Exterior

Roof Rack

There are so many options to buy and you can also make your own.

1stdecide if you really need a roof rack.

Downside is it will reduce your fuel economy.

The upside is you will be able to carry extra items that are bulky.

Yet beware, there are people that won’t hesitate to climb on top of your van day or night to steal what’s up there.

Aluminess is the go to company if you have an unlimited budget.

The quality is the best and they are a great company to do business with.

Rhino-Rack out of Colorado makes sizes to fit every need and has custom brackets that fit the Sprinter factory roof rails. Pre-built or order in a box and takes 2-3 hours to build. 20-30 minutes to install on the roof. Having a second person will really help in this situation. Again consider the weight not just of the rack, but whatever else you will be putting on it.

 

Rear boxes.

Again this is one of those items that has up and down side

The down side first

They add about 2 feet of additional length to an already long vehicle.

They invite thieves to be tempted to see what’s inside, although they are locking and water tight they are still aluminum. 

Lastly they make it a little more difficult to access the inside from the rear doors.

Now the upside is something you decide.

Aluminess makes a few different sizes; I would opt for the largest size for both boxes.

Unless you decide to move your spare tire onto the rear, then one box and you’re spare.

Also if your planning to carry bicycles then makes sure you order the bike mount.

We find it invaluable to have this instead of hanging them an additional 2 feet behind.

What we decided to keep in the boxes

Items we don’t need very often or larger items such as:

Our backpacking gear

Tents, backpacks, pads, stove, etc.…

Other items that we use all the time:

Electrical cord to plug in at the campground

Water hose for filling our tanks

All of our tools that we might need in an emergency give us easy access.

Last but not least are our extra fuel container and an extra water jug.

Bikes sit on top ready to go.

 

Modifications

 

Weight

This will affect every item you purchase.

Check the weights of everything. Write it down and add everything up.

Being overweight has multiple affects, from lowered fuel economy to eliminating the warranty if something fails. 

This is where you start to make compromises in esthetics for weight.

I don’t know the weights for most vans yet the Sprinter 4x4 170 are about 6500lbs.

Max limit is 8550 lbs. unless you decide to purchase the 3500 dual rear tires.

This adds approx. 2000 additional pounds to your carry capacity.

Most of the coachbuilders will use the 3500 due to the fact it can handle whatever they install in the camper.

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Gray water tank is only used for sink and shower which we rarely use.

We have installed a quick dump switch on the dash to dump our gray water on dirt roads as we are driving. See photo