Walk with us through spontaneous and unapologetic adventures. Join us in budget minded Sprinter DIY successes and failures: Sleeping 4 in a Sprinter 144.
Rambling Footsteps are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
We store the seats from our Sprinters in our garage.
Three months into owning the first one, we dismantled the bed, put the seats back in, and sold it in its original passenger van form. It was easy to sell.
It was nice to re-claim our garage. Sprinter seats aren’t small.
We chose the passenger van for the windows and we don’t regret it! The kids can see out. We can see out. We can lay on the bed and look at the view. We can also chose to put up the blinds and act as if we don’t have windows at all.
I sometimes wonder if I would be claustrophobic without the windows. When the blinds are up, I sometimes lift a corner just to look out at the world.
This was our van when we bought it.
The seats do not move easily. The back seat is especially hostile. It is bolted to the wall of the van and the other seats needs to be removed to get it out.
Just imagine the possibilities of easily changing a van from a camper to a passenger van. You could sleep in it one day and take all of our friends to the beach the next.
We haven’t invented the camper conversion that would make this dream a reality but will let you know if that changes!
In the meantime, I am voting for selling our seats and re-claiming our garage for the second time.
Would you like to buy two rows of 2015 Sprinter seats? We are offering a great deal to the first person that stops by to pick them up! Just think of all of the kids you can take to soccer if you had two more rows of seats!
Here we are in Utah. Deep in the heart of gridlock
For us, a bed in a van is so much better than seats! The soccer car pool will have to go on without us but if any one needs to lay down and rest, we have just the vehicle for that!
Well, this isn’t really the most revolutionary topic but I decided to just tackle it head on!
The Luggable Loo, biodegradable bags, and Poo Powder are our current go-to-s!
Continue reading to learn a bit more about how we ended up loving the Loo. Don’t worry, I pretty much left out all of the dirty details!
By the way, you can click on the pictures to link for more information on the Loo and our favorite accessories!
Seriously, this isn’t a joke. We love these products!
Warning: If you are not used to driving through remote wilderness with two young kids that need to go potty, then you may find some of this information uncomfortable.
The right portable toilet and toilet accessories is a topic of great interest for any budget friendly DIY Sprinter conversions. CD and I agreed not to add plumbing to our Sprinter. This meant no toilet and no indoor kitchen.
In terms of toilet solutions, it seems like we have tried it all. Our kids outgrew their training potty somewhere between the midwest and a highway off-ramp in rural Oregon. We felt both lost and excited. It was time for an upgrade.
The first stop on our next road trip was Cabela’s camping section. Portable camping toilets are not only surprisingly pricey but also in high demand.
It was mid-June and the selection was limited. We bought the Reliance Fold-to-Go. The whole thing folded flat and slid under the kids seat. I admit that this product and I got off on the wrong foot. I pinched my finger on its initial opening. It had three legs that needed to be unfolded and extended for use. If we were parked on a hill or using it on gravel, the toilet was tippy and unbalanced.
Picture a three year old on a three legged potty chair and you can imagine my feelings towards the Fold-to-Go.
After much discussion and extensive consultation with strangers, we set our sights on the Luggable Loo. Once armed with our new Loo, we started the search for the perfect accessories. By accessories, I don’t mean toilet seat cushions or fancy toilet paper holders, I am referring to bags and powder.
CD and I have half joked that future generations will be left with little plastic bags of dog poo time capsules. I wasn’t about to contribute to that situation. We jumped right into the world of biodegradable bags.
These products aren’t terribly cheap and it is certainly in everyone’s best interest to use these products sparingly. With that being said, we also didn’t want to get stuck without a plan when the situation called for a plan!
Some tips regarding biodegradable bags:
They breakdown if they are left in the sun, are wet, or are old.
They work just as well as non-biodegradable bags
We use them because they work and we can tolerate ourselves better when using these than when using other bags
Just to finish off the uncomfortable topic of camping toilets. Don’t forget the Poo Powder! Enjoy!
Sleeping 4 in a Sprinter 144 is our challenge. I knew that it could be done but we wondered if we could do within our budget.
Starting points:
We need two beds.
Our budget is a consideration.
We can’t sleep on the van floor because then we have to move everything.
Sprinter camping should be fun!
Our Plan for Sleeping 4 in our Sprinter
CD came up with a plan. I didn’t see his vision. He resorted to talking with neighbors. A short time later, and to my surprise, we had storage boxes and two beds!
The Final Product: High Roof Sprinter 144 with 2 Beds.
The first bed is a fixed structure behind the third seat. It has storage underneath.
Two mattresses are stored on the first bed during the day. One mattress was custom cut. The mattress measurements are as follows.
Bed #1: 54 x 72
Bed #2: 48 x 68
3. We remove the second and fourth rows and leave the third row in place.
4. Bed #2 gets built in front of the third row as needed.
5. Wooden storage cabinets are secured behind the driver’s and passenger’s seats. These are constructed in such a way as to support bed #2.
6. Bed #2’s platform pieces are stored next to the third seat. Directions to construct are below.
7. The second mattress gets pulled down from the first bed and placed on the newly constructed second bed.
To construct the Bed #2, follow these steps:
Piece 1 goes under our cooler to add height to the cooler and allow it to be part of the support system.
The next piece is a bridge between the two fixed storage boxes.
Piece 3 is a 2 x 4 that pulls forward and attaches on the passenger side storage box.
The final piece is a hinged piece that opens and covers the remaining space. It is supported by the storage box edges and the 2 x 4.
10 Reasons We Love Our Two Beds
The total price tag was under $500. This includes two mattress, one of which was custom cut.
Bed #2 is elevated off of the floor so that shoes and other items can be stored underneath.
There was a steep but short assembly learning curve. We are quite proficient at assembly and can even assemble with the kids asleep in their seats.
We can sleep two people per bed and not feel crowded.
I can sleep head to toe or side to side. CD is a bit more limited in his choices, however.
We can assemble the second bed in under 10 minutes and without stepping foot outside the van or opening the door. This is amazing news during a downpour.
We wake up well rested!
Our Inaugural Sprinter Van, Sleeping 4 Conversion
We drove 8528 miles with a trip timer of 190 hours, 55 minutes and we slept at campgrounds, friends’ driveways, gas stations, Walmart, rest areas, and parks. No matter where we slept, we woke up well rested and ready to go!
CD’s second bed conversion is pure genius as far as I am concerned.
Sleeping 4 in a 144 and how it can be done! Sprinter van conversions can be fun, too
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements
Please follow our blog for other Sprinter family adventures!
It didn’t take long for us to agree that we need at least two full size beds.
CD came up with a plan. He described it in detail. Despite his best efforts, I just couldn’t see his vision.
He disappeared into the driveway. Neighbors stopped by on and off. A few days later, we had storage boxes and two beds.
I started a YouTube channel to document our camping conversion. It turns out that my video production skills are seriously lacking. This blog was born.
I will do my best to describe in words and pictures our current two bed conversion. I will even show a video below; it has already been established that my video skills are sub-par at best.
Initial camping conversation priorities:
Two comfortable, readily accessible beds: Each large enough for two adults or one average size adult and one sideways sleeping child
Storage for food, cooking supplies, miscellaneous daily – use items
CD combined our storage and our sleeping conversion needs. I honestly could not be more impressed. This is truly a budget-friendly conversion that works!
The inaugural trip in our high roof Sprinter was 8528 miles and 190 hours and 55 minutes. We slept in the Sprinter each night that we were on the road. The kids fell asleep during a crazy rain storm after fourth of July fireworks and we converted the beds without opening the door, moving them from their seats, or waking them. This may have been one of the most successful moments of our marriage.
How is our seating arranged?
We removed the second row of seats and put the kids in the third row. During the day, we use the space where the second row was for having lunch, changing clothes, doing stretches, or using the Luggage Loo. At night it becomes our second bed.
In our first Sprinter, I slept on a camping pad in this space. The challenge was moving the cooler, food, stove, Loo, shoes, and clutter from the floor in order to make the bed. This did not work.
What about clutter?
Decreasing and controlling clutter was also high on our to-do list. Storage was the obvious starting place. CD built and secured two wooden storage boxes. This was life changing!
How did we build two beds for four people?
The first bed was built with a wooden frame behind the kids seats. Not only is it great for sleeping but it is needed to build the second bed. It holds two mattresses. The second mattress is stored on top of the first and pulled down to build the second bed.
The second bed is assembled using wooden storage boxes that CD built and secured to the van. The bed is constructed like a puzzle using pieces that are stored to either side of the kids seats. There are three pieces. The 1st piece goes under the cooler just to bring it up to the right height. Someday we will likely upgrade our cooler and this won’t be necessary but for now it works great. A 2nd piece goes between the front end of the storage boxes. A 3rd piece of wood has a hinge and is supported by the storage boxes and a 2 x 4 extending from behind the third seat and anchoring at the passenger side storage box.
The mattress for this second bed is then moved off of the first mattress and placed on the second bed platform. The first bed’s mattress measures 54 x 72 and the second is 48 x 68.
After 1 or 2 days of getting used to the second bed conversion, it was a breeze. I traveled well rested and contented. The total price tag of this two bed conversion was less than $500. This included two mattresses, one of which was custom cut to size.
As far as I am concerned, CD is a genius!
For more details about the bed conversion build, feel free to ask! Again, I am sorry for the video quality but will add better quality video once we have some to share!
Sprinter DIY. Sleeping 4 in a 144. Sprinter van conversion. #vanlife
4 x 4 Sprinters are hard to get. Our Sprinter dreams started with an opportunity to buy a barely used 4 x 4 Sprinter from our local dealership. We did not expect to have the opportunity to get a 4 x 4.
We were already tossing around the idea of getting a Sprinter when we took a Mother’s Day trip to Manzinta. We drove along the coast from Pacific City, through Tillamook and past Cannon Beach. The scenery was beautiful. There were people in Sprinters everywhere. A high roof Sprinter 170 passenger van drove in front of us from Pacific City to the Cheese Factory parking lot at Tillamook. A family of 4 hopped out and looked happy. We chatted with them for a bit. They recommended the high top because they liked to sit on the roof and see the view. They were also the first people we spoke with that recommended rear AC. They had spent the previous summer driving to Texas and were unable to keep the back passengers comfortable.
That night, I typed “Sprinter for sale, Oregon” into a search bar. A Sprinter 4 x 4 popped up. Did the Eugene dealership really have a 4 x 4 in stock?
I called as soon as I woke up. They were selling their 4 x 4 floor model. What? I really wanted to buy this van.
One of my top reservations with buying the Sprinter was the rear wheel drive. I spent my late twenties driving a Chevy Trailblazer 4 x 4. In putting 200,000 miles on it, I learned that rear wheel drive is useless and kind of scary in snow or other variable road conditions. Now that I had two children and my mom brain was in full effect, I just couldn’t imagine driving my kids around in the snow in a full size rear wheel drive van. CD wasn’t too concerned.
As you know, we met at a ski area. We appreciate winter. We love snow. We hope to instill the same in our kids.
With winter driving on my mind, we looked at the only front wheel drive cargo van, the Dodge ProMaster. Since there are four of us, we would need to have backseats. CD found a local company that was able add seats. The next step would be to add windows. CD looked in to that as well and felt like this was possibly something he could do himself. Ultimately, adding seats and windows erased any potential costs savings of getting the ProMaster. We went back to looking to used Sprinters. After all, the Sprinter diesel engine should go forever.
The day after we got home from Manzanita, we drove to Eugene to see the 4 x 4. Since Sprinters are a niche market, we hadn’t driven one yet. It was a high roof and had a few extra inches because of the four wheel drive and more aggressive tires. It seemed huge. We weren’t ready. We discussed the van every day for two or three weeks. We drove it a hand full of times.
Here is the 4 x 4 that we almost bought. It felt big then, but now it doesn’t seem big at all. Sprinter DIY
The price tag was too much. We weren’t ready. It felt big and tall. I was worried that we would sell our other car, spend more than the money we had on this one vehicle and then not want it. To our relief and the sales person’s relief, we decided not to buy it. Well, I regret it a bit. Although, we didn’t have enough money for it anyway.
Here we are two years later. We bought and sold a low roof Sprinter, looked at every truck trailer combination imaginable, designed every DIY camper trailer we could think of, drove Dodge ProMasters, Ford Transits, and settled on a rear wheel drive Mercedes Passenger van.
I have watched YouTube videos of Sprinter vans losing control on snowy roads. I have also watched the videos of guys driving their vans in the snow with snow tires and chains. They swear their Sprinters do fine in the snow and ice. Again, my current mind set is that of a mom.
Tomorrow we head to British Columbia for Christmas. Our route is Seattle, to BC and then East through Kelowna to Big White. The roads should be fine. I am not really worried about it.
Big White recommends snow tires and chains. I grew up in Michigan and went on to drive high mountain roads in Colorado for years. I am sure the van can handle it. I watched full size passenger vans drive in and out of the ski resort and over Vail pass every day. I am sure the Sprinter would be fine.
Hail storm on the way to the Needles Ferry, BC. Summer 2019. Sprinter DIY. #vanlife
So what are we doing? We put our Thule rack on our AWD Sienna and packed our clothes and Christmas gifts in the back. Tomorrow we head to BC in our Sienna. I am a bit disappointed. CD wouldn’t have made this choice so I own it. We could be enjoying the view of Okanagan Lake from our Sprinter while drinking homemade hot cocoa, standing and stretching in front of our Lil Buddy heater, or laying on our bed to rest. Instead, we will be sitting in our seats and then stretching our legs while standing outside in the wind and cold.
I know that my mom-brain is reasonable and helpful in some ways. I also wonder if it is over cautious in other ways. In any case, I will stick with the AWD until CD and I leave the kids at home and take the van up and down snowy mountain passes of the Pacific North West. Until then, I will be grateful that Toyota makes an AWD Sienna.
I will indulge in all of the minivan perks that cargo vans lack. The first thing I will do in the morning is a turn on my seat heater and check out my smile in the visor mirror. Merry Christmas!
As you know, our first Sprinter didn’t work out. It was a low roof.
What did we learn and how did we learn it?
We bought our Sprinter in May and were on the road by mid-June. Our inaugural trip was 3062.1 miles from Oregon to Michigan via British Columbia and Montana.
Our first stop was an hour from home. CD thru hiked the PCT using a homemade beer can stove. Car camping isn’t something that comes to him naturally. Sprinter camping is obviously even a step beyond that.
In any case, he agreed to let me buy a camping stove. We parked at an REI just South of Portland and bought our stove. Since we were already parked, I ducked into Whole Foods. I must have been in the store for only 15 minutes. The kids were standing in the van making lunch when I came out.
Then HB decided to take a rest for bit. Sprinter DIY
A couple of hours later we were back on the road. It seemed like we were off to a slow but good start.
Now on to the cruel realities of the low roof Sprinter.
My head bent 45 degrees when I stood up. CD’s was even worse. My back and neck were sore
I could prop up on an elbow when laying on the bed but couldn’t sit up beyond that. This was less than ideal
The kid’s bike laid down in the back under the bed. This meant that everytime we got the coat box, shoe box, suitcases, or anything else out of the back, the bikes had to be removed. This usually meant untangling a peddle from tire spokes or something along those lines
Was the low roof a mistake? YES. Is the high roof really that much better? Yes.
Interestingly, prior to buying our first Sprinter, I read a blog written by a family that traveled by Sprinter. They had bought and sold a low roof and recommended not buying a low roof in the first place. I appreciate that they were trying to help me and I wish I had listened!
Why is the high roof better?
I can sit straight up when on the bed. The kids can sit up fully on their knees
CD and I can both stand up fully on the floor. My neck and back no longer hurt
The kids bikes slide under the bed and stay upright. CD built a fancy bike rack to make this even easier
The vertical space offers many more options for storage
The high roof allows us the stack 2 mattresses on the back bed and storing the mattresses this way is key to our 2 bed conversion. Even with 2 mattress there, I can still lay and sit up on them.
Is cross – wind assist worth it?
We are not sure but we think so. We drove our high roof during some strong wind across the plains and think it really helped.
Do I recommend rear AC? Yes, Yes, Yes.
The windows in the back don’t open. The rear AC works better than the front AC. I have walked to the back seat more than once to find that it is too cold back there. One of the main complaints we heard from other Sprinter owner’s prior to buying our own was that the back was too hot in the summer. We have not had that problem.
It should be noted that if you have passengers, the AC is great. If you don’t have passengers, it may not be needed.
It is also worth noting that the AC takes up room on the roof. This is a consideration when looking at racks or solar panels but we don’t consider it to be a barrier at this point.
What about lane change alerts and back up cameras?
Our low roof version did not have these and it was possible to drive around without these but life is way better with these accessories. I recommend these!
Is an electric sliding step worth it?
I don’t know what this cost or if it is worth it. We bought our van used and this was included but I find it to be handy. It has been a shelf for cooking supplies when I am cooking next to the van with the door open, a door mat to scrape off mud and sand, a bench to take off shoes and socks or just rest a bit, or as an alert to let me know that I haven’t shut the door all the way. Would I get this feature again? Sure
Our current van is a 2015 Mercedes Sprinter 144 passenger van. It has cross wind assist, back up camera, lane change alerts, and rear AC. If you haven’t spend much time in Sprinter’s yet, please know that the most fancy feature we have found is the giant Mercedes symbol on the front. The inside of the van has been quite underwhelming. If they made the Sprinter with even a fraction the features of my Toyota Sienna, it would be a traveling family’s dream!
Please comment or contact us if you would like more specific details about space in the low roof vs high. CD handles measurements and that sort of thing and is happy to share what he has learned.
I could write dozens of blogs about products we use and love in our Sprinter. Each time we change the layout of the van or try a new design, we end up with new products. Some last the test of time; others are quickly proven ineffective and re-purposed or passed on to the next person. The most important products are best discussed in detail with friends on a Friday afternoon. In any case, here is a minimalist’s Sprinter shopping list.
Disclosure: Please note that this post contains affiliate links. This means that we may get a small commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommend. Clicking these links will not cost you extra money but will help us grow our website. Thank you for your support!
Light My Fire Titanium Spork
Light My Fire Titanium Spork: We stand by the titanium model but please beware that if you pair stainless steel plates with a titanium spork, you may have to tolerate the metal on metal scraping noise.
For those of you that are not quite ready to commit to titanium, there is a plastic model as well.
3 mm Accessory Cord
3 mm accessory cord: CD’s exact words are: “3 mm cord is handy“. It may be because CD knows every knot and when exactly to use every knot but I actually am starting to believe that string is an important travel accessory. Regarding everyday use, we have a piece approximately 6 inches off the floor of the van, extending from one end of the kids seat to the other. This cord keeps the storage boxes under each seat from sliding across the floor and it is quite effective!
Plastic Soap Dish
Plastic Soap Dish: When CD recommended this, I laughed. It reminded me of going to the community pool in 1985. That led me to consider going to garage sales looking for one. I don’t really like shopping, however.
I soon admitted that the best option was to just spend a few dollars, sacrifice a little plastic, and buy a soap dish. Wow, what a game changer. Our Sprinter has a hand washing station and now our bar of soap stays nicely in its soap dish.
CD has commented that he is glad we didn’t have one of these before we had kids or else we may have doubled the length of all of our trips by just driving around to get our stamps.
Hydroflask
Hydroflask: We live in Oregon. This is standard equipment. It really keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. It doesn’t leak. Try it!
Dustpan and Brush
Dustpan and Brush: This is another one that I thought I would never use. CD had this in his Honda Civic when we met. I never used it and was actually against using it. I just thought it was crazy and the car would be sandy anyway.
My opinion has since changed. Last summer CD caught me brushing out the van floor, step, and seats. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. I keep this next to the sliding door, secured by 3 mm climbing cord, of course.
A quick brush of sand or dirt off the step or floor is super satisfying. It may be the mom in me speaking but I just can’t see traveling without it!
All The World by Liz Garton Scanlon
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon.
We travel with the smallest version of this book. We love it. It inspires us. The full size edition is great for a baby shower, grandparents gifts, or just anyone that appreciates a pick me up.
“Hope and Peace and Love and Trust, All the World is All of US”.
Headlamp
Head Lamp: The kids and CD love their headlamps. I prefer to use my “night vision”. Ha! I am sure we couldn’t travel without these!
Notebook
Notebook: An old fashioned lined notebook . There is just something great about it!
Portable Charger
Portable Charger: We charge this each day using our portable solar panel. Then we charge our cell phones or whatever else. It has saved us tons of times. We have the Jackery Bolt 6000 mAh
Advertisements
Advertisements
Portable Solar Panel
Portable Solar Panel: We have the Biolite Solar Panel 5 and we like it. It even works on cloudy days.
Small Wooden Cutting Board
When you eat cheese and crackers everyday you need a good cutting board!
Have fun out there!
Please follow our blog for more tips and adventures!
I could write dozens of blogs about products we use and love in our Sprinter. Each time we change the layout of the van or try a new design, we end up with new products. Some last the test of time; others are quickly proven ineffective and re-purposed or passed on to the next person. The most important products are best discussed in detail while standing and staring at the van and drinking a beer.
In the spirit of last minute Christmas shopping, I put together a short list of small and inexpensive items that have withstood the test of time.
Light My Fire Titanium Spork: We stand by the Titanium model but please beware that if you pair stainless steel plates with a titanium spork, you may have to tolerate the metal on metal scraping noise. We each bought a plastic spork ten years or so ago and those have long since broken and been sent to the landfill. We typically use plastic camping plates if anticipating a lot of spork on plate scraping and metal plates if we are having finger foods. Everyone is happy!
3 mm accessory cord: CD’s exact words are: “3 mm cord is handy”. It may be because CD knows every knot and when exactly to use every knot but I actually am starting to believe that string is an important travel accessory. Regarding everyday use, we have a piece approximately 6 inches off the floor of the van, extending from one end of the kids seat to the other. We have square storage boxes under each seat and this cord keeps the boxes from sliding forward if we brake hard. It works!
Plastic Soap Dish: I know, this seems completely out of place. When CD recommended it, I laughed. Then I thought of going to garage sales looking for one but I actually don’t like shopping. I soon realized that I would just have to spend the few dollars and sacrifice the plastic and get one. This was a game changer. We have a convenient hand washing station and our bar of soaps stays nicely in its latched soap dish. No Mess! Clean hands! This was a win!
National Parks Passport Book: Pick up at any National Park. Warning: May be habit forming. CD has commented that he is glad we didn’t have one of these before we had kids or else we may have doubled the length of all of our trips by just driving around to get our stamps.
Hydroflask: We live in Oregon. This is standard equipment. It really keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. It doesn’t leak. Try it!
Dustpan and Brush: This is another one that I thought I would never use. CD had this in his Honda Civic when we met. I never used it. I was actually against using it. I just thought it was crazy and the car would be sandy anyway. Well, last summer CD caught me brushing out the van – the floor, the step, the seats. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. I keep this next to the sliding door, secured by 3 mm climbing cord. A quick brush of sand or dirt off the step or floor is super satisfying. It may be the mom in me speaking but I just can’t see traveling without it!
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon: We have traveled with the smallest version of this book. We love it. It inspires us. The full size edition is great for a baby shower, grandparents gifts, or just anyone that appreciates a pick me up. “Hope and Peace and Love and Trust, All the World is All of US”.
Head Lamp: The kids and CD love their headlamps. I prefer to use my “night vision”. Ha! I am sure we couldn’t travel without these!
Notebook: An old fashioned lined notebook – there is just something great about it!
Portable Charger: We charge this each day using our portable solar panel. Then we charge our cell phones or whatever else. It has saved us tons of times. We have the Jackery Bolt 6000 mAh
Portable Solar Panel: We have the Biolite Solar Panel 5 and we like it. It even works on cloudy days.
Small Wooden Cutting Board: We eat a lot of cheese and crackers. Grace’s 5th birthday menu was a cheese stick for breakfast, cheese and crackers for lunch, and cheese pizza for dinner. We use our cutting board all the time!
Happy Holidays!
The next post will likely be next week from Big White, BC! Cheers!
CD was sure that a MaxxAir fan would significantly improve our #vanlife experience. He presented a convincing argument. He laid out his plan.
Step one: cut a hole in the roof of our van.
Step one is pretty much where I got lost. Did he really say he wanted to cut a hole in our van?
To be clear, our van roof was perfectly fine. It functioned as it should; it kept the rain out and our things in.
The fan arrived in Oregon. As any skeptical wife would do, I recommended that he consult a professional.
We were headed on a road trip for most of the summer so we packed the fan. Another great advantage of driving a huge van is that we were able to tuck the van in behind our bikes, fishing gear, backpacks, toy box, jackets, and shoes. I barely remembered that we had it until two weeks later when we arrived in Michigan.
CD took the fan and headed over to a family members body shop. I was fully confident that they would have the tools and the inclination to cut a hole in our perfectly good Sprinter. Well, they had the tools and gladly offered them to CD so he could cut the hole himself; they weren’t willing to do the cutting. I wondered if they were afraid of facing me if our van started leaking. In any case, I was starting to appreciate the less intense but more ridiculous side of saving a few hundred dollars by cutting a hole in our Sprinter.
In any case, CD went back to the drawing board.
He read blogs and watched Youtube videos.
Ultimately, he decided to invest in a custom adapter by “DIYvan” (impactproducts). The vent adapter served as a template for cutting, as well as a filler to occupy space in the roof ridges. Hopefully this would ensure a level and snug fit.
As usual, our timeline was tight. We were headed to our cottage in Canada the following week. It occurred to me that If we didn’t get the adapter before leaving for Canada, we would just driving it back to Oregon with our other luggage.
Working with “DIYvan” was great. The adapter arrived just in time. We packed the fan and the adapter and drove to Canada.
After much anticipation, CD was ready to cut a hole in our van. He borrowed a jigsaw and bought new blades. I knew things were serious when he recruited one of my oldest friends to stand by as moral support during the cutting.
While CD sometimes does projects like this with friends around, I have not known him to recruit help just for support. In any case, the kids and I went down the road for dinner and CD headed off to do the cutting. The rest of the installation account would be pretty much second hand at this point. You can email CD directly for specifics. Here are my take-away points:
Safety glasses should be used, starting with the first cut
Rubbermaid bins stacked floor to ceiling may be helpful in catching metal shavings
You will have a hole in your van roof all night while the sealant dries
A plastic bin over the hole is a good way to keep out the dew
Cocktails come after
The anticipation is the hardest part
New blades are worth it
You may scratch the roof of the van but no one ever looks up there anyway
A MaxxAir fan really does improve the #vanlife experience
The first cutsApparently this was an effective way to catch metal shavings
![""]("//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ramblingfoots-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0000B13MT")
“>luggable loo is easy to access. 
Rambling Footsteps 