Traveller Smurf (Cubey's '89 van)

[Cant Write]

And with no major issues either.

And 16 mpg (double) while traveling 10 mph faster!!!

Course, no kitchen or bathroom....

After looking at it, the PS was my biggest concern but @Cubey said once filled it didn’t use any.

But @IDIBRONCO is right, no issues, how about little ones?

Door seals leak, sway bar bushings, what about fluid use?

And does anyone remember the name of that gel to revive door seals...someone here posted it and I wanna buy some.

 

[Cubey]

And 16 mpg (double) while traveling 10 mph faster!!!

Course, no kitchen or bathroom....

Kitchen is easy.

I run a 12v chest style fridge/freezer. I might have to get a smaller one later is all, because this one is admittedly a bit large for the van.

For cooking, there's no shortage of compact camping stoves.

I still have one of these I was given when I was in the truck camper (without the tray thing) for a short term, outdoor sink solution.

https://a.co/d/gNG50OI

A small stainless steel sink is about $50 when i do decide to build in a proper kitchen.

For bathroom, a cheap camp toilet and using public restrooms is viable, at least until I decide if i want a proper RV toilet and tank. No need for a separate sink.

I have a cheap, tankless, propane water heater that self ignites with a D cell battery and works well feeding from a 12v RV water pump and a 7 gallon water jug. I took showers with it off grid in the shower tent I still have. Between that and gyms, I should be good for showers.

I'll probably hold off on building it much beyond a bed for a little while, due to lack of money, so it'll be a work in progress.
I might remove the carpet and put in some good, thick, vinyl flooring. Carpet holds dirt and moisture so bad.

 

[Cubey]

New Autometer pyrometer installed.

I almost rounded off the adapter fitting but thankfully i finally found my 16mm (5/8) 6-point box end wrench. I had to reuse it, because the one with the new gauge kit was too small. Thankfully the upper threads matched. It had to come out so that I could spray the probe from both ends with penetrating oil. It was very stuck/rusted in.

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I coiled the excess cable, the same way the old isspro gauge in the RV is installed, since it seems to work fine and doesn't melt. The old gauge cable was poorly bundled by the brake pedal. I also routed it through the same hole that the turbo boost tube is going through, instead of a long way around like before.

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Cold start idle. It went up a tiny bit vs stone cold.

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Also installed an older cheap radio that was in the truck. Rear speakers both work. Door speakers are dead. Added ceiling speakers by the sun visors, LH was dead and RH worked. So I swapped them around so that LH works and RH is dead.

Oh... and it has the 3g alternator mod already.

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[LowTech]

Kitchen is easy.

I run a 12v chest style fridge/freezer. I might have to get a smaller one later is all, because this one is admittedly a bit large for the van

What make and size is your fridge? I may be interested. I've been "kinda" looking to upgrade what's in here.

 

[Cubey]

What make and size is your fridge? I may be interested. I've been "kinda" looking to upgrade what's in here.

Alpicool T60

 

[Cubey]

Pretty easily found the added in, dedicated 16 gauge wires that fed the "skull crack'er" light that I keep snacking my head into. A new, very thin LED light put in it's place.

The wire is down by the parking brake cable, butt connected to an ignition switched power wire. Cut it off and taped off the butt connector as a reminder for what it is, if I need it later.

I'll have to run another length of wire to the house batteries, because somehow, someone ran the wires inside the body, so I can't reroute it easily. So I'll just leave it there and run more wire. It's rated as 6W, so it won't be pulling much power at all.

A bit of wire has to show at the light because I can't shove the spliced connections into the tiny hole the wires are passing through but I don't care. It's not going to cause brain trauma every time I pass under it, like with the old incandescent fixture with 4 bulbs between three controllable lights.

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[LowTech]

Alpicool T60

I'm interested. Will PM you later.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Oh man. That was a terrible light!

 

[Cubey]

Oh man. That was a terrible light!

It has two reading lights you can aim with a dome light in the middle.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That's ok, but it hung down so low.

 

[Cubey]

That's ok, but it hung down so low.

Yeah. The rv has a couple similar ones but even those aren't as bad. I only ever use the center light with an LED replacement.

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[Cubey]

Bench seat unbolted because it needs to go. Offered on Facebook marketplace for free, but no bites yet.

Starting on building the bed platform in "full" size of 54x75.

Removed the bolted in, home made mount for the spare tire. Could use insulation in the wall, but it'll have to wait.

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[Cubey]

It's getting there. I ran out of daylight and the framing is still rickety, but i just need to attach it to the walls on the sides in at least two places on each side. had to rig it with scrap 2x4 for support because I went with cheap/light weight 1x2 and 1x3 boards. Tons of storage under there and it's openings are so big, I can crawl under if needed. I made it so i can use the good, long lasting Rubbermaid totes like you see there. two shorter like those equal the height of a single taller one, so i can move them around if i am ever reorganizing.

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[Cubey]

I certainly can't complain about lack of storage or bed space. Plenty of room for the kitchen area.

That unfinished area on the driver side of the bed will be shelves for daily needs storage. I just ran out of materials. I'll worry about it later.
.

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[Cubey]

Cheapo ($130) spare tire carrier installed. Puts a lot of weight on the hinges and the door drags shutting, so it's not at all ideal long term. The old rotten tire is a bit used and the right side door scrapes it when closing, so we will see if a brand new tire I'll be picking up this next week will even allow the door to open and close. I might have to just not use the back doors at all, unless I have a better tire carrier fabricated/mounted somewhere else. I moved the license plate down to the lower holes (has 4 holders) so the plate isn't blocked by the tire; a good way to avoid giving cops grounds for a traffic stop.

It's an absolute pain to lift that thing up that high, I do it from the side and then come around the back. That's the easiest way, I find.

The stock plate lights got covered in paint by whoever sprayed the van. I pretty much never drive at night, but I could get a cheap trailer plate light and mount it so the lowered plate gets illuminated.

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