Sprinter changes before we leave?

[gofalls]

What do you think?
Too heavy?
Ditch the dual sport moto?
Too tall?
Ground clearance enough?
Build a front grill guard?

05 sprinter gvwr is 8550
This weighs in at 7900 loaded
Front 2820
Rear 5080

Is the distribution okay?

We have a week to sort it all out before we live in it full time. We plan on full loop of the USA + AK and then head to South America through Central America.

All advice and criticisms are welcome.
Thanks.

 

[dar395]

Little heavy, I'd ready need to review what I was taking and then reduce it by about 30 -49 %, when you think how easy it is to stop at a Goodwill, Wal-mart or other cheap outlet why carry it? I think the bike is a good thing as long as it can carry both of you, the box on the back as well may change the way the van handles and also may restrict your travels in larger cities. I would think a small but livable light weight tent should be carried as to when the van may need to be laid up for repairs for two or three days. Lots to think about all in good thought, hope you enjoy the trip and post often while in route!

 

[Pinnacle Campers]

What's the budget? :ylsmoke:

 

[Haf-E]

For that amount of weight in the rear I would definitely add the extra spring leafs on the rear that the Sprinter Store offers - I put mine on years ago and think they've worked well. Also adds about an inch of height.

I would ditch the rear stowaway box as well - too far behind the axle. You already have two roof boxes for storage. If you really have items you need frequently that have to go outside you could put a box on the driver side rear door - like the ones from Aluminess for storage of propane cylinders etc. Too much storage tends to just get filled up with stuff.

Also would want to add a front skid plate - check out VanCompass and their 2 inch lift kits.

What is the plan for extra fuel storage? I would want one 5 gallon military type can myself.

 

[luthj]

Your weight distribution is not optimal, and you are close to the max allowable rear axle weight. This will dramatically impact handling.

Here is what my sprinter weighs.


Front 3600lb
Rear 4320lb
Total 7920lb

GVWR 8550lbs-7920lbs=630lbs

This weight includes
Lots of gear
90% of my tools
full compliment of food
full water tank
1/2 fuel tank
empty aux tank
driver


Your departure angle is crap. Ditch the rear box.

The guys at Vancompass offer some great upgrades for sprinters if you have the coin. The fox shock kits transformed th way my top heavy van handles.

Check out my build thread for lots of ideas. We are planning to drive to South America with our rig at some point.

Extra fuel filtration, radiator guard, extra lighting for nighttime driving, the list goes on.

If you need technical advice, etc drop me a PM. We have driven from AK to panama and back before.

 

[Haf-E]

Also - what is your plan for traction aids / extraction equipment. Sprinter's get stuck a bit to easy in my experience. I'd get a set of tracks as a minimum - and would add a highlift jack even though there aren't really any great places to use them on (other than the rear tow bar which you have covered up. A heavy duty come-along or Tirfor/Griphoist type winch would also be very valuable and are easily kept inside.

 

[gofalls]

Thanks for the responses. To answer some of the questions.

Tent - bringing a small backpackers 2man.

Budget - past that along time ago. I am thinking I am done with the big expenses but will be upgrading as things wear out like tires, shocks etc.

Fuel - just the factory tank with a 500 mile range for the van. Factory tank for the crf230. Factory tank for my paramotor 2-stroke. No auxiliary tanks. I may add a fuel bag later if I can lean my load up a bit and dial some stuff in.

Traction - road tires will be replaced with AT's in another 15k miles before we cross into MX. I have been stuck 6 or more times in mud, sand, and snow. My cheap set of traction mats have been priceless so far. I haven't felt the need to buy the good ones or any other recovery gear yet but may reconsider this later. Patience has been my best recovery tool so far. Someone needs to make a dif-lock for this van.

Departure angle - yep its crappy. That box has come in handy so far, we paid 200 with the swingout for it. The plan is to keep it empty but use it for quick temporary load and go for wet kiteboarding kites/suits and paragliding wings. All very light stuff and if the box gets destroyed from a rough trail then so be it. Provides for a good rear bumper too! If the moto doesn't work out then I can slide that box back 24 " for a much better angle.

Stuff - I thought I was a minimalist until we tried to load everything in the van. Now I feel like a hoarder. We have a week to completely move into this van without the use of any external storage unit or house to hold things. EVERYTHING we own will be in or on it. It's a challenge!

 

[luthj]

I have found that the stress of trying to fit (and live) with too much can far outweigh its usefulness. My basic advice is to sell all the stuff you are unsure about. Then use that money to buy the one in five of those things you actually end up needing.

My experience; if it takes more than 5 minutes to pack and unpack something you will need regularly, there is a good chance it won't get used!