InssssssssVANity!!!!!!!......or ****** did I just fly to Maine to by a Sprinter!

jjohnny350

Adventurer
This is awesome, my kinda guy, I love these trips. Sounds like a lot of fun I have been lusting after one of these vans for a few years now. Keep up the good work, have fun on the summer tires. Thanks for the updates, this is fun. Great find by the way.
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
The funny thing is I'm trying to negotiate on 3 different rear seats located along my trip home. Hoping to pick one up so that at I can ditch the cargo wall divider and add a seat for my daughter.....and probably the dogs too!


.....maybe I should list the cargo divider for sale on the Craigslists along the way too! :coffeedrink:
 

mtnbike28

Expedition Leader
Not sure if it is still an issue, but if you sleep in the van, get some cardboard to sleep on - if you don't want used, but new boxes at U-Haul and they have a new box buy back, so you can sell them when you get home.... safe travels.
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
Not sure if it is still an issue, but if you sleep in the van, get some cardboard to sleep on - if you don't want used, but new boxes at U-Haul and they have a new box buy back, so you can sell them when you get home.... safe travels.

I'm, what would the cardboard provide me that the 1" thick wood floor doesn't?

I'm in Waynesburg, PA and not sure what I'm going to do for the night. I've already spent 13 hours driving today and have about. 1,400 miles to go. No way I can whip out another 20 hours:coffeedrink:.....without some sleep!


The problem with the back of the van is A) its cold. (Have a 10* bag though) and B) the van has 4 big windows in the back that are very easy to see into right now. So it's not set up to hide out in....yet! (So even the light of a cell phone might be obvious)
 

86scotty

Cynic
Figured out why the drivers side set heater doesn't work!:coffee:
(This the the part tech "build it on the way home" trip report:coffeedrink:)

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That's beautiful work by someone! Did it work after you wired it back together? Heated seats = Happy *** people IMO.
 

mtnbike28

Expedition Leader
I missed you had a wood floor... thought it was metal. The cardboard is insulating and has a bit of give. When I sleep in the back of my "91 pickup, it made all the difference! Just a suggestion.... ps glad you have heated seats!
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
I missed you had a wood floor... thought it was metal. The cardboard is insulating and has a bit of give. When I sleep in the back of my "91 pickup, it made all the difference! Just a suggestion.... ps glad you have heated seats!

Thanks! I appreciate the tip! I thought that is what you were talking about. But had to ask, didn't want to miss a good tip if there was another reason!:coffeedrink:
 

Barrows

Adventurer
Oh that is about a half hour from me, I would have bought you a beer and lobstah roll. Looking forward to seeing what happens with the van. :friday:
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
Stopped for gas in Kansas somewhere. Thought I would post a quick update for you guys.

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First off, driving an empty cargo van from Maine to Colorado isn't as fun as you might think :bike_rider:

At least alone, dead of winter and not set up to do anything but drive.

The cargo divider is a love/hate thing right now! The climate controls don't work in the van! Just before leaving we wired one of the switches to manually control the blower motor. The heat works but its On/off. Fortunately Mercedes (lets just call it what it is and not the Dodge marketing nameplate, all Dodge did was change the emblems!) has two fresh air vents in he the top of the dash that can be opened and cloaked manually. So this combined with the switch is how I regulate the temp in here. No way would this system keep it warm inside without the cargo divider! But....at 6'2" I can't put the seat in a totally comfortable position with the divider in the way!

I suppose it was inevitable that I was going to have to do a parking lot repair along the way. (That had to be done, not the optional ones I've down like wiring up the stereo that was unhooked)

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The tail pipe let loose at the muffler. It was the rear support so get he muffler was hanging almost to the ground! Figured this out at 8:30pm on New Years eve! Only place open was Walmart! I picked up some stainless wire and a $5 multi tool! Back on the road in 10min. (Has to barrow a very big knife from a guy in he the parking lot to get my two little knives out of this package!)

Ghetto fix!

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There was a LONG line of questionable looking people buying ammunition at 9pm last night at Walmart! I had just finished fixing the van when the clean sound of gunshots rang out at the other side of the parking lot (Kansas City BTW). Not fireworks! The very distinctive slightly muffled sound of gunshots! I bailed immediately! Fortunately I had some space left in the van to quickly toss in the dropped off piece of tailpipe!:coffeedrink:

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Log story short, about 12:00am I was still out and away and unable to find a hotel room! Figured that since it was 40* out I would try crashing in the back of the van for a few hours and head out! BAD IDEA!

About 30 minutes later I was woken up by artillery fire! I apparently parked close enough to a MAJOR fireworks display that every explosion shook the van, rattled the windows and sent a huge shockwave through your body!! I swore they were setting them off right outside the door! I put up with it till they stopped and went back to sleep!

This is when the temp dropped to 14*! I brought a sleeping bag more for emergency use than a place to stay. I woke up FREEZING!

Climbed back into the cab and headed out! It was clear I was till too tired to drive so I pulled into a truckstop! Put the sleeping bag on the dash and leaned forward to sleep! Worked....but kinda painful! Too cold in he the back, not enough space in the front!

Grabbed some coffee and am back on the road!
 
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Cole

Expedition Leader
Oh, and I came out of a truck stop to find this funny stuff yesterday !

A don't normally give nick names to vehicles but my friend pointed out that it's the "Iron Man" colors. So it instantly became the "Iron Van":victory:

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