Sprinter Van Rear Door Bug Screen

The rear door bug screen clips onto the metal flange under your factory weather seal. No drilling, no modifications. Plan on about an hour.

Step by step

1. Unbox the screen, clips and clamps. Find the two holes along the top edge of the screen
2. Pull the weather seal off the rear door opening. Note the factory yellow dot on the seal and the matching indent line at the top center of the frame
3. Hang the screen from the clips at the top through its two holes, with the privacy flap facing out toward the rear
4. Adjust it so the bottom sits above the rail and each side has enough slack for the weather seal to go back on
5. Place about five clips across the top (one in the middle, a couple on each side) to set the spacing
6. Clip down the sides about a foot apart, pinching each upper corner to leave slack before you clip it
7. Trim the excess screen flush, cutting straight up right behind the clips
8. Press the weather seal back on, starting with the yellow dot at top center, then the corners
9. Work the seal up from the bottom on each side until it meets in the middle, tapping it in with the mallet

Two clip sizes

The kit has wider clips for spots where the frame is two layers of metal and thinner clips for single-layer spots. Use whichever one grips firmly.

Mistakes to avoid

• Pulling the screen tight. Leave slack on each side and in the upper corners or the weather seal won't seat over it.
• Leaving extra mesh past the clips. Trim it flush. Fabric that runs past the weather seal wicks water into the van.
• Losing the yellow dot. It marks the top center of the seal, so it goes back in the same spot every time.
• Hanging it backwards. The privacy flap faces out toward the rear.

Choosing a Rear Door Bug Screen: What to Think About First

Rear door screens work differently from slider screens, and the decision factors are different too. Here is what actually matters for the double rear doors.

1. Does Your Layout Use the Rear for Garage Access?

The biggest difference between rear door and slider door use cases is what lives behind the screen. Slider doors typically open into living space. Rear doors in most builds open into a garage — bikes, boards, gear bins, the stuff you would prefer to keep private at a crowded campsite.

Full mesh lets light pass and outlines everything behind it in daylight. A blackout flap at the lower portion blocks the view without eliminating airflow through the upper mesh. How to check: with your rear doors open, can someone at fire-pit height see gear you would prefer to keep out of sight? Our screen has blackout material at the bottom and transparent mesh at the top.

2. One-Panel vs. Two Separate Screens

Rear door screens come in two configurations: one integrated panel spanning both doors, or two separate screens. One-panel designs install faster and leave no gap in the center when both doors are open. Two separate screens let you crack one door without deploying the full screen, but they introduce a center seam that can gap in wind or sag unevenly over time. Ours is a single integrated panel with a center zipper for daily pass-through.

3. How It Attaches to a Double Door Opening

The rear double door opening is wider than the slider and presents more surface area for wind to grab. Magnet-to-body mounting that works tolerably on a slider is less reliable across a full rear opening. A clip-mount system attached to the weather stripping and door hardware is the more reliable approach. Start from the center using the factory alignment mark — Mercedes puts a yellow dot on the interior of the rear door frame — then work outward to keep the panel from shifting.

4. Roll-Up Access vs. Remove-Entirely

For a rear door screen, you will regularly need full clearance: loading gear, accessing the garage, backing to a campsite. Roll-up designs use interior buckles to hold the screen in a bundle at the top of the opening in seconds. You can roll just the upper mesh while leaving the privacy flap at the bottom, or roll both together for complete clearance. Screens that need to be unclipped and stored separately take much longer, which means you will stop using them.

Quick Pre-Order Checklist

• High Roof or Low Roof? (This screen is High Roof only)
• Does your build use the rear for garage access? (Privacy flap matters)
• Is your interior trim over the door frame, or is the metal lip accessible for clips?
• Do you need frequent full clearance? (Roll-up handles this)
• Installing yourself, or booking a pro install at our San Diego shop?

For the full breakdown covering both slider and rear door screens — read the complete Sprinter bug screen buying guide

Still not sure? Email products@sandyvans.com or call (619) 812-1903.