Next camper #2

[Philip]

Last update before the trip.

I finished the blinds for the rear doors.







Then I started on the gallery rail. After pricing the brass gallery rail for the complete job. I went into sticker shock. So changed plans and went with the wood railing.






In the pic above you will see I added a small cabinet. That's for electrical mainly. I don't have the time to finish a door before we leave.
In the first two sections of railing you can see the windshield and door blinds.

[Philip]

This pic shows where the cooler is located.

[bdosborn]

Is that a swivel seat on the passenger side?

Bruce

[Philip]

Is that a swivel seat on the passenger side?

Bruce

No swivel seat on eather side. I have been thinking about one on the passenger side. I can't do one on the drivers side. It would raise the seat to much for me plus there is electrical under the driver seat. A swivel would make it harder to get in there if the need comes up.

The house battery is under the passenger seat.

[bdosborn]

Management is leaning towards ordering a new van; swivel seats would be a must have option.

Bruce

[Philip]

Swivels do make it easyer to get into the rear area. It also gives you seating options when parked. That engine cover to seat base opening on a sprinter is kind of narrow. I hang my 11.5s up all the time.



The wife being about 1' shorter doesn't seen to have a problem for some reason.

[Philip]

The trip is done.

We were on the road for two weeks. Traveled over 4K miles. The van did fine. Cracked the windshield on a rough road in AZ. The floor mounting bracket for the actuator on the bed broke on the 5th day of the trip. I hit the local NAPA store in that town to find a local person or shop that could fab a better mount. They sent me to a local trailer shop that was able to fab a new bracket and install.

Needed changes on the camper part of the build.

#1 The lower cabinets on the passenger side of the camper. The wife wants a shelf in those three cabinets.
#2 We need a place to store cleenex box that can be accessed from passenger side while driving. The dog likes to lay between the seats while driving. Needless to say the cleenex box took a beating. It is was her pillow. LOL
#3 I need to add a 110 plug in the ketchen area for our heater. Using a extension cord was a pain. Adding a plug into the kitchen will do away with the cord. Normal position for the heater was on the flat shelf above the kitchen area.
#4 Add a drawer below the bed to store two 12 packs of soft drinks.
#5 check into some form of cell booster.

Other than the 5 items above. Everything else worked good.

[Philip]

One thing I forgot to add. I got a weight on the van when we left on the trip. Empty shipping weight is listed as 4700 lbs in the sprinter manual. Also lists the same on the door sticker. Right now fully load with fuel, two people and loaded for camping. The van came in at 6640 lbs. Max GVW is 8700 lbs.

[bdosborn]

That's smart to weigh the van and good job keeping the weight down. I think a lot of vans on YouTube are overweight.

Bruce

[Philip]

That's smart to weigh the van and good job keeping the weight down. I think a lot of vans on YouTube are overweight.

Bruce

I know a lot of vans on U-tube are over weight. Most are built with 2x4's. Those thing add up fast. Then how much time did they spend going threw the pile of #3 lumber trying to find something straight and close to knot free.


I use #1 lumber. Yes it cost more. But I didn't fight knots. It stays pretty straight. It goes in fast not having to look at every square inch to see if a defect is going to land in the wrong place.

I weighed the van do to an accident with camper #1. When talking to the adjuster. He asked the empty weight of the truck. Then he asked the weight of the camper. Then he asked the GVW of the truck. If the first two came in over the third question. I would have been in trouble. I took that as a lesson. A van is seen the same way as a truck. Its all about GVW. With the scale ticket in hand. I have printed proof from a CAT scale I was legal.

[bdosborn]

I see that a lot on this site too. People build ultralight campers to match their economy car's tow limit and load their cars up with everything that wouldn't fit in the trailer. Most insurance companies these days are just looking for an excuse to cancel you rather than pay a claim. Exceeding the GVW of your vehicle is an easy way for them to do it.

Bruce

[Gold5one]

Nice work on your high top van conversion-

[Philip]

Nice work on your high top van conversion-

Thank you.

We did just finish another trip a few days ago. We went to PA this time we Spent 9 days on the road. I haven't figured out total mile or MPG this trip yet.

We spent a couple of nights at Pittsburg. Then stopped at the flight 93 memorial to see the tower of voices. It wasn't finished the first time we stopped there. Three nights around Philly. The rest of the time was spent running around back roads of PA. You don't move around PA fast on scenic roads. With speed limits of 45 max. Its a slow scenic drive.

[Philip]

Hea guys been I while sense I posted on one of my builds.


The sprinter is about at the end of its life with the wife and I. We need something a little bigger with a rest room. Darn campgrounds just can't grasp the thought of "put us close to a rest room statement". So this spring I am going to be starting another build out of a old 25' shuttle bus I found.

If the membership would like that build out. Let me know. I know some members might not be to keen on the idea. I'll let you guys decide.

[bdosborn]

I'd be interested in seeing that build.
Bruce
P.S. I need to start a build thread for our van... I dunno if I'd do it here or over on the Transit Form. I like it here but there's more participation over there.