chickadee
Adventurist
2018 Sprinter 4X4 Overlanding Build - $120k
Location: currently on the East coast, but will he heading West in a few weeks
Contact information: please PM if you are interested or have questions
For the last two years plus we have been traveling with and living in our custom specified and built 2018, 144” WB, high roof, 4X4 Sprinter. Our around the world trip has been cut a bit short due to the difficulties of overseas travel for now. It’s ok. We got to see North America, Iceland, Europe, and some of Northern Africa.
For sale is our vehicle and home.
The vehicle has been featured in a few shows - Overland Expo West, Rec Con Montana, Overland Expo East - and in a couple articles:
https://gearjunkie.com/overland-expo-east-2018-gear
https://expeditionportal.com/expo-east-2018-cool-trucks-and-new-gear/
Our Sprinter was designed and built as a four season overlanding vehicle. It is capable of traveling to the remote destinations and cities of the world in a comfortable self-contained manner. This vehicle uses only Diesel and the sun for locomotion, cooking, hot water, and heat - no difficult to find propane gas fittings required for world travel. With the 30 gallon on-board water capacity and 50 gallons of Diesel, long, remote tracks with no support services are possible.
The "off-road" performance modifications allowed the Sprinter to go almost everywhere we overlanded with our 80-series Land Cruiser. Some may think this is an exaggeration, it is not. The Mercedes 4X4 option augmented with Van Compass’s Stage 5 Striker suspension and 34” tires means it has similar ground clearance as a couple inch lifted Land Cruiser. This coupled with all of the Van Compass armor - engine, transmission, transfer case, rear differential, sliders, and fuel tank - allows this vehicle to go almost anywhere.
The driving and living comfort trade-off are without parallel. Large, several ton trucks (think Unimog) have more comfortable living, but a rough driving experience. A new Land Cruiser has a similar driving experience as the Sprinter, but with much less living comfort. The driver’s and passenger’s Scheel Mann seats help immensely with ridding lower back pain on long driving days.
Living and traveling in a vehicle that is standing height is a game-changer for extended duration travel. Crawling into a roof-top tent may be ok for a long weekend, but not long-term. I am 6’ 2”. Someone who is 6’ 3” should have no problem standing inside.
The Diesel heater combined with the fully insulated cabin make sleeping in sub-zero temperatures in the High Atlas Mountains downright luxurious. Your new friends will be knocking on the door to have drinks in your cozy space. We’ve had six adults sitting comfortably enjoying beverages at sunset and for hours after.
Transiting across the country is easy in this vehicle. Stealth camping in WalMart parking lots or industrial parks is a breeze due to the lack of "overlanding jewelry” on the exterior. The typical stuff people usually carry on the exterior (Hi-lift jack, jerry cans, sports equipment, etc.) easily fit in the Sprinter’s massive garage beneath the bed.
The patent-pending, two-axis, electrically leveling bed allows for a good night’s sleep when the only parking (or camping) spot is quite unlevel. The modified full size foam mattress is four inches thick.
The extra horsepower and fuel efficiency derived from the aftermarket exhaust and mild tuning add to the driving experience.
If you’re not in love with the furniture layout, the Goose Gear S-series furniture is reconfigurable by virtue of the airline track (L-track) mounting system embedded into the floor, ceiling, and walls. All it takes is unfastening four to six bolts per furniture piece to relocate. This also allows for dual use as an overlanding or utility vehicle to haul 4X8 sheets of plywood.
Don’t let the fact that we have driven rough roads worry you. We are both instructors at Overland Expo and have taught off-road driving. Our motto is “slow and steady” when it comes to remote tracks. If we abuse our equipment, we not only risk getting stuck in remote places, we also risk damaging our home!
Here are some good pictures from our photographer friend, Andrew Vukovich:
https://www.offgridmountainlife.com...OrwKSDupw1PurA71dod2ivKRypcDYciD1Bm3gh6WqaHLw
A link for multiple van photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/voUiePyRohk6psKf6
More pictures are on our blog and Instagram here:
http://www.overlandwithus.com
https://www.instagram.com/overlandwithus/
Please note that the large graphics on some pictures have been removed.
Furniture:
Rough Terrain (or Off-Road?) Enhancements:
Electrical System:
Living/Camping Comforts:
Random Stuff:
Not Ideal:
Location: currently on the East coast, but will he heading West in a few weeks
Contact information: please PM if you are interested or have questions
For the last two years plus we have been traveling with and living in our custom specified and built 2018, 144” WB, high roof, 4X4 Sprinter. Our around the world trip has been cut a bit short due to the difficulties of overseas travel for now. It’s ok. We got to see North America, Iceland, Europe, and some of Northern Africa.
For sale is our vehicle and home.
The vehicle has been featured in a few shows - Overland Expo West, Rec Con Montana, Overland Expo East - and in a couple articles:
https://gearjunkie.com/overland-expo-east-2018-gear
https://expeditionportal.com/expo-east-2018-cool-trucks-and-new-gear/
Our Sprinter was designed and built as a four season overlanding vehicle. It is capable of traveling to the remote destinations and cities of the world in a comfortable self-contained manner. This vehicle uses only Diesel and the sun for locomotion, cooking, hot water, and heat - no difficult to find propane gas fittings required for world travel. With the 30 gallon on-board water capacity and 50 gallons of Diesel, long, remote tracks with no support services are possible.
The "off-road" performance modifications allowed the Sprinter to go almost everywhere we overlanded with our 80-series Land Cruiser. Some may think this is an exaggeration, it is not. The Mercedes 4X4 option augmented with Van Compass’s Stage 5 Striker suspension and 34” tires means it has similar ground clearance as a couple inch lifted Land Cruiser. This coupled with all of the Van Compass armor - engine, transmission, transfer case, rear differential, sliders, and fuel tank - allows this vehicle to go almost anywhere.
The driving and living comfort trade-off are without parallel. Large, several ton trucks (think Unimog) have more comfortable living, but a rough driving experience. A new Land Cruiser has a similar driving experience as the Sprinter, but with much less living comfort. The driver’s and passenger’s Scheel Mann seats help immensely with ridding lower back pain on long driving days.
Living and traveling in a vehicle that is standing height is a game-changer for extended duration travel. Crawling into a roof-top tent may be ok for a long weekend, but not long-term. I am 6’ 2”. Someone who is 6’ 3” should have no problem standing inside.
The Diesel heater combined with the fully insulated cabin make sleeping in sub-zero temperatures in the High Atlas Mountains downright luxurious. Your new friends will be knocking on the door to have drinks in your cozy space. We’ve had six adults sitting comfortably enjoying beverages at sunset and for hours after.
Transiting across the country is easy in this vehicle. Stealth camping in WalMart parking lots or industrial parks is a breeze due to the lack of "overlanding jewelry” on the exterior. The typical stuff people usually carry on the exterior (Hi-lift jack, jerry cans, sports equipment, etc.) easily fit in the Sprinter’s massive garage beneath the bed.
The patent-pending, two-axis, electrically leveling bed allows for a good night’s sleep when the only parking (or camping) spot is quite unlevel. The modified full size foam mattress is four inches thick.
The extra horsepower and fuel efficiency derived from the aftermarket exhaust and mild tuning add to the driving experience.
If you’re not in love with the furniture layout, the Goose Gear S-series furniture is reconfigurable by virtue of the airline track (L-track) mounting system embedded into the floor, ceiling, and walls. All it takes is unfastening four to six bolts per furniture piece to relocate. This also allows for dual use as an overlanding or utility vehicle to haul 4X8 sheets of plywood.
Don’t let the fact that we have driven rough roads worry you. We are both instructors at Overland Expo and have taught off-road driving. Our motto is “slow and steady” when it comes to remote tracks. If we abuse our equipment, we not only risk getting stuck in remote places, we also risk damaging our home!
Here are some good pictures from our photographer friend, Andrew Vukovich:
https://www.offgridmountainlife.com...OrwKSDupw1PurA71dod2ivKRypcDYciD1Bm3gh6WqaHLw
A link for multiple van photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/voUiePyRohk6psKf6
More pictures are on our blog and Instagram here:
http://www.overlandwithus.com
https://www.instagram.com/overlandwithus/
Please note that the large graphics on some pictures have been removed.
Furniture:
- Custom designed by Goose Gear
- Construction:
- light-weight, proprietary aluminum extrusion frame
- lightweight, imported laminated marine plywood
- drawer guides are rated at 350 pounds
- compression latches are all metal construction
- Blum high-use hinges with three way adjustment
- Galley:
- Dometic Coolmatic 140S fridge
- Super efficient, electric compressor
- Dometic sink with hinged lid for more prep surface
- Whale foot pump
- Uses less water
- 5 gallon Scepter cans for fresh water and gray water storage
- Simple and rugged
- About 42” wide and about 22” deep
- Dometic Coolmatic 140S fridge
- Bench seat with 20 gallon water storage underneath
- All water system components reside within the heated inside space - no freeze ups
- Additional water storage is easy to add
- Single seat with pantry underneath
- Under bed cabinet for toilet storage and supplies
- Could fit Thetford Porti Potti, Wrappon, Cleanwaste Portable Toilet, or similar toilets
- Cabinets above rear wheel arches
- Battery, inverter, solar charges, electronics (passenger side)
- 4 foot long lockable storage (driver’s side)
- Upper cabinets, about 5 feet long
- Floor system:
- airline track for configurability and secure tie-down of gear
- High-wear vinyl tiles
- Fully insulated
Rough Terrain (or Off-Road?) Enhancements:
- Van Compass designed and installed
- Stage 5 Striker 4x4 Sprinter lift kit with Fox shocks
- 2” lift maintains factory geometries of wheels, driveshafts, and transfer case
- Allows for up to 35” tires to be installed
- heavy duty rear springs allow for more weight to be carried
- front SUMO springs tame extra weight while maintaining driving comfort
- Fox shocks damp larger springs and additional load
- Van Compass armor and skid plates
- Rock sliders protect the expensive to fix lower rocker area
- Engine skid protects oil pan and front differential
- Belly plate protects transmission and transfer case
- Rear differential skid protects rear diff
- Fuel tank plate fully protect 25 gal OEM fuel tank
- Van Compass’s front winch bumper with integrated 2” hitch receiver
- Allows for a winch too be fitted behind OEM bomber cover (no winch is currently fitted)
- Hitch receiver is the front recovery point
- Rear OEM 2” hitch receiver acts as rear recovery point
- Method Race Wheels, Trail Series 701, 17"
- Has integrated “bead grip” technology
- Allows tires pressure to be lowered without fear of breaking a bead
- BFG 34X10.5R17 A/T KO2 tires
- Outback Extreme Magnum air compressor with exterior hook-ups
- Fast re-inflation of tires after airing down on rough roads
- Van Compass sway bar disconnect allows for better off-road suspension articulation
- Agile Off Road 20 gallon auxiliary fuel tank
- Integrated skid plate
- Coupled with the 25 gal OEM tank and a 5 gal Jerry can, we have travelled over 700 miles on dirt roads without refuel
- ADF Sprinter modified spare tire bracket
- Keeps larger than OEM spare tucked-up under chassis
- Mercedes Sprinter Pedalbox
- Increases throttle response by removing delays in the accelerator, enhancing drivability
Electrical System:
- Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries (not the catch on fire type!)
- 360A-hr capacity lasts for days of cooking, refrigeration, and lighting
- Three roof-mounted solar panels, 330W total
- Ultra lightweight (8 lbs each)
- Ultra low profile (1/2”)
- Can power the electrical system indefinitely in sunny conditions
- Solar controllers are custom designed
- Xantrex Freedom X2000, 2000W true sine inverter
- Powers induction cooktop, heats water, and other 120Vac equipment you might have
- REDARC BCDC1225D battery charger
- Uses the alternator’s power to charge Lithium batteries when engine is running
- LumiCoin 2700K Dual LED ceiling lights (X4)
- Warm white or red with full dimming
- BlueSea OLED voltmeters and thermometer, USB (X10), and power ports (X4)
- Charging all of your personal electronics is not a problem
- Baja Designs Squadron Pro white LED lights mounted on A-pillars
- Good for finding late night camping spots or lighting camp
- High current marine switch to enable self jump starting
- Augmented stereo system retains OEM radio but replaces speakers and amplifiers with larger units
- Sounds much better with a absolute stock look
Living/Camping Comforts:
- Scheel Mann Seats, Traveler R, heated
- adjustable lumbar support
- passenger swivels and heat available from Lithium batteries (engine off)
- Espar D2 Airtronic Diesel heater
- Keeps the insulated interior roasty and toasty with minimal fuel usage
- MaxxFan MaxxAir Deluxe 7500K remote controlled roof-top fan
- Can bring air into or out of the living space
- Hood keeps rain from entering
- CR Laurance window with security panel
- Awning type opening window allows for airflow in the rain
- Integrated bug screen
- Eclipse Sunshade for windshield
- Keeps interior much cooler
- Maintains privacy and blocks most light from exiting
- Leveling bed and table platform (patent pending)
- Electric leveling control of bed platform to always sleep level even when the camping spot is not
- Table slides out from leveling platform so it's also leveled with the bed
- Table is counter height for more food prep surface
- RB Components raised headliner shelf above driving seats
- Takes advantage of much unused space to carry clothes, bedding, bags of chips, and more
- RB Components fabric stuff bags mounted on wall
- Useful for storing jackets, rain gear, towels, etc.
- Big Kahuna heated shower
- Duxtop Induction Cooktop, 1800W
- Fast heating with good control of temperature
- Dragonfly awning for sun and rain protection
- Holds up to wind better than any awning we’ve seen
- Van Compass rear hitch step
- makes loading and unloading garage cargo area much easier
- Prime Design rear door ladder
- Enables easy cleaning of the solar panels
- Roof-top high-gain WiFi antenna with USB powered router
- Brings WiFi signal from hundreds of feet away into the living space for all of your devices
- Roof-top high-gain mobile phone antenna
- Use with your hot-spot to get reliable service in marginal (or no) service areas
- Two fire extinguishers mounted in cab and kitchen areas
Random Stuff:
- Front Runner Slimline II roof rack
- Custom sized to use entire roof
- Holds solar panels, awning attachment, and acts as a limb guard for the fan hood and antennas
- RAM Mount and 67 Designs smart phone mounts for driver and passenger makes navigation a breeze
- Ultra Gauge ODB2 reader
- Keep track of coolant and transmission temperatures, fuel mileage, and clear any errant codes
- Hushmat 40 sound deadening in cabin
- iCarSoft ODB2 interface reader
- Can perform a lot of the Mercedes-only diagnostics and code reading/resetting
- 51k miles
- Engine oil, front and rear differential oil, transfer case oil, brake fluid, Diesel fuel filter, and brakes will be changed before sale
- All synthetic fluids were used
Not Ideal:
- A small dent (half dollar sized) on driver’s side rear quarter panel
- Some clear coat scratching on sides due to bushes/branches
- Cracked windshield near bottom edge
- Tires have 30% tread left
- TPMS sensors do not work
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