that is kind of a steal....
Campers
- Thread starter johnbryanpeters
- Start date
The responding FD guys mentioned the tendency to become infernos.
I'd heard about it in passing before but, having had several vehicles go up in flames over the past 35yrs of driving, didn't give it much weight.
That truck had 380k on it when it lit up.
What kills you on modern diesel ownership is repairs out of warranty.
That sprinter looks old enough to hopefully predate most of the emissions fuckery that drove me away from owning another diesel.
I used to think that way too until I witnessed how genius that is.
Quick process and unlimited access to whatever needs attention.
It is in fact exactly this. I wanna say it's a 2005? Maybe 2006? But yeah, a T1N model i.e. 1st gen Sprinter... no Bluetec or DEF or any of that nonsense. Very mechanical, not a lot of electronical wizardry. Most/all of it's major shit has already happened, probably. It's been taken care of first as a wine delivery vehicle for a vinyard in the PNW and then as a mechnic-owned campervan who is a friend of a friend.
2007 was when the emissions hammer dropped. That’s a great motor, I put a lot of miles on that gen while living in Europe.
Biggest issue is rust but probably less so out your way.
The first time I saw GFF's cab up on the lift, I was a little blown away. He has it down to a science.
Our 2015 Sprinter is the 4 cylinder turbo diesel. A little over 80K miles and no problems so far. We've got the diesel hydronic heater/on-demand hot water set-up too, and again, no issues so far. From what I've seen you can find an opinion (and usually data) to support whatever position you want to take on the motor. Pros and cons no matter what you do, so its kind of a crap shoot. If looking at used vehicles I'm not sure I'd let the motor type push me away from what is otherwise a good deal. It's obviously important but you can get a turd or a jewel regardless.
However, I tend to agree that 4X4 is pretty much a requirement if you plan to be in the snow fairly often. And it's nice to have even for chill dirt roads in the summertime and other gentle off-road stuff. (We're pretty much fair weather only, and I still wish ours was a 4X4 sometimes.)
However, I tend to agree that 4X4 is pretty much a requirement if you plan to be in the snow fairly often. And it's nice to have even for chill dirt roads in the summertime and other gentle off-road stuff. (We're pretty much fair weather only, and I still wish ours was a 4X4 sometimes.)
Packed up the GoddamnCampinVan and headed for the hills to escape the heat.
Maybe not as nice a spot as Jimmydean'sgravel pit shooting range campground, but up over 6,000 feet it was cool out and the views were nice.
Maybe not as nice a spot as Jimmydean's
Who was it that posted the link to an in-depth analysis of how the oil spec for the diesel Sprinters leads to its demise...@Jozz?
It was Jozz. I read the whole article a couple of times and could not convince myself that the author knew what they were talking about.
Just from my little slice of the world of the fire department. The only Diesel car or pickup I saw on fire in 12 years was an arson job. Diesel is really hard to ignite, something else has to be burning hot first Like electrical starting insulation on fire which ignites plastic which is hot enough to get diesel to burn if the fuel tank is ruptured. Now once it gets going it is a bitch to put out. you need lots of foam. Vehicle fires in gas engine equipped are really common and are almost always a total loss as they burn fast and hot and only need a spark to ignite
Or the rare case of diesel runaway. Thats a fun one.
gas in the diesel...and most folks don't know where the emergency fuel shut off is under the dash on the passenger side footwell
On all diesel powered vehicles?
its a bitch to get to but there should be a hole high up in the footwell on the side , its a push button to restart the fuel pump after a collision but can you rip the plastic out of the way and pop the damn thing up with a screw driver killing the fuel pump
I was more referring to cases where the engine receives unintended sources of fuel, such as a ruptured fuel line, or perhaps worn piston rings allowing the engine to consume oil from the crankcase, that leads to an overspeed condition and self-destruction in a fantastic fashion.
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Rare Rides: An All-wheel Drive Chevrolet Astro RV From 1991
Today's Rare Ride is an RV that's small enough to park anywhere, and capable enough to go anywhere with its all-wheel drive.
www.thetruthaboutcars.com
I saw one of these in a driveway the other day on the way to/from Lampert Hitch. They had another non-camper Astro in the driveway as well.
^^^ honey can I visit my balls? Shut up and drive....
gonna be making Pizzas from scratch in the camper ( I will make the dough at home , freeze it in pizza sized doughballs in Ziplock freezer bags greased with a little bit of olive oil) just picked up a 13" pizza stone and a 12" wooden peal
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I’m so pissed mine came with a convection microwave. But now I’m just depressed, I’ll have to change it.
I bought a range for mine originally and decided against it. We are still on the fence about a microwave. I have a spot for one but we aren't even using the cooktop yet.
Fuck no way in hell I would even look at a camper that did not have a propane oven and at least a three burner cook top. Not a chance I am firing up a generator to cook and I rarely stay anywhere with hook ups
I wonder if in 5-10 years, battery technology will be so good it will render small (camping size) generators obsolete.
that will be neato.
But by then there will be SO MANY BOONDOCKERS that camping will suck unless you have a reservation somewhere....
that will be neato.
But by then there will be SO MANY BOONDOCKERS that camping will suck unless you have a reservation somewhere....
not my aesthetic for the finish, but build quality...whew.
Change that bedspread and I could live with that van in a heartbeat. How much you think that ended up costing?
$150-200k?
$150-200k?
Really nice build. But FYI, if you are 6' or taller, you need a longer bed (i.e., the bed needs to go the long way). (I'm 6'1" and can't get away with sleeping the short way.)
That, and the night peeing situation that may arise.
What cooktop did you go with? We're buying a Sprinter that has everything but a cooktop... thinking propane but haven't started the research to see what is out there and good. Got any strong opinions? We'll immediately use the cooktop.
A good friend of mine owned one of those for a hot minute. An AWD version. It did surprisingly well on some Moab Jeep roads, but was nonetheless kinda janky.View attachment 148003
Rare Rides: An All-wheel Drive Chevrolet Astro RV From 1991
Today's Rare Ride is an RV that's small enough to park anywhere, and capable enough to go anywhere with its all-wheel drive.
I saw one of these in a driveway the other day on the way to/from Lampert Hitch. They had another non-camper Astro in the driveway as well.
I'm just gonna leave this here for myself...
Van Life Kitchen // Stove and Cooker Options for Mobile Living
Looking for a cooker for your vehicle, we've narrowed down the selection to the most commonly used and the best options depending on your budget. Ready, Steady, Cook!
kombilife.com
Does the van you're buying already have a fridge? If so, how does it run when off-grid?
We have a two-burner propane cooktop in our van, with a 5-gallon tank under the floor. But we also have a 3-way fridge running on propane when we're off-grid.
We have a two-burner propane cooktop in our van, with a 5-gallon tank under the floor. But we also have a 3-way fridge running on propane when we're off-grid.
It does, it's a 12v only 50qt cooler-shaped chest style fridge that runs off the battery bank, which is charged by both the alternator when driving and a ???w solar panel up top when not. We spent the weekend camping in dense forest on cloudy days, and the battery never went below 85% and we didn't run the vehicle at all for two days so it was only charging with solar. The beer stayed plenty cold, and all the vegetables and other perishable food we brought stayed super fresh. And no ice! It was glorious.
I'm thinking a small propane tank located somewhere probably inside the van in a metal box of some sort. Disconnect when driving. Not my favorite but I don't want it hanging below the chassis to get smacked on rocks and such. We'll see what other options there might be... I've heard diesel cooktops are a thing, but maybe not worth the expense and hassle of plumbing another line to the fuel tank.
I think we want something 2-burner configured front-to-back to fit the space I'm thinking of it going in the van. Something like this maybe:
EDIT: actually maybe more like this one... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZXYZGQT/
I scored a Dometic 2 burner with glass cover. I got it on a scratch and dent sale for $250.
Dometic™ SMEV PI8022US 2-Burner RV Propane Cooktop w/ Glass Lid
The Dometic PI8022US Cooktop's sleek, modern design is complemented by a heat-resistant glass lid that not only serves as a protective cover when not in use but also adds a touch of elegance. The minimalist layout is designed to fit effortlessly into small spaces, making it ideal for use in...
pantherrvproducts.com
Still need to mount and plumb the tank and buy a fan. So I haven't tried it yet, but it looks nice.
Lots of ways to do it but personally I'd look into a diesel cooktop, or at least see if you can convert later. It's generally preferable to avoid single-purpose fuel sources if you can. So for example, we've got the fridge and cooktop on propane, and our house heater/hot water heater run diesel.
This gives you an idea of how small it is. My countertop is 18" so it's compact but seems to fit a pan ok.
I didn't look for diesel cooktop. My fridge is AC/DC, the water heater and cooktop are propane and the heater is diesel.
Our van also has a diesel house heater, but no hot water. Might add that later? But we're not living full time so maybe not. Good point regarding single-purpose fuel sources, plus propane just "feels" less safe. I'll do a little digging on the diesel options. Also would consider electric induction, if something exists that can be run with the current (or slightly modified/expanded) battery situation.
Oh Jesus fuck Christ that's real money.
Oh Jesus fuck Christ that's real money.
Understood. My suggestion was for Full Trucker.
I didn't know that was even an option when I started this hot mess.
This. My wife insists on sleeping close to the window in the camper, but has to crawl over the dog and me to pee twice a night. No bueno.