For the last several decades in North America, there were only two choices for a small camper van:
A Volkswagen camper van with a tiny 1.6 liter engine
A Ford, Dodge or Chevy van with a huge 360 cubic inch (5.7 liter) V8 engine
The first choice was very popular and ultra-fashionable (and still is in some circles!), but had significant problems: it was small and underpowered, and broke down often. The domestic vans were much more reliable, had more space and more power, but as the price of gas kept increasing, their poor fuel efficiency became a problem, especially for long road trips.
In 1995, the Volkswagen Eurovan camper van appeared. It was a modern, updated version of the original VW camper van, with much better-designed interior fittings, more space and more engine power. However, just like the older VW camper vans, it was plagued with mechanical problems, most of which didn't seem to be worked out until the last few years the model was available in North America, 2002 and 2003. The 2002 and 2003 VW Eurovan camper vans were good camper vans, but now in 2010, low-mileage examples of this van are rare and expensive, some selling for US,000, more expensive than their original price!
In 2002, an excellent new base vehicle appeared for camper van conversions. The Mercedes Sprinter van was imported from Germany, and sold under several brands: Freightliner, Dodge and now (in 2010) back to Mercedes badging. The Mercedes Sprinter is tall, roomy and light (especially compared to the typical domestic North American vans), and over the years has been offered with different fuel-efficient and powerful gasoline and diesel engines, including a 2.7-liter 5-cylinder turbodiesel and a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel. A basic Mercedes Sprinter cargo van can be customized into a great Sprinter camper van or Sprinter RV conversion.
In 2010, North American Mercedes Sprinters are offered in passenger van and cargo van versions, and in two sizes, a 144-inch wheelbase and a longer 170-inch wheel base, sometimes known as the regular-body (RB) and extended-body (EB). Older-generation vans (2002-2006) were also known as "T1N-style" vans, the newer-generation vans (2007 and later models) are also known as "NCV3-style" vans. There are also two roof styles for the Mercedes Sprinter:
"regular" roof, with an interior height of 65 inches
"high" roof, with an interior height of 76.4 inches
For some past model years, there was an ultra-tall "Mega" roof, the tallest roof option - this roof style was unsuitable for RV conversion because it was lower-strength fiberglass.
Why Choose a Mercedes Sprinter?
The Mercedes Sprinter cargo van has a number of great advantages which make it an excellent choice for converting into a Sprinter RV conversion / Sprinter camper van:
Fuel-efficiency - 2009 Mercedes Sprinters with the OEM642 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine rated at 181 bhp were estimated to get 18-22 miles per gallon. Bluetec Euro5 turbodiesel engines available on 2010 models may get even better gas mileage.
Power - With its turbodiesel engine, the Mercedes Sprinter has a very flat torque curve, and it has much greater torque than many similar-sized gasoline engines up until around 70mph. This is especially important for many higher-altitude regions of North America, where normally-aspirated engines lose up to 15% of their power at high altitudes.
Mercedes quality - Because it is built by Mercedes, a distinguished auto manufacturer known worldwide, it has proven to be very reliable mechanically, especially in comparison to its Volkswagen counterparts
Tall, roomy chassis - The tall, roomy chassis affords a significant amount of space for the usual camper van features - the interior is mostly 68 inches wide.
One million Mercedes built - There are now many, many Mercedes Sprinters on the road: Mercedes estimates over one million have now been built worldwide. The current Mercedes Sprinter van is the product of fifteen years of continuous refinement.
Why Build Your Own Sprinter RV Conversion?
There are now several excellent small RV conversions - class "B" conversions, in comparison to larger class "A" or class "C" models - in mass production based on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis, both 144-inch and 170-inch. In particular:
RoadTrek offers the SS Agile camper van on the 144-inch chassis
Airstream offers the Airstream Interstate 3500, based on the 170-inch chassis
Pleasure-Way offers the Ascent TS, based on the 144-inch chassis
These are excellent small motorhomes, and are designed with every luxury you might expect in a larger RV. However, there are some drawbacks to these conversions, at least in comparison to the older generations of small campervans:
Expensive - These conversions are very expensive, typically US0,000 - 0,000
Not good for off-road use - These conversions are two-wheel-drive, equipped with running boards, and heavy, which makes them poor choices for off-road or even off-pavement use
Typically sleep 2 - These conversions typically only sleep two, which leaves a family of four looking for options on how to add two more sleeping berths
There's another option - build your own custom Sprinter RV conversion. With some hard work and ingenuity, you can turn a new or used Mercedes Sprinter cargo van into a great Sprinter camper van or small Sprinter RV for less than half of the cost of one of these expensive mass-market conversions. And you'll be able to say you built it yourself!
