Screwing around with a Eurovan!
- Thread starter Cole
- Start date
Overland Hadley
on a journey
Oh man, it would be great to see what you would do with a Sprinter.
Cole
Expedition Leader
I have to admit, I've totally enjoyed having this Eurovan. I have no plans to get rid of it and will continue to build it as planned.
However, after being temped by the dark side of the utility of a van I sold off my Dodge pickup that was being used strictly as a support vehicle for other projects. (Hauling parts, lumber, etc)
I decided to replace the truck with a more functional utility vehicle that I could also tinker with like the Eurovan.
I'm hoping on a plane tonight to go pick up this 2004 Sprinter 3500 SHC 2.7l Diesel 158" dual slider. It's a cargo van but has dual heated seats, auxiliary programmable (timer) heater, power doors, locks, etc. Needs a bit of love and has some miles on it. But no more than my truck did really.
I'll be interested to see how I like it.
Part of what sold me on the idea was this encounter with a 158" camper. The angle is a bit off on the photo but my Dodge with a 6' bed was within inches of the exact same length bumper to bumper. I could build in basically the same interior I have inside the Eurovan and still have more cargo length than the pickup. Will be much easier to load motorcycles in also.
Sprinter should also get 2.5X the fuel mileage as the V10 Dodge!
However, after being temped by the dark side of the utility of a van I sold off my Dodge pickup that was being used strictly as a support vehicle for other projects. (Hauling parts, lumber, etc)
I decided to replace the truck with a more functional utility vehicle that I could also tinker with like the Eurovan.
I'm hoping on a plane tonight to go pick up this 2004 Sprinter 3500 SHC 2.7l Diesel 158" dual slider. It's a cargo van but has dual heated seats, auxiliary programmable (timer) heater, power doors, locks, etc. Needs a bit of love and has some miles on it. But no more than my truck did really.
I'll be interested to see how I like it.
Part of what sold me on the idea was this encounter with a 158" camper. The angle is a bit off on the photo but my Dodge with a 6' bed was within inches of the exact same length bumper to bumper. I could build in basically the same interior I have inside the Eurovan and still have more cargo length than the pickup. Will be much easier to load motorcycles in also.
Sprinter should also get 2.5X the fuel mileage as the V10 Dodge!
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
Oooh... new project, and a new thread?
Nice find, looks like fun.
Nice find, looks like fun.
Cole
Expedition Leader
Well its 0718 in the morning and I'm in Boston waiting to get on a tiny commuter plane at 0930! I got on the first plane last night at 2300 and haven't sleep since Friday! So this should be interesting!
Then we will see if this Sprinter was worth the trip!:coffeedrink:<---------you wouldn't FN believe the hassle this morning to get a cup of coffee!!!:coffeedrink:
I'll start a thread for the Sprinter soon. Been taking a bit of GoPro video this trip and left my big boy camera at home so I could travel light.
Only one small bag for the next 4 days or so.
Then we will see if this Sprinter was worth the trip!:coffeedrink:<---------you wouldn't FN believe the hassle this morning to get a cup of coffee!!!:coffeedrink:
I'll start a thread for the Sprinter soon. Been taking a bit of GoPro video this trip and left my big boy camera at home so I could travel light.
Only one small bag for the next 4 days or so.
Cole
Expedition Leader
I haven't forgotten about my T4 Eurovan.
Had a buddy make me a "prototype" first run wood table to replace the stock plastic one. We are planning on replacing all of the wood boards in the van with "real" wood.
This is currently made out of Alder and we may stain it a light grey to match the van better. It already smells so much nicer in the van This table is notably lighter than the stock table.
Had a buddy make me a "prototype" first run wood table to replace the stock plastic one. We are planning on replacing all of the wood boards in the van with "real" wood.
This is currently made out of Alder and we may stain it a light grey to match the van better. It already smells so much nicer in the van This table is notably lighter than the stock table.
Cole
Expedition Leader
When I bought the Eurovan one of the very first things I did was add the front seat swivels. I never really drove it without them. At 6'2" tall it's always bugged me how tall the seat is in he the van. It's not so much the height off the floor but rather the headroom and view out the front window. I have to drive kinda bent over to see under the tinted strip at the top of the glass.
This of course has caused some back issues. I always thought it might be the van but never really thought too hard about it. That is until I started driving the Sprinter around. The seat is just as high but since the windshield is much bigger I don't have to bend down. Which has proven to help with the way my back felt. Which means it was time to "fix" the seating issue.
I was hoping to use the Audi S4 seats I picked up. But ultimately they were going to be WAY too tall and too much fab work to mount. So I sold them and moved on!
First I took out the seat swivel and drove the van for a day. Much more comfortable!
Then.......I stated cutting!!!!
The stock seat base is about 7 1/4" tall. The seat swivel adds about another 1 1/4 in. It doesn't seem like that extra inch and a quarter would be that big of a deal......but it is!
Here is the seat base, it needs cut down to 6"!!!
Here is the line where I cut the seat!
Back
Front. You'll notice the extra line on he the front section. I cut this base down so to that I could notch and fold the four sides in. This would allow the upper portion to slide down into the lower portion. Then I could weld both the upper lip and the inside 1 1/4 overlap. Making a stronger connection than the stock set up.
Somehow once the welder came out I forgot to take a bunch of pictures. Here you can see what needed trimmed off the rear trim piece and the nearly finished short base with swivel on he the workbench.
Done!!
Sorry of the dark picture. It was getting late.
From the back here you can see the height difference buy looking at the different height of the rear trim panels.
This of course has caused some back issues. I always thought it might be the van but never really thought too hard about it. That is until I started driving the Sprinter around. The seat is just as high but since the windshield is much bigger I don't have to bend down. Which has proven to help with the way my back felt. Which means it was time to "fix" the seating issue.
I was hoping to use the Audi S4 seats I picked up. But ultimately they were going to be WAY too tall and too much fab work to mount. So I sold them and moved on!
First I took out the seat swivel and drove the van for a day. Much more comfortable!
Then.......I stated cutting!!!!
The stock seat base is about 7 1/4" tall. The seat swivel adds about another 1 1/4 in. It doesn't seem like that extra inch and a quarter would be that big of a deal......but it is!
Here is the seat base, it needs cut down to 6"!!!
Here is the line where I cut the seat!
Back
Front. You'll notice the extra line on he the front section. I cut this base down so to that I could notch and fold the four sides in. This would allow the upper portion to slide down into the lower portion. Then I could weld both the upper lip and the inside 1 1/4 overlap. Making a stronger connection than the stock set up.
Somehow once the welder came out I forgot to take a bunch of pictures. Here you can see what needed trimmed off the rear trim piece and the nearly finished short base with swivel on he the workbench.
Done!!
Sorry of the dark picture. It was getting late.
From the back here you can see the height difference buy looking at the different height of the rear trim panels.