Looking for info on starting a Sprinter van conversion

Kajtek1

2015 3500 X long limo RV
Making DIY conversion is not an easy project and there are thousands of unfinished ones sitting in garages, or under the tree.
Start with buying inverter/charger. A bit more money than separate units, but much simpler and space-saving.
If all you need 120V for is AC and single kitchen outlet - inverter breaker will do.
For more 120V outlets you will need to build 120V breaker panel.
I made my conversion with 30 amp cable, so I don't need to turn AC off to use microwave, or coffeemaker.
Propane is adding lot of troubles to design.
Since my I4 diesel just sips fuel, I design it to work as generator when I need electric power for my fridge and water heater.
 

coastcamper

New member
Thank you for all your information and advice, yes I have been reading a lot and watching a lot of YouTube videos even before I posted my first question on this forum. I do agree that there is a lot to this and I can imagine how many people run into real problems and give up. That's why I am doing a lot os research on this before I even make an attempt. Yes your idea of running things off a generator sounds like a good idea, I am not even going to try doing a solar power install right now since I don't know enough about it yet. It would be nice if I could find some other people in my area that are doing this but I live in a somewhat isolated area and the largest city near me is Raleigh, N.C. which is about 2 hours north. I will continue to read everyone's write-ups and eventually I hope to be able to successfully convert a van. Thank you.
 

glasseye

Well-known member
Start simple.
Go camping.
Evaluate your needs.
Begin to fill them as simply as you can.
Go camping again.
Evaluate your needs.
Keep filling them.
Repeat forever. It’ll never be finished.
 

Roamers

2020 4X4 170 Crew
Start simple.
Go camping.
Evaluate your needs.
Begin to fill them as simply as you can.
Go camping again.
Evaluate your needs.
Keep filling them.
Repeat forever. It’ll never be finished.
Excellent suggestion! We are currently on our maiden "metal tent" trip. Main goal for this trip is to make sure our bed height is ok for comfortable use. We need 34" clear under the bed for bicycles; I was concerned at 6'2" and 290# climbing in and out and headroom would be an issue with 4" mattress. Proof of concept was a a success. Also learned a ceiling mounted grab handle and a 2 step stool will be beneficial for 2 AM pee trips! We are life long campers, but a lot of what we did with tents and popups needs to change with the Sprinter.
 

glasseye

Well-known member
My first long road trip in a Sprinter was when I brought mine home from his purchase in Mesa, AZ to Canada. My entire build took less than an hour, including shopping. :hmmm: For me, the key has always been simplicity.

My only regret after some fifty years of van ownership is that it took me so long to recognize the value of a proper compressor fridge. :rad:

Welcome to the Sprinter community. Have fun out there!
 

Tripol

Active member
A couple companies might help you in this area-
FUSCO Fleet Upfitters in Garner, just south of Raleigh. I've used them for (Maxxair) fan install in the roof, 2 CR Lawrence window install (good for venting air), a Agm battery charged by the alternator, and a couple other things. They are the type of people that would gladly help you out also if you were doing DIY install, and just needed extra help on a specific project. They dont specialize in vanlife, but do good work on the stuff they know. The other is Thermoking in Wilson, for install of a diesel heater- they installed my D2 Espar, which could be a diy project but I went with them to do it.
I'd do a lot of research to make sure you get the setup you want, as again this isnt oregon or colorado where there are all these vanlife specialists. But its good to have some options in the area if you need some help.
 
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coastcamper

New member
Thanks for the info on FUSCO in Garner and Thermoking in Wilson, yes I will get in touch with them and see what I can come up with. Where else can you buy this conversion stuff from ? I have been looking for several days and haven't found much. I want to contact some people about buying some water tanks that I can install under the van and look at some kitchen sinks and other basic stuff I need to have a functional camper. Yes I understand that I will need to order most of the items but it would be nice to know who to contact. Whenever I do a search I will get many companies that want to install everything for you and I want to do most of it myself. I do agree with you, some things are better to be installed by the professionals. Thank you.
 

Tripol

Active member
I ordered from RB Components, Adventure Wagon, and TK Trail Kitchens (for the galley). those are pretty popular companies I believe..



I dont have a lot of time as I have a 2 year old (6 months when I got the van) I sort of winged it with components which saved some time and also used the commercial guys around Raleigh. I also did use a vanlife upfitter in Denver when I travelled there- couple small projects.
I think you could save more money by DIY, but then of course if you have the budget you can also go the professionals for everything. Components are sort of a middle route i suppose. They save some time- especially the galley for me would have been difficult do do quickly, so for me as a TK galley is completely ready to go and that was appealing- you just need to bolt it to the floor through the sprinter bolt holes and fill with water.
For "vanlife" professional upfitters, I think BRAV (Blue ridge adventure vehicles) is closest, somewhere around Asheville, and maybe a place in Jacksonville FL. I havent used them for anything, I talked to BRAV and they seemed overbooked at the time.

As far as shipping, It saves a bit of money to do commercial shipping for large items, so I would have to go an XPO logistics warehouse to pick up the galley, for intance. Also Amazon prime is great- I got TPO coin flooring, thinsulate insulation, small refrigerator, porta potty etc from there.
 
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elemental

Wherever you go, there you are.
I ordered from RB Components, Adventure Wagon, and TK Trail Kitchens (for the galley). those are pretty popular companies I believe..
I'll second the nod to Adventure Wagon. Their RUV kit gets you a good basic wiring harness, insulation, paneling, lighting, ventilation, and L-track along walls and ceiling for fastening other things. It does take your own sweat equity to get it installed (if you DIY), but that has the advantage of you knowing exactly what was installed. If you go this route, you do need to have some mechanical skills but you don't need to be a craftsman. You can extend/modify it as you go. For example, when I bought my kit two years ago, they didn't offer a far rear location for the second ceiling fan in the 170", but supplied me with a rear ceiling panel in which they had moved the rear lights further back; I cut the fan whole hole (edit) in it myself (to match my actual fan location in the roof).

I also have a Trail Kitchen galley; if it meets your need then it's a decent modular package. I'm very happy with mine.
 
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coastcamper

New member
Thank you for all the excellent info and advise, I really appreciate your help. Yes I definitely need to keep the van conversion diy and as economical as I can. Going modular would be an option for me since it would be much easier. I guess the first step that I need to take is to come up with some kind of layout and decide what sized sprinter van to buy. I have looked around at a lot of layouts and I think that I want the bed in the back , the cooking area behind the drivers seat, with t GG e refrigerator next to it. Maybe a small table and bench seat on the other side behind the sliding door behind the passenger seat. Do you have any dimensions of the items that you have installed in your van. Also I am thinking that I want to install the water tanks under the van, what recommendations do you have for my water system? Yes I have good mechanical skills and can do a lot of things. I just need clear instructions on how to install the stuff. I am not scared to get my hands dirty or work under the van as long as the van has been secured with the emergency brake on. Thanks again for the info and I am looking forward to being able to start my own conversion soon.
 

Tripol

Active member
Thats a good, standard layout! I'd consider a diesel heater underneath the passenger's seat, thats a standard option. There are tons of youtube videos and threads here on installing that. Its definitely cold here in the winter. When I got the sprinter, I thought I'd just grab a sleeping bag overnight at a walmart for my first night, like a fun camping trip. Nothing went right. The sprinter is a metal box suspended in the air- the rain beats on the roof, the walmart sweeper guy will sound like a jet engine, and its just miserable. You can actually feel a breeze with all the windows closed, at least on a cargo van. So a heater and insulation are a must first step.
The smaller sprinter, (or transit etc?) allows for parking in a standard parking space. If you get a sprinter, there is a lot of space underneath the van where you would install the galley (behind drivers seat). So that is a good space for water tanks, although you dont want them to freeze and need to take precautions there. RB components has a good tank for that space.
I think there are a lot of good resources here and online for doing your layout, the plumbing and etc- I think you will figure it out with all the threads and ideas here.
 

coastcamper

New member
Thank you for the information, you're right about the standard parking space consideration. I didn't even think about that. Yes I have been looking and trying to come up with the dimensions for my conversion. A lot of people will post pictures of their layouts but don't include their dimensions for their layout items. There's a lot of people that elevate their beds in the back so they can have more storage in the back under the bed. Yes space is at a premium and I want to make sure that I have enough space for everything that I need in the van. I definitely want to install a toilet in the van and I have seen a lot of options for a toilet, it's just a matter of deciding on which one to get. Yes I agree, the standard cargo van is very noisy and not very comfortable to be in. That's why I have been looking at the thinsulate and the sound deadening material to make the van a lot quieter. There's a lot of video's and information about it. I think the better that I plan this out will make my conversion much easier and more successful. Thanks.
 

Tripol

Active member
sure no problem! I'm not an expert like some here- I'm still learning also. As far as dimensions, you can put a queen size bed in back with room to spare, I've done this for a few weeks at the beginning, and yes elevated is good. A galley should fit in your layout, even a larger one- they are a bit variable, from 24 inches for a fridge with a sink and then larger.
The extra seating might be a bit trickier, but I think with your layout its possible- there is room across from the galley, in front of the sliding door for a captains chair or maybe a bench seat. Again the layout you like is really standard, and I think it works well.
Porta potties are cheap and work, perfectly acceptable- I also have a Laveo dry flush toilet I picked up from home depot.

(Edit- I just did a few rough measurements- sprinter is around 124 inches from the rear door (I measured from the structural "pillar" on the back wall that is the back door frame, to the back of the seat belt pillar. Its also around 69" from that back pillar to the opening to the sliding door. Width is a bit variable and depending on walls, I got 68 inches in the middle without walls- anyways width is plenty for a bed. These are just really rough tape measurements, someone else might have more precise ones.
Point is you can have a good sized galley, maybe the edge goes underneath the raised bed but thats fine, and plenty of width and length for a bed in back, there are tons of components from companies that you can use for this setup. If you really want a bit more room, you can research the pluses and minuses of "flares" also.)
 
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elemental

Wherever you go, there you are.
There are many ways to skin the cat. Deciding what tradeoffs are most important to you is a good place to start, and figuring out what the tradeoffs even are has to come before that. For me, there were some really important factors that set my course for the rest of the plan. I'll share my thought process as an example of thinking through the issues, not as a recommendation to adopt this layout:
  • My van has to be flexible so that it can carry cargo, passengers, and go camping; this ruled out permanent conversion components that took up too much space in the van's cargo area
  • For me and m wife, the process of converting a day-use space to a sleeping space every night was unacceptable; this drove me towards a fixed sleeping capability. Two options here for me were a removable bed platform, or a manual/motorized bed lift platform (stows against the ceiling, lowers for sleeping)
    • I essentially passed on the convertible dinette and moveable/convertible "rock and roll seat/bed" options despite their attractive qualities:
      • Rear dinettes with windows look like great "hangout" spots and sleeping spots
      • "Rock and roll seat/bed" components make a much more flexible passenger carrying option than the fixed factory seating that is either installed (for passengers) or removed (for camping); if I had to camp with more than two people along I would have been pushed in this direction.
  • Bed platforms work better in the back of the cargo space than in the front with the sliding door
    • I'm long enough that sleeping sideways wasn't feasible without flares, and flares weren't really a thing yet when I started planning my build, so the bed went longitudinal not lateral
  • I chose not to go with what I perceived to be the added complexity and perhaps less easy removability of a bed lift platform
  • This got me to the rear bed platform over "garage" utility space configuration
Some minor factors that led to certain decisions:
  • Wanting to have the cargo space fully clear when moving cargo led to me putting my D2 Airtronic heater under the passenger seat and not near one of the rear wheel housings
  • Ditto for auxiliary batteries mounting under the hood (not wanting lead acid batteries in my living space, and lithium being too new for me at the time were also factors here)
Putting these things together, I chose to buy a 170" Crew van regular (not extended) body:
  • Crew van to get the factory bench passenger seating (one bench in place, a second bench that could be installed by me after opening up the floor to uncover the factory mounts)
  • The 170" van for the cargo space and to fit the longitudinal bed platform along with other camping accommodations
    • In the 144" van a rear-mounted longitudinal bed platform comes up to/past the rear of the slider opening
  • No "extended body" option because the departure angle and added length would have made using my driveway an impossibility and parking much more difficult
    • The 170" regular body can be parked with a little thought and care in many places, ultra-tight urban lots being one major exception
As some choices are made, other choices become constrained. My forward camping layout required additional thinking, with modularity being a factor:
  • I decided that the Camp Kitchens Van TK would get me going for light water service and cooking inside/outside, and I opted for the passenger-side mount version; that fixed the space around the passenger side of the sliding door opening
  • My sofa module will go along the driver side wall just behind the driver's seat so that we can look out the slider window while using this space
    • Side-ways seating is not suitable for passenger seating so this has to be a removable module
  • I'm in the process of building my own "refrigerator module" using an Isotherm 130 liter refrigerator that will provide a work surface on top; it is destined to squeeze between the end of the sofa and the beginning of my bed platform
Other things like "how to store equipment and clothing" then got fit in around these major decisions.
 

coastcamper

New member
Thanks again for all your help and information, it really helps me with coming up with a layout. There's definitely a lot to learn and I agree, there are a lot of different types of layouts depending on what your priorities are. I am basically going to configure my van for camping and going to different events and doing the RV parking. That's good that a queen sized bed will fit, I am trying to come up with a list of things that I want to install and then I will be able to determine how much space I have to divide up so everything will fit. I am going to try to come with a way to elevate my bed and then use the storage under the bed to put my clothes and bedding under the bed. I have seen a lot of people build small cabinets and hang them on the wall where the top of the van meets the wall. Thanks for your measurements, they will help with getting my layout. The Mercedes dealership is not far from me and I want to go back over there and take some measurements and pictures of their van, I should have done that the last time.

Thanks for the info on your Isotherm 130 Liter refrigerator, I will search for that item and check it out. I like to hear what other people are coming up with. All of this is new to me since I have never attempted to do anything like this before. I just want to start out with something simple that works and then I can progress to more stuff after I learn more. I look at things here on this forum everyday and it's really interesting to see what people are coming up with and doing to their vans. Thanks for all your info.
 

coastcamper

New member
Thanks for the link to Sportsmobile, I will check that out and I am sure it will help. I tried to work on a layout today but didn't make much progress, I did find some basic measurements for some basic cabinets. I am going over to the Mercedes dealership tomorrow to take some pictures and measurements of their vans. I have only looked at the 144" wheelbase cargo van and I want to see the larger 170" wheel base model for a comparison. Thank you.
 

fisjon

Active member
Hi, I did a website after I did my conversion, you may find some useful info here campervanconversionbuild.com
hope it helps.
 
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coastcamper

New member
Thank you for your link to your website, I am sure that it will help me a lot since I am new and have a lot to learn. I went to my local Mercedes dealership and spent a few hours taking measurements inside their van and I am trying to come up with a layout and will post the info on here when I have something ready to present. There's a lot to learn about van conversions and I am determined to do this. Thank you.
 

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