180 degree turn Ended up with a 2006 Sprinter 140 with 108k :)

[Jb1rd]

She needs some work but overall a good start I think. Now the fun begins, I need to peel off a freaking fullbody advert wrap that has been on for a looooooooong time, any suggestions here would be great. Its going to need new tires and was wondering what people prefer on here, realistically for now and into the foreseeable future I am looking at 90+% on road driving. Brakes will need to be addressed but not immediately, I hear they wear quickly, any big brake kits?

 

[whhite whhale]

Nice van choice! My 05 158 Sprinter had a full vinyl wrap as well. I tried a special vinyl adhesive remover, but had better luck with a heat gun and lots of patience. Then I used goof off to remove the leftover residue, and waxed the whole van when done.

I'd recommend BFG All Terrains tires... they run quiet on the road, and are there for you when it gets snowy/muddy.

Check out www.europarts-sd.com for good prices on maintenance parts. I've have great luck with their service and quick shipping.

 

[Jb1rd]

How about better suspension, I heard someone mention Koni but can't seem to find them for an 06? Is rust in the rear door bottoms and floor area common or is it more likely that its because it was a pool repair van, chemicals? I saw a red sprinter that looks like it is a 4x4 that has an amazing roof rack anyone seen this and if its custom or who might make it? So many questions sorry, but I am hella excited

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

heat gun and goof off works great for removing vinyl and adhesive. I would also recommend using a rubber "eraser" wheel. i've used this to remove all of the stickers off of my truck. you should be able to find one at any body shop supply store. it's basically, as the name suggests, a giant eraser. the ones i buy are supposed to go in some special tool, but it clamps into my drill just fine. makes very quick work of removing adhesive, not the stickers though, that's where the heat gun will be useful. and like whhite whhale said, a good buff and wax afterwards will be needed.

 

[chromisdesigns]

Congratulations! Now, **RUN** don't walk, over to the Sprinter Forum for all the down-and-dirty info about your new van, including lots of DIY conversions.

http://sprinter-source.com/forum/

 

[Jb1rd]

Thanks guys and yes I joined the Sprinter forum before buying, the Doc is amazing he saved me a lot of money with a simple phone call, that man is building some seriously good karma points. It's the 140 high roof btw happy as pig in s#!t

 

[mhiscox]

. . . was wondering what people prefer on here, realistically for now and into the foreseeable future I am looking at 90+% on road driving.

The Michelin LTX M/S2 is sort of the go-to tire for Sprinter owners, with the LTX A/T also well-loved. Expensive tires, but they do great with the Sprinter suspension.

If you haven't been there yet, be sure to check in at the Sprinter-Source forum:

http://sprinter-source.com/forum/index.php

There's about a decade's worth of accumulated Sprinter knowledge there, including many threads on tires.

And congratulations . . . many people consider the 2006 T1N, the last year with the in-line 5-cylinder diesel, to be the best of the Sprinters.

 

[digitaldelay]

The Michelin LTX M/S2 is sort of the go-to tire for Sprinter owners

x2, great tire for vans, in general.

Jason

 

[mhiscox]

Also, if you haven't already, go browsing at the Sprinter Store:

www.sprinterstore.com.

They have many useful Sprinter goodies, including information about the suspension modifications you might want to make. The standard mod for a T1N is Koni shocks and a heavy rear antisway bar; the investment may or may not be worth it, depending on how you drive and how piggy your van currently handles.

As for the rust issue, Sprinters weren't the best, but the more common spots were around roof seams and, especially problematic, the windshield. There's a good chance the chemicals made your floor situation worse.

Roof racks are all around, but the most easily-sourced ones look/are pretty vocational. You can, however, source Thule high-roof T1N roof bar perches from the UK, which would then give you access to any cross bar/roof rack setup you wanted. They'd look like this:



More pictures of the rack setup are here:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/19224.

It's good that you are excited. Sprinters have many advantages as an overlanding truck. Best of luck.

 

[Jb1rd]

Does anyone know where to find a leveling kit for the Sprinter, or if one is even made? The *** end of mine stands out like a dog in heat. I see the Koni suspension upgrade and the larger diameter rear sway bar but have not located a leveling kit or solution.

 

[mhiscox]

Does anyone know where to find a leveling kit for the Sprinter, or if one is even made? The *** end of mine stands out like a dog in heat. I see the Koni suspension upgrade and the larger diameter rear sway bar but have not located a leveling kit or solution.

Sadly, I don't. Mine 2500's a good bit that way,too. The cargo vans are that way when there's not substantial weight over the rear axle. And in common with all hauling trucks, the cargo vans also don't ride anywhere as nice empty as full.

Interestingly, I'm soon going to be swapping in passenger van springs for the cargo springs in my truck. As you might guess, passenger vans, since they carry significantly lighter loads, came with springs that are less stiff. This change will improve my ride, but I don't know if it will level things out. I'll report back.

FWIW, the van above, which was near the 2500's 8550 pound GVWR, sat nice and level.

 

[Toolman]

Not sure if this will work for the vinyl wrap but this trick does remove the window tint very easily.

material list
Sunshine
WINDEX alot of windex
plastic trash bags in this case black plastic sheeting in roll form will work
6 pack of favorite beer
sponge- bucket-water


1. spray section with a generous amount of windex
2. apply black plastic to body
3. let the sun heat the plastic for an hour or so
3. Have a beer while you wait
4. Peel the plastic and the wrap should be hot enough to pull right off
5. Then a sponge and warm water the adhesive should start gumming up and wash right off.

Remember this trick works for removing window tint. I'm not sure if it will work on a wrap. The idea is to apply enough heat to loosen the adhesive, heat gun works but it takes so long to heat an entire van.

 

[mgmetalworks]

This thread is in need of some pictures.

eepwall: