Next camper #2

[bdosborn]

If your thinking about a van. Do some research into problems with the model your looking at. Sprinters have issues. The biggest one is lack of sprinter mechanic's. Finding a shop that has sprinter experience is about impossible. Some of the repairs need an experienced mechanic even the dealers are spotty on good work. If your looking at a high roof model. That narrows down the field you have to look at. If your looking at older model to save money on purchase. That narrows the field down even more. In the 2006 year range like mine. You have a very narrow range on high tops. Its sprinters or Nisson NV series. There are a few conversion high tops floating around of varies MFG's mostly configured as handicap vans. The NV series will cost you more than a clean low milage sprinter. The NV has less problems and parts are easyer to get. The NV's are built on the truck chassis. Sprinters in the year range were badged as freightliner or Dodge. Mine is the freightshaker model. I can get parts at any Dodge dealer. Getting repair at Dodge is hit and miss. It depends on the dealer your talking to.

Great info, thanks. I still haven't progressed beyond the "Hmm, what about a van?" stage so this is good stuff. With the Vandweller craze picking up steam, I'm thinking used van prices will be higher than they should be but haven't done any looking yet.
Bruce

[Philip]

Prices really haven't gone up on vans at least in my area. 90% of people see them as a company truck which a lot are used for that reason. The problem is most company trucks are not maintained very good. If it will not run fix it seems to be the rule. If its running its good to go. So that leads you to looking at many many vans to find one that would be a good base to build from. Most vans are high mileage. Most vans rust is a common factor if you live anywhere near the rust belt or oceans.

About the best advice I can give. Research what brand you might want. Find the common issues they have. Items to research = engine life span, engine repair issues. Known transmission issues. Electrical issues. Check for recalls from the factory for safety items. Keep and eye on used prices and the condition for that price. Then if a clean used one pops up. Jump all over it. Clean ones disappear real fast and they will cost more than your beat up high mileage rusted ones.

If it doesn't look good in a picture. It looks worse in person.

If the pic's are blury don't be afraid to ask for better pictures. If they don't provide them walk away.

If your not mechanically inclined. On a test drive find a shop and pay them to look it over. Tell the owner your doing this. If he isn't comfortable with you doing that. Walk away

If it is a one owner vehicle. Look at the dealer sticker. Go ask maintenance dept of that dealership for a print out of service work.

Used utility vehicles are good buys. They normally have around 100k miles. They are very well maintained. The bad part is sparten interiors. Very few options. Only color is refrigerator white.

[bdosborn]

Ran across this on /r/vandwellers, I thought it was a good addition to what you've posted.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vandwellers/comments/igx322/advice_i_wish_someone_had_given_me_when_buying_a/

Bruce

[Philip]

Thanks for the link.

With the 06 and below year range of sprinter. Those were sold by Dodge and freightliner. So you can get support from freightshaker and dodge. I buy my parts from dodge. The freightshaker dealer network in this state is one company for the hole state. Support from them is not the best even trying to buy semi parts, let alone sprinter parts. Call them about parts. They take a name and number. Then they never call back.

If you look at the 07 and newer models. They have their problems also. A lot of them are DPF related or emissions related which ever way you want to look at it. DPF and diesels do not work together very well. Poor designed system to meet EPA emissions demands.

Another thing about a van. Keep an eye on weights. Take my van, shipping weight was 4700. GVW rating is 8600. That gives you 3900 lbs to play with. If you do a full build with water and sewage. You can be at or over the GVW of the van. Also the more weight you put in. The van acts differently due to weight. Weight up high causes body roll. Added weight slows acceleration and hurts fuel mileage, not as much with a diesel.

When it comes to picking a van. Don't look at price as your main concern. Like a house its condition, condition, condition.

[rjgimp]

At this point in my life this isn't my cup of tea (I'd have been all over this in my 20s) but you've done some impressive work here. That is some very nice cabinetry and really good use of limited space.

[Philip]

RJ building the first camper helped in laying this one out. We both knew what we needed and wanted. We knew our travel style. We knew our camping style. On that point we don't try to go 10 miles past the end of the road and stay there of extended periods. Our camping is in camp grounds. Our days are spent on the road moving to another area and stopping at anything that catches our interest. Most of the time that is not tourist traps. LOL

I was lucky on this van. Already wired/ walls/ flooring with unistrut. This was a easy build. With it being low milage I hope it will last the rest of our travels.

[Philip]

RJ

I decided to take the easy way out with this van. My first thought after I decided to build another camper. Was to find a later truck chassis. Was kind of thinking of cab over like the NPR's chevy sells. The building a camper that look like a late 40's early 50's gas fuel tanker bed with flaired sides with tool boxes built in. Paint it shell yellow. Make decals that looked like a company logo. Then see how many DOT cops I could meet when I went passed scales.

[rjgimp]

Then see how many DOT cops I could meet when I went passed scales.

BWWWWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

That's awesome! I spent 25 years driving semis. You're speaking my language right there! LOL!!!!!!!

Gee, officer... we're just out camping. Can I mix you a cocktail?

BWWWAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

[Philip]

Then see how many DOT cops I could meet when I went passed scales.

BWWWWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

That's awesome! I spent 25 years driving semis. You're speaking my language right there! LOL!!!!!!!

Gee, officer... we're just out camping. Can I mix you a cocktail?

BWWWAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

I got half a million miles OTR to.

There were a couple of reasons I didn't go that way. The biggest one was the wife. She didn't like that plan. what would have been the look I wanted. She just couldn't grasp the retro tanker look.
I drove a NPR. The cab is real small. Smaller than this sprinter driving area. The ride on the front axle needed attention. The rear would have needed a full air ride conversion. Seeing as how no one makes a kit for it. Then I would have had to do it. Me and a creeper doesn't get along very good anymore. So it was just find a van. The wife is happy now.

[bdosborn]

Happy wife, happy life.
Bruce

[Philip]

Ok time for another update.

Sence the last update. I have finished the kitchen area.



I made that hold down for the propane stove. At the time I just grabbed what I had for a strap. That's going to get changed to gray. Don't know why I grabbed that orange strap.

I installed all the knobs on the upper cabinet doors.




The drawers inside are installed and fronts installed. In the first pic. That lower drawer front is a blank panel. There is no drawer behind it. With the opposite side having two drawers. I decided both sides should look the same.





I still need to finish the window shade panels. I have a short trip in a week Those might not get done.


Right now I am doing a stero swap, modifying the dash for some place to carry our cell phones, installing a dash cam.

[bdosborn]

Interesting layout for the kitchen, it seems like it gives you more storage options inside. Are you going to do an awning or something for bad weather?

Bruce

[Philip]

Interesting layout for the kitchen, it seems like it gives you more storage options inside. Are you going to do an awning or something for bad weather?

Bruce

No I am not doing a awning or anything. Whenever we park for a night I always just use the shade on what ever side of the vehicle its coming from.
I had a 10x10 canopy with the other camper. We spent three weeks on the road site seeing we used it one time. We both felt it wasn't worth the time and effort to set it up. I think of an awning the same way.

We are never camped during the day. During the day we are moving towards another area. In our evenings we talk to camp ground owners and find interesting places to see on our travel route. I go threw the phone listing for camp grounds along our route and plan our next camp ground for tomorrow night. We also walk around the camp ground some and talk to anyone that wants to talk if we can get away from our camper. Camper #1 always had a crowd around it wanting a tour.

The kitchen is way oversize for what we need. We normally just fix a lite breakfast. The rest of the day we eat fast food or restaurant. Normaly fast food for lunch. We have a dog with us. So wherever we stop for lunch we look for a park in the town on the way in. Hit a fast food place drive threw. Go to the park, find a shady place to park. Let the dog run on a long teathered leash and everyone is happy. BTW my wife is a self proclaimed survivial cook. That means I have to survive on what she cooks. Camp stoves aren't her best meals. I can do eggs.

[Philip]

Here we go agin. I finished the stereo swap and the dash was modified to hold a couple of cell phones. I also installed a two port USB charger. The charger and dash camera power feed is controlled by the new switch in the lower row of switch openings. The first pic is what I started with. The second pic is the finished dash and new stereo.






Then I finished the window blinds for the front doors.









Yes I know that isn't the same inside material as the windshield. When I was ready to sew everything together I found the sewing lines would have ran at a 40 degree angle across the window when looking at it from the outside. I didn't have enough material to straighten the lines up and of course they had sold the rest of the bolt of orginal material. So the wife picked this pattern out. No I was not going to argue about it.



About the only thing left is to install a brass gallery rail on top of the shelf above the bed. That will be a place to store and secure the window/ windshield blinds.



It will be a while before I update agin. Got a trip in a couple of weeks. We will be gone for two or three weeks on that. Headed west ward.

[bdosborn]

Looking good, have a great trip!

Bruce