2016 Crew Camper for Family of 4

sprinterPaul

Well-known member
Did a recent snow camping trip in the van. Mammoth got dumped on and we were in the middle of that.

I made some enhancements to deal with cold and keep van super toasty.

Insulated rear door curtain that works with the factory headliner. With no modifications.



Garage wall cover to keep cold from coming in below the beds.













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sprinterPaul

Well-known member
Did the Espar keep up? What temps were the nights getting to?


No problems staying super toasty. Had to turn it down to avoid overheating. Temps only in the hi teens / low 20s I think.

My new rear door cover really helped out too. No exposed metal on rear section.


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GSWatson

2013 144
I do the same (insulated rear curtain) with the moving blanket I keep on top of my bed (keeps the duvet from getting the day-to-day dirt). I had been clipping it to the holes in the cross above the doors; I made a wooden trim for that piece and now thinking about alternative fastening....


Greg
 

BBQ Ribs

Member


Seat number two done. This went much faster. Thanks again @gltrimble for welding help.

Should have done this ages ago. So much space.
Paul, it was nice meeting you and your son yesterday, just wanted to thank you again.
converting my 3 to a 2-seater, very impressed, looks great.
Wife was skeptical as she loved the 3-seater, she's now onboard and prefers the 2 and only after 15 minutes in the van:thumbup:
It only took me about 6 months to get down your way but so glad I did.

Also your van was amazing, you definetly have the sickness. :lol:
 

sprinterPaul

Well-known member
I made a couple recent upgrades that I was able to test out on recent mtb race trip to Utah.

First up is replacing my bike rack. The kuat was too long and had poor departure angle off road. I looked hard at the Recon rack. But the fixed layout was less than ideal. I ended up purchasing an Alta rack after calling the owner on a Saturday. It can carry up to 6 bikes.

I also wanted to use an external trash bag. But I didn't want a spare tire on the back. I just don't have a need and it interferes with the bike rack which is priority one.

I welded up a hinged carrier that bolts to the hinges. I picked up a spare tire carrier bag since it wasn't worth my time to make one. I may redo it later if it falls apart.

I filled it with fire wood on the way out and trash on the way back. No more trash in my little 144.

All the changes were huge success. Couldn't be happier.


























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sprinterPaul

Well-known member
That rack & trash bag setup look awesome! Where in Utah did you go?


Thanks! We were in Santa Clara which is next to St George. Did the True Grit 50 miler. Super fun bunch of trails including Zen, Bear claw poppy, barrel roll. Most of the other trails around hurricane are too muddy this time of year and not accessible.

Zen and bear claw poppy were the only trails I had been on before so I rode most of it blind. Super fun.

The rack is so nice. I feel like I can drive a normal speed offroad now. You can also ratchet strap the corners of the rack to the hitch to reduce sway. I wasn't going very far off road so I didn't bother to.


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nikodog

New member
When you say "the fixed layout was less than ideal" are you talking about the wheel baskets? I'm looking at the Recon and Alta right now. Have you tried road/cross bikes on the Alta? Without the swing away, would you be able to open the rear doors when the rack is lowered? Thanks
 

sprinterPaul

Well-known member
When you say "the fixed layout was less than ideal" are you talking about the wheel baskets? I'm looking at the Recon and Alta right now. Have you tried road/cross bikes on the Alta? Without the swing away, would you be able to open the rear doors when the rack is lowered? Thanks


I meant having to choose 4 or 5 bikes. With the alta six i can carry at least 1 and at most 6. The baskets are removable.

Fits road bikes fine. He has diff baskets for mid fat and fat bikes. Which is why I like his baskets better. Taylored for use.

Regarding tilt function: Im pretty sure it does without the swing away. But i have not tested it. Call him. Easy to get ahold of. He will know the answer. Several sprinters have it w/o a swing away.




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Reishn

New member
Can you still open the rear passenger door all the way with rack you made? Would love to see more pics


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sprinterPaul

Well-known member
Can you still open the rear passenger door all the way with rack you made? Would love to see more pics


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I can open to the 90 degree stop no problem. The rack will swing out more.








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sprinterPaul

Well-known member
Busy weekend with bench seats and suspension.





Did a driveway install of the Agile 2WD RIP. Minus rear springs. Super happy with how it drives now. The front was always a weak spot while I was stuck with stock fronts.


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rube

New member
Hey looks like you upgraded your sink. I’m considering something similar, Smev round sink/ single burner combo. Any thoughts / hints about this? Mine will be installed over a TF65. Thanks!


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