A Sprinter on the outside but a mixture of Mallorcan finca and boat cabin on the inside: Our camper van has an intrinsically stylish interior.
The inspiration for the conversion project came from the few years I spent living in a van. For several years an old mail delivery van served as my home between surf trips and music festivals. Fast forward a few years – now with a partner and two children – and my dreams of spontaneity and freedom resurfaced.
Over the years, however, my requirements of the vehicle had grown more demanding: it needed to be comfortable – at the same time, it should only contain the bare necessities so that there would be plenty of room for the whole family. Our greatest wish? When we get in we want to feel at home. The design has to work for us. It did not take my girlfriend and me long to find the right vehicle to convert: a 2012 Sprinter with around 122,000 km on the clock and which cost the equivalent of about 12,000 euros.
From the exterior you can’t tell what is concealed inside the Sprinter.
Transforming an idea into driveable reality
My girlfriend Lucy and I got straight to work, planning and doing everything ourselves. Lucy, a sound engineer, came up with the design. She sketched her ideas on paper using pencil which I then transferred to the computer. Neither of us wanted our sleeping arrangements to fold down or need putting away, so Lucy had the great idea of installing bunks for the kids above our bed. This makes the concept for the space inside the Sprinter unique: the combined sleeping and stowage area at the rear of the vehicle with a double bed for two adults and two smaller single beds accommodates a total of four people.
A few steps lead up to the children’s beds.
A lot of sweat and effort
On top of the purchase price, we invested around 12,000 euros in the conversion. The biggest expenses were the heating and the swivel seats. The rest went on a never-ending list of individual parts ranging from the insulation to the flooring. We spent around six months working around the clock on our dream on wheels, and soon reached our limits. This is because there was a lot more work involved than we had originally anticipated.
Retrospective, it was one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever taken up. But the result shows that it was worth all the effort. We created something that we appreciate anew every time we have a sea or mountain view.
The modifications shown were made by independent third parties. Mercedes-Benz has carried out no checks on the providers or the conversion. In this respect, this illustration does not constitute endorsement by Mercedes-Benz of the provider and/or conversion.
Der Beitrag Home-made: A Sprinter with style erschien zuerst auf Daimler-Blog.