And now for something completely different - a little levity in light of the current issues of the day

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And now for something completely different - a little levity in light of the current issues of the day


So I'm driving to work this morning and I spot this Mercedes-Benz Transit Van parked down the road from our Condo.

At first glance it was just another Mercedes-Benz Transit Van...

BUT then a closer look and I saw it!

That's right, this Mercedes-Benz is rigged for action!

The Safari 4x4 River Crossing Snorkel

It's okay though, as this is the 4 Wheel Drive Mercedes-Benz Transit Van - completely capable of crossing even the deepest, fastest running rivers on Earth.

I thought, this must be a Snorkel for some other vehicle that someone simply re-purposed for their MB Sprinter Van?

Nope. If you have a hankering to forge some rivers in your Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van when out on Safari, you can get one too!

I can just see this scenario playing out...

Hey Brandine, hold my beer and watch this!

 

[mk9750]

I saw one around here a few days ago, and thought it was strictly decoration. No idea it really is a thing? I can't remember what type of vehicle I saw it on.

 

[RTexasF]

That snorkel also has a Mercedes price! Good sighting there Mike.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And just thinking outloud....

If I'm ever in a position where I MUST cross a river in my Mercedes-Benz Transit Van - I'm already in a heap of trouble and crossing the river is probably the least of my concerns....

Think of a scenario where you're being chased by some pissed-off tribe of head hunters in the Amazon Jungle, like an Indiana Jones movie....


:laughing:

 

[JustJesus]

Think of a scenario where you're being chased by some pissed-off tribe of head hunters in the Amazon Jungle, like an Indiana Jones movie....

Oh man! LOL You're too much, Mike.

Great spot. That thing is heavy enough to sit solidly as it crosses the water. And to keep a good momentum while moving forward.

I do anticipate some type of water crossings in my Cherokee's future, but hopefully nothing deep enough to require a snorkel.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Oh man! LOL You're too much, Mike.

Great spot. That thing is heavy enough to sit solidly as it crosses the water. And to keep a good momentum while moving forward.

I do anticipate some type of water crossings in my Cherokee's future, but hopefully nothing deep enough to require a snorkel.

Back when I lived in Oregon, for lunch my buddy Eric and I would leave his welding shop, (I worked as a welder for about a year), and we would take his truck to Jefferson, Oregon to a little mom and pop hamburger shop that was near the Santiam River.


We would get some lunch and then drive down to the boat ramps and drive straight out into the river.


Here's Eric's truck....

Here's the boat ramps and where we would drive out into the river and eat our lunch. And cool off.

We didn't need no stinking snorkle to cross the river. :laughing:


After driving out into the river we would open both doors and let the river flow through the floorboards. It was pretty funny to have boats and canoes going around us.


Ah.... the good old days.....

 

[PaulMys]

That snorkel also has a Mercedes price! Good sighting there Mike.

Funny you say that. We got an MB in on trade.

Going over it, the techs found a broken/rotted heat shield. About 16' long, x 4" wide.

Pretty much a beefy piece of aluminum foil that weighed about 3-4 ounces.

I drove to the Mercedes dealer to pick up the part. MB price tag?? $88.88.

 

[chet31]

Back when I lived in Oregon, for lunch my buddy Eric and I would leave his welding shop, (I worked as a welder for about a year), and we would take his truck to Jefferson, Oregon to a little mom and pop hamburger shop that was near the Santiam River.


We would get some lunch and then drive down to the boat ramps and drive straight out into the river.


Here's Eric's truck....

Here's the boat ramps and where we would drive out into the river and eat our lunch. And cool off.

We didn't need no stinking snorkle to cross the river. :laughing:


After driving out into the river we would open both doors and let the river flow through the floorboards. It was pretty funny to have boats and canoes going around us.


Ah.... the good old days.....

I'm going to say no to using ONR for this wash. Actually, I wouldn't wash it at all, looks great like that.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Yeah i have a buddy who’s into trucks and he’s was talking about a sprinter and i didn’t get it. He showed me a picture similar to this and I was like wow.... OK.

It make for an awesome doomsday vehicle...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Yeah i have a buddy who’s into trucks and he’s was talking about a sprinter and i didn’t get it. He showed me a picture similar to this and I was like wow.... OK.

I actually like it. Never seen anyone mod a MB Sprinter Van like that? Pretty damn cool.

It make for an awesome doomsday vehicle...

Looks like he has good timing.


p.s.

I took the liberty to download your image, crop out the fluff and give it a nicer stance and then re-insert it into your post. icture:

 

[JustJesus]

We didn't need no stinking snorkle to cross the river. :laughing:

Ah.... the good old days.....

OH WOW ! ! I LOVE Eric's truck. My wife would absolutely love that thing. It's massive by today's standards. I'm sure it was more so back in the good old days.

I actually like it. Never seen anyone mod a MB Sprinter Van like that? Pretty damn cool.

Totally agree. Haven't seen one modded to that extent, and it does look pretty darn cool.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

OH WOW ! ! I LOVE Eric's truck.

My wife would absolutely love that thing.

It's massive by today's standards. I'm sure it was more so back in the good old days.

For what it's worth, I helped Eric build this truck from the ground up. And when I say ground up, I mean from the ground up.

One day I went to his house and he had 4 pieces of 4" square tubing about 25' long, laid out on the GROUND in the driveway in front of his parents house.

Looks like this,

If you look at the front bumper, it was made out of 4" square tubing.

I asked him,

What are you doing?


He said,

I'm building a truck.


LOL - And that's how that truck started. That tubing was to build the FRAME.

Being my best friend, I told Eric,

I'll help you build your truck and then you help me build my truck.


To which he agreed. His truck started out 4" off the ground and turned into the truck you see in the picture above. This was back in I think, 1980 or 1981? And here's what's even better. He still has it today and it's street legal in Oregon.


I've shared this multiple times here on the forum but after we built his truck, he then helped me build my truck. Eric is one hell of a fabricator and welder. He can literally make anything. (he made the wheels on his truck)

Here's the truck Eric helped me to build. It's a 1971 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4. We fabricated our own body lift, frame lift, suspension lift and stuffed a 402 big block Chevy into it with a divorced Turbo 400 hooked up to a 2 ton military gear drive transfer case. It had 12" I-beam bumpers and a custom 5" tube roll bar and I cut the top off to make it a full convertible. Also has a custom soft top made for it. Drove it for 12 years before selling it. Used to pull my Sanger Drag Boat all over Oregon with it.

I didn't want to go as nuts and Eric did. Wish I still had it....