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Dang near seized up, requiring a strong arm to move it. Tried pulling it ... pushing it ... jerking it around ... pounding it ... most anyone with an older model with the rear barn doors has had to battle sticky hinges. Trying to soak one with penetrating oil is frustrating at best, and takes forever as there's nothing to hold the oil in place long enough to do any good. Finally came up with a solution. - wrap the top of the hinge pin with gorilla duct tape. Leave about a half inch on top to form a cup. Don't use the cheap silver crap as the penetrating oil dissolves the glue - poke a cotton ball into the cup and pack it fairly tight - Soak the cotton with penetrating oil - I'm a fan of PB Blaster. WD40 is next to useless in my world. - Let it sit a few hours or overnite - no problem driving it if necessary. Most that can happen is the tape and cotton blows off and joins the bugs on someone's windshield. Or you can spend those hours cranking the door open and closed hoping for the best. Your call!

I didn't have to do any cutting either ... I had "my guy" do it same time he "popped da top" ... ;-} The sliders all around and powered top vent are a nice touch for overnite camping. Plenty of air from all directions. https://www.teardroptrailerparts.com/

Be proactive and replace your cat with a "cat tester" pipe ... ;-}

Adults only please ... ;-} Makes one wonder what the ad was originally supposed to be selling? Might be kinda hard explaining to the wire why you bought whatever it is when you open the box and there's a surprise inside ...

Used condoms ok? https://www.amazon.com/Jagwire-Housing-Damping-Internally-4-0-5-0mm/dp/B07C32KBG9 https://www.amazon.com/URBEST-Insulation-Tubing-Preservation-Insulated/dp/B01MDNCVMB/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_i=B01MDNCVMB&psc=1

The first gen TCs remind me of the old phrase "so ugly it's beautiful" ... <G>

Bright idea, putting the R134 fill valve underneath where you can't get to it, eh. Wondering if there's an extension pipe you can mount to the OEM fill valve to relocate the nipple to a more practical location? My local Ford dealer is backed up two weeks for what should probably be a simple DIY recharge. I've had a lot of AC'd vehicles over time and haven't met one yet that can't benefit from a can of refrigerant every year or so. Just did that with my Aurora - cooling was getting weak and it took five minutes to do the job.

I got a two year extension on my 2011 with 70k miles from the dealership for $1200. I also got a discount price out the door going that route. No claims, but full coverage peace of mind if nothing else. Renewing that when it expired pretty much doubled the price, so I passed.

My first guess would be the seal on the windshield. Might help to remove the inside trim to try and localize the leak. Water's got a mind of it's own, and can come out nowhere near where it got in.

22 Weeks? Wadda they doing, building it in Turkey and shipping it over on the Kon-Tiki? ;-}

Try turning the steering wheel a bit ... you won't be able to get the key out if it's not in a detent position. That got me a couple times when I first got the TC ...

Bar's Leaks or similar product? I had a pretty substantial block leak in my Aurora and Mr Goodwrench convinced me to try their secret stuff before tearing into it. That was years ago, and no problem since. Could just be overflow too. I'd consider just driving it, checking the level often, packing a spare bottle of afreeze, and keeping your fingers crossed.

I'm a fan ... they can move a lot more air and keep working well for longer periods between service. Paper filters can be a real problem with condensation and humidity. And yes, they come pre-oiled. When you DO re-oil one, make sure you let it drip out prior to installation. Just letting it drip out for a while before starting up will keep any excess oil from going where it don't belong.

Maybe just add airbags to the current setup so you can adjust ride height as needed?

Is this thread in the right place? Some comments seem out of place as well. I was just asking if there's anyone maintaining this forum as it looks jumbled up and out of place. For instance, one spot is open to forum support and several new members posted topic in this forum based on issue with their vehicles. So those topics are in the wrong place. I merely asked if you or whomever owners or maintains the site would allow me to mod so I can clean this up for them, I have time and will gladly do so. Eagerly waiting your reply and no I'm not a robot but I played one on tv ...

Most any RV dealer should be able to help you out or at least point you in the right direction.

Will the real mule please stand up? If it's the top one, just another SUV. If it's the bottom one, doesn't look like much of a change.

Ditto here. Mine was cranking slow and gave up the ghost when it dipped below zero. Jump started it and drove to the local dealership, and drove out half an hour later with a shiny new battery. Weird size, so options are limited if you want a tight fit. There's also a bunch of crap on top of the battery I figured was best left to the pros ... (Connections for the inverter, and I have no idea what the plug is for. Direct AC connect for camping maybe? Was a commercial van and that's how I got it.) Not cheap at $160, but I've paid more. My Auroras battery is under the rear seat and has special vapor recovery built in which adds to the cost.

What is the tallest person that would be able to stand up all the way inside? I’m a pretty short person and would like to be able to stand. The top is domed towards the center, and measures about 5½ feet height from the stock floor, centered between the side doors. Did the high top affect your gas mileage? Or the way the car drives - does it feel less stable? Never much cared about mileage, so can't help you there. Not much help on before/after stability either as I didn't drive it much before doing the topper. I will say I haven't noticed any stability issues. Was pleasantly surprised to find it still rides quiet - not bad for a van anyway. Also - were you able to install the vent fan or other things (roof box, solar) on top? Seems like the fiberglass has a curve that could be tricky. Yes, the topper is domed, but no problem. The MaxxAir powered vent I eventually went with installs from inside, so just cut a square hole and push it up. Lock pins hold it in place, and the outer cover seals it up weather tight. The powered vent is as far as I went. If you're into solar, I'd suggest a portable array. I've seen where folk just stash the panels in a rack inside and set them up when they get where they're going. If you decide on AC, Fiberine recommends the optional reinforcing to handle the load. Overall, do you think the top was worth it?? Your decision depending on what you're doing with the van, Personally, I wouldn't be able to get in the back at all without it. I'm six foot and still have to crouch, but I can crouch comfortably. Moving around in the back is a whole lot easier, and bonus storage up top frees up a lot of floorspace. I consider it money well spent. Worth repeating - the hardest part of the project was finding someone to do the work. Any body shop I checked refused to do the job due to potential liability issues from modifying the basic body structure. Lucky me, I found a friend of a friend with some mad customizing skillz.