Mercedes Sprinter Camper conversion (off-grid)

Description

Up for sale is my much beloved Sprinter campervan. I bought this already converted autumn 2024 for a career break and had a great adventure in it. I lived in it pretty much full time for about 9 months, and have since used it on weekend warrior / weeks away type ventures. It has been great for both, but my new job doesn’t let me get out much so time to give up the van sadly.

Aiming to give a description that I hope helps those who are maybe thinking of owning a van for the first time - what does the long list of items actually mean in practice? Scroll to the bottom if you just want to see the items.

Originally converted by the owner prior to me for ski seasons in the alps, this was done for winter 19/20 and then a major world event happened. Apparently they had a great time before that though.

Personally, I have used it extensively in the Highlands, mainly as a base for winter munro bagging. As a medium wheel base, it is big enough to be liveable, but not so big that you can’t park in car parks or squeeze into advantageous spots by a loch. The layout was everything I wanted - fixed bed (extends at night time if you’re a bit taller), large garage (fits bikes, bouldering pads and all your kit) with plenty of headroom (I’m 5”10).

Leisure battery wise, I’ve never ran out. I am probably a fairly light user, to be fair - I would run the heater, lights, fridge and maybe my laptop for an episode of something. That includes hunkering down in storms for 3 days in the middle of January without thinking of driving to charge the battery. The diesel heater kept me warm and I never noticed it make a dent on the diesel level (it is plumbed into the main tank). You only really need to consider battery management in December/January. Outside of those months the solar panels give you enough juice on a daily basis, maybe with a bit of driving occasionally in the darker months. I also added in a plug-in option for when you want to charge at campsites or a driveway.

Those electrics I got brought up to scratch by the good folk at Highland Campers in Inverness. They helped simplify the set up and make sure it was safe. Lots of storage in clever arrangements - drawers etc. Pull-out table for dinner.

In terms of the van itself, it has never let me down. I enjoy driving it and it is fairly kind on fuel consumption as long as you aren’t trying to be the next Lewis Hamilton. I bought a Sprinter because of the reliability and how long these engines will go - this has many many miles ahead of it.

I got a common ESP/ABS warning light back in late summer but it turned out to be the back wheel bearing sensor. Both of the back ones have been changed in my tenure. I also had it serviced about 5000 miles ago, and I had the power steering pump, alternator belt and parking brake changed when I bought it.

Saying that, I have an advisory on the last MOT about an anti-roll bar bush that the garage advised me to not bother changing yet, but you’ll want to address that sooner than later. Other things not to like - some cosmetic bits of rust on the bodywork. These are just where chips from the road have chipped the paint and rust has resulted. If I have the van long enough I’ll eventually get round to patching these up. The underneath is pretty solid, by contrast - it has spent most of its life on non gritted car parks. Next MOT is in August.

Hopefully this has been helpful but happy to chat through with anyone who has more questions. As I hope is coming through, I’d love the van to go to someone who is keen on having it for proper adventures! I’m sure you can spend tens of thousands of more and get something a bit shinier, but if you’re the kind of person who wants a van to have big times in nature with a homely place to rest your head at night, this could be for you.

I live south side of Glasgow and welcome viewings. Bank transfer only, and I am not looking for a trade.

Van living:
240W solar panels
Mppt Charge controller
Split charge (includes emergency start on leisure batteries if the main one is drained but I’ve never had to try it!)
2x 110ah batteries
12V plug-in charger option for campsites/ driveways
USB charging points
Diesel Heater
Fully insulated
12v domestic fridge (and mini freezer)
2 hob gas burner - includes a nearly full bottle of propane
Sink with running water (cold)
2x 25L water butts
1500/3000w inverter to use plugged, 240v plugs
Extendable bed
LED lights with dimmer
Fan/extractor roof vent with speed control
Pull out table
Space for a pull out loo. I’ve used a compost one, but it fits standard chemical loos too. Can discuss
Custom security boards for living space windows
After market speaker system
2 keys
Tyres are in good condition, only 10,000 miles
High quality snow chains - unused
Both internal and external window insulation - the external ones prevent condensation building up, essential in the winter.

Ad ID: 1511607590

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