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2016 TC XLT LWB Wagon Project Mtn. Biker/Dog Hauler/Camper


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Got the Laminate Planks in,,,the silver colored oak was a special order item,,,fawn looked good enough, plus it will match the beagles fur when they shed LOL. stuff is super easy to work with,,,I used my trusty knockout set to punch the access holes to the floor bolts. The Tie downs hold the entire floor securely in place, so no tape, glue or velcro needed! I hope this floor lasts a while,,,if not, it will come back out!

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Edited by r1alvin
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Good looking install and insulation .   Your dogs are held in high regard.

Looking forward to the AC install and the finish.

As the TC originates in Spain and the EU the Metrics would invade even Texas.

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3 hours ago, G B L said:

Good looking install and insulation .   Your dogs are held in high regard.

Looking forward to the AC install and the finish.

As the TC originates in Spain and the EU the Metrics would invade even Texas.

Thanks,,,The A/C project is on hold for now. I was told that it will require reinforcement of the roof structure, however, it seems some of the local upfitters have no experience performing this task on the Transit Connect. Until I can find some experienced help in this area or figure it out on my own,,,I'm going to hold off for now. If anyone with a Transit Connect has a roof top a/c unit and can chime in or post a thread I'd love to read it.

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If you can't figure out the roof top AC unit, I hacked up one of my remote start key fobs to start the van and let it run for 15 minutes. If you have the OEM remote start system you can program the car to run the climate control system. I used it back in December out in Fargo to sleep quite comfortably when it was -18F. I don't see why the system wouldn't work to keep the van cool. I used an Arduino to control everything. It uses about a gallon of gas to run the van all night. I open sourced the code. Fobuino on GitHub

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Cool  .  I suspect that if the AC unit was mounted toward the Rear the roof issues would be small.  If you have ever looked at the Roof structure of most campers It will not take much to make the structure work.

Very nice job on the Van!!

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7 hours ago, chong said:

If you can't figure out the roof top AC unit, I hacked up one of my remote start key fobs to start the van and let it run for 15 minutes. If you have the OEM remote start system you can program the car to run the climate control system. I used it back in December out in Fargo to sleep quite comfortably when it was -18F. I don't see why the system wouldn't work to keep the van cool. I used an Arduino to control everything. It uses about a gallon of gas to run the van all night. I open sourced the code. Fobuino on GitHub

Interesting but I don't have remote start on my keyfob or in my van. 

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Alright so here's where I'm at. Picked up this 8 gallon water sprayer from Northern tool on sale for 59.99. Unfortunately, the motor that came with it was weak and had no "on demand" cut off switch so I bought a 12V motor with that feature as well as more psi (60 vs 40).  Works wonderful! The hose is from Target I'm not sure if I plan on keeping it or not. The idea is to be able to rinse my mtn. bike off and also rinse myself off. Could also be used for the dogs. Now, I am trying to figure out the cabinetry around the tank,,,,I am looking into a hinged lid type setup so that I can have a 32" wide sleeping area and also have some sort of an extension for  additional length over the lower floor surface towards the front of the van. 

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Edited by r1alvin
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You might consider acquiring a 4 ft hitch cargo basket and carrying it outside the van.  Etrailer.com has one that measures 4 ft by 20 inches that fits a two inch receiver.  It's heavy duty. 

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Right but then I would have to transport my mountain bike inside the van. This tank takes up less real estate. I also use a Thule rack to carry my bike as shown on page 1. I may still look into this option if I end up having to carry a portable gen or it gets too clustered inside the van. My goal is to only carry essentials. 

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Nice mods!  I suspect you saw my thread already.  I use mine for hauling my dog as well.

I think we have pretty similar TC's.  i was thinking about removing the center bucket seat floor bracket but was worried about how the carpet would lay once I took it out.  Tying to keep it mostly stock for resale some day.  I didn't realize how much space there appears under the floor in the front.  Looks like quite a bit there.  

Check out the mat I used. I find it nice for the dog.  Too firm for me to sleep on but I'll be taking an inflatable air mattress with me next trip out.

Tiller

 

Edited by Tiller
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Began the framing for the water tank today. My first time using a Kreg Jig and I LOVE this thing! So cool! So far all the joints are glued amd screwed with pocket holes,,,Right now I'm a bit worried that the tank will be a super tight fit in the box. I measured everything twice so I think it will be good. Stopping for the night as I need to pick up a 1x12 for the bottom of the cabinet. This thing will e bolted straight down into the frame with those existing M10x1.50 threads I left access to in the floor. I'm going to countersink and use tapered head stainless M10x1.50 hardware. Cabinet and tank won't budge once it's done. 

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Thanks for the inspiration! Looks great so far! I'm going to start my soundproofing and insulation job this weekend, so far I have the seats, roof, floor and all rear trim removed..... I haven't removed the front seats, shelf, or front headliner yet... any Pro Tips? I was also thinking about "carefully" using spray foam in some of the pillars and wall pockets?

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7 hours ago, emassa15 said:

Thanks for the inspiration! Looks great so far! I'm going to start my soundproofing and insulation job this weekend, so far I have the seats, roof, floor and all rear trim removed..... I haven't removed the front seats, shelf, or front headliner yet... any Pro Tips? I was also thinking about "carefully" using spray foam in some of the pillars and wall pockets?

IMO I think the spray foam stuff would be too messy but everyone has their own methods,,,If you are using Dynamat, just cut small strips and apply the best you can reach inside the pockets. The rear liftgate has access holes you can reach into with the strips the sides dont give you much access. 

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9 hours ago, emassa15 said:

..... I was also thinking about "carefully" using spray foam in some of the pillars and wall pockets?

I would think carefully about where you use spray foam, assuming you mean the DIY stuff in the single can. It doesn't work well if sprayed into sealed areas like metal or plastic cavities. I learned the hard way that the foam needs tobe able to "off gas" freely or the pressure builds up and the foam collapses and reliquifies. If sprayed into enclosed areas through small access points, the foam sets first at the openings which prevents the gas escaping the foam underneath so the pressure builds back up. The end result is either a hard solid mass of collapsed foam settled in the low spots, or if the seal is very good the foam liquid can spill out later and refoam if you cut into the sealed area. I had this happen on a project where I initially used the foam outside and then brought it inside to finish. The foam spilled all over the floor when the sealed pocket was drilled into. If you need to fill large voids with the DIY foam, make sure there is plenty of expansion room for the foam, let set for at least a day, then trim back and seal the surface with wood, drywall, etc.

If you need to fill a sealed area, you need to try to find a kit that generates the foam by mixing two different chemicals. Those foams shouldn't suffer from the pressure buildup and foam collapse problem since it's a chemical reaction that creates / sets the foam.

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Phase 1 of Cabinetry is nearly complete. Ditched the green coiled hose for a shorter much nicer 5' stainless steel water hose. Currently taking measurements of the Mid Van area to begin that box and complete  the bench/bed arrangement.

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Edited by r1alvin
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13 hours ago, chong said:

Looking good! I like how you built the legs for the bit of the box that flips out.

thanks! I have to keep reminding myself that less is more. It's so easy to go a bit overboard on the build. I just want to keep it as simple and efficient as possible.

As I just left Kelly Moore paints with a quart of oil based primer and a gallon of eggshell duropoxy color matched to the darker plastic inside the van,,,

 

Edited by r1alvin
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I am currently looking at a small 12V fridge/freezer combo unit made by ARB. Leaning towards smaller 37quart size vs. the 50quart model. Anyone have experience with these devices? do they work well? is the 37 to small for 1 person and 2 dogs? i feed my dogs freshpet stuff so it has to stay cool,,,

 

I am also contemplating a small (8,000btu) Portable A/C unit like this:    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2BSXS2/ref=asc_df_B00B2BSXS25019855/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00B2BSXS2&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167149293059&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1685624209074481986&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026282&hvtargid=pla-274004431568

 

It has a flexible heat vent to run either out a side widow or maybe out the rubber exit plug in the floor on the back of the van. What do you all think?

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I think you'd likely need a larger vent than the plug in the back. That hole was barely large enough for me to run an extension cord through. Also, how are you planning to power that thing? The answers section on Amazon says its 800-900W. My battery setup is pretty nice, but it would only run that AC unit for about 2.5 hours. Things to consider.

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