InssssssssVANity!!!!!!!......or ****** did I just fly to Maine to by a Sprinter!

[danfromsyr]

Looking great Cole. inspiring me to keep my search (plea to the Ms.) for a sprinter cargo to convert.
I've the notion to mount a vanagon westy top onto the roof to complete double decker sleeping..
it's not like they'll fit under McDonalds drive thru's with an AC on the roof anyways.

keep up the good work and I just have to remember to come over here for your new updates vs TheSamba.

 

[Cole]

Thanks!

I've considered starting another build thread, even on TheSamba, just not sure what to call it.

I love the idea of a pop top even on the high roof Sprinter. It add a whole extra bedroom more than anything.

I scored a deal on two sets of 72" Yakima tracks today from a guy on the Sprinter forum! Which brought up the topic with my wife on what is "too tall"? You might remember from my Eurovan build that I put 60" Yakima tracks on the rook of that but hardly ever have the rack on it. The difference between fitting in a parking garage/my garage, etc is the difference of having the racon on/off the Eurovan. But the Sprinter is already "too tall" for most things at 8'6" ! So how high can you go before its really "too tall",

 

[danfromsyr]

may want outrigger or stabilizers if a roof top penthouse on a hightop sprinter. but that's definately in my mental plans..
enjoying the build. missed you passing thru Central NY.

 

[Jb1rd]

Can't wait to see what you come up with, I am at 112" to the top rim of my basket without any gear in it, I'm thinking my ww kayak on edge will be as tall as she gets and that probably puts me in the 125-30" range. It's a beast of a climb not having a ladder installed, trying to source one of those ASAP.

 

[Cole]

Can't wait to see what you come up with, I am at 112" to the top rim of my basket without any gear in it, I'm thinking my ww kayak on edge will be as tall as she gets and that probably puts me in the 125-30" range. It's a beast of a climb not having a ladder installed, trying to source one of those ASAP.

Pics?

 

[Jb1rd]

Not the best but had to take with the laptop cam. As you can see I can step onto my roof from the van when it is backed into the driveway. Now, where do I get myself one of those cool telescopic ladders??????

 

[Cole]

Cool! Thanks for the pics!


I'm sitting here at Safelite this morning getting a fresh windshield in the Sprinter. Also ordered a bunch of misc parts to get it back up to normal. (Door handles, rear bumper end caps, blower motor resistor, drivers side small mirror.)

Going to wire in the diagnostic wire from the espar to the 7 day timer so that I can start to figure out what is wrong with it. Would be awesome to get the diesel furnace/engine heater and auto timer working!!!

 

[Jb1rd]

Cool! Thanks for the pics!

Going to wire in the diagnostic wire from the espar to the 7 day timer so that I can start to figure out what is wrong with it. Would be awesome to get the diesel furnace/engine heater and auto timer working!!!

No prob. I am afraid that I will be needing one of those fancy heaters too, we are planning on moving back to CO or at least our shizzle and then coming up with a plan for the next phase. I must say that like all of my diesels before, the front heater will roast you out but the cavernous nature of the Sprinter makes small work of it. Having fully been Floridified my blood is thin and not a fan of the cold, I will be on the hunt for and ESPAR and installer :sombrero:While I am at it I want to run an accessory loop to the rear to heat water for an outdoor shower. In the past I have used a big PVC pipe painted black and fitted with a quick release hose bib and fastened to the roof rack but you only get so much out of it (plus side is it is pretty much fail proof). Sometimes its nice to be glutenous and have a nice looooong hot shower, esp in the spring after kayaking in the runoff or down in Baja after being in the desert for an extended period, (it does get cold down there too)

 

[Cole]

Despite my wanting to keep this "low budget" I've obviously already tossed a couple of grand at this thing just to sort out some of the basic functions, tires, wheels, seats, heater, windshield, door handles, wiper blades, oil change, bumper end caps, dash panels, etc, etc, and more stuff on order and a long way to go still too!

Part of me want to just run out and buy sound deadening and insulation the other part of me really wants to find a way to do something creative, cheaper and hopefully environmentally friendlier.

In that pursuit I've realized that I have a bunch of miscellaneous auto parts that I could probably turn into insulation. Like old seats parts for example. Wonder how well tearing up this foam and stuffing it in the smaller cavities would help to insulate/absorb sound? Thoughts?

 

[vwadventureman]

While recycling old seat foam seems admirable, that seems like a heavy and tedious way to go about it.
After the great results I had with QuietCoat (water-based, no odor) sound deadener and Enguard insulation (pre- and post-consumer plastic waste), I am doing my current Syncro highroof and Sprinter 416 the same way. Great stuff and not much weight. I have quite a few bags of the Enguard to sell, cheap.

 

[Cole]

What is cheap? Shipping alone would probably make it unrealistic.

 

[vwadventureman]

$30/bag. Yeah, shipping is the problem...unless you know a ride it can hitch east--->west. I checked UPS once and the cost was more than twice the $30 to ship each bag.

 

[Jb1rd]

http://www.homedepot.com/p/UltraTou...tion-Multi-Purpose-Roll-60301-16482/202709974

I used to rep this product when I lived in Colorado, there is or was a company in Denver that stocked this in large quantity SolSource might try and google them. Did your tracks arrive?

 

[Cole]

http://www.homedepot.com/p/UltraTou...tion-Multi-Purpose-Roll-60301-16482/202709974

I used to rep this product when I lived in Colorado, there is or was a company in Denver that stocked this in large quantity SolSource might try and google them. Did your tracks arrive?

Tracks arrived with the snow storm:coffeedrink: Figured working on the top of an icy van, drilling holes to lay 12 feet of Yakima track probably wasn't the best plan for the day :coffeedrink: They will be perfect though:victory: figure if I space them about a foot or two apart (lengthwise between the tracks) then I can pretty much cover the entire span of the roof with Yakima rack options! Better to have and not need than need and not have!:coffeedrink: (two sets of 72" Yakima roof tracks for those of you that didn't get the memo:coffeedrink

I really like the Ultra touch stuff. Just need to order some or find it local.(I'll google around a bit, thanks for the tip)

 

[Jb1rd]

Glad they arrived, apologize for the ghetto packing but they are a bit unconventional. Gotta love Colorado though, like they say, "don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes" Pissing rain here and a van full of water, hope it stops soon so I can get a sealant on there until I can get the LineX figured out!!!!