Zero Two

Fairmont

2019 3500XD 170EXT
This is great. I have a similar seat and this looks like an idea to copy!! Any more pictures of this would be appreciated.
The front panel is whatever you need it to be. A face frame if you’re doing drawers, a plain panel if you need no access, or folding doors like I did. Whatever you put there needs to be removable or hinged so you can still tilt the seat forward for removal. In my case I just remove the top bar of the front face frame. The side panel has enough clearance for the seat to tilt, or I can remove it completely very easily. All of the panels are shaped to allow the seat to tilt and to cover what I wanted to cover. Hope this helps.
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bigb

2011 Winnebago Via 25Q on 2010 3500 Tucson, AZ
Great idea on the hole saw! I've had to reach into tight places before and cut the hole by just holding the hole saw in my hand and turning it back and forth. Slow but eventually cuts a nice hole as long as it's not steel or thick wood. I just recently did it to cut a hole near the top of my black tank to install a tank rinser.
 

Fairmont

2019 3500XD 170EXT
Great idea on the hole saw! I've had to reach into tight places before and cut the hole by just holding the hole saw in my hand and turning it back and forth. Slow but eventually cuts a nice hole as long as it's not steel or thick wood. I just recently did it to cut a hole near the top of my black tank to install a tank rinser.
Unfortunately I had both steel and wood. It was pretty sketchy and I had to go really slow. It was a lot of layers to go through at what seemed like 1/2 rpm, but it definitely beat doing it by hand.
 

Fairmont

2019 3500XD 170EXT
Haven’t had much time lately to finish this thing up but I did get a couple things done. I finally picked some material for the pillows and such in the back, and I built this wall adapter to mount the tv.0EF11418-13AE-4B80-BB8F-A11C757DE7A3.jpeg
 

Attachments

spaner

Florence - 144 AWD Cargo
The Transit seat rails also went in at this time. I fabricated some box section floor stiffeners for underneath to bolt the rails to. It worked out perfectly so I didn’t have to drop the fuel tank.
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Hello @Fairmont - I am revisting your awesome build and it prompted some questions I am hoping you might be able to help with...

I am starting my Transit seat install this weekend (same 36 inch wide ) so I am hoping to also avoid dropping tank - the only tricky bit is my 23 AWD has a giant steel box around the propshaft so that makes install of support braces a bit trickier - I am using L rack so I can also install seat turned 90 deg but will aslo look to do some under floor stiffening - I have couple of questions

1 Do you recall the actual through bolt locations in X/Y in relation to ribs and longitudinal structures - I have yet to remove floor so will find out but would be really helpfull if you had that - I was going to drill a small pilot hole for reference once I have it locked down
2 Do you have any more pictures of the the box section underneath - are you using a box section to bolt the box (x) cross car - and did you also weld nuts so that you can just mount from top?
 
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Fairmont

2019 3500XD 170EXT
Spaner, I am out of the country for a couple weeks so I am unable to measure anything for you. If you can wait I would be happy to get measurements and more pictures. I can tell you that the seat is as close to the wall as it can be and I did not have to drop the tank.
 

GJACK

2017 144 4x4
In awe with your work. I think I'm too old to consider CNC as I'm not sure I could graduate from name plates. Your abilities made me realize how old school I really was. I'm still fiddling around with multiple hand planes, handsaws, paper, and pencil. Nice work and design! I actually do have a spot for a smaller 4'x4' CNC in my shop and was wondering if there was a particular brand you prefer.
 

spaner

Florence - 144 AWD Cargo
Spaner, I am out of the country for a couple weeks so I am unable to measure anything for you. If you can wait I would be happy to get measurements and more pictures. I can tell you that the seat is as close to the wall as it can be and I did not have to drop the tank.
Got holes drilled and dry fit seat today - worked out really well I think so don’t worry about measurements but thanks for the offer though !
 

Fairmont

2019 3500XD 170EXT
In awe with your work. I think I'm too old to consider CNC as I'm not sure I could graduate from name plates. Your abilities made me realize how old school I really was. I'm still fiddling around with multiple hand planes, handsaws, paper, and pencil. Nice work and design! I actually do have a spot for a smaller 4'x4' CNC in my shop and was wondering if there was a particular brand you prefer.
Thanks! All the large parts were cut on a 5x8 Shopbot. I have a smaller Shopbot Buddy at home which is great for cabinet doors, drawers, and other smaller items. I have also used the Shapoko machine with good success.
 

Metrocruiser

Active member
Beautiful build!
We will be installing a happi jac in a 170, I really like your bed platform with the ikea slats. As well, the victron components are in places that are not taking up valuable real estate. Great ideas!
 

vanski

If it’s winter, I’m probably skiing..
Gorgeous work! Love the combination of form, function, and a kind of light hearted theme/branding.

Here’s my inquiry, and this has been discussed in other threads, but I’d like to understand your take on the subject; insurance?!?!?

Obviously you’ve spent hundreds of hours building this sucker and tens of thousands of dollars in material costs. If you were to go to an up-fitter, who would never be able to match some of the custom features at a reasonable cost, you’d be looking at a minimum $125k build price, not to mention the cost of the vehicle, right? So if you total this sucker, what is your insurance prepared to pay out? Perhaps you have this all figured out where you have a stated value policy to ~$200k????

Understood, all us unlicensed DIY folks are nutso to begin with, but I’m scared of getting t-boned by some JA rendering Falcor a bunch of scrap metal and only getting an insurance payout of like ~$40k (2017 4x4 cargo with roughly 100k on the odometer).
 

RVBarry

2023 AWD 170 DIY CamperVan
So if you total this sucker, what is your insurance prepared to pay out? Perhaps you have this all figured out where you have a stated value policy to ~$200k????
Roamly will do Stated or Agreed (appraised) value policies on DIY conversions:
 

spaner

Florence - 144 AWD Cargo
I just got a quote /policy from Roamly - I was able to add stated value for my added/DIY conversion parts - but core vehicle was not based on value (so could not protect for depreciation ) I went with it anyway as it’s better than existing Geico with no build out covered
 

Fairmont

2019 3500XD 170EXT
Gorgeous work! Love the combination of form, function, and a kind of light hearted theme/branding.

Here’s my inquiry, and this has been discussed in other threads, but I’d like to understand your take on the subject; insurance?!?!?

Obviously you’ve spent hundreds of hours building this sucker and tens of thousands of dollars in material costs. If you were to go to an up-fitter, who would never be able to match some of the custom features at a reasonable cost, you’d be looking at a minimum $125k build price, not to mention the cost of the vehicle, right? So if you total this sucker, what is your insurance prepared to pay out? Perhaps you have this all figured out where you have a stated value policy to ~$200k????

Understood, all us unlicensed DIY folks are nutso to begin with, but I’m scared of getting t-boned by some JA rendering Falcor a bunch of scrap metal and only getting an insurance payout of like ~$40k (2017 4x4 cargo with roughly 100k on the odometer).
This is something I have been meaning to revisit. I have an agreed value policy with USAA which MIGHT cover the cost to build it again but certainly not enough to purchase something equivalent. I don’t have access to some of the tools anymore so it would be difficult to duplicate, assuming I wanted to go through the ass pain of building another one. I should probably look into that.
 

vanski

If it’s winter, I’m probably skiing..
…. but core vehicle was not based on value (so could not protect for depreciation ) …
Perhaps I don’t understand insurance lingo 100%.. so what would you be awarded in a full ‘total’ and what do you think fair value, if you were to sell today, would be?

Hopefully roamly figures it out; I guess at the beginning and end of the road they’re more of an insurance co than anything else..

I did read roamly offered something now but last I called them, when I wanted to rent out a previous build, it was base vehicle only if it was DIY.

Hopefully one of these companies will eventually be able to qualify DIY. Obviously, as evident in builds like this, there’s a HUGE <insert orange face here> difference from one DIY job to the next.
 

spaner

Florence - 144 AWD Cargo
I am not sure I fully comprehend the lingo either and the front line of support at Roamly are a bit patchy so I am seeking clarification from second person - but they have just added the ability to insure the build part here in MD which was not available 6 months ago - and I have to prove what I have into the build so need to supply a $ BOM - and also it needs to have a minimum installed set of items (bed fridge toilet or capability capability ) @RVBarry has gone through this already I believe.
 

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