2023 Mercedes Sprinter camper van

Features:

– Four-person sleeping accommodations

– Four-person dining area

– 2000W inverter supplying 120V power

– 200Ah of electrical charge in LiFePO₄ batteries

– 100W solar panel and battery management system

– 33-gallon water tank capacity

– Fully-equipped galley / kitchen

– Cabin heater (diesel fuel)

– Generous overhead storage bins

– Private shower / toilet stall

This camper’s original layout allows for as many as four people to use it on a trip. On the road, two people (driver and passenger) sit in the first row of seats, and two more people sit in the second row of seats directly behind them. When parked during daytime, the first row seats easily turn around to face back (OEM Mercedes feature), and a stowable table is deployed, allowing all four people to do things together, like eating or playing a board game. In the evening, the second row of seats extends into a full-length bed, and the couch in the back of the living space slides down to make a second, wider bed.

The kitchen is aft of the passenger seating, and includes everything needed for a camping trip — faucet with deep sink, soap dispenser, two-burner gas cooktop, counter space made of beautiful ash wood, extendable drawers below, storage bins above, electrical outlets, low-profile paper towel dispenser, illuminated tea / coffee cubby, spice rack, microwave oven, mini-refrigerator, garbage bin, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher. There is plenty of lighting and space to make meal preparation as convenient as possible. The overhead fan in the roof can be opened and turned on to vent cooking smells out of the cabin.

There is plenty of overhead storage space, similar to the bins above the seats in commercial airplanes. Two of these are more open, allowing full backpacks to be stowed. Three have hinged doors, for keeping smaller belongings which might otherwise spill out. Three more compartments have nets for things like blankets and clothes, and the open dividers between them allow for storing long things, like fishing rods.

At floor-level, there are three spacious bins on soft-close sliders, built into the bottom of the couch. There is a sealable compartment for dirty laundry behind the second row of seats, and shelves for stowing four pairs of adult’s shoes. Toward the back of the living space, there is even a small closet which allows hanging clothes on typical hangers.

Electricity inside the camper is provided by a pair of lithium iron phosphate batteries (a total charge of 200 amp-hours). These batteries are constantly fed and maintained by one 100W solar panel, but can also be charged by driving the vehicle, or connecting to shore power. The battery power feeds a 2000W true-RMS inverter / charger which supplies 120V for all the outlets and interior lights. There are numerous electrical outlets throughout the van, including some which have built-in USB ports for charging various electronics.

The van holds up to 33 gallons of clean water, which passes through a replaceable charcoal filter before coming out of the faucets. Water is used for a faucet in the kitchen area, a separate faucet in the bathroom, the shower, and the toilet. The faucets and shower head also provide hot water, thanks to the propane-powered water heater.

The rear toilet / shower space is separated from the main living space by a door with a privacy glass window. A 20lb propane tank is mounted in a utility compartment here, and it supplies the gas to the cooktop burners in the kitchen and to the water heater. A gas detector alarm is mounted in this space, which is a safety measure protecting against any possible propane leak. This room has a clever, efficient layout, including more storage compartments for various useful things.

For sleeping in cold weather, there is an aftermarket diesel-powered cabin heater built in, which connects to the van’s fuel tank through a port factory-provided by Mercedes. All the windows have privacy curtains and screens which can be deployed for nighttime.

On the outside, the van looks like a mostly-standard cargo Sprinter, with only a few things which stand out — on the port side of the vehicle are the sewer drain outlet (standard 3″ bayonet connection); on the starboard side is the protective cover for the propane water heater exhaust; on the roof is the solar panel, and a custom luggage rack with ladder access (the ladder runs up the port side).

The van itself is a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500, with the 4-cylinder diesel motor and RWD. It is the high-roof, 170″ extended cabin. The vehicle currently only has about 600mi on the odometer. It is still covered by the original manufacturer’s warranties (3-year / 36,000-mile new vehicle warranty; 5-year / 100,000-mile federal diesel emissions warranty; 5-year / 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty). Many of the optional safety and utility features offered by Mercedes are built into this van, and the full list of these is available.