aVANger Build

[bdosborn]

Thanks!

[pchast]

Nice work!

[bdosborn]

Thanks Pete!

[KCStudly]

Nice work, as always!

The leather cabinet pulls are brilliant!

[JasenC]

That is spiffelicious.

Leather pulls?

[bdosborn]

Thanks guys! Yeah, I saw leather pulls on a YouTube van build. I'm always snagging the pulls in the trailer (%$#@#%) so and I thought the leather pulls would be more Bruce-proof.
Bruce

[nsfr1206]

That does look good. And I like the idea of leather pulls…


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[bdosborn]

Thanks,
Bruce

[bdosborn]

Time to wake up the Espar diesel heater I've been hoarding for years. I've got one in the trailer and it's worked like a champ for years. The D1LC is getting pretty old, they haven't made it for awhile so parts are getting rare and expensive. My guess is this one is from around year 2000. Luckily I've been cherry picking eBay for years and have a few spare parts. I did a maintenance rebuild on this one, like the one I did on the trailer heater:
Espar Service


You get three tries to get these to run, after that they lock out and you need a special (very expensive) tool that I don't have to clear the error code. So if there's any problems with the fuel line, connections, etc, you have to figure them out quick. The end of the pickup fuel line was poking up above the level of the fuel, that's one failed start! Then, success!

Make sure and get the muffler if you get one of these, it makes a big difference:

Now I can drill a bunch of holes in the van floor to install it.
Bruce

[featherliteCT1]

Heck yeah!

[Philip]

I hope that might not be to big of a heater. I use a 1400 BTU electric heater. Down to 30 degrees it works very well. It can hold 70 with no problem. That is with the upper vent open but not turned on.

[bdosborn]

I have the same heater in the trailer, which is roughly the same size as the van and better insulted. Its been fine, the thermostat works well and throttles it down when it gets up to temperature. So I think it will work in the van. But you're right, it cranks out some serious heat. Overkill is the thrill I always say.
Bruce

[Staryder61]

Still hangin' around watching ya....
Have been off a little while.. I like what ya been doing..
Think you'll be warm enough with that?

[bdosborn]

Probably. I'm drilling the holes in the van this week so we'll find out.
Bruce

[bdosborn]

Well I bit the bullet and drilled the holes in the floor of the van. I put the heater in front of the passenger side rear wheel house. I used a carbide tooth hole saw and it went through the floor very nicely. I cut the carpet back from around the heater, just in case the heater case gets hot:


The hot air will blow back through the garage and under the bed. It should rise up between the bed and the rear doors as there is a 12" gap there. It should keep the batteries and water nice and warm.


The cold air will be pulled from the floor by the sliding door. I need to figure out some kind of transfer fan to blow the hot air down from the ceiling to the floor. Our trailer heater air stratified wickedly until I added one. Tomorrow I need to paint the holes I drilled and hook up all the heater wires, exhaust/intake pipes. I haven't figured out where to put the diesel tank yet, still noodling on a few ideas.
Bruce