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Promaster Weekender Build

66K views 49 replies 17 participants last post by  KeepMeMoving 
#1 ·
136" Short Wheel base. Goal is to build a passenger and campervan combo with a pop top (Sportsmobile or Colorado Campervan) like what I did on a recent E-150 build. Gong to do something simple basically a Sprinter crew with a pop top that sleeps 4 and transports people to be as close to a VW weekender (that I rebuilt also) that I loved but was just to small. I will do a bed platform behind the front seat I think that can be removed if I want to have two rows of seats. I also left enough room that two cots can fit behind the front seat if I decide not to do a platform or want more versatility.

Phase 1:
windows, Seats, flooring
Going to use CR Laurence vent windows on drivers side. This window however cannot be swapped out with the factory slider window, I think they messed up on their template. Another thread confirmed that they don't have an exact fit for their vented windows. I heard however you can convert a the slider window to pop out...but I have yet to see this in person. I am hoping to do this, but if not I will have two vented windows and can roll down the fronts windows and put magnetic screens on them to get plenty of ventilation at night and keep bugs out.
Phase 2:
walls/sound dampening

Phase 3:
Pop Top


Thanks to Leo's thread I decided to go with sprinter seats I was able to trade for a longboard I had to a guy who had a few seats with out mounts. Ordered mounts and through some long calculations and measurements I was able to finally mount them. I decided to do 3 mounts in two rows so I can do a two or a three seat bench in either location. I was able to run a few bolts through frame rails or cross members, what I could not do I did full plates all the way across using 1/4 inch stainless steel plates. I wanted it to be as difficult as possible for the mounts to come through the floor due to the weight of the seats. My preference would have been to weld in braces, but no welder and I am pretty confident this will be strong enough...if there was a problem that would mean the entire van would be totaled and I would have more than a seat coming out. I was able to do two full length brackets on the front seat mount and one on the rear with two bolts through frame rails using as large as a washer/bracket as possible to take up as much area. This was a very long process to figure out mounting everything and aligning it up. I was able to get about 16" of legroom between the rows of seats. I have a two and a three row seats.

Some of the mounting options



Mounts finally done, now I will have to make templates for the floor. Plan is to build a 3/8 base then put a 1/2 inch flooring on top making the mounts flush to the floor.


Making first round template for the base floor. Use this template to make router guide to cut out the first base floor slots for the seat mounts.


More to come-cut out the base floor pieces that will sit on some vinyl flooring I got at home depot to reduce noise and noise of the plywood on floor. I first thought about using something else the the 1/8 to 1/16 inch thickness of this should be very close to the 15/16 the bottom of the mount is to the floor.
 
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#29 ·
Slamit, do you have any info on the original issue with the CRL window? I'm going to do that window myself, would like to avoid the same issue.

One thing I did notice when I unboxed the window, they overlapped the butyl tape by several inches on the bottom, I wondered if that would be enough build up to prevent the window from being flush.

Appreciate any info if you have it on what the installers found
 
#32 ·
Built some simple shades for $55 for the first camping trip for the weekender this weekend. I posted details in "how to". Not rocket science and certainly not high end, but an easy solution for me since we don't camp all the time and only use shades at night time when we have interior light on. I don't need a mounted shade or want curtains or anything. I could certainly do curtains, but then I would have rods and stuff and the inside would not look as clean and I would be drilling holes and such in my van. Might come up with something more elegant when I have time to hammer on the sewing machine. I have a couple simple ideas that would be similar but short on time.

 
#34 ·
awesome build! thanks for posting
I just picked up a 136" hightop with slide door window and rear windows.
I want to add the rear CRL vented windows on both sides but can't seem to find both sides. do you have a link?
thanks!


so far I really like this van!
 
#39 · (Edited)
Great customer service at www.trucknvans.com. I got my (2) 159 WB back side windows. Order, got 'em in a week... free shipping from the nearest CRL warehouse. Shipped with plastic wrap tying them to a 9' pallet... 176 pounds! Installed them myself in 2 days (one day, 5 hrs for each side).

Not sure about a vented window on the slider side... might interfere if open when you open the sliding door? Mine are both fixed. Trying to figure out a way to vent the back!

I would recommend them to others! No benefit to me, just passing on a great business!

Ed
 
#35 · (Edited)
Gator, I ordered mine from Discount Van and Truck out of LA, great prices but service leaves a lot to be desired. That being said they got here with only one issue, CRL didn't put the self tapping black screws in the box with the side framed window. Can't fault the dealer for that but CRL won't talk with me about it because they only go thru the dealer. The dealer is terrible about responding to anything. I'm about ready to go buy some and then paint the heads black.

I have not seen a vented window for the passenger rear, only the slider door. Which sucks because you have to replace the slider with a CRL to have any ventilation options on that side. Or use another brand and screw up the nice look of the CRL
 
#46 ·
Took the van out for the first real trip - 3500 miles in the NW with the family. Worked out great. Some things I learned...I space the rear seat just right so I can squeeze a 70 quart igloo freezer in/out of the side door. Keep this in mind if you mount a rear seat that you can squeze a cooler in behind it, I got lucky it was just wide enough. If I mounted two seat bench rather than the three bench you have a lot more room to "walk around" in and this isn't an issue at all, but the three seater was used to keep the groms separated on the long road trip. Ideally the only thing I would change is to have the rear seats movable/mountable facing front or back. You can do this really safely with high end mounting systems, but it would have cost me 4k just for the mounting system, but that would have made this a perfect build. If the second row could be mounted backwards you could have a "table" in the middle and seating for six for eating. Cant do this with sprinter seats...but they did not cost me 4k either. The vent windows worked great and drove it consistently at 80 mph on the grapevine with no problems. I like the fact it keeps up with fast traffic and you can actually pass like a normal car, however it's no sports car on super twisty roads. Parking super easy due to the size and even had it on some ferry's into Canada. Really a great upgrade from tent camping and easy in town unlike an RV. We could park/go many places a small class b RV would have some issues with. Fantastic fan is a must as it was often above 100 degrees during parts of our trip and to cool the van down quickly at night was a plus for sure. Sportsmobile won't for some reason mount a fan on their pop tops, CCV - no problem, one of the big decision factors for me other than the larger size for CCV. Plus Derek at CCV is a great guy and I believe in supporting the small private business owner when possible. In my opinion the fan is a must have on any van. Had two of them on different vans and none on the Eurovan I had. Big difference in comfort at the end of a day if you need to quickly cool the interior down. With the second battery also I don't worry about battery drain if I run it to long.

Over all the set up performed exactly as I wanted it to and the extra space compared to an E150 was huge. So much more room for all the gear and those luxury items like a BBQ, sunshade, extra coolers.... I owned a Eurovan weekender, E150, and now this. No comparison in comfort, the Promaster or a Sprinter is well worth the upgrade. The promaster drives so much more comfortably on the highway, with the sound dampening and other stuff it was as nice as our old Sienna.
 

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#47 ·
Great write up. I am looking at buying a Promaster soon and there are a couple of aspects of your build I am hoping to have in mine.

The battery install looks great and you do not loose any room. Which seats do you have - std, 6 way adjust or swivel? Will the type of seat make a difference on the install? You mentioned a "how to" but I did not see a link.

CRL windows and Factory windows - I think you mentioned that there was a difference in the color between the factory back windows and the CRL windows. Is the color difference that obvious from the outside?
 
#48 ·
I am looking to install a battery under the drivers seat like you had done. The description indicates there is a how to section but I did not see it. Is there a link for it that I missed?

What type of seat did you install it under: Standard, 6 way or swivel? Does it make a difference?

I thought I read that the CRL windows are a different tint that the factory windows. Is it that noticeable from the outside? I was thinking of ordering factory rear windows but have CRL windows on the sides.
 
#49 · (Edited)
Do a search for my other threads from my profile...lots of information and you can find the battery link there. I have other posts including this same type of build...but at a totally different level. (ie way more $$) I used a specific battery and box as that is what fit under the stock seat. I am going to put swivels on my seats soon so that may bring up the clearance a bit then you can do a larger battery. The issue was height that limited a certain size of battery/box combo. I have seen guys you use a plastic box, cut it down and get it to work also. Since I used a really nice battery box used for racing spec, it was worth the extra just to do it as safe as possible and go the little extra.

The tint is off a little, have a window tint person do a match and you can't tell the difference. I had to get the fixed window tint matched. I have to admit however the next build I did with the vent in the slider really helped in cross flow ventilation and was worth the extra, but having two CRL windows + screens on the front door windows there was not issue with air with a roof van, just not as nice as having one extra small vent in the slider.

I am also can help others whom want to do something like this but don't have the expertise or time if they live in So Cal.
 
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