Overview
It's always been a dream of ours to own a camper van. In searching for one, we found it very difficult to find one that would work well for our family of four with two young children. After lots of searching without success we decided to build out our own from scratch that would be the ideal layout for our family.
After lots of dreaming, planning, and building, I think we hit the mark! Our 2021 Mercedes Sprinter 170 comfortably seats and sleeps a family of 4 and includes 2 child-size bunk beds (mattresses are 5'9" long by 2' wide), a queen bed positioned sideways in the back, & swivel seats in the front which create a small dining/hangout space for 4.
The kitchen features an induction cooktop, a large Isotherm fridge, a sink, ample storage in the cabinets and drawers, and generous counter space.
There's plenty of storage space throughout the van including a total of 5 upper cabinets, 2 large drawers under the bunk beds, 2 lower kitchen cabinets, 2 kitchen drawers & a large garage space under the queen bed which can be accessed from the rear or via the small sliding door under the front edge of the queen bed. The van is also equipped with a full-length roof rack where you can store larger items like surfboards, strollers, etc.
The van is powered by a 12-volt electrical system with a 300Ah lithium battery bank, a 2000-watt inverter/charger, and 375 watts of solar power on the roof to keep you powered up during off-grid excursions. For cold weather trips, we have installed an Espar diesel heater with a thermostat for temperature control.
The water system includes 20 gallons of fresh water, an outdoor shower at the rear of the van, a 4-gallon water heater to provide warm water to the shower and kitchen sink, and a 5-gallon grey water tank under the kitchen sink.
Outside the van, we have a 9' x 7' Moonshade awning and a large outdoor rug.
Our family has made so many beautiful memories together in our adventures in this van and we hope you will too!