I was confused for a second, but I think you ordered the rails, and not reinforcements ... just a mislabel from the parts store.
If the van has the threaded holes to receive the Metric bolts, then it has the hidden reinforcements in place. On the rears (trunk / third row) those are welded in, on the second row driver's side, there's two black metal pieces that fall down into the wall cavity, when you take four screws out. Two each. At least that's what happened in my case.
I only ordered the three rails from MB, the front driver side front one needs shortening a few inches, towards the trunk (iirc) based on the hole pattern.
Should the MB rails not be available, I would look at a wooden filler strip the size of about one MB rail to fill out out the profile difference, then a horizontal band of a couple inches wide as a mounting rail, with then the MB lashing rail over it, or an Ikea rail or other profile to receive the cross beams ... and somewhat longer bolts through it all.
Could use logistics track, but you will have to cut a few teeth and drill holes in it as needed, to match the MB pattern.
I could see a setup where you have the bed profile stuff at MB rail height, with whatever profile, from Ikea, or just clips ... and then logistics track under that, for under the bed garage tie down.
I know you've been through the rail ordering drill -- no mislabeling, just not a very accurate name. The parts book calls 639 636 64 16 a "reinforcement." 639 636 61 16 -- the front driver's side rail (also "reinforcement") is no longer available. The dealer book shows 64 16 as the replacement. Glad to hear the 64 16 will match up front with only one cut.
As I said, I think I found the rails -- we'll see if they actually appear. My dealer has been really good -- like finding the plastic shield for my rear semi-trailing arm after I tore it in mud & snow. I couldn't find it in the factory parts manual.
Fingers crossed. Mine arrived, by the end of the second business week, from what I recall.
I installed them with metric bolts that have an extra flange below the dome, like if they had a washer under a basic ones; for extra contact area ... which was probably overkill.
I think there have been a few threads where we have talked about bunks. I think the base is often overlooked. I think it's quite common for people to think of using plywood for the base and to put a mattress on the top. It's really not the best approach. It's hard and not flexible. It's the same as putting the mattress on the floor. Moisture can build up there also. The sleep systems that create some air flow have the advantage of cutting down the moisture/mold issue and also add some spring.
Even though I have the Reimo bed for the cabin I'm still interested in the design like the Vanable. Mercedes Vito XL | Vanable® – Macht jeden VAN zum Wohnmobil . One of the reasons is I'd like to store larger bins under. The Reimo bed folds and due to the fold the main frame is lower to allow the fold to physically clear the ceiling. I called Vanable and they wont sell to the US so I tossed some ideas around. One of them was using the Ikea struts. Since have one of the beds in the house I was able to look at it. My idea was to run it just like the Ikea bed. The long way and use the ikea slats with the mattress from the Reimo bed. If you run the supports from side to side you are now challenged with slats. If you run it the "normal" way you get suspension. So if you just run solid bars or 2x4 side to side at the top and bottom and one ikea beam down the center the mattress can be thinner. You could also not run the full width and say have a twin size running left justified. and use the ikea beam as one side with the slats running the full width. The Ikea slats are cheap and easy to shorten. They are also connected with webbing.
Fingers crossed. Mine arrived, by the end of the second business week, from what I recall.
I installed them with metric bolts that have an extra flange below the dome, like if they had a washer under a basic ones; for extra contact area ... which was probably overkill.
I think there have been a few threads where we have talked about bunks. I think the base is often overlooked. I think it's quite common for people to think of using plywood for the base and to put a mattress on the top. It's really not the best approach. It's hard and not flexible. It's the same as putting the mattress on the floor. Moisture can build up there also. The sleep systems that create some air flow have the advantage of cutting down the moisture/mold issue and also add some spring.
Even though I have the Reimo bed for the cabin I'm still interested in the design like the Vanable. Mercedes Vito XL | Vanable® – Macht jeden VAN zum Wohnmobil . One of the reasons is I'd like to store larger bins under. The Reimo bed folds and due to the fold the main frame is lower to allow the fold to physically clear the ceiling. I called Vanable and they wont sell to the US so I tossed some ideas around. One of them was using the Ikea struts. Since have one of the beds in the house I was able to look at it. My idea was to run it just like the Ikea bed. The long way and use the ikea slats with the mattress from the Reimo bed. If you run the supports from side to side you are now challenged with slats. If you run it the "normal" way you get suspension. So if you just run solid bars or 2x4 side to side at the top and bottom and one ikea beam down the center the mattress can be thinner. You could also not run the full width and say have a twin size running left justified. and use the ikea beam as one side with the slats running the full width. The Ikea slats are cheap and easy to shorten. They are also connected with webbing.
I hear you -- I've seen the Ikea Skorva/Luroy combos, and they'd serve well in a fore/aft configuration, or side to side if I were under 5' tall (or if somebody made Sprinter-esq side pop-outs -- hint hint someone!!).
But I'm really interested in a solid and overbuilt, easily removable cargo platform -- that's why I am planning on up to 5 Skorvas, depending on where I end up with the side fastening system, hopefully the factory rails. There's a chance the ICECO will end up there, and I want the lashing to be rock solid as I don't have a cargo partition. I expect I'll eventually construct a leg and foot extension using the driver's side B to C pillar rail (reinforcement) and passenger side "legs," but that will take longer than I have before my next extended trip. So I was going to default to my Hest under the platform, and use the upper area for much storage, as well as the "garage" under, while leaving width on the driver's side for my 25" wide bed. In any event, I really don't want a permanent dedicated mattress in the van, just a permanent place to put the Hest.
I agree about the air circulation, so I assumed that down the road I could drill and cut ventilation holes in the plywood Skorva covers, though if I maintain the Hest they won't be so helpful as it has a watertight drop stitch bottom like an inflatable SUP.
/!\ My old order link may not exist or be out of stock, it shows multiple options ...
Invoice says " M8-1.25x55 stainless pack o"
Likely 10, given that the longer ones are a ten pack.
Supplemented it with regular button heads from the local hardware store.
/!\ My old order link may not exist or be out of stock, it shows multiple options ...
Invoice says " M8-1.25x55 stainless pack o"
Likely 10, given that the longer ones are a ten pack.
Supplemented it with regular button heads from the local hardware store.
Thanks much, and wow, those are long. The manual specifies M8x16. No thread pitch should mean it's the 1.25 coarse thread, and it sounds like you verified that. I was afraid something longer might bottom out against the exterior sheet metal. I'd prefer Torx for the factory look, but I talked myself out of it. Now that I think about it, a 16 is really short. Oh well and we'll see!
Yes, they are rather long, shorter will absolutely work fine for people. I kind of needed that extra length because of : hidden nut + spacer + plywood + track; and I had to get my 48" high plywood started and flexed into place ... which with a more regular length might have meant just a couple turns grab hold. I did a test fit and the " shoulder " area in the van is rather wide. The install idea worked fine. There was only one bolt spot on the passenger side where it was maybe half an inch too long, towards the front, probably something to do with the door track.
Well, I am absolutely stunned, but my dealer called this afternoon to say that the 3 cargo lashing rails ("L-track") I ordered last week have arrived from Germany. I am going to fetch them tomorrow. Icerabbit convinced me to get the both regular and flanged Torx buttonheads, M8 16 Coarse (1.25). BTW, Belmetric.com was a great source -- cheap and fast -- I paid $32.19 delivered for 25 buttonheads and 25 flanged buttonheads. We'll see which fits better. Their products on Amazon cost 4 times as much as you can get them directly.
Now I need some help calculating maximum static load on the cargo rails. So I load them safely. I last took college physics in 1975 and 1976, so I'm (more than) a little rusty and I was hoping an engineer might help.
The equipment handbook states that the maximum tensile loading of the lashing points on the tie-down rail is 1000 newtons. Newtons measure force. One newton is equal to 1 kilogram meter per second squared, i.e., Force equals mass times acceleration, or Mass equals force divided by acceleration. In order to derive the safe static load on the lashing points, I am assuming I would divide 1000 N by some presumed maximum acceleration. Let's start with gravity, our constant in the vertical axis. That's 9.82m/s² So, 1000 kg meters per second squared/9.82m/s² = 101.8 kg static weight or about 225 pounds per anchor point if you are parked. What if you are braking -- hard. Does any one have stats on how fast braking deceleration is? It can be calculated from starting speed, ending speed and time to ending speed. What kind of braking force should I design to accommodate. I was thinking 80 mph to zero in 2 seconds -- basically hitting a wall. If the cargo stays still then even if you're dead, at least it's not from the cargo!?
Doubt you will have issues, but love the detail. Since you intend to make a shelf I think you might be more interested in shear and tension on your bolts. Check the specs.
Doubt you will have issues, but love the detail. Since you intend to make a shelf I think you might be more interested in shear and tension on your bolts. Check the specs.
So the maximum tensile load for a M8 flanged button head appears to be somewhere between 23,400 N and 30,500 N, based upon ISO 7380-2. That would make the rail the weak spot in the system, rather than my fasteners or cross rails.
I got the rails today. To my surprise and delight, the heavy duty 1800# US Cargo double lug 3/8" fittings work great. To my surprise and relief, the cheapo 1000# M8 "Bonberland" double lugs do not fit. I'll send install pics later.
icerabbit, after looking at it, I do prefer the flanged buttonhead M8 16 fasteners over the unflanged versions. It just feels like more grip. Did you use blue Loctite or Permatex? I am planning to, unless someone tells me it's a bad idea. The manual WIS/ASRA says they take 23Nm torque.
Picture time -- dry fit of Ikea rails on L-track with U.S. Cargo Control double lug 3/8" studs and 250# rated 3/8" hole L brackets. It is going to be easy to build the foot section on the driver's side using the B- to C-pillar L-Track. It looks like the Ikea rail clips are unnecessary -- I just need a 9mm hole though the rails to use the left over M8 buttonheads to fasten the rails down. Muy fuerte!!
I would use a very small pin and use gravity to hold those supports rather than drilling a larger hole. That's just me. You just need them not to slip off.
I thought about that but I got nervous about rattling. I'm not worried about the integrity of the Skorva because it will be compressed flush with the L bracket if I bolt it down, so it will have plenty of surface area even with the 9mm clearance hole required for an M8 (the 3/8 studs are ~9.5mm). And the shoulders and vertical reinforced edges will not be affected.
I guess I could put felt on the L bracket. It would take quite a bump to knock them off now. What do you think about Velcro to hold the Skorva's down? Nice and simple --
20-20 hindsight -- I wish I cudda gotten the cargo protection package with floor rails too. It was $855 when I bought, and included the 3 rails ($225), the LC2 rear LED ($207), floor rails ($215), Con-pearl paneling ($285) and the side lashing rails ($225) -- that's $1,157 separately. Unfortunately, MB did not have the plastic paneling for the 135 at the time, so it was a no go. I was unsure about the floor rails as well, but I can see many uses now (other than dirt collectors). Fortunately VanGo sold me their 135 Con-pearl at a great price, all mounting hardware included labeled, but I failed to get his side rails. So for paneling and the rails, I'm in about $550, and the LC2 and I'm at ~$760, including fasteners. Oh well!!!
Very thin uhmw washer/tape around the pin. That's what they do with metal bed frames (I could snap a photo of a bed we have this way). Allows the slats to be quickly moved or broken down and allows free movement (and no squeaks).
Sure, I think you could wrap a cable velcro tie around them if you worried about them popping off. I assumed you were throwing a sheet of plywood on them.
Can you just put the beams over the top of the angle brackets?
Thank you -- I still have plenty of time to overcomplicate it or otherwise screw it up! But I do like the industrial look with the computer grey panels, floor and ceiling, with matching BSS Contura III switches. And the only holes I've cut are in replaceable plastic panels. As I think you pointed out a while back, the black switch plates I used give great contrast for finding the switches. I tried the beams over the top but they get very wobbly due to the relatively narrow L bracket.
What is a uhmw washer?
One advantage of using 5 beams is that I can get away with very thin plywood, like 1/4" or 3/8" max, except inthe gap between the last rail and the rear doors. Using those 3 or 4 inches makes a big difference in room upfront -- I am planning on a 76" bed to accommodate my children who for some reason tower over my 69 inches. I think the platform will end up being lighter than if I had fewer beams and heavier wood. And as you point out, a minimal fastener will be fine, especially with light plywood.
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