Greta Van Blau- '16 144 low roof 4x4 project.

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
A couple things that might be going on here...

- The MaxxFan has asymmetric blades which don't produce the strong downdraft you may be expecting, but the blades can be flipped to do so:
http://www.promasterforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44201

- Negative/positive air pressure. Have you tried opening the a door or window with the fan running to see if subjective performance improves? If so, consider an openable window or floor vent so the fan is not attempting to pull a vacuum or pressurize the space inside the van.
I will check out the blade issue. Edit: I didn't realize that the fan had this style of blade. I will stick to exhaust mode, as generally speaking with the appropriate window opened this is more effective than intake, all other things being equal.

I am aware that a fan wont do well trying to pull air out of (or push it into) a sealed volume. With the rear door open I get the "best" airflow, however the speed with which this fan evacuates the hot air from the van is drastically less than other more pedestrian fans I have used. In my E-series I could open one rear door window and crank the fan up and the van would be ambient temperature inside of two minutes.
 
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roblee

Member
My van is built for one so planning for bed and storage was so easy. It's awesome to see how you make room for a "crew"!
 

sprinterPaul

Well-known member
I will check out the blade issue. Edit: I didn't realize that the fan had this style of blade. I will stick to exhaust mode, as generally speaking with the appropriate window opened this is more effective than intake, all other things being equal.



I am aware that a fan wont do well trying to pull air out of (or push it into) a sealed volume. With the rear door open I get the "best" airflow, however the speed with which this fan evacuates the hot air from the van is drastically less than other more pedestrian fans I have used. In my E-series I could open one rear door window and crank the fan up and the van would be ambient temperature inside of two minutes.


Agreed. My maxair is useless unless I crack a window. You should be fine with those pop top vents. Plenty of air flow.

Digging the build. Well done.
 

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
Just pulled the trigger on a set of 5 Method wheels with Falken Wildpeak AT3W's in 285/70r17. I have to wait a bit because the local sprinter dealer apparently just ordered 100 of these wheels so the local distributor is out of stock and they have to ship some from the east coast.

F'ing mercedes, always foiling my plans for instant gratification!
 

IPT

Active member
Those wheels will be awesome. i also really like the Moto metal wheels too. You will have to trim some stuff to get those tires in there, yeah? Can you fit that size in the original spare tire carrier or will you be storing a spare somewhere else?

Sort of odd that MB is ordering an aftermarket wheel. Do they upfit?
 
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OffroadHamster

Well-known member
I think they only rub at full lock and full bump. If not, I am not a stranger to trimming some plastic. The spare will eventually be stored on the rear bumper on a swing out arm. Until I scare up the funds for the $4k bumper I want to accmplish this it will reside on a hitch basket on trips and in my garage around town.

The sprinter dealer near me has quite a few upfitted vans on their lot. I imagine they are one of the larger sprinter dealers in CA judging by the size of their inventory. I am hoping it means they are more or less "mod friendly" at least in the upsized wheel and tire department when considering warranty items.
 

tegan_ca

Build Planning
I think they only rub at full lock and full bump. If not, I am not a stranger to trimming some plastic. The spare will eventually be stored on the rear bumper on a swing out arm. Until I scare up the funds for the $4k bumper I want to accmplish this it will reside on a hitch basket on trips and in my garage around town.

The sprinter dealer near me has quite a few upfitted vans on their lot. I imagine they are one of the larger sprinter dealers in CA judging by the size of their inventory. I am hoping it means they are more or less "mod friendly" at least in the upsized wheel and tire department when considering warranty items.
Love the build so far. I've been concentrating on getting a crew 4x4 for mine, but those shots and ideas of bed in CCV top have me going back to thinking about passenger.
What sprinter dealer are you close to with the upfit vans? May have to check it out, I'm in south Orange county.

If you are ever in the mood to show off your van I'd love to take a look and get some ideas. Looks really cool.

Thanks!
 

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
Love the build so far. I've been concentrating on getting a crew 4x4 for mine, but those shots and ideas of bed in CCV top have me going back to thinking about passenger.
What sprinter dealer are you close to with the upfit vans? May have to check it out, I'm in south Orange county.

If you are ever in the mood to show off your van I'd love to take a look and get some ideas. Looks really cool.

Thanks!
Sorry for the slow response, I have been backpacking in the Sierra. Nothing like miles of snow fields in the middle of July.


I would be more than happy to show you my van (bearing in mind its a work in progress!) I believe Laguna Sprinters is the dealer that picked up all of the wheels. They have a couple of up-fit vans on their lot usually. However I think they are selling the wheels as an option, or slapping them on and up-charging on a new van. They certainly have a lot of recommendations for local up fitters. Send me a PM with your name a number and I will shoot you a text with my availability.
 

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
Beast mode....285/70r17. They rub a fair bit and I will need to do some trimming and shaping of the wheel well plastics.




 

marc1

Active member
Nice looking rig. Were going to have to have a So Cal. get together some time and show off our vans.
 

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
I "trimmed" the fenders yesterday to clear the 33's. Actually I took a heat gun and re-shaped the fender plastic forward of the front tires so they dont rub. Standing and looking at the van you cannot tell anything was done. The outermost edge only needed to be rolled back a tiny bit to avoid rubbing whereas the center of the fender well needed to be moved back an inch or so. Very pleased that no cutting was involved. I hate when I have to cut a hole in the fender plastics as it just allows snow and mud and all kinds of other crap to be slung in there.

Heading to Idyllwild this weekend to do some camping and beat around on some forest roads. I took her up Silverado canyon to the top of Maple Springs truck trail yesterday afternoon and to say I am impressed in an understatement. Its not my truck, or my old FJ60 or YJ or any other serious offroad rig for that matter, but if you are trying to get somewhere on a rutted out fire road with minimal drama, the van will definitely get you there. The ground clearance is really phenomenal. All it needs now is a high count leaf pack for the back and some upgraded dampers and it will be unstoppable (where I want to take it, lol). I cant wait to mob around in the snow this winter!
 

IPT

Active member
Man, you got me thinking about those larger tires now. Was going to stay one size down to avoid the hassle but it doesn't look like it was much of a hassle! How do you feel it affected your power?

On another note, with the CCV top when you step into the van it is open all the time, right? So basically between the B and C pillar (if I am naming them properly - the area roughly in line with the sliding door opening) what is the static "roof down" standing height?

I also noted someone in your thread mentioned going with passenger van to start to do the CCV. I'll have to look back in your thread but your wasn't a passenger van, was it? I know now the passenger vans only come with the roof AC and that seems like a lot of extra cost and stuff for something that won't be used (generally speaking).

Any new thoughts, insights, or other comments you have now that you have had the CCV top for a bit?
 

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
Man, you got me thinking about those larger tires now. Was going to stay one size down to avoid the hassle but it doesn't look like it was much of a hassle! How do you feel it affected your power?

On another note, with the CCV top when you step into the van it is open all the time, right? So basically between the B and C pillar (if I am naming them properly - the area roughly in line with the sliding door opening) what is the static "roof down" standing height?

I also noted someone in your thread mentioned going with passenger van to start to do the CCV. I'll have to look back in your thread but your wasn't a passenger van, was it? I know now the passenger vans only come with the roof AC and that seems like a lot of extra cost and stuff for something that won't be used (generally speaking).

Any new thoughts, insights, or other comments you have now that you have had the CCV top for a bit?
I dont feel it affected power that much. The diesel has no problem spinning them. It probably lopped a couple of MPH off of my steep hill climbing ability. I plan on tuning the van however, so it was not a concern for me. Tune takes it from 188hp/325tq to 240hp/455tq and shifts the power band a bit so I should recover all and then some.

yes, it is always "open" however there is one bed panel that covers part of the opening (portion on the left)

but this can be stored up top with the portion of the cushion that covers it if you want more headroom when the top is down. I can measure it in a bit a post back, I am 5'7" and have headroom (not saying much, lol).

You can get a passenger van without the roof AC. Mine was a passenger van and I didnt have it. Most are ordered that way by dealerships because most customers want it, but I found several vans without it including mine. That said, a crew van or cargo will work as well.

Overall I am loving the top. We went camping this weekend and had a blast. It was in the high 80's and up top with all the windows open was cool enough with the breeze blowing through to nap through the hottest part of the afternoon.




I also replaced the mattress with a folding one I picked up off of amazon. It makes the bed 6" wider and still allows the top to close properly and give me enough room to store the rest of my bedding up top. I got the idea from user LooseRocks LINK: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N2VRBP3/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



I modified my maxxair delux because it is a stupid ass design. The rain shield rattles against the fan lid and makes an awfull racket. I added some window weather stripping (the bristle kind) I also zip tied the screen because it rattles a bit. Its silent now.







From the top bunk:
 

IPT

Active member
Man you are getting me stoked to get on this bandwagon with ya'll! Your rig looks awesome. Yeah, I am 6'3 so I'd love to know the measurement with the top down. Good to know that other panel can be moved.

Clearly there is no storage of a full sized spare in the original spot with those meats. You going with an Aluminess bumper then? Those tires look awesome.

Tell me more about the tune. Is that out of the can or something you're getting done custom? I'm sure it voids any warranty so will you wait until it expires of just go for it (I voided mine on a Camaro SS with only 600 miles on it :))?

We have to deal with Freightliner up here and the rep told me the roof top AC was mandatory on the passenger rig. He could be wrong though, I have been told a lot of those guys don't know the options very well. I will likely go with a Crew so I have the second row, but aside from that I am not sure the extra expense would get me much I need. What were the factors that lead you to start with a passenger van? Maybe I am overlooking something in my thought process.
 
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OffroadHamster

Well-known member
Man you are getting me stoked to get on this bandwagon with ya'll! Your rig looks awesome. Yeah, I am 6'3 so I'd love to know the measurement with the top down. Good to know that other panel can be moved.

Clearly there is no storage of a full sized spare in the original spot with those meats. You going with an Aluminess bumper then? Those tires look awesome.

Tell me more about the tune. Is that out of the can or something you're getting done custom? I'm sure it voids any warranty so will you wait until it expires of just go for it (I voided mine on a Camaro SS with only 600 miles on it :))?

We have to deal with Freightliner up here and the rep told me the roof top AC was mandatory on the passenger rig. He could be wrong though, I have been told a lot of those guys don't know the options very well. I will likely go with a Crew so I have the second row, but aside from that I am not sure the extra expense would get me much I need. What were the factors that lead you to start with a passenger van? Maybe I am overlooking something in my thought process.
Because I found one in 4x4 and I didnt have to wait a year after ordering one. I could have just as easily gone with the crew. That said, I like the flexibility of being able to put a second bench in.

I am having an outfit called OE Tuning tune it. They bench flash (ecu must be removed) which is rarely detectable by the dealer. That said, a tune doesn't expressly void any warranty, at least not in the US. The dealership has to demonstrate that your modification led to the given failure. The logic behind waiting till a vehicle is out of warranty to tune it is flawed in my opinion. I would rather tune it and have a chance of getting the dealer to fix it under warranty than tune it and have zero chance of that. If a given modification has the potential to break your vehicle, you really shouldnt be doing it.

I grew up adding turbos to cars, modding and tuning myself. I am no stranger to the "pay to play game". That said the engine that is in the sprinter is identical to the engine in the Mercedes ML and GL where it makes 240hp and 455ftlbs. It is detuned for the sprinter for longevity in a commercial application. The engine is more than capable of reliably making more power. If I only get 250K miles out of it instead of 500 (provided the emissions equipment doesnt go to **** before then) I will be fine with that.

The plan is an aluminess bumper, however Van Compass has a sweet tire mount they are coming out with that I may consider instead.
 

IPT

Active member
How much height did the fan add? I guess all said and done the height with the top is already high enough a little more become a moot point. I figure the top itself adds enough ventilation. Where is the fan placed? If not right over the cut out area I would imagine there is not much value unless the top is up. Seems like it would be a lot more useful in a fixed top van, but alas you have more experience than I so I am interested in your thoughts.
 

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
How much height did the fan add? I guess all said and done the height with the top is already high enough a little more become a moot point. I figure the top itself adds enough ventilation. Where is the fan placed? If not right over the cut out area I would imagine there is not much value unless the top is up. Seems like it would be a lot more useful in a fixed top van, but alas you have more experience than I so I am interested in your thoughts.
I think the fan adds about 5 inches. My van on the 33's is just shy of 9.5' with the fan. The top adds a lot of ventilation but only to the top. Downstairs can still get pretty warm even with all the top windows open. This past weekend we left everything open during the day and at night we closed the top up and cracked the back door and left the fan on. This draws air through the bottom of the van and keeps the whole van approximately the same temperature.

The fan is definitely worth it. I leave it set on auto with the front windows cracked and the van stays pretty cool when sitting in the middle of the day (so its cooler when I come out to it. I am probably going to cut a hole in the floor of the rear of the van somewhere and add a passive vent so the fan can draw air through the van without any windows open.

I definitely would not go without a fan of some sort. Now that I have the infuriating rattle fixed I am very heppy that I have the fan. The other bonus is you can close the van lid and turn the fan on as a cieling fan and it circulates air through the van. Its not perfect because its working against itself but it does work. I have an espar heater and this helps a ton keeping the whole van approximately the same temperature.
 

OffroadHamster

Well-known member
You got me thinking about my ventilation again. I think I am going to put three vents in. One in each rear door and one in the passenger side of the van. The two in the rear doors will have a register on the inside with a damper than I can open and close. These two will allow the roof fan to draw air through the van with the windows closed. The one in the passenger side will be behind my refrigerator cabinet. The cabinet will get a thermostatically controlled case fan that will pull air through the vent and exhaust it into the body of the van, thus keeping my refrigerator's compressor space as cool as possible with a minimum amount of energy.

I think I am going to use calm shell marine vents for all three which I will paint to match the van:
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/beckson-marine--abs-cowl-vent--106221?recordNum=6

and marine register dampers
https://www.marinepartssource.com/n...fgno=R4ABK&desc=4+in.+Black+Round+Damper+Vent

The fan will be a cooler guys 80mm case fan with programmable temperature control. I will also wire in a switch so I can have it off when the fridge is not turned on
https://www.coolerguys.com/products...mmable-thermal-controller?variant=30584501705
 

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