4x4 Van Tour - Custom Adventure RV Starflyte 2.0 ! 4WD RV!
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- Welcome to my Van Tour Video! I’ve put my heart and soul into this 4x4 Van and I am here to help others that are building their own creations as well. I am not claiming to be better than anyone else at anything, just here to share my experience and be as helpful as possible as many are on this journey!
Please see more pics and info at my instagram / aux_built
I will be creating more videos about specific aspects of this van so like and subscribe if you want to follow along! Many thanks!
If you have questions, please put them in the comments below. This will build an FAQ for the van and potentially other builders who may have better answers than I, can chime in as well.
Remember to Adventcha Before Dementia!
ALL MUSIC BY: LOUDWORLDSOUND - / loudworldsound
TIMECODE NOTES
0:00 - INTRO
2:15 - OUTSIDE PAINT
2:55 - VANTAGE OPTICS HEADLIGHTS, ALUMINESS BUMPER, WARN WINCH
3:20 - 4x4 KIT by UJOINT OFFROAD, SSBC BRAKES
3:30 - FIRESTONE AIR COMMAND III AIR BAG SYSTEM
4:00 - POR 15 PAINT
4:09 - 5.13 DIFFERENTIAL GEARS
4:29 - 37” NEXEN MTX TIRES
4:47 - VELVAC MIRRORS
5:15 - SIKAFLEX 221
5:21 - SMARTPLUG 30A SHORE POWER
5:40 - STORAGE SIDE HATCH
5:50 - REAR BUMPER, CLASS III HITCH, LADDER / RACK
6:45 - REAR CARGO BOXES
7:00 - REAR WINDOW HINGE
7:15 - REAR SHOWER
7:35 - CUSTOM ALUMINUM ROOF RACK
7:48 - PENGUIN II AIR CONDITIONER, SPARE TIRE, ROTO TRAX, SOLAR PANELS
8:20 - SPARE TIRE HOIST DEMO
9:10 - FLOOD LIGHT, PORCH LIGHT, OUTDOOR RADIO
9:28 - FIAMA F45 10’ AWNING
10:00 - JOHNSONS CUSTOM VAN SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHT
10:28 - STEPS, QUICK CLEAN CARPETS, SHOW STORAGE
10:55 - CAB INSULATION, UPHOLSTERY, HEADLINER SUEDE
11:20 - JL AUDIO SYSTEM
11:31 - FRONT CURTAINS
11:44 - REMOVABLE 4x4 SHIFTER by UJOINT OFFROAD
12:35 - OVERHEAD CAB BED / SLEEPER
13:28 - EXTERIOR AWNING TURN ROD
13:55 - WOODS USED IN THE BUILD - BLACK WALNUT, BAMBOO, CORK FLOORING
15:10 - ELECTRONICS HIGHLIGHT - VICTRON, SPOD, RENOGY
16:25 - WEATHER STATION
16:50 - GALLEY AREA - RICHLITE COUNTERTOPS, LAGUN TABLE
17:23 - LAPTOP WORKSPACE
17:44 - iSPRING WATER SYSTEMS DRINKING WATER
17:55 - ISOTHERM CR 130 FRIGE / FREEZER
18:00 - CABINETS AND STORAGE, FIRESTICK CB
18:37 - BED AREA, CURTAINS
19:53 - 6 GALLON and 46 GALLON FRESH WATER TANK
21:00 - WETBATH, COMPOSTING TOILET
21:10 - VANITY, MIRROR
21:15 - WRAP IT UP! - Авто та транспорт
When I turn 55 after saving for years, I purchase a 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter Conversion Van. I quit my job and took 2 years off. Me and my 6 month old dog traveled from the Texas Gulf of Mexico to Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, via Southwest Canada then South to Baja California, Mexico then cut across Southwestern US back home. Fly fished every state and/or province along the way following the spring hatch as far north as you can drive in North America. Best decision of my life. I came back with a new lease on life and an adult dog bonded for life. Went back to work like I never lost a beat. Point being stop thinking and start planning then went set do it! It’s hard to pull the trigger but you can sell your “Beast” to the next adventurer! It well be worth it. Sorry to jack you video but it got me to thinking.
You’re the man ….. respect my dude.
We are a supplier from China, providing products covering agricultural products, food, steel products, clothing and other raw materials
I’d like to ask. What did you do as far as health insurance while away? Do without? I’d love to after my kids are out of school in 4 years but insurance is worrying me
Not for the average American as the American dream is slipping away. Most people can't even afford rent in Biden Country, let alone take 2 years off to enjoy life. But good on you for being financially stable to experience that.👍
Very cool you did that, well played
This is not just a van build, this is a masterpiece !
I work as a diesel mechanic. I appreciate This build on so many levels! Amazing job 👌👍 keep up the awesome work.
Greatly appreciate the comment and your blessin!
@@auxbuilt4190 It's a very good caravan for the distance of roads and picnics and for the friends of the forest hunters
Love the builds! I’m looking at getting a Fire chassis myself for a conversion. Just wondering what you feel is the best chassis in your opinion? Gas, diesel? E350, E450? I know the 7.2L is a great engine…
I think now is the wrong time to think about diesel or gasoline since you know Putin attacked Ukraine. LOL.
I would be prone to diesel. But then his drip down fuel would have to be changed out for something comparable. The only thing I find missing this is a microwave. I am more inclined to use microwavable then I would be the stovetop. Everything comes with a trade off. This is an awesome build. I especially like the consideration to his winch system to get the spare tire up and down. That was my first thought. As it stands now my spare tire weighs a ton and being disabled I have a hard time not just getting it down from my Dodge but getting it in place.
Lastly, five hundred amp hours is probably a good place to be. But has an amateur radio operator I would be using additional DC to power radios. I might find a way to get a generator installed. Something that could be pulled out of a storage container I suppose although it'd be nice to be able to start it up from inside the cab and switch over. That's just me. And then lastly, I would put up a 4G/5G long-range antenna. I'd also like a piece of SpaceX by Elon Musk that gives you high speed internet out of the middle of nowhere.
These are custom items on my part and it should in no way take away from the excellent build he's done.
nothing but admiration for this guy - everything seems to be built with thought and built well.
The hoist system is genius
Thank you it worked out well !
The BEST van build I have ever seen. Building a van like this is one of my goals. Thank you very much for sharing.
Best 4x4 expedition vehicle I've seen by a country mile.
Dang! Thank you so much!!
You did a damn good job on this van one of the best I've seen
Oh wow thank you!!!
Better if Automatic transmission is the Best for the 4x4 Motor Home...✌️✌️👍👍🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿
AMAZING van build in & out :) It's a Beast, love the look!
In Borat Voice "Very niiiiiice! How much!?" This is the ultimate surf trip van!
Thank you! aprx 160k
@@auxbuilt4190 Worth every penny 🥇👏👏 Makes me want to wrap my house with RaptorLiner 😂 Thank you for sharing
@@auxbuilt4190 god damn the pusher man!!!! You know I smoked a lot of grass.....but 160K of damn straight awesomeness. I'd love this van
Im a penny pinching mofo, but this actually seems worth 160k. Especially when we start world war 3 and you need to get the hell outta dodge and survive
@@auxbuilt4190 amazing, you have the strongest mentality to build that rig! I am going to convert my rig at Ujoint , just checking if you take orders for body works , bumpers , racks , paint? I have 2000 chinook 7.3 , 33k miles, ridiculously like new condition. If you give any piece of advice that wd be highly priceless to me. Thank you
I haven't a clue how expensive this would be but I want it lol this is one of the best looking 4x4's I've ever seen and fits the exact shape of what I'm looking for. I love this! Also thank you for the details! Even saying what products you used with a visual aid so I can see what it was exactly! This is incredible! I would totally opt for something like this!
Thank you very much for the note!! Aprx 160k invested and a million hours lol!
@@auxbuilt4190 160k! Ooh that is a lot of money! However for that kind of durability and all those features and it's a home not bad! :D and you're welcome! Appreciate the reply!
$160k plus all of his time. Hire someone to do this and good lord you are looking at some dollar figures. Literally best van build I've ever seen. If I were him I wouldn't sell it for $1,000,000 because it is what he needs for his lifestyle and there's literally no other one like it on Earth
$150k+
@@thundercats2004 Sell it for 1m and buy a earth roamer for less than 700k.
Love that exterior color! Best choice for off road camping ⛺️
You can almost felt the effort he put in to build this beauty, the video was detail oriented and the shots of each section are clear, didn't miss any important parts. The orientation using the front of the vehicle as his background when speaking to the camera is simple, direct and classy, this guy should be in advertising~ Pleasant to watch!!
You are too kind Katarina! Honestly!! Thanks for stopping by!
We are a supplier from China, providing products covering agricultural products, food, steel products, clothing and other raw materials
Really excellent conversion on your van!
All items were obviously thought out and engineered very well.
I worked as an Engineer and supervisor for over (33) years at the Ford facility where your Econoline 350 Van was originally built.
I also spent a few years in the Dearborn NMPDC (NEW MODEL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CENTER) , or Pilot Plant, where the design and development aspects were performed.
You picked an excellent vehicle platform for your continued redesign and refinement of an established and rugged vehicle!
GREAT JOB!
We are a supplier from China, providing products covering agricultural products, food, steel products, clothing and other raw materials
Thank you for building these William, I love ford vans!!
This is the most agro looking van/rv conversion I’ve seen yet! I mean that in the best of ways! Such a dope conversion! And then surprised me w/ that bathroom I thought it didn’t have for some reason! Like woah!!
😆🔥😮🔥🥰🔥😎
One off badass van! Creative, great taste and executed nicely! From the marlin fishing spare rig to the second step storage top to bottom you have got yourself the best designed van I’ve seen on UA-cam and I watch lots. Awesome job and congrats, I’ve learned a lot just from this vid and i thank you for sharing. 👍🏾👍🏾
Thank you so much for the remarks!!
@@auxbuilt4190 Great build! I wonder about the bath. Do you pull the toilet out to shower? And roughly how much square footage does the interior have? Also, if one wanted to build the 4x4 suspension, etc., is there a basic blueprint package available?
Nice work young man. My first build was a 1941 military 6 wheel dr. 6 cyl half ton. Built a stage coach sleeper outa wood. It was a canvas top org so I took a 20s truck body used the doors and built a cab. No ac but windows cranked and it had had push breathers for circulation. Put my surfboards and tipi poles on top. Lived outta it for 3 1/2 years. Hit 17 states took odd jobs and had the time of my life while traveling. Lived in my 16ft tipi most of the time. Solid rig cooked over a campfire and .grate. To much luxury today. Only pd $250 for truck in military sale 1970. Even had a hand crank to start it if battery was dead. Didnt even have $1500 in it mostly in tirw cost. 6 volt sucked but that was ww2 and we won. Happy trails get a guitar and save your money. Yours cost what a king kong house would be today. I went slow and saw everything. 6. Yl flat head and I got an old snorkel kit at army navy store. Sorry you missed it. Every complains about the bucks no matter what it the out come and you did a beautiful job for todays bs. God bless Im selling my house and making a new canvas tipi again. At 69 Im short of time but long on love to do it again. Keep my money and using a 2002 trail blazer simplified. Good luck but I can see over half million in todayz prices. Bet you get 15ft to the gallon with all that weight. Hipe you got time and mega bucks cor this hobby. One of a kind raised 4 kids on a farm. In Iowa and on the peace river in florida over 25 years til these last few years. Lost my wife to health God bless her heart and soul. Big world with alot of fishing to do.
Thank you for checking it out Lucien. Your story is literally a novel summarized in a youtube comment, which seems impossible but here we are. Anyone who read your comment is wiser and likely more appreciative of the life they have knowing that the cost of things is irrelevant to someone like yourself. Time is the priceless unit we all want more of, and this van albeit expensive to build, gave me the time of my life in the middle of nowhereville! Thanks for stopping by and I wish she got 15mpg, more like 9!
Great job on the conversion, and thank you for making this video and sharing the build details. I hope to do my build soon.
Glad it was helpful!
I've seen hundreds of campers and vans and box trucks converted, this however is hands down the best and nicest I have ever ever seen, I would love to own this! Great job!!!!!
Dang! Thank you for checking it out Tommy huge props man!!!
From bottom to top both rugged and tough well-thought-out 👌👍stay healthy 💪stay safe man.
This is absolutely incredible. Fantastic build.
Total machine! Very nice and well thought out build. Cheers.
Cheers back! Thank you!
The pulley for the spare is rad. Well played, sir. Well played.
I usually use the time skip feature through videos like these, but your explanation and build kept me glued to the screen.
Haha that's really nice of you to say, thanks for not skippin!
I am considering van life. This video pumped me up so much. I know i won’t be able to do as good a build but seeing your ingenuity gives me hope that I can make something pretty cool.
Just go for it man. You will learn on the way
This van rebuild is the best I have ever seen so far inside and out.....
The only dislike I had was the composting toilet.....
My parents have the slide out cassett toilet and for two yrs no complaints....
I love the exterior paint and coating , lighting , etc.....
Especially all mechanical work put into the underneath of the van.....
After watching many videos on upgrades the cost would be worth it....
Super job on this van
Thank you! We love the composting toilet because we don't go #2 inside really ever. The cassettes are cool, but having a pee bottle to easily empty out, rocks!
We are a supplier from China, providing products covering agricultural products, food, steel products, clothing and other raw materials
For a second I thought this was an episode of Portlandia 😂🤣 that's quite the extra tire storage and winch thing
Watched alot of van builds. Yours was most clear on what and where to source materials. Every helpful. That's the was it should be. Thank you for the post.
Thank you for watching!!
Wha-howww! Totally gobsmacked and inspired by this rig!
Thank you for checking it out and get on it and build one!!
You did a fantastic job. Totally awesome.
Thank you for checking it out Alan!!
You were absolutely right with that title, she is a true BEAST. Love it.
Thanks Mike!
Magnificent,Amazing.You did a good job at that expedition vehicle.
Nice! Look forward to seeing your adventures.
Thank you!!! More building currently, adventures to follow!
Excellent overland Ford conversion Van build. Very comprehensive, starflight fiberglass is built more like a boat than an RV if I remember correctly? They like the Chinook are great Ford conversion Van platforms for builds. Which I glad you pointed out these builds, 30 year old vans/rv they require much restoring, rebuilding, Being a vanner since the seventies and had 94 e350 4 wheel drive van. In my old age few years back started an overland Van build, My wife didn't want to 4 wheel anymore like we did in our youth and we weren't planning on driving the Van during the Winter at all except Baja?(please dear) We've found we just need to get a mile or so passed all the other Rv's and we usually have places to ourselves. with the reduced cost and maintenance of the conversion, we decided to do 2 wheel drive.1995 airstream b190 conversion Van. First all new suspension installed by #weldtecdesign custom 6"lift, bigger brakes, fox shox, Latest update had Scotty at parkland machine services in Tacoma Washington He rebuilt, balanced and blueprinted my gas fi 460cid 7.5 stock 220 horsepower motor, now pump gas dynoed @384 horsepower 460cid bad ass Fuely motor. I'm now looking at the ultimate rear end for the thing. I like your setup and hope to have something that nice someday. Thanks for letting me ramble Aloha.
Wow you are a legend! Thank you for checking it out Brian, yes its fiberglass/balsa/1"foam"balsa/fiberglass on the shell construction. Your engine sounds like a monster, absolute beast!
wow, very impressive, I like the quality of work put on this rig, happy overlanding.
Thank you very much!
Me gustó verla rodar en terreno duro, esa toma de la suspensión mientras rodaba fue genial
Gracias
You forgot to show the fold up full size olympic swimming pool.
The level of forethought and skill here is mind-blowing, great job! It must be so satisfying to go places in a vehicle that you dreamed up and built yourself...a great inspiration!
When you were hoisting the spare tyre I couldn't help thinking it would be good to use the tyre tie down strap to tether the top of the hoist to the opposite side of the roof rack, taking the torque stress away from the hoist pivot.
Thank you! and that's a good idea. I welded that mount receiver bar, 4 times over, but the strap would take out the bounce for sure! Good call!🤘
Came from mobile dwellings ..looks absolutely amazing very cosy ...thanku fir sharing love an god bless x
Thank you very much!!
@@auxbuilt4190 my pleasure x
Awesome build. Should put it in production. Thank you for sharing
I like the tough front and back bumpers.
Thanks Monica, they get the job done!
This is awesome. I actually met you outside an Advance Auto in New Hampshire back in September of 2020. Found this channel today. That is a very cool truck. Very impressive in person.
Heck yes I remember that! Nice to meet you again haha!
Thanks alots bro for making this video and sharing your van's details so nicely... Loved It and Loved the simple and creative Thinks and Things you did in this van... Please Stay Safe , Eat Good and Sleep Well... GOD bless you and your family with lots of love and happiness and with good health and wealth...
Thank you for checking it out!!
@@auxbuilt4190 ... You are welcome and please make more videos like this...
Amazing content! Thank you for putting this out here for our viewing pleasure!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!!
Spare tire hoist system is brilliant.
Haha! when necessity promotes innovation, right!?
One heck of a rig man, love to have one, good job.
Thanks a MilliOn!!!
This is , without a doubt , the best van build I have seen ,that simple . I have been wtching UA-cam since it started .
Boom! Thank you Rodney!! Huge shout out!
Wow Wow Wow What an Amazing Rig! Kudos!!
Hello, awesome rig! I’m in the process of building an accessible version of what you’ve created, thank you for the ideas.
Great walk around. Love your engineering and thought process
Greatly appreciate you checking it out!
Crazy amount of work. Probably felt worth it for that river shot!
Thank you! The places these things can get to is incredible!!
This build in this time is a Million Dollar Earth Roamer build without the price, makes you wonder why they charge so much huh? So glad he took his time with build and explained everything. This is what inspires us to do different creative things. Excellent Job Well Done!
the spare tire hoist is genius
It works well!! Thank you!
Top work. Thanks for sharing and inspiring.
Thank you for checking it out Stuart!!
Wow what an exceptional build, especially the 4X4, suspension and exterior. Raptor Liner is a great idea when you start blasting through branches and overgrown off roads on BLM land. see you out there.
Thank you!!!! See you out there is right!
Lmao @blm land
Super bad ass... GREAT vision!! Nicely done, man... cheers!!
Thank you much!!!!!
Thank you very much for your Van tour. That´s on e of the best build-up´s I ever have seen in internet. Have always a good trip and stay healthy. With friendly reagards from Warsaw/Poland
Awesome quality! Fun to watch videos like these when you know the creator put so much effort to 👍👍
Hey thank you! Too kind!
What an awesome van. The inside would not work in my living situation for me but love the detail and design. The outside is amazing and looks awesome. I’d love to see some off road videos of where the van goes 👍🏼
I'm on it! I have tons of pics and drone footy, coming soon!
Good stuff. Always appreciate tips on what you would bring or not bring next time to an event like this.
I love your idea and as a guide to my future camper van. Thanks
love all it .. great job bro
Thank you!!!!
This by far is the coolest van I have ever seeeeeeeen!!!!!!!!
Aww thanks a million!!!
If you have the money, look at the earth roamer
@@colinmclean1642 that’s 800k and it’s a ripoff. You could buy a house for that price. You could design a similar camper to the Earth Roamer with all the bells and whistles and it would be 120-150k.
Amazing work! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Great build, extremely impressive!!
Outstanding job! I would order one now if they would be available! Everything is well planned and well thought out congratulations best van I seen so far!
We are a supplier from China, providing products covering agricultural products, food, steel products, clothing and other raw materials
You really thought of everything! This van is absolutely insane!
Thank you! I geeked out hard for a few years you got it!
Beautiful job. You have thought of everything ...
The hoist system is pretty cool and practical.
Excellant build with top quality components. You did very well.
Thank you Ken!
Absolute awesomeness 🤘
Every aspect has been taken care of ❗
Inspirational for sure .... cheers to you 🌱
Greatly appreciate that Craig!!
Wow! ❤ love it, I wish I was that clever to build something like this… I take my hat off to you man..
I love everything about it! You must be so proud!! :)
Hands down, the best van build I have ever seen!
That is awfully kind of ya! Thank you!!!!!
That is one hell of a rig! You should build and sell these, people would buy them without a doubt
Sold this one and working on number 2 as we speak! Thanks man!
@aux_build I just read this after I posted my last comment of $1 million. So now I have to know, if you can say, what'd you sell this one for??
@@thundercats2004 I don't think he would take less than 215k
This is a beautiful practical van build. Well done.
Love the conversation of the bed… 👌👌👌
It works well, thank you!
Well thought out in every aspect of the design and modifications. I like the consideration made to the tires and suspension, and especially the outer shell protection, which gives it a very custom and stealth look. The roof is crazy good with the solar and well thought out storage and appears very secure. You can tell that a lot of money was poured into this but I'm sure its less than half the cost of something comparable.
Thank you! Yes, Earth Roamer makes off road rigs cooler than this but they start at 550k!
We are a supplier from China, providing products covering agricultural products, food, steel products, clothing and other raw materials
THIS VIDEO IS SO SICK! Way better than mine haha! You put sooooo much work into this rig and video and I can't wait to see what you build next!!!!
Aw dang, thanks brother! I got my motivation from ya'll! 🙏👊 I will get the new one finished and head straight to you haha!
When I get a van, I'm COMING to u, to havevit builded for me! Don't worry ill make it worth your while! When that approaches, you'll be the first one ill be calling! Thatnks for you showing me your Van! It looks awesome, and that is the kind of van I would like built for me! P.S. ill keep you in mind when I ready to get building! Take care, God Bless you threw all of your juroney's! Godspeed!
Excellent choices. Beautiful home.
Thank you! 😊
The van is a masterpiece!! I paid a king’s ransom for a German, custom built, all terrain vehicle (MAN). I wish I knew about you before purchasing the MAN.
Much respect and stay safe.
Awww that rig must be a monster! Love it!
Well, just like most of the 993 comments before me I found your Starflyte build impressive and inspiring. So much so, that I had just completed the Ujoint DIY conversion on my E350 van when I found your video and began looking for a Starflyte to convert. Just purchased a V10 Starflyte with only 34,000 miles on it. I have some questions about your change from the Ujoint 33" dual conversion to the 37" single. I need to make decision on which path to take. Questions:
1) Did you need to lift it again higher than the 6" Ujoint install? how much and with what system?
2) Could you use the original rear dually axle or did you switch? (I have my stock rear axle from E350 conversion taking up space in the garage)
3) How did the performance change both highway and off-road between the 33" dually and the 37" single configurations? (ride, steering, power, mileage, etc)
4) What else could you tell me about this that I wasn't smart enough to ask?
Thank you
Try Red Barn Customs in Michigan for specialty 20" steel rims (or 19.5" if you don't want to be able to air down) . I want 20" so I can air down and have LESS sidewall in case I do blow a tire . Less distance to the ground. 17:38
Wow, that was amazing. Thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it!
So many good ideas implemented here.
Glad you think so!
Saw this at Big Bear a year or so ago. Definitely quality and loved the bamboo cabinets.
I'm sure we met there! Thank you!
Very impressive technical upgrade of the suspension, breaks and traction components. I also particularly liked the solar and battery mode. More impressive was the spare wheel hoist. Overall good design and immaculate execution.
Thank you Raghunath! Appreciate the kind words!
This is badass. A true overland vehicle, I need this…
Nice build, awesome craftsmanship. I have a 2003 7.3 E350 sports mobile no penthouse full rollcage front to back through the dash to the frame. 4x4 on 35's it's more like a prerunner chasing side by sides across the desert. Custom interior for the 3rd time now, seems I keep changing it as the kids got older and bigger. So I bought a 20 passenger StarCraft micro bus gonna do the same it's in progress right now. I'ma keep it real though, not going to be as pretty as yours but going to get the job done more importantly create long lasting memories for me and my kids. Can't wait.
Amazing build! 👌🏼
Cheers man, thank you!
Very impressed! I've been considering all the options for a few months and this is the first thing I've seen that hits all the notes. The slightly retro/classic Starflyte has a great look to my eye, especially with the paint and extras you added. Were the stock water and gray water tanks sufficient or did you replace them? How is the insulation? Can you charge the batteries off the engine as well as the solar panels? Looking forward to more!
Thank you that means a lot! I upgraded the water tank to 46 gallons, so with the 6 gallon water heater it has 50 of fresh. I upgraded the grey water from 15 to 27 as well. Batteries charge off the engine, yes and 300 w of solar.
Absolutely incredible build.
Love the color combo. Beasty van 👍
Thank you for checking it out!
Amazing job! Beautifully done ❤️
Thank you Martha!!
The best looking solid RV I've ever seen, hands down!
Nicest comment ever award goes to....! Thank you!
This is amazing with all that you included. 💓 I would love to purchase something like this.
It's a FORD,,Fix or repair daily..And unfortunately they are popular here in the UK too . ..Great video..A lot of graft.
Haha! I have never had an issue with it! Love these vans and compared to promaster, sprinter and transit, these Ford's are much more reliable here!
I saw the original UA-cam post on the Mobile Dwellings channel, and was incredibly impressed, especially since I had been thinking about a similar Starflyte conversion myself. I have a ton of questions, and am hoping you will indulge me! First, let me say how impressed I am with the thoughtful approach you had to the build. Every detail seems to be well thought out. So, here are some of my questions...
1. Can you educate me on your decision regarding the dually-delete? I know many off-roaders simply prefer two wheels on the rear axle as dually's can be more prone to rocks becoming lodged in between the two tires. Was that your motivation as well?
2. I noticed that you don't appear to have recaptured the space behind the old propane and generator access doors. Did you consider adding some new storage compartments behind those doors? If a simple box could be fabricated and welded to the frame, it seems like it might be a great place to stick some heavier tools and recovery gear.
3. I noticed that you didn't remove and then patch the old refrigerator vents. Beyond the cost of the fiberglass repair, is there any other reason why you opted to keep the vents?
4.When completing the interior, did Johnsons remove the fiberglass walls and reinstate, or did you just leave it all in place and recover with the German vinyl?
5. Speaking of German vinyl, what is the manufacturer/distributor? What made it more appealing than other, domestic textured vinyl suppliers?
6. It looks like you kept in place the entire bathroom assembly... is the sliding bathroom door OEM, or is it a replacement? If a replacement, can you share the details?
7. In regards to the exterior shower and audio cubbies... are those both refurbished/cleaned-up originals, or did you replace with new, similarly-sized units?
8. You mentioned that you replaced the exterior lights. The tail lights look to be new units. Did you simply replace the old ones, or are they refurbished with new LED bulbs?
9. If you were starting over, with the same vehicle, what would you do differently?
I know that's a lot of questions. Thanks for producing this kind of content. Can't wait to see more of your adventures.
Thank you for reaching out! Thanks for the kind words and I'll try and get you some answers!
1)Dually delete is standard reasons, yes. No rocks lodging in between, precision tire placement on trails and I think it looks better as well. I've been super happy with the decision.
2/3)Propane door, old fridge vent, oven vent have been deleted with fiberglass. If you look at my instagram there is a recent photo of the drivers side and you can see that work. I do fiberglass work myself and the cost isn't the issue, it's having to repaint the whole side, which I did a few months back.
4/5)The whole shell is pre-insulated. The construction is fiberglass/balsa wood/1"foam/balsa wood/fiberglass. It was a really expensive shell to make which is why Coachmen only made these from 98 to 03. I can not recall the make of the gErman vinyl, I don't know if it's better than anyone else's to be honest, but it's tough stuff!
6)The bathroom door is by Nautilus Doors, parent company is STOEET Ind. The floor I resurfaced with white raptor and cleaned up the caulking all around. I didn't feel the need to gut the bathroom. It serves it's purpose!
7)Both are stock sized. You can not find the outdoor radio unit any more. It was made by Jensen and the head unit was a joke so I popped in a single din bluetooth unit. The speakers are so-so, but you're not trying to blow the doors of the cabana most times while using an outdoor radio, right. It's killer for campfire nights and it can actually get pretty loud before clipping, if you wanted to party it up. The shower unit is common size and I replaced the whole box.
8)All the lights were removed, surface of the shell cleaned up, brand new LED lights installed and poly caulking added anywhere I felt that need a little extra insurance. All those OEM sizes are now available in LED, EXCEPT! the third brake light. That company still makes that exact same light is you can believe it. So it's new as well, but it has a bulb.
9)That's an open question and you'd think I'd have a long list with the hindsight in my favor. But honestly, the only decision to consider for me really is to have 4 seats or not. If yes, then I would not change a thing. If no, then well I would move the shower/bath and re-design, but the 4 seat belted seats was key for me and the bunk over sleeper is a huge asset I've used many times for friends. Not the easiest build out, very custom, but worth it in the end in my opinion even having lived in it for the past year.
INCREDIBLE! Thanks so much for the clear tour and inspiration!
Glad you enjoyed it! More to come with new build in the works a well!
Excellent build. The Coachmen Starflyte was an important part of my initial foray into the RV industry, and I was the lead engineer at that time. This was the 2nd of the 3 floorplans that we developed. A piece of info you might find interesting is that while Coachmen Vans produced the Starflyte, another local company named Supreme built the steel-framed fiberglass body. It is based on the StarTrans bus by Supreme Corporation (Goshen, IN), which is what makes this body so much stronger than the typical RV construction. If you ever venture near Elkhart Indiana, I'd love to see YOUR Starflyte in person. Safe travels!
One of the smartest builds very nice inside out