3 Years with a 144 4x4 - Adventure Van Build Thread

[scav322]

Its been 3 years since I took delivery of my 2021 Silver Grey 144 High Roof 4x4 Cargo and 3 years of me lurking on this forum learning from the community so I figured it was time to share my experience and show off my van!

The buildout took about a year (of weekends) to become usable as a camper and about another 6 months to finish all the details albeit at a slower pace. The build definitely took longer than what I had thought, however I figure that’s to be expected with a project like this. I documented the process along the way and will be posting details of the build starting at the beginning which for me was the planning stage which I think might have been the most enjoyable part.

My Sprinter ownership experience has been great post build. Having a 4x4 van has allowed me to access places that wouldn’t be possible for a small RV or most other vehicles you can stand up fully in. Besides its capability, I find the Sprinter platform to be enjoyable to drive, park, and live with almost like a normal vehicle, you could daily drive this and I know many do. I have put on 15,000 miles of exploration trouble free with the exception of needing the EGR valve cleaned which was done under warranty.

I have also found the Sprinter community to be friendly and helpful and I have met many van people along the way from vendors, campers, and people I have met from buying and selling parts! Its been a good experience all around and I am already thinking about starting a new build next year. Reflecting aside, here’s my build thread for this van. I hope I can share some details that someone else might find useful.

Here's the finished product to start with.

 

[scav322]

Floor plans, materials, and parts are a never ending rabbit hole to go down. I spent months at this stage and ended up with a list of "must have" features I wanted to include in the van. High on the list was the ability to store bikes inside the van which meant having the bed at least 35" above the floor in the garage area. I wanted every inch of space in front of the bed possible to get a 21" wide seat next to the galley and this led me to using Flarespace flares with the space saver flare trims which work for what I wanted but are somewhat cramped. Doing it again I would use the Vanspeed flares as the trims are much more customizable and the flares themselves do not taper and provide more space.

A permanent shower is great feature but I couldn't justify the space it would take in a 144. However with how many Revels I see out there, it seems many people are willing to give up the living space in a 144 to get the shower. I settled on omitting it in favor of having a work space/dinette and just having some more area to move around inside the van, this has been a decision I've been very happy with after having lived with this floor plan for a few years now. The amount of living space in front of the bed allows us to hangout in the van comfortably, and also have a dinette where 2 to 3 people can use the table at the same time. I did end up getting a rear door area shower setup which has been sufficient so long as the weather is good and it isn't too windy, however I think I would go with an interior shower on a 170 build.

I went back and forth on a few other floor plans before deciding on this one, I did not want an interior or bed that needed reconfiguring or setting up each night, and my main requirement for the garage area was bike storage, so a fixed bed 35" above the floor made the most sense to me. I have a 5" mattress and the headroom when in the bed is a little close to the ceiling and it would be nice to have the bed mounted down a few inches lower, however its a tradeoff I'm willing to make to keep the bikes inside.

I had the most fun on the build doing the layout and planning of the thing, there are so many ways to configure a van and needs and wants vary greatly for each person/family. I think the most important part is identifying what those needs and wants are and then working from there to figure out how to fit it all in. Ultimately there really isn't much space to work with (especially with a 144) and that's where it can be fun to get creative figuring out how to do it.

I did draw up a set of plans prior to receiving the van and somehow managed to not require significant revisions throughout the build. I started planning with a dimensioned drawing of the vans floor area behind the front seats bases. The rear cabinets and bed are 8020 framed, while the galley, upper cabinet, and side seat bases are from C-tech and were built to spec. I also drew a set of plans for the electrical system and circuits which I will include in future posts.

 

[scav322]

Delivery day. Got it during covid when they were hard to find. I took someone else's build they backed out of, it is pretty well optioned but silver grey would not have been my first choice, its grown on me over the years but I wish there wasn't as much blue in it.

 

[Built.Vans]

Its been 3 years since I took delivery of my 2021 Silver Grey 144 High Roof 4x4 Cargo and 3 years of me lurking on this forum learning from the community so I figured it was time to share my experience and show off my van!

The buildout took about a year (of weekends) to become usable as a camper and about another 6 months to finish all the details albeit at a slower pace. The build definitely took longer than what I had thought, however I figure that’s to be expected with a project like this. I documented the process along the way and will be posting details of the build starting at the beginning which for me was the planning stage which I think might have been the most enjoyable part.

My Sprinter ownership experience has been great post build. Having a 4x4 van has allowed me to access places that wouldn’t be possible for a small RV or most other vehicles you can stand up fully in. Besides its capability, I find the Sprinter platform to be enjoyable to drive, park, and live with almost like a normal vehicle, you could daily drive this and I know many do. I have put on 15,000 miles of exploration trouble free with the exception of needing the EGR valve cleaned which was done under warranty.

I have also found the Sprinter community to be friendly and helpful and I have met many van people along the way from vendors, campers, and people I have met from buying and selling parts! Its been a good experience all around and I am already thinking about starting a new build next year. Reflecting aside, here’s my build thread for this van. I hope I can share some details that someone else might find useful.

Here's the finished product to start with.

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Looks great!

 

[scav322]

First projects were windows, flares, fan, and then the floor.

The van started life as a cargo with no windows. If I was able to order a van, I would get the windows even if they would be taken out later just to get the factory cut holes. The amount of hot metal chips that are ejected from the cutting blade get everywhere and land and stick in the paint, they are small but they are there! I caught it after the first window was cut in and put down masking paper all over for the remaining cuts. They land on any small edge or flat surface, I didn't see any on vertical surfaces so I focused the masking on ledges and flats. I used some cutting compound to clean it up but there is still some evidence. I don't think they go through the paint all the way but just stick to the top. Cutting these big holes sucked, worst part of the build I can remember. I did 4 windows, and 2 flares, plus the fan so I did my fair share of cutting.

With the holes cut and primed, the windows go on real easy with a few suction cups and an extra set of hands. I prefer the glue in over the clamp in although Ive been real happy with my CRL T-Vent, the aluminum trim visible from the inside looks good (to me) and was the reason I chose it over a slider, although I definitely go easy on the mechanisms. Im not sure why the sliders have so much of the glass non-transparent from the inside.

I put in rear door windows from Van Windows Direct with the sliders, I have really enjoyed being able to open these and turn the fan on "suck" and let air move across the bed, this has been great during summers when the sun hits the van in the morning and its starts getting warm quick. I got an early set from VWD and have had a couple quality issues and I think they have redesigned them since, they are good value for the price compared to some of the alternatives.

I used a Maxxair 7500K installed with the Hein adapter, I opted for a mid-van placement to get airflow over the bed and living area. I think its worked out well and I can feel the airflow in both parts of the van. I permanent mounted a hardwired Maxxair controller which I like having more than the remote that can get lost.

 

[scav322]

Looks great!

Appreciate it! It was a fun project, will definitely build another down the road, I've got the bug now...

 

[Al Torre]

Great planning. Will definately follow your build thread as I start my journey in a new 144.
Thanks for taking the time to contribute your build info to this site.
Cheers!

 

[scav322]

Great planning. Will definately follow your build thread as I start my journey in a new 144.
Thanks for taking the time to contribute your build info to this site.
Cheers!

Thank you! Good luck on your build, they tend to take a long time but it’s a pretty to cool thing to have once it’s done.

 

[scav322]

Project: Floor

I went with 3/4" Baltic Birch for the subfloor with black rubberized coin style flooring. For insulation I used 3/8" mini cell foam. I started by laying down Killmat butyl sheets for sound deadening and then cut and glued in (3m 90) strips of mini cell to fill the channels in the floor, leaving some space for potential breathing room.

I planned to install the coin style flooring in one continuous sheet and had concerns about the transitions in the pieces of subfloor being visible after the flooring was laid down. This led me towards a method of connecting the 3 pieces of Baltic Birch so they would act as one large piece with a flat surface on top. I looked at a few ways of doing this and settled on a lap joint. I used a router to cut a 3/8" depth x 2" step into each of the 3 pieces of subfloor. Once cut and assembled, they did require some sanding to get the joint acceptably flat. Luckily the garage floor was flat enough for testing and fitting the subfloor together, as I did not have the pieces cut to the shape of the vans first. I did the lap jointing first to achieve one large piece that was the length and max width of the vans floor area. I left one of the 3 pieces of subfloor long so I could cut it down the the final length after the lap joints were done. My fear was making a miscalculation on a joint and end up with the assembled piece being too short.

Once the subfloor was cut to final size, I used the factory floor as a template and laid it on top of the subfloor and traced the outline, I included the stock cargo tie down locations and I planned to use the threaded inserts in the metal floor for attachment points, replacing the stock bolts with flat head hex drive M8 x 1.25 bolts countersunk into my new subfloor. The new floor was going to extend into the step area by the sliding door which was not covered by the factory floor. I left that area long and had to install the step extension kit first before I could cut that to size. I used the Flat Line Van Co. step extension kit mainly because it came with a 1 piece trim for that edge of the floor. That kit worked very well and the trim looks great.

Once the subfloor was cut to the shape of the van, I primered it with a few coats to prevent water absorption from spills or trapped moisture, and then glued sheets of mini cell to the backside. Once in the van, I added screws in the lap joints to keep them together and then sanded down and high spots and filled any low spots with wood filler. The M8 countersunk bolts were hard to get aligned over the factory threaded inserts and a few of these ended up with counterbored pockets and socket cap screws instead... I then covered my mistakes with wood filler and sanded flat. I also put some additional screws through the middle of the floor ( 4 or 6 per panel I think) as there are no factory threaded locations in the center of the floor. With compressible mini cell foam under the floor, it was hard to gauge the correct level of "tightness" for the floor bolts. I also wanted the floor to be able to move a small amount as the van flexes while driving or off-roading. I ended up leaving the bolts lightly tightened but coated with red loctite. My intention here is that they act more to locate the floor and prevent it from lifting, while allowing for some potential flex from the vans body.

Last step was to glue down the 1 piece sheet of flooring. This material is not from Loncoin, I got it from RB Components and glue was included, unfortunately I do not know the actual brand of this flooring or the glue used to install it. I sourced many parts for this build from RB Components and was nothing but satisfied working with them (Jamie). They went above and beyond in terms of support and advice. Gluing down the flooring was pretty difficult and can be messed up pretty fast. The glue is drying while you are using a 100lb flooring roller to get the floor stuck down. It was a lot to manage in terms of even spreading of glue, rolling down the floor, applying more glue, etc. Very doable but a lot to mange. Once its all rolled down, I then stapled the edges down all the way around, and then prayed there would be no bubbles or seams visible.

3 year update: No seams or bubbles! floor hasn't moved at all from what I can tell, no issues to report. I am happy I went with 3/4" Baltic Birch and bolted it down. It made a good foundation for installing components on and can take a threaded insert easily. I can also report that it doesn't get very cold and can be walked on with bare feet without being uncomfortable. "Core sample" pic included below!

 

[scav322]

 

[scav322]

Note on Flat Line Van Co. step extension: The height of the extension piece does not account for any insulation used under the subfloor and spacers are required to fill that gap otherwise the floor will flex when stepped on in that area. I used some nylon unthreaded spacers with flat head 10-32 screws going through the floor and into the step extension piece. I also did not want the metal step extension to sit against the plastic sliding door step. I used some rubber push-in bumpers attached to the bottom of the step extension to isolate it from vibrating. If interested the McMaster Carr part numbers are: 94639A454 for the spacers (3/8") and 9309K16 for the bumpers. (Bumpers came in handy and were used in a few other spots)

 

[fireball05]

awesome build!!!

 

[spagthorpe]

I really like those wheel boxes, water and electrical. I look forward to seeing more.

 

[scav322]

I really like those wheel boxes, water and electrical. I look forward to seeing more.

Thank you! Will be posting on those soon.

 

[spagthorpe]

Thank you! Will be posting on those soon.

I look forward to it. It's taken me a month of vacuuming out the van to realize that I probably really need an outdoor shower setup to rinse off the dog after going to the beach.

 

[rpere92064]

Beautiful build, and thanks for writing / sharing this. I love to casually read up / look at what others have done with their vans.
Also i'd love to see more of your kitchen galley - I really like the size of it and look of it ! if you don't mind sharing more pictures / measurement and maybe material I'd love that.

 

[scav322]

I look forward to it. It's taken me a month of vacuuming out the van to realize that I probably really need an outdoor shower setup to rinse off the dog after going to the beach.

I have used the outdoor shower hookup more for washing and cleaning stuff around camp than showering. I used quick connects for the hose hookups but wish I would have fitted a hose reel back there somewhere for easy access.

 

[scav322]

Beautiful build, and thanks for writing / sharing this. I love to casually read up / look at what others have done with their vans.
Also i'd love to see more of your kitchen galley - I really like the size of it and look of it ! if you don't mind sharing more pictures / measurement and maybe material I'd love that.

Thank you very much, I am enjoying sharing my build on here. I will have a post coming soon on the galley and cabinets and can help out anyone that wants to spec out some of these.

Dimensions are 43.5” wide, 23.5” depth, 36” height plus the 1.5” countertop. The cabinets are aluminum with toolbox style drawers on guides.

Here’s some pics for now.

 

[Al Torre]

I'm curious if you bump your head on the upper cabinets while preparing food or using the sink. I've thought about this and temporarily moved the galley over to the passenger side where no uppers will be present. Maybe they aren't that deep?
I like the positioning of a multi switch panel into the headliner. Got a close up of it?
Thanks!

 

[scav322]

I haven’t hit my head on the cabinet (yet), it also helps that the edges are rounded and was a major reason I went with these cabinets. Also the cabinets extend from the wall 14” and the counter is 23.5” from the wall so that helps. The main reason I put the galley on the fixed wall was for a more secure attachment, I wanted to be able to bolt it to the wall.

I will have a post on my plates and switches coming soon. I designed the plates and had them cut and powder coated by sendcutsend.com. The switches are etched from a company called custombilletbuttons.com. They offer a few different sizes and led options and will etch whatever you want on them.