Overland Sprinter Build

[luthj]

As I am nearly at the conclusion of my 2 year build out, I thought it would be fun/useful to cross post some of my sprinter build out over here.

A lot of the little details are available in the build logs here.
http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41215
http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36885



Background:
My wife and I are engineers. After working desk jobs for a few years we decided that we wanted to do some traveling. We disliked fly-in fly-out tourism as it places so many limits on schedules and accommodations. Plus, we really like the in-between places. At the core of our personalities, we are overland travelers. Albeit, not as extreme as many (no 4x4 up the mountain side for us).

On a whim we bought a 1982 Vanagon Westfalia which became our home. We drove the Pan-American Highway from Alaska to Panama and back. Details are on our blog here.

After over a year and 60k miles, we were ready for some transportation updates. AC when driving would have been nice, maybe some more headroom as well. After going through the total costs, reliability concerns, and comfort factor we decided on a T1N sprinter for our next home. None of the off the shelf conversions met our needs, and with the costs of customization included we were better off doing the conversion ourselves.


The Purchase:
We stumbled upon a low miles 2004 140” T1N in Florida. A couple of flights and 2 days of driving later we had our next ride in the driveway! Ironically the sprinter cost almost exactly what we sold our Vanagon for. Other than a resonator change in a Wal-Mart parking lot and the crappy paint we have had no issues other than maintenance items on the sprinter.

The Plan:
We are tentatively planning on leaving our jobs in a few months to do a shakedown cruise out west and maybe into Canada. Following that we will ship the van to Australia where will be flying to meet it. We hope to spend a year between Oz and NZ. After that we will do another year somewhere else. Maybe South America?

The List:
Unlike many first time/DIY builds we have a very good idea what our needs are. While we did sacrifice in several areas moving to the sprinter, I think we really have a good conversion on its way.

Some Wife requirements:
Full time, or less than 1min deployable bed
Permanent swivel table
Hot/warm water in less than 10 minutes
Indoor shower (temp or fixed)

Some of my requirements:
Bed length of 73” minimum
72.5” headroom minimum
AUX power for 2 laptops for 2-3 hours, Lights, Fans etc.

Combined requirements:
Sink
2 burner cooktop
Compressor fridge with freezer
4 cubic ft of storage accessible from indoors
30 gallons of water minimum

The Layout:
Given we only needed to sleep 2, and that we had good success with the Westfalia layout we decided to start there. Well, actually I modeled about 4 other layouts for our 140” and all of them were either to cluttered or totally unbalanced weight wise.

Here is what the layout looked like at the very beginning of the build out.

Here are some pictures of how it started.





Lots of photos available on my flickr account below.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129334372@N04/page1

 

[luthj]

Chassis Details

The Basics:

• 2004 Dodge (Mercedes) Sprinter 2500.
• Cargo Configuration
• 2.7L I5 Turbo Diesel (154HP 243lb-ft)
• High roof (73” interior clearance),
• 144” WB (11FT cargo floor)
• GVWR 8,550 lbs
• 20.5mpg average over the last 1000 miles.

Upgrades:

• 2” suspension lift
• 200A Alternator
• Power Locks
• Cruise Control
• HID lights
• LED light Bar and roof lights
• Backup Camera
• Roof Lights
• Fiamma F45 Eagle Awning
• Motion Windows Screened slider windows (3 places)
• Dual spin-on fuel filtration
• Window Flare
• Monstaliner exterior
• DC On Board Air
• Air ride seats (passenger swivels)

Here we are post Monstaliner and Pre Lift







Here are some shots of the seats and air system.







The flare was made using a custom foam plug and mold from Fiberglass.

The Van will be getting some A/T tires in the near future. Probably around 30” diameter. There is almost 2 years of weekly work, so way too much to post at once. If folks have questions I am happy to post up details.

 

[luthj]

Electrical System

The electrical system was a major undertaking on this build. We decided to go with a single fuel camper (diesel). To this end we installed 640W of solar panels on the roof and a 510AH battery bank under the rear floor. We use an induction cooktop for indoor cooking. Water and air heating are accomplished using Espar diesel fired appliances. Water can also be heated with AC power if needed.

This is controlled by a complete Outback off-grid system. Consisting of:

• VFX2812M Inverter Charger
• Flexmax 60 MPPT charge controller
• Mate 2 System Controller/Display
• FlexNet DC Monitor

This system allows for central control and monitoring from a single control panel above the cab.



The batteries are LifeLine 8D size mounted where the spare tire carrier once was.










The majority of this gear is housed under the bench seat with a flip up lid for service.








The solar panels are grape solar 160W models. They are mounted 1 forward and 3 aft of the vent fan. I have them wired in series parallel for around 36V nominal.







An overhead switch panel in the front cab provides control over the numerous devices.

 

[luthj]

The entire interior hinges (literally and figuratively) around the bed platform. Made from 1” steel tubing this platform hinges from either end. This allows access to the storage under the bed without having to leave the van.

The flare allows me to sleep side to side (72.5” tall). With the flare total width is 74” so just barely wide enough.










The bench seat provides seating for 2 additional passengers, and a place to lounge in the van. It butts up against the galley. The galley contains a Vitrifrigo 115i fridge, induction cooktop, and SMEV sink.













Cabinets above the galley, cab, and bed provide copious storage for light weight items.





The walls are insulated with a combination of closed cell spray foam and Thinsulate SM600L (Marine/automotive insulation). For maximum R factor all available space in the pillars is filled with foam as well.

Shower hookups above the bench seat and at the rear doors allow for rinsing off when needed.

Anyways, that's enough for today. More to come.

 

[mhiscox]

Thanks for posting such good photos. It's great to have a chance to see the progress you're making.

BTW, for those thinking about building out a T1N Sprinter, take a look at that last photo . . . the way that the curve of the sidewalls eats into your overhead cabinets is one of relatively few negatives about the Sprinter as a camper, but it is a pretty big pain in the rear when it comes time to store a box of cereal and the like.

 

[brianjwilson]

Q: How do you know you're talking to an engineer?

A: They will tell you. All the time.



Just giving you a hard time! Cool build!

 

[Keyne]

Very nice build. Thank you for sharing the details.

 

[luthj]

Thanks for posting such good photos. It's great to have a chance to see the progress you're making.

BTW, for those thinking about building out a T1N Sprinter, take a look at that last photo . . . the way that the curve of the sidewalls eats into your overhead cabinets is one of relatively few negatives about the Sprinter as a camper, but it is a pretty big pain in the rear when it comes time to store a box of cereal and the like.

The wall curvature is quite pronounced. The Ford Transist vans have much straighter walls, which makes outfitting a bit easier. Thankfully it wasn't too bad once I made an accurate template. The size/curve restricts what items can be placed in the upper cabinets. The over-cab cabinet and pantry drawers in the galley can accommodate larger items, so its not a major issue for us.

Q: How do you know you're talking to an engineer?

A: They will tell you. All the time.



Just giving you a hard time! Cool build!

I will often talk with folks, and right as their eyes start to glaze over they ask "you must be an engineer?". Kinda similar to when someone asks a vegan if they are vegetarian.

Very nice build. Thank you for sharing the details.

Thanks for the kind words. It's not perfect, but its ours.

 

[luthj]

Water System

Basic Components:

• 40 gallon fresh tank
• ~10 gallon grey tank
• 4 Gallon Isotemp water heater (700W electric, hydronic loop)
• SMEV sink
• Inside/outside shower hookups
• Shurflow 4008 pump (3.0GPM) and accumulator
• 0.5 Micron Filtration

The water system uses mostly Pex tubing in ½” and 3/8” sizes. The pump pulls through a strainer and outputs to the accumulator followed by 5 and 0.5 micron filters. Since the pump can pull air, it will allow purging of the system in cold weather.

Here is the initial layout and water tank location. The tank mounts to the floor with 8 1/4-20 rivnuts. It is 40 gallon and made from PE. I welded the fittings on myself. It is a bit fiddly, by doable. The water tank and all the lines are located inside the cab to prevent freezing. I don’t show it here, but the floor has ½” poyliso insulation plus filling between the ribs.







Here is the top of the gray water tank. I welded this tank up from scratch. It was a total B*#$h, I would suggest shelling out for a custom tank… Both tanks use ultrasonic level senders. Great products BTW.



Here is the Gray tank, mounted on the driver’s side next to the fuel tank. As you can see the support angle hangs down a little bit.





Here we are about mid way through the plumbing. The water heater has a tempering valve built in, so we can safely heat the tank to 180F+. This allows longer water storage times.





Here are the filter locations.





I wanted a shower in the rear door area. We decided on a HeaterCraft mixer/disconnect assembly. Its decently compact, and the quick disconnect fittings can be purchased from several vendors. This allows easy attachment of shower heads, spray hoses etc.



Here is the shower box mounted next to the water fill.









Above the bench seat is another shower mixer and disconnect. I need to work up an inside shower curtain and pan for this one.



The sink is nice and deep, with a folding faucet and integral trap. Not cheap in the USA though….



Water heating is accomplished by 3 methods.

Engine waste heat
Espar D5 Hydronic
120VAC power

The D5, Engine, and Isotemp heater are part of a system that shares coolant. Whenever the engine runs, hot coolant from the heat core loop is diverted through the isotemp heater. This heats the water for later use. If hot water is needed later the D5 can be used to heat the water tank (takes 15 minutes or so). In addition, the D5 can also be used to pre-heat the engine, or just boost heat to the chassis heater core. I used a GM vacuum actuated heater bypass valve to separate the engine from the D5/isotemp loop whenever the engine is off. This allows for less wasted heat.

The D5 is mounted under the floor near the water heater. Here is the heater hoses running through the floor.



This is the bypass valve.



Here is the D5 and pump. This is just forward of the AUX batteries.




This is the firewall near the driver’s feet. You can see the factory electric coolant pump. I reclocked it and ran the output back to the bypass valve.



Both the D2 air heater and the D5 hydronic are controlled from a single EasyStart Timer. This unit allows me to program timers, set temps, and preform diagnostics on the heaters. If you have never used an Espar Air heater, I can assure you they are at the pinnacle of their trade. Using less than 1.4A on high power the D2 is quiet and sips fuel.




Here are some photos of the D2 installed in the passenger seat pedestal.

 

[luthj]

Digging into the finishing work in earnest now. A friend told me to budget 30% of my total time for finish work (if I wanted anything too look good). He was pretty spot on. Way to many hours spent painting... If I was to do this again, I would use laminate sheet, contact cement, and T-style edge trim.

Started with covering the ceiling and wall panels. Jen picked out some vinyl wallpaper for this. We used a water based adhesive. A solvent based type may have worked better.







I secured the wiring in the over-cab cabinet and added some stiffening ribs. Covers for the wiring and speakers were also added.










The cabinets are finally painted. I mounted the Blum soft-close hinges. These have some hold-closed force. We will see if additional latching is needed (probably).





I installed the bedside cabinet as well. Plumbing is installed as well. Wires are run, but not connected yet. I have 12V and USB charge ports as well as overhead lighting control. Once I get the forward shower hookup attached I can do a final leak check, and call the water system done! So close...







On an unrelated note, I am really happy with our insulation approach. Once we get some 3M crystalline tint on the front windows, the van will be ideal. The noise dampening is almost better than my brick house! Pretty amazing honestly. I am also happy we decided to skip rear side windows. The extra glass would have made cooling/heating at least 50% harder.

 

[luthj]

Still working on assembly and wall covering. Have half the cabinets mounted. All the hinges and doors are mounted as well.









I hooked up the inside shower mixer. Unfortunately, it leaked badly at the fittings. Turns out the fittings are ½ NPS. The PEX swivel fittings I am using are 1/2NPT… So the male side won’t completely seat. Fun stuff. I don’t want a bulk hook-up hose, so I need to located a female 1/2NPS->male ½ NPT adapter. Most of the NPS fittings available are for hydraulic systems and are made of steel. So freaking close….

 

[Mwilliamshs]

Your build is impressive and I'm a subscriber to your blog. Spent the last couple days catching up from the very beginning. I commented there and will cross-post here:

I'm interested in the Isotherm SEC you installed on your fridge. The manufacturer's website gives very little info about it, other than bragging about its energy efficiency. Can you share any info? What lead you to the unit? Any links you could share would be GREAT.

 

[luthj]

There are no side by side comparisons that I know of. Since it is possible to disable the automatic functions of the SEC I am planning on doing a comparison test now that it is warmer. I will post the results when I do the test.

Here is the install/operation guide for the SEC.
http://www.indelwebastomarine.com/f...ne/Manuals/smart-energy-control-manual-en.pdf

If you check out the sprinter source thread linked in my first post (it is pretty long) there is some discussion about the SEC.

There are 2 major functions that allow the SEC to reduce energy consumption. First the controller has a larger swing (hysteresis). Second the controller will use excess charging power to "over-cool" the fridge.

The larger temp swings (while staying below the required max temp) will improve power consumption around 10%. This is mostly a function of heat transfer. The same applied to your house. Raising the temp by 3F will reduce energy consumption around 10% whether its a house or a fridge. The SEC allows higher temps at night when charging is not available. Because the SEC can intelligently control compressor speed, it will reduce the comrpessor speed to the minimum required to maintain temp with minimum on/off cycling. Less cycling means lower power usage.

When charging is available, and the battery voltage is above a certain point (configurable) the SEC will attempt to cool the fridge to just above freezing (about 33F). This means normally unused solar/alternator charging can be utilized. This feature can get much as 40% of the fridges cooling needs for free.

The stock thermostats on these units are dumb mechanical units. I will believe Isotherms claims (at least the 30% one) becuase similar power savings are possible with digital control units on house sized fridges, and Mini-split AC units.


Here is a link I found. A decent explanation of the SECs function is near the bottom.
http://www.nzmotorhome.co.nz/NZMotorhomeForum/viewtopic.php?t=7006

 

[luthj]

Started putting in the flooring. Vinyl planks were cheap and easy. Unfortunately, the adhesive on the back is poor quality. It will not last long in the summer. So they will need to come out and have some real adhesive applied. The galley drawers are installed as well.






I installed skid plates for some additional drivetrain protection. Despite being final prototypes the fit and finish was good with only minimal changes necessary.

One heavy box.


Here is the front plate fitted.





The passenger side forward corner mounts to the tow-eye location. This hole was too far outboard by about ½” so the eyelet interfered slightly. Not a big deal, and a bit of work with the drill and grinder cleared it up.





This kit requires 3 holes to be drilled. One for the engine plate (same location as the interference) and 2 for the transmission plate. I primed all three just because I can.

As my van is lifted, the skid plate interferes with the bumper cover a bit. Some light trimming resolved it nicely.







The last of the cabinets are installed… Finally… Had some delays due to Jen and I coming down with the Flu. People who come to work sick should be shot…

 

[luthj]

Mid Weekend update.

First up is testing of the roof lights. They work quite well. There is quite a bit of light thrown upwards which is what I wanted. For camping use the underbody lights should be much less blinding.





Next up is tires and alignment (Finally). After much (way too much) consideration I decided on BFG KO2 in the 245/75/R16 Size. These are about an inch taller than the 225/75R16 which are stock on my van (30.5”). There is no rubbing and they clear enough for chains in the back (possibly the front?).





The van is sitting at 15.5" to the bottom of the rocker panels. There is 12.5" of clearance to the bottom of the fuel tank.

With the 2.5-degree Camber shims the van Is sitting at almost exactly zero camber. The toe was off about a third of a degree. So the camber prior to the lift and shims was probably a bit negative.



The bedside cabinet is finally closed up. I added a light control switch, USB and 12V power ports for convenient access.