Baba Lives!

[thebarefootbadger]

I finally pulled the plug on all my car and minivan build aspirations and went for the real deal, a 2003 Sprinter with about 75,000 miles on it. Out the door price including tax, reg and fees, $14,065. In honor of my fallen comrade Bob (a 30 pound white kitty), I have christened the van Baba.

So! Baba's been reincarnated as a low roofed, 140" T1N diesel passenger van with loads of windows.

The rear seats are removed, it's down to metal and seat bolts on the floor, but the moldings and headliner are still in place. I'm hoping I don't have to take the headliner out; it looks pretty good for 21 years old. We'll see.

I chose this van in part because I am 5'1" and I can stand up inside. I've got about 2" of head room, but that's a game changer, and the build's going to be very personalized because of this - a hobbit house, in effect. And while I understand the practicality of a cargo van without all the glass, after all these years I wanted an airy, feminine feel inside.

My 6' tall husband may be joining me short term on some of my adventures, so there will be a couple of choices made to accommodate him for a few nights, but this is basically a rolling she-shed.

Housing Wishlist #1

Install seat swivels. This should create a reasonable seating space even if my husband joins me on an adventure. I have ordered 2 seats and a parking brake adapter, $522 from T1Nparts.com.

Install a vent fan. As I say, I'm hoping I can do this without tearing out the headliner, but we'll see. I have to decide where to put it / what else I'll be putting on the roof, first.

Install at least one window in the rear door that opens. This van, for all its many windows, has two front windows that roll down manually, and a sliding door on the passenger side, and that's it for ventilation. None of the other windows currently open.

Exterior / Engine Wishlist

Baba's got a bit of rust going on. I'm not going to be a perfectionist about it but a clean up is needed.

So far he looks good under the hood.

The passenger door doesn't slide well and it's very difficult to close.

Systems Wishlist

I want water and electric but I haven't decided how much. I've always gotten by with a lot of manual systems and I'm still ok with that, but I'll need to decide where wiring and plumbing is going before I get too far with the interior.

 

[eDJ_]

Congratulations on your new rig purchase.

The tip out rear windows are a great addition....especially when driving on a warm day when you don't want to use the AC. With the front windows down a bit the flow thru ventilation is quite nice. If you buy some "noseeum's" (mosquito netting) and some magnetic strip to make covers to
place on the inside of those rear windows you can still get some good ventilation without a fan.
You can buy vinyl home rain gutter screen pieces to make front window screens. Inexpensive and easily done. These come in brown or white and I used the brown for my own van.

Something else I'd mention, a one piece mud flap that goes across the back end can be made and installed inexpensively and will keep a lot of dust and dirt off the rear end off the rig.....or even being sucked in while driving with the rear windows opened.

I've found that the front window screens and rear windows opened with the screens in place provide a good natural air flow especially in the evening.

As for sun shield on the windows, I purchased windshield sun reflectors at Dollar Tree and made paper patterns of my windows. Then cut the shades using the patterns. This is a material similar to "Reflectex". You can buy small suction cups to fit into this material and use to hold the shades in place. I found grommet kits at Harbor Freight and set the grommets where needed and the clear plastic suction cups fit into those grommets nicely. I thought of using Velcro fastening from Dollar Tree but went with the suction cups. (which you can see at the top of the door window shade)

I don't know if you have a sewing machine or can sew (you can find someone who could do it for you) But you notice the black edging on the shades.....it helps keep them durable and sturdy.

You can do a lot for a little, it's just a matter of how resourceful you are. As for an exhaust fan one member here long ago used a pair of 12 volt fans like on a computer mounted to the window. I think they were 4 inch diameter. He said they were very quiet and inexpensive.

 

[maki2]

First thing to try on the sliding door is a good cleaning followed by lubricating. The rollers on the door might be dirt impacted or even have some thread or string wound into them. So for problem solving speed focus on those first. If it is too difficult to get a good look at those rollers try taking a photo of the area using your phone. That has often given me a better look at things in a tight spot where I can’t look straight at something. Do not forget to browse YouTube for fixes on sliding door issues for your model of Van or similar ones.

 

[thebarefootbadger]

Congratulations on your new rig purchase.

The tip out rear windows are a great addition....especially when driving on a warm day when you don't want to use the AC. With the front windows down a bit the flow thru ventilation is quite nice. If you buy some "noseeum's" (mosquito netting) and some magnetic strip to make covers to
place on the inside of those rear windows you can still get some good ventilation without a fan.
You can buy vinyl home rain gutter screen pieces to make front window screens. Inexpensive and easily done. These come in brown or white and I used the brown for my own van.

Something else I'd mention, a one piece mud flap that goes across the back end can be made and installed inexpensively and will keep a lot of dust and dirt off the rear end off the rig.....or even being sucked in while driving with the rear windows opened.

I've found that the front window screens and rear windows opened with the screens in place provide a good natural air flow especially in the evening.

As for sun shield on the windows, I purchased windshield sun reflectors at Dollar Tree and made paper patterns of my windows. Then cut the shades using the patterns. This is a material similar to "Reflectex". You can buy small suction cups to fit into this material and use to hold the shades in place. I found grommet kits at Harbor Freight and set the grommets where needed and the clear plastic suction cups fit into those grommets nicely. I thought of using Velcro fastening from Dollar Tree but went with the suction cups. (which you can see at the top of the door window shade)

I don't know if you have a sewing machine or can sew (you can find someone who could do it for you) But you notice the black edging on the shades.....it helps keep them durable and sturdy.

You can do a lot for a little, it's just a matter of how resourceful you are. As for an exhaust fan one member here long ago used a pair of 12 volt fans like on a computer mounted to the window. I think they were 4 inch diameter. He said they were very quiet and inexpensive.

Thank you for all the suggestions! I love the idea about the computer fans, I feel like so much of what's being marketed to us these days is ridiculous overkill at a ridiculous markup.

Most of my rolling-home experience has been in the Southwest, where temps can make the interior unbearable without some pretty hefty effort to cool things down. I'm in Indiana now, so my experience may not be quite as relevant as it once was.

 

[thebarefootbadger]

First thing to try on the sliding door is a good cleaning followed by lubricating. The rollers on the door might be dirt impacted or even have some thread or string wound into them. So for problem solving speed focus on those first. If it is too difficult to get a good look at those rollers try taking a photo of the area using your phone. That has often given me a better look at things in a tight spot where I can’t look straight at something. Do not forget to browse YouTube for fixes on sliding door issues for your model of Van or similar ones.

It appears to be missing some kind of rubber bumper that plugs into the van toward the rear of the slider, keeping it from shifting out of place when it's closed. I think it shifts over just as it's about to latch, causing a false-locking with maybe 1/4" gap left. I've also discovered that people's admonishments not to slam it as hard as I can are incorrect - as hard as I can slide it is just what it needs! Trying to source that rubber piece.

 

[thebarefootbadger]

March 15, 2024. Finally got the paperwork, hopefully I can register it smoothly today.

The swivels are in, stiff but very effective. I dreamed for years of doing this kind of seat in the minivan, where there simply wasn't room for it, but my idea was spot on, this extends my living space and allows me a comfortable "office chair and throne" without adding any more clutter. Spending a bit extra for swivel on the driver's side as well allows for 2 chairs, usually the maximum number of people in my space at once. The driver's seat will be a bit closed in, but I'm little, it should be fine for the times I have a guest.

The Pottoman (my invented word for my 5 gallon toilet / footrest / camp stool / bed step) has been working well in my home tests. ... Or maybe I should call it the Baba Loo? I'm a great thrifter and stumbled over chi-chi Simple Human locking garbage and compost pails, for about $4 each, between that and a 5 gallon bucket with a screw on lid scavenged from the garage, my system truly seems to lock up 100% of the odor as far as I can tell. The jury's still out over whether I'll eventually get a chemical toilet, but so far I'm tickled with my multi use Pottoman.

There were some rust spots on the roof (million mile motor, sure, but I'd estimate a million-minute paint job!) Scrubbed down with scotchbrite, sealed with rust converter. The next step is white bedliner. Hopefully youtube is my friend here, this seemed like just the right home-remedy for a $14K, 21 year old Baba.

Beyond that, I've been thrifting. Sourcing out some main elements, thinking about design, watching a billion youtubes, dreaming up a color scheme. I have a lot of the practical / mechanical / electrical parts under my belt already, it's a matter of figuring out how to pull it all together and where to start. Happy I can take my time finding the sweet spot!

And ... well duh, it also occurred to me that BaBa is the logical abbreviation for BArefootBAdger. Don't you love it when your half-bright idea turns out to be perfect?

 

[maki2]

It appears to be missing some kind of rubber bumper that plugs into the van toward the rear of the slider, keeping it from shifting out of place when it's closed. I think it shifts over just as it's about to latch, causing a false-locking with maybe 1/4" gap left. I've also discovered that people's admonishments not to slam it as hard as I can are incorrect - as hard as I can slide it is just what it needs! Trying to source that rubber piece.

There is a different forum you can join that will have the information on getting the replacement part to fix the door stop. It is a forum for Mercedes Sprinter Van Owners. Here is a link to get you there. You will need to sign up to post questions but can browse the forum without joining it. Of course joining will be no doubt useful when you find more issues. I do not own a Sprinter van, but I do know how to find answers using keywords and that led me to that forum where those rubber door bumpers are being discussed. I am not going to spend time for a deeper dive, that is up to you to take the initiative to track it further. .
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php#general-forums.1

 

[tx2sturgis]

"pottoman"...

lol.