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Old 06-21-2018, 06:58 AM   #21
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And I suspect the slow delivery of 4x4 Sprinters has them looking for projects to keep the line workers busy. They have a message on their website saying you can get a van built pretty quick if you have your own Sprinter van. Not sure when the new ones are supposed to start coming in again.

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Old 06-21-2018, 09:10 AM   #22
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Now if only they would sell the back fiberglass shell to us home build guys. That would make for some fun. Plenty of old cutaways to be had out there
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Old 06-21-2018, 10:16 AM   #23
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What is the rough cost of the classic up fit w 4x4, if I bring my own cut-away chassis?
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Old 06-21-2018, 10:49 AM   #24
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not sure if they said they'll do that. i think it is either new cutaway or old cargo. could be wrong tho. bringing them an old cutaway, get a barebones "build out" with the fiberglass shell would be a great way to get a build going.
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Old 06-21-2018, 11:06 AM   #25
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Hey, somewhat related to the topic here.....
Stumbled across this the other day:
--- another cool way to get creative in repurposing a cutaway chassis.

Blackhawk Fiberwerx - Cab Backs

Cab Back Home
Cab Backs & PRICING
Cab Back Projects





I'm guessing Chris from UJOR used one of these caps to close out the cab on his gnarly V4 E-series flatbed build. (And then add that rad XP Camper to it....)

UJOR V4 - Ujointoffroad
Ujointoffroad


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Old 06-21-2018, 12:08 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by Steve_382 View Post
And I suspect the slow delivery of 4x4 Sprinters has them looking for projects to keep the line workers busy. They have a message on their website saying you can get a van built pretty quick if you have your own Sprinter van. Not sure when the new ones are supposed to start coming in again.
That likely is accurate. Customers have had the ability to bring their own E350 cargo van in ever since Ford stopped making them, however. Funny thing is, the line was taking almost 4 months per vehicle, but if I remember what Brian said correctly, they are moving at about 9 weeks average now.
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Old 06-21-2018, 12:10 PM   #27
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What is the rough cost of the classic up fit w 4x4, if I bring my own cut-away chassis?
IDK; call Brian and ask. I think Fresno is the only factory that does them.

Changing from E350 cargo vans to the cutaway has been tricky for them. The prototype presented a huge learning curve, particularly in the way of leaks. Most Class C vehicles don't go offroad. The Class B with the intact original cabin did fine on Class 4 trails. The torsional stresses on a fiberglass cabin mated to the metal cutaway cab resulted in a lot of leaking. After the one prototype, they built 3 Beta test models using a modified procedure. All this has been going on for 5 years now and they think they have all the bugs worked out. Mating the fiberglass cabin to a cutaway that someone else brings to them is probably something they would not be able to warranty and likely wouldn't want to do. Still, all you have to do is call and ask.

The single advantage to the Classic/cutaway is the additional 4" width in the cabin. If I had a choice between Classic/cutaway and a conversion built on a good condition pre-2015 cargo van, though, I'd go with the cargo van, just because of the structural integrity of the OEM body.
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Old 06-21-2018, 12:37 PM   #28
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Now if only they would sell the back fiberglass shell to us home build guys. That would make for some fun. Plenty of old cutaways to be had out there
Even with all the suspension upgrades and underbody armor available from Van Compass and Agile Offroad, SMB says the Sprinter is not recommended to go above Class 2 trails. On the Classic, SMB spent 5 years figuring out how to attach the two parts and then be able to take the thing on Class 4 trails without leaks developing. A DIYer being able to do that with no leaks would be a dicey proposition. The amount of torsional stress that huge jointed seam endures on Class 4 trails is significant. I wouldn't want to put my money into one and assume I could do that.
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Old 06-21-2018, 12:48 PM   #29
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Quote:
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They spent 5 years figuring out how to attach the two parts and then be able to take the thing on Class 4 trails without leaks developing. A DIYer being able to do that with no leaks would be a dicey proposition. The amount of torsional stress that huge jointed seam endures is significant. I wouldn't want to put my money into one and assume I could do that.
Ok this is just off the cuff, but....

....seems to me, if you're truly seriously inclined to gear up and DIY a fiberglass van body onto a cutaway....and you have a super-nice/low-mile cutaway chassis with a desirable motor/transmission in it....one might as well consider finding a clean, scrapped **actual Econoline body** and simply having that welded to the back of the cutaway cab.

Probably way cheaper and better structural results, to TomH's line of commentary. Nice welds don't leak, unlike those fiberglass-to-steel bonded joints might!
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Old 06-21-2018, 02:21 PM   #30
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Even with all the suspension upgrades and underbody armor available from Van Compass and Agile Offroad, SMB says the Sprinter is not recommended to go above Class 2 trails. On the Classic, SMB spent 5 years figuring out how to attach the two parts and then be able to take the thing on Class 4 trails without leaks developing. A DIYer being able to do that with no leaks would be a dicey proposition. The amount of torsional stress that huge jointed seam endures on Class 4 trails is significant. I wouldn't want to put my money into one and assume I could do that.
For some reason i keep getting the sense you think im a sprinter guy and dont understand what econolines are capable of, but thats fine. I love my econoline, and try to take it on as many trails that it shouldn't be on as possible.

Mainly i was thinking about the possibility of giving them a cutaway and getting a blank canvas back that is wider than the current vans. There is value in that for both the end user and them making money off of R&D that has already been done.

side note: not sure why they didn't just make it a box. Vertical walls easier to work with and the user gets more interior space. Unless they plan on using all of their old templates, seems like a missed opportunity.
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