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Got Hitched Today, Nice Rack

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The photographer didn’t show up, so I have no photos of the ceremony.

I had an always fun shop day with Joel, starting the outfitting on his new Wandering Guide Ride; a 2017 Ford 250 Transit cargo van, with a naked interior from the two front seats back. That naked cargo area will be an awesome pallet for outfitting with fold down bed and shelves and etc, and that plan is already taking shape.

Joel brought many large boxes with him. Large box #1, an E-Trailer Class 3 hitch. 900 lb tongue weight, 6000 lb capacity, both greater than the Transit capacity. That’ll do Joel, that’ll do.

https://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2017_Ford_Transit+T250.htm

But crap, it’s a trailer hitch receiver in a box, for DIY install. I don’t know nothing ‘bout birthing no trailer hitches. I was not looking forward to “helping” put that on, especially when I heard that all of the holes in the frame needed to be tapped.

It went on slicker than snot on a doorknob, even tapping the threads. Of course all I did was hand Joel the appropriate tool and remind him “Right-tighty, lefty loosey. . . . but you are working upside down, so. . . .which way is that?”

Schweet and sturdy; the actual installation took less than an hour. And I “helped”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhUTboHTrO4

Box #2, three Van Tech aero crossbars for roof rackage. Like these, but beefier, I think they were rated at 700 lb capacity. Yeah Joel, that oughta hold a rocket box, a boat and a bike.

https://www.rackwarehouse.com/vante...MIyJ3mqdKL3gIVBYnICh0zOQQbEAYYAyABEgKhkvD_BwE

Things got funkier with the rack installation. We knew this going in, but the Transit has receiver threads (under caps) to support 3 crossbars positioned above pillars in the cargo bay, one at the rear, one a few feet forward and one a few feet forward of that. But that most-forward one is still several feet from the front of the roofline.

WTF Ford? Why no crossbar threads over the front of the roof? There must be a pillar above the driver and passenger seats for rollover and crash protection.

Onward we go with what we got. These racks are a permanent install, using 14mm bolts that thread into the receiver holes on the roof. No room to use a socket, need a box wrench. I have seemingly every sized metric box wrench. Except 14mm. Joel has the same, meaning no 14 mm. Carry on my wayward sons; we’ll use an adjustable wrench.

Hmmm, the rack instructions are clear about installing lock washers on the roof rack tower bolts. No lock washers were included in the box. We are not putting these crossbars on and then taking them off to install lock washers.

Country hardware store here we come. For all of 6 stainless steel* lock washers. 20 minutes up, five minutes in the store, wisely buy 8 SS* lock washers. Drive out, turn around, and back to the hardware for a 14mm box wrench. Drive home. Do not stop at the diner, we’re on a mission.

*While we were searching through my boxes of stainless steel for lock washers I showed Joel the magnet trick, using a powerful ceramic magnet to check at least the magnetic attraction part of various stainless. I even said, “Yeah, I bring this magnet with me when I buy stainless”.

Yeah, I didn’t bring it. We had already installed one rack crossbar when I thought to magnet check the lock washers we had just bought. One of them was NOT stainless. Don’t know about the two we had already installed; we weren’t taking that rack off to check. Do as I say, not as I do.

And if you need six of something that costs 16 cents each, buy at least eight.

The rest of that rack install went slick and quick and seriously sturdy. Hopefully those bars will accommodate the rocket box, bike rack and etc connections. Then we can get to the fun stuff; a fold down bed, fold down shelf, some cam strap tie down points for gear bins and barrels, lighting and other Transit Tripping creature comforts.

A new tripping vehicle challenge. This could be years of fun in the evolution of Transit outfitting. Yippie!
 
The photographer showed up a day late, but promised to make up for it with some mood lighting and Boudoir Beauty Shots.

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PB090003 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Promises, promises.

With the hitch in place and the Van Tech racks bolted into the Transit roof line threads we could move on to new business.

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PA171253 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

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PA171249 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Nice that Ford provides many (capped) bolt thread locations for crossbars on the roof, some yet unused.

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PA171251 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I still wish there were rooftop threads over the front seats for a 4[SUP]th[/SUP] far forward crossbar. Shoulda coulda Ford.

Time for some crossbar accessorizing. Starting with the all-important Yakima Rocket Box. That box has been mounted on several different vehicles and loaned to friends carrying gear on cross country trips. Each of those vehicles so far has required drilling new mounting holes in the box.

First order of business; take off the old crusty duct tape covering old mounting holes, clean off the tape adhesive down to umblemished plastic, and lay some 1” Gorilla tape covered by 2” Nashua 357 tape over every hole. I doubt that box is coming off the crossbars for years; best do a helluva job sealing the old holes now.

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PA171252 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

We did check first, but serendipity, four U-connection sets of the old holes fit perfectly without any redrilling, and the double-thick tape layers provide a decent compression gasket. That box has been proven dry and will stay dry (if not desert dust proof. . . . .nothing is)

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PA181261 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Next order of business, the Transit need a hinged, fold down sleeping platform with some traverse stiffeners (1” ash strips).

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PA181258 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

That 72” x 29” platform is width and length sized to fold up flat against the cargo wall below the roof line, and to fit either a foam mattress or an inflatable sleeping pad. It is height located to accommodate the usual plastic storage bins, is hinged to the van wall pillars with removable cotter pins, and additionally supported using holes at the platform corners with cam straps through the roof pillars, so it is angle adjustable level on an uneven site.

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PA181263 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

And, for all that positioning cogitation, my favorite part of the platform is that it comes out and rests level as a staging table between the end of the step bumper and a plastic storage bin on the far end.

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PA181260 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

That outside-the-van staging table use was unintentional, but will be oh-so-useful. I have travelled and tripped with Joel; just like nature abhors a vacuum Joel abhors any horizontal surface not covered in gear while packing or staging.

That external table oughta work perfectly in concert with Joel’s winky short butterfly chairs. Set a shade or rain tarp off the end of the Tripping Transit and play that banjo boy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsC4kf6x_Q0

Although, to be honest, I’d prefer some gentle background mandolin or Celtic fingerpicking on the guitar.
 
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Next order of business, the Transit need a hinged, fold down sleeping platform with some traverse stiffeners (1” ash strips).

I would have called them battens but traverse stiffeners works too. Except when a storm is coming, I don't think I'd have time to traversely stiffen the hatches.
 
Nice van. I like square-ish vehicles with a no-nonsense look about them. Who wants sleek and sporty when you've got a job to do with a work vehicle? What first appealed to me from the photos was the big square opening. No streamlined curvy bits to snag this and that, just a tall and wide doorway. I'm sure even Aladdin was a cave pragmatist. And speaking of pragmatist I am reminded of my old tent trailer when I see that handy hinged bench-bed. I was impressed with our diner setup in the trailer, and how with a few deft moves it became a dorm capable of sleeping all the kids. Lots of storage underneath. There's something to be said about having a raised sleeping platform while not sacrificing storage space and still providing comfortable bed height (some nights it's a long way down to bed on the ground, and most mornings it's an even longer way back up again). And having it hinged to lift and stay out of the way is naturally genius. Not sold on the out back staging idea, but maybe I don't take enough stuff to know any better. Any solutions to the hard to reach car topper? A stow away ladder? They have telescoping ones.
 
I would have called them battens but traverse stiffeners works too. Except when a storm is coming, I don't think I'd have time to traversely stiffen the hatches.

Conk, note that all of the holes for the cam strap supports have the hole edges beveled out to create symmetrical sloping edges, preventing wear on the (no stretch) poly cam straps.

Er, “chamfered”. Why use one word when seven will do?
 
Nice van. I like square-ish vehicles with a no-nonsense look about them. Who wants sleek and sporty when you've got a job to do with a work vehicle? What first appealed to me from the photos was the big square opening. No streamlined curvy bits to snag this and that, just a tall and wide doorway.

Some parts of it are very well designed as a work vehicle. Lots of threaded rack attachment points on the roof, big doors that can be opened to the width of the cargo bay, etc.

Some of the design and engineering is a head scratcher.

Why did Ford not thread the holes in the trailer hitch attachments? I have heard that the Transit is the only such vehicle on which those hitch mounting holes are not already threaded for a hitch.

Why did Ford elect to put the battery under the driver’s seat? There are battery terminals in the engine compartment for jump starting; good thing because the battery itself is dang near inaccessible without taking the driver’s seat out.

Most disturbingly for use as a Guide Ride, the four sets of LED lights in the cargo area have no on/off switch. They come on when any door is opened. They do auto-turn off, but sometimes (heavily buggy areas) you do not want four sets of bright LEDs calling come hither whenever a door is opened.

EDIT: Those light LED cargo lights go off after 5 seconds when the all of the doors are closed. With any door open they stay on for 20 minutes. On "newer" Transits (which must mean 2018/19 models there is a switch fr those lights at the back left cargo door hinge.

That will necessitate installing a separate switch.

Not sold on the out back staging idea, but maybe I don't take enough stuff to know any better. Any solutions to the hard to reach car topper? A stow away ladder? They have telescoping ones.

The outback staging table use may not happen. For someone sorting out gear for clients it might be a boon. Time will tell.

The cargo box (Thule, not Yakima BTW) will require use of a step ladder to look inside and grab stuff. As will putting on a bike or strapping down a boat. We did some up and down on various shop step ladders and it’s going to require a 3-step ladder.

And ladder with nice big feet that won’t sink abruptly into sand or soft dirt. I fell off a stupid 2-step ladder with skinny round aluminum legs while tying boats on our van. Twice, the second time was finally enough of a lesson.
 
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I put tennis balls on the feet of my 2-step ladder. Wanted a lightweight step-up but couldn't find one with good feet. Collected four abandoned balls from the dog park and solved that little dilemma.
 
I put tennis balls on the feet of my 2-step ladder. Wanted a lightweight step-up but couldn't find one with good feet.

That probably would have worked with the tubular aluminum step ladder, but the second time it sunk in the mud and upended me I bent to ladder and myself into uselessness.

Joel found this Gorilla ladder. Decent sized feet, giant steps, and folds more slender than the ones I use.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla...Capacity-Type-I-Duty-Rating-GLA-4XT/207120481

Best of all no fold out painter’s platform, which is beneficial for getting closer to the side of the van.

The solution to the ill-engineered LED cargo lights appears to be this (I still want no parts of any wiring)

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...itch-install-for-rear-cargo-lights-22215.html

Gotta love well written, photographed and diagramed instructions. For something Ford should have done to begin with.

The un-insulated and un-soundproofed cargo expanse is noisy. This stuff should help.

https://www.amazon.com/Noico-deadening-Automotive-Insulation-dampening/dp/B00URUIKAK

Pricey, but probably well worth it on the naked sheet metal cargo area roof and walls.

For the van floor, probably minicel exercise flooring

https://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barb...uzzle-Exercise-Mat-6-Pieces-24-Sq-Ft/47905246

That minicel padding is really nice when you are kneeling in the back of the vehicle. What Joel is doing on his knees I don’t want to guess. Maybe praying for better weather.

And some lightweight folding shelves on the cargo wall opposite the bed platform. A couple of mini-hammocks hung from the ceiling. Sundry tie down points.

dang we have a lot of work to do. . . . .
 
A paddling friend of mine travels in a boxy Chevy van he outfitted for sleeping and traveling.

He purchased a used workmans van outfiited with all the steel shelving and drawers a plumber or electrician would have on his work truck. He removed those elements he didn't need and built his RV with that as the foundation.

A clever feature he incorporated was a hinged fall down table that spanned the windows of the side door. As you are inside, looking out the side door, the hinged table is mounted on the perforated steel wall that forms one end the shelving fixture inside the van. And as Mike says "the thing that holds it all together" is the chair on wheels he uses to roam the cargo van and have breakfast at the table as he looks out window.

i envy his setup. Without leaving the truck, he goes from driving to sleeping and then having breakfast at his table looking out the side window . Sweet.
 
Transit Van Outfitting III

The bed platform worked well enough.

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PA221269 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The platform needed some minor improvement; looking at the wee bit of seated sag we added an ash stiffening board to the edge of the last platform plank to make it more rigid. Conk, running longitudinally would that still constitute another batten? What’s the word of the day?

Same for the lightweight side shelving, which likewise needed slight improvement as we tackled a design/built project.

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PA221270 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The bed platform is attached to the wall via hinges and hitch pins, so it is easily removable, and the wall edge is resting on a board bolted into the side pillars.

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PA221274 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The wire storage shelves are attached via small metal pad eyes, so they are likewise able to fold up out of the way.

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PA221268 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The shorter bottom shelf is resting atop the wheel well for support, the wider top shelf is resting on a wood support bolted to the sidewall.

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PA221277 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

As an absurd acid test the wide top shelf held a heavy bin of books, even before we installed the edge support board underneath.

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PA221267 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Bed platform and storage shelving wabi sabi good enough it was time to install some sound deadening material, at least on the exposed, single piece of sheet metal between inside and out roof and walls. Noico Car Sound Deadening Mat.

Eh, there’s nothing to installing that stuff. In fact Joel spent most of his time simply pointing at things he wanted.

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PA221272 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

OK, actually that stuff was a PITA to install, and Joel worked his butt off. That stuff needs to be self-adhesive laid aligned carefully in place, and then pressure rolled until the corrugation pattern in the foil disappears. Using a small but heavy duty metal roller. A time consuming and arduous process.

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PA221273 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

So yeah, Joel, why don’t you just do all the overhead work while I had you another piece to install every 10 minutes.

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PA231288 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The exposed sidewalls got trickier. Nine panels. Seven different sizes and shapes, so seven different templates.

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PA231289 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

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PA231287 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Uh Joel, I know you are tired, but there two more still-accessible panels in front of the bed platform.

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PA231286 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

How many custom template pieces is that now? There are still a few under the platform and behind the shelves. Inside the cargo door panels too; we (I love that Papal “We”) have three full sheets and lots scrap left.

No? Had enough for one day Joel? Me too.

About that sound deadening material. It is surprisingly heavy and, left in the box in the cold, it had the heat sink properties of a solid block of steel. It needs to be (er, maybe must be) installed when it is warm, or it will not roll down properly. The material would have taken hours to warm up on its own. We did not have hours.

We laid pairs of 2 x 4’s over a couple sets of sawhorses and set out each tri-folded piece of sound deadener, drooped over the sides, creating a heat capture, and placed a radiant oil heater under each sawhorse.

My job was primarily to move the next piece of sound deadener material directly over the heater, hand Joel things and find his Sharpie. And then find where he had left the cap to the Sharpie. Then find where he had last set the roller after he climbed back inside the Transit with the warm, cut to size ready to install material. Then clean up the bench detritus. Then have another beer.

That kept me busy enough thanks.

While Joel was rolling-rolling-rolling I did some rough measuring out of curiosity. The (short roof) Transit is about 76” tall. The top of the crossbars on the towers is up another 5”, plenty of tower rise for most recurved stem canoes to clear the roof. The opening on the rocket box is 8” above that.

If you need to access the roof of a Transit, you’ll need a step ladder. This one, a design that lets you get up close and personal with the side of the van.

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PA221279 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The little flip out tool and parts tray on that ladder is all I need. The shelf on my painter’s ladder leaves me too far from the side of the van.

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PA221282 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

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PA221285 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

While I was having ladder envy I pulled the end cap off one of the Van Tech crossbars. There is some serious structure inside those bars, providing different ways to DIY attach accessories.

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PA221281 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Likewise there are lots of convenient slots and reveals in the cargo area roof and sidewall pillars that would be ideal for straps. Except the sheet metal edge would chew up webbing over time. Joel said those sharp edges needed “Trim lock”. I nodded as if I understood. I must have looked unconvincingly puzzled, and some discussion ensued.

Oh, Trimlok. The specific brand name for cockpit edge trim stuff with the grippy metal U channel. This stuff?

http://topkayaker.com/index.php?main...oducts_id=1606

Well lookee here, deep inside the giant box of little used miscellaneous parts and pieces. Gobs of Trimlok, courtesy of a package from DougD. Enough to cover every possible webbing strap pass-through in the Transit.

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PA231292 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Joel was euphoric with that late day find. Suuure, I work, or at least sit and think next steps and drink beer, for days on end and DougD gets all the praise ‘cause he sent me some scrap material.

PA231294 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

There had been a couple days of drilling holes in sheet metal inside the mobile bedroom. A little shop vac action to remove the metal shavings was needed before the next night’s sleep on the improved bad platform.

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PA231290 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Still lots to be done; an on/off switch for the cargo lights, attach the bike rack to the crossbars, maybe cradles for a kayak or load stops for canoe. . . . it would be nice if the rear cradle was a slide or roller loader for putting a boat on 81” high racks.

Webbing strap tie downs for the blue barrel. heck, webbing loops everywhere; for securing gear, hanging Luci-lights, a couple of mini gear hammocks, etc.

“Curtains” for the windows; Joel’s plan is to template cut Dollar Store windshield sunscreens into press and stay shape. With all that reflective foil surface Joel really will need a disco ball hung from the ceiling to finish the ambiance. A hanging curtain of some sort just behind the two front seats. I know what you do behind those curtains Mr. Beckwith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu8z1DIMe9Q

Yes, front curtains, no one needs to see those moves through a parked van windshield in a rest stop or campsite. There are children watching.

And, most easily, importantly and first on the to-do list, lay a minicel exercise floor on the cargo bed. Before every square inch is covered with bins, barrels and gear that we have to take out again.

We measured the cargo space. Two 2’x2’ six packs (24 square feet) of puzzle edge exercise flooring will cover all of the cargo bed between the wheel wells, from the front seats to the rear doors and, taped together on the back side, could be slid in and out as one piece for when Joel needs to drag an antique armoire, blacksmith’s anvil or looted bank safe into the back of the van.

I love having that exercise flooring in the bed (and on the tailgate) of the Tripping Truck. I love my cigar too, but I take it out sometimes. (Groucho, sadly apocryphal)

That minicel flooring is comfortable to kneel or crawl on, and it really helps keep things from sliding around (trashcans and recycling up to the end of the dirt drive, or worse, a case of IPA slip slamming “Oh God no!” side to side on the way home from Case & Keg). But it is often beneficial to be able to pull that minicel out and expose the naked floor.

Yeah, I saw Joel working in the van while kneeling, perhaps praying he wouldn’t break another drill bit.

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PA181263 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Knelt there, do that, no thanks; minicel exercise flooring; insulating, sound deadening, kneeling comfortable and removable. And $14 for 24 square feet of minicel is way cheaper than the sound deadener.

The danged photographer was still trying to make good his previous no-show. I really should have hired a professional; he stuck his finger over the lens again, with a crooked horizon. Idiot.

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PA231295 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

That’ll have to do for now. I expect to see the Transit back shopside in the Spring. dang shame it’s too tall to fit inside the shop garage doors, it would be easier (and warmer) to outfit it inside the shop parked next to the bench.

I guess Joel oughta measure the max height with rocket box, boat or bike. He wouldn’t want to tear anything off the racks in a McDonalds drive-through while getting his morning McMuffin.

After a season’s use there are sure to be refinements and improvements. I do like Willy’s fold down table idea.
 
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More progress on the Tripper Transit

Minicel exercise flooring throughout the cargo area.

20181030_082610 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

This stuff, $7 a six-pack, same price via Amazon with quickie delivery. I need some myself.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Barb...oam-Puzzle-Mat-6-Pieces-20-78-Sq-Ft/776120583

Joel is already thrilled with how much nicer that exercise flooring is to walk around on, never mind kneel. And it helps keep the storage bins from sliding around on the OEM floor.

20181030_082724 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The privacy curtain behind the front seats was a Captain Obvious solution. Curtains? A curtain rod!

20181030_082748 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I wish say that was my idea, but I had no hand in any of the latest Transit outfitting.

Really convenient that the Rocket Box and bike rack could be easily retrofitted to the Van Tech Aerobars.

20181025_174718 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

20181025_174736 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

10’ 9” to the top of the bike’s handlebars. No more MickeyD’s drive-thru’s for Joel. And watch the overhanging tree canopy on narrow country roads.

Those racks still need a kayak cradle, preferably with a roller or slider at the rear.

Simple on/off switch for the LED cargo bay lights successfully if somewhat blurrily installed.

20181025_174804 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The Transit is shaping up to be a fine Guide Ride, can’t wait to see it towing a trailer in all its glory.

One couldawoulda – We should have saved the templates from the side wall sound deadening installation. They would have been handy to bandsaw cut exercise flooring to install atop the fugly reflective Disco Queen foil on the walls.

New shop rule – do not throw templates away!
 
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