1992 Mercedes 310 4x4 van with pop top for sale - $33,000 USD Mileage is 56,778 miles (actually 91,375 KM as the speedo is in KM)
This is the van of my dreams. After two sprinters and the frustrations of diesel emissions devices and expensive and frequent repairs, I bought this to convert into a rugged and capable a camper. I like this van because it has a simple carbureted 4 cylinder petrol engine which starts at -10F with no problems. This engine is simple and easy to fix no matter where you are. There is no black box hidden somewhere requiring a computer to determine what is wrong. The lifters are hydraulic and the ignition has no points so it is even easier to maintain yourself. The engine was used in many sedans so parts are easily available world-wide.
The 4-wheel drive system is from Oberainger - a Mercedes authorized upfitter and the drive train is from the 460 series Gwagen’s of which I have had many and I know they are simple and reliable and rugged. Nothing is fancy, everything is durable and simple. Parts are easily available. Unlike the 4-wheel drive Sprinter, this van has on the fly high-low transfer case shifting done via compressed air delivered from a compressor under the passenger seat and a storage tank back by the rear axle. This allows on board air for airing up tyres as well (it is not fast however!) There is a rear diff lock actuated by a lever between the seats. With the 5 speed transmission (having a low first rather than a high5th) it is a true 4x4 with excellent low range just like the Gwagen. It also has excellent clearance both at the body with a good approach and departure angles and at the axles.
The interior is a blank slate with a sealed plywood floor and bare (insulated) walls in the rear and a very simple and comfortable cab with upgraded, heated seats. The visibility is amazing, head room fantastic and the driving is very comfortable. The truck is on leaf springs in all four corners so with some weight in the back , it rides better. The springs were upgraded in the uplifting to support the weight of the fire fighting equipment so the capacity is greater than the standard W602 vans.
The rear hitch is a massive 2 inch receiver hitch capable of doing most anything you would want it to.
The pop-top was custom made and installed in Vancouver by GTRV and is of high quality fiberglass which blends in so well that most people have no idea it is there. The canvas is heavy duty as are the lifting mechanisms (hand only - no motors here).
I am selling this because I have no time or money to complete the build and am coming to terms with the fact the fact that this is not going to change. We have a VW Vanagon Syncro Westy which, while not nearly the vehicle this is, works fine for most of what we need it for.
I will work on getting some interior pictures as soon as I can. The truck is located in Anchorage Alaska and is ready to roll. I would not hesitate to drive it to the lower 48 or anywhere else either. You can fly in and drive it home or better yet, just keep driving.
These trucks are in high demand with very few made in the 4X4 version. Here is a video of a fellow form the UK and his conversion of one to a camper to get the creative juices flowing.
Here is the original ad when I bought it from Jim: https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/sold-1992-mercedes-benz-310-4x4-pop-top-van.188923/
I have al the historical paperwork from its life in Austria as well as importation paperwork to Canada and then the US. It is fully legally imported to the US and would be easy to take back to Canada as well. I have repair and other manuals as well.
More details if you are still reading:
Since I got it from Jim I have done the following (I may have forgotten a few), The van has less than 3K miles on it since this work was done.
Wiring from Fire Department conversion was all sorted thorough and miles of abandoned wire removed. Relays installed for fog lights etc where needed.
Installed plug in Oil Pan heater for cold mornings
Front axle rebuild - all new bearings, CV joints, boots, bolts grease etc. This is the 460 Series Gwagen axle so parts are easily available. This should not have to be done for another 50K miles.
New clutch disk, pressure plate and throwout bearing.
Occasionally the fuel level sender gets hung up and reads incorrectly. See below regarding new one.
Espar B1 heater installed under driver’s seat. This burns gasoline and is not currently plumbed as it is set up to draw fuel form the Left tank which is not yet installed. I did test it once it was installed and it works great.
Front seats were replaced with 2018 Sprinter seats in back fabric. They are heated and have armrests as well as excellent headrests.
Passenger front seat swivels fully. The driver’s does not as the gear shift prevents swiveling here.
Radio and shark fin antennae added. The Radio is an excellent VDO bluetooth enabled model.
Entire ignition system was replaced: spark plugs, wires, rotor, coil.
Additional 70l fuel tank procured but not installed. This is a left sided version of the OEM tank. I have two brand new OEM fuel senders to be installed and with a simple switch, the existing gage can be made to show the level in each tank.
Nose to tail sound and temperature insulation- Walls and doors with sound deadening material and Thinsulate and front floor and firewall with sound deadening foam.
All gear oils changed with appropriate fresh oils from diffs to gear box. All drive shafts lubricated regularly.
Coolant drained and replenished with appropriate version for Mercedes engines.
LED Fog lights installed where the old blue flashing lights were in the grill.
Heated mirrors replaced with new glass.
Center dash refurbished to house new MB switches and cover holes from old fire department stuff which had been removed.
Front door pockets added on both front doors
All door latches adjusted so they close properly and securely
4x Aluminum 15inch Stock Gwagen wheels with BFG off road tyres with the original black steel rims and street tyres included. There are four of these as well.
Known issues:
Rust: Even though Jim had this worked on, there is some rust popping up along the bottom skirt on both sides. It is minor bubbling of the paint at this point and a known weak area on these trucks. it can be dealt with in many ways and body panels are available if you wanted to go full bore and replace them but that is not at all necessary at this point. The rest of the vehicle is in great shape.
The windshield has one star in it which has been repaired and stable but does show but fortunately is right below driver’s view area.
Exhaust: When imported to BC, exhaust modifications were needed to meet the Air Care standards That system failed and was replaced with a simple system which now needs to be replaced. I have not done it yet because depending on where it ends up, you may need something different. It also would be good to install the left fuel tank before modifying the exhaust. It currently exits in front of the left rear wheel but can also go out the back. It is a bit noisier now than it should be but works. I can arrange and pay for the exhaust work (assuming it is a simple non-cat system) to be completed here if desired.
Other bits:
I have the original bench seats available if you would like them, the original door panels for the sliding and rear doors. There are some small bits and bobs for engine spares like filters as well and those are included.
For some extra bucks, there is a spare engine as mentioned in Jims ad. It is a diesel if you chose to go that way and has 10 hours and zero miles on it. See the link above.
I also have some gear I purchased along the way for the conversion as well so we can chat about that if you are interested in purchasing any of that. This includes 2000w inverter, 100AH National Luna Deep Cell power pack, Nature's Head Composting toilet, Coleman Propane stove, Dometic sink etc, etc.
I would not hesitate to drive this anywhere and so if you are not in AK, don't fear, there is plenty of time left before it snows to drive it south for an amazing adventure along the Alaska Highway through Canada to the lower 48. I can also help arrange for shipping via road or sea going barge as desired.
Thanks for getting this far. You can PM me if you have questions.
This is the van of my dreams. After two sprinters and the frustrations of diesel emissions devices and expensive and frequent repairs, I bought this to convert into a rugged and capable a camper. I like this van because it has a simple carbureted 4 cylinder petrol engine which starts at -10F with no problems. This engine is simple and easy to fix no matter where you are. There is no black box hidden somewhere requiring a computer to determine what is wrong. The lifters are hydraulic and the ignition has no points so it is even easier to maintain yourself. The engine was used in many sedans so parts are easily available world-wide.
The 4-wheel drive system is from Oberainger - a Mercedes authorized upfitter and the drive train is from the 460 series Gwagen’s of which I have had many and I know they are simple and reliable and rugged. Nothing is fancy, everything is durable and simple. Parts are easily available. Unlike the 4-wheel drive Sprinter, this van has on the fly high-low transfer case shifting done via compressed air delivered from a compressor under the passenger seat and a storage tank back by the rear axle. This allows on board air for airing up tyres as well (it is not fast however!) There is a rear diff lock actuated by a lever between the seats. With the 5 speed transmission (having a low first rather than a high5th) it is a true 4x4 with excellent low range just like the Gwagen. It also has excellent clearance both at the body with a good approach and departure angles and at the axles.
The interior is a blank slate with a sealed plywood floor and bare (insulated) walls in the rear and a very simple and comfortable cab with upgraded, heated seats. The visibility is amazing, head room fantastic and the driving is very comfortable. The truck is on leaf springs in all four corners so with some weight in the back , it rides better. The springs were upgraded in the uplifting to support the weight of the fire fighting equipment so the capacity is greater than the standard W602 vans.
The rear hitch is a massive 2 inch receiver hitch capable of doing most anything you would want it to.
The pop-top was custom made and installed in Vancouver by GTRV and is of high quality fiberglass which blends in so well that most people have no idea it is there. The canvas is heavy duty as are the lifting mechanisms (hand only - no motors here).
I am selling this because I have no time or money to complete the build and am coming to terms with the fact the fact that this is not going to change. We have a VW Vanagon Syncro Westy which, while not nearly the vehicle this is, works fine for most of what we need it for.
I will work on getting some interior pictures as soon as I can. The truck is located in Anchorage Alaska and is ready to roll. I would not hesitate to drive it to the lower 48 or anywhere else either. You can fly in and drive it home or better yet, just keep driving.
These trucks are in high demand with very few made in the 4X4 version. Here is a video of a fellow form the UK and his conversion of one to a camper to get the creative juices flowing.
Here is the original ad when I bought it from Jim: https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/sold-1992-mercedes-benz-310-4x4-pop-top-van.188923/
I have al the historical paperwork from its life in Austria as well as importation paperwork to Canada and then the US. It is fully legally imported to the US and would be easy to take back to Canada as well. I have repair and other manuals as well.
More details if you are still reading:
Since I got it from Jim I have done the following (I may have forgotten a few), The van has less than 3K miles on it since this work was done.
Wiring from Fire Department conversion was all sorted thorough and miles of abandoned wire removed. Relays installed for fog lights etc where needed.
Installed plug in Oil Pan heater for cold mornings
Front axle rebuild - all new bearings, CV joints, boots, bolts grease etc. This is the 460 Series Gwagen axle so parts are easily available. This should not have to be done for another 50K miles.
New clutch disk, pressure plate and throwout bearing.
Occasionally the fuel level sender gets hung up and reads incorrectly. See below regarding new one.
Espar B1 heater installed under driver’s seat. This burns gasoline and is not currently plumbed as it is set up to draw fuel form the Left tank which is not yet installed. I did test it once it was installed and it works great.
Front seats were replaced with 2018 Sprinter seats in back fabric. They are heated and have armrests as well as excellent headrests.
Passenger front seat swivels fully. The driver’s does not as the gear shift prevents swiveling here.
Radio and shark fin antennae added. The Radio is an excellent VDO bluetooth enabled model.
Entire ignition system was replaced: spark plugs, wires, rotor, coil.
Additional 70l fuel tank procured but not installed. This is a left sided version of the OEM tank. I have two brand new OEM fuel senders to be installed and with a simple switch, the existing gage can be made to show the level in each tank.
Nose to tail sound and temperature insulation- Walls and doors with sound deadening material and Thinsulate and front floor and firewall with sound deadening foam.
All gear oils changed with appropriate fresh oils from diffs to gear box. All drive shafts lubricated regularly.
Coolant drained and replenished with appropriate version for Mercedes engines.
LED Fog lights installed where the old blue flashing lights were in the grill.
Heated mirrors replaced with new glass.
Center dash refurbished to house new MB switches and cover holes from old fire department stuff which had been removed.
Front door pockets added on both front doors
All door latches adjusted so they close properly and securely
4x Aluminum 15inch Stock Gwagen wheels with BFG off road tyres with the original black steel rims and street tyres included. There are four of these as well.
Known issues:
Rust: Even though Jim had this worked on, there is some rust popping up along the bottom skirt on both sides. It is minor bubbling of the paint at this point and a known weak area on these trucks. it can be dealt with in many ways and body panels are available if you wanted to go full bore and replace them but that is not at all necessary at this point. The rest of the vehicle is in great shape.
The windshield has one star in it which has been repaired and stable but does show but fortunately is right below driver’s view area.
Exhaust: When imported to BC, exhaust modifications were needed to meet the Air Care standards That system failed and was replaced with a simple system which now needs to be replaced. I have not done it yet because depending on where it ends up, you may need something different. It also would be good to install the left fuel tank before modifying the exhaust. It currently exits in front of the left rear wheel but can also go out the back. It is a bit noisier now than it should be but works. I can arrange and pay for the exhaust work (assuming it is a simple non-cat system) to be completed here if desired.
Other bits:
I have the original bench seats available if you would like them, the original door panels for the sliding and rear doors. There are some small bits and bobs for engine spares like filters as well and those are included.
For some extra bucks, there is a spare engine as mentioned in Jims ad. It is a diesel if you chose to go that way and has 10 hours and zero miles on it. See the link above.
I also have some gear I purchased along the way for the conversion as well so we can chat about that if you are interested in purchasing any of that. This includes 2000w inverter, 100AH National Luna Deep Cell power pack, Nature's Head Composting toilet, Coleman Propane stove, Dometic sink etc, etc.
I would not hesitate to drive this anywhere and so if you are not in AK, don't fear, there is plenty of time left before it snows to drive it south for an amazing adventure along the Alaska Highway through Canada to the lower 48. I can also help arrange for shipping via road or sea going barge as desired.
Thanks for getting this far. You can PM me if you have questions.
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