Fitz’ 2016 Sprinter 4x4 RB 150S Build

[Fitz]

In Posts 294-297 member Otter and I discussed loading/trailering canoes and kayaks on/with our vans.

In the past I carried my 17' Aluminum canoe on load bars mounted to the topper on my truck. The height was no issue and it was a simple matter for me to load and unload the canoe by myself.

But then along came the much taller Flint. At a load bar height of 8'-10" it's not quite as simple as it used to be. With one thing or another the canoe didn't get used this past season, but I have plans to change that come spring. Yesterday I found myself with a spare hour and an extra set of hands, here is the result.

The design has always been to load up and over the back, that is why there is a load bar placed at the very rear of the van and that is why the solar panels are mounted to the rear vs. to the front.

Here is a picture showing the roof top configuration with a couple of 2x's tied on top. Everything mounted on the roof is designed to sit lower than the top surface of the load bars to facilitate loading long items over the top. You can't see it in the picture, but the Van Compass ladder comes up on the driver's side of the van, between the solar panels and the sand ladder platform, positioned to either clean the solar panels or climb up on the platform.



Other than a second set of hands, here are the two items utilized to facilitate loading. The small wheels attach to the square stern of the canoe and make moving the canoe around a fairly easy one-person job and the small aluminum ladder makes up for the extra height of the van.



We rolled the canoe up to the back of the van and lifted the bow of the canoe onto the rear load bar, being careful to clear the rear camera.



Once positioned, we removed the wheels from the stern and placed the aluminum ladder directly at the rear of the van and centered. My son-in-law Jeff picked up the stern of the canoe while I climbed up the side ladder and stood on the sand ladder platform. (Note, the PH top will easily support the weight of being stood on, but the platform makes for solid and sure footing, especially in wet conditions.) Jeff pushed from the rear and I pulled from the front and it was a simple matter to slide the 65 pound canoe into position. Another thing worth noting is the radio antenna. If you look closely you will see that I have replaced it with a stubby model, the reduced height provides the needed clearance with no reduction in performance.



For test purposes I didn't tie the canoe down, but I have done that many times before and I have what is required. Without the canoe the PH carries 109 pounds, with the canoe 109 + 65 = 174 pounds, still below the SMB limit of 200 pounds to raise and lower the penthouse.

All in all, this was straightforward and simple. I may add a PVC "roller" to the rear load bar to prevent scuffing up the coating that is there (past learning), but that is a detail and doesn't impact what you see here.

The finished product. I thought the canoe might look out of place up there but I do not believe that is the case. What do you think?

[Otter]

I think it’s perfect. Low profile, compact, light, yet eminently useful. Like that you’re not taking up so much load weight capacity with a bulkier system. I have also found placement of the rear load bar as far back as I can get it key to the ease of loading.

[PvT]

Maybe you should have gotten a snorkel for Flint, would make the unloading much easier. ;~) .

Thanks for the report and pics! Looks great!!!

[TomH]

Fitz,

How and to what extent does having the canoe in place affect solar panel performance?

TH

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by TomH

Fitz,

How and to what extent does having the canoe in place affect solar panel performance?

TH

Tom,

If there is anyone here that knows the answer to that question, it is you!

The panels do nothing for the system when the engine is running, thus no affect when the van is on the road taking the canoe to the lake. Once there the canoe will be off and used for its intended purpose, thus exposing the panels to do their job when Flint is sitting still and waiting for us to get off the water, hopefully with fresh fish for dinner!

[TomH]

No, the question was genuine. I was wondering if there are times you take the canoe on a longer trip and leave it up top if stopped in a location for a bit and there is no water on which to use it. In those conditions, do you get partial charging or does having some of the cells blocked prevent current completely?

You've said you don't camp in the rig. I guess that means you only stop for the night and don't sit still in a place for more than one night. Would I be guessing correctly that you only take the canoe on shorter trips where you go to one main water destination and return home? Or have you gone on multi-destination loop routes when you use the canoe on some days and not others?

Just curious because I will have an Aluminess rack on top with AC, MaxFan, Yakima/Thule box, and 2 solar panels. What I'm wondering about is whether a shadow from the box onto a panel will impede current from flowing. We're north of the 45th parallel up hare and get a lower angle of sunlight and thus more shadow. I shouldn't spend money on so much stuff up top if an overly crowded layout prevents power from getting generated and sent to the controller. That's why I was wondering what effect you might have noticed is from a shadow on the panel from your canoe on the panel.

Thanks,
Tom

[Fitz]

Tom,

I discount all solar with the canoe up top, there simply isn’t enough panel exosure to do any good with it there. Trips with the canoe have always been to a specific water location where it gets taken off and used, typically without Laura and as part of a planned fishing trip. With Laura we are typically on the go and the canoe gets left behind.

My rooftop design and layout deliberately minimizes shading on the panels unless there is a load spanning the crossbars, then it is a given that solar production will drop off dramatically. With all that you plan on having up on the roof with the panels I would suggest doing your best to locate the vertical obstructions as far from the panels as possible so as to minimize the shading effect, plus you will want to give consideration to how you orient the van when parked in order to maximize solar gain. Best would be to be able to incline the panels, but that adds a level of complexity that most of us, myself included, don’t want.

The reality of our typical use case is that we get very little input from the solar panels. Remember, when driving or plugged into shore power, the solar panels are not charging the battery. We drive during the day and the alternator does the work, by the time we shut down in the evening it is either dark or close to it. When we travel to AZ in the winter for the Quartzite rock shows the van sits all day and we get the solar gain and power production, but the January sun angle is such that the solar alone (200 Watts of panels) typically needs a bit of high-idle help from the alternator every day or two.

Shading of the panels adversely impacts solar performance. Others here can give you a better explanation of the specifics, but there is a definite negative impact. I would have a better handle on the effect if we sat in one place a lot and depended on the solar gain to charge the batteries, in our case the solar tops off the batteries when the van sits and the high-idle gets turned on for 20-30 minutes whenever the AGM house battery approaches 12.2 volts.

[Fitz]

Post #401 above details the issue we had with the SMB XL Storage Box and what was done about it. The skid plate that was installed to protect it hangs down lower than I would like, but it works really well, as evidenced by the various scratches along the length of it!

If you follow Van Compass and the work they do you know they are about to offer their version of a rear storage trunk. Rob has prototype #1 in his red van and VtSoundman has #2 in his.

I am not thinking of making a change, but I was curious if it would fit so I decided to lay it out in the back of Flint, a 2016 144" Sprinter with a SMB 150S build with a 17 gallon water tank that protrudes beyond the rear bench seat.

First, pictures of the Van Compass trunk installed in Rob's red van. Dimensions are 25" Long x 28" wide x 12" deep.




Are here is what it looks like laid out in the back of Flint. 25" Long x 28" Wide, dimensions are measured to the outside of the blue tape.




Where VC removes the cross member that is in the way of the box, mine goes under it and others that I know of are made smaller in order to fit in between. Dimensions of both an Austin and a Fresno box are listed in Post #401, it is my understanding that these are custom sized based on the build.

I didn't know enough to look deep enough into this when our build was done. Fortunately, with the addition of the skid plate the box is now protected (and well used). I just wanted to put this information out there as another possible option, one that looks pretty good to me.

Note: The VC installation requires removal of a the cross member that runs from side to side just about in the center of the space. I do not know this, but I suspect that because of restrictions that go along with the MB Master Upfitter designation SMB may not be able to do the installation. Again, I do not know this for a fact, it is something you would have to check if you were interested in going that route.

[Backcountryguy]

Fitz, Brings up a point I was thinking over with respect to our spare tire cage. Agile is modifying the cage to accept a 275/70/17 tire. I might take a look at that as it pertains to ground clearance when the van is @ Agile.

Aluminess is right across the road from their new shop. The original reason we didn't go with a spare on the back was possible interference with the parktronic/safety features incorporated in the rear bumper. It's something for us to keep in mind and I have it down for re-consideration in my notebook after delivery.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by Backcountryguy

Aluminess is right across the road from their (Agile's) new shop. The original reason we didn't go with a spare on the back was possible interference with the parktronic/safety features incorporated in the rear bumper. It's something for us to keep in mind and I have it down for re-consideration in my notebook after delivery.

Suggest you give Kenny at Aluminess a quick call. He will know if there is an interference issue or not.