More Van Mods

THE FLOORING

The van came with some absolutely God-awful bright orange and brown fuzzy 1970's carpet. Personally, I think any kind of carpet in a travel rig is the worst decision you could make. This applies doubly when it's so ugly it makes you naueseous to look at it. I undertook the task of ripping it out so that the subfloor could be inspected and new flooring installed. The subfloor was solid, and Dave did a beautiful job installing the new linoleum. Huge improvement here, and worth every dime!

Before and After!

RACK CITY, B****.

We were having a hell of a time finding a rack set up that would work for us, without costing $1,500 or more. We needed to carry a generator, 2 bicycles, and a spare tire on the back, while still being able to open the rear doors. After some exhausting research, we finally found a solution! We purchased a swing away Thule brand bike rack that mounts in a trailer hitch (see 'Products and Gear' tab for full review). Dave drew up a design for a locking generator mount, and had it welded up by a mutual friend at work. We had to special order another door mount piece, the mirror image of the stock mount that holds the spare tire. Once welded up, we fit tested everything and it works like a charm!

STEREO

The van came with an outdated (to say the least) stereo. We went to Mobile Music and had it replaced with an HD radio/CD/MP3 player that we can play our iPod or Spotify radio through. It also charges the iPhone while it's plugged in, which leaves our cigarette lighter 12v open for other devices. We also upgraded the speakers to something a little nicer, so now we have a great all around sound system!


MISCELLANEOUS ADD ONS

The center console, or "doghouse" on the van didn't have any cup holders, and I was shocked by the lack of options for add ons. I finally found some at a marine supply dealer for a reasonable price. They fold down when not in use, and can be mounted to a flat or vertical surface.

The one downside of bringing your furry friend along on a trip like this is HAIR. Hair everywhere. Hair in shocking abundance in places it ought not to be. We are doing everything we can to combat the never ending waves of invasive Doberman fur, but it can feel like a losing battle. The stock fabric on the bench and front seats was apparently specifically designed to cling to any form of dust or pet hair, so it had to go. We had the rear bench seat reupholstered with a thick Pleather-like fabric, and I found some universal slip-on seat covers on Amazon.

Lastly was a bit of labor on our part. There was a substantial leak along the bottom line of the windshield that was letting water and air through. On closer inspection, we found the bottom seal was completely gone and the metal had become quite rusted. After a quote from an auto glass shop that left me laughing hysterically and Dave clutching his chest in the manner of a heart attack victim, we decided to fix it ourselves as best we could.

We drove the van to my parents' house to have a warm, dry place to work. We pulled off the trim surrounding the windshield and began cleaning out the gutter that surrounds it. Everything had to be perfectly dry for the new sealant to stick, so we got to work with hair dryers and paper towels. When everything was clean and dry, we used a caulking gun to apply the new sealant to the damaged areas. It was no easy task to get a good seal without removing the glass, but when everything was said and done it turned out great, and Charlie is once again watertight!