BlueGrey 4x

veronatii

Member
I ordered a full set of insulated window shades from Paul (@SprinterPaul) before heading out for my trip over Christmas & New Years. I opted for local pickup knowing I'd be down in his area shortly after leaving Santa Barbara.

He delivered them to the Noble Canyon trailhead where we went on an epic mountain bike ride with a couple of his buddies.


(Lynn, me & Paul)


The window shades are awesome! The fit is absolutely perfect and the quality of construction is top notch, which makes the price point seem super fair. They’re also really easy to put & take down. I went with black on the outside and “midnight blue” on the inside. Here’s some detailed photos:
























(full album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmvKkyDk)

I highly recommend these for anyone who wants more privacy and/or some insulation when camping in the cold. Paul is a great guy building quality products. Check out his website at http://xplroutfitters.com or message him here on the forum.

Thanks again Paul!!
 
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sprinterPaul

Well-known member
You're welcome! Keep that awesome build going.

We'll have to ride again soon.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

MTB_Sprinter

New member
Im just n the process of ordering some window covers from Paul too. Love the fact you guys mountain bike too, let me know if either of you come up to Vancouver and want to ride !
 

veronatii

Member
Im just n the process of ordering some window covers from Paul too. Love the fact you guys mountain bike too, let me know if either of you come up to Vancouver and want to ride !
Awesome, you won't be disappointed!!

Will let you know if/when I make it up that way..
 

Mickyfin

Member
I installed the @flatlinevanco roof rack over the weekend. Installation was very quick and easy, even doing it solo. The only hangup was the cross bar in front of the fan had to be moved forward out of the original bolt holes since it would have hit the fan. Easy fix however.
Looks awesome, do you know if flatlinevanco ship internationally?
 

al415

Member
I figure this thread is due a bump... hopefully for an update or two. Any thoughts on that flatline roof rack? Now that it’s been in operation for a few months.
 

veronatii

Member
I figure this thread is due a bump... hopefully for an update or two. Any thoughts on that flatline roof rack? Now that it’s been in operation for a few months.
You're right-- I'm way overdue for an update!

I really like the flatline roof rack.. it's low-profile shape is probably the best part as it almost looks factory. And since it uses 80/20, mounting things to it is a breeze too using T nuts. I have some light bars that I'm hoping to mount up top soon.. just need to find the time.

In other news, I finally started the project of doing my floor. First step was to remove the bike drawers, seat and the original flooring:



Next, KillMat



Then I built a subfloor to provide support between the insulation. I had some leftover Thinsulate left so I put that down between the Killmat and subfloor in the 'living area'.



Next up was cutting the insulation panels into squares and taping in place with foil tape.




Then I ran out of foil tape...

Next I put the original plywood stuff back in with some fillers for the seat rails and other cutouts.



Then I put Lifeproof flooring on top of that. I will say, however, that I'm still not 100% convinced that this was the right move. The more I read about 'floating' floors in vans it sounds like they're not the best approach. I'm actually considering removing it and using sheet vinyl instead. If you have an opinion on this, please comment!





more to come!
 

veronatii

Member
While I ponder my flooring decision a while longer, I decided to start working on my galley cabinet. Immediate goals were a fridge and running water.

So I bought a fridge... It's an Isotherm Cruise Elegance 85.



Naturally I had to see how fast it could produce cold beers, and how much power it consumed in the process. I ran it on max averaging about 3Ah.. In the morning my batteries were at 93%, but shortly after the sun was up I was topped off again.



Next I mocked up a galley cabinet to the size I wanted with cardboard:



Then I designed it in SketchUp..



I used 1/2 baltic birch for the frame.



For the water system, I'm using a Shurflo pump & accumulator and a 3M filter. 5g fresh & gray water tanks will live under the sink with quick disconnects.



The pump is wired to a relay & switch which will be mounted on the side of the cabinet.



... next up is finishing up the cabinet, building drawers & faces and painting...
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
You might be okay, doing some searching, it appears that clear PVC does have some 50-60psi variants. The stuff I am used to working with really isn't good for more than 15psi, else it tends to leak. If your box/supply indicates 40, you will be okay I think.
 

speedsurfer

Member
Yes on the braided hose rated at 200 PSI. Also, I believe it is better to mount these pumps with the head of the pump down when mounted in the vertical plane. These pumps work by forcing a diaphragm up and down into a chamber with valves which pulls in and pushes out the water much like a heart. If there is a leak then water will leak into the motor when mounted with the motor and electrical parts lower than the water. Just flip it around.
 

veronatii

Member
It really has been a while since I've updated this thread.. so here goes!

- Replaced plumbing hose with braided
- Rotated water pump 180* (thanks for the suggestion @speedsurfer)
- Finished the galley
- Added direct sink drain valve
- Added additional ventilation & fan for fridge/inverter
 

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