Camping RV

Sprinter Van: The Ultimate Camping RV

Imagine a diesel powered drivetrain with 15+ years of refinement and perfection. Marry that with a model that allows users to choose from hundreds of options to be a la carte. And imagine a manufacturer who builds in thoughtful features like fuel tank shut off valves so owners can easily add on diesel powered heaters. The result is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. All this for an MSRP in the low $42,000 range in 2016.

Factory Options

The Sprinters come with easily one of the longest list of factory options imaginable; from wheelbase (144″ or 170″) to seat configuration, from rear wheel drive to all wheel drive, from cargo van to passenger, from no windows to 8 windows, and so much more. It can be customized from the factory with the exact setup you need making it the ultimate starting point for building the RV of your dreams. And it’s affordable too.

Easily Customized for Your Needs

Some user shave opted to cut out more of their floor and flush mount the heater. While there’s nothing wrong with that approach, I opted to build a small platform or box out of leftovers plywood I had sitting around. I screwed that box to the steel floor of the seat base, and I lined it with aluminum foil to minimize any risk of heat build up.

Our Ultimate Camping RV Setup

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170″ wheelbase (24′ long)

2nd Row of Seating

Foldable Bunks (ready for use)

Foldable Bunks (stowed)

Queen Bed

Roof Vent to Exhaust Heat

Insulation

Diesel Heater

Off Road Ready Tires

Windows that Open

Room for Gear

4 Season Use

The Resulting RV

The result is an RV that sleeps five (the fifth is in a hammock), seats five, with plenty of room for gear and equipment, all powered by a proven diesel powertrain that was built to take hundreds of thousands of miles of use. It has plenty of torque, it’s economical (20+ MPGs), affordable, and easy to drive on streets most anywhere.

Ken Clark
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