Some More Pictures of the Van

Square Sub made by Kicker. Fit nicely in the bench seat.
360 Watts of solar power is what powers all of the electronics. Since I installed them in late 2007 I have not turned off the fridge. Lowest I've seen the voltage is 12.6 in the morning before the sun comes up. The real test will be the Arizona summer heat.
Paper towel rack Austin and I made. Good central location, and doesn't take up counter space.
13" Flip down monitor. Found one that rotates 270 degrees. This allows for a good mounting location, while also putting the screen as far back as possible for rear viewers. I had to move the overhead lights forward, and also move the infra red sensors to the back of the monitor. My stereo allows independent rear and front playing. Kids have their own rear remote and can play movies, music, fm/am, tv, or even plug something into the aux port like xbox.
Two 500 watt amplifiers help push the music around. One Farad capacitor works well with the subwoofer too.
Operations Center: Solar controller, aux input for stereo, 110 outlet, and inverter controls.
Shot of the left rear cabinets. Shows starcool A/C system and fridge. Sure wish the fridge was a bit larger. Probably first on the list for far future upgrades.
Couldn't help it, got a new license plate.
A popped up picture. Many of you probably haven't seen this yet.

Options on the Sportsmobile

Some people have been asking about the Sportsmobile so I decided to list all of the features here so everyone can see.

2001 Ford E-350 7.3L Diesel 4x4 Sportsmobile

Ford Factory Options include:

Heavy Duty Alternator

Power Steering

Front Airbags

Dual Batteries

Air Conditioning

Dual Electric Horn

Power Door Locks

Remote door entry with alarm

Key in ignition warning chimes

Power Mirrors

Power Windows

Cruise Control

Tilt Steering

10,000lb Tow Hitch

Tinted Glass Throughout

Console Engine Cover

Engine Block Heater

Full Floating Rear Axle

Sportsmobile Factory options include:

In 2001 it was the RB52 package, today it's closer to the RB34

Wall panels with insulation

Commercial Loop Pile Carpet with padded Subfloor

Curtains

Windshield Curtains

Overhead Cab Module

Door Panels Upholstered

Van Door Compartments

Table

Fire Extinguisher

Floor Mats

110v Exterior Inlet w/25' Weatherproof Cord

110v Electrical Panel 30amp System

30amp Power Converter and Charging System

GFI Protection

Electrical Cord Adapters

110v Wall Outlets

2 Extra 12v Batteries (upgraded to Deka Glass Matt Sealed Deep Cycle in 7-07)

Battery Isolator

Oscillating Fan

12v Outlet

12v Electrical Panel

Lights – Hi/Lo & Swivel (5)

Light, Cab Ceiling

Carbon Monoxide Detector

Norcold 2 Cubic Foot Fridge

Sink, Faucet, Fresh Water System

10 Gallon Water Tank

12v On Demand Water Pump

Waste Water (grey) Holding Tank

City Water Hookup w/Pressure Regulator

2 Burner Stove with Heat Shield and Cover

Propane System with 28lb (6 gallon) Tank with auto safety stop fill, gauge and 2 stage regulator

Propane Detector

Recessed Wall Panel (makes Goucho 3” wider)

3 Slider Windows with Screens

Coat Closet

Starcool Air Conditioning System

Porta Potti with 6 Gallon Storage Tank

Trace 2000 Watt Inverter

Microwave with Seperate Circuit

Two Way wiring for Van Entertainment System

Privacy Curtain to Partition Interior

Under Rear Floor Storage Compartment

Hinged Counter Top Extension

Awning 7' x 10'

Exterior Light with Inside Switch

Penthouse Expandable Top with bed

Matching Paint for Penthouse

Other Items

4X4 Conversion

Coil Spring Front Suspension

Dana 60 Front Axle with 3.73 Gearing

Locking Hubs

Cross Over Steering

Upgraded Braking System (F-350)

Rebuilt Transmission with 4x4 “short shaft”

Rancho Shocks

New Front and Rear Driveshafts

NV271 Transfer Case

46 Gallon Fuel Tank

New Rear Axle Gearing 3.73

Rear ARB Air Locker

Extreme Air on Board Air Compressor (100% duty cycle)

5 Mickey Thompson Classic II Wheels 10 x 17

5 BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A Tires 285/70-17 (33” tall)

Rear Wheel Spacers for True Tracking

360 Watt Solar System with Blue Sky 2000e Controller

Custom Rear Bumper with Swing Out Spare Tire and Storage Box

LED Backup Lights

Backup Camera

40 Channel CB Radio

6” LightForce Front lights

ScanGauge II

Flex Shades for Front Windshield

Weathertech Window Louvers

12'000lb Mile Marker Winch just Purchased, will be installed with a custom front bumper soon.

Entertainment System

Valor Mobile Multimedia System including:

DVD Player with in Dash Screen and Additional Rear 13” Monitor and Surround Sound

FM, AM, and TV Tuner

Plays all CD's or DVD's CDRW, DVDRW, MP3, WMA, JPEG, etc.

ScanDisk Reader

Bluetooth

High Resolution TFT Monitor Front and Rear

Front Monitor is Touchscreen Controlled

Dual Zone Function (listen to FM in front, watch DVD in rear)

500 Watt Rockford Fosgate 4 Channel Amplifier

500 Watt Rockford Fosgate Single Channel Subwoofer Amplifier

1 Farad Subwoofer Capacitor

Kicker L7 10” Extreme Square Subwoofer

Sirius Ready

Touchscreen Navigation with Voice Prompt and Re-Routing

Ipod Controlled Through Multimedia Interface

4 Infra Red Stereo Headphones

Aux Input in Rear for Xbox, Movies, Music, Etc.

First big van test, Baja for Christmas.

In mid December we left Tucson for a trip to Baja. We got to the ferry in Topolabampo in one day and arrived in La Ventana Mexico before noon on the second day. We spent 3 weeks playing in Mexico before driving the long way around (no ferry) up the peninsula back to Tucson. If you don't want to read all of my rambling, the short version is that the van did really well on the trip. I expected to have a few minor, or maybe even a major problem with this being the first long range test. No problems to note, but a few improvements planned.


The van and trailer make a real dust storm on a dirt road.



We really didn't do any 4 wheeling, in fact I only locked the hubs in once on the whole trip. We did however go several places that we would not have gone without the 4x4.



Here we are arriving for some camping on the beach. Didn't need 4x4 here either, but wouldn't have been on the beach without it.




Improvements will include something in the rear to help with heavy loading. With the van fully loaded, the trailer tongue weight, and my 8 million pound bumper, the back end was sagging a bit. I really don't want to go with the air bag option because of the complications involved. I'm looking into putting in an extra leaf. I'll post what I end up doing.

The bump stops worked like a charm. We bottomed out once when a washout on the main road caught us off gaurd. It wasn't bad at all, the stops worked as advertised. I won't be changing a thing in this department.

The roads in Baja are not the best quality. They don't take the time to level properly which gives you a lot of up and down action in any car. The van never had any handling issues, but we sure did the tuna boat thing a lot. If the rear spring doesn't help, I'll look into more heavy duty shocks.

Lastly I wasn't impressed with the mileage we got. I'm going to call it an average of 11mpg for the whole trip. Best being 13 and worst 9. Once again those roads are a killer and towing the trailer doesn't help. Sure hope I do better around home without towing.




This video shows how narrow the roads are

Rear bumper finished.

Got the box all finished up and ready for paint.








Got the lights marked for cutting. At this point I'm also trying to figure out how to latch everything together. We were going to incorporate a box in the bumper, but ran out of time. Maybe I'll come back and do that later (yeah right).








This is what I came up with for a latch. Trying to keep it really simple yet secure. One bolt holds everything together and also allows the weight to be distributed.






Time to box in the bumper ends. We thought about hinging these as well, but decided not to because of having to deal with all the wires inside of the bumper. Another maybe later project.






Here is a shot of my Dad laying down a coat of primer. He is the real reason my projects turn out so nice.






Here is the finished "latch". Two feet rest on a piece of plastic (chopped up cutting board). Just unscrew the yingyang symbol and both racks swing out. The tire side clears the bumper, but unfortunately the box side scrapes. I'm sure there will be a curved scratch in my bumper soon.






I love the way the ends came out. Looks like we really knew what we were doing.







Finished product. I really love those LED lights.

Building a new rear bumper

I just can't leave well enough alone. The new tire size is way too big to hang on the stock tire rack. I need a way to carry a spare. Being way to cheap to buy a fancy bumper for 3000 dollars I decided to buy a plasma cutter and some steel to try it myself. Yes this chunk of steel is a bit on the GIANT size, but hey, it was 25 bucks.
With the new higher bumper mounting the tow hitch was almost 4 inches lower. After a lot of hemming and hawing, we (Dad and I) came up with raising the tow hitch and then using it to help support the bumper. We were also able to trim the bottom of the tow hitch to improve departure angles.
Bumper hanging by two bolts. Already starting to look not so huge.
Decided to build the other parts before getting too carried away with the bumper finishing. This is the lid to a 28x28x12 storage box. This is our brake, not sure how to spell it, but it's our version of the machine that is used to bend metal. I used the plasma cutter to cut all but small pieces on the bend. Almost making it like a hinge that will bend easy. Hard part is coming back and filling all the holes with weld, then grinding it off.
Box made in two pieces folded at the short corners then welded. Having a heck of a time trying to finish the welding without warping everything. It won't be perfectly straight, but I'm not telling.
Rough draft done. Made a half inch square frame on the inside to keep the square, and have a surface for a seal.

Took me most of the day to make this simple basket on the lid. Probably another few hours just to grind off all of the excess welding.++

Tire rack is coming together now too. We also found a cool way to make both parts swivel. More pictures coming soon.

Maybe a solution to the ABS problem

I recently learned that the abs sensors from the 05 superduty front axle are not compatible with my van. It appears they changed the sensors in 05 to a new kind. My solution is to purchase new ones for a 99-04 superduty 4x4 front axle and replace mine. At the dealer they go for 168 each. I found one on ebay for 50 shipped and talked the dealer down to 125 with next day availability. Not sure how difficult they will be to change, but it doesn't look good. I sure hope this fixes the problem.
UPDATE:
Sure enough. The new sensors work like a charm. Thanks very much to Craig at Salem Kroger for helping me with this one.
I added a picture to show where the ABS sensor is located. That is the sensor with the blue dot in the picture. Remove the wheel, brake assembly, and rotor for access. I was very relieved to have another gremlin behind me.

Another way to convert a Ford van to 4x4

Finally finished getting my van converted to 4x4. Now it's time to share the experience and maybe help those who may do the same.
I've had motorhomes for many years now, starting with Volkswagon Vanagons. I eventually built my own by putting a custom top onto a chevy blazer. This got me closer to my ultimate goal of a small capable camper, but the whole time I've been eyeing the sportsmobile. Until recently I couldn't come close to being able to afford one. In fact I still can't afford one, at least not a new one ordered from the factory. Hence this post, I found a way to have my cake and still be able to afford a glass of milk to go with it. Buying a relatively old (2001) 2wd sportsmobile and doing my own conversion allowed me to get what I ultimatley wanted without breaking the bank.
There are 5 ways that I know of to convert a Ford van to 4x4. You can order a new one from Ford and have Quigley do the "factory" conversion. Order a new sportsmobile and have sportsmobile west do the conversion. Go to Salem Kroger in California, or go to Quadvan in Oregon. Or........ find the parts, someone who can weld way better than me, and make it happen. I have spoken extensively with both Eddie at Quadvan and Craig at Salem Kroger. I had originally planned on having one of them do the conversion for me. Unfortunately, they are both expensive, and many hundreds of miles from my home. As I researched more and more I soon learned that although not easy or straightforward, one could do the conversion themselves at about half the cost.

Most of the parts come from a 2005 Super Duty F250. I located a complete vehicle with rear end damage only. The truck had 26000 miles on it so components are in good condition. I bought the 4wd drivetrain complete (which was a mistake). This includes a dana 60 axle complete, all steering parts except for pittman arm, springs, shocks, driveline, pinard, track arms, etc. A couple of points to consider here. Make sure the vehicle has low miles, make sure it's not from the east (rust), and you will probably get a much better deal than I did if you buy components individually.

What I learned: The dissasembly guys don't really care if all of the nuts and bolts go with the parts. My conversion guy lost two days finding and ordering specialized oem ford bolts and misc parts. The shift linkage was not included and it took 5 hours to mock up a replacement. The transfer case had the wrong spline count for my transmission. Luckily the salvage yard let me trade it back in for the correct one. I did not use the shocks, springs, driveshaft, or sway bar. May have saved some bucks leaving those behind.

Other parts needed for the conversion:

The fuel tank will need to be shortened to make room for the transfer case. I had a 35 gallon tank which would have been cut down to 29. Assuming it would cost 500 dollars to chop the tank, I elected to put that money towards a new transflow 46 gallon tank which is made to fit the 4x4. If you order one of these, make sure you get the made for 4x4 model or their Quigley model. The tank cost just under 900 dollars.

Wheels are Mickey thompson Classic II 17x9 inch with a 5 inch backspacing. You have to use a 17 or larger wheel to fit over the new larger front rotors. Tires are BFG All Terrains. 285/70-17 I believe. They come out to 32.8 inches tall. Unfortunately they are only rated "D" loading instead of E. I thought I was getting E's when I ordered. The D rating is 3190 per tire (or very close to that number) so should be adequate, but my next set of tires will definitely be load range E. I bought tires and wheels from http://www.tirepackage.com/ and was very happy with their price and delivery time. The load range mistake was all me. Van wheels bolt pattern was 8 on 6.5, the new axle is an 8 on 170. That means either two seperate sets of wheels, or wheel adapters. I contacted Fred Goeske at http://www.wheeladapter.com/ and had steel adapters made. The adapters or spacers go on the rear axle and change the bolt pattern to match the front while also pushing the rear wheels out two inches to match the track of the front. Make sure you have Fred make a lip on the stud side of the adapter to match the inside of your wheel. This gives an extra safety margin, and will keep the wheel from moving on the adapter.

Driveshafts were custom made by my conversion guy. Transmission adapter must be installed to mate up with the transfer case. The transmission is a tricky part of the conversion. My transmission is a 4R100. With a 2wd there is a long output shaft on the 4R100. You can either buy a bracket (from quigley?) and keep the long transmission shaft which makes the transfer case sit farther back. Not sure how this will affect the fuel tank situation. What I did was change the output shaft on the transmission to the (4x4) shaft. You can then use the standard Ford adapter to mate the transmission to the transfer case. When the shaft is changed the whole transmission must be torn apart. They found a bad bearing in mine when it came apart which added another 1000 dollars to the bill. Better to find it now and not half way down the Baja penninsula I guess.

One of the more difficult parts of this conversion was figuring out how to make the speedometer work correctly. I was thinking old school, who cares if it doesn't work for a while, we will eventually figure it out. Wrong, the speedo gives signal to the computer which then tells the transmission when to shift. Post conversion test drive found a van going 20mph with a speedo reading 50mph and shifting into overdrive. The problem comes from the speedo pickup which was located on the tail cone portion of the transmission. Since my tailcone is now gone and replaced by the 4x4 adapter I have a problem. The pickup wire does plug directly into the new adapter, but unfortunately the signal is way off due to the different sized tone ring inside. The solution is a little magic box called a transmission ratio adapter. I used the Electronic Ratio Adapter from Abbott Enterprises. The adapter takes an incoming signal and converts it to the correct ratio to make your speedometer accurate. It can be adjusted for any tire size in the future. The down side is that if this part fails, you are stuck in second gear until it is repaired or replaced. The pickup is also on the transmission side rather than the output of the transfer case so the speedometer will be all messed up whenever you are in low range. Should work fine unless you try to go 40 in low range.

ABS:

Darnit, it was there when I started, I really want it to work when I'm finished. So far I'm having issues with the ABS system. It works great until you drive about 5 miles then the light comes on. We are currently testing the old sensors vs the new ones to see if we can figure it out. I'll get it going and post the solution soon.