Baby Shamu - 170 4x4

Nightpanda

2016 4x4 144 premie
Your build is off the chart, thanks for the inspiration!

Someone should let your neighbor know his garage looks terrible in photos[emoji23]

 

gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
Your build is off the chart, thanks for the inspiration!

Someone should let your neighbor know his garage looks terrible in photos[emoji23]


Thanks for the compliments. That garage is what happens when you spend 2 years building a Sprinter and ignore everything else. Two weeks ago I actually cleaned out the garage and believe it or not, I found a sailboat buried in all that junk.


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sprinterPaul

Well-known member
Thanks for the compliments. That garage is what happens when you spend 2 years building a Sprinter and ignore everything else. Two weeks ago I actually cleaned out the garage and believe it or not, I found a sailboat buried in all that junk.


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Dibs on the boat.


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KDE

New member
Each bed panel was covered with 1/2” prefinished birch ply. The panels were attached using countersunk machine screws from the bottom side. The panels are covered with a 1/8” landau foam and Marathon fabric.

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Awesome build and write up, thank you for this. With regard to your 1/2" birch ply wood bed panels on top of the Al frames, did you ever consider if you would cut some holes out to take some of the weight of the panel out? I am in the process of finalizing the bed panels and my inclination is to leave it alone and keep the panels solid, but am considering using a hole cutter to cut some holes; number of holes TBD. Any thoughts you can share on this? Many thanks!
 

Lostgriz

Member
Beautiful! Just reread this thread for the third time. Did you through bolt your track in the garage through the van structure?

Thanks!

Matt
 

gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
Beautiful! Just reread this thread for the third time. Did you through bolt your track in the garage through the van structure?
Thanks!

Matt
Matt,

The floor mounted L-Track is bolted through the floor using 5/16 “ taper head stainless bolts with lock nuts on the underside. The wall and ceiling L-Track is attached using rivnuts and the same 5/16” bolts.


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gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
Awesome build and write up, thank you for this. With regard to your 1/2" birch ply wood bed panels on top of the Al frames, did you ever consider if you would cut some holes out to take some of the weight of the panel out? I am in the process of finalizing the bed panels and my inclination is to leave it alone and keep the panels solid, but am considering using a hole cutter to cut some holes; number of holes TBD. Any thoughts you can share on this? Many thanks!

Kate,

I considered drilling holes in a number of things to reduce weight but not the bed panels. In each case the effort required was not worth the one or two pound savings.

If I were to make the bed panels again I would consider eliminating the middle aluminum crossmember since I have four panels rather than three, the panels interlock, and my span is only 62”. I would also use 3/8” panels on the top. I plan to do this on my lower bed panels.


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Each bed panel was covered with 1/2” prefinished birch ply. The panels were attached using countersunk machine screws from the bottom side. The panels are covered with a 1/8” landau foam and Marathon fabric.

-----------------------------



Awesome build and write up, thank you for this. With regard to your 1/2" birch ply wood bed panels on top of the Al frames, did you ever consider if you would cut some holes out to take some of the weight of the panel out? I am in the process of finalizing the bed panels and my inclination is to leave it alone and keep the panels solid, but am considering using a hole cutter to cut some holes; number of holes TBD. Any thoughts you can share on this? Many thanks!
We used 1/3 (May have even been 2/3) birch. I used a 2" hold saw drill and drilled holes ever 5" in a grid.

This not only helped to reduce weight - but also air flow for the mattress.

Feel free to check us out on IG at @TheHeavenVan
 

KDE

New member
Kate,

I considered drilling holes in a number of things to reduce weight but not the bed panels. In each case the effort required was not worth the one or two pound savings.

If I were to make the bed panels again I would consider eliminating the middle aluminum crossmember since I have four panels rather than three, the panels interlock, and my span is only 62”. I would also use 3/8” panels on the top. I plan to do this on my lower bed panels.


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Thank you. Great point, going from 1/2" to 3/8" would automatically save 25% of the weight and keep the panel in one piece.
 

Lostgriz

Member
Sorry if I missed this, but what is the height from the bottom of your bed framing to the floor of your garage space?

Thanks!

Matt
 

gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
Sorry if I missed this, but what is the height from the bottom of your bed framing to the floor of your garage space?
Thanks!

Matt
38” from floor to bottom of bed panels. The floor height includes an additional 1/2” above stock height. So 38.5 from stock floor. Plenty of room for my dropper post bikes and my wife’s gravel bike.

Packed for a trip to Jalama Beach and Montana de Oro.




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gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
SHOWER INSTALL

The addition of a fixed interior shower has been one of the true luxuries of my van build. It gets used on a regular basis following either a cold morning surf or a dusty and hot mountain bike ride. Following a bike ride both my indoor and outdoor showers can be in use simultaneously providing showers for everyone.





My original build layout did not include a fixed shower. Based on the factory dimensions I did not think it would fit in my 170. Once I had the actual van and began the layout it became evident that a fixed shower would fit. I had not accounted for the added room in the rear due to the curvature of the doors and the rear door window recesses. These items added almost 8” of bed length allowing me to place my Isotherm 195 fridge/freezer on the passenger side adjacent to my range top and still maintain a 78” long bed space.



Having the entire kitchen galley on the passenger side left sufficient room for a small fixed shower and some storage compartments on the driver’s side. I looked at using a shower pan between 24” and 30” long and 24” wide.

The dimensions of the Isotherm fridge, 22” deep, allowed it to fit tightly against the curved outer passenger side wall. It used almost 23” of floor space. I had 70” in van width to work with. I found a 24” wide shower pan that I mounted as close as possible to the driver’s side wall. The finished shower uses 25” of the van width leaving a generous 22” wide aisle.



I settled on a 24” wide by 27” long shower pan with a corner drain location. The corner drain was critical so as to avoid any conflicts with the frame rails. The corner drain exited just inside the frame rail.

ICON 00461 Shower Pan-Polar White, 27" x 24" x 4" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007NZVM34/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ZxZSDbRAM5PVB



To support the walls of the shower I installed 1.5” aluminum angle between the factory roof crossmembers. The angle was notched at each crossmember and bolted using 5/16 rivnuts. This angle provided support for additional aluminum angle that would bolt directly to the 3/4 thick walls that would extend above the ceiling.





A similar process was followed on the wall using 1.5” aluminum angle to provide needed structural backing to the shower walls. Thin foam was inserted at most of the metal to metal contact points to minimize any possible squeaks. I installed a total of three 3/4” wall panels, two for the shower and one for the storage compartments. Once assembled the combination of 3/4” wall panels and aluminum angle provided a very rigid system.





1.5” aluminum angle was also used to attach the wall panels to the floor. The profile of the shower pan would conceal the aluminum angle. I notched the wall panels to allow the shower pan lip to recess into the wall. The rear wall panel was notched to allow it to overlap the rear wheel well slightly. The Isotherm fridge also overlaps the wheel well by about 1”.



The drain hole through the floor is 3” in diameter to accommodate the small RV style drain trap. This smaller drain only required a 2” hole in the shower pan. The pan was glued to the floor and walls using construction adhesive. The lip of the shower pan was temporarily held in place either with screws or wood braces until the glue dried.







JR Products 95195 Exterior Evacuation Drain Trap https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0095TEE86/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_XXZSDb7G79EPF

The aluminum braces added to the outer van wall and ceiling provided backing for a 1/8” thick wood sheathing. Holes were drilled in the wood panel to align with any bolt heads so that the panel was totally flush. Shims were also added as needed to the walls to provide a solid backing. At the top I glued in tapered shims that would provide about 1” of space for the factory wiring to pass. Construction adhesive was used to attach the curved 1/8” wall panel. Multiple cross braces held the panel in place while the glue set.

The outside wall cavities were filled with Thinsulate up to 3+ inches thick prior to installing the wood panels.









The final steps involved the installation of the fiberglass reinforced plastic, FRP, panels from Home Depot. To make the panels fit neatly required that they be installed in the correct order, ceiling first, followed by the back wall, and finally the side walls. At each step the appropriate edge trim was installed to fit snugly against adjacent panels. Four LED lights were incorporated into the ceiling panel.

FRP glue was used to attach the FRP panels. Wood bracing held each successive panel in place while the glue set. The wall panels all overlapped the top of the shower pan. This gap was also caulked with silicone.











The door panel surround consisted of glued up 3/4 maple that was notched to fit snugly over the wall ply edges and the shower pan lip. The backside of the door surround was also covered with FRP. The FRP edge trim of the previously installed FRP wall panel fit tightly against the door surround once installed. The door surround is help in place with stainless square drive deck screws so the heads are barely noticeable. The door surround can also be easily removed to assist in the removal of the Isotherm fridge if needed.

I also routed the edge so the final FRP edge trim fit flush with the maple door surround.













I initially planned a shower door but realized the door would be a nuisance potentially blocking the aisle way. Instead I installed a simple compression shower rod from Home Depot and a high quality shower curtain.

Eforcurtain Bath Stall Size 36 by 72-inch Heavy Duty Fabric Shower Curtain, Waterproof Bathroom Curtain Hotel, Pure White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OMRKVI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_DB0SDbB1F8W11



The shower valve is an Ambassador Marine valve that has both temperature and volume control. Many shower fixtures now days do not have volume control due to low flow shower heads. The valve is mounted in a Penn-Elcom 3x5” recessed plate. The quick disconnects are from US Plastics. I used the same components for my rear door shower.

I mounted the shower valve up high enough to avoid hitting it with my elbow or arm. I use a Camco flexible shower head with shutoff valve on both showers. This allows me to set the volume and temperature once and use the shower head to turn on/off the water to minimize waste.

Hot water is provided by my Isotemp 15 liter Spa marine water heater. The heater can reach over 200F but uses a mixing valve to provide up to 30 liters of hot water. The water is heated by one of three methods, the engine coolant, an Espar D5, or 120 volt AC.







Ambassador Marine Aidack Hot/Cold Shut Off Valve/Mixer, Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TIAJ0YA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_7G0SDb2DSV0AZ

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=27849&catid=926

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=27863&catid=926

Camco 43714 Shower Head Kit with On/Off Switch and 60" Flexible Shower Hose (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OAG63G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_fU0SDb907KGAN

This shower build may be more involved than what many will want to take on. I wanted to maximize the shower space while occupying as little floor space as possible. This required making the most of the curved outer walls. Wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. Very roomy in my opinion for a shower and just enough room lengthwise to fit/use our Thetford Curve toilet for night duty.

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Shawn182

Well-known member

I am likely goona steal this idea and fixtures for my rear shower as well!

Does the quick connect stop the flow when disconnected?...meaning if the shower mixer valve gets knocked and the hose is not connected will water flow out of that quick connect port?
 
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gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
I am likely goona steal this idea and fixtures for my rear shower as well!

Does the quick connect stop the flow when disconnected?...meaning if the shower mixer valve gets knocked and the hose is not connected will water flow out of that quick connect port?


You are correct. In the links above for the quick disconnects you will see the term “shutoff” meaning flow stops once it is disconnected. US Plastics also sells “straight thru” quick disconnects.

Note that I used 3/4” quick disconnect fittings but the threaded connections on these fittings are still 1/2”.


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gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
SOLAR

My solar arrangement currently consists of six 100 watt Renogy Eclipse solar panels feeding a Victron 150/35 solar MPPT charge controller. Up until a few months ago I had five 100 watt panels. Some quick rearranging of the forward panels and the addition of an air dam allowed for an additional panel.



The six panels are Renogy Eclipse. I chose them more based on their size than the price. The Eclipse panels use higher efficiency cells compared to the standard Renogy panels, thus they measure 6 inches shorter in length but still produce the same 100 watts. By mounting the panels relatively close to the roof they are pretty much invisible from ground level. The Renogy Eclipse panels are approximately 21”x 41”.









For roof mounting I initially looked into using an 80/20 framework to support the panels. However, the cost totaled up to approximately $600 for the 80/20 parts and would add almost 30 lbs to the roof. I chose a much simpler approach of bolting the panels together and then reinforcing the driver and passenger sides with 1.5” aluminum angle.



I fabricated some feet to attach to my factory roof rails. The feet were made from 1/8” x 4” stainless bar stock. I drilled two holes in each end of the plate and then bent the driver side feet to the appropriate configuration using a previously made prototype as a guide.





The passenger side feet did not require bending. Because I had previously installed a Fiamma Eagle awning I had removed the factory roof rail on the passenger side. The Fiamma Eagle uses a full length awning mount that replaces the factory roof rail. Thinking ahead I had repositioned the passenger side roof rail to the side of the new Fiamma awning mount. This was actually stronger than the original factory sheet metal roof.

I also chose to use hinges on the passenger side mount that would allow me to tilt the solar panels. This was done primarily for maintenance purposes making it easier to clean the roof. The hinges are 3” stainless from Home Depot.







I also fabricated roof rail attachments from 1” stainless bar stock and some 1/4” bolts.



I used a Go Power cable entry plate located adjacent to my Maxxair fan and just above my interior microwave/refrigerator cabinet. The solar panels were wired in series keeping things simple with just one pair of wires.



Go Power! GP-CEP Cable Entry Plate for MC4 Solar Cables https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0136USGHY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_KpB0Db05GYKA7

The Victron 150/35 MPPT smart charge controller was mounted on the driver’s side where I later installed an overhead cabinet to conceal it. I installed a Victron MPPT gauge in addition to the Bluetooth Victron iPhone solar MPPT app.









I had plans to add an air dam on the leading edge of the solar panels primarily for noise and not just aerodynamics. The addition of the sixth solar panel at the front motivated me to fabricate the air dam.

It is made from 0.092” aluminum plate measuring approximately 6” wide. Thinner aluminum would suffice. I used an inexpensive Harbor Freight brake to bend the ends of the aluminum plate. The ends were trimmed with a jigsaw to fit the roof profile.





The leading edge of the air dam was cut to follow the roof indentation to minimize any possible wind lift or noise. The leading edge is covered with a vinyl door edge trim to sit snugly against the roof without damaging it.

Gray edge trim large size | U height: 21/32", Grip range: 3/64" - 5/32" | for door, window, metal edges, caravan, trailer and car doors (16 Feet) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071G2X81Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_LSB0Db3BXVZ4C

The supports for the air dam were fabricated from 1” x 1/8” stainless bar stock bent to form the proper angle. The air dam was temporarily clamped to the 1” support brackets while two holes were drilled through the air dam and into each support. Rivnuts were installed in the support bracket holes to secure the air dam with small diameter hex head black oxide bolts. The support brackets were flexible enough that they could be bent as needed to match the roof contour.







With my original five 100 watt solar panels it was rare that the solar output ever exceeded 400 watts. The battery SOC was typically the limiting factor but the weather and time of day/year also limited the panel output. With the addition of a sixth panel I have exceeded 400 watts but I am still waiting for the right conditions before I will see 500+ watts.

Regardless the solar panels have proven beneficial and typically have my 448 ah of AGM batteries back to 100% SOC within the earlier morning hours. If I need to use electricity to operate my Isotemp water heater, the solar panels can recover the spent energy in a few hours while still running my refrigerator and other accessories 24/7.

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gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
NEW SHOES FOR BABY SHAMU

I recently pulled the trigger on some new wheels and tires. I have about 15k on my current set of tires, Cooper ST Maxx 255/85-16. The noise associated with these tires has slowly increased over time. The tires have also always pulled to the right which can be annoying at times. Recently the Coopers have started to cup, adding to the road noise. The tire noise became more apparent as I slowly sound proofed my van build. I am at a point now that the tire noise is all I can hear at highway speeds. Above 80 mph the wind noise starts to compete with the tire noise.





The Coopers proved to be excellent tires in the snow and off-road. They are advertised as an AT tire but many users would classify them to be more of a hybrid tire, half way between an AT and an MT tire. As is common with MT tires the softer rubber of the Coopers is wearing fast and unevenly.



I searched for some similar size tires in 16” diameter that were more of a true AT tire. Not a lot to choose from. Seems there are more MT tires in 16” than AT tires for the 255/85-16 size. I decided to go with a 17” wheel which would give me a better selection of tires.

For wheels I chose the Method 701 in a 17” x 7.5” in black. For the tires I chose the Falken Wildpeak AT in a 255/80-17 size. This tire came with a 55,000 mile warranty and a tighter tread pattern for a quieter ride. My research on the Expedition forum indicated this was a good tire choice with many users reporting a quiet ride in comparison to the ST Maxx.





The Falken measured 33.1” in diameter compared to the Cooper 32.8”. The Method wheels offset was 50mm compared to the factory alloy offset of 54mm. I am also running 14mm spacers for the coil over suspension. Tire clearance on a stock 4x4 would not normally be an issue for the 33” Falkens but combining the larger tire with the added wheel offset and the wheel spacer reduced my fender clearance slightly on the front tires. The rears still had plenty of room for snow chains. Luckily my chains for the Coopers fit the Falkens. The crew at Discount Tire had no problem installing the spare wheel/tire in my modified tire cage.





Under normal driving the tires did not contact the plastic fender liners. But under full turn and hard braking on a downhill slope I could get the tires to touch if only for a moment. I noted the contact spots and addressed them by inserting wood shims between the tire and fender liner at the tightest point. I them applied a heat gun to the fender plastic just enough to soften the plastic. The plastic once cooled moved approximately 1/4” or more providing sufficient clearance.







An 800 mile road trip to Mammoth Mountain and Alabama Hills allowed me to test out the new tires. The Falkens proved to be significantly quieter than the Coopers and even quieter than my earlier low mileage KO2 tires. The van also steered perfectly straight, no more pull to the right. The snow traction proved to be more than adequate but slightly less than the Coopers.

And the new tires and wheels look great on the van.







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Dongoose

Member


Can you talk a little about the wiffle balls in the water tank...I presume this is to reduce sloshing? Curious as to how effective you think this is (or to know if I'm completely wrong about their purpose).

Amazing build...thanks for sharing all the intel!
 

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