My take on a Sprinter 170 4x4 build

coguzzi

Adventurer
We seem to be really lacking on build threads around here lately, maybe everyone is out enjoying instead of building..at that would be great. So i thought i would share my take on building a 170 Sprinter 4x4. You can see my build thread for 2020 AWD Transit i did (which i stupidly sold) as a reference for how i build
I try to build with the "less is more" mentality coming from the overland world. i resist microwaves, espresso machines, particle accelerators etc, and try to be as conscious as possible about weight and weight locations.

Long story short, i was asked to build this 170 4x4 sprinter because of that transit. So this is a 2022, one of only a handful to make it off the boat into Quebec (rumor is 1 of 2). Layout is for a very outdoor savy family of 4 with only basic amenities, but indoor heated shower is a must (as well as sleeping for 4) because they do long hikes and want a refresh when they get back to camp.

blank slate
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shop dog wondering why there is another sprinter here instead of the replacement Transit we ordered 15 months ago
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First order of business after careful measuring of layout was to get installed a Transport Canada certified Freedman stow and go seat. Canada is very picky about certifying everything (call it a cash grab...), cant just bolt in a lawn chair and call it good like the US can do (i am a US citizen so i can make fun), needs to be installed by someone who paid the $$$$$ to get certified with pull test. Since it isnt my first rodeo i knew i should build a spacer representing my finished floor with support in the ribs, other wise they just tighten the bolts down and distort the metal. Also better to do before the real floor is installed. so made a "fake floor" and wall so they knew where to place the seat.
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and here is what you get from the certified installer that keeps transport canada happy, a new ink jet printer created sticker that changes vehicle capacity from 2 to 4....i joke, its a good thing.
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thats it for now--but now the real build can commence. ill try to keep updated log going
 

coguzzi

Adventurer
progress report. i need to determine the pretty exact location of the beds so i can cut the bunk windows which is why i wanted to get walls built first for best educated guessing. then ill be done with metal work and can do a floor finally (always hate working on the uneven floor)
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coguzzi

Adventurer
been a while since i shared anything, here are some updates. im in full on insulation and wiring mode now, things that are not ver "instagramable"
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everyone needs a winch in the ceiling for solar installs, i actually used it to install a body onto a chassis of a karmann ghia once.....
 

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coguzzi

Adventurer
the shop supervisor spends way to much time making sure wiring is clean and neat.
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The awesome Redarc Manager 30 battery management system, love it and use it pretty much exclusively with nothing other than quality Bluesea components
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and this might be the worlds strongest Lagun Table mount, could do what ever you want on that table.
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RVflyfish

Fishing is life. The rest is details.
Man I love your attention to detail. What material did you use for the interior walls?
 

coguzzi

Adventurer
Man I love your attention to detail. What material did you use for the interior walls?
are you asking about the fabric or the wood? im still building and need structure behind the walls for bunk beds etc so havent upholstered the panels yet, but will be Tweed fabric that meets the FMVSS-302 fire safety requirements (most people dont seem to care about the rules....) but the wood is russian birch
 

RVflyfish

Fishing is life. The rest is details.
I meant the wood, but thanks for the info on the fire-safe tweed. What thickness is the birch?
 

coguzzi

Adventurer
hows this for some details..using what is normally wasted space (and yes, still enough room for insulation behind)
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its fun when things go together for the last time
 

coguzzi

Adventurer
Alright, i didnt update very much--because this was a customer build and maybe underestimated my timeline. in my defense, they added a lot that was not originally planned and i never changed my goal delivery date that i set for myself that still allowed me some buffer. SO, i never really had much freetime. So here she is

2022 170 4x4 that came to me with 54km on the clock. Falls into the way i like to build vans, "overland style" and not over the top, with everything you need and nothing you dont (except permanent shower doesnt really fall into that IMHO, but it was a customer request "must have"). built for a outdoor enthusiast family of 4, but since one kid is late teenager and wont go much anymore, bunks can be converted to storage. basics it revolves around:

Redarc Manager 30 battery management system
210AH AGM (Quebec gets cold for lithium)
400W solar
Awesome Truma Combi furnace/water heater (my love for these units far surpasses my hate relationships with hydronic water heaters)
propane system for Truma and Stove/oven for coooking
30 gal fresh water (it does have a shower after all)
Viair 450 on board air system
Natural wood Cabinets (customer request)

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Table gets hidden inside sink cabinet, totally out of sight out of mind everyday
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