[Tickbus]

Hey All,

Longtime lurker first time poster,

as the title tells it, wife and I took delivery of our '22 MB Metris Cargo Van custom order last Friday after a 5 month wait, which seems to be the norm... Van was assembled Dec 17th, 2021 and then sat in the assembly lot for a series of chips. Traded in my late model, full-size 1/2 ton truck (with great resale value) for the Benz. It's been a week so far and I'm loving every aspect of this mid-size van. The van will be used as my daily and when necessary outfitted with a bolt-in bed for festivals, camping, road trips, etc. I do general towing (dump runs, mulch, dirt, firewood) so a trailer hitch was a must and the ability to hook up a trailer brake controller. I am so far averaging 24-26.5 mpgs on country roads and 20-21 in the city- I'm a hyper miler and like to stretch my dollars, so not heavy-footed!

I'm in the process of outfitting the van with a Skorva Ikea bed rail style bed (similar to the Sprinters) into the hip mounted L-track utilizing 80/20 flat mending plates to drop the bed rails lower so we aren't sniffing the roof! I'll be sure to post photos of that build once all the parts arrive and I begin. I hope to be getting to a 80/20 custom black roof rack build with a Fiamma awning by June. More to come!

Some of the options we added:
C07 CARGO PROTECTION
ED5 Parametric Special Module (PSM)
FZ5 Anti-Theft Warning System
ML4 Alternator 14 V / 190 A
Q24 Trailer cross-member,NAFTA,towing capacity 5000Ibs
RN4 Tires 235/55R 17"
RS7 Steel wheels 6.5 J x 17
W54 Rear doors, opening 270 degrees
W78 Window in tailgate/rear door with wipe/wash system
XA8 GVWR 6,834 Ibs

I have to mention that our brand rep/ dealer Sam Cates of Mercedes Midlothian, VA went above and beyond in both customer satisfaction, care and the handling of this lengthy transaction. We've owned several Subaru's old and new and never have had a d*mn near flawless transaction/ business relationship until Benz, I hope this lasts.


Happy Friday y'all!

Tyler

 

[icerabbit]

Welcome to MetrisForum, Tyler.

The van is wonderful to drive and rewards that light foot + coasting down with good mpg numbers.

Looking forward to seeing your build thread and photos

 

[Le Manchot]

Welcome Tyler!

I am curious if your dealer mentioned anything about the fuel hose clamp recall?

NHTSA Recall ID Number : 22V134 (potential fuel line leak)

Letter dated April 2022. Below I have typed in the most important things in the notice.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Safety Recall Notice. Check and Replace Fuel Hose Clamps and Hose NHTSA Recall #22V134 This recall notice applies to some MY...

www.metrisforum.com

According to the Mercedes bulletin that went out to dealers in March, no Metris vehicle in stock at dealerships is to be sold until the fuel hose clamp recall is resolved on the vehicle:

"Given this notice, it is a violation of Federal Law for a dealer to sell or lease any new Metris vehicles in dealer inventory covered bythisnotificationuntilthevehiclehasbeenrepaired."

Mercedes states in the recall notice that the parts are not currently available. The dealer that I am working with will not sell me the Metris that we planned on buying until the recall is resolved. Looks like there may be some inconsistency on this issue across the Mercedes stores. However, your vehicle may have been produced after November 2021 when a "fix" was instituted at the assembly line. There were vehicles excluded from the affected population since the first notice as the affected dealer inventory was reduced from an initial population of 187 to 141 in the most recent update that includes all the detail on exactly what the "fix" is:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCMN-22V134-4683.pdf

Again, welcome to the Metris community! We look forward to hearing about your adventures.

 

[Metros]

Welcome and enjoy, what are they using for tires nowadays? If possible, could you post the window sticker (monroney) for your van and price paid. TIA👍

 

[focus805]

Hey All,

Longtime lurker first time poster,

as the title tells it, wife and I took delivery of our '22 MB Metris Cargo Van custom order last Friday after a 5 month wait, which seems to be the norm... Van was assembled Dec 17th, 2021 and then sat in the assembly lot for a series of chips. Traded in my late model, full-size 1/2 ton truck (with great resale value) for the Benz. It's been a week so far and I'm loving every aspect of this mid-size van. The van will be used as my daily and when necessary outfitted with a bolt-in bed for festivals, camping, road trips, etc. I do general towing (dump runs, mulch, dirt, firewood) so a trailer hitch was a must and the ability to hook up a trailer brake controller. I am so far averaging 24-26.5 mpgs on country roads and 20-21 in the city- I'm a hyper miler and like to stretch my dollars, so not heavy-footed!

I'm in the process of outfitting the van with a Skorva Ikea bed rail style bed (similar to the Sprinters) into the hip mounted L-track utilizing 80/20 flat mending plates to drop the bed rails lower so we aren't sniffing the roof! I'll be sure to post photos of that build once all the parts arrive and I begin. I hope to be getting to a 80/20 custom black roof rack build with a Fiamma awning by June. More to come!

Some of the options we added:
C07 CARGO PROTECTION
ED5 Parametric Special Module (PSM)
FZ5 Anti-Theft Warning System
ML4 Alternator 14 V / 190 A
Q24 Trailer cross-member,NAFTA,towing capacity 5000Ibs
RN4 Tires 235/55R 17"
RS7 Steel wheels 6.5 J x 17
W54 Rear doors, opening 270 degrees
W78 Window in tailgate/rear door with wipe/wash system
XA8 GVWR 6,834 Ibs

I have to mention that our brand rep/ dealer Sam Cates of Mercedes Midlothian, VA went above and beyond in both customer satisfaction, care and the handling of this lengthy transaction. We've owned several Subaru's old and new and never have had a d*mn near flawless transaction/ business relationship until Benz, I hope this lasts.


Happy Friday y'all!

Tyler






View attachment 21010

Welcome! You've probably already seen this thread. Factory Cargo Side L-Track Platform.

I originally intended to drop the platform as you are suggesting but found it created a problem with my oversized power box. I may still drop it when I revise the power box as I located my switches to accommodate that. I hadn't thought of using 80/20 plates -- great idea!

One bit of advice. The Ikea 116791 mounts that are featured on a lot of YouTube Sprinter, Promaster, and Transit videos are not worth the effort IMHO. While they make for quick disassembly, they are not very stable side-to-side, and they rattle. I went to heavy L brackets. I get the same ease of disassembly up front with M8 knobs holding the Skorva rails.

Also, I am breaking my platform up with 48" in the rear (~4" overhang off the rear most Skorva) and 28" removable up front. The front two (removable) rails bolt up nicely on the driver side factory L track. On the passenger side, I finally get to use some 80/20 (4040) for what turned out to be a pretty simple rectangle that will hold up the Skorvas. It sits in the slider step well, and at about 17" wide it leaves plenty of room for ingress/egress and access to the Iceco. It is stabilized by the plywood platform that is tied to the front most Skorva. I've revised the Skorva layout since my last postings to have two Skorvas immediately next to each other up front -- that really stabilizes the removable portion because it gives the full width of the Skorva under the platform.

I can't wait to see your build!!! Your dimensions will be different as I have the 135. The 126 and 135 are identical from the wheel wells back. The extra 9" is between the wheels.

Last, were you required to get a cargo partition in order to get the rear windows? The online configurator makes that look like a requirement for the new vans.

 

[Tickbus]

Welcome Tyler!

I am curious if your dealer mentioned anything about the fuel hose clamp recall?

NHTSA Recall ID Number : 22V134 (potential fuel line leak)

Letter dated April 2022. Below I have typed in the most important things in the notice.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Safety Recall Notice. Check and Replace Fuel Hose Clamps and Hose NHTSA Recall #22V134 This recall notice applies to some MY...

www.metrisforum.com

According to the Mercedes bulletin that went out to dealers in March, no Metris vehicle in stock at dealerships is to be sold until the fuel hose clamp recall is resolved on the vehicle:

"Given this notice, it is a violation of Federal Law for a dealer to sell or lease any new Metris vehicles in dealer inventory covered bythisnotificationuntilthevehiclehasbeenrepaired."

Mercedes states in the recall notice that the parts are not currently available. The dealer that I am working with will not sell me the Metris that we planned on buying until the recall is resolved. Looks like there may be some inconsistency on this issue across the Mercedes stores. However, your vehicle may have been produced after November 2021 when a "fix" was instituted at the assembly line. There were vehicles excluded from the affected population since the first notice as the affected dealer inventory was reduced from an initial population of 187 to 141 in the most recent update that includes all the detail on exactly what the "fix" is:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCMN-22V134-4683.pdf

Again, welcome to the Metris community! We look forward to hearing about your adventures.

...


I saw your post earlier in the week and double checked my VIN # via your link and thankfully no known Recall issues related! I believe it to a resolved issue based on the build date, but who knows. Thanks as always for the info/ concerns. I've had my histories with lemons and unfortunately no auto is immune, so I really appreciate it!

Tyler

 

[Tickbus]

Welcome! You've probably already seen this thread. Factory Cargo Side L-Track Platform.

I originally intended to drop the platform as you are suggesting but found it created a problem with my oversized power box. I may still drop it when I revise the power box as I located my switches to accommodate that. I hadn't thought of using 80/20 plates -- great idea!

One bit of advice. The Ikea 116791 mounts that are featured on a lot of YouTube Sprinter, Promaster, and Transit videos are not worth the effort IMHO. While they make for quick disassembly, they are not very stable side-to-side, and they rattle. I went to heavy L brackets. I get the same ease of disassembly up front with M8 knobs holding the Skorva rails.

Also, I am breaking my platform up with 48" in the rear (~4" overhang off the rear most Skorva) and 28" removable up front. The front two (removable) rails bolt up nicely on the driver side factory L track. On the passenger side, I finally get to use some 80/20 (4040) for what turned out to be a pretty simple rectangle that will hold up the Skorvas. It sits in the slider step well, and at about 17" wide it leaves plenty of room for ingress/egress and access to the Iceco. It is stabilized by the plywood platform that is tied to the front most Skorva. I've revised the Skorva layout since my last postings to have two Skorvas immediately next to each other up front -- that really stabilizes the removable portion becasue it gives the full width of the Skorva under the platform.

I can't wait to see your build!!! Your dimensions will be different as I have the 135. The 126 and 135 are identical from the wheel wells back. The extra 9" is between the wheels.

Last, were you required to get a cargo partition in order to get the rear windows? The online configurator makes that look like a requirement for the new vans.

@focus805

Pretty certain I saw your build in the forum in months past, time washed over me as I waited for this auto to arrive. It was all glossy back before the new year, I started to forget about it in the last months and then it suddenly showed up! ha

I had a similar revelation into shoring up the feet end of the plywood bed frame, my plan is still to support the feet with an 80/20 structure that bolts to the floor L-track. After re-reading your o.g. posts I think I will tie in that 80/20 rectangle bed brace with an additional triangle via the wall mounted hip L-track. And also notch out a section by the passenger sliding door for egress/ingress.

My design will feature hinged plywood panels and a focus on flat-pack or knock-down disassembly. Maple Plywood will be sealed with urethane and covered in Speaker cab carpet.

We plan on having our heads by the rear doors and our feet cantilevered towards the front of the vehicle. I also thought of adding in extendable bed braces// knock down supported feet under the main bed area to support our torsos- (if need be). This is not my first rodeo, (I've built out a 1960s Tin Camper from scratch)- that was our go-to weekend/ extended road stay living-hut for several happy years. I started that build with a tin can and rotten floor, everything else was engineered to fit/ ease of use- but I got plenty tired of towing and being the sole driver on longer hauls! Sold that camper pretty quick after we put our down-payment down on the Van.

Thanks for the wisdom on the Ikea rail mounting brackets, unfortunately I've already invested in those from ebay... I was on the fence between utilizing 80/20 HD L-brackets to shore up the Skorva Rails mounted to Double-Lug stud fittings or to utilize those Ebay mounting brackets in lieu of HD L-brackets.... I could see how vibration would be a factor to overlook! R&D always costs money, ehh.

Many thanks and much inspiration!

Tyler

 

[Tickbus]

Last, were you required to get a cargo partition in order to get the rear windows? The online configurator makes that look like a requirement for the new vans.

When we ordered the Van, Nov 3rd, 2021, at that time there wasn't any mention of having to add a partition. That change, I believe or at the very least the wording of it did change in December 2021 if I remember correctly! I'm thankful we got lucky, the partition would have been a useless piece of metal. I have long legs and I know that I would def have seat/leg issues. We have a Honda fit and short of buying/installing longer seat rail extensions the Fit is 1" short in seat extension. It's nice having that fuel tank under the seats & the Magic Seat function but you sacrifice leg room if you're long like me and I'm 5'10 on sunny days! So not that long.

Tyler

 

[focus805]

@focus805

Pretty certain I saw your build in the forum in months past, time washed over me as I waited for this auto to arrive. It was all glossy back before the new year, I started to forget about it in the last months and then it suddenly showed up! ha

I had a similar revelation into shoring up the feet end of the plywood bed frame, my plan is still to support the feet with an 80/20 structure that bolts to the floor L-track. After re-reading your o.g. posts I think I will tie in that 80/20 rectangle bed brace with an additional triangle via the wall mounted hip L-track. And also notch out a section by the passenger sliding door for egress/ingress.

My design will feature hinged plywood panels and a focus on flat-pack or knock-down disassembly. Maple Plywood will be sealed with urethane and covered in Speaker cab carpet.

We plan on having our heads by the rear doors and our feet cantilevered towards the front of the vehicle. I also thought of adding in extendable bed braces// knock down supported feet under the main bed area to support our torsos- (if need be). This is not my first rodeo, (I've built out a 1960s Tin Camper from scratch)- that was our go-to weekend/ extended road stay living-hut for several happy years. I started that build with a tin can and rotten floor, everything else was engineered to fit/ ease of use- but I got plenty tired of towing and being the sole driver on longer hauls! Sold that camper pretty quick after we put our down-payment down on the Van.

Thanks for the wisdom on the Ikea rail mounting brackets, unfortunately I've already invested in those from ebay... I was on the fence between utilizing 80/20 HD L-brackets to shore up the Skorva Rails mounted to Double-Lug stud fittings or to utilize those Ebay mounting brackets in lieu of HD L-brackets.... I could see how vibration would be a factor to overlook! R&D always costs money, ehh.

Many thanks and much inspiration!

Tyler

The floor L-track would have been nice to have -- they'll be great for the bed. I couldn't get the cargo protection package on the 135 with plastic panels back in '18. Wish I could have.

 

[Tickbus]

Welcome and enjoy, what are they using for tires nowadays? If possible, could you post the window sticker (monroney) for your van and price paid. TIA👍

Unfortunately I forgot to ask for the Monroney, wish I did but out the gate- including a windshield protection 5yr program we paid $41k taxes & fees included. I think the same Van had we ordered it later than Nov 2021 built to spec would be closer to $43k.

Tires are Continental Van Contact A/S, link to them:
https://www.continental-tires.com/car/tires/vancontact-as

Be well,

Tyler

 

[Metros]

Unfortunately I forgot to ask for the Monroney, wish I did but out the gate- including a windshield protection 5yr program we paid $41k taxes & fees included. I think the same Van had we ordered it later than Nov 2021 built to spec would be closer to $43k.

Tires are Continental Van Contact A/S, link to them:
https://www.continental-tires.com/car/tires/vancontact-as

Be well,

Tyler

Good things 👍👍 No worries, you can get your monroney here, that’s where I got mine: Print Automotive Window Stickers | MonroneyLabels.com

I see that they have upgraded the tire size too from 225/55/17 to 235/55/17. A little more meat on the rim is helpful. The spare is the same size and brand? There’s little space under there in the well.

 

[focus805]

@focus805

Pretty certain I saw your build in the forum in months past, time washed over me as I waited for this auto to arrive. It was all glossy back before the new year, I started to forget about it in the last months and then it suddenly showed up! ha

I had a similar revelation into shoring up the feet end of the plywood bed frame, my plan is still to support the feet with an 80/20 structure that bolts to the floor L-track. After re-reading your o.g. posts I think I will tie in that 80/20 rectangle bed brace with an additional triangle via the wall mounted hip L-track. And also notch out a section by the passenger sliding door for egress/ingress.

My design will feature hinged plywood panels and a focus on flat-pack or knock-down disassembly. Maple Plywood will be sealed with urethane and covered in Speaker cab carpet.

We plan on having our heads by the rear doors and our feet cantilevered towards the front of the vehicle. I also thought of adding in extendable bed braces// knock down supported feet under the main bed area to support our torsos- (if need be). This is not my first rodeo, (I've built out a 1960s Tin Camper from scratch)- that was our go-to weekend/ extended road stay living-hut for several happy years. I started that build with a tin can and rotten floor, everything else was engineered to fit/ ease of use- but I got plenty tired of towing and being the sole driver on longer hauls! Sold that camper pretty quick after we put our down-payment down on the Van.

Thanks for the wisdom on the Ikea rail mounting brackets, unfortunately I've already invested in those from ebay... I was on the fence between utilizing 80/20 HD L-brackets to shore up the Skorva Rails mounted to Double-Lug stud fittings or to utilize those Ebay mounting brackets in lieu of HD L-brackets.... I could see how vibration would be a factor to overlook! R&D always costs money, ehh.

Many thanks and much inspiration!

Tyler

A (piano) hinged foot section is very tempting, but I want to stow the foot piece and front platform with the the two Skorvas in a slide-in "box" underneath the rails. The stowage box will end up just being rails side to side attached under the Skorvas to create an thin open shelf. That's part of why I am OK with compromising on platform height -- the tall clearance underneath a more elevated platform offers some space to customize storage and still use the ubiquitous big box store black and yellow boxes with plenty of room. I end up hauling junk like basic emergency hand tools, traction pads, entrenchment shovel, ratcheting tie downs, tow strap and hitch mounted D ring shackle and front tow eye D rings. It's all in tool bags at this point, and takes a fair amount of floor space, but I may consolidate that stuff or hang it off the platform. We'll see!!

 

[Rockster]

Welcome.

Bought a 2020 126" cargo van in August 2020. Have put not quite 17K miles on it since. Just my daily driver. (My other car at the time was a 2018 Hellcat Challenger.)

My van is pretty bare bones, but has the 270 deg. doors but no rear window.

Love my van.

 

[Tickbus]

Welcome.

Bought a 2020 126" cargo van in August 2020. Have put not quite 17K miles on it since. Just my daily driver. (My other car at the time was a 2018 Hellcat Challenger.)

My van is pretty bare bones, but has the 270 deg. doors but no rear window.

Love my van.

View attachment 21045

From a Hellcat to a Cargo Benz, now that's a jump! Big leap. Yeah I traded the 5.7L Ram with 3.92 gearing and 4wd. I don't really miss it, the van fits my love for understated precision and practicality. I mean it's no sleeper but it's surprisingly peppy. Never drove the 7spd but this 9spd is **** near flawless, svelte delivery of each gear. The Van ticks a lot of boxes both in form & function.

 

[Tickbus]

A (piano) hinged foot section is very tempting, but I want to stow the foot piece and front platform with the the two Skorvas in a slide-in "box" underneath the rails. The stowage box will end up just being rails side to side attached under the Skorvas to create an thin open shelf. That's part of why I am OK with compromising on platform height -- the tall clearance underneath a more elevated platform offers some space to customize storage and still use the ubiquitous big box store black and yellow boxes with plenty of room. I end up hauling junk like basic emergency hand tools, traction pads, entrenchment shovel, ratcheting tie downs, tow strap and hitch mounted D ring shackle and front tow eye D rings. It's all in tool bags at this point, and takes a fair amount of floor space, but I may consolidate that stuff or hang it off the platform. We'll see!!

Do you think if I put a good solid weld between the Ikea Mounting plate and Skorva Rail that, that would solve the vibration issue going down the road? That was my thinking, trying to make due with what I got... lemons lemonade yada yada


Yeah I hear you, I kept a lot of tools, (oh-$#its) in my old truck out of necessity and just safety in general. Always had a tow rope, torque wrench, safety vest, spare jacket, leatherman, ratchet straps, D-rings, jumpers, snacks, etc. I think once a scout always a scout.

 

[focus805]

Do you think if I put a good solid weld between the Ikea Mounting plate and Skorva Rail that, that would solve the vibration issue going down the road? That was my thinking, trying to make due with what I got... lemons lemonade yada yada


Yeah I hear you, I kept a lot of tools, (oh-$#its) in my old truck out of necessity and just safety in general. Always had a tow rope, torque wrench, safety vest, spare jacket, leatherman, ratchet straps, D-rings, jumpers, snacks, etc. I think once a scout always a scout.

You hit it spot-on with "understated precision and practicality." I'd have never imagined I'd buy a Mercedes for myself (bought my kids a '91 190 4 cylinder gas engine with 200k miles on it when they were in high school -- perfect kid car -- slow, good looking and crash worthy), but the Metris 1991 cc "Euro ecoboost" concept is awesome. Who'd imagine a 2 liter van could pull 5,000#?

As to Ikea, I think the mounts would take a weld but I'm not so sure about the Skorva rails. They rely heavily on the U-channel shape and rolled edges for rigidity. And if you weld them you lose the removability -- . I used Amazon self-adhesive neoprene as a dampener between the L brackets and the ends of the Skorva rails. The end of the rail that clips into the mount is not very rigid -- I actually had to bend them out slightly to fit the gap between the L-bracket, L-tack lug and factory rail. I spent about $44 on 20 of the heavy L-brackets. I was able to return the $46 worth of Ikea mounts I bought from ebay as they were used but billed as new. But, anyway, I bet you could use neoprene or felt to quiet the beasts. I should have pix of my completed project this weekend -- plywood cutting and drilling and 80/20 knock-off assembly. I still haven't decided whether to cover the platform with 4-way stretch carpet or coin vinyl. I don't want to paint it because the paint will wear quickly. I'm not loving the idea of carpet because of the slippery factor. I have coin vinyl over the factory wood floor -- I love it on the floor but it's heavy and pretty expensive. I'm using 15/32 Roseburg AC ply, which is plenty strong given that I have 8 rails in 76". Maybe I'll just apply sealer, grey gel stain and poly?

 

[Rockster]

From a Hellcat to a Cargo Benz, now that's a jump! Big leap. Yeah I traded the 5.7L Ram with 3.92 gearing and 4wd. I don't really miss it, the van fits my love for understated precision and practicality. I mean it's no sleeper but it's surprisingly peppy. Never drove the 7spd but this 9spd is **** near flawless, svelte delivery of each gear. The Van ticks a lot of boxes both in form & function.

Sorry, but I wasn't clear. I kept the Hellcat. Well at least until later that year when in mid November I traded it in for a 2020 Scat Pack.

I posted a pic of the van in a previous post.

Hellcat:

Scat Pack:

 

[Hedge]

Love the cargo van in your color! I'm curious to see what you do with the 80 / 20 roof rack and how you end up mounting it. I was looking at the Frontrunners racks but they retail for a good chunk of change and I wanted to add lights and awning so it all sarts to add up quickly!