I'M BATVAN! ...a 2006 E350 V10 DIY Ujoint Conversion

Pinnacle Campers

Chateau spotter
Great build! I really appreciate the attention to detail. Something to aspire to on my next project. It looks like your bumper and grill paint has lasted well. I've read all sorts of methods for painting chrome, but would like to hear about your process.
Hi there Joeldc,
Thanks for asking, the front bumper was powder coated, the chrome was "blasted" by my powdercoater it is holding up well. The grill and lower valance was painted using an undercoating paint, Rustoleum I think. It isn't holding up as well, I just scuffed the grill up with some sandpaper. the paint isn't failing so much as where the rocks hit it is taking out little chunks. The grill needs to be redone.
 
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Joeldc

New member
Thanks for the painting/powder coating details! It looks like you're on to another project... I look forward to hearing more.

If you have some time in-between projects, I’d like to hear more about your Espar heater setup. Is the passenger area heat similar to when the engine is running? Is your exchanger for hot water sufficient for showers?

Thanks!
 

Pinnacle Campers

Chateau spotter
Thanks for the painting/powder coating details! It looks like you're on to another project... I look forward to hearing more.

If you have some time in-between projects, I’d like to hear more about your Espar heater setup. Is the passenger area heat similar to when the engine is running? Is your exchanger for hot water sufficient for showers?

Thanks!
Hi there Joeldc,
I have been contemplating how to respond to your questions, the answer, the results are 'subjective' and 'hard to measure'.
I would say the passenger area heat is similar to when the engine is running, although it isn't an automated system (of course neither is the OEM dash system). The rear OEM HVAC blower is on a switch and there is a thermostatic control on the blower but it cant talk to the Espar. The Espar has a thermostat but the controller I have (7 day timer) doesn't know what to do with that info and cant talk to the blower fan anyways.
Could they be set up to talk to one another? Yes, and if the need was there I would likely work on it more.
We don't find ourselves camping in temperatures that we cant play outside in during the day (its a "3 season" camper) so most often, as far as cabin heating goes, we are just using it to take the chill off in the morning, and if we are stuck in the van (and not around a campfire), sometimes in the evening before bed.
In that scenario it works great.
Without getting completely out of bed I can hit the button on the Espar to start the 30 min timer. After it fires up, I reach to the same spot and turn on the rear fan. Within a few minutes hot air is blasting from under the bed. If you want more heat sooner you can turn on the ignition key (no engine start) and turn on the dash fan with either the floor vents on or if the windows have condensation, the defroster. One such scenario in Moab after the 30 min timer had run out (Espar stopped cycling) my daughter said she was hot, I thought I'am too, it had gone from 42 deg to 68 deg. in about 45 minutes, the blowers were still warm from the residual heat in the exchangers, I turned everything off.
If you were spending the night in a ski resort parking lot you would likely be up a few times during the night, like stoking up the wood stove in a cabin with no heat. The heat in the van dissipates quickly. Additionally, I would have a hard time sleeping listening to the espar wind up and down every couple minutes.

Is your exchanger for hot water sufficient for showers? Yes, unless maybe you were in that ski resort parking lot during the winter. I have used it more for rinsing off than for actual showers, and have used it more so for washing dishes. I'm often amazed when I go to wash dishes 2 hours after arriving in camp and still have warm enough water (because it is tied into the coolant loop) to make dishwashing easier than stone cold water. Also often surprised when I fill up a water bottle and forget to turn the thermostatic control valve down, yuck this water is warm!
I was going to do some cold weather water system testing last weekend, then I realized the tank is empty and winterized. This is another reason why cold weather showers aren't a reality. It takes a lot of energy just to keep the inside tank from freezing so it remains empty all winter to avoid damage.

Could the system be set up to provide hotter water? Yes, I have seen some DIY'er's doing recirculation systems, sending the heated water back to the holding tank, starting with warmer water will get you warmer water. Also, a control valve that isolates the system from the engine/radiator would make a difference (and reasonably inexpensive) the cold engine block is robbing more heat the colder it is.
We have had low temps in the teens here lately. I have been running the espar as an engine preheater a lot. A better more $ controller would allow me to start the espar from my smartphone instead I go out and punch the button, and when I start the engine and leave (up to 30 min later) the dash vents are immediately blowing warm.
I think for anyone looking at a system like this but doesn't want to fool around (or even if you do and you want some tips) with setting it up should look at the Rixens system, https://www.rixens.com/sprinter-and-class-b-c-rv-system-information/
I would like a 4 season camper in the future, the heating/hot water system is challenging and I don't think it has one simple answer.
 
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Pinnacle Campers

Chateau spotter
The poptop story.
This top was removed for installation of a new CCV top and was advertised by member "MSD" here: http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...ing-22849.html I responded within 2 hours...
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I had considered different top options in the past, all of the new ones are super expensive, and most require drop offs, flights, hotel rooms, etc. (if being installed) which costs even more. Additionally some reports regarding their experiences with some of the tops have left me not wanting to take the risk/$.
I have strongly considered building my own poptop but without much experience with any of the tops and their mechanical aspects I found little motivation to start.
I also looked at a few whole vans with decent pop tops for removal and van resell but that seemed like a riskier "investment".
Being a DIY'er I thought buying a used one and refurbishing it was the cheapest way to add value to my van, add another separate sleeping area, and learn about how a Sportsmobile top works and ultimately benefit (and improve) their mistakes.
Being cheap, not wanting to pay MSD to crate the thing, and thinking I could beat the V10 mpg odds (and a snowstorm) I decided to spend my Thanksgiving days off driving to Loveland Co. to actually pick it up.
That story.
First, as I was leaving Rock Springs WY. on the way there I blew a spark plug. Knowing that this is a common problem I immediately knew what happened (or did I?). I pulled off at the last Rock Springs exit which was only a mile or so ahead. The exit is desolate, mostly abandoned gas stations. As I pulled over and looked around I saw "Pats Automotive" (which looked nearly abandoned as well), and there were two guys milling around out front. I approached one of them and asked, "what are the chances of getting service on Thanksgiving day?", he laughed.
After telling him what I had he said he has done it, it would be around $500, "cash", I considered my lack of options then agreed. Turns out Oreillys was open (for another hour) and had the heli-coil kit.
When Pat returned with the parts we pulled the van into the nice warm shop as it started to snow outside. I already had the cover off, and Pats 22 year old son dove in with a flashlight. He returned with a coilpack and a spark plug stuck in the boot, the coil pack had a broken flange. The spark plug was broken, one piece, the ceramic could spin separately from the metal. Something else, a bit unusual, there were no threads on the plug!
Tyler grabbed a scope and stuck it in the hole, sure enough, the threads were good, top of the piston looks good.
The spark plug literally unscrewed then blew out! Even the threads right at the top were good, not even a hint of threads on the plug.
I had heard that the later V10's had changed the design and the plugs blowing out of the hole was no longer a problem, I never would have guessed that it unscrewed but to not blow out the threads at 1/2 or 1/4 insertion is a real testament to thread strength. It was likely caused by not tightening, it was the middle plug on the driver side. After that I decided to check them all, Pats son took the front and I took the rear pulling coilpacks and checking plug torque. Most were good to a half turn from tight. Pat paced around talking on the phone and smoking cigarettes the whole time.
After buttoning things up and clearing a coilpack code with their Snap-on diagnostics tool, Pat asked if we could settle up with the $500 bill, "I wont charge you for the parts" as he smiled, a coilpack and a sparkplug. I reluctantly gave him the money and was back on the road in less than 3 hours. I'm grateful it didn't happen 20 miles later in the blowing snowstorm I hit on Elk Mountain. In reflection, I could have done this in the Oreillys parking lot, they might have even had the scope to borrow to check the threads, but I didn't know it would be so easy when I agreed to Pats help.
I met Mark at CCV around 9:30a the next morning. Mark seems like a great guy, he stayed in communication with me and was very hospitable. He gave me a quick tour of CCV, although I admit, my head was literally in the clouds, I had a head cold and couldn't think about much of anything other than, "what kind of adventures await on the drive home?, how much is it going to cost over and above the regular expenses?". I wish I could have had more time to hang out/have a beer with Mark under different circumstances, maybe another time.
It was a very windy day in Fort Collins, I pulled over for gas and as I opened the door it got ripped out of my hand by a wind gust and bent backwards. I was able to shut the door but now it wont open more than 2" before binding between the door and fender occurs. I have been using the cargo side door for ingress/egress but need to stop driving it or fix it because its really hard to remember I cant go that way, especially going out, every time I open it I do more damage. I hope I don't have to buy a new/used door as finding a black one might be rather difficult causing me to do a full door repaint.
To top it off, I don't advise the V10, 3.73 gears, and 33" tires for pulling a 2500lb or heavier trailer unless you like 7-8MPG. The van is fine without the trailer or pulling the trailer in town but that combo with winds, hills, and trying to stay at speed means it "hunts" for gear. Kinda blew my 10mpg estimates.
Its hard to say if this top is "worth it" at this point. I really shouldn't pin the incident costs on the top as those things could have happened anywhere at anytime but its hard not to at this point. Knowing what I know now I would have paid the $750-$1000 for crating and shipping.
This is a full length RB top, in other words it goes all the way to the windshield and has latches above the front doors to keep the leading edge down. The canvas stops behind the cab as all other SMB tops. As Mark told me it is from the Indiana Sportsmobile shop and that is identified by being a smooth top rather than "ribbed". The ribbed tops came from Fiberine for SMB Texas, West. Indiana tops came from somewhere else.
My rough plans at this point is to fill the holes in the top and Raptor liner, install a Maxxair fan, solar panel, maybe a rear basket/rack, new headliner, hardware, install.
 

another_mike

Adventurer
Crazy it had been unscrewing for 60k miles? Or that it had been that long since they were changed?
That they came loose after 60k. Seems like if they were going To come loose, they’d do so soon after changing them.

This is what’s keeping me from changing my plugs now. I’ve heard that using factory plugs and proper torque prevent this problem... but It also seems to happen to people that claim they followed those suggestions.
 

Pinnacle Campers

Chateau spotter
That they came loose after 60k. Seems like if they were going To come loose, they’d do so soon after changing them.

This is what’s keeping me from changing my plugs now. I’ve heard that using factory plugs and proper torque prevent this problem... but It also seems to happen to people that claim they followed those suggestions.
I think the plug wasn't completely torqued down at time of replacement and that it had been unscrewing the whole time. There were no signs of anti-seize on the threads.
I need to go back and look at the PO records, he had most of the work done at Ford dealerships, although would they install Autolite XP's?
Coincidently I have had new plugs and coilpacks sitting on the bench for quite some time. Look what happened while I continued to put it off....
 

Pinnacle Campers

Chateau spotter
How's the "Pop Top" install going???

No Install yet....

Poptop Disassembly-

The top had flexible solar panels that were adhered with silicone. The panels had already been removed so I took off the silicone residue with a wire brush in an electric drill.

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There were also some plugs in some large holes, like those rubber expansion stoppers. I think these holes were from the original solar (or a previous) panel. I also removed the Yakima roof rails, I was surprised they are plastic, and explains the stress cracks in the gelcoat. The plastic isnt very good at distributing the point loads of the feet. Extruded aluminum would be better.

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These were attached with through bolts on the OSB plywood core strips, and they are outside of the canvas perimeter.

So I popped the top and braced it up. Both of the cross bars looked bent, and the driver side frame/track is bent.

Using the come along method, I relieved the tension on the springs. The cable tensioner was just used as my hook. 3 easy steps!

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Its literally 1970's garage door technology!

At this point I got inside the top to disassemble the headliner and drop the canvas. I put my creeper on the table inside to roll around sitting down while I worked above.

Looking for the screws for the push blocks under the pull down handles.

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The top side of the push block is water stained.

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Above the push block is a piece of rough cut sheet metal that looks like the "cut out" of an opening of a van roof. On the sides are two strips of steel (left over from the frame/tracks fabrication) with plastic edge trim. These provide the glides that the bolts with teflon washers in the the crossbars slide on to keep the top centered left/right.

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But the bolts in my front crossbars are missing. Check out the residue formed on the bottom of the steel plate from water pooling above and causing rust at the smaller hole.

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....and the sweet "low slop" conduit clamp mounting on the cross bars. Maybe it needs this much play to make it fit and work correctly?

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The rear was a similar setup. Except for the bolt/guides are in the cross bars. These bars slide so no conduit clamps here.

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After looking at the top of the rear push block I think I know why the front bolt guides were missing. The rears interferred with the topside of the panel. Every time it opened and closed this bolt head was digging a trough or dado into the wood panel on both sides. It must have worked like ******** since day one! Or maybe it needs this much resistance to work correctly?

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Pinnacle Campers

Chateau spotter
My headliner panels are stained and rotten in numerous places. As most have found the canvas is held up with the headliner so I pulled all the panels and removed the canvas.

I removed the vintage lighting, twisted together wires with electrical tape isnt my preference.

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I also disassembled the frame.

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The classic bent grade 8 bolts at the cross bars.

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Scratches in the track from to long of bolt and/or to much slop in the system.

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Here is the bottom of both tracks in the same location. The ends of the sliding crossbars have hit/scratched here numerous times.

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The bent frame rail. I clamped it to my table and pulled from the lower part of the table leg with the come along. Tweaked the flanges straight at the bend with a large crescent wrench.

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Now that the top is turned over you can see the sheet ABS strips that were stapled in at the bearing points with the top up. The front ones are deformed from the weight.

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I assume most Texas and West ribbed tops have a different configuration for attaching the tops to the crossbars. Those tops have 12 through bolts where this top only has 3, only at the hold downs. Less places to leak.

More to come....
 

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