Sprinter Van For Mountain Bike Adventure

For all of us that have dreamed about having the perfect bike transporter, the ultimate garage and house on wheels, it all has to start somewhere. Whether it's a big four wheel drive truck, a little Ford Transit van, a Tacoma, or a sprinter van, there are plenty of capable vehicles out there that can be outfitted to be your ideal bike transporter. Here we are going to take a look at Max Morgan's 2010 Freightliner Sprinter Van that he used to travel to mountain bike races venues and trailheads all over the United States. Max's van is a total DIY build where he has a system to carry bikes, a bed to sleep on, and plenty of storage all while staying relatively simple. This way Max is able to keep everything he needs at a bike race in one place, locked up and out of the weather. The beauty of the Sprinter van is that it's a blank canvas that can be molded and tweaked for so many different needs. There are so many different builds out there all setup a little differently. 

Bike Storage

• Max's van has two recessed L-tracks that are mounted in the floor the whole length of the cargo area. Before Max had this setup here, usually the first bike loaded was strapped down, each bike after was separated with a moving blanket, and all held together with a bungee cord. While it can be helpful to keep the space open if you ever need to haul around something huge, say a piano, it is nice to have a more secure way to hold the bikes.
• Using L-track double lug stud fittings, he was able to mount two Thule T2 Pro XT hitch rack trays to the floor of the van to lock bikes in safely and securely. With this current setup, you could lock down two bikes with room for more. Maybe in the future, Max may grab one or two more T2 Pro XT trays to hold a few more bikes. There is still room for a dirtbike if you need want to bring that along too! 

Bed

• Max worked alongside Nick from Fifth Element Camping in Asheville, North Carolina to design and build all of the woodworking inside the van. Nick has tons of experience with camping conversions and was a huge help in making this project happen. One of the key features is the full size bed that folds down off of the wall for sleeping. Using a three fold slatted design, the bed is able to fold up and remain stored and out of the way when you aren't using it. The bed frame sits 50 inches off the floor of the van so your bikes can stay where they are when it's time for bed. Check out the bed assembly in the photos below.
• A 50" wide Cabela's sleeping pad folds up behind the bed when you aren't using it and is a simple lightweight pad comfortable to sleep on. 

Storage

• The best part about these vans is there is room to take everything with you! There is more space inside than your typical full size pickup truck, the 6 cylinder Mercedes diesel engine gets better fuel mileage than a standard truck, and all of your gear can stay locked inside out of the weather. It's a win win!

• Above the two front seats, there is a handy little storage shelf that can carry just about anything. Max usually keeps his Bell Super DH helmet to ride trail bikes ready to go up there, a duffel bag with clothes for after your muddy ride, and Blue Sky Fuel Recovery protein powder.

• The bottom of the bench seat flips up for additional storage. On one side Max keeps a milk crate filled with bike cleaners, chainlube, wash soap, towels and cleaning brushes. On the other side you can find bedding for the fold out bed, moving blankets just in case, and some random tools always good to carry.

• In the back of the van, there is a pretty cool cabinet system where Max usually keeps his Bell Full 9 full face helmets with room for just about whatever you need. You can see some neat pockets perfect for holding riding shoes. Max has also built up a nice and simple level system that are ramps to drive up on to level out the van if you ever need to park on a hill. Most of the time you aren't going to find perfectly level ground, especially at campground near your favorite trail network.

• Two of our favorite custom mods that Max has done here is design a perfect spot to secure his Pedros Master Tool Box and tire pump. The bottom of the tool box fits into a small groove and the top of the box is secured by a wooden slat locking everything into place. Check out what is inside Max's Pro Toolbox! The tire pump is simple. It fits right in and is always in the same place every time. It's always a bit of a drag when you can't find your pump right before your ride. 

• Take your shoes off at the door! This little handy shoe cubby makes it easy to keep your dirty riding shoes at the door. This also acts as a platform to walk on moving around in the van. Because the shoe cubby is only held in by magnets, its quick and easy to remove if needed. Pretty trick!

What's Next?

The van is always evolving to be more efficient and so it won't be long until someone comes up with an even better way to outfit their van more efficiently and creatively for their needs. For Max, I think the next move is to get some kind of secondary power system, maybe with solar panels or an additional battery to run things like a heater, interior and exterior lights, and an air compressor. 

While that is all going on, adding some more interior insulation may also be a good idea. We will have to wait and see! These vehicles are popular among so many different outdoor enthusiasts and are great no matter if you want a full on camper or just a garage on wheels.

Hopefully this gives you all some inspiration to go out and build your own setup that works great for exactly what you need. You don't have to go out and buy the most expensive aftermarket parts, all you need is some creativity and willingness to make something from nothing.