shysher
Indiana
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Joined: 07/25/2004
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WVVan,
Deepest condolences to you and your family. My Dad just passed away July 24th so I understand your loss. May God comfort you during this time.
Sherry
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McZippie
USA
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Joined: 10/21/2009
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Condolences, thanks for sharing the pictures of your Father and the 'chair' story.
Tow Vehicle - 2009 Ford 6.0 Diesel - aka Walmart Boondocker
Toad - 2010 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited
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WVvan
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Thanks for your kind thoughts. I do appreciate it.
Here's a couple of pictures from yesterdays "Memorial Presentation" at the local funeral home. When I made the funeral arrangements I was told that's what you call it when there is a urn and no casket.
That's the urn I made sitting in his easy chair.
There's a flag since Dad was in the Army Air Corp during WWII (Pacific Theater).
So around 3:00pm yesterday the room is full up with people talking and laughing since this seems to be the only time you get see old friends and relatives any more. I was talking to a second cousin and standing few feet from Dad's easy chair, which is the recliner - rocker kind, when there was a brief power outage and the lights in the room when off. I quickly moved closer to the chair and reached my leg way out and pushed down on the edge of the chair with my foot then moved back to where I'd been standing. The lights where only off around 4 seconds but when they came back on there was Dad's chair with his urn on the seat rocking gently back and forth with no one near it. Suddenly the room was totally silent as everyone stared at the chair in amazement. I didn't want to freak anyone out too badly so I quickly fess'ed up. Everyone started laughing in relief and saying how for a moment they were sure Dad had come back and was joining in with the group. No one took offense since we're not a solemn kind of family. There's always much more laughter at these kinds of gatherings than tears.
I'll mention one more thing about urns before I go get back to work on the van. The urn I made for my Dad isn't my first. I did something similar for my brother who died last year. Since he was a computer geek like me, and proud of it, I did something bit different for him. Here's his.
To show you how geeky he was "Beam me up Scotty. I'm done here." was truly one of the last things he said before he died. As kids we watched the original show in it's first run and loved it.
After I created the urn and put Alan in it I posted about it at a site for fellow computer geeks and thought no more of it. I was his executor and had a lot other things to deal with. A few days later a friend contacted me to let me know that the urn story had gone viral. I was amazed to see the story had ended up in a couple newspapers, bunch of websites and blogs and the front page of the Huffington Post. I guess it was a slow news cycle.
Even today if you google "computer urn" the top response will be the flickr page I set up for the original photo. Last I checked it had been viewed over a 1/4 million times. I guess it's my most famous photograph.
Back to work on the van. I've not been able to touch it since Dad first fell ill a week and half ago. Today I'll be re-positioning the charcoal canister. The main problem will be to get one of the cats to work the wrench and tighten the nuts inside the van while I hold the canister in position underneath the van.
Open the pod bay doors Hal.
Once I exit Hal, this is what I do.
WWW.WVBIKE.ORG
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WVvan
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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.
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RVSKIER
Seattle, WA
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Joined: 04/23/2004
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So sorry to hear about your dad, my condolences to you and your family.
RVSKIER
2001 Itasca 30W
Faster, Faster, Until the Thrill
of Speed Over Comes The Fear Of Death
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WVvan
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Thanks Rvskier,
When Mom died two years we didn't thing Dad would last a week since she had cleaned and cooked for him for over 60 years. Dad wasn't an invalid. He just liked it when someone else did all the work. He was 85 then and surprised us all by finally learning to making his own meals and getting along fine on his own. What did him in was a storm related city-wide power outage. Caused him to fall down the stairs. Complications followed. If it weren't for that who's to say how long he would have kept on going.
If I can live to be 87 and still be totally independent as Dad was I don't think I'd have much to complain about.
Dave
* This post was
edited 08/23/10 02:54pm by WVvan *
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WVvan
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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. This 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.
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WVvan
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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 and to the right of it you can see small spaces where the label has 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. 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.
continued:
* This post was
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edited 09/10/10 04:04am by WVvan *
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AsheGuy
Raleigh, North Carolina
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Joined: 11/15/2004
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Bingo, RV.net comes through again. This is exactly what I wished that I had for silencing my trailer hitch.
My bike rack came with a hitch pin like this that secures it with a nut within the bike rack that the pin screws into for silent running. However, when I use the regular trailer hitch with just a plain pin, the noise drives me up the wall especially when there isn't much tongue weight. I need this more for my SUV then the LTV since I more often pull a small utility trailer with it.
I never realized something was on the market for the more generic use. I just ordered one from Amazon. Thank you WVvan.
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
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McZippie
USA
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Joined: 10/21/2009
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AsheGuy wrote:Bingo, RV.net comes through again. This is exactly what I wished that I had for silencing my trailer hitch.
My bike rack came with a hitch pin like this that secures it with a nut within the bike rack that the pin screws into for silent running. However, when I use the regular trailer hitch with just a plain pin, the noise drives me up the wall especially when there isn't much tongue weight. I need this more for my SUV then the LTV since I more often pull a small utility trailer with it.
I never realized something was on the market for the more generic use. I just ordered one from Amazon. Thank you WVvan.
I use these Hitch tighteners. They take out 'all' movement. clicky
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