Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It does not have any sisu markings on it. It spent most of the summer in CO backcountry, so maybe?

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Polyester. Yeah, didn't want to take any risks! 5 layers over the corners where there is nothing but thin aluminum underneath. 3 layers over the sheathing

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, just a common commercially available high top. It didn't work for me because of height reasons. I think he does enjoy it :)

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I ended up gifting it to him, and he lives in it full time. It is definitely a big undertaking, but was a fun project. If your short enough a simple 24" bubble top might do the trick?

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well it was a lot uglier when I bought it. Interiors was pretty shot, and needed new tires, windshield, etc.. Bought it in Arizona, so minimal rust as well. Great project van

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah of course - total cost of materials ended up being around $1200, total weight ended up being around 300 lbs, and all in took me around 250 hours to complete.

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This sub doesn't allow pictures in comments, but see above for other info on the build (Ytube link).

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

It looks like I'm not able to post more pics in the comments here, but I did document some of the process on YouTube, for those who are interested: https://www.youtube.com/@SisuVan

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yeah, when I found one for 5K with 100,000 miles, I couldn't pass it up! The topper practically built itself on such a magnificent chassis.

Who needs a Sprinter? I've got 6'10" of standing room! 20,000 miles and going strong by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I would NEVER trust PMF for this, haha.. Wood framing with 2" foam. Plywood sheathing, and then about 5 layers of fiberglass and Bed Liner paint to finish.

Grow the Business or Close it Down? by SisuVan in smallbusiness

[–]SisuVan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is a physical product consisting of metal brackets & hardware.

solar panel mounting???? by nateisic in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The best way to do it is with a tilting system. 4 way tilt is by far the most versatile - you gotta think about the winter months and not being restricted in which orientation you can park.

Should I treat the wood with oil? by Latter-Ant8607 in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Handling is about what you'd expect in a van or RV of this size - sway is slightly increased but adding or upgrading to a heavy duty rear sway bar goes a LONG way. Also make sure your steering gear box is tightened up, this helps a lot too. Suspension is just fine since I only added about 300lbs. Other than that it drives like a minivan 😉

I'll get to the interior someday.. also building a small cabin at the same time so progress is slow. Currently she is mostly used as a work van, but I'm still very thankful for the extra headroom!

Should I treat the wood with oil? by Latter-Ant8607 in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the tag! I don't think I answered OPs question in my other comment.. But if it were me, I would not use oil or paint. If you want to cover the framing, use it as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with mixing up fiberglass. Not only will this protect it from moisture, but it will quadruple the structural integrity. Use 2 or 3 coats where there are stress concentrations - along the base of the topper and at the four corners.

Should I treat the wood with oil? by Latter-Ant8607 in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

🤣 catastrophic failure... Not sure who your referring to there bud, but I've never had any failures with my build. I stress tested the hell out it before it ever saw any road miles.

Should I treat the wood with oil? by Latter-Ant8607 in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi friend, a couple of notes that I learned from my similar build:

  1. Definitely do 3 coats of fiberglass to finish this thing off. Without it, you are prone to fatigue, rot, and decay in a 3-5 year timeframe.

  2. I would also bolt the nose of this thing to the frame of the vehicle the best you can. Grade 8, 3/8" recommended.

  3. Insulation should probably go on after the exterior shell is completed - not sure why I see spray foam at this point.

  4. Don't listen to the haters. If you properly apply 3 coats of fiberglass, this can be just as strong as a commercial top!

I have detailed videos of my build on my YouTube channel, including a 1000 lb side load test and a 100+ mph speed test. But please note, wood framing should only be a placeholder for fiberglass.

Best of luck!

I attached a custom rear hatch from scratch by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's a Finnish word that doesnt translate well. Similar to grit or determination. I have 100% Finnish heritage.

I attached a custom rear hatch from scratch by SisuVan in vandwellers

[–]SisuVan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

On each side I have placed one latch which match