Daniel's Adventure Vehicle Extraordinare (D.A.V.E) | Ford Explorer Forums

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Daniel's Adventure Vehicle Extraordinare (D.A.V.E)

D.A.V.E.

New Member
Joined
February 12, 2021
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
City, State
Tigard, Oregon
Year, Model & Trim Level
1992 Explorer Eddie Bauer
Hello to all out there,

I've been using this forum for information gathering for the last 6 months as I was gifted a 92 explorer (Eddie Bauer 4wd) in the middle of 2020. I've probably invested too many hours to keep track of. There was a leak in the sunroof (as I've read they often do) which caused massive water damage over a year of sitting. I gutted everything and repainted all interior trim, front seats with Corbeau LG1's, and have turned the back storage space into a sleeper compartment with various amenities. I sealed the sunroof to make it permanent, added mountable solar panels for an interior power station to run fridge/electronics and battery recharge. I spent countless hours sanding the body to repair rust and used Raptor Liner for the entire exterior. I have side awnings that come off both sides as well as 10x10 canopy for the back. Just replaced tires with 31" BFG KO2's as well as front and rear braking systems (new rotors/calipers/lines). New front and rear shocks, tie rod ends.

The engine itself has 106k miles on it and seems to be leaking a very very minor amount of oil at the rear seal.

We are taking a couple small trips over the next several months before I do a 2 weeks solo trip from Portland, Oregon down to Utah for Moab, Bryce canyon, Angels landing etc. My next project is figuring out the 4wd system. When I received the vehicle, the front drive shaft was removed, giving me the impression 4wd stopped working and was easier to remove drive shaft than fix problem. Well, I'm putting money into this truck. Found a front drive shaft at the local pick n pull, just needs a new dust boot. With that installed, I hope to diagnose what the issue is, perhaps with some help from a master explorer mechanic.

I've attached a before and after photo, one side of the awning setup, as well as my new favorite addition, the KO2's

Thank you all for creating a great place to share in all things explorers, and I look forward to contributing to discussions!

Daniel

Screenshot_20210212-182351_Instagram.jpg


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Welcome to the forum. Looks like a nice "go anywhere" rig you are building there:chug:

Does the front end still have the auto locking hubs? If so you may want to look for a set of manual hubs when you are scouring the boneyards, they are stronger and more reliable.
 






Great first post Daniel, and nice work saving that First Gen Explorer. You are correct about the information on the site, best enthusiast site on the interwebs, IMO.

Hopefully you're aware that a bunch of us from across the country will also be in Moab in May: Official dates May 15-16th, but many from us (some from PNW) will be there a full week early because there are so many great trails concentrated in one place. You need to join us. . .

Happy Trails,

Paul
 






Welcome to the forum. Looks like a nice "go anywhere" rig you are building there:chug:

Does the front end still have the auto locking hubs? If so you may want to look for a set of manual hubs when you are scouring the boneyards, they are stronger and more reliable.
Rick,

Thanks for the feedback. This is what I'm looking into this morning. I have read about conversions but don't know the depth of it. I am a sucker for a good youtube video, and love trying new things, but am not afraid to take it to a qualified mechanic if its something best left to the pro's.
 






Great first post Daniel, and nice work saving that First Gen Explorer. You are correct about the information on the site, best enthusiast site on the interwebs, IMO.

Hopefully you're aware that a bunch of us from across the country will also be in Moab in May: Official dates May 15-16th, but many from us (some from PNW) will be there a full week early because there are so many great trails concentrated in one place. You need to join us. . .

Happy Trails,

Paul
Paul,

What a great event planned for May 15-16th! Unfortunately I started teaching in the beginning of the year and can't take off that much time during classes. My trip in June will have to suffice, followed by the next group event I can go to. I'll keep an eye on the forums for anything in the future. Apart from my one group of friends with the VW van, I don't have many people to go off road exploring with. Are there a good amount of members in the PNW? Are there any local events that occur?

Cheers!

Daniel
 






Rick,

Thanks for the feedback. This is what I'm looking into this morning. I have read about conversions but don't know the depth of it. I am a sucker for a good youtube video, and love trying new things, but am not afraid to take it to a qualified mechanic if its something best left to the pro's.

No video, but lot's of info starting on this page:

 






Daniel, welcome.
 






Paul,

What a great event planned for May 15-16th! Unfortunately I started teaching in the beginning of the year and can't take off that much time during classes. My trip in June will have to suffice, followed by the next group event I can go to. I'll keep an eye on the forums for anything in the future. Apart from my one group of friends with the VW van, I don't have many people to go off road exploring with. Are there a good amount of members in the PNW? Are there any local events that occur?

Cheers!

Daniel
Moab is a blast, you'll enjoy it. There is a FaceBook Explorers group that includes a lot of guys that frequent this site and have Explorers / Rangers / Broncos, but I'm not a FaceBook guy. . . Simple search out to get you to them. We usually do some snow runs around Rainier in the winter, Naches trail in the summer, plus Tahuya, Liberty, Evans Creek, Walker Valley. . . and Moab!

Paul
 






Welcome to this forum! Thanks for supporting this site with your elite membership. What is the power output of the solar panels? Is it connected to a 120 volt A/C inverter? If so, then what kind is it?
 






Welcome to this forum! Thanks for supporting this site with your elite membership. What is the power output of the solar panels? Is it connected to a 120 volt A/C inverter? If so, then what kind is it?
Thanks for the welcome! There are two 100 watt panels that I attached together that open up. In travel it's just 100 watts facing up. I added 20' cables with mc4 connectors so I can park in the shade and have solar panels fully open in the sun. I use a 500w rockpals portable battery station to hold the charge. I've tested it for 6 days off grid and was able to power my dc fridge, speakers, lights, drone, cameras, and various gadgets. I've attached links of what I've used and have been very happy with. Hope this answers your question!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08721CBST/?tag=serious-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08295YLYW/?tag=serious-20

 






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