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

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
On the subject of P-traps for sinks - its also possible to put the P trap father in back against the wall and just use a 90 degree bend directly under the exit of the sink - so the P-trap is not directly under the sink but out of the way. Ikea sells kits to do this using European type fittings to allow a drawer directly under the sink - I've done it a couple of times on bathroom and kitchen sinks without any problems.

I can post pictures if this doesn't make sense if anyone wants...
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Ok, this may be an odd question but as this is sprinter #2 for you I was just wondering if you have ever considered not using the side sliding door of the sprinter for access and relying on the rear only for access?
Yeah, I've thought about it . . oh . . . endlessly.

For starters, the slider is a pain in the butt compared to a regular door, hard to work and damn noisy when you have to shut it at 11:30 in a crowded campground. One of the best (and guttiest) mods made on a Sprinter was to weld the slider closed and cut a section out of it which then got hinged to operate as a regular door. Given that's too advanced for most of us, it's common (did it on our first one) to limit the travel of the slider by putting a block in the slider track. Unless you're loading palettes, half the door travel will be more than enough to leave. So in the first Sprinter, the back half of the slider opening was taken up with a floor to ceiling cabinet that had the refrigerator and toilet storage and a foldup counter.

DSC02120.JPG

In the first van, we made a conscious decision to give up cabinet space to get lots of windows, and that was a borderline good decision since, because of the permanent bed, shallow overhead cabinets, and the space devoted to the mechanical room, we were low on interior storage. It was OK, though, just not great. In the new van, we have bigger overhead cabinets, that whole storage space over the cab seats, and more drawer space. So I think we probably have 50% more storage, which was possible because of not having the valuable rear accessible storage and a permanent bed. One of those, "can't have everything" things.

The current layout is in response to a special consideration of mine . . . when I was doing the prototyping, I fell in love with the ability to sit on the sofa and open up the slider and look out. Particularly when you're someplace like on a beach, orienting that big slider to the view and just sitting there looking out was fantastic. It produced a very open feeling with lots of ventilation, and so that face-out-the-door slider was a key element put into my final design. But I don't know that I'd recommend the layout for general use, since that view-from-the-sofa thing won't be important for very many people. (Most people would just say to take camp chairs and sit on the beach, though you, more than most, can sympathize with the idea that you might want to look at a February Oregon beach without actually sitting on it.)

In a serial production Sprinter RV, because of their enclosed bathrooms, the big window walls are gone anyway. It also doesn't help that far-and-away the easiest windows to put in a new model Sprinter just have little slider openings at the bottom which give almost no airflow. But all of them still use the slider to get you in and out. But I did give a lot of thought to using just the rear door--the curbside one is the one that opens from inside first--and think the idea has merit. I saw three downsides, though. First, it's a long way down to the ground, so you need some intermediate step thing, and the step bumpers they make may or may work well for the people using it (it's still a big step). Second, most campground spaces are oriented for people getting out of the side, so you'd find it more awkward getting the food to the picnic table, etc. But those are small points; the third issue is more of a problem--you need a "hallway" that's probably three feet square just inside the door. That nine square feet is in a prime location and it'll take clever design (pull the toilet into it; use it for the bottom half of a fold-out bed, something) to keep it from being nine square feet of 24/7 wasted space (you only have about seventy in a Sprinter to begin with.)

So I encourage you to try to design something with the slider blocked, but I suspect you'll find it most straightforward to cut the slider travel in half and then build as much floor-to-ceiling stuff as you can stand. (FWIW, nothing keeps you from putting hatches in the roof for ventilation and light; you'd want a higher quality item than I used, but it was a slick setup.)

P1000041.jpg
 
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mhiscox

Expedition Leader
On the subject of P-traps for sinks - its also possible to put the P trap father in back against the wall and just use a 90 degree bend directly under the exit of the sink - so the P-trap is not directly under the sink but out of the way. Ikea sells kits to do this using European type fittings to allow a drawer directly under the sink - I've done it a couple of times on bathroom and kitchen sinks without any problems.
I appreciate this piece of useful information. Very handy for people who, unlike Paul, are actually willing to buy things from a store as opposed to building them all from scratch. :sombrero:
 

mapper

Explorer
The current layout is in response to a special consideration of mine . . . when I was doing the prototyping, I fell in love with the ability to sit on the sofa and open up the slider and look out.

I took my (basic/modular) van to the ski resort the other day. I had just finished cleaning all the camping gear out of it but had left one lowback folding chair inside...so the whole thing was empty except for the chair. After skiing I opened the slider, set-up my chair oriented with a view out the open door and sat down to remove my boots. I had the exact same epiphany. I've been thinking about relegating my van to camper only duty, I decided right then-and-there I would do everything I could to keep at least one seat arranged looking straight out the slider.

That said I do like the idea of setting things up in a way to be used from inside and out whether that be at the back of the van or the slider I'd like to somehow have my "kitchen" available both in and out. Someday I'll put together a layout that works well for basing inside AND outside the van.

Nice project and thanks for sharing all the details. :bowdown:
 

GR8ADV

Explorer
The current layout is in response to a special consideration of mine . . .

Ok, forget my idea, now I need a second slider :coffeedrink:


Very much looking forward to seeing the final product as well as other ideas this weekend. You are correct with the idea of "being inside in the outside" and viewing the world in inclement weather. That is a big plus. It is fun how we all have our ideas/needs/wants that we work with and around.

For us at this early point, I like your use of the slider. I also need to work in:
- a place to sit and read (other than capt chairs) for someone if the bed is in use;
- a toilet and shower
- a couch where two can watch TV straight ahead of them
- a two seats facing each other with table in between concept (think board games)
- a fuel grill that can be swung out/hinged outside
- internal storage for ski's and two bikes (have a few layouts, not as crazy as it seems :bike_rider:)

To pull this off I think it will likely be somewhat transformer like. Soon enough I will wake up and realize I can't have everything. But for now, let me enjoy the dream. Maybe I should just give my list to Paul, and read along with all of you as he creates it.

Thanks for sharing your hobby with us all.
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
For us at this early point, I like your use of the slider. I also need to work in:
- a place to sit and read (other than capt chairs) for someone if the bed is in use;
- a toilet and shower
- a couch where two can watch TV straight ahead of them
- a two seats facing each other with table in between concept (think board games)
- a fuel grill that can be swung out/hinged outside
Well, it doesn't seem like this design is too far off. Got the facing chairs and the board game table, and good reading lights over the sofa. And while Paul stopped short of mounting the TV, it goes on an arm that swings it in front of the slider, so that's covered.

Paul stopped doing photographs before showing the stored-under-the-sofa-cushion bed platform that you take out at night and put across the fridge and the curbside countertop. That's where the second person sleeps, so the sofa can be available.

If you make it to SprinterFest, and it sounds like you will, have me show you the shower setup I'll be using. It would also be easy to do the same sort of shower as I had in the first one.

DSC02119.JPG

I don't know about the last requirement. There's space under the fridge that perhaps might be tall enough to let a grill attached to the curbside rear door swing in and store underneath it. Might work.
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Much excitement over the next couple of days, what with tomorrow being both NW SprinterFest and this afternoon being when Paul brings the truck back to its if-not-permanent, then at least longer-term, home.

We'll have the truck at SprinterFest tomorrow between 10 and 4 in Paul's part of the vendors' area. Be sure to stop by if you're attending.

-------

Information about NWSF is here: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/121567
 
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mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Having finally seen the conversion in person at SF '14, all I can say is WOW, light/bright/airy/organized.... :clapsmile to you both!!
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Thanks for the compliment. It turned out to be as functional and comfortable as I was hoping. Beauty shots of the final product coming soon.
 

GR8ADV

Explorer
Having finally seen the conversion in person at SF '14, all I can say is WOW, light/bright/airy/organized.... :clapsmile to you both!!

+1. Well thought out. Gave both Anne and I a completely new perspective on a build. Thanks Mike.
 

_hein_

Observer
Layout with bed/couch looking out of the slider is nice indeed.
And we definitely like our curbside rear door entry. When it's cozy
inside and inclement outside, the last thing you want to do is open
the slider.

Here I am enjoying the view during the early stages of our build.

chilling_in_van_after_session_small.jpg
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Loose in the real world . . .

It stopped raining for a while so, as Latin-speakers say, carpe photos.

My now-less-temporary Sprinter conversion is done, so for those who don't need the detail available from reading all of Paul Jensen's posts, here are enough pictures to show off what there is to see. As per standard procedure, click on any you want big, or to step through all the photos.


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That's it for now. Hope you've enjoyed the show. Drive safely and don't forget to tip your server. :sombrero:
 

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