FROM BUFFING YOUR PAINT, TO REPLACING CRINKLED FENDERS TO SWAPPING A NEWER FRONT END ON, TO SHAVING DOOR HANDLES. TO REPLACING DOOR HANDLES OR INSTALLING CUSTOM TAIL LIGHTS, POST THEM HERE.
I hadn't checked in on this in awhile and was surprised at the progress. Wow!
I have one concern... the weight on those door hinges when you (at 200+) are climbing up/down. I wonder if there is any way to put a foot on the ladder that would rest on the bumper when climbing up/down? Obviously it has to either just rub on the bumper when opening/closing the door, or be adjustable.
Maybe this isn't even a concern.
Regardless, your progress is impressive and the build is of high quality and detail!
Matt
Selah, WA
-96 GMC Safari AWD Hi-Top Conversion -->Stalled 5.3L swap & 5" lift
-74 Ford Bronco -->Far from perfect but mine!
-99 V-10 Ford Super Duty Super Cab 4x4 -->Stock with 285 Cooper ATs
-00 Ford Focus Wagon -->The Red Turd
-95 Ford 24' Class C Motorhome -->My big block sleeper
-07 Can-Am Outlander XT -->My yellow 4x4 quad for work & play
-04 Ski Doo REV Summit -->Still several chassis behind!
Believe it or not but I just discovered the other day that the door limiters unhook and lets the rear doors open 180*. I also discovered that there is a unlock actuator inside the door (it has never made a sound or worked so I had no idea). I really have not spent too much time studying my van since I'm always just driving it. I'm usually sitting at my bench at work looking at photos of it and dreaming up stuff to bolt onto it. My designs often need a little work because of that.
I too am worried about the hinges. I need to get a closer look at the bottom of the door. I may have to make some sort of plate that will take up any slack between it and the body. If I had a plate that could occupy all but maybe 1/32" of an inch, then the door could clear it easily with no load but would rest on it with load.
If that isn't possible then perhaps some fold up feet on the bottom of the ladder frame or a matched platform underneath when I build my custom bumper. I will be testing it soon so we'll see. I am very anxious to get started on the next project. This one has been dragging for too long. Like 10 weeks now. I want to bust out an overhead console and then get crackin' on a new bumper. And then there's the dual headlamps and custom grille. And the lift and......
I have only tried it once. The result was eh, but I my welding skills have dramatically improved since then. In fact, my overhead console and grille that I have planned will both be aluminum to cut down on weight. So I'm gonna get good at it soon. And perhaps before those projects I will try to make an aluminum roof hatch since the one I bought is terribly disappointing.
Did you have something in mind that could be converted? Or just make one from scratch?
CC, I have my doubts for many of the accessories your putting on because of the weight that is going into and on the van. While these things look cool and have several neat uses as a daily driver this may have to take a back seat. Seeing that you intend to bolt the ladder to your door I had to say something more. You must weld the supports for the ladder directly to the hinge backer plates in the door. Even with that I have concerns that the body side may flex but I haven't seen that yet. Our doors sag from their own weight over time so adding to the door itself is a major bad move no matter how well you distribute the load.
After seeing your skills with the different materials in the fabrication jobs you have posted here on the forum I have absolutely no doubt you could pull this off in aluminum. You have awesome skills, great imagination and the ability to learn, the last being the most important tool a man can have.
Keep up the good work.
'93 Safari shorty, 350 swap
'05 Astro AWD, lifted, 6 liter, cammed, ported and programmed for fast.
'93 cargo, work in progress
Have you ever seen a van owned by a power or cable company with the lift and basket on the back? Or a news van with the giant mast on top? What separates those vans from ours? A full frame? Larger brakes? A stiffer suspension?
I agree the added weight would be a major burden on a stock van. With the upgrades I have planned and already done, I don't think it will ride much differently. I will have at least 30% more stopping power with 11" drums and 3500 series calipers, tons more torque with 4.11 gears, maybe 1000lbs more load capacity with a few more leafs, new coils and bigger tires. A V8 would help for sure.
Even if the rack and ladder added 300lbs to my van I don't think that's a big deal other than killing my gas mileage. That's like driving around with two more people in the van. Since I'm always by myself in there with no passengers, no biggie. I also have a 250+ lbs IKEA queen sized wood futon bed in back that's coming out and getting replaced with something lighter. That eliminates a good 200lbs as soon as I swap it for a cot or something. I like it in there now because it keeps the rear end from hopping around and it's comfy!
Aluminum is not as light as some of you seem to think. If I were to buy aluminum in the same thickness as 16ga. steel it would be lighter. But it would be flimsy as crap. In order to get the same durability I would need a wall thickness three times that of steel. It would end up weighing more.
I still need to take a closer look at the bottom of the door to see how it mates with the body. Worst case scenario is I will have to add a shim under the door for it to rest on with a load. 99% of the load won't even get to the hinges. The door might deflect 1/32" and then rest on the shim, which is on the body. I can stand on the door frame without it bending so I think I'll be good.
These accessories are really not that heavy. You guys that have 2 row bench seats in back probably have as much weight as my rack. Granted the CG is much lower but it seems we are talking about weight capacity here and not handling.
I don't have any plans of welding anything to the body. I want to be able to remove stuff. If any of these accessories end up being to heavy or I want to replace them I want them to unbolt. Also, I might want to transfer all of this over to an AWD someday. If need be I can redo all of this in aluminum. The metal has been the least expensive part of this whole project. I spent a whole lot more on tools and hardware.
It's an experiment. It does weigh more than I'd like it to. I hope it works out because I am not happy with how my van looks or serves me now.
I don't think the hinges take the full weight of the door. Remember, there are latches at the top and bottom. Still, I wouldn't hang the ladder on the door skin with standoffs like that. It is going to put a lot of torque on those base plates. I still think it makes more sense to hang most of the weight from that bombproof rack you made. For added capacity, you could build sleeves (like you made for the tent) into the bumper that the ladder would insert into. When you're not using the ladder, it could swing up and slide under the rack.
All noted. But I don't think hanging a ladder on the back door of a van is a new invention. The length of the standoffs is critical as you have mentioned and I will keep them as short as possible. The ladders I have seen on other vehicles often stick out at least 2" and have MUCH cheesier mounts. Take a look at the mount that was posted a few pages back.
If you were climbing up the ladder with the door open, I would be worried. With it closed, it rests on sliders and latches tight. I don't see the occasional climb up being an issue. When you place the backing plates on the inside of the door, maybe you could add some reinforcement to the doors' frame. Sort of like Peter did to mount his 325 width BFG tire to his back door.
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition
Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy
Jeez, what hasn't Peter done? Where'd he go again....
I do plan on some reinforcements. With the license plate recession it will be harder to do but I will do it. Maybe just some vertical pipes inside the door welded to the backing plates.
If the door gets jacked up I'll make a new one with a ladder built in.
97CargoCrawler wrote:Did you have something in mind that could be converted? Or just make one from scratch?
No I thought the ladder in Aluminum would be pretty light..... I have a friend that makes gas tanks and fenders for Harleys out of steel, Just sounded interesting is all...
and wondered if you werent using much aluminum due to needing a bit more alumaweld practice. I can relate to that.
This project IS my practice! I couldn't weld for chit before I got started on this. Turns out it aint so hard. Before this I had only welded up a torture chamber that disguises itself as a dining table:
EDITED: Sorry, want this to be about my rack building abilities...
I made that for a friend. It has a winch. Go figure. My van doesn't even have a winch, yet. Now watch the # of views explode. I like to build stuff, what can I say.
Gonna have to get good at aluminum in the next few weeks.
Last edited by 97CargoCrawler on Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
