Mercedes 508D D601DMS

Description: Mercedes 508D D601DMS 14 November 2015 at Springholm. Medium wheel base, GRP high top. Side loading door on near side. Standard OM314 3782cc DI diesel 63Kw. 5 speed direct drive top. 4.3 diff. Standard 6.50 R16 tyres. Later GRP front bumper.

[@simonloveless8924]

Beautiful Camper Van.

[@nerikurt4900]

Hi, I've seen that you have installed a power steering system. I'm also own a 508 and I'm thinking about installing a servo system. Can you tell me, which part you have installed? (Manufacturer, Model number..) Are there any things I need to consider when buying the system. Best regards

[@chriswybrew1740]

Hi Neri, That conversion uses a Vauxhall Corsa B electric steering column which is spliced into the Mercedes one. Very careful joining required for safety. It uses the donor car control box but instead of signal form the car ECU it has an emulator allowing the level of assistance to be varied by a small knob on the dash from 100% to 0%. It requires 60A max fused 12V feed but actually uses very little power except in tight turns in car parks etc which is when it is most useful.

[@nerikurt4900]

@@chriswybrew1740 Thanks a lot. Did your Mercedes already have a hydraulic servo before you installed the Vauxhall one?

[@chriswybrew1740]

@@nerikurt4900 No. That was the reason I went down the electric route. It avoided me having to fit a number of hard to find hydraulic system parts such as double groove crankshaft pulley, pump, reservoir, hoses beside the power steering box itself. The electric conversion is all in the steering column and there is no change to anything else in the original unassisted system beyond that. As you may know the column simply removes from the rest by undoing the swivel joint just above the steering box. One clamp bolt.

[@AlabamaTree]

Very nice :) How long is a MWB?

[@chriswybrew1740]

+AlabamaTree 5.99 metres or 236 inches. SWB is 5.04M and LWB 6.94M

[@AlabamaTree]

Thanks. Hmmm, seems I can only have a SWB then :(

[@chriswybrew1740]

+AlabamaTree . SWB in RHD is very rare. Have only seen LHD almost of all of which ex military with high roof. SWB has 3.08Mspace behind driver seat and 10 cubic M with highest roof option but requires a very clever layout to be more than just a comfortable two berth.

[@AlabamaTree]

+Chris Wybrew I was actually looking for a LHD, seemed more options. I might have to re measure my parking area to see if I can squeeze a MWB on there.

[@chriswybrew1740]

+AlabamaTree Very good and quite correct. LHD gets my vote any day even here in UK. It is a sad fact these vans were not designed to be RHD. The world market was nearly all LHD so Mercedes engineers designed it to suit by far their biggest market and gave the right hand ones a very cramped clutch pedal & severely reduced left leg room and the pedals are completely different and way less comfortable to operate with draughts through holes in floor and they can actually move on bends as fixed to chassis not rubber mounted cab! The brake servo is in really bad place under near the road were it suffers instead of just under the bonnet cover. The clutch master cyl is in a really awkward place too and there are fluid reservoirs for both hung on the side of the drivers seat with vulnerable plastic pipes just pushed in. Cobbled together compromise compared to LHD with 3 inches less room at knee height and 2.5 at feet. These van should have had PAS as standard not just an option. No-one would dream to offer such big vehicle with manual steering today. Power assisted its a joy in tight spots with great lock but if not a big work out. OK on the move. If you have LHD without power assist with patience you can find second hand proper Merc hydraulic kits to retrofit but never for RHD as very rare option because of extra cost and most buyers were not the drivers so happy to save money. There were also nice Isri seats and auto trans but again buyers did not tick the option box... So today we have to man up or modify.