You've seen many tradesmen drive by in a Mercedes Sprinter cargo van, and you've realized that it would make a great small Sprinter camper van or Sprinter RV conversion. What now? There are many smaller custom conversion companies in the US which can convert Sprinters for you into a custom Sprinter RV conversion at a price lower than the typical class "B" Sprinter RV. However, even these small companies will charge at least US,000 for a fully-converted Sprinter RV, which is far above what the typical camper van used to cost.
If you are mechanically apt, you might consider the option of building your own custom Sprinter RV conversion. You can contract others to do some of the more specialized work, and do the simpler work yourself. By building your own, you can guarantee that the configuration matches your needs, at a price that you can afford. Since Mercedes Sprinter vans have been in widespread use in North America now for almost a decade, it's easy to find used Mercedes Sprinter cargo vans on eBay, Craigslist or other online auto trading/auto sales sites. Camper equipment for your conversion is also easy to find from many retailers online.
One note of caution - Though you will probably have no problem registering your DIY Sprinter conversion with the county motor vehicles department as an RV, many insurance companies will not insure a do-it-yourself conversion of a Sprinter van as a recreational vehicle. You may want to contact your insurance company to see if this is an issue - if it is, another option is to design your conversion yourself, and find a local conversion company who can build the conversion for you, and invoice you accordingly. The invoice may be sufficient for the "proof of value" that many insurance companies require to value an RV.
Buying a New or Used Mercedes Sprinter
If you are looking to buy a new or used Mercedes Sprinter as the base vehicle for your Mercedes Sprinter camper van, you have several choices to make:
- New or used? A new van will come with a steeper price tag, but also a full warranty. However, many older used vans can be had for a good price, if you know what to look for, and what to avoid. When buying used, have a certified mechanic check out your Mercedes Sprinter before you buy, and look up any mechanical issues for that year. Also, remember that a vehicle as large as a Sprinter may cost US0-2000 to ship cross-country.
- What size? Used Mercedes Sprinters may come in 118-inch, 140-inch, 144-inch, 158-inch and 170-inch wheelbases. The longer the wheelbase, the heavier the vehicle - 170-inch wheelbase vans often weigh almost 11,000 lbs. If you want to spend any time off-road in your Mercedes Sprinter camper van, consider the smaller wheelbase sizes. If you want a shower and/or toilet in your camper, then you may need large hot water and wastewater tanks, as well as the space for the shower and toilet themselves, which may drive you to choose a larger-wheelbase model.
- What year? 2002-2010 Mercedes Sprinters are all widely available, each with slightly different features and engine choices. It may be worth paying more up front for a lower-mileage Mercedes Sprinter than paying later for new brakes, tires, transmissions, etc.
- Negotiating tactics - There are plenty of Mercedes Sprinters for sale. Narrow in on a year, model and price that you want, then contact dealers and private individuals all across North America. When they respond, ask each of them if they can match the price of your lowest offer.
Design Considerations for Your Mercedes Sprinter RV Conversion
So you made your plans to build your own custom Sprinter RV conversion, and now you are the proud owner of a new or used Mercedes Sprinter cargo van, just waiting for you to make some decisions about how to convert it into a Sprinter camper van. First there are the major decisions to make:
- How many will it sleep? 2, 3, 4? How will the sleeping berths be arranged? There are several layouts that make sleeping 4 possible - for example, you can have a rear dinette with bench seats on each side that converts into a 2-person bed, and a bench seat up front that folds down flat into another 2-person bed. Or, you might want to have just fold-down panels/bunks or folding slats for one or both of the beds, so the beds can be easily stowed or removed.
- Will you camp in campgrounds, or "dry-camp" in the woods ("boondocking")? If you'll be camping in campgrounds or RV parks, you might want AC electrical hookups (for "shore power" provided by the campground or RV park). If you intend to be mostly boondocking, you might want to have a 12-volt DC electrical system powered by solar panels, and run your appliances off the power that provides.
- How much food storage do you need, both for dry food and refrigerator space?
- What do you want to use for fuel, especially for cooking and heating? The Mercedes Sprinter is a turbodiesel van, so it uses only diesel (and/or biodiesel) fuel, and it is possible to use a diesel cooktop, and 12-volt diesel-powered air heaters, rather than have a propane system, including a huge propane tank, propane cooktop and propane furnace - this can save you a lot of weight in your conversion.
- Do you plan to go off-road much, or on rough roads? If so, you should consider changing the stock tires out for some beefier versions with a tread designed for off-road traction. You should also make sure not to have running boards on your conversion, as these will reduce your ground clearance.
- A small solar system may be more convenient than a generator as backup power. It may also cost less, weigh less, and it's definitely quieter! One to four solar panels will easily fit on the roof of the Sprinter, and with an RV solar charge controller and some deep-cycle AGM batteries, you have a portable power system that can provide you with plenty of electric power, especially in the sunnier states and provinces.
When you've made these major decisions, these can lead you to make more choices about the following items of camping equipment that you might want for your Mercedes Sprinter camper van:
- Refrigerator (3-way, 2-way, DC-only?)
- Stove/cooktop (Diesel, propane, magnetic induction?)
- Air heater (Diesel air heater, propane furnace?)
- Beds (Bunks, fold-down, pop-top, folding bench seat/sofa bed?)
- Insulation (Spray foam, fiberglass batts, rigid foam?)
- Flooring (Hardwood, laminate, vinyl?)
- RV windows (Fixed, opening with screens & shades, skylights?)
- Window coverings (Blinds, shades, curtains, stick-on, button-on?)
- Ventilation (Screened windows, powered fans?)
Hopefully, when all this equipment is installed and your Sprinter camper van is finished, you'll be more than satisfied with the results. A custom Sprinter RV conversion you built yourself!
For many more details and resources for custom and DIY Sprinter RV conversions, see http://www.sprinter-rv.com.
Copyright 2010 Greg Keith
