r/Sprinters

I use to have 265 75r16's which improved my traction (mile star Patagonia tires). They're a super aggressive all terrain, but when I switched to 315/75 r16's it was insane how much more easily I could get out of my muddy driveway and the tread isn't even that aggressive. I even reverse out of it now without issue (I'm also on a hill). My other tires could never do that so I had to stop parking facing down my driveway. My thinking is that the sidewall is bigger with the taller wider tires and even at 70Psi I still have a big contact patch on the ground. The wider tires also glide over torn up roads and gravel. Much smoother ride now, Speedometer calibration was changed with star diagnostics. The only issue with bigger tires is the spare, but that's been taken care of with a rear carrier. Its on the right side because you physically cannot open the rear door if its on the left since it overlaps the center. I overlapped it this way because I think its important for people to still be able to see my tail light. Another pro to mounting on the right door is having it mounted lower and not worrying about your license plate, now I can see through my rear doors like nothing is even there. To open the door you just pull the handle through the center of the wheel its super easy (shown in photo). Both the ladder and tire mount are spread out over a wide mounting area and also reinforced with more steel on the inside of the doors. The ladder follows the curve of the door and also slightly tapers towards the top. The rear spare actually makes for a great seating area too. The rear doors can still open up most of the way and by coincidence the ladder actually hits the door stop as well as the tire. Does anyone know any tires bigger than 35's? haha

I have this rear door rack on my van (not my van in the photo so don’t have the spare/ladder). I want a cheap way to get my bikes around. We’re not big bikers, these are $50 used bikes, so I don’t want to spend $000s on a fancy bike rack. Is there a makeshift way to get them onto here?

I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong here to not be progressing. The ABS sensor is new and came with new wire everything I read is it is the correct sensor. The old sensor the insulation melted when a zip tie broke and the wire hit the exhaust. The codes I am getting in the 1-9 are when the sensor was replaced and everything "should work". The codes for 1-2 are when I just have the sensor unplugged entirely. Any help on this would be appreciated. Not sure what I am trying to hunt down to fix this at this point.

Let me know what you think! We cut the windows out to allow for waterfights between vans

Hi - has anyone used a parking sensor relocation kit on a TrailFX front bumper? The two middle sensors give wrong readings, which gets annoying. If so, what kit did you use? Thx

Hi everyone,

Up for sale is my 2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 Passenger/Cargo Conversion, built on the highly desirable 158" wheelbase (22' total length). It currently has 225,000 miles on the legendary OM647 2.7L inline-5 turbo diesel engine, which is running flawlessly and routinely gets 22 MPG on the highway.

This van is fully built out for vanlife off-grid camping or state/national park road trips, balancing comfortable living amenities with solid mechanical upkeep.

Vehicle Overview & Recent Maintenance:

• Year/Model: 2005 Dodge/Mercedes-Benz T1N Sprinter 2500
• Wheelbase: 158" WB (High Roof)
• Mileage: 225,000 miles
• Tires & Brakes: Brand new all around as of June 2025.
• Engine/Chassis Maintenance (Nov 2025): New master pulley, new serpentine belt, and fresh transmission cooling lines.
• Cab Upgrades: Upgraded to a 7” Boss Audio touchscreen unit featuring Apple CarPlay / Android Auto. I am also including an uninstalled backup camera kit ready to wire into the head unit.
• Storage: The van was kept inside winter storage from December to April.
• Body, Windshield, & Rust Status: Two small nicks in windshield. A few body dings - no breaks or big dents. Tiny rust here and there (beneath windshield but none in upper corners). Roof seams are mostly rust free. I hit one in the middle with gray rustoleum.

The Build Out Layout

Driver's Side:

• Large floor-to-ceiling closet directly behind the driver's seat with dedicated storage above and below the fridge.
• Refrigerator: Dometic CRX65T Compressor fridge, thoughtfully mounted waist-high for easy access.
• Seating: 65” x 20” long bench couch with massive storage underneath.
• Full LED ceiling lighting on dedicated DC switches.
• Wall-mounted dual USB charging port positioned perfectly next to the bed.

Passenger Side & Kitchen:

• Passenger seat pedestal houses an auxiliary battery setup.
• Kitchenette: Beautiful countertop layout with storage underneath, a deep stainless sink, and a high-rise faucet. Dedicated footprint left open for your preferred cooktop type.
• Outdoor Utility: Rear/side outdoor shower setup conveniently located right by the slider door opening.

Rear Bedroom, Garage, & Custom Insulation:

• Platform bed setup designed around a Queen size footprint (60” x 74”).
• High-clearance "garage" space underneath the bed platform—tons of room to safely lock up multiple bikes, gear boxes, and adventure gear.
• Window Insulation/Privacy: Includes custom DIY window covers tailored specifically for the driver, passenger, slider and back doors. They feature a rigid, multi-layer build made from Reflectix (for heat rejection) and Coroplast, finished with a beautiful forest-motif contact paper on the interior side. They secure cleanly to the glass with heavy-duty suction cups.

Electrical & Power Systems (AC/DC)

The power setup was built out using matching high-quality Renogy components for seamless integration and safety.

DC Solar Setup:

• Solar Input: (2) 100W Renogy Solar Panels mounted on the roof.
• Charge Controller: Renogy 40A MPPT Rover Charge Controller.
• Battery Bank: (2) 100Ah Renogy AGM Batteries.
• Alternator Charging: Renogy DC-DC Battery Charger (keeps house batteries topped up automatically while driving).
• Distribution: Dedicated DC marine-grade fuse block feeding the gadgets below

DC Gadgets:

• Ceiling LEDs (6), Bedside switched lights (2), Maxxair Vent Fan, USB charger (wall mount), Refrigerator, Water Pump

AC Shore Power & Inverter Setup:

• Inverter: Power Bright 1500W Inverter.
• Shore Connection: Exterior shore power inlet feeding a 4-breaker AC panel inside.
• Transfer Switch: Integrated Xantrex automatic transfer switch (allows kitchen AC outlets to seamlessly transition between inverter/solar power and campground shore power without blowing fuses).

Plumbing & Water System:

• 20-gallon fresh water tank.
• On-demand 12V water pump.
• 4-gallon electric water heater (heats quickly when connected to power/inverter).

AC and Heat in the Cabin:

• No heater (ask if you need recommendations)
• AC Houghton Belaire 3500 (only on Shore Power not for Solar usage)

Location: Austin, Texas area Asking Price: $28,000

The van is turn-key and ready for its next owner to hit the highway. Happy to answer any specific mechanical, wiring, or build-process questions from forum members. PM me if you'd like to schedule a viewing or request specific photos of the chassis, engine bay, or roof seams.

Thanks for looking!

​

I’ve got a 2013 Mercedes Sprinter and I’ve run into a strange issue. The van has been sitting for a couple of months and now I can’t unlock it.

The key fob doesn’t seem to work properly anymore. When I press the buttons a faint red light shows, so I’m guessing the battery might be low. I tried using the physical metal blade key from inside the fob, but it won’t go into the driver door lock at all. It feels like it hits a stop immediately rather than sliding in.

I also noticed the fob itself doesn’t have a Mercedes logo on it, so I’m starting to wonder if it might be an aftermarket key or if the blade isn’t actually cut correctly for the van.

At this point I’m locked out completely and not sure if I’m dealing with a dead fob battery, a seized lock, or just the wrong key. Has anyone come across this before or know what the most likely cause is?

EDIT: here's a video of me trying to use the blade key here: https://youtube.com/shorts/18NfUQ5F4nQ?is=lLN9imPlNpEdtEYw

as the title says, is it ok to use this diesel for my 2021 Merc Sprinter 4 cyl diesel? when i bought the car, the salesman was adamant that i only fill it with B5 and nothing else. would this cause any damage to the engine and other internal parts? i think the wording on the pump is a little misleading as it says it is 99% biomass based diesel or biodiesel and then says below that biomass based diesel =\= biodiesel.

there is a shell station a little farther from where i live with B5, but this costco is more convenient. thanks for the help!

If you see that white triangle on the bottom left side of the display it means the rear auto brake is off. Keep in mind in this picture, i am NOT in reverse, i just toggled the camera button. When i go into reverse, that triangle goes away, therefore, meaning the RAB is active. I want to see if any of you know how to disable it completely because of the amount of times this things slammed the brakes for absolutely no reason, even if it detects a shadow. If i have materials stacked in the back, it’ll make everything fall. I hate this RAB.

i had another post, but ive checked and replaced so many things with your guy's advice ,but nothing worked. The latest: New intercooler and new genuine turbo. Still the same issue, live data is looking good and the exact same as my other van. Boost pressure reaches above 2,300 hpa easily at full throttle and it has just as much power as my good van. I’ve attached a video so you guys can understand the problem I have (extremely slow off the start). It works flawlessly unless I’m going from a complete stop. I done everything you can think of and nothing changes. There’s no leaks in the intake or the pressure charge air. Also the engine makes great compression. I’ve waisted too much time so I’ve got a known good engine I’m going to swap in next week. I still feel like it won’t do anything, I think the van is cursed. Also I’d just like to reiterate I’ve swapped the ECU w/ my other van and it didn't have any effect. The computer isn’t related to the issue. If anybody has anything I should check before I swap it in let me know. most likely ive already done it, but ill just let you know. thank you

https://youtu.be/s6kmvLpPalQ?si=CuHA3mHQdW87GHQM

also, this is another video but not my van

https://youtu.be/5nsFtRFJTjI?si=e5iW6qOnl9QAChb9&t=64

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some ideas to get this sliding door open on the van I just purchased. It’s hard to get a good picture, but it appears to me that the bottom is off track. Any tips on how to get it open so I can see what the problem is?