Anyone make the switch from a Taco to a Sprinter?

Yeah, you ain't wrong. =( There's a chance I may come to the same conclusion. A Sprinter conversion makes for a pretty shitty daily driver.

 

Oh, I haven't gotten nearly as far as shopping for builders and pricing things out. I just know that if I did go this route, a pop-up is essential.

 

Have you thought about a overland trailer, regular utility trailer with a rtt on top and kitchen/fridge under the rtt?

 

I used to be in VW Type IIs (buses) and specifically the Westfalia campers; I've had several of them over the years. You'd be surprised how many have rust in the walls behind the panels (the driver's side rear vent window is notorious for leaking) and under the rear bed. Some of it is from leaky coolers or refrigerators but most of it is from cooking inside and sleeping- we give off a surprising amount of moisture through respiration, enough that you can easily have a thin layer of ice on the inside of the windows when it's below freezing. I was pretty religious about airing out my campers as soon after sleeping in them as was practical, not so big a deal in the summer when it's hot and you've got a lot of ventilation, but definitely in the cooler months.

Lots of outfitters are slack about repainting the metal edges of holes after they're drilled, sealing screw holes or coating scratches. If I were building a camper van today I'd coat the lower interior with a thin coating of bed liner to seal it; no need for a thick coat, you don't want to add weight.

I'd also use something like 80/20 as much as possible to not only reduce weight but eliminate any issues with moisture.

 

This is totally the plan.

 

Do share

 

The overland van thing will eventually be big. It's just catching on now but expect to see people do this more. Might even see Toyota build a van based on the Tundra or Tacoma platform some day.

 

Forget the Sprinter and go vanning... 70’s style.

 

Or '80's style

 

That pic hadn't loaded for me when I posted. You definitely win! 70's style it is.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1987-toyoda-van-build.605758/

 

I've been following that build. I've got a soft spot for those vans (even though we used to call 'em Dildo Vans when I was little. Probably because it was an excuse to say Dildo).

 

I briefly entertained the idea of an expo van, but without a gratuitous amount of expendable income, I couldn’t justify it as a daily or parked in a driveway.

I wouldn’t mind picking up one of these down the road to tinker on!

 

Most recent example was at Point Mugu, Malibu area. Sucker can get windy, and it will shred a cheap tent if you forget to bring guylines and sand stakes. The night I spent was about a 30mph constant with occasional gusts over 40. The pop-up was near its limits but we rode it with no issues. Park rangers told me that most tents find their way here well before dawn:



Worst examples are my own examples. Freshman year in college I joined the school mountain bike team. We went to my first race, and also I was starting my camping kit from scratch. I bought a 2-pole pup-tent from Walmart for 10 dollars. I don't remember everything I did wrong, but I think I did everything wrong. I woke up that morning with my waist to my feet fully under water. (Tent was pitched on a stupidly angled slope, which is one of many steps on doing it wrong. )
I learned a lot on that trip.

 

We just switched from a GMC Safari to a 2013 Tacoma with a wedge camper. I am much happier with the truck. I also have a handful of friends with sprinters and I test drove some when I was shopping for the van a bunch of years ago. Wife and I lived out of the Safari in Alaska and Canada for about 3 months before moving to Utah, then used it for trips up to about a week at a time. We now use the truck camper for weekend trips, but haven't had a long trip in it yet. Here are some thoughts for ya...

• Sprinters are expensive
• Sprinters feel huge to drive! I would not DD one (truck is my DD and I love it, though I mostly bike to work)
• Vans are typically hard to work on since the hood is very short. This may be better with a Sprinter but it was a pain in the ass to change a spark plug on my Safari
• Vans are great for stealth camping and climbing into the back without having to go outside is choice in bad weather.
• If you're gonna get a sprinter, get a high roof and don't even bother with the pop-top idea.
• Vans don't really feel like camping since you're hanging out/sleeping inside a metal box.
• The truck drives so much better and there are so many options for improving suspension to get the ride you want.
• Isolating dirty gear in the bed is great
• The wedge camper is a nice space to hang out in during bad weather, but it still feels like camping. This is a plus to me since camping is kinda the point.

 

Oh van life. I've been obsessed with buying and building one out. So many options to choose from and so many builders.
I came across this guys build a while back. Love the simplicity and design.

https://www.youtube.com/user/asimba2

 

Been subscribed to them for a bit (came across them when I was thinking about 4x4 vs 2x4)

 

Also a list of van builders
https://explorevanx.com/van-builders

 

Plenty of Sprinters in the western campgrounds I've visited. Everyone agrees; nice, but expensive. Purchase and maintenance. The Sprinters are mostly younger city people on vacation, the older people still need a 50' motorhome for two. Pickups with campers/trailers mainly for a purpose; fishing, hunting, etc., more versatile. Everybody's a little different.