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To bulkhead or not

M

mbc383

Expert Expediter
Hello:

WE are still looking for a Sprinter Van We love what is on the lot but none of them had a bulkhead for the sleeper. What to do if you buy and you have start with building sleeper room. I should know more than Linda because I drove over the road for 10 years but the truck was ready by the company. I did not have to build one so I am in a pickle with this. So what to do and where should go to get this work done. I am what you would call a wide body. I am not alone this time, I read about full size beds in a Sprinter. I was thinking about a queen size bed and refrigerator maybe printer. I would like to know have anyone build one from hand made parts. Thanks from Linda and Micheal :):confused:;)
 
ebsprintin

ebsprintin

Veteran Expediter
My recommendation is to always start as minimal as possible. Could you get by with sleeping on the floor or an air mattress? Live out of plastic boxes? Get some time on the road with nothing. Then decide what you want to build into the vehicle. You will soon find with nothing in the vehicle that you can still quickly run out of payload capacity for the freight. Building something and then having to tear it all out is a waste of time, energy, and money. It's the nature of the beast when dealing with new sprinters. It doesn't have the capacity that people want to think it has.

eb
 
Moot

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
To bulkhead or not to bulkhead, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings
and arrows of wayward freight
Or to make a shield against a sea of projectiles
and by barricading, end them. To die, in sleep
by blunt force trauma no more
and by a sleep to say we end
the headache, and the thousand natural shocks
that flesh is heir to.
'Tis a consummation by the 2 ton die
to be wished. To die, to sleep
to be smashed perchance to dream:
ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
that makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of loose freight
Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
The pangs of unsecured freight, the laws of physics,
The insolence of office personnel, and the spurns
that patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
when a second shipment would alleviate weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered life insurance, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus money does make expediters of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied
o'er with the pale cast of dispatch,
And enterprise of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action. BEEP. Soft you now,
the fair QualComm Nymph, in thy orisons
be all loads refused, forgotten.

Shakespeare didn't quote that and neither did Terry Evans!
 
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highway star

highway star

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Moot said:
To bulkhead or not to bulkhead, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings
and arrows of wayward freight
Or to make a shield against a sea of projectiles
and by barricading, end them. To die, in sleep
by blunt force trauma no more
and by a sleep to say we end
the headache, and the thousand natural shocks
that flesh is heir to.
'Tis a consummation by the 2 ton die
to be wished. To die, to sleep
to be smashed perchance to dream:
ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
that makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of loose freight
Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
The pangs of unsecured freight, the laws of physics,
The insolence of office personnel, and the spurns
that patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
when a second shipment would alleviate weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered life insurance, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus money does make expediters of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied
o'er with the pale cast of dispatch,
And enterprise of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action. BEEP. Soft you now,
the fair QualComm Nymph, in thy orisons
be all loads refused, forgotten.

Shakespeare didn't quote that and neither did Terry Evans!
Click to expand...

dude...

(Highway Star wipes a tear from his eye)
 
M

mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
During the time I had a bulkhead--- It was the "Mighty Wall of Cardboard". It worked because I stacked all the freight up against it to begin with, so nothing could move in transit. Since it was what it was, when necessary it came down fast enough.

These days it's gone permanently. It would be in the way more than anything else, so-- it's gone. I have a couple of load bars to keep freight from shifting, the ones I have are telescoping and extend from 48" to 102", with three sections to make it adjustable that far. If I need it, I can always secure some cardboard to help the load bars secure the freight.
 
M

mbc383

Expert Expediter
Yes I got an air mattress but I am not going at this along and she wants a bed and a wall. So I have to think of my other. Thanks from Linda and Micheal
 
Moot

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I have an insulated split bulkhead with crawl through access to the cab. My bed is behind the bulkhead. As a solo driver this works well for me. When I'm driving I am only heating or cooling the cab. The bulkhead also helps to insulate the cab from noisy freight. When I am parked, I have the whole cargo area for a living space.

If you are running team in a van you really should have a bulkhead separating the cargo area from the sleeping area. You may even want to consider a bunk restraint.
.
Crawlthroughbulkhead.jpg
 
M

mbc383

Expert Expediter
Hello:

That sounds like a very good thing in the van to have bunk restraints for safety thanks from Linda and Micheal
 
zorry

zorry

Veteran Expediter
Curious,does anyone use the restraints in the bunk ?
For their intended purpose...
 
M

mbc383

Expert Expediter
Hello:

When I was in a team. I used belts to hold me in the bunk from my co driver. He would hit brakes hard just to see if I would fall out of the bunk. We almost went into a jack knife over his thinking. That was the main reason I was solo, if anyone goes team you have to know who is the other person all you need is that person to kill you. I would want Linda to be safe even if she don't want to use them. Thanks from Linda and Micheal
 
Jenny

Jenny

Veteran Expediter
zorry said:
Curious,does anyone use the restraints in the bunk ?
For their intended purpose...
Click to expand...

Since most people make their sleepers in vans, I think it is something that is quite often overlooked. Most peoples beds are also not stationary either, especially in the larger vans due to needing to be able to move for three skids. I honestly have never seen any form of bed restraints in a van sleeper.
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Jenny said:
Since most people make their sleepers in vans, I think it is something that is quite often overlooked. Most peoples beds are also not stationary either, especially in the larger vans due to needing to be able to move for three skids. I honestly have never seen any form of bed restraints in a van sleeper.
Click to expand...

Me neither....never even thought of them as my team partner, Juju just reclined in the front seat...and so did I...
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Rocketman said:
Would you consider the use of either...more safe...or less safe?
Click to expand...

welllll...hard to say.....a lot maybe too many variables to be factored in....severity of crash, position of occupant at time of crash and so on and so on....you know all this anyways...

I am thinking a rear facing air bag on the bulk head...to limit movement as a back up?....
 
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