B190 Enthusiasts

Hi everyone,

I recently got a deal on a gutted (entirely gutted there aren't even seatbelts and only one seat:0) B190 airstream van. I want to build out the whole thing with storage in the back and stove/sink/small seating area up front.

Do any of you know where to get 2 used seatbelts, 2 captains chairs, and 2 swivel bases for chairs?

Also, the rear doors don't open, the side doors only open from the inside. Any thoughts on sourcing parts for the door latches and how to install?

We want to scrap the ac/heater thing up top (replace with vent), generator, poop tanks, gray water tanks, etc and switch to solar, batteries, internally stored water under the sink, internal (maybe external) gray water storage, close up the roof and side vents for the old stove, etc etc etc (the list actually goes on for like 58 rows in my spreadsheet;)).

I bought this van cheap, because I don't have much money, but I'm pretty handy with a wrench and have looked into u-pull-its and junkyards but have yet to find much that's useful:) I'm in Denver, CO and if there are any other van enthusiasts nearby who have done a full rebuild or if you have some pics, please let me see what you've done!

Thanks!

Welcome to the site!

I'm not clear what you're trying to build - you're removing all the stuff that makes it an RV. Why not just buy a panel van if you were going to get rid of all of that stuff?

Thanks! In my post, I mentioned that I bought it gutted, so I didn't remove anything, aside from some trash. I'm trying to build up the van so it will be street legal and functional. If you have any helpful information about where to source seatbelts, how to fix doors that won't open, or how to stop water from leaking in through the sliding windows it would be greatly appreciated.

I do also have a fridge and a stove/vents etc that were already removed but the guy gave me. I'd be happy to give these to someone in exchange for info or help on sourcing and repairing parts! Thanks!

nessab190 wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 13, 2019 7:59 pm

Thanks! In my post, I mentioned that I bought it gutted, so I didn't remove anything, aside from some trash. I'm trying to build up the van so it will be street legal and functional. If you have any helpful information about where to source seatbelts, how to fix doors that won't open, or how to stop water from leaking in through the sliding windows it would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure about the seat belts. The ones for the front might be available via Rockauto or something similar. A quick search for "seat belts" came up with this - those probably aren't long enough for the front seats or the couch, but it's a good starting point.

The doors can be a headache when they won't open - you have to figure out how to get inside of them and figure out what's wrong with the mechanism. The sliding windows have an unusual design; the first thing to do is check that the drains along the bottom are clear. If they aren't, water will come inside.