Finally got my moto van! (Update: Cargo area done)

JM485
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Davis, CA US
9/3/2017 6:11pm Edited Date/Time 2/11/2018 7:49pm
I've been wanting to get a moto van for a while now, but being in school made it just not feasible financially. Well, now that I'm graduated and employed, I finally pulled the trigger on the van I've been wanting! After going back and forth for a while about whether to get the Ford or the Mercedes, i decided that the high roof 144" wheelbase Mercedes was the best choice for me. There were a few reasons I chose the Sprinter over the Transite:

1. The high roof Sprinter gave me another 6 inches over the medium roof Transite, and allows me to easily stand (I'm 6 foot).

2. The Sprinter comes with the diesel standard, while it's pretty expensive to get one in the Ford. Gas mileage is better as well

3. It's a fricken Mercedes! Ya I'm shallow and I wanted one, deal with it.Tongue

Plans include getting a wall, sheeting and insulating the cargo area, bars for the back windows, and getting a bed setup going. I'm super stoked, this is going to open up so many riding options to me being able to lock things securely and even camp in the back if needed. I wasn't going to get one with windows but this one was an unbelievable deal (used with 200 miles), and now I'm glad I have them as I drive it more. I'm not super crazy about the color since it looks more gold than silver in direct sunlight, but I just couldn't pass this one up. Buying a fleet vehicle is awesome, super easy to work with the dealer, no bs just a quick and easy deal.

Just wanted to share, here's a few pics.





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mxb2
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Bowie, MD US
9/3/2017 6:19pm
Nice, inside pics?
-MAVERICK-
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Ontario CA
Fantasy
3682nd
9/3/2017 6:20pm
Nice. If you don't like the color you could always have it wrapped. It's cheap and effective.
jeffro503
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St Helens, OR US
9/3/2017 6:22pm Edited Date/Time 9/3/2017 6:23pm
Wow Josh , that is freakin' sweet! I had to settle for the standard extended Chevy Express. I do love it , but I bought it as a " work in progress ".....and believe me , it's been a lot of work haha! Congrat's buddy!
slotsquid
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Lowell, AR US
Fantasy
3028th
9/3/2017 6:31pm
Awesome Rig! Makes me want to sell my Suzuki Equator and get a Moto Van!

The Shop

mx317
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TN US
9/3/2017 6:35pm
I like
eeazye
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Akron, OH US
9/3/2017 6:57pm
Congrats man! I love my 170 high roof. Just a piece of advise, maintenance is critical on these rigs, as well as the very specific fluids used. If you're doing your own oil changes and stuff make sure to hit up Mercedes' approved fluids list. It will give you the specific approval number that needs to be on whatever fluid bottle you're using. Biodiesel is death on the exhaust filtration system.

Staying on or slightly before the service schedule will give lots of trouble free miles. Enjoy!
bvm111
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Las Vegas, NV US
9/3/2017 7:17pm
May I say that is pretty cool and I actually like the color!

I think once the dust settles from the divorce I might go that same route. Keep us updated on the build out!
Mini Elsinore
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Huntington Beach, CA US
9/3/2017 8:16pm
Congrats! That's an excellent platform for a build. Post some updates along the way.

kb
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Fallbrook, CA US
9/3/2017 9:25pm
Congrats, Sprinters are the shit- I like the color, too. I'm sure
it'll grow on you.
Markee
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Suffolk, VA US
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2006th
9/4/2017 5:02am
Hell yeah man! Congrats. Got a older 2005 sprinter high roof long bastard fleet van. Love it, I finished it out to my needs so its only for camping and riding.

I love driving the thing until it gets windy, good lord its a hand full on a long haul. Went to club mx this year for a weekend, about a 6 hour drive, windy the entire way, had arm pump when I got there. Laughing
JM485
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Davis, CA US
9/4/2017 11:06am
Thanks guys, glad you like it. Luckily with the van came a nice booklet outlining everything that needs to be serviced and when to do it, so I should be covered. Oil change interval is 20,000 miles on this thing, no way I'm waiting that long! Here are a couple quick pics from the inside:




I think the color will grow on my over time, I'm kind of just happy it's not white because everyone and their brother has a white one. I think I'm going to run a bed over the top of the bikes that can raise up when on in use, that way I don't lose any floor space and I can easily lower it when needed. Still deciding on what insulation I'm going to use, definitely staying away from anything toxic or hazardous though because I don't want any particular matter flying around as I'm driving. We'll see, it's going to be a constant project, not anywhere near the craziness I've seen on here before, but just something I can drive every day and sleep in comfortably for a night or two.
jimmie
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Huntington Beach, CA US
9/4/2017 12:59pm
Dude, you're now a "high class" moto bro. Upper crust.
Very cool set up.
Congratulations on your new bike hauler.
yzjs7
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Antioch, CA US
9/4/2017 1:23pm
Just needs the "free candy" stickers and you're set.
Markee
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9/4/2017 2:41pm
You are in CA, I would worry about a radiant barrier than insulation (See reflectix). Noise is a big deal in a open cargo. Look into sound deadening materials as well.
JM485
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9/4/2017 2:54pm Edited Date/Time 9/4/2017 2:55pm
Markee wrote:
You are in CA, I would worry about a radiant barrier than insulation (See reflectix). Noise is a big deal in a open cargo. Look into...
You are in CA, I would worry about a radiant barrier than insulation (See reflectix). Noise is a big deal in a open cargo. Look into sound deadening materials as well.
The thing with Reflectix is it needs about a half inch or so of dead space for it to work, if it's just applied to the side of the van the heat will just conduct through rather than get blocked as radiation. The R-value of Reflectix isn't to great for conduction, so it's kind of a waste as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping I can control the temp of the inside better with my AC after it's insulated rather than have it just radiate out of the van, but I'm also risking trapping heat it's a little bit of a double edge sword. I was considering using either rigid insulation or carpet padding as the insulation, that way it won't get broken down and will deaden the noise significantly. Honestly though, I was pleasantly surprised how quiet the van is just stock, it's pretty impressive actually.

Edit: I am planning to get some Reflectix pieces to cover my rear windows though, it would be excellent for shielding the windows since heat can easily radiate through.
BAMX
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Fallbrook, CA US
9/4/2017 6:17pm
Markee wrote:
You are in CA, I would worry about a radiant barrier than insulation (See reflectix). Noise is a big deal in a open cargo. Look into...
You are in CA, I would worry about a radiant barrier than insulation (See reflectix). Noise is a big deal in a open cargo. Look into sound deadening materials as well.
JM485 wrote:
The thing with Reflectix is it needs about a half inch or so of dead space for it to work, if it's just applied to the...
The thing with Reflectix is it needs about a half inch or so of dead space for it to work, if it's just applied to the side of the van the heat will just conduct through rather than get blocked as radiation. The R-value of Reflectix isn't to great for conduction, so it's kind of a waste as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping I can control the temp of the inside better with my AC after it's insulated rather than have it just radiate out of the van, but I'm also risking trapping heat it's a little bit of a double edge sword. I was considering using either rigid insulation or carpet padding as the insulation, that way it won't get broken down and will deaden the noise significantly. Honestly though, I was pleasantly surprised how quiet the van is just stock, it's pretty impressive actually.

Edit: I am planning to get some Reflectix pieces to cover my rear windows though, it would be excellent for shielding the windows since heat can easily radiate through.
Isn't there enough room to add the Reflectix to the back of the paneling instead of the van wall? It would be a harder install than just sticking it to the van side but, it should give you the necessary air gap.
Camp332
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Zoo Jersey US
9/4/2017 6:21pm
Badass Bro!
JM485
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Davis, CA US
9/4/2017 8:45pm
BAMX wrote:
Isn't there enough room to add the Reflectix to the back of the paneling instead of the van wall? It would be a harder install than...
Isn't there enough room to add the Reflectix to the back of the paneling instead of the van wall? It would be a harder install than just sticking it to the van side but, it should give you the necessary air gap.
Hmm, there could be enough room to do that, there's about 2 inches of thickness to work with. I'm wondering if maybe I could use carpet padding to fill the void between the Reflectix and the van wall for noise, but I don't know if that would be suitable for an air gap since heat could still conduct through. I've done quite a bit of research and have seen others say it's not worth insulating if you live in a hot, dry climate, but it's also only that way for about half of the year and a lot of my overnight trips would likely be in the winter where the insulation would be beneficial. It's kind of a trade off I guess, what's good for the summer won't be so great for the winter, so some decisions have to be made in that respect.


Plans for the bed frame have begun to take shape. I'm planning on making a lower able bed frame that sits above the bikes and let's me sleep length wise in the van. I made a quick MatLab program today that allowed me to quickly change materials and sizes to determine how much my frame design would deflect, and I'm leaning toward using aluminum over steel. It's going to be more expensive and a bit more hassle since I can't weld it myself at home, but for the weight savings I think it's worth it. Also still deciding on a partition wall type, but I need to let funds recoupe a bit before I do much.Laughing
seth505
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SD, CA US
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1048th
9/4/2017 10:23pm
Euro snob! Sick, congrats on a sweet whip.
9/4/2017 11:11pm
Nice van! I see you're at Club Moto, how's that track these days?
IceMan446
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Sacramento, CA US
9/5/2017 12:35am
Yeah bro!!

I'll see ya at one of the tracks soon and come check it out.

Congrats!
Motofinne
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FI
9/5/2017 12:52am
Welcome to the Sprinter family!

We have a 2009 315 cdi(high/long) with a professionally made mid section of van with 4 seats etc.

Great van, the driving qualities are amazing even though it is a really big van!
215
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119
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The Woodlands, TX US
9/5/2017 6:43am
Nice van! It just purchased a motovan a few weeks ago. I was planning on getting a sprinter but i ended up getting a smoking deal on a 3.5l ecoboost transit.
JM485
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Davis, CA US
9/5/2017 6:50pm
Nice van! I see you're at Club Moto, how's that track these days?
This was the first time I'd been there in a few months but it was pretty damn good, Mike does an awesome job with both his tracks. There's a quick gopro clip on my IG if you want to see what it looks like. Layout is pretty tight and jumpy, but it's fun. i don't know why but that track always just beats me up though, I think it's just because to go fast you really have to hit things aggressively and that's not always the easiest on the body.
Markee
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2006th
9/9/2017 4:59pm
Markee wrote:
You are in CA, I would worry about a radiant barrier than insulation (See reflectix). Noise is a big deal in a open cargo. Look into...
You are in CA, I would worry about a radiant barrier than insulation (See reflectix). Noise is a big deal in a open cargo. Look into sound deadening materials as well.
JM485 wrote:
The thing with Reflectix is it needs about a half inch or so of dead space for it to work, if it's just applied to the...
The thing with Reflectix is it needs about a half inch or so of dead space for it to work, if it's just applied to the side of the van the heat will just conduct through rather than get blocked as radiation. The R-value of Reflectix isn't to great for conduction, so it's kind of a waste as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping I can control the temp of the inside better with my AC after it's insulated rather than have it just radiate out of the van, but I'm also risking trapping heat it's a little bit of a double edge sword. I was considering using either rigid insulation or carpet padding as the insulation, that way it won't get broken down and will deaden the noise significantly. Honestly though, I was pleasantly surprised how quiet the van is just stock, it's pretty impressive actually.

Edit: I am planning to get some Reflectix pieces to cover my rear windows though, it would be excellent for shielding the windows since heat can easily radiate through.
BAMX wrote:
Isn't there enough room to add the Reflectix to the back of the paneling instead of the van wall? It would be a harder install than...
Isn't there enough room to add the Reflectix to the back of the paneling instead of the van wall? It would be a harder install than just sticking it to the van side but, it should give you the necessary air gap.
JM, I added a sound deadening to the inside of the outside sheet metal and around all bracing inside. I then added a reflectix later to that deadening layer. Then another layer of reflectix to back of my panels. My panels are 1/8 wood with speaker carpet on the finished side. So I have about a 1.5 to 2in air barrier between the two layers.

So far so good. Not saying its "THE" way to go, but its really quiet compared to what it was with out any "Fluffy" or thick insulation.

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