Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-25-2020, 02:24 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
llamadave's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 192
Savanna build: Sprinter 2020 3500XD 170 HR DRW 4x4 Lithium

Some of you may remember Vanessa, our first Sprinter Sportsmobile built in late 2012. It now has over 100,000 miles and almost 1000 camping nights. We will keep it as backup and rent it out as we enjoy our new Savanna. The layout of Savanna will be similar to Vanessa as described in this forum and on my website. Savanna will also be built in Huntington; we are very happy working with Nancy, Jim, and Chad. They take great care in construction and accommodate most of my crazy ideas. Here are the main features of Savanna:

Van ordered 2-Dec-2019, delivered 1-Jul-2020
High roof, 170-inch wheelbase, MXCATX, 2020 3500XD Cargo 4x4
Pebble Gray
MB power sliding door
Active lane keeping and braking assist
Active distance assist
Premium plus package
Front swivel seats

Interior SMB, build starts early Oct-2020
Two Relion 300 AH lithium batteries
Second alternator, Balmar voltage regulator
Magnum 2800 W inverter
Propane water heater and cooktop
Espar D4 diesel furnace
Nova Kool RFU6200 refrigerator
Toshiba convection oven
40 gal fresh water tank in back under bed
17 gal black water tank above floor under toilet
Two 10-gal gray water tanks under van
Tempering valve for hot water temperature control
Water operation to below 0 F by recirculating hot
RO (Reverse osmosis) water filter by owner
Queen/King 70x82 bed
Dinette sits 4 with seatbelts
Three awning windows, three fixed windows, no windows in back
Insulated blackout window shades by owner

Exterior
Aluminess Nerf bar steps
Fiamma awning
Fantastic 7350 fan with remote control
Side ladder
Air conditioner
Sliding screen door by owner
Screens in back and above sink by owner
Locked water fill port with gravity and city water connections
Attached Thumbnails
DEP20076980.jpg   Furnishings Plan view.jpg   Water Plan view.jpg  

__________________
Savanna 2020 Sprinter EB 3500XD 4x4 lithium
llamadave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-24-2020, 07:04 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
llamadave's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 192
We visited Huntington yesterday to check on our build after they had worked on it for 12 business days. Most of the electric and water systems were in and they are now installing the bath and Espar D4 furnace.

It was a surprise to me that they installed a 20 gallon black tank that Chad had said earlier was too large to fit. It seems there was a mix-up and they ordered that instead the 17 gallon one that was my second choice. Chad said it was a big effort to make it fit but he did it! Vanessa has a 16 gallon black tank that would last us 5 or 6 days boondocking. With Savanna we should get a week or more depending on how much I pee outside. I think this may be a record size for Sportsmobile in a Sprinter and maybe a record for any class-B. The black tank is usually what limits our boondocking stays.

The first photo shows the shower pan and the propane hot water heater on the right. The black tank is under the right side of the shower pan where the toilet will go and extends under the water heater.

The second photo shows the Espar D4 partly installed under the passenger seat.

The third photo shows the 40-gallon fresh water tank and the two 300Ah Relion lithium battery boxes. They agreed to move the battery boxes forward to provide more storage behind them. The RVIA requires the battery boxes to be vented outside (I guess in case someone later puts lead-acid batteries in there).

The last photo shows the large cabinet over the foot of the bed. It is very well secured so we can load it up with heavy things like tool boxes and beer.

We will return late next week for more photos. Your comments and questions are welcome.

David
Attached Thumbnails
DEP20107260.jpg   DEP20107277.jpg   DEP20107286.jpg   DEP20107289.jpg  
__________________
Savanna 2020 Sprinter EB 3500XD 4x4 lithium
llamadave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-24-2020, 07:56 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Fitz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Vacaville, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 1,062
This will be fun to watch!
__________________
“Flint” - 2016 SMB Sprinter 4x4 144" RB 150S w/ PH
KN6BJX
Fitz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-25-2020, 05:59 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
86Scotty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: TN
Posts: 10,222
Nice Dave! I fondly remember your first one from the meet up in the Tetons many years ago. Looks like the floor plan worked well enough to do it again.

Early shout out to anyone looking for an amazingly thought out used Sprinter. Talk to Dave!
86Scotty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-25-2020, 06:14 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
marret's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: FL and VA
Posts: 1,948
Garage
Yeah, what they said. Nice.
__________________
Chris
2008 GMC 3500 Quigley Weldtec 4x4 Savana SMB
marret is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2021, 05:19 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
llamadave's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 192
Savanna job list

We took delivery from Sportsmobile Huntington on December 9. For the next month or two we will add the finishing touches to Savanna. I will add details and photos to some of these when finished, but feel free to comment and ask questions in the meantime.
1. Move all ground wiring from battery negative to ground side of shunt.
2. Move all +12V loads from battery positive to main cutoff switch (except LED clock and battery reset wire to engine battery).
3. Install fuse panel and ground buss in back for new wiring.
4. “Convenience” power cutoff switch near sliding door turns off all 12V loads including fridge and fan, but these two need to stay on when leaving the van while on trips. I will install another fuse panel next to main one for those.
5. Install heaters inside two 300Ah lithium battery boxes to keep batteries above freezing. Mount digital relay regulators to set temperature and provide a continuous battery temperature readout.
6. Replace Magnum ME-RC remote controller that SMB installed that has old version 2.8 software to ME-ARC that has lithium battery settings and other convenient features.
7. Install digital voltage readouts for both engine and house batteries.
8. Remove vent tubes from battery boxes to save space (RVIA required SMB to install but not needed for lithium).
9. Install Weboost DRIVE Reach RV cell phone booster.
10. Install OMNI-600 WIMO antenna for our Netgear Nighthawk hotspot for AT&T unlimited data plan.
11. Build antenna mounts on the Mercedes rail for above two that are rigged with a cord and hinge to raise and lower from the ground.
12. Move our Wi-Fi Ubiquity Nanostation M2 repeater from Vanessa to Savanna.
13. Make a Mightycore foam board table with canvas print on top for the dinette.
14. Make a smaller laptop table for between the two front seats.
15. Make roll-up insulated shades for all 6 house windows.
16. Make shades for windshield and front side windows that can be mounted with black cloth out for cold days and silver reflecting out for hot days. Side shades will be held in place with magnets.
17. Make a privacy curtain to go behind the front seats on a sliding track.
18. Make a bungy clothes-line next to the above track.
19. Install 4-way Acurite temperature readout for inside, outside, freezer, and fridge temperatures. It also displays max, min, and humidity.
20. Make fitted sheets for bed in four parts.
21. On inside face of back cabinet next to dinette, install 24” LG TV, Bose speakers, iRV stereo DVD player, Sirius/XM, clock
22. Make trash bins and drawer/cabinet organizers out of Mightycore foam board and polyamide hot glue sticks.
23. Frame and install screen door.
24. Mount screening material to behind galley sink and foot of bed.
25. Install reverse osmosis water filter system that has on-demand pump, no pressure tank, discharges waste back into fresh water tank.
26. Make shelf brackets to store card table in back under bed and dinette table under rear cabinet.
27. Make storage cubbies on rear doors.
28. Buy and have a tire service install metal valve stems that face out for dually tires and an internal tire pressure monitoring system.
29. Make prints on “print and stick” cloth to display inside and outside van.
30. Plumb a short hose at rear doors from hot water line.
__________________
Savanna 2020 Sprinter EB 3500XD 4x4 lithium
llamadave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2021, 05:33 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Twoxentrix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,349
Garage
Have to say that 30 step program looks to be the byproduct of someone that sat in the Van (adult beverages balancing close by) for an afternoon deciding what to tackle first...same scenario we've pretty much all gone through. BUT, you're going to need more paper once you get started on the first couple!
Only thing governing the ideas that will soon consume you're sleep is your significant other & you're card limits - In that order.
WELCOME!
__________________
TwoXentrix
"AWOL"
Twoxentrix is online now   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:42 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.