# Sprinter 4x4 gear hauler and camper



## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Finally a Sprinter van in 4x4, bike, moto, snowboard, surf and whatever else hauler begins. Going with a weekender style interior focused on gear hauling. Goal is to haul 4 bikes inside for travel. Will use a North Shore 6 bike rack on the back for shuttle days.

Literally installed the North Shore rack on the dealer lot and drove directly to Gooseberry Mesa to camp in ride. Not many folks get to sleep in their new rig and ride on their first day of ownership -









Cosmetics and tires coming along -


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

Congrats on a sweet rig!


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## pcasso87 (Oct 17, 2014)

Dude i am so envious right now!! I absolutely love it!!! You could have not made a better purchase. Do they come with the 4 or 6 pot diesel? Im subscribed for updates. Please post some interior pics as well, im looking at one to replace my wagon later down the road.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Right now they are only available with the 6 cyl diesel, not certain if the 4cyl will be offered in the future. It's a Crew spec van so the interior is fairly spartan at the moment. Will post pics as the build evolves.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

Got wood


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## gribble (Mar 1, 2007)

That looks sweet. If you need inspiration, check out the following (you may have already seen both of these):

Our Home

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans Info - Sportsmobile Custom Camper Vans


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

gribble said:


> That looks sweet. If you need inspiration, check out the following (you may have already seen both of these):
> 
> Our Home
> 
> Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans Info - Sportsmobile Custom Camper Vans


Thanks Gribble, and yes, I am familiar with your site. Very cool and that's quite a nice build you have. I have a LOT of work to do.


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

That is an awesome adventure vehicle. Congrats!


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## Neseth (Nov 4, 2009)

$50k is too salty for me as something that's not my main vehicle. I'll wait a few years and hopefully get one for $20k. The problem is the 4x4 is going to have insane resale value compared to the 2WD, so getting one for $20k may never happen :-(

I want to turn it into a camping vehicle complete with bunk beds and a shower/toilet. Bike and fishing gear inside.

Unfortunately most of the build kit places are in europe. Which means shipping and customs will suck getting the parts i need.

But here's a website with the shower stall: http://www.diyrvshop.com/

This Rock and roll bed is what i want to put in it, can be used as a couch and a bed: Smart Beds - Rock and roll beds for camper vans


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## Blatant (Apr 13, 2005)

Jebus, that thing is awesome. Congrats.


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## gribble (Mar 1, 2007)

Err, if only that was my vehicle.

Unfortunately I am not an owner, just a dreamer. In the UK the VW Transporter/California vans are very popular (old version used to be sold as the Eurovan in the US I think), and come in 4x4 and regular front wheel drive.

A lot less space than a sprinter, but we have far smaller roads and even smaller homes in which to keep vans outside.


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## SierraOutsider (Apr 1, 2015)

Sprinter 4x4 with a platform bed in the back mountain bikes and other gear can fit under = the dream.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Thanks guys. Long time coming and a long way to go. The build will be an adventure in and of its self.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Awesome rig, Err.

DH just walked in and had this link written on a sticky note: sprinter-rv.com/

They do a comprehensive guide to all commercial sprinter conversions, but they also have a DIY gallery tab that has beautiful conversions done by owners. 
Sprinter RV: DIY Sprinter RV Conversion Gallery

These conversions can only be described as a labor or love. Really beautifully done. Definitely inspiring.

I know a person on mtbr did a great Sprinter conversion and documented it, but can't recall who that was.


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## GSJ1973 (May 8, 2011)

June Bug said:


> I know a person on mtbr did a great Sprinter conversion and documented it, but can't recall who that was.


This it? Building an Adventure Van - ADVrider

He does some cool stuff with that 80/20 stuff for sure.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

GSJ1973 said:


> This it? Building an Adventure Van - ADVrider
> 
> He does some cool stuff with that 80/20 stuff for sure.


Geek's build is legend, def lessons to be learned there


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## RancidSLP (Nov 6, 2008)

Outside Van - Mercedes Sprinter Custom Conversion Camper Van Experts

Great site for build out inspiration.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Outside van does some great work. They're definitely tops in design IMO. Sadly, all that high-quality work comes at a very high cost. On the up side, I will most definitely be taking cues from their past builds.

I need to snap a few more pics, soon. Here's an update on the build.

Stereo - The factory stereo is brutally awful. It is being upgraded using a JL Cleansweep DSP to retain the stock Nav HU but clean-up the signal to send to an Alpine 5 channel 900w RMS amp which will send all that power to a set of JL components in the doors, a set of JL 6x9's in the back doors and a 10" shallow mount JL sub.

The stereo install will also mark the start of Thinsulate sound/thermo insulation and Second Skin Damplifier-Pro to keep the vibrations down. 

Seat swivels for driver and passenger are going in so that we can spin the seats around and chill out inside. 

Thule Hyper XL box going up on the roof and I'll be leveraging it's 2 way opening capability as a tilt system for the 200 W of Renogy solar panels that I'm going to attach to it. 

Also the roof will get modded with a Fantastic Vent Fan with an automatic rain sensor so that I can leave it open throughout the day. 

Those solar panels are going to be sending power to a Stark 125ah LiFeP04 (Lithium Ion) battery that will eventually get tied in to the vehicle charging system. I'll be using a 2000W pure sine Xantrex inverter and Xantrex battery monitor to keep track of how much power my National Luna 50L split fridge/freezer and other gadgets are pulling. I ordered my van with an aux batter and I have a Goal Zero Yeti 150 for additional power sources.

Bikes (The most important thing, right?) will go inside the van under the panel bed that I'm currently designing. Along with storage for bike essentials in boxes that will surround the wheel wells. 

Eventually, I'll have a small kitchen area built around the fridge and some sort of upgraded flooring but that's a while out. 

Our KTM's will hang off a Versahaul double moto carrier on the rear hitch. I'm working on a fuel carrying solution to keep the cans outside of the van.

There's probably a million more things go comment on but so far we focusing on a place to sleep, a basic power system, and a way to haul all our gear and some fun cosmetic and creature comforts.

Later this year, I'm planning to install an Espar D2 diesel fired heater for winter camping (toasty!) and finish out the insulation.


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## KevinGT (Dec 25, 2012)

Badass! Thread subscribed.

Keep the updates coming. More pics!


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## nativeson (Apr 4, 2005)

this #vanlife thread rules....we're probably a couple years out from getting one. a 40th bday present for the other half. looking forward to your mods and journeys.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Started mocking up the bed (string) and bike storage. The bed will be built out of 80/20, hope to get it all ordered this week.










Also got my Thule Hyper XL box mounted up on the roof, cross bars plasti-dipped, and installed an Aluminess ladder so that I can get to it. Having owned a few lifted vehicles, including currently a lifted 4-Runner, the highroof Sprinter just feels enormous in terms of height.


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## Burnsides (Sep 11, 2010)

Very Nice!! I just sold my '10 Dodge 4x4 truck and have a Sprinter on order, delivery in 6-8 weeks. I ended up going with 2wd for the fuel economy even though I really wanted the 4x4 and was willing to pay the upfront cost, I just couldn't justify it. If I have to park and ride my bike up a few crappy roads over the years so be it. I can't do quite as much custom work inside as I need the open space for occasional work duties but we have many of the same ideas-bad ass stereo, renogy solar panels, aux battery, invertor, mini fridge, roof vent. I can barely wait to get my hands on it!


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## SierraOutsider (Apr 1, 2015)

Anybody seen a platform bed like Err's mocking up in a Sprinter high enough to leave front wheels on?


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

SierraOutsider said:


> Anybody seen a platform bed like Err's mocking up in a Sprinter high enough to leave front wheels on?


Yeah, RB Components (RB Components | Leader in Outfitting Shops, Garages and Trailers) will sell you one with 45" clearance underneath or you could build it yourself as I am. Most bikes, bar to ground is lower than that, mine run 41-42" bar to ground. At 42" that I'm going with, I could get most of my bikes under there with the wheel on but then the overall length becomes an issue to my kitchen.


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## SierraOutsider (Apr 1, 2015)

Err said:


> Yeah, RB Components (RB Components | Leader in Outfitting Shops, Garages and Trailers) will sell you one with 45" clearance underneath or you could build it yourself as I am. Most bikes, bar to ground is lower than that, mine run 41-42" bar to ground. At 42" that I'm going with, I could get most of my bikes under there with the wheel on but then the overall length becomes an issue to my kitchen.


Ahh, that makes sense. I'm 6'3" so my bed would need to be that long anyway, so sounds like I could theoretically get away with a bed long and tall enough to keep wheels on.

Thanks for posting, keep updates on your buildout coming!


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Got the interior back together after a lengthy stereo install and a good start to sound and heat insulation up front. Its been raining like crazy in the SLC area and all the good MTB is shut down right now so we loaded up the motos and headed south a bit for some desert riding. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday and it was nice to actually use the van rather than work on it. Couple more crappy cell phone shots of the progress -


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## onlyontwo (Nov 21, 2006)

Subscribed! 

Err, my wife and I have just started looking into a Sprinter conversion for our family. What kind of real world MPG are you getting with the 4x4? I'm not sure if I can justify the 4x4 if it greatly impacts the MPG as it is one of the main reasons we are considering a Sprinter.

I can't wait to see how this progresses.

Cheers,
-A


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## Burnsides (Sep 11, 2010)

onlyontwo I had the exact same debate with myself and ended up ordering 2wd. I'll be interested in Err's real world experience but I estimated the highway mpg would drop from about 27 (4cyl 2wd) to 20 (6cyl 4wd). Those numbers came from discussions with my salesman about his customers vans and also looking at fuelly.com. There will certainly be a few days I'll wish I had the 4wd but many hundreds of days I'm happy to have the extra mpg. I live a looong ways from great riding! I take delivery of my van this Wednesday!


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

I always wondered if in real world usage - where maybe you don't have a level camp site, or you can't park on the "correct" slope for sleeping comfortably - would a hammock-type bed work better? It will be a long time before I can justify one of these, but I'm planning already.

-F


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

onlyontwo said:


> Subscribed!
> 
> Err, my wife and I have just started looking into a Sprinter conversion for our family. What kind of real world MPG are you getting with the 4x4? I'm not sure if I can justify the 4x4 if it greatly impacts the MPG as it is one of the main reasons we are considering a Sprinter.
> 
> ...


I'm getting about 14-16 MPG. I do live in UT where we have a lot of elevation changes and 80 MPH speed limits and I tend to drive 80-82 MPH on the highway. When I slow down a bit it goes up to 16-18 MPG. So far, nothing special from a MPG standpoint and no reason to run out and buy a sprinter. I got similar MPG in my F350.

I go places that you're not going to go with 2wd, it this is not a factor for you, a bud has a 2wd with the 4cyl and 7 spd and is getting more like 22 MPG, but his is also a low roof.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Fleas said:


> I always wondered if in real world usage - where maybe you don't have a level camp site, or you can't park on the "correct" slope for sleeping comfortably - would a hammock-type bed work better? It will be a long time before I can justify one of these, but I'm planning already.
> 
> -F


Having camped inside, on top (roof top tent), and now inside my van for many years. What the wife and I have found is that as long as our heads are a bit higher than our feet (but not dramatically sloped) and that we're roughly close to level side to side, we sleep just fine. With that, the biggest thing we encounter is that sometimes we'll nose into a spot and realize we mis-calculated the slope and have to spin it around and back in.

That all said, we did seriously consider a hammock this time, so it's interesting that you bring it up. In the end, the panel bed approach seemed the best for us. I tested and found that I don't sleep all that well in the position a hammock puts me in. If it works for you could be cool and less expensive than building an elaborate bed. We decided to go with a 6" thick memory foam mattress on an elevated panel bed.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Been a while since an update but making good progress. I've got a few trips under my belt now and getting a better feel for things.

I found myself to be using the roof box a lot which means a ton of trips up and down the Aluminess ladder. Unfortunately the ladder was supplied without any sort of grip tape or knurling on the rungs and was a bit deathy when wet. I hit my local skateboard shop for some grip tape and it's all good now -









I went up to race the Idaho 100 ISDE enduro a couple weeks ago which was my longest trip in the heat with the National Luna running off the factory aux 100ah LA battery. The Luna seems to really sip the power, especially considering I had neither venting nor my vented windows in. One thing I took advantage of was to pull the fridge out of the van, attach to shore power, and kick it on Turbo Cool to bring it down below zero. Then I threw it back in the van where it hardly ran for quite a while. I'm really liking this setup. Pulling ice cream out of the freezer following a 6+ hour, 120 mile race was darn near priceless. Even after 40 hours with only a couple hours engine run time, I haven't seen my battery voltage drop below 12.3.









My Stark Power 125ah lithium battery is still AWOL, ordered a few months ago, hoping that it will show soon so I can finish out my solar and house battery setup.

I had a CRL vented window installed last week. No trips in since the install but it looks fairly nice and should really help temps in combination with the roof vent I'll be installing shortly. Still debating whether to add a vented window to the sliding door -









Yesterday, about $1200 worth of 8020 showed up and I'm working on my panel bed now. I went all black ano. Crossing my fingers that the design I came up with will work.









Lastly, for now, everyone keeps asking about mileage. All I can say is don't go racing out to buy a 4x4 Sprinter to save on fuel. Big tires + 4x4 + high roof + a bit under powered = crappy gas mileage. I have seen 16 and 17 for flat, slower trips but driving up around the speed limit gets ugly, especially when there's any wind.









Oh and I fabbed up a basic rotopax mount for my roof rack. For now, I'm carrying just 2 x 2 Gal cans for my motos but have extensions around to allow for diesel or whatever. When I first threw this up there I was fairly convinced I wasn't going to like it long-term but it's actually working out well and cost next to nothing since it was made of out $6 piece of scrap metal and "found" hardware. The gas cans actually form a bit of a shelf to hold things when I'm getting gear out of the roof box. My original plan was to put the cans on the rear doors but clearance is super tight with motos on the hitch carrier so that's out for now.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Some fun new toys just showed up...

Renogy 100W flexible panel and a 125ah Stark Power lithium battery -









I'm going to tie the Stark battery to the vehicle charging system and then to solar mounted on my roof box. I was going to start right off with 200W but the Luna has been so gentle on my factory 100ah LA battery that I'm not sure that I need much more than the 125ah Stark and 100W. In any event, I've gone with a charge controller that can handle a second 100W panel if I end up needing it.

And the panel bed is in. Still have a few small things to take care of but it's 95% there. Can't wait till the next trip to try it out. Bikes will be going up underneath the bed shortly. Gotta finish fabbing up my rack solution.


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## Geeze6700 (Oct 10, 2009)

What is your maximum metal to metal cross width for the bed?


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Geeze6700 said:


> What is your maximum metal to metal cross width for the bed?


My panels are 68" wide and rest on 1.5" thick support beams on each side. Actual wall to wall measurement ofthe van varies depending on exactly where you take the measurement. The 1.5" width of the side supports and ability to locate the L brackets along the track provides the required flexibilty to fasten the panels to the side supports where needed.


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## Rogue426 (May 5, 2013)

Subscribed


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Snow Mode:


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## kgorman (Apr 14, 2005)

Any updates Err?


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## rushman3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Subscribed


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## BAMAFAN92 (Jun 3, 2015)

Kick ass van!!


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## Boomchakabowwow (Sep 8, 2015)

i like that better than a Sportmobile4x4. 

sick. right now, i'll just curl up in the back of my tacoma and dream about everyone's Sprinter


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Been so busy traveling and using it the build slowed down a bit. Now that fall is approaching, I'll get back to work on it. Updates to follow.


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## hillclinger (Nov 1, 2015)

*What tires?*



Err said:


> Finally a Sprinter van in 4x4, bike, moto, snowboard, surf and whatever else hauler begins. Going with a weekender style interior focused on gear hauling. Goal is to haul 4 bikes inside for travel. Will use a North Shore 6 bike rack on the back for shuttle days.
> 
> Literally installed the North Shore rack on the dealer lot and drove directly to Gooseberry Mesa to camp in ride. Not many folks get to sleep in their new rig and ride on their first day of ownership -
> 
> ...


Hey I just bought the same van and was curious what those tires are and if they rub anywhere?


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## rodel (Aug 25, 2004)

hillclinger said:


> Hey I just bought the same van and was curious what those tires are and if they rub anywhere?


Duratracs: 265/75-16
2015 Sprinter 4x4 build begins - Expedition Portal


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Yeah, 265/75-16, no rubbing at all, no complaints.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Err, by chance, were you at this past summers Crested Butte Bike Week?


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Cleared2land said:


> Err, by chance, were you at this past summers Crested Butte Bike Week?


We made it to Crested for a few days, not sure if bike week was going on.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I saw a 4x4 Sprinter that looked like yours with the side ladder and a Thule Hyper on top and a bike rack on the back. I was walking down Main St. and It was parked on a side street and I had to divert to go check it out. Last week of this last June. That is the only 4x4 Sprinter I've seen with a side ladder.


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## brigantinesprinter (May 2, 2016)

looks sick, just picked one up may have to resource your posts. any must do's or issues you ran into during build or owning? would love to know how you're liking the whole setup


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Enjoying the hell out of it still. Just about to install a celing vent and a bunch more insulation. Looking at adding a second rv style window as well. Air glow can kinda suck compared to sleeping in a ten.


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## rachmak (Jul 1, 2013)

very cool! I have a quick albeit stupid question but I can't seem to find a good answer on the net. 

How do you bolt or screw the bed frame and other pieces to the side and floor of the van? Do you just use standard machine screws? Are you afraid that you will drill into any electrical components?


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

rachmak said:


> very cool! I have a quick albeit stupid question but I can't seem to find a good answer on the net.
> 
> How do you bolt or screw the bed frame and other pieces to the side and floor of the van? Do you just use standard machine screws? Are you afraid that you will drill into any electrical components?


I used 4 M8 rivnuts and bolts per side to anchor the bed to the walls, it is not anchored to the floor. Machine screws alone would probably pull out of the wall over time. You have clear view of what you are drilling into when doing this so not much risk of hitting electrical or anything else.


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

Updates - 
Reconfigured my bike rack setup using 1Up trays and am now leaving the front wheels attached. 









Also added a basic kitchen area with a stove, fridge on a slide-out and a bunch of shelving/storage. This will probably evolve over the next few months.


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## tehllama (Jul 18, 2013)

That minimalist kitchenette actually looks gorgeous. Seriously nice.

The RWD-only long chassis Sprinter that my mom's Roadtrek is built on is nowhere near capable enough to get out to gooseberry in bad weather, but I could totally see how a 4x4 one will handle that.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Congratulations! Looking good.

Is that green shag carpet?


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

@tehllama - Thanks and yeah no problems with getting to places like Gooseberry, in fact we spent the first night we owned the van camping up on the Mesa.

@Cleared2land - Yeap, green shag courtesy of Ikea.


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## rodel (Aug 25, 2004)

so awesome!

special order those racks from 1Up or did you cut those up yourself? same setup as Lopes, very nice.

my wife is bugging me to sell my UJoint E350 to get a 4x4 Sprinter... i guess its a good problem to have... thing is the E350 is all paid for. I don't want another payment. need moar bikes!


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## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

1Up has the racks available, just have to call them since they're not on the site yet. Then I used L-Track from Mac's custom tie downs and bolted it through the wood floor. Bikes just roll in to place. My bed is a hair too low to clear the bars right now so I have to strap the front-ends down a bit. Not a big deal and it does create a "brake" effect since I run the strap through the wheel to cinch it down. Later this summer I'm going to pull out my bed and make a few adjustments so I can raise it up a couple inches.


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## doug1.black (4 mo ago)

Are you letting the air out of the shocks to get your bikes to sit that low?


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## LanceWeaklegs (Dec 24, 2019)

After 6 years, the air all seeped out on its own ….


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