2018 Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 2500 Diesel Camper Van Conversion Campervan.
48,000 miles, next oil service due at 56,628
6 cylinder 4WD 3.0L Turbo Diesel
I purchased the Sprinter Cargo van new in 2018 from dealer, only owner, clean title in hand.
Road trip ready, and fully capable of getting to the best spots out there with 4×4. Ability to stay out there with 2x 100 Amp hour Renogy Solar Panels mounted on 80/20 rails and brackets from Hein @ DIYvan. All attached to OEM roof rails.
Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75V 15 amp(75|15) 12/24-Volt Solar Charge Controller charges a 100 amp-hour Battle Born Lithium Battery. Proper dual-switch installed, which allows for one switch operation to turn on/off both positive and negative from panels at the same time.
BlueSea On/Off Battery Switch Knobs between Victron Charge Controller and the Battle Born battery, as well as between the battery and the Progressive Dynamics 4000 Series PD4045KA Power Center. The PD4045KA Power Center is currently only used as a 12volt distribution panel, but can be configured to charge the house battery from shore power if buyer chooses to install an inlet, breakers, and run the appropriate wiring. It is the Lithium charging specific power center model. I never had a need for shore power, as the solar panels kept the battery topped off with no issues for my power needs.
Other electrical components include all Ancor marine grade cables/terminals/connectors, and BlueSea BusBars.
Van comes with Factory GPS module (Never Used, but good to have just in case).
Factory Backup camera, which can be set to “always on” while driving to keep an eye on cargo if you’re carrying or towing a load on the hitch.
Van comes with 4 keyfobs, and a magnetic key holder so you can hide one outside under the van. I keep a spare hidden on the inside, one on the outside, one on me, and one at home.
Weathertech 44249-1-2 Floorliner and center channel
Mechanically perfect, with Service A & B records from dealership or GAM (German Auto Masters, Sprinter Specialists) near Ft. Lauderdale… Most maintenance done by Mercedes Benz of Cleveland, who has a specialized Sprinter Service Center, and is well known for Sprinter sales and maintenance. The Van drives just like new, and tires are in great shape, rotated during service intervals. Most recently Oil Change, Air Filter, Cabin Filter, and Tire Rotation at 46,000 miles by GAM.
This is a High Roof 144 model, which allows you to park in normal size parking spots. This comes in really handy during road trips. Park it anywhere from little beach town parking lots to BLM spots off the beaten path. These vans are easily maneuverable, with a great turning radius, and simple to drive.
Van comes with a Fiamma f80 awning, which is simple to setup/takedown, and provides a nicely shaded and relaxing environment. Comes with Fiamma middle support bracket, extended crank tool, Awning lights, and hangers for things like rope lights or additional shade panels. Also has the Fiamma kit to secure the vertical poles to the ground… I never had to use it, as it was never set up in wind or rain.
MaxxAir 7200 model roof vent fan keeps the inside comfortable with air movement in either direction. I used Hein’s custom mounting bracket, and additional aluminum braces, which made for a simple, gapless, and strong installation. I replaced the white bezel with a black one so it would match better. Top outside portion of the fan is white to match the roof color, and doesn’t get as hot as black ones. Fan comes with a remote, which I have the base mounted on the wall for. Also have the tri-fold magnetic fan cover made by FreedomVanGo.
Front window AirVent louvered security window vents from Eurocampers allow for fresh air to be cycle while fan is on. I modified the Driver’s side AirVent with a 110v passthrough for electrical, just in case as a backup if the battery ever failed.
Covercraft Ltd. Edition Custom Dash Cover – Grey.
The AM Auto Sliding Door screened half-slider window provides a lot of airflow. The screen can also slide, allowing for a complete opening. This window has a magnetic insulated cover made by Vanmade Gear. It folds up when not in use, so you can see out the window while driving. This was one of my favorite upgrades.
All other windows have magnetic insulated covers made by RippleWear, which allow for complete blackout.
Rear door canopy awning designed by RippleWear. Blocks the sun from shining directly into the van when the rear doors are open. Keeps things nice and cool on hot days where you want as much airflow as possible.
Espar Airtronic S2-D2L sprinter specific diesel heater is installed under passenger seat. It uses the OEM factory tap from the diesel fuel tank of the van. It’s a very efficient and easy way to keep the van warm. Unit comes with the EZ Start Pro controller mounted to the control column on the wall inside the van. Installed vent holes, and replaced factory access panel with a slotted one from Hein for better airflow.
Dometic Fridge model CRX PRO 0065T
Fold down table next to the fridge, which can be used when the slider door is open. It can serve as a cooking area, or an outdoor table.
Van has been frequently professionally washed and waxed, with specific instructions for them not to climb around or step foot on the roof of the van, or even lean on it. There are no dents or dings up on the roof because of that. The van looks new inside and out, and underneath.
Rear doors and slider door have wooden cubby boxes where the factory recesses are. These add additional storage to an already large amount of storage for a van this size.
The overhead cab storage has plenty of space for blankets, pillows, all the window covers, rear door awning, and more.
Eight recessed LED puck lights on a dimmer switch add more than enough light. The dimmer is located on the control column on the wall inside the van.
The walls and ceiling are ¾” cedar wood purchased from Terry’s Lumber in Peninsula Ohio. I always get compliments on how nice the real cedar wood smells compared to the manufactured vans and RVs that reek of formaldehyde. The cedar tongue and groove was installed using hidden fasteners, so no ugly holes or screws to take away from the natural cedar beauty. The cedar is attached to furring strips that I custom made using a bent lamination technique. This allowed me to keep the factory curvature of the walls, adding to the aesthetics. It also allows for every inch of space available to be used. I’m 6’1”, and have a couple inches to spare when standing up straight in the van. That’s also because I made custom brackets for the top ribs of the ceiling, which keep the furring strips riding parallel with the existing roofline ribs. The only space lost on the ceiling is the ¾” thickness of the cedar wood. I was able to do all of this without drilling holes into the van. I used existing factory holes in conjunction with plusnuts of varying sizes inserted into them, giving me a solid place to use bolts.
The two-bench configuration did not require any holes to be drilled either, again using factory holes & plusnuts, and also the factory nuts from some of the removed D-rings in the floor.
The only cuts and drills into the metal of the van were for the roof vent fan, the solar panel power entry gland, sliding door window, and a few holes under the passenger seat for the Espar Heater. Aside from those holes, everything else in the van could be uninstalled and put back to standard Sprinter Cargo Van configuration. The cuts and drills required were properly sanded, treated, and painted with a couple coats of rustoleum paint to prevent rusting, of which there is none.
The plywood used is also formaldehyde free PureBond.
The double-benches are constructed with Claymark Select Pine, which is top of the line lumber given extra processing to square off all the edges. The bench behind the driver’s seat has an additional PureBond plywood piece attached to piano hinge that folds over, meeting up with the ledge of the other bench. This makes for a very sizable 67”x87” lounging/sleeping area, longer than a California King size mattress.
The custom foam pads are 4” thick. I chose firm due to my back preferring it, however most might consider them too firm to sleep on. If buyer will be using as a sleeping platform they may want to consider replacing with a softer foam, or use some type of camping pad or topper.
The drawer configuration allows for lots of storage, without having to use ugly and intrusive overhead storage along the ceiling and walls of the van. This keeps a very open and airy design and feels very roomy and comfortable inside. It feels larger inside than other vans of the same size, which are very crunched together with a lot of stuff from the outfitters. The drawers are on high weight capacity rails. I was planning to cover them with some type of drawer facing, but kinda liked how it looked without. Buyer can decide to cover, and close up the gaps if they choose to do so. I have leather pull loops that the buyer can install if they like. These would assist with opening the drawers, as it can be a little difficult with just the push knob latches.
There are large open storage sections for each bench for bigger items such as inflatable stand-up paddleboards, electric kick scooters, skateboards, etc.
Both driver and passenger seats are on Sportscraft swivels. The cabinet behind the driver’s seat has a flip-up table, which is useful as an office or dining space. There is also a footrest on the driver’s side that allows for storage of the included Safety Step Folding Platform from eTrailer (yellow step in pictures). The step increases the ease of stepping into the van. Keep in mind that the 4×4 Sprinters are factory lifted several inches, so the step helps a lot.
The cabinet behind the driver’s seat is from Lowe’s and has an RV sink with flip-open glass cover mounted, but I never hooked up the components for water. It’s something I decided I didn’t really need based on the types of traveling I was doing. I’m including a 12volt water pump, all plumbing attachments, and a 5 gallon can so the new owner can decide if they want to install it or not. There are two 12 volt 10awg wire feeds (4 wires total) going into the cabinet. One is hooked up to a standard 12-volt plug, I used for fans, laptops, or chargers. The other run is for the water pump, and is currently not used. These are in a sturdy plastic conduit leading back to the electrical compartment in the rear passenger side bench. The conduit is routed behind the bench, and through the rear pillars of the van, so it’s completely hidden.
One thing that I had planned for, but never did, was to have an automotive wrapper install wrap on all the white metal sections inside the van with something that matches the rest of the interior décor. 3M makes a non-toxic/non-PVC auto wrap film that I had planned to use, trying to keep everything as non-toxic as possible on the build. The buyer can look into that idea if they wish. That, along with a couple other finishing touches would look really nice, and button everything up on the build.
The van came with factory trailer wiring, but no hitch. I had one installed, which I’ve only ever used for bike racks, no towing, but it is capable to tow or have a hitch carrier for additional storage.
This van gets tons of compliments everywhere I go. It’s been stored in a clean storage unit garage, completely enclosed and not exposed to the elements. No rust, she looks and rides like brand new, and is just getting broken in. I have lots of extra pieces/parts that were never used during the build, which I’ll throw in.
