Converting a 1999 Ford E-250 to a camper van

[wvvan]

Sofa-bed continued:
I've tried to come up with a way to explain how everything works together. Hopefully this all makes sense.

The sofa-bed is in the sofa position. The switch is in the off position. Both limit switches have wires running to the NC (Normally Closed) terminal on one side and the COM terminal in the other side. There is only a complete current path through the switch if it is in the Open position. The two diodes directions are opposite of each other. Both the Drive Actuator and the Lift Actuator are in the fully extended position.

Flipping the switch down begins the conversion to the bed position. Power goes to the Drive Actuator which begins to retract. This causes the Seat Platform to starts to move forward and the Back Platform to slide down the Back Support. With limit switch #1 closed and the diode stopping current flow the Lift Actuator doesn't move.

In the diagrams I'm using red to represent positive and black to represent negative with current flowing from red to black and blue shows no current flow. It's not really accurate but I think it works well enough for this explanation.

Once the Drive Actuator has retracted enough it allows limit switch #1 to open. I've placed the switch so it opens only after the Back Platform has cleared the Back Support. With the switch open the Lift Actuator starts retracting.

As the Lift Actuator retracts it lowers the Back Platform. This in turn causes limit switch #2 to close. This shows the purpose of the diodes. With the closed limit switch the Drive Actuator would stop moving except now the diode gives the electric current an alternate path around the switch so the actuator can continue to retract.

Both the actuators are fully retracted and the sofa-bed is now in the bed configuration. I show the power switch in the off position but that's not really needed. The actuators will shut themselves off after either fully retracting or fully extending.

The power switch is now flipped up to convert the bed to a sofa. Only the Lift Actuator is energized at this time. Notice the diode with limit switch #2. When the Drive Actuator was retracting this diode allowed power to bypass the limit switch. But now that the current is flowing the opposite direction this same diode prevents the Drive Actuator from extending. The practical purpose for this is that I don't want the Seat Platform to start to move until the Back Platform has risen enough to clear the Back Support.

The Lift Actuator has raised the Back Platform far enough for limit switch #2 to open. This applies power to the Drive Actuator so both are now extending.

As the Drive Actuator extends it will cause limit switch #1 to close. This is the same situation from two drawings back. Even with the limit switch closed I still want the Lift Actuator to keep extending. So this shows the second diode doing it's stuff.

Both actuators keep extending until the sofa-bed is back in the sofa configuration then they shutdown on their own.

That's it. If it needs further explaining just let me know.

PS. I've already been contacted about my description of electric current. From the wiki page on Electric Current

A flow of positive charges gives the same electric current as a flow of negative charges in the opposite direction. Since current can be the flow of either positive or negative charges, or both, a convention for the direction of current which is independent of the type of charge carriers is needed. Therefore the direction of conventional current is defined to be the direction of the flow of positive charges.

I'm using conventional current notation.

continued -

 

[wvvan]

Sofa-bed continued:

I'm going to finish the End Pieces of the sofa-bed with Formica. I've not really messed with Formica before so this will be a learning experience. All I know I learned from reading the Internet and the back of the contact cement can. Anyone reading this who wants to point out my mistakes go right ahead. I sure do.

Warning: I learned this the hard way. If you bend Formica too far it will snap. The problem is the broken edges. They can be as sharp as a razor blade. If you're not careful it will cut you long, deep and awful.

Here is full sheet of Formica as I brought it back from Lowe's. Take a friend or get a sale associate to help you roll and tie the sheet. It's a lot harder than it looks.

First things first. Disassemble the sofa-bed. Paint what won't be covered with Formica. Thanks to landyacht318 at RV.net for pointing out that I need to also paint the unseen bottom edges of the plywood furniture. Else if you spill water it could be absorbed by the plywood and cause it to swell.

Before you unroll the Formica be sure to sweep the floor clean. I'll come back to this.

The sheet is 4' X 8'. It takes up a good bit of space.

Mistake number one. I made a point of cleaning the floor before I began. But I forgot to mind the string that I cut off the roll. Sure enough it fell below the Formica and I happened to step right where the string was. That small knot is all it takes to make a crack in the sheet.

Here's Bob pointing out my mistake.

Bob loves to gloat.

Lay out the pieces I'll be covering on the sheet to get the best idea how to cut it up. Then mark the sheet with pencil. You cut the Formica so it's larger than the surface it will be applied to. The edges are trimmed down later.

The sheet was too large to feed through my table saw. To cut it I stacked four 2x4's in sets of two to raise the sheet off the floor. Place the cut marks between the two sets of 2x4's. Then used a circular saw to make the cuts.

This cutting method works well enough since the pieces will be trimmed later so the cuts don't have to be exact.

If you're using a circular saw you're supposed to cut the sheet from the bottom side to reduce chipping at the cut edges but I don't find the chipping to be that bad.

I was unable to cut around the small cracked spot but I arranged the pieces it so it shouldn't be visible when all's done.

continued -

 

[wvvan]

Sofa-bed continued:

I'm going to start work on the right End Piece. Use the workbench vise to hold the End Piece.

I'll put laminate on the edge first. Prep the surface by sanding with 80 grit sandpaper. Wipe off the surface after sanding.

Earlier in the project when I was gluing the foam to the fiberboard I accidentally bought this can of Original Formula Contact Cement (the flammable kind). I can't use it with the foam but it will be perfect for Formica.

Here is the back side of the edge strip before I start applying the contact cement.

Brush on the contact cement and allow it to dry. This is how it appears after it dries. It has a glossy look and will be tacky.

Apply contact cement to the edge of the End Piece.

Edge pieces require extra adhesion so after the first coat dries add a second.

I don't take any pictures since my hands were full but after everything had reached the proper level of tacky I placed the laminate strip over the end piece and set it down. I started near the center and worked out from there. Once the strip touches the treated wood it will stick but good. You won't get a second chance so you might want to practice how you're going to handle the strip before you start applying the glue.

For the next step I'll be needing a new tool. This is a J-Roller. The contact cement directions advise using 25 pounds per square inch to completely join the laminate to the wood surface.

Use the J-Roller to apply that force to top of the laminate. Start from the center and roll to the edges. Since the J-Roller has a 3 inch wide roller you need to really press down to apply the recommended PSI.

After I was finished with the roller I let the laminate set a couple hours before I started the trimming.

I'll use a router to trim the edge of the laminate. I already have a couple of heavy duty routers but they would be a bit unwieldy for this work. I bought this small router from Harbor Freight. It cost $24.99. In case you're not familiar with Harbor Freight they sell inexpensive foreign made tools (mostly China). Since I won't be doing a lot of trim work the router will only have limited use. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it.

There is a lot of plastic bits. Hopefully I don't break it before I'm done with it.

To trim the Formica I'll be using a flush trim(or cut) router bit. Here's a good description from rockler.com.
"Flush trim router bits are guided by a pilot bearing that is the same size as the bit's cutting radius. They're used to trim the edge of one material flush with the edge of another material. Trimming a veneered surface flush with a substrate, or using a pattern to create multiple identical shapes are examples. The pilot bearing may be on the top of the bit, at the base of the cutting edge, or both."

As you can see the pilot bearing is at the bottom of this bit.

The router will produce a lot of shavings so I moved operations to the garage area.

In lieu of the workbench vise I'm using the edge of the table saw, a clamp and the ubiquitous cat litter bucket to hold the End Piece in position.

Here is a before and after look of what the trim router does.

Here's the router in action.

Mistake #1: I have the router bit extended too far below the edge of the laminate. The bit should just clear the lower edge of the laminate. I corrected this after I figured it out.
Mistake #2: If you were to look at this edging strip from above you'd see that in relation to the End Piece I'm moving the router in a clockwise rotation. THIS IS WRONG. I should be moving the router in a Counterclockwise direction. I found that if you move the router in a clockwise direction the bit will take a more aggressive cut of the laminate (bad) and it wants to move away (outward) from the edge you're trimming. I don't want a aggressive cut because if it takes away too much I've ruined the laminate. I want it to be less aggressive because I can always sand it down if it leaves some laminate behind .

Did I mention the router makes a lot of shavings?

After finishing with the router I used 100 grit sandpaper along the edge of the laminate for a final smoothing.

My first ever Formica edge. Looks really nice.

Unfortunately I'll end up ruining it. But that's tomorrow.

continued -

 

[wvvan]

Sofa-bed continued:

I've laminated the outside edge of the sofa-bed's right End Piece with Formica. Now to cover it's left side. Since this is the right End Piece the left side faces the interior of the sofa-bed.

Hand sand the surface with 80 grit sandpaper wrapped around a wood block. Remove the sawdust and wipe off the surface to be sure it's dust free. Apply the contact cement. Since the plywood is porous and soaks up the contact cement I apply the first coat to the End Piece then when done move to the Formica and apply a layer. By then the first layer on the End Piece is done so apply a second layer to the End Piece.

Wait until contact cement on the End Piece and the Formica has dried and is tacky. Place these thin strips of plywood on the tacky surface of the End Piece. All the on-line laminating instructions have you using wooden dowel rods but scrap plywood works just fine. Use enough scrap pieces so when the laminate is placed on top the two glued surfaces won't touch.

Flip the laminate so the glued side is down and place it on the scrap plywood pieces above the End Piece. DON'T LET THE TWO GLUED SURFACES TOUCH!
With the laminate resting on the scrap wood move it around till it's positioned how you want it. Carefully remove the center most wood scrap and press down on the laminate till it makes contact with the End Piece. Hope you had everything lined up because it is now officially too late. Moving from the center out remove the remain wood scraps but Don't press down on the laminate.

Take your J-Roller and start rolling from the center outward. I used something like a ever expanding spiral pattern of concentric circles for the first rolling. If there are any air bubble under the laminate this should force them out. Then roll it some more trying to cover the entire surface at least once. Pay extra attention to the areas close to the edge. If the laminate ever comes loose it will probably be at the edge.

Now to trim the edge of the new laminate. This will be a different than the first trim I did. When I trimmed the first edge piece the surface that the pilot bearing of the router bit rolled against was bare plywood that was going to be covered later. If I made any mistakes they would later be hidden. Now the pilot bearing will be rolling against a piece of laminate I had previously applied. Not much room for error, as I was about to find out.

The laminate instructions I read referred to "burn" and how to prevent it. One way was to spread liquid hand soap on the laminate surface the pilot bearing would contact. So that's just what I did.

Here's the view from underneath after running the trimming bit for a short ways. Everything looks OK. But this was on the straight part of the trim.

Problem is when I got to the curved part of the End Piece I slowed down the forward movement of the hand router. I was attempting to be extra careful while cutting around the curve. BAD MOVE!
I ended up ruining the edge piece I had so carefully applied the day before. Since the contact cement was still fairly new I was able, with the help of a paint scrapper, to remove the damaged edge piece. Here it is. Bummer. Forget about using the liquid hand soap.

When you read about laminate "burn" now you know what it looks like.

While rethinking my strategy for the End Piece I went ahead and laminated the sofa-bed's Kick Board. It's a simple rectangle and no laminated edges to burn so it was easier.

While trimming the Kick Board laminate I learned a few things. I could move the router faster while making a trim. I didn't have to go as slow as I had been moving. Less chance for burn.

After a long cut check the pilot bearing on the router bit. It can become gummed up with glue. Also check the cutting edges.

After cleaning the bit, oil the pilot bearing.

Now had less trouble trimming the Kick Board.

After trimming the edge there will sometimes be some excess glue left over.

You'll need some mineral spirits (paint thinner) and elbow grease to remove it. The mineral spirits doesn't dissolve the glue but makes it easier to rub off the underlying surface. Rub being the operative word.

continued -

 

[wvvan]

Sofa-bed continued:

Back to the End Piece.
Glue on a new edge strip to replace the one I had ruined. To prevent a recurrence of the laminate burn while trimming I read that you can use paraffin wax. So that's what I did. Just rub the edge of a block of paraffin along the laminate where the router bit's pilot bearing will make contact. Put it on thick.

As you can see here, the paraffin did the trick. No laminate burn.

I'll use paraffin on the rest of the edge trimming where burn could be a problem. Hopefully as I do more of this I'll get good enough to where it won't be needed.

Flip the right End Piece over so that we're looking at it's right side or exterior side. Need to drill holes through the sheet of Formica laminate that I installed on the opposite side. Use the holes on this side as a guide for the drill.

If you remember from earlier in the build I have extra holes showing. Only drill the holes that I had previously marked before dissembling the sofa-bed.

Here's how it looks on the other side when done.

In the close-up view you can see chipping around the new holes. This isn't going to be a problem since all these holes will be covered by wood blocks, metal angles or hardware sliders.

I was going to cover the opposite side of the End Piece with laminate when I got to thinking. The original plan was to have the bolts that hold everything together extend through the exterior side of the End Pieces. Then use washers and bolts to secure them in place. That is how I've done it so far in this project every time I've assembled/disassembled the sofa-bed.

But two things got me to thinking. First was when I saw how easily Formica cracked. Since I'd not worked with Formica before I hadn't realized that.

Second thing is the amount of deformation that a nut with washer causes on the side of the plywood. When you combine those two I knew I had a problem.

The original plan would most likely cause some nasty looking cracks on the Formica surface. Time for Plan B.

WARNING: I've not had a chance to fully test this out. It seems like it should work but I can't guarantee it yet.

Get a whole bunch of T-Nuts .

The T-nuts will be mounted inside the End Piece and then complete covered with Formica so there shouldn't be a cracking problem. The bolt ends will not extend through the Formica so it should also look a lot cleaner.

I'm using two sizes 1/4" and 5/16".

The 1/4" and 5/16" refer to the inside threads. The T-nut will be countersunk into the End Piece. To do this I need to find what the outside diameter (O.D.) of the T-nut shank is so to know the size of the hole to drill. This is a drill gauge. It's a series of holes with the diameters listed. I'll use it to get the T-nuts O.D.

If you ever want to get one of these gauges just sign up for a woodworking magazine then let the subscription lapse. Thereafter you will periodically get letters offering a "Special Renewal Rate" for the magazine along with a "Free Gift". A drill gauge is often the "Free Gift". For the 1/4" T-nut it looks like I'll need a 19/64 drill bit.

I want to drill the hole just deep enough to seat the T-nut. Use masking tape to mark the bit so I'll know where to stop drilling. I actually have drill collars but masking tape works just fine.

The "T" part of the T-nut also has to be countersunk. Use a spade bit for this. It's fairly easy to eyeball what size spade bit is needed. For the 1/4" T-nut it's a 3/4" spade bit.

Here's how the hole looks after drilling.

I do a test fit of the T-nut upside down so I'll be sure that the "T" head will sit below the level of the wood before installing it.

Use a hammer to install the T-nuts. I use the orange colored punch (with the hammer) to be sure the T-nuts are below the level of the surrounding plywood.

Installed all the 1/4" T-nuts. Now use the 5/16" ones. First get the O.D.
Oh Look. It's different drill gauge. 3/8" drill needed.

Spade bit for a 5/16" T-nut is 7/8".

The exterior side of the right End Piece with all the T-nuts installed.

continued -

 

[wvvan]

Took some time off this week to go camping.

On Tuesday I'm biking on a gated closed Forest Road through the Cranberry Wilderness when I find my path blocked.

This one's slightly blurry (I was a bit psyched while holding the camera) but you can better see one of the cubs.

After a while the bears ambled off to the right. As soon as I lowered my camera another cub ran across the road. I quickly biked to the spot where the bears had walked into the woods. The land slopped away from the road so I had a pretty good view. I stopped and waited quiet as can be but neither heard nor saw anything. Like they were never there.

By the way I do carry pepper spray with me.

 

[wvvan]

From today.
Under van tire carrier after removal.

All the tools I used to accomplish the above.

Look at all that lovely empty space!

Full details to follow (eventually).

I wonder if I can relocate the charcoal canister?

 

[dave_in_delaware]

Wow! I'm VERY impressed with all the thought and work and engineering you've put into your couch/bed for your van. It makes my sofa/bed design seem like a cheap wooden chair.

Congrats on your project. You should be proud!

 

[wvvan]

Thanks Dave,
I don't know if it's pride or relief that I got it done. There were some days where I didn't think I could figure my way out of what seemed like a dead end that I'd gotten myself into.
And while you might feel it's a better design than your sofa/bed, I bet you got yours built in a lot less time.
Later,
Dave

 

[dave_in_delaware]

And while you might feel it's a better design than your sofa/bed, I bet you got yours built in a lot less time.

Heh, no, not really... since I'm still in the design phase of my RV. I don't even own the base van part yet.

 

[wvvan]

Hey Dave,
I'll make one suggestion if I may. Build it in stages. I'm continually taking the van and going camping as I make improvements. This is my first RV/van so I'm getting a much better sense of how the different elements will work together and what I can do to improve my layout. It also gives you an excuse to lay there a little longer on the van bed in the morning. With the morning sun shining through the penthouse top and the birds singing outside I'll spend time looking around the van and re-imagine my design. I'll tell myself that I'm not being lazy, just thorough .
Good luck,
Dave

 

[wvvan]

Sofa-bed continued :
I'd hammered the T-nuts into the right side of the Right End Piece. Before covering this side with Formica I used the wax block I had on hand to coat the ends of the T-nuts. This is probably overkill but I didn't want the T-nuts sticking to the Formica when I tighten the bolts.

Apply the glue to the Formica and the End Piece.

Use the same method as before for applying the Formica. Here it is after routing and sanding.

OK. One done.

Start work on the Left End Piece. I'll apply the edge trim first.

I've used up all the Original Formula Contact Cement (flammable) at this point so switching to the Non-flammable Formula.

Here I am applying the non-flammable formula to the edge of the End Piece.

Now here I am scrubbing off the non-flammable formula with a wet rage.

I found out that the non-flammable formula isn't near as sticky as the original formula. With the curved corner causing the laminate edging to spring outward the non-flammable formula wouldn't hold it. I didn't have that problem with the original formula. Back to the hardware store for "the good stuff".

continued -

 

[wvvan]

Sofa-bed continued:
After getting a new can of contact cement I glued on the edge strip.

Apply Formica to the right side.

Install the T-nuts.

There isn't enough Formica on a single 4x8 sheet to cover both sides of the two End Pieces. I was not going to cover the left side of the Left End Piece since the plan is to have it right up against a cabinet. Problem is I'm not sure how deep the cabinet will be so part of the End Piece might be visible.
I lucked out because I had a scrap piece of white Formica I got a few years back from a friend who didn't need it. Sometimes it really does pay off being a pack rat.

I'll use the scrap piece to cover the End Piece. Here I'm cutting the laminate using my table saw. You can see the table saw leaves a chip free edge.

Route the End Piece.

Left End Piece done.

Have to attach the slider hardware to the End Piece. I have to be careful because if the bolt goes to deep I'll crack the Formica.

Use the caliper to get the hole depth.

I'll use the 1" bolts.

To be sure that the 1" bolts would be safe to use I first used a 1-1/4" bolt since I knew it was too long. I slowly tightened the bolt into the End Piece while holding my hand against the Formica on the opposite side. I kept twisting the bolt till I could feel it under the Formica. This way I'd know how it felt if the 1" bolts were going too deep.

Carefully bolt on the hardware. If you remember from earlier in the build the sliders have to be attached in a certain sequence.

This should be the last time I'm attaching the slider hardware so I'm going to make it a bit more permanent. Use two nuts and a lock washer.

Then use a hand saw and cut off the excess machine screw threads.

Screws all done.

Finish up the Left End Piece.

Then the Right.

The sofa-bed parts all stacked in the garage.

This will finish the main construction work on the sofa-bed. I still have to sew together the cushions and come up with a way to bolt the sofa-bed to the van floor.

Once the sofa-bed has been bolted down I won't be able to lift up the wood flooring. There are two projects that must be done before that.

The heater fuel tank must be installed under the van and bolted through the metal floor.

The Undervan Storage Box (AKA "The Box") must also be bolted through the metal floor.

I'll start write ups on those two projects next.

 

[wvvan]

Back to work.
I'm going install a trailer hitch and then a bike rack on the van.

I'm using a Hidden Hitch Class III trailer hitch with a 2" receiver. I bought and mounted this hitch back in May. I used Model #87465. It's weight ratings: WC-TW: 600:6000 WD-TW: 1000:10000

I just checked the Hidden Hitch company site and it's no longer listed so I guess it's been discontinued.
I ordered it from etrailer.com for $184.95 (free shipping). They no longer list it either but I did a search and some other retailers still have it.

Here's the box after I opened it.

The box was damaged but the hitch was OK.

The hitch has a minimum of packing.

I was worried that the extra parts my have been lost with the big hole in the box but not to worry. The parts bag is securely taped to the hitch.

Once everything is unpacked this is what you get. The instruction sheet is one page.

Here's a closer look at the attachment hardware.

Notice there are three kinds of washers, three kinds of spacer blocks and two kinds of bolts. The nuts are all the same. The instructions read that drilling might be required but it wasn't.

Before starting the installation I suggest you crank down the spare tire. One reason is to get it out of the way.

Another reason being that you can use it to help support the hitch as you install it.

The hitch is about 36 pounds which makes it too heavy and cumbersome for me to hold in place with one hand while I bolt with the other. So some extra support is needed. I used a jackstand.

I could have used two jackstand but the tire and the one jackstand worked best. With two jacks the hitch would rotate. The tire is wide enough it stopped the hitch from rotating as I raised the other side.

There are holes in the frame that line up with the holes in the hitch so no drilling is needed.

When you start using the attachment hardware you have to closely follow the instructions. The different square spacers go between the frame and the hitch or the frame and the bolt head depending on the bolts location.

The washers are slightly concave so you need to place them with the bow facing upward.

When viewed from the rear I'm working on the right side first. Just get the nuts started. Don't tighten anything up yet.

After doing the right side I slide the spare tire out of the way and moved the jackstand to the left.

Attach the hardware on the left side.

I ran into a snag when I went to install the third bolt on the left side. The emissions canister (charcoal canister) is in the way.

At the time I was installing this back in May I didn't want to mess with the canister so I just skipped the third bolt. The trailer was only going to be used to support a bike rack so I wasn't worried. Since then I've removed the canister and found out it wasn't that big a deal to take off.

Look on the outside of the frame member and you'll see the two bolts that hold the canister in place. Just remove these two nuts and the canister can be moved out of the way.

I got around to putting on that final bolt today.

Tighten all the bolts in a alternating fashion. The hitch will bend slightly as it is tightened up against the frame.

That finishes up the trailer hitch. When you go to crank the spare tire back up you'll find it now rests against the inside of the hitch. You might have to give the tire a nudge or two as it raises so it clears the trailer hitch.

Next up is the bike rack.

 

[wvvan]

Two weekends ago.
Advantage of a "B" sized RV. Just keep moving it around till you hit a level spot.

Previously I'd installed a trailer hitch so I can haul my bike with me. Now for the bike rack.

I use a fold-down style bike rack with my other camping vehicle, Subaru Forester with the WVBIKE plates.

The fold-down rack wouldn't work so well on the van. I could open the doors with a bike on the folded down rack but couldn't safely climb in and out of the back of the van. Because of that I went with a swing-away style rack.
I bought the Surco DBR300 OSI Swing Away Hitch Mount Bike Rack, 2" Receiver, Up To 3 Bike Capacity.
It was $226.58 on Amazon ( free shipping).

There are a couple of design problems with this bike rack but nothing that can't be fixed.

The bike is secured in this top horizontal holder. There are spaces for three bikes. Put your bike into the "V" groove then just tighten down with the two threaded knobs. The round knob on the right has a lock. Once you have the bike tightened into place you can "unlock" the knob so that it spins free and doesn't loosen the bolt underneath.

Even secured by these two bolts the bike can still swing so I always add a strap wrapped around the bottom brace to keep it in place.

Here is how the swing-out part of the rack works.
There is a large bolt that holds the two halves of the rack together.

Loosen this bolt.

Then pull on the cable release.

That raises this spring pin which allows the front half of the rack to swing away.

The two halves pivot on this bolt.

As you swing the bike you'll quickly see that it can only go so far before the back tire meets the van.

Where the horizontal bike hold-down is attached to the bike rack is another pivot point. Pressing down on these two knobs allow the top to rotate.

You can rotate the top 90 degrees.

With the top hold-down in this new position you swing the rack until the bike is parallel to the side of the van.

That allows full access to the back of the van.

Now to the design problems with this particular bike rack. There are two. I don't like the locking knob as a security feature. It doesn't feel robust but compared to the second problem it's small potatoes.

Here's the main problem. The pivot bolt that secures the halves of the bike rack together.

All it would take is a thief and a wrench to remove this bolt then walk away with the front half of the bike rack with the bike still attached. Nothing to stop them.

Here's how I fixed it. Had a friend weld on two pieces of steel angle. One onto each half of the bike rack then drill a hole through both pieces.

Putting a lock through the holes secures both halves of the bike rack together so even if the bolt was removed the rack will stay together.

Adding a steel cable to the lock means I can run the cable through the bike which secures the bike to the rack without worrying about the quality of the locking knob.

There was one other modification that had made to this bike rack. I have a step bumper on the van which is wider than standard rear bumper. To compensate for this extra width the square tube part of the bike rack that slides into the trailer hitch had to be extended by 1-1/2". The local machine shop did it for $20. Good price.

To secure the bike rack to the trailer hitch I'm using Draw-Tite J-Pin Anti-Rattle Lockset for 2 inch Receivers. Currently around $26.

This J-pin is designed for 2" Receiver Style Hitches with 5/8" Pin Hole & 1/2" Pilot Hole.

The short leg of the "J" shape goes through the "Pin" hole and compresses the rack tube against the side of the receiver tube.

Once you tighten this nut enough (with included wrench) there will be no movement or rattle between the rack and the trailer hitch. It's like they are one unit.

When it's all tightened down, put the lock on.

I first read about this J-Pin lock on-line then went to a couple local RV/trailer dealers to buy it. Neither stocked it or claimed to know what I was talking about. That's odd. These thing really does the trick.

Some of these previous pictures are from this past weekend. After I took the bike off the van I headed for the West Fork Trail.

Work on the van or enjoy using the van? Tough call.

 

[wvvan]

I'm way behind on my RV conversion but on the bright side the van is still available to fill to the ceiling with "stuff that needs hauled".

I'm going to start work on the heating system for the van. This will be done in steps. The first step is the design and placement of the fuel tank. It's also the only step I've completed so far.

For the heater I bought a used Webasto Airtop 2000 on ebay for $411 Canadian.

Here is the Webasto label.

The Webasto is made in Germany so the label will need a little translating. According to the Google translator "Brennstoff" means fuel. It's listed as "Diesel" which is the same in both languages. If this was a gasoline model heater it would read "Benzin" instead.

Notice the legend "Inbetriebnahmejahr" at the bottom of the label and to it's right you can see small spaces where parts of the label have been removed. The word translates as "commissioning year". Normally to the right there would three two digit sequential numbers which represent when this particular heater was manufactured. Obviously someone has scratched off the numbers so you won't know how old the heater really is.

No problem. Even an old heater is OK. The Webasto's have a reputation for reliability and longevity. A classic case of the phrase "German Engineering". Even if there is a problem, replacement parts are readily available.

I've been asked why I didn't just didn't get a gasoline model since this is a gas van. A good used gas model Webasto is very hard to find. A new one goes for around $2000. So the difference between $400 for a diesel and $2000 for a gasoline model is the reason I'm going this route. It also gives me a chance to do something new.

All the previous information also applies to cab heaters made by Eberspächer. This is the main competition to Webasto. These are both German companies and have most of the market split between them. In America Eberspächer products are marketed under the Espar brand name.

I'll need a separate fuel tank on the van to hold the fuel for the diesel Webasto. Full credit for the fuel tank design I'll be using goes to Diyvanner at the RV.Net site. I couldn't have done this without his help. All the good ideas are his. The bad one's are all mine.

Diyvanner shared all of his design secrets but his installation was on a GMC van. Since mine is a Ford van I'll have to come up with all my own measurements and adaptations. First I'll have to figure out where to install the tank under the van. That involved a lot of laying under the van and making measurements.

I decided that the best place is on the driver's side of the van between the rocker panel and one of the two main frame beams. One consideration is the emergency brake cable that runs along the side of the frame beam.

There are also two cross pieces under the floor. This picture was taken while looking straight up under the van.

Next take a bunch of measurements.

Here's the result of all the measurements. The front of the van is to the right. The "gas inlet hose" in the drawing refers to van's gas inlet not what I'll be adding for the heater.

The fuel tank will be placed within this space.

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Heater fuel tank installation continued -

Lately I've been spending so much time below the van getting measurements, working, painting on rustproofing and other things that I no longer think of it simply as the space under the van. It is now "The Undervan".

With the undervan measurements on hand I now needed the side dimensions. The inlet for the fuel tank will go through the side of the van. I don't know where the rocker panel ends and the side of the van begins or even if this distinction holds with a van. I couldn't find any kind of a cut-away diagram.

So I need to know the width of the side of the van in relation to outer edge of the undervan on the drivers side. I'll be using a drywall T-square, clamp and tape measure.

No we haven't had a freak snowstorm in WV. These pictures are from when I first did this back in February.

Clamp on the T-square using the small lip at the bottom of the rocker pane as an anchor point.

The cross part of the T-square is against the inside edge of the rocker panel (aka the outer edge of the driver's side undervan).

With what I think of as the upright part of the T-square now extending outward from the van I have a graduated baseline for measurements.

Take the tape measure and and find the distance from the top edge of the T-square to the edge of the van. Write it down.

Using graduations on the T-square as a guide, move the tape measure a half inch farther left. Then get the distance from the edge to the van. (In the picture it's moved an inch but you get the idea.)

Keep this up until you run out of van.

As usual I was under direct supervision.

Take all the measurements and plot out a cross section of the rocker panel.

The line on the left that represents the outer skin of the rocker panel is far from exact but it is close enough for my purposes. You can see a measurement of 6.17" under the line. If you extend the line of the floor to the left into the rocker panel space this what the width should be at this point.

But that was still the big unknown. What's really inside the rocker panel? (Don't bother telling me. I now know.) Even without that information I can use this drawing and the one from the previous post for sketching up different fuel tank and inlet configurations.

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Heater Fuel Tank continued:

Now that I have a near complete set of measurements it's time to decide on some equipment. Diyvanner had already done the research so I just followed his lead. For the fuel inlet that will go through the side of the van I'll use a Sea Dog Stainless Steel Angled Hose Deck Fill. Model# 351521. Made for 1-1/2" fuel hose with "Diesel" written on the face plate.

It's currently around $40.

I couldn't find all the dimensions I needed on-line so contacted the company to get these additional two.

I'm assuming that I can place the fuel inlet on the side of the van no higher than the level of the floor.

The fuel inlet outlet end has a 30 degree slope. I doubled checked the side of the van where the inlet would be mounted and and it has a slope from vertical of around 20 degrees. Mounting the inlet so it's face is flush with the side of the van will now give a slope of 10 degrees to the outlet end.

The fuel tank will be made by Coyote Gear. They make custom built spun aluminum tanks in 5 different diameters. I think a tank with a diameter of either 8" or 10" will be best. To help decide create scaled drawings with each size.

10" tank

8" tank

While the 10" tank would fit OK I didn't like that it would extend below the bottom edge of the van. Also there isn't much room for error around the sides of the tank in case I made a measuring mistake, and it's getting close to the emergency brake cable. So I decided on the 8" tank.

Next decision was on where to place the fuel inlet on the tank. If I put it on the top of the tank it looks like the rubber fuel hose that would connect the fuel inlet to the tank would end up with a negative slope away from the tank.

The tank could be lowered but for simplicity's sake I wanted to use one of the under floor supports as a mounting point.

If I move the fuel tank inlet to where it's 30 degrees from vertical a formed rubber fuel hose with a 45 degree angled bend should fit with just a little extra bending. I'd prefer that the fuel line had more of a slope towards the tank. The tank will probably have to be filled slowly.

So a 8" diameter fuel tank with a fuel inlet 30 degrees from vertical is the type of fuel tank I'm going to order.*

Before placing an order for the fuel tank I'll have to open up the rocker panel so there's absolutely no doubt about what's inside. Since it is custom made tank I won't get a second chance.

NOTE*: I have over simplified the design process for the fuel tank. I actually spent weeks considered other mounting options and worked out a bunch of different fuel inlet angles but I didn't want this post to drag on forever. While writing up the descriptions of the different things I do on this RV build I'm never quite sure where informative stops and plain old boring begins. At least I hope it's informative.

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Heater Fuel Tank continued:

I need to open up the rocker panel to see what's inside. The space between the two underfloor supports looks like a likely spot.

Stand up a tape measure and align it with the spot while under the van then get out from under and look at the side of the van. Imagine what it would look like with the fuel inlet above the tape measure. Be sure to like the location.

Here's the tools I'll be using. Goggles are most important since you'll be laying on your back drilling and cutting above your head. Way too easy for a piece of debris to get inside your eye without them.

I'll also be using a 1-1/2" ID rubber fuel hose made by Gates. Ignore the part number you can see since I accidentally ordered the wrong hose. The one you see in these pictures has a 90 degree bend. It should have been this one Gates - Angled Fuel Fill Hose, 45 degree Angle, 1-1/2" ID (24710) Currently around $20 with shipping.

I've since corrected my mistake. By the way if anyone needs a 1-1/2" ID fuel hose with a 90 degree bend, let me know. I'll make you a good deal.

Marking out the hole to cut was fairly easy. The hole will have to be large enough to allow my hand to fit around the hose to get inside the rocker panel to do work. Put the rubber fuel hose to the side of the rocker panel then move my hand around it. Mark out a square.

Will make the cuts with my saber saw. But first need a pilot hole. Make sure the hole will be larger than the saw blade.

Was able to make the complete cut with just the one pilot hole. I'll clean it up later.

Take a look inside the rocker panel with the help of my camera.
The view looking right toward the front of the van. The outside skin of the van is on the left. Above is the floor level. In front is the "B" pillar. No signs of damage.

The view to the left is another story.

That kind of damage is to be expected when the end of the rocker panel used to look like this.

Hopefully I've got that taken care of so it won't get any worse.

The view looking up. The outer skin is along the bottom of the picture.

Where the outside skin and the inside of the van meets it looks like there is a bead of some kind of foam insulation or sealant.

The upward gap continues for about a foot from the floor level.

The width of the gap between the corner of the floor level and the outer skin is around 1-3/4"

With these new measurements I can update the cut-away view drawing.

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Heater Fuel Tank continued:

With the rocker panel now open do some test fittings using the fuel hose and fuel inlet.

Mistake 1: I should have covered the face of the fuel inlet with masking tape to prevent scratching it's nice shiny face. I didn't scratch it but I was lucky.

The 1-3/4" gap between the outer skin and the floor level allows the fuel inlet to be positioned higher than originally planned. Mounting the fuel inlet higher increases the slope of the hose towards the tank which will improve the flow when filling the tank. Don't mount it so high that the hose rubs against the floor edge.

Mark out a position for the fuel inlet then drill a small hole to carry this to the outside of the van.

Using the small hole, line up the fuel inlet on the outside of the van. Check look and fit.

I thought it looked better just a little bit lower. Drilled new centering hole.

Point Of No Return
I bought a 1-3/4" bimetal hole saw just for this project. I already had some general purpose hole saws but wanted a good clean cut. Use the new centering hole and start drilling.

Wonder if I'll ever use it again.

Use a curved file to take off the sharp edge of the hole.

The view through the hole into the undervan.

Test fit of the fuel inlet.

There's a problem. The inlet won't sit flat.

If you look closely at the back of the fuel inlet you'll see this very slight arc where the tube and plate back meet. The 1-3/4" matches the tube diameter but is not enough to allow the arc to sit flat.

Need to increase the hole size but not by much. Use a rotary tool with grinding stone bit. Going freehand like this you have to be careful to keep the hole circular and not to start to make it oblong.

There isn't a lot of room between the screw holes and the edge of the hole so don't want to take off any more material than I have to. Just grind a little then do a test fit. Repeat until the inlet is flush.

By the end of the day my tool pile had really grown. One tool at a time.

Tiger had supervisor duty that day.

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