DennisV

What about 4x4 version?

A factory built 4X4 Cummins Diesel NV 3500 . . . Oh Lordy ! And it could be easily done too.

Here's some pics of my build http://nissannvforum.com/topic/413-2013-nv-2500-camper-build-pics/

Congratulations ! Welcome to the board. Post some pics of that beast when you get a chance. That's a very generous offer of that GPS unit. I'm sure somebody will take you up on that before too long. You will notice that this board doesn't get a lot of hits or activity compared to other forums. The only reason I can think of for this, is that these NVs just don't break very often and there just isn't much to complain about, unlike the other jumbo van forums. So how long did it take for Quigley to get that conversion done ?

Yeah, but I'm not a watt hog. I hooked up a wired remote on/off switch from the inverter and ran it to the back of the van where I can reach it while in bed. Pre-load a 1100 watt percolator with coffee the night before. When I wake up, I hit the switch and start the percolator. Then I hit the remote start for the van and fire up the engine with the heater on full blast. In 8 minutes I've got a warm van and hot coffee. Downright civilized . . . That and some quality low draw LED lighting and that's about it for my power needs.

Yes it fits between the ribs. Build up with butyl putty tape and seal with Sikaflex. #8 quality stainless screws. Be very careful when you place the fan onto the tape. You only get one shot. You'd have a hell of a time pulling it off of that putty tape.

2 group 27 agm batteries , on board 20 amp charger, 1250 watt inverter, isolated from the van's charging system. I use the vans heater by remote start for 8 minutes in the morning and that's it for heating.

3/8" laminate flooring.

Thanks Chris I've built houses, boats, furniture, fountains, cars, vans, and state highways. I'm just one of "those guys". :shift:

Yup, that arm rest is hard on the elbow. I bought one of those mouse pads with the raised gel wrist pad. Then I cut off the thin mouse part and used double sided tape to attach the gel wrist pad to the arm rest. Works good.

Good for you, Mc2. I drove both the 6 and 4 cyl sprinters, and 3 different PMs, and read every piece of promo material I could get on the Transit and then I drove the NV. And that was that. Very pleased with it so far.

The big NV has been roughly the same as the RAM PM in July and dropped a bit behind in August. Yet the Promaster website has a whole lot more post volume and interaction in it. This website could use an update. Pretty bland and boring layout. But there might be another reason this site has such little traffic. The PM website and the Sprinter site get a lot of traffic from owners needing help because they are having problems with their vans and need advice. Maybe the NVs are just a lot more reliable . . . No problems with mine. I got nothing to whine about.

Wollip You need to calculate your usage in amp hours Check the amperage rating for the fan and try to interpolate to figure amperage at #3 speed. Let's just call it 2 amp hours for this exercise. ( It's probably less than that) Your battery will have an amp hour rating also. If it's a wheel chair size AGM, it will be about a 35 amp hour +/- battery. A good rule for batteries is to not discharge past 50% for best longevity of battery life. So for this example: Battery Ah (35) / Fan Ah (2) = 17.5 hrs run time to 100% discharge or 8.75 hrs to 50% discharge. Plug your real numbers in there to find your run time in hours to 50 % discharge. You might want to consider a dedicated onboard charger that you just plug in at night to take the hassle out of charging. Very convenient for not much money.

I think the opposite approach would be better. This is the slowest least visited forum that I read. It might be better if the site was condensed into fewer sections.

Same big guy perspective here. It just puts the other Jumbo Vans to shame in that respect. The Promaster for instance was a rolling pain box by comparison. Welcome !

Olaf It all adds up frighteningly fast. Keep in mind this is all top shelf high quality stuff. The little LED reading lights in the back for instance = $150 each. And it goes on and on. But the reality is this. Even at $8500, the parts and materials cost isn't that big compared to the labor involved to pull off a build like this. It takes just as long (or longer) to build using cheaper stuff than it does the good stuff. And after you busted your butt for all that time, you'll be glad you didn't go cheap. Do it once, do it right, and then never have to mess with it again. I'd rather be fishing than working on the van. There's a reason that a garden variety Class B is over $100k.

Nope I already have a Viking princess holding an axe over my head. She don't like the competition.

Just gallon jugs and bottles of water. No plumbing or tanks on this build

Short duration 2-3 day weekender fishing trips mostly. Longer than that and I will need shore power and shower facilities

Well , I'm finished and I got the pics to prove it. :) 5 1/2 months / 300 hours +/- $8500 in parts & materials 1209 lbs build weight Did everything but the upholstery. If you click on a pic, it will take you to a photobucket album with 80 odd pics. Man, I'm glad that's finished . . .

Every vehicle has a measured "coefficient of drag" usually expressed as a number in the 0.30 to 0.50 range with some higher and lower. I remember hearing the Promaster was in the 0.35 range which was better than the Ram pickups. But with the much greater frontal area, the v6 Promaster will not equal the v6 in a Ram 1500 pickup by a long shot. I don't know what the cd numbers for the NV vs the Sprinter are, but I imagine the Sprinter is a tad bit lower than the NV due to the NV's hood. I don't know the frontal area difference either but for comparison sake, let's assume they are the same. That said, if the drive trains were exactly the same in both, the Sprinter might probably be marginally more fuel efficient if both were driven exactly the same speed. But due to exponential increase in drag as velocity increases, that margin would would quickly disappear if the Sprinter was driven just a couple of mph faster than the NV. Either van, driven at 65 would burn less fuel than the other driven at 70. Speed kills mpg in these big vans no matter who makes them. Same with hard acceleration. The biggest factor by far in mpg variance is driver habits. Very good post there Mc2guy. I've seen your posts on the other jumbo van forums. Are you considering an NV?

Mikey How fast did you drive on those freeways ?

I have '13 2500 high roof v6. I'm mostly driving 2 lane rural highways with little stop and go activity. Some freeway too. I'm seeing 18 + regularly, calculated at the pump. No computer. Have not seen 19 or better. I use a light foot, accelerate slowly, and rarely go over 62- 63 mph. I'll draft a big rig on the freeway. If you want the good mpg, you're gonna have to drive like a little old lady. Do you hustle away from the stop lights, and go 75-80 mph when you can? There's just too much weight and parasitic drag to do that and expect good mpg.

dented Is that your silver NV on the ADV site?

Price, towing capacity, driving comfort. I'm 6'4" also. And the chicks dig it . . . :shift: