- sustainablevanlife
Our Sprinter Campervan Conversion: Sold!
Updated: May 7
We sold our van in May 2020. We're sad to see Pancho 2 go, but we're really excited for the new owners and wish them the best on their next adventures!
This van is custom built and ready for any adventure. It has cruise control, heated "comfort" seats with factory swivels, a factory backup camera, aftermarket side and rear venting windows, a trailer hitch with electronic stability control, a Webasto diesel heater and tons of other upgrades. We ordered this van from the factory with the exact specifications we wanted for this buildout, so we started our conversion with the perfect shell.
We built out this 2018 Sprinter to be our ultimate adventure vehicle for all four seasons, and have recently remodeled it to upgrade components and fix all the little things that we’ve noticed during two years of living in it full time. This is our second Sprinter conversion, so we’ve had many years and many miles to figure out all the details that go into the perfect van conversion. This capable van would work equally well as a kitted-out weekend adventure rig or for anyone looking to move into full-time van living.
We recently refinished the interior wood surfaces (including the reclaimed barnwood floor) with Zero-VOC all-natural oils and added high-end Southco latches to all the drawers and cabinets for extra security and ease of use.
The super-efficient solar panels and 250aH Lithium Iron battery capacity will keep the fridge and all your electronics running continuously. We regularly use a blender and Instant Pot and always maintain ample power. The battery status and solar charging system can be monitored wirelessly with bluetooth via an app on your phone.
There is over 6 feet of standing height inside, and plenty of space for cooking. We built the kitchen to be fully functional with lots of storage space for pots, pans, gadgets, and food staples. We use the propane cooktop and oven every day, and always have 5 gallons of clean drinking water on hand. The fridge is a large, super-efficient Dometic model, which also connects via an app to your phone for monitoring.
The cabinets and bed frame are custom built with 80/20 extruded aluminum, making them super durable, square, and adjustable; and it’s easy to accommodate extra mounting hardware for odds and ends. We also added an easy drawer under the oven for recycling and trash that keeps the interior tidy.
With our cozy raised platform bed design, there is no need to shuffle everything around to get the bed ready to sleep in at night. The bed is an all natural latex 10" full-size mattress, not a thin foam pad like you'll find in most conversions. We are including the latex mattress in our selling price. We'll also include a brand new organic cotton and wool cover for it to give you a fresh start. If you’d prefer a Queen-size bed, the lower bedside cabinets are removable to accommodate a wider mattress. We will adjust the selling price accordingly if you'd like to use your own mattress.
We built a huge, wide-open gear storage area in the back that can be configured to accommodate your needs. We regularly carry multiple storage bins, paddleboards, bikes, paragliders, and other outdoor gear in the ‘garage.’ All in a van that fits in a standard parking space for daily driving.
The van has a fully transferable Mercedes Extended Factory Warranty to 100,000 miles and has been an incredibly reliable vehicle for us. It gets about 18+ mpg average and has done great while towing our 6x10 enclosed cargo trailer.
Sustainability and functionality were in the forefront of our minds throughout our build. We used all-natural sheep's wool insulation, reclaimed barnwood flooring and trim, baltic birch for the cabinetry, and all-natural wood finishes (100% natural milk paint, pure tung oil, and Rubio Monocoat).
Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to see more photos. We’re also happy to do a Face-time walk-through video tour with any interested buyer. A video tour is posted here: https://youtu.be/Ub_sBddh_N0
Our choice of a blank canvas was a new 2018 short wheelbase Sprinter. We ordered it with custom options from the factory. See this post for more details on the options we ordered on this van, the changes we made from our first Sprinter, and why.
The Van:
2018 Mercedes Benz 2500 Sprinter Van
144" Wheelbase
High Roof
Cargo Model
6 Cylinder Diesel Engine
5 Speed Automatic Transmission
RWD
Stone Grey Exterior
Factory-Painted Black Wheels
Black Leatherette Interior
Factory-Included Upgrades/Packages:
Cruise Control
Heated Seats
Factory Swivel Seats
Roof Rails
Driver Comfort Seats
Instrument Panel Storage Bin
2 Extra (4 total) Master Key FOBs
Backup Camera
Tow Package (includes Receiver Hitch with Electronic Stability Control)
Multi-Function Steering Wheel/Display Package
Power Heated Mirrors
Auxiliary alternator bracket
Heavy duty front and rear stabilizers
The Conversion
Exterior Upgrades:
RB Components Roof Rack (with integrated solar panels and Light bar, space to accommodate roof box or other accessories)
Zamp Solar/ RB Components Long Solar Panels
Zamp Solar/ RB Components Short Solar Panel
Intermediate door stop on sliding door
Interior Components:
Climate Control: Ventilation/ Windows/Heater/Insect Management
Maxxfan Roof Vent/Fan 6200 Series overhead fan (vents in/out, capable of running in the rain with hood)
CR Laurence Window (large sliding door with vent) --this has a panel that cranks open and is fitted with a mosquito screen
RB Components Panel Bed Windows (small panel bed with vent) (2 on either side of rear bed area, one over kitchen counter area--these slide open and are fitted with mosquito screens)
Webasto Diesel Heater: Airtop 2000 STC Diesel Heater
Magnetic Mosquito Net for sliding door
Sound Dampening + Insulation:
Fully insulated with Havelock Wool Insulation insulation on all ceiling, floor, and wall areas
Walls:
FSC Certified Hardboard/ (Masonite)
Custom-printed durable Topo Map ‘Wallpaper’ on ceiling and walls
Flooring
Barnwood Trim
Cabinetry:
Custom Baltic Birch cabinetry with birch Countertops, reclaimed barnwood accents in kitchen, bedside, and overhead area.
80/20 (Extruded Aluminum Framing) strong, square, and adjustable
Copper backsplash accent on side of sink w custom patina
Laser-engraved mountain design across drawer/cabinet faces
Premium full-extension Drawer Slides and heavy-duty Southco Drawer Latches and hardware
Blum soft close mechanisms on drawers and cabinets
Multipurpose Ikea kitchen rails
Removable oven cabinet--sits in sliding door space
Dometic (Atwood) Cooktop/Stove & Oven with 3 burner cooktop and oven
2.5 gallon Propane Tank
Large side flip-up shelf for expanded interior counter space (Flip up Table/Countertop Brackets and Countertop material)
Custom made table (Countertop material) with fully-articulating Lagun mounts and multiple mount locations for outdoor cooking/ food prep and interior desk/dining/extended countertop space
Finishes: Oil, Paint, 'Stains'
Real Milk Paint (Cabinet Faces) Deep Sapphire Color
Pure Tung Oil (Bed Panels, etc)
Dark Half (countertops, floor, etc)
Finishing Cream (trim, fridge drawer face)
Rubio Monocoat (Bedside Cabinets, Lower Walls, Wheel Well Boxes, Electrical Box, etc)
Bed:
All natural (and super comfortable) full size 10 inch Spindle Mattress 100% Latex with organic cotton and wool mattress cover
Bed Frame:
Super Strong Bed Rails
80/20 (Extruded Aluminum Framing)
Pure Tung Oil (Bed Panels, etc)
Water system:
Five gallon Glass Drinking Water Jug (plastic-free) in under-sink cabinet with integrated accumulation tank for smooth faucet flow
Eleven gallon External Water Tank for dish water with tall spout Faucet with pull-out sprayer
Large undermount stainless steel Sink
Two Shurflo Water Pumps (one for each water tank) with integrated filters
Zodi Portable Shower (3 gallon, can be heated on stove and pumped up like a bicycle pump)
Electrical System:
Solar/Lithium Setup
3x80w (240w total) High Efficiency, Monocrystalline Zamp Solar Panels (via RB Components)
Zamp Solar/ RB Components Long Solar Panels
Zamp Solar/ RB Components Short Solar Panel
250 aH total battery capacity: 2x125 aH Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFe) Stark Power Batteries
Xantrax 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter (Pro Watt SW 2000)
Victron Smart Solar MPPT 100/30 Charge controller with Bluetooth
Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor with Bluetooth
Super Efficient and Reliable 65 Quart 12v Dometic Refrigerator (CFX65W) conveniently mounted on pull-out drawer with Heavy Duty Fridge Drawer Slides
Maxxfan Roof Vent/Fan 6200 Series overhead fan (vents in/out, capable of running in the rain with hood)
Dimmable Overhead (separated front/back) and recessed under-cabinet LED Lights
Under-shelf dimmable LED light bar over cab area for reading/ dining
Dimmable LED string lights above bed (party lights!)
Under-bed LED lights in gear storage area
110v (house-style) outlets in kitchen and gear storage areas
12v Outlets (easily outfitted for USB) in kitchen, bedside, and gear storage areas
Capability to charge system with connection to shore power or via the vehicle’s alternator while driving
Storage/Organization
RB Components raised Overhead Cab Shelf
Handmade carabiner and barnwood hat/coat racks on interior of rear doors
Roomy storage area under bed with space for large gear, storage bins, etc
Window Shades:
Hand-sewn Magnetic ( Super strong rare-earth Magnets ) window shades with Reflectix Bubble Insulation and organic cotton mountain print Fabric for all windows and windshield
DISCLAIMER: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.