New Mobile Hangar

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
If you can keep the mini van as a dedicated toy hauler, consider just unbolting and removing the rear seats for even more room.

The rear seats are coming out which will make great hidden storage. I may keep one middle seat just in case, but the vehicle was purchased to function only as a mobile hangar.
 

applecrew135

New member
While I despise a great many dodge/Chrysler products with a passion, I've driven many a mile in one. For the most part they've been pretty reliable. They did make a couple terrible engines, especially in the vans and cars. Can't remember what it was off the top of my head but it comes up in about any list of top 10 worst engines ever built...
They also produced the slant-6, which was truly bullet-proof. I have about a half-million miles with the slant-6.
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
With temps in the mid 30's today and almost 50 tomorrow, I can get some work done on my mobile hangar. First task was getting the emission test done, a simple no-cost process as long as the vehicle is running properly (no check engine light, as example). When I got the van the Check Engine Light was always on and the oil pressure light would sometimes come on. My code reader directed me to a small evap leak for the CEL, most commonly from an old gas cap. I replaced the cap and removed a little surface rust around the lip of the filler so it would seal properly, and it cured the CEL for about $7.00. The oil pressure light would sometimes come on, but cycling power once was enough to turn it off. My Google-Fu told me it's a faulty sending unit, but the light hasn't come on for a while so maybe it decided to fix itself. :)

Next on the to-do list was to clean as much crap out of this kid-hauler as possible. The previous owner left it quite a mess, with wrappers, used spare parts, and other assorted garbage all over the place. It also appears he carried a very hairy dog (or ten) as there was white fur all over the back. A small shop vac took care of the bulk of the debris, but I still need to go back with a crevice tool to finish it up. Here she is in all her partially-cleaned kid-hauling glory, ready to seat 7.

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Sliding doors on both sides is going to make loading/unloading my gear fairly easy. It kind of depresses me that I find this much joy in a mini-van.... :( In the pic below you can also see that I need to secure the weatherstripping around the door, an easy task for tomorrow.

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It takes about 2 minutes to transform it into Hangar-Mode, with all seats folding flat for storage. I'm still thinking about removing the seats completely to give me additional storage space, but that creates other headaches and I'm not sure if it's worth it yet.

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I measured before buying the van, it's got just enough open room for my bigger planes. In this case, a 1/3 scale Cessna 152. I have a couple planes a little longer, but I think they'll still fit. I also did some repair work to the big rear well that the back row folds down into. It looks like the previous owner high-sided the rear of the vehicle on something (snow bank?), which pushed the bottom of the well up about an inch. This kept the rear seats from folding completely flat. My "fix" was stomping it back down from inside the vehicle, and now the rear seats fold flat again. :)

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Tomorrow is some bigger work when the temps are warmer. The front right strut is shot, and clunks badly every time you hit a bump. Replacing the strut is fairly easy, and if the right one goes without a problem I'll also do the left (I purchased both as a set). It'll also need front tires and a front-end alignment. The last issue I know of is that it leaks coolant, and it appears to be leaking from the pipes going to the rear heater. If that's the case I may just cut the lines and re-plumb the lines to only have front heat. Not a big deal as I don't plan on using the vehicle in the winter. We'll see what happens...

I also want to start measuring for the rack I'll need to carry multiple planes, wings, and supplies. That's going to be a fun project!
 

TooJung2Die

Master member
Nice! I miss having those stow-n-go seats in my current Toyota van. The only slight downside was the gas tank was a bit smaller because there isn't as much room underneath for one. I don't know why vans have the reputation they do. They are great cargo haulers.
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
The strut replacement was a pain and ended with the destruction of the sway bar link, but that’s a repair for another day. The strut spring was “slightly” broken. :)
 

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Duffusmonkey

Junior Member
The rear seats are coming out which will make great hidden storage. I may keep one middle seat just in case, but the vehicle was purchased to function only as a mobile hangar.

In my Honda Odyssey I took out the two middle seats and left the rear fold down seats in it. I drove it with the rear seats folded down so there was always room for a 4x8 sheet of plywood, IF I needed to haul people I just flipped up the rearmost seats. I sold the van because at 290,000 it was getting a little unreliable for a daily driver that I drove an average of 100 miles a day. I also sold it because I bought a Turbo RDX from my brother cheap and that thing shits and gits! Unfortunately it doesn't have nearly the room of the Odyssey. Then my son needed a car to take to school in Colorado and it was the only AWD vehicle I owned. So now I have a 2002 Camry for a daily driver and when I need to haul something I drop the top in my 94 Z28... A shitty old van is starting to look really good to me again

I do love the idea of putting a removing the rear seats and making a storage area, so many CHOICES!
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
Like being a "little bit pregnant". :LOL: Aren't you glad you can handle repairs like that yourself? You saved yourself hundred$ at least!

Doing work like this reminds me why I should be happy to pay somebody else to do it, I'm getting too old and the weather seldom cooperates! :) Since it needs new (or probably good-enough used) tires on the front and a front-end alignment, I may just have the shop do the passenger side for me. This beast has plenty of rust which makes the work a real pain. They can probably do the job in an hour, while it took me three. The first test-drive with the fixed strut really was nice, and other than it being a rusted-up minivan it was actually quite nice to drive.
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
Next you will be going to a covered trailer

I have a chance to buy a 5x8 (I think) for $500 right now, but don’t Have room for both the van and trailer. The van would be my only tow vehicle and is a bit more useful as a backup vehicle when needed, so I’m passing on a trailer, for now. Besides a little work on the van I’m also changing jobs in 3 weeks so no big expenditures till that’s done.
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
I have a chance to buy a 5x8 (I think) for $500 right now, but don’t Have room for both the van and trailer. The van would be my only tow vehicle and is a bit more useful as a backup vehicle when needed, so I’m passing on a trailer, for now. Besides a little work on the van I’m also changing jobs in 3 weeks so no big expenditures till that’s done.
There is still plenty of room in the van, plus to load and unload a trailer every time you want to fly unless you have a heated shop to park in. At least in Canada here anyway. Is that the biggest plane you have?
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
There is still plenty of room in the van, plus to load and unload a trailer every time you want to fly unless you have a heated shop to park in. At least in Canada here anyway. Is that the biggest plane you have?

I have a few 1/3 scale planes. The tallest by far is a 1/3 scale Sopwith Pup, and the longest is a Giant Stick. Both should fit, although the Pup will need most of the room in the van once I figure room for all 4 wings, fuel, etc.
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
Bought it from a retired private investigator, tons of video equipment in it... I use it for fpv, and the 6 batteries in the floor are handy for field charging...
That is almost a mobile video studio, I want one. Did the private investigator toss in the fake cable company or laundry service magnet signs for the outside :LOL:
 

Duffusmonkey

Junior Member
I kind of want to get a cheap 4x8 flatbed trailer and make a light wooden frame for the body, then cover it with transparent red monokote. But considering how much Monokote costs that woudl be a really expensive way to make a trailer.

kind of like this, only replace the outerskin with monokote.
https://www.clcboats.com/modules/ca...evelopment-projects&code=clc-teardrop-trailer

I have a lot of great ideas, but it takes a LOT LOT more bad ideas to make the good ones come to me.
 

Tench745

Master member
I kind of want to get a cheap 4x8 flatbed trailer and make a light wooden frame for the body, then cover it with transparent red monokote. But considering how much Monokote costs that woudl be a really expensive way to make a trailer.

kind of like this, only replace the outerskin with monokote.
https://www.clcboats.com/modules/ca...evelopment-projects&code=clc-teardrop-trailer

I have a lot of great ideas, but it takes a LOT LOT more bad ideas to make the good ones come to me.

You could probably use dacron or ripstop nylon in the same way.