AT IT AGAIN: Paul and Mike Convert a Mid/Tall T1N Sprinter Cargo

[mhiscox]

Mike I have never seen it set up for two sleeping. Any chance of that shot? Thanks. Ken

DUH.

Yep, that would be important, wouldn't it, since it never got shown in any of the other posts. Here goes . . . (though please excuse the zany white balance; didn't seem worth fixing for the purpose) . . .

This is what the sofa/mattress cushion (removed for clarity) rests on:




But when you lift up the hinged-at-the-rear platform, you see the movable (second) sleeping platform comprised of an inflatable camping mat about 2" thick,




and yet another Paul Jensen trick carbon-fiber-reinforced thin plywood board that, in spite of its size, just weighs a few pounds.




A Walmart yoga mat was affixed to the back of the platform to eliminate the potential for scratching things up and to provide a grippier surface. Seems to work.




You deploy the board over the freezer and countertop, which provides much sturdiness. But the part where your feet go is unsupported, which works because your feet are relatively light. You could not sleep with your head at the front of the truck.




If I wasn't taking explanatory photos, I would have moved the platform and pad together. In any event, you end up with this.




The last piece of the puzzle is a Therm-a-rest sleeping blanket, which is about 70% of a sleeping bag. It's not joined together longitudinally and, very usefully, has an elasticized footbox that you put around the base of the sleeping pad (or in this case, pad and platform) and it holds the bag in place and keeps your feet from poking out. This is the same setup as I use in the XV-JP and I think it's the best alternative for sleeping inside something that won't get really cold, but won't be kept house-level-warm, either.




It works pretty well. Paul, much bigger than I am, demoed it for me by lying on it and turning every which way. The platform didn't move in any direction, nor did the unsupported foot section bend.

BTW, from the Land of Pleasant Surprises, I've discovered that, what with Paul's narrow cabinets and the innovative "toe kick" area under the front bed, there's enough space to plop down another full-width/length sleeping pad on the floor, opening up the possibility of sleeping three in relative comfort, though the people on the platforms would need to exercise very substantial care when exiting their beds.

 

[southpier]

....our build[/URL].

good grief; 49 pages! when do I ever sleep . . . .

 

[ben2go]

Real pro work on the Sprinter.

 

[southpier]

Kind of a moot point without a p-trap.

just ran across this in another thread: http://www.northcoach.com.au/products/HepVo-Waterless-Trap.html


pictures here/ post #205 http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/37349-Unimog-Camper-under-construction/page3

 

[mhiscox]

just ran across this in another thread: http://www.northcoach.com.au/products/HepVo-Waterless-Trap.html

Thanks for the help, and irony, since I'd known of the HepVo Waterless Trap for a while and actually had the information sitting on my desk to order one up when Paul posted the pictures of the p-trap he built himself.

For anyone interested in what we're talking about, there's a video here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDNh7lfcIYQ

that shows how it works. It's available in the US from about a million RV stores or direct from hepvo.com. Handy device for some situations.

 

[_hein_]

I used the Hepo waterless trap in my build. Only difficulty was finding a way to connect it to the 3/4 ID drain line. I got one of these but still had to make a custom connector by reworking one of the adapters that came with the Hepo kit. Picture here Another option: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDUTPO

 

[Super Doody]

Mike, congrats on another great build. PJ is a craftsman for sure!

On question on the sleeping platform on top of the counter, is it attached to counter to prevent movement?

 

[mhiscox]

Mike, congrats on another great build. PJ is a craftsman for sure!

On question on the sleeping platform on top of the counter, is it attached to counter to prevent movement?

Thanks for the kind words.

The sleeping platform seems to hold tight with the friction from the yoga mat on the bottom. That seems too good to be true, and there are contingency plans, but in the initial testing, it seems to work just resting it in place.

 

[PaulDavis]

When are you going to update your vehicle list to include the Sprinter?

 

[mhiscox]

When are you going to update your vehicle list to include the Sprinter?

It's there, kinda . . . The 2003 Sprinter Camper. Of course, that's what I put in when it was an empty metal box with a cot and camp chairs, so you're right in thinking something more descriptive would be a bit more informative. I'll get on that.

 

[mk216v]

It's there, kinda . . . The 2003 Sprinter Camper. Of course, that's what I put in when it was an empty metal box with a cot and camp chairs, so you're right in thinking something more descriptive would be a bit more informative. I'll get on that.

Still waiting Mike.... :coffeedrink:

 

[mhiscox]

Still waiting Mike.... :coffeedrink:

Done.

Boy, that's the shortest list of stuff in my extensive ExPo history. Sigh.

 

[wheels5150]

Done.

Boy, that's the shortest list of stuff in my extensive ExPo history. Sigh.

Quality, not quantity.

 

[Captain Obvious]

Damn, this van is nicer than my apartment. Good work!

 

[mhiscox]

Damn, this van is nicer than my apartment. Good work!

Thanks for that compliment. Much appreciated.

By way of an update, I should say that we are taking the van out fairly often and are really enjoying the openness and amount of comfy seating available. All of the systems are working well enough, and it seems I got our electrical system sized correctly, but the biggest success is that the "sit and stare out" layout is working great.

We went out yesterday--yet another day in our recent spooky-good weather pattern--and parked down along the Columbia River to zone out watching the boats go by. It was great to have the excellent unimpeded view looking out the van door, but it did strike me that the setup was better for us than it might be for some . . . here in Oregon we have more places than most where there aren't any insect issues. We had the slider open for three hours and got just a couple of flies inside.

So I am really pleased with the way we laid out this van, but can see that the fact that it's as special as it is has a lot to do with getting away with no bug problems when we leave the slider open.