stickyTaco's boosted eff cancer build and ramblings

Almost done with the bench. I didn't glue the dividers but the outer box is solid with the pvc primer/cement and screws.


I need to finish mounting the compressor but it's hooked up in the meantime. I need to buy some air fittings and decide how it'll be mounted to make the most of the space.


The lids are removable, which will give me better access and I can open the lids from inside or outside of the bed.


I thought I had enough carpet to finish the bench but I'm about 4" short on material so that'll be a project for another day. The current weight is 27lbs so it will be under 30lbs when done...the bottom is open to save weight. Another important design element is that I can take it out in less time than it'll take me to unpack it so I can still have a full bed if needed.

 

Finished carpeting the bench top today.


Recovery and camping gear that stays in the truck all has a spot now. With the custom built storage bench there is little wasted space compared to the large plastic bin I had them all in before.


I need to attach the anchor points for the water, bottle jack, and fridge then I want to clean up the cubby that the compressor is mounted in and I'll be done with this project. The black plastic on the face of the bench will get covered in stickers eventually.


First sticker...

 

With the Tacoma and Z3 builds settled into maintenance mode I bought my next project this week. Flying to AL to drive it home in a few weeks...what better way to shake down a new used vehicle and start to think about the build plans than to drive it 30+ hours. I'm doing my best to not start ordering a bunch of parts until the I get the van home.

The van is a 2016 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500 4x4 144" standard roof crew van with a 3.0 V6 turbo diesel. I've never been big on naming my vehicles but Blauwal (blue whale in German) stands out.



The build plan is to cut a big hole in the roof for a pop top with a bunk bed, add a couple captains chairs for the kids, a bench bed with seatbelts for 3 more passengers, and a fridge for snacks. I hope to be at this point by winter so the van can be our ski vehicle, giving us a warm space to get dressed and booted up.

Then, in the following spring I hope to start the second phase and install sliders, skid plates, bumpers, water tank, OBA, and lighting on it. Once that is done I can upgrade the suspension and go scratch it up.

The van spent the past 125k miles as a handicap/wheelchair lift van. Mercedes had a run of these that were built in December of 2016 to close out the model year. This is the first one I've seen that isn't black. Mercedes calls it blue black on the build sheet.

I've been searching for one of these with a lift for a few months for my FIL and in my research I found out they are a bit of a unicorn build. They have a secondary heater installed from the factory along with a larger alternator and dual battery setup. The wiring is already sorted to the back of the van so the buildout has one less step. They also lack some of the electronic Nannie's that can be annoying off road and have a less complex commercial build (think delivery vans that see 500,000 miles of abuse that are built to load a pallet into the back between the wheel wells). All this in a relatively compact package built on top of a proper 4x4 chassis with selectable 4wd and low range. This model year was built in Germany still and Mercedes no longer has a 4x4 option (new ones are built in the US and are either RWD or AWD with a smaller turbo diesel motor).

The van still has a functioning Bauer lift in the back which I'm tempted to keep like a hoarder so I'm prepared in the event that we need it. The previous owner is a diesel mechanic who bought this last December so he could take his mobility limited dad hunting. He went through the van and got it all sorted. His father has passed and he no longer has any use for it. Unfortunately my FIL is so far along with his ALS that he's house bound so I will be bringing the van home instead of driving it to NH. The van still has a functioning Bauer wheelchair lift in the back which I'm tempted to keep like a hoarder so I'm prepared in the event that we need it with ALS being hereditary.



Once I get it home and start on the build I'll get another build thread started for it.