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Modular cargo conversion
- Thread starter grubworm
- Start date
Member III
yeah, its definitely over built. its 3/4 birch framed with 2x4s and the counter top is five 2x4s planed and edged and then edge glued for kind of a butcher block look.
it has to be custom made to fit right, but even if i could go with the pre-made cabinets at home depot or lowes, i dont think they would last. and oddly enough, the price is pretty good. $80 for the sheet of birch and i still have a 96"x18" piece of it left to use with another cabinet and eight 2x4s...so $100 so far.
Trail Blazer III
As somone who works in the engineering field, I prefer to think of it not as over-engineered, but perhaps under-utilized, or perhaps future-proofed... lol
Member III
yes, the struggle is REAL!
in the pic, you can see the little cabin i just built in the background (did a thread on here about it) and still doing odds and ends with, and the steps on the side are the detached garage/apartment i am finishing. so for anyone thinking about "retiring"...might want to rethink. i do more work now and dont even paid for it...
anyway...this is the 2x4 butcher block top that is getting stained and sealed.
the kitchen module is coming along and i have the sink installed and the tank/pump ready to mount. the bottom trim piece is left bare because i ordered tracks for sliding doors and i'll need to cut down that piece once i see how tall the track is so that it can flush up with the interior bottom. since i'm running 12v for the pump and a light, i also wired in a USB receptable so that we can use the open counter space to charge phones if needs be or plug in a wireless speaker, etc. i like having a good amount of USB ports around since that is pretty much the platform now for portable dc devices.
on the left is a chest storage that also functions as a bench and a step to get up into the bed. the wife is making a cushion for it and i'm sure it will host some type of weird pattern...
in the pic, you can see the little cabin i just built in the background (did a thread on here about it) and still doing odds and ends with, and the steps on the side are the detached garage/apartment i am finishing. so for anyone thinking about "retiring"...might want to rethink. i do more work now and dont even paid for it...
anyway...this is the 2x4 butcher block top that is getting stained and sealed.
the kitchen module is coming along and i have the sink installed and the tank/pump ready to mount. the bottom trim piece is left bare because i ordered tracks for sliding doors and i'll need to cut down that piece once i see how tall the track is so that it can flush up with the interior bottom. since i'm running 12v for the pump and a light, i also wired in a USB receptable so that we can use the open counter space to charge phones if needs be or plug in a wireless speaker, etc. i like having a good amount of USB ports around since that is pretty much the platform now for portable dc devices.
on the left is a chest storage that also functions as a bench and a step to get up into the bed. the wife is making a cushion for it and i'm sure it will host some type of weird pattern...
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Trail Blazer III
Looks like the same type of tank I just installed in my JK, If so I caution you when installing fittings, as the plastic is very soft and the threads will pull out. Teflon tape did not work so well, used the teflon paste and hand tightened the fittings. Since my drain and vent line exited thru 90 degre fittings, I installed a P clamp just after the fitting to prevent gravity/vibration/stray can of soup, from rotating the fitting and causing a leak.
Member III
excellent call...
yeah, i opened the box and immediately noticed that the polyethylene is very thin and pretty soft. i'm set up to weld polyvinyl and polyethylene...did that when making custom hydroponics a few years back. i ordered sheets from US Plastics and it was a much different product than what i'm seeing with this tank. i'm afraid to heat it, so i'm going with a plastic glue and gluing a valve fitting at the bottom. it will be permanent, so i'll use a 3/8" valve fitting so i can isolate it as a supply and then plumb into the better made fitting. i'm a little disappointed with this tank, but that is pretty much the norm. i'll also have to frame around it to make sure the sides dont bow and stress with the weight of the water.
NPT fittings seal on the taper. female NPT fittings are tapered and the male is tapered the same and the seal forms when the taper engages each other. teflon tape is a lubricant and is used so that as you twist, the taper will engage further and make a better seal. only used on hard metals since metals like brass are self lubricating like plastics. i took a hydraulic class years back from Parker and learned that. interesting because i was working offshore on oil rigs and we always taught that teflon tape was for sealing and the more you wrap, the bettter the seal.
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Trail Blazer III
Another issue was a ridge at the bottom of the holes so the fitting would bottom out just before it got to the sweet spot where it sealed properly, so hard to get any quality parts anymore, will be doing some more research so I can replace it with something better should it fail. Just has to fit into a tight space so limits my options. May have to have one fabricated.
Member III
i bought a new camp trailer in 2019 and got it home to later find that when it was being assembled, the workers missed the framing member and ran the screw right into the water tank. i called the manufacturer (forest river) showed them a picture of it and they told me not to fill the tank more than half then.
im just not meant to have a water tank for some reason...probably end up going back to these...
Member III
well, one thing to note for those out there that are doing builds or even modifying something already existing...DO YOUR RESEARCH!
not to get on a soapbox...but if i did, i would want to build the soapbox myself because if i ordered it off amazon, i'd probably fall thru it.
one thing that has immediately caught my attention is that by putting "RV" or "Marine" on an item, it automatically gets a minimum 50% markup placed on it. anyone who has owned a boat knows that a stainless screw at lowes is $1 and the same screw in a package that has "marine grade" on it will be $2. it gets even worse when moving up to items like pumps and blowers, even though the same item can be found elsewhere a good bit cheaper, so just because a RV site has an item, it doesnt mean it cant be found elsewhere. somethings are going to be unique, like a sliding step for a camper. that is going to be specific to RVs and you'll just have to bite it on items like that.
i've also noticed a distinct pattern where quality of most things have simultaneously dropped in the last five years. people doing reviews are talking about replacing a pump or blower that has lasted 20 years only to buy a new one that might go one to two years at best. fairly consistent reviews of quality dropping off at a rapid rate. i needed a water pump and immediately checked out the Sure-flo brand because i had great experience with them in the past. even the ones listed as the better series were getting some consistent flak in the reviews, so brand loyalty needs to be re-evaluated now.
amazon is getting a LOT of third party vendors that are really shady and apparently amazon isnt responsible for these people even though they are using the amazon platform. from reading reviews and complaints, it appears that a lot of the vendors on amazon that have the lower prices are ripping people off and amazon gives them a pass since amazon is still getting paid. a different subject, but the wife was looking a some kind of fancy skin cream and was telling me how she was reading a ton of complaints on how third party vendors are somehow taking the expensive bottles and putting regular hand lotion in it and selling it for $40 and amazon says they arent responsible for what third party vendors are doing...well, as long as amazon gets their cut of course. so yeah, really have to pay attention. back in the day, if i saw an item on amazon that i wanted, i just clicked and that was it. not anymore. i recently needed a milwaukee 18v battery and noticed one a lot cheaper than the others. it was a knock off. i looked at the seller and saw that it was some weird name like happyfuntime27 somewhere in china. the 5 star reviews were actually 2 reviews done in broken engrish which i would say were fake, but it still gave the item a 5 star rating when glancing at the product initially.
DECEPTION is the soup-de-jour when it comes to online ordering. (ha! i remember online dating was equally bad. meet a hot chick on Match and later go meet up at Waffle House in real person only to find out she has a peg leg and facial hair. and just because i went home with her didnt mean i wasnt disappointed...)
anyway, i guess just check reviews really close and who the actual vendor is and then cross check reviews on other platforms. it doesnt look like there are many great products out there anymore, but some will be better than others. and my biggest lesson learned is to make things easy to get to. if i had a pump that i knew would last 20 years, i would mount it in a hard to reach, out of the way place under the tank. well, i'm probably going to have to change items like that out now fairly often, so put them in an easy to access place.
not to get on a soapbox...but if i did, i would want to build the soapbox myself because if i ordered it off amazon, i'd probably fall thru it.
one thing that has immediately caught my attention is that by putting "RV" or "Marine" on an item, it automatically gets a minimum 50% markup placed on it. anyone who has owned a boat knows that a stainless screw at lowes is $1 and the same screw in a package that has "marine grade" on it will be $2. it gets even worse when moving up to items like pumps and blowers, even though the same item can be found elsewhere a good bit cheaper, so just because a RV site has an item, it doesnt mean it cant be found elsewhere. somethings are going to be unique, like a sliding step for a camper. that is going to be specific to RVs and you'll just have to bite it on items like that.
i've also noticed a distinct pattern where quality of most things have simultaneously dropped in the last five years. people doing reviews are talking about replacing a pump or blower that has lasted 20 years only to buy a new one that might go one to two years at best. fairly consistent reviews of quality dropping off at a rapid rate. i needed a water pump and immediately checked out the Sure-flo brand because i had great experience with them in the past. even the ones listed as the better series were getting some consistent flak in the reviews, so brand loyalty needs to be re-evaluated now.
amazon is getting a LOT of third party vendors that are really shady and apparently amazon isnt responsible for these people even though they are using the amazon platform. from reading reviews and complaints, it appears that a lot of the vendors on amazon that have the lower prices are ripping people off and amazon gives them a pass since amazon is still getting paid. a different subject, but the wife was looking a some kind of fancy skin cream and was telling me how she was reading a ton of complaints on how third party vendors are somehow taking the expensive bottles and putting regular hand lotion in it and selling it for $40 and amazon says they arent responsible for what third party vendors are doing...well, as long as amazon gets their cut of course. so yeah, really have to pay attention. back in the day, if i saw an item on amazon that i wanted, i just clicked and that was it. not anymore. i recently needed a milwaukee 18v battery and noticed one a lot cheaper than the others. it was a knock off. i looked at the seller and saw that it was some weird name like happyfuntime27 somewhere in china. the 5 star reviews were actually 2 reviews done in broken engrish which i would say were fake, but it still gave the item a 5 star rating when glancing at the product initially.
DECEPTION is the soup-de-jour when it comes to online ordering. (ha! i remember online dating was equally bad. meet a hot chick on Match and later go meet up at Waffle House in real person only to find out she has a peg leg and facial hair. and just because i went home with her didnt mean i wasnt disappointed...)
anyway, i guess just check reviews really close and who the actual vendor is and then cross check reviews on other platforms. it doesnt look like there are many great products out there anymore, but some will be better than others. and my biggest lesson learned is to make things easy to get to. if i had a pump that i knew would last 20 years, i would mount it in a hard to reach, out of the way place under the tank. well, i'm probably going to have to change items like that out now fairly often, so put them in an easy to access place.
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Ocean_Ranger
Rank VII
Pathfinder I
+1 on the DO YOUR RESEARCH advice. When possible I’ve started purchasing directly from manufacturers to avoid some of the Amazon concerns. Recently I purchased recovery gear and went directly to Factor55. It gives me more confidence that the gear isn’t counterfeit and I believe that it is also better for their business.
Trail Blazer III
Agree 100%, Amazon has infiltrated, undercut, and put a lot of legit companies out of business, now they have a monopoly on being able to get anything (Just try to find anything but basic hardware at a local store anymore and good luck finding any auto electric supplies) So now they can sell us imported junk at high prices, and we don't even get decent fast shipping, next day turns into maybe this week. Trying to find actual 100 % copper wire on there is a joke, 99 percent of it is CCA and you have to read the fine print to find that with the headline saying copper wire, well just part of it is... Covid seems to have allowed suppliers to reduce thier quality considerably with no concequences, because you can't get it anywere else. Bought some "good" quality cabinet plywood at 85 bucks a sheet, and the layers are barely even glued together, pocket screws just blow it apart, When possible I also try to buy direct from the manufacture or at least use a reputable distributor even if it costs more, I will save time from having to tear it out and replace it in two months. Do I have Amazon specials on my rigs, yes, but mainly because I could not get what I need anywhere else. My current project has been designed around being able to get to these itmes for replacement. All that being said, I purchased a RedArc product direct from them at the last expo and had it drop shipped to my house, went to install it this weekend, and discovered that they forgot to include the electrical connectors in the package, now off to make some calls and see how good thier customer service is....hopefully thier employees have showed up for work today ..
Explorer I
Adding @REDARC_Ryan - maybe he can assist?
Agree with Amazon comments. Another scam to watch out for is folks will create an Amazon account just to sell Amazon products from other sellers at a higher price then have the original seller ship the cheaper copy to you. If you do purchase off of Amazon don't just pick the first product in the list - make sure that you see that the product that you are purchasing has a price that is comparable with other sellers.
Now GET OFF MY LAWN! Hahaha
Member III
Big box stores (and most smaller stores) sell the same cheap shit, from the same place that Amazon does just at higher mark up.
During the coronahokum I could order whatever I wanted from Amazon without crazed Karen asking/suggesting/demanding I participate in the insanity by wearing a mask (which I did not and will not do regardless the screeching).
Most brick and mortar retailers continue to hire people who want to be paid, not people who want a job and most are entirely worthless if you ask them to help you.
In the past I have been the staunchest of "buy American, buy local" supporters, but "covid" has been seized upon as an excuse to suck ass by many if not most. "Covid" is long gone in all but the minds of true believers but the level of service most offer still has not returned. Consequently I am going to spend my money where it best benefits me. There is simply no reward short or long term in rewarding poor service by aging higher prices.
I hate it, but retailers have created the circumstances that they now suffer from.
Trail Blazer III
I was not tresspassing, just fertilizing.... you know, greener pastures..lol
Trail Blazer III
No argument here, I just want to exhange my hard earned $$ for some quality merchandise. I have given up on anyone in a retail chain store being able to provide any help beyond reading what is on the back of the box. I see help wanted signs all over, and have freinds with business offering plenty of money and benifits yet get no one applying, apparently the government handouts are still a better deal. I find myself fabricating more, repairing older parts, or modifying whatever I buy to actually work as it should. I do have to give a shout out to a few companies that have conistantly delivered good products with great support/service, Factor55, Warn, Yankum Ropes, and Northridge 4X4. all have gone out of their way to provide a quality level of service during the beer virus and supply chain issues. Northridge has had shipping better than Amazon, and on the only occasion that someting had an issue, they were all over it, even though it ended up to be a fault of the tire installer not the tpms sensors they sold me. So there is hope, just have to have a shovel and enough patients to find it....
Member III
When people can reliably depend on the government to take your money and give it to someone else in the name of "social safety net" then many if not most will choose to sit back and let the man do their stealing for them.
Trail Blazer III
Well, called RedArc customer service in Australia, had a great conversation with Andrew from their support team, and he said he would reach out to the US distribution center and see if they can round up some parts, a few minutes later @REDARC_Ryan was calling me and has the parts he can take out of one of the kits he has on hand and will get them right out to me. Customer service as it should be! Thank you RedArc.
REDARC_Ryan
Rank III
Advocate I
Glad to help!
Explorer I
One thing I always check when using the internet sites (Amazon, Walmart, EBay) is to look at who the seller is ( it is always listed) and often it will be the actual manufacturer which gives me comfort. if the seller is Joy Joy Love Sales I just keep looking.
