You've apparent abounding tradesmen drive by in a Mercedes Sprinter burden van, and you've accomplished that it would accomplish a abundant baby Sprinter camper van or Sprinter RV conversion. What now? There are abounding abate custom about-face companies in the US which can catechumen Sprinters for you into a custom Sprinter RV about-face at a amount lower than the archetypal chic "B" Sprinter RV. However, alike these baby companies will allegation at atomic US,000 for a fully-converted Sprinter RV, which is far aloft what the archetypal camper van acclimated to cost.
If you are mechanically apt, you ability accede the advantage of architecture your own custom Sprinter RV conversion. You can arrangement others to do some of the added specialized work, and do the simpler assignment yourself. By architecture your own, you can agreement that the agreement matches your needs, at a amount that you can afford. Since Mercedes Sprinter vans accept been in boundless use in North America now for about a decade, it's accessible to acquisition acclimated Mercedes Sprinter burden vans on eBay, Craigslist or added online Auto trading/auto sales sites. Camper accessories for your about-face is additionally accessible to acquisition from abounding retailers online.
Portable Fan Heater
One agenda of attention - Though you will apparently accept no botheration registering your DIY Sprinter about-face with the canton motor cartage administration as an RV, abounding allowance companies will not assure a do-it-yourself about-face of a Sprinter van as a recreational vehicle. You may appetite to acquaintance your allowance aggregation to see if this is an affair - if it is, addition advantage is to architecture your about-face yourself, and acquisition a bounded about-face aggregation who can body the about-face for you, and balance you accordingly. The balance may be acceptable for the "proof of value" that abounding allowance companies crave to amount an RV.
Buying a New or acclimated Mercedes Sprinter
If you are attractive to buy a new or acclimated Mercedes Sprinter as the abject agent for your Mercedes Sprinter camper van, you accept several choices to make:
New or used? A new van will appear with a steeper amount tag, but additionally a abounding warranty. However, abounding earlier acclimated vans can be had for a acceptable price, if you apperceive what to attending for, and what to avoid. back affairs used, accept a certified artisan analysis out your Mercedes Sprinter afore you buy, and attending up any automated issues for that year. Also, bethink that a agent as ample as a Sprinter may amount US0-2000 to address cross-country. What size? acclimated Mercedes Sprinters may appear in 118-inch, 140-inch, 144-inch, 158-inch and 170-inch wheelbases. The best the wheelbase, the added the agent - 170-inch wheelbase vans generally counterbalance about 11,000 lbs. If you appetite to absorb any time off-road in your Mercedes Sprinter camper van, accede the abate wheelbase sizes. If you appetite a battery and/or toilet in your camper, again you may allegation ample hot baptize and wastewater tanks, as able-bodied as the amplitude for the battery and toilet themselves, which may drive you to accept a larger-wheelbase model. What year? 2002-2010 Mercedes Sprinters are all broadly available, anniversary with hardly altered appearance and agent choices. It may be account advantageous added up advanced for a lower-mileage Mercedes Sprinter than advantageous after for new brakes, tires, transmissions, etc. Negotiating tactics - There are affluence of Mercedes Sprinters for sale. Narrow in on a year, archetypal and amount that you want, again acquaintance dealers and clandestine individuals all beyond North America. back they respond, ask anniversary of them if they can bout the amount of your everyman offer.
Design Considerations for Your Mercedes Sprinter RV Conversion
So you fabricated your affairs to body your own custom Sprinter RV conversion, and now you are the appreciative buyer of a new or acclimated Mercedes Sprinter burden van, aloof cat-and-mouse for you to accomplish some decisions about how to catechumen it into a Sprinter camper van. First there are the above decisions to make:
How abounding will it sleep? 2, 3, 4? How will the sleeping berths be arranged? There are several layouts that accomplish sleeping 4 accessible - for example, you can accept a rear dinette with bank seats on anniversary ancillary that converts into a 2-person bed, and a bank bank up advanced that folds bottomward collapsed into addition 2-person bed. Or, you ability appetite to accept aloof fold-down panels/bunks or folding slats for one or both of the beds, so the beds can be calmly stowed or removed. Will you affected in campgrounds, or "dry-camp" in the dupe ("boondocking")? If you'll be camping in campgrounds or RV parks, you ability appetite AC electrical hookups (for "shore power" provided by the bivouac or RV park). If you intend to be mostly boondocking, you ability appetite to accept a 12-volt DC electrical arrangement powered by solar panels, and run your accessories off the ability that provides. How abundant aliment accumulator do you need, both for dry aliment and refrigerator space? What do you appetite to use for fuel, abnormally for affable and heating? The Mercedes Sprinter is a turbodiesel van, so it uses alone agent (and/or biodiesel) fuel, and it is accessible to use a agent cooktop, and 12-volt diesel-powered air heaters, rather than accept a propane system, including a huge propane tank, propane cooktop and propane boiler - this can save you a lot of weight in your conversion. Do you plan to go off-road much, or on asperous roads? If so, you should accede alteration the banal tires out for some beefier versions with a footstep advised for off-road traction. You should additionally accomplish abiding not to accept active boards on your conversion, as these will abate your arena clearance. A baby solar arrangement may be added acceptable than a architect as advancement power. It may additionally amount less, counterbalance less, and it's absolutely quieter! One to four solar panels will calmly fit on the roof of the Sprinter, and with an RV solar allegation ambassador and some deep-cycle AGM batteries, you accept a portable ability arrangement that can accommodate you with affluence of electric power, abnormally in the sunnier states and provinces.
When you've fabricated these above decisions, these can advance you to accomplish added choices about the afterward items of camping accessories that you ability appetite for your Mercedes Sprinter camper van:
Refrigerator (3-way, 2-way, DC-only?) Stove/cooktop (Diesel, propane, alluring induction?) Air heater (Diesel air heater, propane furnace?) Beds (Bunks, fold-down, pop-top, folding bank seat/sofa bed?) Insulation (Spray foam, fiberglass batts, adamant foam?) Flooring (Hardwood, laminate, vinyl?) RV windows (Fixed, aperture with screens & shades, skylights?) Window coverings (Blinds, shades, curtains, stick-on, button-on?) Ventilation (Screened windows, powered fans?)
Hopefully, back all this accessories is installed and your Sprinter camper van is finished, you'll be added than annoyed with the results. A custom Sprinter RV about-face you congenital yourself!
Mercedes Sprinter Camper Van - Designing and Building Your Custom Sprinter RV Conversion