E-Series VansTechnical discussion of topics related to vans powered by any of the Navistar engines. This covers a broad number of years, but there isn't enough demand to split it any further.
I have been lurking here for a long time but I figured it was time to join up and post a build thread for our new project W.A.V.E.
The Wheelchair Accessible Van for Expeditions will debut at SEMA in a couple of weeks but really it is built for us as disabled folks to help other disabled folks enjoy backcountry travel on day trips and overnight adventures.
We are an Arizona based 501c3 non-profit that is volunteer run and donation supported so don't think we are here to sell you anything
So down to the dirty details!
We are working on a new project vehicle and thought it would be interesting to document the process and our thoughts behind the choices we make.
Up until recently this was the Disabled Explorers demo rig, but not any longer. While the FJ Cruiser is a great off road machine and I have been impressed over the two years I have owned it, there are requirements that it just doesn't meet. One is payload as we tend to take alot of gear to events, presentations, gear test and general outings. Another is passenger space as we haven't been able to work with anyone in a power wheelchair or who can't boost themselves up into the rig.
So this is the blank canvas that Sportsmobile West will use to create our 4wd Wheelchair Accessible Van (WAV for short) using their proven 4x4 conversion, adding a custom interior layout that includes sink, fridge, porta-potty, stove and more. To give everyone an idea of what the end result will look like just check out Andy T's rig.
The plan calls for a wheelchair lift, tie-downs, a power drivers transfer seat and hand controls. This should give us a great platform to take almost anyone out for their first backcountry experience and since the rig has a nice sleeping setup we can offer overnight outings . I hope to post some pictures soon of the already completed 4wd conversion and the roof installation. I also hope to get out to the SMB West Fresno factory before too much longer to do work myself on the camera system, laptop mount, gps, and adding some extra insulation. But until then please enjoy some previews of the project and our reasons for the choices we are making.
At the Overland Expo I had a chance to really look over just about every option for a new rig there is to dream about. However it was Andy T. who was cool beyond belief when he offered me a chance to drive his rig on the demo course. This was a perfect opportunity to see how much interior room is available, how stable the rigs are and how the diesel engine and Atlas transfer case work together.
Once the choice is made it is a only a matter of money, right? Well from Alan at Sportsmobile West I learned some pretty cool things, one was that the rigs are RV's and thus qualify for longer term financing, two they often qualify for a second home tax deduction or in the case of Disabled Explorers as a business expense and lastly as an RV insurance is often cheaper. All of these facts combined help me work out the numbers, for while we will seek out sponsorship from many of the component makers and Sportsmobile West is assisting us, in the end I am personally responsible for covering the project cost.
Part of the fun of working on a custom rig like this is making your choices and then changing your mind. SMB is well versed in this process as can be seen by the number of pre-planned layouts they offer. But even better is their DYO online tool that is very valuable to the disabled community. Because there are so many different mobility issues in the world it really helps to be able to change the floor plan for a wheelchair user or a upper limb amputee or someone who just can't bend over easily. In our case I wanted something that would work across a wide range of users. The front seats will swivel and allow easy transfer from wheelchair The 3rd seat is removable with wheelchair tie-downs so we can secure someone in place who must stay in their chair and the sideways gaucho sofa allows access to the rear of the rig without having to exit. I also opted for a large bay window by the 3rd seat and long windows along the side to allow maximum visibility during trail time.
When it came to the type of roof on the Disabled Explorers Sportsmobile 4x4 Wheelchair Accessible Van (from now on know as the DE SMB 4wd WAV) I was presented with two great options. The penthouse pop up top allows a low profile when driving and plenty of upper sleeping room when camped. However I went with the Voyager fixed top so that someone who needs to stay in their wheelchair would have plenty of headroom, so that we could "stealth camp" much easier and so that if we needed to make a quick road or trail side stop for hygiene there would be no need to attract attention by raising the roof.
On top of the fixed top will set a very cool custom roof rack built by Aluminess, and you can guess by the name that the roof rack along with the front and rear bumpers are lightweight aluminum. I am not at all worried about using aluminum on this project because SMB has been using them for years and I had one my FJC that has been very impressive.
I am very grateful to Aluminess for their support of this project and their willingness to customize the rack to our needs. And for those of you curious why a disabled group would even want a roof rack, well it is a great place to hang some lights, support a solar panel, screw on some antennas and keep the sun off part of our roof here in the brutal desert southwest. Another Aluminess feature that helps the disabled is the cool storage compartments within both bumpers. This is a great place to store recovery gear, has easy to open lockable latches that can be operated with one hand and aren't too high for someone in a wheelchair.
Rigid Industries is another company supporting our cause with their LED lights. These will be installed on the roof rack to provide front, side and rear lighting. While super bright lights look cool, in our case there is a real benefit. Seeing clearly isn't just for baja bashing down the trails, it makes a real difference in preventing suspension damage, busting a tire or missing a turn, all things that could strand a person with mobility issues who can't hike home. The side and rear lights are great for checking the ground before getting out to make sure a wheelchair can get around or there isn't anything to trip up a lower limb amputee.
Speaking of seeing what is going on, we will be transplanting the Total Vision Camera Self Spotting System over to the SMB WAV, it has held up great to my use and abuse. The only real change we are planning is to add a roof rack camera looking down at the passenger side to check clearance for the wheelchair ramp before stopping on a trail. We will continue to have the front and rear bumper cams along with the two axle cams so we can watch what we are rolling over. Running the cameras into the laptop will let us record some cool video for you guys to watch after everything is built.
Speaking of rolling over things, we will be crawling along nicely thanks to the Atlas II transfer case SMB West installs. One of the features I really like about this setup is that in case of rear axle issues you can shift into front wheel drive only. This is a tremendous advantage for folks who can't walk out of the backcountry and could make the difference between a slow drive home and a rescue.
I wanted to say thanks to Advance Adapters for their help on our build. Even though the Atlas isn't a glamorous bit of hardware that folks will see everyday, it gives me a real sense of relief to know it is there working mile after mile.
Making use of the Atlas transfer case up front will be an ARB air locker. With the size and weight of this rig along with the importance of trying not to get someone in a wheelchair stuck we are very grateful for ARB USA's support. They also make the special order springs and shocks that SMB puts under their 4x4 conversion. I already was a happy owner of the X-Jack and Adventure Light so I am looking forward to having more ARB gear to trust in the great outdoors.
We will also make a unique change to the common SMB setup with the ARB fridge instead of the standard RV style that opens outward. After talking with a number of wheelchair users and folks who can't bend over easily we wanted a solution that was creative and functional. The ARB fridge will give us plenty of cooling power during the wicked desert summers yet not suck our batteries flat doing so.
Even though we have faith in the ARB fridge not to abuse the batteries there is still the laptop, lights, gps, ham radio and so many other electron sucking devices I love so well. Odyssey was my battery of choice for the Continental Divide Expedition and they have never let me down. I was very happy to learn that Enersys was willing to support the project with two of their PC1500 batteries. I have no doubt the will work great regardless of what I throw at them.
Also from our Continental Divide Expedition we will be continuing our relationship with Overland Journal. These guys created a whole new standard here in the US for what a vehicle focus magazine could be. And really magazine is not a worth descriptor if you have ever held one in your hand and flipped the pages. Large format, amazing pictures, adventurous story telling and product reviews that aren't based on who spends more money on full page advertising.
Another item that we are really looking forward to trying out are the Staun Internal Beadlocks. The idea of not dealing with a busted bead is a huge relief for someone in a wheelchair or an amputee. Even folks who are just getting on in years find changing tires a tough bit of work and since airing down is a fundamental part of off road driving it is important to take away the worry of breaking a bead. Speaking of airing down we will be making good use of Staun's deflators and once back home the Massojet will get all that muck off the rig so we can check for any wear. Believe it or not time spent in the driveway looking for small problems sure beats hours spent on the trail trying to get a fix done well enough to get you home.
There are more cool things in the works, and plenty of pictures to come as things progress. I will go deeper into some of our choices in wheelchair left, power transfer seat base, hand controls, wheels, tires, and more as things develop. Thanks for tracking this project and if you or anyone you know is disabled and lives in the southwest US and would like to venture out on a daytrip or overnight backcountry experience please contact us, that is what this rig is for!
Another quick update for everyone.....
I will be driving out to Fresno from Phoenix next week to spend a couple of days at the SMB West factory, taking pics, helping to install a few things and generally hugging all the folks there who are working so hard on this project. Ok well maybe having a 1 leggeg guy hobble over to hug you isn't the best motivator but I will shake hands and say thanks alot
Still trying to work out something for racing style seats to give more upper body support, looking for tires, checking out solar panel options, crossing my fingers on a wheelchair lift sponsor (that puppy is $8000!), and a few more details. As always I am open to thoughts and suggestions from everyone.
Here is some of the best news so far, with the permission of these guys I will be offering up by passenger seat to a disabled veteran in November for a Baja Mexico trip.
One cool thing about Overland Training is that they don't just leave you hanging after your training is over. Graham has put together this Alumni Trip for 6 days down into Baja. I asked if I could use my passenger seat in the new WAVE (remember Wheelchair Accessible Van for Expeditions) to give some newly disabled veteran a chance to experience the independance of backcountry travel is such a self contained rig. Well Graham agreed so now I am reaching out to Wounded Warrior for their help in selecting applicants for the trips.
SEMA will be fun and it is an important venue for the sponsors, but this Baja trip is the entire reason for building the rig and getting someone in it and maybe even behind the wheel will make all the overtime I am putting in at the hospital worth every minute.
Another bit of news is that these guys like what we are doing:
You wouldn't think that oil, filters or fluids would be of special importance to the disabled community, but when you factor in how difficult to impossible a hike to help would be for someone in using crutches or in a wheelchair, well then it is easy to understand why quality fluids and filters can make a huge difference.
I am grateful to Amsoil for joining the project with one of their remote dual filter setups and all the fluids we need for this rig. Not only will oil changes be easier for me to do, but the extra filter will ensure that even with all our time spent in the harsh desert southwest the engine will keep ticking along smoothly.
Watch for more pics next week of the actual rig, my attempt to be more helpful than in the way and more news as the countdown continues to SEMA...ouch only 35 working days to go!
Time to start showing pictures of the actual build and talk more about the bits going into the rig and the process behind the scenes. This project would have been near impossible without the help of everyone at Sportsmobile West and all the companies we are working with. Everyone is excited about the project and while SEMA will be a cool debut it will be the first disabled guy behind the wheel that will really make it all worthwhile (well the first after my 1 legged self).
When you arrive at the Sportsmobile West Factory it lightens your soul to see some of the rigs the guys in the shop drive. Nothing like knowing the guys building your rig also camp, wheel and explore. I was impressed talking with many of the guys about how much they dig their job, like the rigs they build and are not at all jealous of the folks that buy them. It was cool to hear the laughing in the background as that is a good sign of a quality crew.
Monday morning brought a gathering of the minds to make sure the project was on track and everyone knew about changes, progress and what parts were pending. It was cool to play fly on the wall and it made me feel better that my money was well spent. I figure since I am putting over 60% of the money into this project knowing SMB wants to get it right really helps me get through those overtime shifts.
While the shop guys were meeting I was listening and poking my head around. I knew a van had the engine "right there" but you just can't believe it till you see it. This is one reason why investing in extra sound and heat shielding really pays off. Living in the desert southwest there is enough heat from the Sun without adding the engine and turbo to the mix.
It didn't take long for the real excitement to start. For the guys this is an everyday thing. Chopping a huge hole in the roof is just part of the job. For me this was the point of no return. This is why you have to pay for the van before the crazy stuff starts. I was impressed by the time they spent measuring and marking before they cut, even though they do it over and over again. I tried to think of any use for the old roof panels that would be fun and worth the trouble, but I couldn't so away they went.
The side windows are measured and cut just like the roof. This is another area where you can make custom changes. Of course the SMB West guys have seen and tried it all so if they tell you something isn't a good idea, make sure you listen. They also think about things I didn't like light on the counter top, ventilation, dust entering, night time viewing from outside (peeping toms stuff) and more. My primary concern is that the drivers side large window provide a good view for someone who has to stay in their wheelchair secured in that location.
While work was going on topside I crawled under the rig to look at some of the 4wd parts and other goodies hidden away. The first thing you notice is the massive Dynatrac Pro Rock 60 front axle. This thing is solid and everything I have heard says it handles the SMB's weight without any trouble. Seeing the ARB locker air hose coming out of the top was a cool thing also. I can't wait to feel that puppy engage and get us out of a pickle. For me the best way out of a recovery situation is to not get stuck in the first place. By choosing high quality parts and things like a front locker I figure we are well on our way.
Speaking of ARB parts there are a few that are special order just for these rigs. The shocks are big and beefy which you would expect on a 9000lb + rig but the Dakar springs really impressed me. These were stacking up since SMB West has to order them custom made in large lots and the heavy duty design really seems to be working well over the years now. Having dealt with Gross Vehicle Weight overloading issues on my last rig I am glad to see such large, heavy parts going into this one.
Another pile of parts that caught my eye was this stack of Transfer Flow custom tanks. I am grateful for the 46 gallon capacity and Transfer Flow has been around so long I don't have to worry about a cheap tank leaking or cracking in the field. One thing that struck me while looking at all the inventory SMB has to maintain either due to special order requirements or just to meet the variety they offer is that people don't think about all these things when they complain about the price of a Sportsmobile. Personally having owned a business in the past I know that the cost of the final product reflects more than what you see. Sure a guy in his driveway can build something cheaper, but he will usually take longer, have trouble sourcing the parts, have to change his plans to match either his skills or what he can find, risk injury, buy a ton of tools, maybe put up with a Home Owners Assoc or family that grows to hate the project and so much more. For me the planning was the most fun, and watching the guys work reminds me just how much of this I wouldn't have a clue how to do right. Watch for more updates from this trip to the factory soon.
Now that I am back from my 2nd visit to the Sportsmobile West factory it is time for an update on the W.A.V.E.'s progress. The Wheelchair Accessible Van for Expeditions is coming along nicely and while we have made a few changes, the overall result will be amazing. Working with everyone at SMB West has been beyond fun, from Alan the owner to Jonathan the Sales Manager down to the guys who are twisting the bolts, everyone has been excited about this project and is always watching for new creative solutions. These are very much hand built rigs and the shop guys know that people depend on them when out in remote areas, no shortcuts or half baked quality.
Ok now for some juicy pictures and details. It was beyond cool to walk into the factory and see how much progress has been made on the W.A.V.E, normally these builds take around 12 weeks but we started this project 2 weeks behind schedule and that didn't count the extra time for the mobility equipment install (about 1 week). The custom layout looks like it will provide a few cool features for the disabled user. In the picture above the drivers side buildout is for the guacho which faces the the cabinets, this will allow a person to scoot along the gaucho to the sink, the counter top with portable stove and the fridge, along with the storage under the sink. This will also allow a person who doesn't want to exit the vehicle to just enjoy the view out the back doors (of course the rear swingouts will have to be opened up first). Under the gaucho is easy access to the the fresh water tank, inverter, aux air conditioning, fuse block, and the shower hose connection.
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