My Moto Van build thread

[Philip]

I question 20 gallons of water. I could not get one wash out of that. Then again maybe the east coast has "stickier mud". LOL

My pressure washer uses 5-6 gallons to wash one bike. Two bikes and a shower for me -- 20 gallons should be enough.

 

[snydes]

The original is called an ATK Bike Shoe. They are since long out of production. Nice to see other companys are continuing to manufacture it.

I have 4 of these, two of which I have been using for 20 years, give or take. Never an issue. I highly recommend this Bike Shoe, if it is made as well as the original.

Nice van setup Phillip. Been there done that. My van days are long gone. Now a enclosed trailer or toyhauler depending on the duration of stay.

I question 20 gallons of water. I could not get one wash out of that. Then again maybe the east coast has "stickier mud". LOL

Regardless, nice setup!

I have an original and one of the "repos". Like all repos, they aren't as good as the original.

 

[Philip]

I was lucky this month I got to use the huge RV garage that my AZ landlord rents separately. The guy who rented the RV garage won't be using it until January, so I got to use it!

I have done some more electrical wiring work, mostly fixing the earlier mess. There is still a lot of work left in that area.

I have been wanting to install a switch to disable to cargo area lights when I do not want them to turn on at night. After 3 years of owning this van I discovered that the two cargo area lights had built-in rocker switches already, LOL! One problem solved.

Here are the pics of the roof fan that I installed this week:

 

[Redwolf]

That fan looks like a nice unit, like the low profile when closed. Lot of good ideas for when/if I start building a van.

 

[101stunt]

The van looks awesome @Philip . I need to continue work on mine as well.

 

[ghebinkim]

More details on the transit please! Pretty set on getting the 3.5 Ecoboost but would love to hear your thoughts on the van overall, options you selected, etc.

The van looks awesome @Philip . I need to continue work on mine as well.

View attachment 3301

 

[101stunt]

I'll take some photos of the stuff i have done to it and share some feedback on it later tonight.

 

[Redwolf]

Looks like my project is just about to start...

 

[C5tor]

My pressure washer uses 5-6 gallons to wash one bike. Two bikes and a shower for me -- 20 gallons should be enough.

Doesn't the pressure washer sting a bit when you take a shower with it? I mean, sure, it gets the mud out of all the nooks and crannies. But Ouch!

 

[Philip]

Doesn't the pressure washer sting a bit when you take a shower with it? I mean, sure, it gets the mud out of all the nooks and crannies. But Ouch!

I actually had to use 25 gallons to wash one bike after the 24-hour race, LOL.

No, I do not use the pressure washer for shower. For now, before I figure out something better, I use this:

COSTWAY Tankless Water Heater

and this:

WolfWise Portable Pop Up Privacy Tent

 

[Redwolf]

That's a nifty water heater. Something like that would definitely make living in a van down by the river much more comfortable.

If I show up and use my setup, it will be obvious I was raiding the scrapyard.

 

[Philip]

That's a nifty water heater. Something like that would definitely make living in a van down by the river much more comfortable.

If I show up and use my setup, it will be obvious I was raiding the scrapyard.

Wow, it was only $159 when I bought it last year. But it was worth it, especially with my girlfriend not complaining about having no warm shower, just a pressure washer, LOL.

 

[schwankl]

for water heater: this one is good, i use/recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J4AU2E/?tag=sce0f-20
vs above its 34k btu (18k btu costway) and $75 cheaper

 

[Philip]

Today I added the 5th Battleborn battery. Now I have 500 Ah or 6 kWh of battery power. Should be able to charge a bike from empty to full with no problems.

This time I sealed and insulated all the batteries. They could have gotten hot in the past, being under the van and next to all the hot air from the engine and exhaust. I also added a temperature sensor there to tell what exactly is going on.



Found some awesome insulation materials made by Design Engineering (DEI).

The non-adhesive insulation is held by aluminum duct tape. The adhesive insulation is perfect for wrapping around mufflers and exhaust pipes. We will see soon if it stays adhered.

Design Engineering 050506 Non-Adhesive Heat and Sound Insulation, 42" x 24" (7 sq ft)

Design Engineering 050502 21" x 48" Floor & Tunnel Shield II - Adhesive Heat and Sound Insulation

 

[wwmotors]

Hey Philip, I like the idea to charge during driving! I have to think about that! I planed to be a ALTA dealer here in Germany, so I built a transporter for bikes , but also for racing events, to show, what the bikes are capable to! I took a Fiat Ducato Clever Camper, which is pretty much the same chassis than Your transporter. Due to the fact, that beds are always only 2m long, tha bikes will not fit under! So we removed the back doors and mounted a different tailgate plus the bed hight ydjustable! . Now I have 2,9m for 2-3 bike, or 2 bikes plus 6KW diesel Power Generator for charging the 2 ALTAs at the track. For the bikes I mounted bike holders, where You can load the bikes save without straps in 1min!
We had good fun at the german tracks with the ALTAs, but the dealer story had a hard end, as You all know! :-(

 

[Philip]

I took a Fiat Ducato Clever Camper, which is pretty much the same chassis than Your transporter. Due to the fact, that beds are always only 2m long, tha bikes will not fit under! So we removed the back doors and mounted a different tailgate plus the bed height adjustable!

Wow! I like your Ducato hatchback van! You picked the longest and the tallest body and extended it. That's a huge van! We also have long Fiat vans in the US, but not yet as tall as the one that you have.

I also added a bed recently (pictures are coming). I always wanted to keep an "open floor plan", so that I can remove everything and use the van as a cargo van, if necessary. So, my bed is suspended on cables above the motorcycles, and is also height adjustable. If I remove the mattress and raise it all the way up, I can walk under it freely. If I had the van your height, I probably would have been able to keep the mattress on it at all times.

 

[wwmotors]

Wow! I like your Ducato hatchback van! You picked the longest and the tallest body and extended it. That's a huge van! We also have long Fiat vans in the US, but not yet as tall as the one that you have.

I also added a bed recently (pictures are coming). I always wanted to keep an "open floor plan", so that I can remove everything and use the van as a cargo van, if necessary. So, my bed is suspended on cables above the motorcycles, and is also height adjustable. If I remove the mattress and raise it all the way up, I can walk under it freely. If I had the van your height, I probably would have been able to keep the mattress on it at all times.

Yes it is long. The Chassis is L5 and sh (superhigh). The length now is 7,4m ! I have onother bed for one person above the driver. So most of the time, I do not need the rear bed. I am superhappy with that van. It is good for sport/racing, bike presentation and holidays with family!

 

[Philip]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I have started my annual drive to Arizona. This is a good time to show you my height-adjustable bed in action!





It is suspended from the roof on four cables. The round pipe shown below the bed rotates and pulls the four cables up or down. There is a worm gearbox on the far end, and it can be driven with an electric drill or a manual crank.

This cable lift system is from this Ceiling Storage Lift. If you click the Amazon link and scroll down to videos, there is a video of an installation in an enclosed trailer. Pretty awesome.

The matter is full size, 6" thick memory foam. Large enough for two people. It is more comfortable than my bed at home!

 

[Mikec265]

Phillip, just curious and jealous. What do/did you do for a living that allows you to move and ride all year?

 

[Philip]

Phillip, just curious and jealous. What do/did you do for a living that allows you to move and ride all year?

I am not retired yet, I wish! I work for a car company testing cars. When it gets too cold to test in Michigan, they send the cars and myself to Arizona to test. I am quite happy with the arrangement, just wish I was in Arizona a couple of months longer every year.