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sKiZo

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Everything posted by sKiZo

  1. sKiZo
    I was driving this back when working for Ford during the "Japanese Invasion" ... Used to scare the bejesuz out of Datsuns and such when I pulled up behind them.
  2. sKiZo
    The Metra camera I used has a bendable stalk that's easy enough to adjust for center. Not much, as the camera location is only a few inches away from the stock setup. About $30 with excellent night vision.
  3. sKiZo
    Wonder if that might be a similar issue that I had with my Oldsmobile Aurora. The "smart stalk" on that one is known to have corrosion issues that can cause all sorts of weirdness with flashing lights and whatever. GM wanted several hundred to replace it, but I was able to get inside the column and use some DeOxit cleaner on all the contacts - no problem since.
  4. sKiZo
    My stock system had issues, and I'd been wanting to upgrade the factory radio, and I'd been thinking of a GPS ... so I got all three. Replaced the stock radio with an integrated double din head that has it all. Camera is a Metra unit that just mounts to the license plate holder. Works nice! The head also does the thumb drive thing so I can just load up a few hundred favorite tunes for trips. My only complaint is going with a somewhat cheaper head (Boss Audio) that could use a bit more contrast for better visibility in daylight. I found a shield that clips into the CD slot that helps a lot there, but still looking for an anti glare screen cover that actually works. The one I got is useless shite. PS ... stock backup camera is still in the TC. The mirror has a light on it to show it's powered, but nothing there. I hope to eventually get it working again, and just make it active all the time for a rear view mirror kinda thang. I did install windows in the back doors that help a LOT, but I still wouldn't mind the camera for extra visibility. Just picked up a replacement camera (the stock type that is also the license plate light) but haven't got around to swapping it in yet.
  5. sKiZo
    Sure it's not just you? Took me forever to figure out how to adjust mine, but right happy with it now ... tricky one was the height adjustment - whooda thunk you gotta pump it up??
  6. sKiZo
    Neither one of those steps would work for me as I have enough problem with a standard 7" step. What I liked about the double step I got ... steps at 7" and 14" and then about 20" floor height ... perfect! I was able to walk up inside easy enough with the steps, and backed out and down without hurting myself. (Don't know if I mentioned it or not, but recent amputee here, and full reconstruction on the remaining leg, plus a replacement shoulder, all from a vehicle accident, so I have ... issues ... which I'm hoping the van will address.) Also looking into a folding hand rail but not sure how to mount that. Shouldn't be a problem once I get my kitchen/shelving unit built ... Speaking of which ... playing around in photoshop again. I took the original shelving unit out as that's just too bulky and didn't lay out right for my liking. This one would fit between the side and rear doors. PS ... already figured out the watch for low decks thing. Hospital parking lot tops out at 7 feet, and I guess they're not kidding. They're nice enough to have a plastic bumper hanging down before you hit the concrete, so I backed out as soon as I heard the thonk. Bit of a scratch is all.
  7. sKiZo
    Vent wings help a lot ... cuts down on the wind dramatically and also nice visors for low sun. Also handy for venting the vehicle when parked and keeping the weather out as well. They just press fit into the window channels. I put em on all my vehicles.
  8. sKiZo
    BREATHING KILLS!! How about warning labels and directions on fresh meat?? Seems to me, somebody too dumb to know how meat works should kinda leave it to someone else, eh.
  9. sKiZo
    Made arrangements today for a local boat repair to do some fiberglass work on the roof to add a box mount for an air conditioner. Bit tricky as there's some crown to the existing roof. Plan is to go with a Coleman Mach 3. Small footprint at 80 pounds and also has an option to add a heater coil. Should be interesting to see how that works out. ... And ya, I'm sure it could fly off and kill somebody, - just don't follow me too close. Also got the steps in today. Right sturdy, and a whole lot less work than any disappearing stairs, not to mention a whole lot cheaper. Just the thing for us aging gimps ... High Country Plastics Trailer, RV Entry Step
  10. sKiZo
    At least they were kind enough to put it on blocks instead of just dropping it to the ground ... ** Wonder if the guvmint is ever gonna require RFID tracking on cement blocks like they do with explosives and such? Of course, that would just make stealing concrete blocks that much more attractive to the shady crews doing this sort of thing.
  11. sKiZo
    Gloom! Doom! Brought to you by the same people who probably figure we need seat belts on bar stools ...
  12. sKiZo
    I gotta think they just filled a boat up with that stuff and sent it back to Turkey for "recycling" into the next batch of "wagons" coming over ...
  13. sKiZo
    Aha! Thanx for that ... I'll be able to sleep nights now ... <G> Mine already had the third brake light on the roof. Wonder if the cutout is still there for a Euro version, or they were just too cheap to retool the die for the door ... same thing like the glued in panels instead of windows I suppose.
  14. sKiZo
    Here's what's left of my cargo wall ... Converting it to an RV so didn't really need it. Mine came in two pieces, so driver's side was removed, and visibility greatly improved by cutting out the waffle section at the top of the other side. Nice place to mount the inverter and a fire extinguisher. Anyone want the driver's side half? Pay the shipping and it's yours! (of course, we're talking about 100 pounds.) <G>
  15. sKiZo
    Doesn't look like one of those would fit around my step bumper ... Then again, that will keep me from being tempted to tow anything ... <G> PS ...off topic but ... anyone know what that cutout at the top of the drivers side door is for? I would have thought backup camera, but that's built into the license plate light ...
  16. sKiZo
    Big fan of harbor freight here ... they got some real decent stuff at great prices. One of my favorite go to cleanup tools is their 3hp bullet vac - thing's pretty much indestructible. Only fair after maybe 20 years is I broke one of the clips that hold the bag cover in place, but nothing a little duct tape couldn't cure.
  17. sKiZo
    The stock hinges are made to stop the doors at around 90 degrees. You'll see a yellow button on the inside about mid point between the hinges - press that, and it releases the stop catch and allows you to swing the doors completely out to the side. something like 270 degrees ... Sounds like somebody might have modded the hinges to bypass that first stop? Maybe pull the inside door panel and check for disconnected linkage? PS - both rear doors in the pic are opened to the first stop ...
  18. sKiZo
    Sorry to take so long ... missed the notification ... https://www.teardroptrailerparts.com/pricing.html - WD07 for the side doors. Those are 21x14" horizontal sliders @ $75 each. - WD04 for the rear doors. Those are 14x16" vertical sliders @ $70 each There's a variety of trim rings available for different thickness panels. My TC just has the glue in panels and only needed the 0 thickness rings. Make sure you ask them to "mirror" the windows on the side doors so they both have the fixed glass FORWARD and have the weep holes on the bottom. Both rear windows have the fixed glass UP. Seem to be pretty well made. I didn't do the install - same guy who raised the roof put those in. Had some big boomers come thru with a lot of rain last night and everything stayed dry. Check back in 10 years or so and I'll do a report on durability. <G>
  19. sKiZo
    The center caps are nice, but I kinda like the Amazon caps I got ... Amazon's got everything, and the price is hard to beat ... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQ29GA2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Only concern really is I know the cheaper caps have a tendency to go flying off at speed. They have a wire tension ring that presses plastic fingers into the rim, and these are either too loose when new, or wear badly. I could actually spin a couple of these on the rim a bit when first installed - bad sign for long life that. Cue the handy man's secret weapon - duct tape! A couple strips over the wire and down each finger on both sides, and another strop wrapped around each finger below the wire, and they're not going anywhere. Just be sure to inspect the tape for wear any time you tape the caps off and add another piece if necessary. Then be careful not to break any of the fingers trying to pound them on. I press all the fingers in a bit so they hook the rim, THEN a few taps with a rubber hammer to set them, and they ain't goin' nowhere. I'll still be keeping an eye out for a deal on some real wheels, but no rush on that.
  20. sKiZo
    Oh. Sound system ... Got that covered - I put a double din touchscreen radio head in the dash, new door speakers, and tucked a couple extra speakers in the overhead shelf up front. Those tucked in real nice and just press fit into the corners for now. Also put a powered sub under the driver's seat. All in all, it's a big improvement over the stock system, and no issues with throwing codes or any of that high tech nonsense these things can give you if you mess with the electronics. Bonus - the radio head also gives me built in GPS and backup camera. ... and one other little compromise. Got cheap on the wheels for now and just painted the stock steels with PlastiFix and added some $25 covers I got from Amazon. Look pretty decent I think - whole lot better than they did anyway. I think that about covers it for now ... stay tuned!
  21. sKiZo
    Why half step ... all of the above! ;-} Speaking of steps ... I've already got a plan B for that ... supposed to be pretty sturdy, and 14" high with the first step splitting the difference is perfect for the side entry. I'd prefer wider, but these should work for now. Also lightweight and just stash them inside the door when traveling. I suppose next up should be the roof vent and painting the topper. That's just gel coat right now and should get a couple coats of real paint at least to protect it. I'll have to ask Fiberine if the stuff they used is UV stable or not.
  22. sKiZo
    Tada ... the real deal, sitting back in the drive ... The step bumper on the back is a nice touch - bolted right in. Side step was a no go - wouldn't fit without a whole lot of welding, so we passed on that for now. Anyone got any ideas on a better option there, let me know please. Interior roughed in nicely with clean cuts and made for a nice storage cubby up top ahead of the side doors. That's better than a foot deep and should be nice for stashing soft stuff like blankets, pillows, and such. Original liner cleaned things up nice after cutting the center out, and just needs some wood trim around the edges to dress it up. Plan is to add LED string lighting with dimmer around that to light the entire cargo area. Fiberine also did a real nice job of finishing out the interior of the shell, with the plywood being bonded right into the glass to improve strength. Heavy duty stuff --- the topper tipped the scales around 250 pounds. Had the driver's side of the cargo wall removed, and the waffle "window" section of passenger side cut out to improve visibility. I can actually see out the rear view mirror now! One item - the new topper has a pretty extreme crown to it, which is why you don't see the exhaust fan. Figured best left to the pros as that will take some tricky glass work to keep it watertight. Win some, lose some - I can live with it as is for now, and there's a place up the road that can do the work.
  23. sKiZo
    Working on the windows thing here ... Maybe not as good as the stock windows would be, but certainly a big improvement, with the added bonus of actual ventilation. Also had the shop cut out the waffle grid on the cargo wall behind the passenger seat and remove the section behind the driver's seat completely. That should help a bunch.
  24. sKiZo
    Getting a radio head that supports a backup camera is the way I went. That and a license plate mount camera do the trick. The camera is also mounted on a flexible stalk that can be bent to aim the camera where you need it, and seems so far to be sturdy enough to stay where I put it. To aim it, I just back the TC up to the garage door with an "X" of blue tape on it and center that on the screen. That said, I'd love to find out more about the Forscan app and whether there's any trick settings for the stock camera system on the 2011 TC. Mine is a cargo style WITH the factory camera, but that doesn't work. The camera is there and hooked up, and I get a red light on the rear view mirror showing it's active, but that's about it ...
  25. sKiZo
    I do know that was the hot button for any professional body shops I stopped by. Most took one look and started mumbling about liability. Reminds me of a talk I had with Ford about my '93 Ranger. Basic XLT package, and when asked what I could tow with it, they said, pretty much nothing. To which my reply was ... then why put a bumper on it that has a place for a tow ball? It's all about keep the lawyers happy nowadays I guess. ;-} One item I got to look into. The guy who's doing the work is waffling on cutting the roof for the fan. the new roof has got a pretty good crown to it, and installing it per instructions from the outside ain't gonna work. I figure cut the hole and jam it in from underneath instead? That would require a lot of disassembly, but also allow the fan box to seal tight to the edges of the hole I'd think. No rush - maybe eventually get a fiberglass guru to build a box with a flat top and mold that into the roof instead.
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