Sprinters

Benjamin Chapman wrote:Mike...if more expensive is better, better means not better, but if you mean no shower, no bathroom, no big screen TV better means not better. So in your contradictory way of thinking Sprinter means not better while Chinook Destiny means WAY MoRe BETTER!

For the dirtbag that wants to step it up.....way up!
airstream.com/touring-coach…

Someone down the street from me owns one of those airstream sprinter rigs. But Im pretty sure you are immediately DQ'ed from dirtbag status upon acquisition. :)

For the modern dirtbag

outsidevan.com/

Mike Brady wrote:For the modern dirtbag outsidevan.com/

I picked up sprinter this year... I got a really good price for an 2008 with 119k miles, then did the full conversion: fridge, oven, stove, sink, solar panels, bed, gear drawer, bike garage, ski rack. You can get into a really nice used van and do a very livable DIY conversion for the $20-25k price range (price of a new modern economy car!). It'll be worth much more once you're done building it out. The 144 has been ideal for me as a daily driver in a big city, and definitely roomy enough for one person. PM me if you have any build or van questions!

Sweet rig Brent! 2008 3500?

It is a 2500, note the single rear wheel.

Anyone have any tips regarding the actual purchase of a used Sprinter? Surely some of the deals on craigslist are rip offs.

I always suspected that climbing was full of spoiled rich kids, I guess this proves it. Dang that's disappointing. Well, at least all you blue bloods are out of the closet. Now we know who should be climbing 5.14 but aren't.

Tim Kuss wrote:I always suspected that climbing was full of spoiled rich kids, I guess this proves it. Dang that's disappointing. Well, at least all you blue bloods are out of the closet. Now we know who should be climbing 5.14 but aren't.

Tim Kuss. Is this the same Tim Kuss that authors the Durango Sandstone climbing guide?

I'm biased.

I'll sell my imported Dutch military VW T3 (Vanagon) for 20k. Put a Passat TDi 1.9 1z diesel in it in the UK, fully rebuilt new rings and bottom end bearings and fully rebuilt top end, new pumps and parts, new motor really, .230 injectors matched to a custom built injection pump, Garrett VNT15 turbo, Malone stage3 ECU chips, custom fully rebuilt 5spd manual with 4:11 final ratio and 0.73 5th gear and a Syncro rear diff locker (5 spd not available equipment on USA vanagons) , Sachs suspension, new steering poly kit, new brakes, new clutch cylinders, new axle cv joints, Mercedes 16" wheels. New rig mechanically.

38 mpg @55-60 mph, 32mpg @65-70 mph (aero/wind limited), always the same over dirt roads, city, hwy :)

beaulanier wrote:I'm biased. I'll sell my imported Dutch military VW T3 (Vanagon) for 20k. Put a Passat TDi 1.9 1z diesel in it in the UK, fully rebuilt new rings and bottom end bearings and fully rebuilt top end, new pumps and parts, new motor really, .230 injectors matched to a custom built injection pump, Garrett VNT15 turbo, Malone stage3 ECU chips, custom fully rebuilt 5spd manual with 4:11 final ratio and 0.73 5th gear and a Syncro rear diff locker (5 spd not available equipment on USA vanagons) , Sachs suspension, new steering poly kit, new brakes, new clutch cylinders, new axle cv joints, Mercedes 16" wheels. New rig mechanically. 38 mpg @55-60 mph, 32mpg @65-70 mph (aero/wind limited), always the same over dirt roads, city, hwy :)

Mike, you mean in Portland could sell for more? You from there? Seen a few from Portland, they all seem to commit the blasphemy of putting a Japanese engine in a German vehicle ! ..... When the German TDi 1.9 is the best small bulletproof diesel engine made imho, bolts RIGHT to the existing transaxle, and sits just fine on the stock JX diesel motor mounts at the original 55 degrees.

Btw mine isn't pop top....stealth. I can sorta stand, but I can camp places that the cops/landowners would immediately see a pop top as a threat and run me out!

I wish I had a photo, but the best stealth van I've seen actually had black numbers at the rear corner like it was number 37 of a fleet and some industrial stickers on it.

I saw photos of another one in which the guy lived in NY city, just moving around. He had a large flat-screen TV and the van was packed with stuff. But from the outside dirty and beat up. A little creepy actually.

Tim Kuss wrote:I always suspected that climbing was full of spoiled rich kids, I guess this proves it. Dang that's disappointing. Well, at least all you blue bloods are out of the closet. Now we know who should be climbing 5.14 but aren't.

I have a 2006 2500 built out sprinter that I bought for cheap in Chicago and drove out to Colorado. It did not take too long to build out once I had all of the materials together, maybe 3 weeks max. I get somewhere between 23-26 mpg, and love taking it on road trips. no solar panels yet, but i linked up 2 6v agm batteries which has given me plenty of power to charge phones/laptops, run lights, play music, run ceiling fan, sink, etc. (fridge will come with solar panels). Batteries charge off of the alternator and are isolated when the car is off. It also has a swivel on the passenger seat. I use a coleman stove to cook, and hooking up a pump to pump water up from a basin to a sink is pretty easy. Since getting it in December I have had to do nothing but oil changes on it, and it has gone about 12,000+ miles. Went with more of an open floor plan under the bed and I'm really happy I did this because I can now really cram a lot of things under there.

Beaulanier - Yeah I think your van in Portland would be worth some serious coin. For a good condition rig with 200k +/- you can expect to pay 12-20k, for a really nice rig ( especially w/ diesel) you can find some as high as 30k!

Your van is really sweet looking, well done. I feel the same way about the subbie swap. It probably comes from people feeling a lack of power with the original gas engine, but I would assume with the TDI turbo you get a decent amount of pep.