning off that message, which is in the User's Manual (shown below). Another forumite posted this procedure a few months back but not sure what thread. Worked for me. The one year clock gets set in my van before I get to the 5,000 mile interval for an oil change. Just hitting 20,000 now so I'm ready for another service too.

Here Lizard, Lizard, Lizard. You're going to need a bigger cargo box ? Welcome to the forum! I can't answer your question directly but I can stir the pot. If you switched your rack system to add tracks then you can position your crossbars to fit the size of any cargo box you want to get. Retooling your rack system will cost you more money but you'll gain more flexibility down the road. Just a thought. If you're price sensitive and not in a rush, Yakima and Thule have 25% off sales a few times a year through their retailers, like rackattack.com Another different approach is to add a cage to the roof. See pics below. I think the pics of the blue van came from this forum many years ago but not sure. The cage offers a lot of utility if you need to free up cargo space inside. Good luck!

@Lynn - Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new TC. You did great on your starting your first thread and even posted a picture. Nice job! Looks like you've got some interesting projects in the works. There's a separate discussion section for MODS, so please keep us updated on what you're doing. Make sure you can easily get to the jack, just in case. I never realized that with some other forumites who have shared their camper builds. In fact, one guy recently shoe horned in a shelving unit. There's no way he's going to be able to get to the jack easily. Maybe he already had that figured out. There is ample storage space under the deck where the second row seating footwell would normally be in a wagon model. In case you haven't figured this out or read about it on this forum, that would be very useful to add for extra storage.

Interesting link below. Westfalia does some really slick innovative camper mods. https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/westfalia-ford-nugget-transit-camper-van-conversion-is-vantastic/ar-AAH6mRu?li=BBnb4R5#image=AAH68gb|1 Europe gets all the cool vehicles and the US gets squat. Why is that? Perhaps Europe has a greater appreciation for doing more with a smaller size vehicle and in the U.S. the bigger is better mentality prevails. As long as gas is plentiful and inexpensive we'll never change our ways and the market will just fuel that inefficiency. At least our small Transit Connect tribe is bucking that trend. Good for us!

Thanks Guys. Appreciate the help. I will source a roll of 16awg copper wire.

Thanks Don. Appreciate the advice. Removing the spade connectors and soldering the wire directly to the speaker lug would be a sure thing. The speaker lug even has a hole in it to loop the wire through. I really like this idea. Regarding better wire, I've been waffling on doing this but considering the amount of time I'll be spending to snake the wire from the doors to the side jack area, upgrading the speaker wire is probably a good idea. The speaker wire that came with the speakers is, I'm guessing, 20awg. The speaker wire pigtails coming off the amp/control unit also seems to be around 20awg. Is there any penalty for going with a heavier gauge wire, like 16awg or 14awg? The speakers are rated at 4 Ohm - 100w max (50w RMS) Any suggestions on speaker wire to get (copper, CCA)? I found this 14awg roll of CCA linked below at Amazon. It says 30ft but it's actually 15ft x 2 strands. Would something like this work? https://www.amazon.com/InstallGear-Gauge-Speaker-Touch-Cable/dp/B01CSZUSLA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 Thanks for the help!

I need to mount a 4" round speaker on each rear barn door and run the speaker wires through the door conduit. Has anyone removed the black plastic cover over the wiper motors, as shown below? I'm assuming you use a socket and remove the three nuts and the cover slips off the studs. Figured it's best to ask first before creating any collateral damage. Another question about wiring to the speakers. The Pyle speaker set I got came with 10ft of speaker wire for each speaker. One end of the cable has a small spade connector to mate to the lug on the speakers. The problem is that the spade connector doesn't sit very tightly on the speaker lug. It can get knocked off very easily with the movement of the door. Looking for suggestions on how to best to lock that in. My first thought is to take needle nose pliers and crimp it a bit but don't want to distort the connector either since it looks pretty thin and flimsy. I guess I can also use some type of adhesive like loctite to keep it on place. Thanks!

@drh14 - Cool that you may have found a potential van to buy. I have a cargo van so I can't help you with the Titanium in terms of any specific maintenance issues with that model. Perhaps other forumites can assist you with that. The 2014 is the first production year, mine is a 2015, and I had early issues with the left front drive shaft seal leaking. There was an SSM covering this. This is something to ask about. The van's powertrain warranty is 5 years or 60,000 miles so it's a narrow window to getting that fixed under warranty if it's an issue. if the van is still eligible year wise. Good luck in your search!

@Rr896 - Thanks for the update and sharing your experience. Glad you were able to get your problem resolved and your locks are functioning again. A friend once told me that if you can fix a problem by writing a check then it's really not a problem. It's an easy solution. It's a wise take on a how to handle troubling situations.

@drh14 - Welcome to the forum. Hopefully you'll be part of the TC family soon. Take your time finding the right van for you. It will happen. You've received some good personal experiences from other TC owners on this forum that I agree with for the most part. I do have to say that regarding the Turn Radius for a LWB model, it's not very good when you need to make a u-turn in the road. It may be just a function of the long wheel base, not sure. I have to do a u-turn often off a coastal highway from the middle turn lane and I need more than two lanes of road to turn around, so if there are cars parked on the shoulder, I need to swing it wide first or I won't make it. It needs to be a fast and clean maneuver. Not a show stopper but just a detail you need to be ready for if it's part of your driving routine. Parking is pretty easy if you have the front and rear parking assist sensors and a back up camera. Windows all around on the wagon model will also help you. There are lots of threads on this forum discussing camper mods to wagon models with some really unique and cool designs and craftsmanship. Plenty to get your started on your own design. Please keep us posted on your search for your TC. Looking forward to seeing your new van. Good luck.

Ha! Maybe I'm wrong. I thought I was once told after service that it wasn't working but I didn't care as I don't use it. Then again it could have been a previous car so we'll just call it a senior moment and move on. But now I'm curious too.

Nice job Don. Thanks for sharing. My 2015 barn door washer stopped working also but I never use it. Never use the front washer either. Clean the front and rear glass when I get gas but I can see when it's required.

@Loop79 - Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new van. Would love to see a few pics of your van to make it official. See the link below to what another forumite did for shade. That was a pretty nice setup with a barn door van. Adding shade to the back can be done many ways but knowing more about your specific situation(s) and requirements would be helpful. Example - will wind be an issue, beach use, camping use, tailgating in a parking lot.

I would go with the 97H rating and not deviate. I agree with other comments that the cost differential isn't worth the doubt you might have over the life of the tire. The Pirelli Cinturato Strada's that I recently got at at America's Tire I believe is the same as the Cinturato P7 that you mentioned. Difference in tread pattern is minimal with the same 70,000 mileage rating. Cost should be around $119 per tire. I'm sure there are other similar tire models to choose from and the differences are negligible. Regarding the Yokohama Tornante, did you see this discussion linked below? https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4999387/yokohama-tornante FORUM COMMENTS They started off as the Yokohama Avid TRZ, and were available just about everywhere. Then were discontinued as such and became the Tornante which are available now at limited stores. I have seen this before where a tire gets discontinued as a mainstream tire, and becomes a private label model. THE TORNANTE IS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT THE FOLLOWING TIRE DEALERSHIPS. Autotire Cheshire Tire Curry's Auto Ken Towery Monro Muffler/Brake Mr Tire The Tire Choice Tire Barn Tire Factory Tire Warehouse

That is a good question. The thread linked below talked about the plugs but no one shared a part number. Sorry I couldn't help but perhaps another forumite can access parts diagrams and find that for you. Do you need them for the holes in the cab area, cargo area or all holes? I think you can provision something on your own that would work equally well or perhaps be more water tight.

@desert_connect - great update. Glad to hear your camper connect design is coming together. Great job on putting those slider windows in. Your hard work is paying off nicely.

@stanger_missle - Don't think you're overthinking this at all. You're just exploring the what ifs, which is cool. I too have a cargo van with only two speakers in the front doors. Below is a pic of the slider doors speaker mounts you're referring to. Your concerns about road noise are valid. I personally wouldn't bother mounting speakers there. I think that mounting point would be good if you had passengers in this area but it would be a waste otherwise. If you want music for the cab area, then that's where I'd add or upgrade speakers for better sound. If I spent more time in the van I would consider an audio upgrade. Good luck!

Okay, no tracks on the roof. Then why do you care about the factory racks? How wide is your awning? Do you need to have roof racks for other purposes, other than the awning? If not, I would provision two or more mounting brackets for a low cost solution. You might be able to find brackets already made for a ladder rack application. The only downside is that they would be fixed in place when you're not using the awning. That's where a rail and removable foot has its advantage. You'll have to share more about your requirements.

Do you factory tracks or nothing? Start by using the search feature of this forum. Try "ROOF RACKS". There are numerous threads to be found. One sample below.

Would love to see a few snaps of your wagon. Please share. Regarding shopping around, I agree and disagree. It's always great to get a decent deal when buying something but there's something to be said for paying a little extra for quality work. Especially when it comes to auto repair and tires in this case. Same goes for other services like a contractor for instance. I used a low cost bidder once and it was a disaster. Many years ago I brought my wife's car to a tire shop with a flat tire. I had put the spare on and the tech worked on the car outside of the bay area using a floor jack. I watched the tech use an impact wrench and strip one of the studs. Totally his fault but the shop wouldn't back up their mistake and blamed me for cross threading the lug. I had to go to the dealer to get a new stud installed at my expense. Needless to say I didn't go back to this shop. I've had nothing but excellent service at America's Tire and now they have appointments. It took only 35 minutes to get the tires installed and they handed me the old valve stems in a baggie. Well worth a tip. Plus their pricing is always competitive so I don't worry about that. I value my time as much as the quality of work. At my last oil change the service writer at the local Ford dealer told me that my tire treads were low and need replacement @15,000 miles. I said okay, will you prorate the tires then. He gave me this blank stare and didn't answer. I said I'd email him for a quote, but never bothered and he never bothered contacting me.

Thanks Bill. Glad to hear you like your Pirellis. Always fun when you make the right choice. I took my first trip to the beach yesterday with the new tires and put them through their normal paces. So far so good. There are two spots where I would always get wheel spin with the Cont's and did not have that at all. The Pirellis seem to have better grip and traction, especially on the curvy road. Not sure if that's going to translate into reduced MPG. Will see on that. As far as noise level, at first I thought they were just as noisy at the Cont's but over the course of the ride I'm thinking they might be a tad more quiet, but I think I'm just trading one noise for another as the cargo van is just a noisy vehicle to begin with. That same thing happened when I did some sound proofing. The noise source just shifted. Will keep an ear on that and see. Probably the only true way to test that is with a decibel meter of some sorts. Speaking of van level noise, when I went to get the tires mounted, I removed all my sailing/surf gear from both the hanging rack and cargo floor area so the van was gutted and it was noticeable noisier when it's empty. Having that gear in there really helps dampen and muffle the sound, which makes sense. Just a tidbit. Will report back when I put more miles on the tires.

You make some interesting observations but I'm not really sure what your message is. BTW - all the Sears store in my area have been closed for a while. They are a done deal. What type of TC do you have - wagon, cargo, year?

I followed in TCCONVERT's footsteps (tire tracks) and got a set of Pirelli Cinturato Strada AS's installed today. Stock size. I've been way overdue to replace the OEM Conti's and planned to do that at 20,000 miles. Just shy by 500 miles and picked up a leak in the left rear tire so pulled the trigger. 20,000 miles is about average for me and tires due to curvy canyon roads I mostly travel to and from the beach. I've used America's Tire (Discount Tire) for previous cars and I like their service and it's convenient so I wanted to stick with them for the van. I asked if they would prorate the OEM tires and they said they don't on OEM tires. Only if you buy them separately. New Pirelli's have that with a 70,000 warranty. Will be interesting to see how well they wear and if there is any reduced noise I can detect. Now I need to go get the alignment checked. The tire wear was pretty even on the OEM's but I'll error on the side of caution.

Factory warranty on the Powertrain is 5 years or 60,000 miles. Do you still qualify for this coverage?