Inside My 4×4 Sprinter Camper Van Conversion by Outside Van
Tour my third Sprinter Van conversion and learn what I like and don’t like compared to my previous two converted Sprinter Vans.
Since 2016, I’ve owned three custom Sprinter camper vans, each with its own unique layout and design. My first 144″ Sprinter was built by a small, inexperienced company in Santa Barbara. While it looked great in photos, it quickly became a nightmare in terms of functionality and durability.
After that frustrating experience, I decided to work with Outside Van, a highly reviewed van conversion company based in Portland, Oregon. The result was my second Sprinter van I absolutely loved—so much so that I returned to them for my third build.
So, why the need for a third van? At the time, my partner and I were planning to start a family, which meant we needed a new layout that could accommodate a third seatbelt for a future kiddo.
This third conversion—nicknamed “Wombat” and built on a 170″ 4×4 Mercedes Sprinter chassis—was a culmination of everything I’d learned over years of living and traveling on the road. After two prior builds, I knew what worked, what didn’t, and how small design changes could make a huge difference in daily life.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the design, layout, and materials of my latest van conversion, as well as share my experience working with Outside Van.
This post may contain affiliate links.
Sprinter Van Video Tour
You can watch the full walk-through of my new Sprinter Van in this video tour.
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Priorities for this Sprinter Van
We typically spend 6-8 months a year living full-time on the road. When designing the layout for this third Sprinter van, I had several key priorities in mind to make life on the road easier, especially with the potential addition of a little one to our family. Here’s what I focused on:
I again chose a platform bed in my third Sprinter Van conversion
Missed the video tour in the introduction? You can take a full tour of my third Sprinter Van conversion here on my YouTube channel.
What I loved about this Outside Van
Before I get into the full tour, I want to share what I really loved about this van, as well as some things that didn’t work out so well for us.
Pre-baby, this van worked out beautifully for us. We took it up to Canada for the summer and then drove all the way across the US for fall in New England. Here are some of my favorite things about this van:
My Least Favorite Things About this Van
Once our baby came along, the shortcomings of our layout became a bit more clear. . Here is what I wanted to change and ultimately what led me to sell this van:
The Chassis
I had been very happy with my previous two 4×4 Mercedes Sprinter Chassis. We took our previous van to some pretty crazy places. We drove over rocky 13,000 foot passes in Colorado, chased powder, camped off hundreds of dirt roads, and more. So I didn’t hesitate to choose the same exact chassis for this van conversion.
This Outside Van was built on a 2021 170″ 4×4 Sprinter Cargo Van. I’ve written a comparison of the 144″ vs 170″ wheelbase and the pros and cons of the different van chassis if you’re trying to figure out what vehicle is right for your van conversion.
I also chose the high roof cargo 2500 170″ wheelbase again. The 170″ gives us plenty of room to live comfortably for 6-8 months at a time, and store all of our gear without feeling cramped with two dogs.
Van Walls
The walls in my third Sprinter Van conversion, including the closet door shown below, were made out of Sileather. Sileather is a synthetic, eco-friendly material that is vegan, VOC-free, and fade proof.
The best part is it’s waterproof, and in order to clean it, you just need to wipe it down with a damp cloth – even bloody mosquitos wipe right up. It’s perfect for people with dogs, as dog hair doesn’t stick to it. I would definitely use this material again!
Behind the walls there is sound dampening, insulation, as well as a custom infrastructure that Outside Van has developed to reduce the twisting and flexing of the van interior, making their builds more durable. The van was incredibly quiet when we drove. There were no rattles or other noises from the cabinets or other components, making for a very peaceful ride.
Seating Area & Workspace
To accommodate a future kid, I had a captain’s chair installed behind the driver’s seat. Since we didn’t have space for a dinette or any other seating, this captain’s chair also doubled as my work chair. This worked ok pre-baby, but then I realized that we’d have to remove the car seat in order for me to sit here and work.
To set up the table, the table leg quickly popped into a base on the floor. When we were in motion, the table stored behind the chair so it was out. of the way.
One positive thing about this work station was I liked having a more ergonomic chair to sit in while I work compared to the dinette cushions in my last van (that always bothered my back after a while).
To create additional seating or a dining area, we swiveled the drivers seat and passenger seat.
Cabinet & Galley Materials
All of the cabinetry in the van is made of 13-layer marine grade plywood which was treated so it wouldn’t expand in heat or distort over time. Marine grade plywood is the standard used in boats and is made to withstand a bumpy ride.
All of the cabinet and drawer faces are covered using a high-quality laminate made by Wilson Art, which gives all of the wood in the van a nice finish while protecting the marine-grade plywood underneath. Laminate is lightweight and way more durable than regular wood.
I chose the Monarch Alona Grain for the lower cabinets and the Traceless Snow White Velvet for the overhead cabinets. The Traceless is not supposed to show fingerprints, but being white, it still shows dirt very easily, so I’m not sure I’d go with the white up top in the future.
Outside Van uses dovetail construction for their drawers which are made out of antimicrobial and eco-friendly bamboo. All of the drawers have a slow closing mechanism to prevent them from slamming shut and have push locks to keep the drawers and cabinets from opening while I’m driving.
In my experience with both of my Outside Vans, cabinetry is one of Outside Van’s strong suits. The cabinets were incredibly durable and able to withstand some pretty rocky roads without showing any signs of damage.
To keep this driver’s side galley organized, I purchased these custom drawer inserts from Inhabit Design Works in Portland that come with two mugs, four plates, four bowls, a Japanese knife set, salt and pepper, and some open space for addition cooking tools.
Custom Galley
I chose to have the custom galley come out into the slider door to maximize the use of space in the van. I loved being able to look out the slider door while doing dishes, but this definitely contributed to the cramped feeling inside the living area.
The white galley countertop is made of a material called Corian in the glacier white color. Corian is a durable material that can withstand normal wear and tear, although I did notice some small scratches develop over time. The Corian was also very easy to clean, and I loved the modern look it gave the van.
Need inspiration for your own van kitchen? Check out these creative van cooking spaces.
Induction Stove
The one burner induction stove in this van conversion is the True Induction single burner stove which requires 1800 watts to operate at maximum temperature.
Having a one-burner induction makes it very convenient to prepare simple meals and boil water without having to set up our propane and two burner gas stove outside, which we still cook on for more complex meals.
While you do need a robust battery bank and inverter to run an induction stove, they have a lot of benefits. The True Induction stove in my Sprinter Van heats up and cools down fast, so you aren’t likely to burn yourself. Induction stoves are also easy to clean and safer since you aren’t combusting gas inside the van.
One other thing Outside Van did is made the induction stove completely flush with the countertop, so when the stove isn’t on, it basically serves as normal counter space for chopping, etc. The induction stove is also especially useful for van life in winter or when we are stealth camping.
Refrigerator
The fridge in my Sprinter conversion is the Isotherm 4.6 cubic foot Cruise Elegance 130. While it takes a bit of Tetris, we could fit about a week’s worth of food in the fridge.
I do have two complaints about the fridge though. First is that after about 6 weeks, the freezer starts to ice up and the entire fridge has to be turned off and defrosted. This is a pain when you are traveling without access to a real refrigerator where you can store your food during this defrosting process.
The second issue is that produce seems to go bad a lot more quickly than it does at home. I think that’s because the fridge gets packed so tight that there isn’t much air circulation.
Check out my comparison of upright fridges vs top loading chest style refrigerators.
Sink
For the sink, we have a nice pull-down faucet and a large, round stainless steel under-mount sink. I wanted a sink large enough that would make doing dishes very easy. Outside Van also created a cover that sits flush with the sink and creates a flat surface for additional prep space.
Trash Can Compartment
When many people are converting their Sprinter Van, trash storage is an afterthought. In my first Sprinter, I thought, “I’ll just hang a bag somewhere off a hook.” Well, once I realized that (1) it allowed smells to permeate the van, (2) it wasn’t dog-proof, and (3) it was ugly to look at.
So I decided having a dedicated place for trash cans was essential.
I had Outside Van build an enclosed trash can compartment that was customized for two tall kitchen trash cans – one for garbage and another for recycling.
Having it all behind a closed door keeps the smells more contained and it also prevents the dogs from sniffing around and getting into trouble when they are left alone. I hindsight, this was a lot of space to allocate to trash, and I would have created a smaller cabinet for this purpose. On the plus side, it meant we could go a long time before we needed to find a dumpster.
Slide Out Outdoor Cooking Table
On the outside of the galley, we had a slide out cooking table for outdoor cooking. This allows us to leave our portable camp cooking table at home.
We used this table a lot. It was even nice for putting out snacks after a long hike.
Driver’s Side Galley
On the driver’s side of the van behind the captain’s chair, there is a smaller cabinet with four drawers. This is where we store our cooking utensils, spices, and tupperware, and there is also a junk drawer for random items (another essential in my opinion). This area is nice not only because of the additional storage, but it also provides extra counter space.
You’ll also notice in the above photo that the table top and leg are stored on the front side of this driver’s side galley, which gives the table a home and keeps it out of the way when it’s stowed. The table smoothly slides in and out and is very secure when we drive.
Custom Floor to Ceiling Closet
Moving further back in the van, we have a floor to ceiling closet. This isn’t for clothes, although you could store folded clothes in here if you wanted. Instead we are using this space for food, smaller items, work stuff, and some of our cooking appliances like our blender.
I measured the dimensions of each shelf, and then I went to the Container Store and found some lightweight bins that would help keep this space organized. The handle on the bins make it easy to pull them out and get what we need, and each shelf has a lip that prevents the bins from sliding around.
The door of the closet is made of Sileather. It’s soft and it zips and rolls up, clipping at the top. I chose a roll up door instead of a door that swings open for two reasons.
First, this roll up door is lighter-weight than a door made out of wood, and it’s always good to cut weight wherever you can. Second, having it roll up means I can access the inside of the closet from the bed or from the front of the van anytime. A swing out door would have only allowed access to the closet from one side.
This is the first closet of its kind that Outside Van had built, and it may be one of my favorite features of my van conversion.
When I was designing this van, I wondered how we (and our dogs) could easily get up onto the bed. Outside Van came up with this genius idea to have a pull-out step directly below the closet. This step is the perfect height for climbing in and out of the bed and also serves as an extra seat that has come in handier than we expected when cooking or putting on our shoes. The step has a load rating capacity of 300 pounds, and we leave it out when we are driving since Charlie likes to ride in the bed.
Below the step is a large open cabinet. We designed this cabinet to be big enough for a portable toilet if we decided to have one (check out the best campervan toilet options here).
After much debate, we decided to stick to our old system of using pee jars and a wag bag toilet, so instead we use this area to store our dog food and our air fryer. And yes, we bring our air-fryer – it requires 1500 watts at the highest temps, and we can bake, make toast, cook tofu, and more with it.
Overhead Cabinets
On both sides of the van, there were overhead cabinets. On the driver’s side, we had one above our galley where we store cooking ingredients, oils, soap, and more. We like to keep stuff up here in a lazy susan for easy access.
On the driver’s side above the third passenger seat we have a long overhead cabinet. This is where we store our dinnerware, coffee and morning beverages, paper towels, and toiletries.
Three-Panel Bed
Next, at the rear of the van was Outside Van’s standard three-panel aluminum platform bed that goes all the way to the back doors with Outside Van’s exoskeleton cabinet for clothing storage. The bed was a queen-sized bed. While we never once removed the bed, the bed panels could also be removed we needed to use the back of the van for something.
I chose a custom 4″ latex mattress which was a pricey upgrade. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it comfortable and thought Outside Van should have offered something much better for the price point. It was one of the things I regretted most in the van. In order to make it more plush, we added a 3″ latex topper and lost 3″ of headspace in the process.
My comforter is the Original Puffy Blanket by Rumpl. It’s a great option for pet owners because it’s machine washable and dog hair doesn’t cling to it.
Exoskeleton Cabinet Clothing Storage
On the passenger side of the van, I have what Outside Van calls an exoskeleton cabinet which is open with no cabinet face. This style of cabinet is stuffable, removable, modular, and more lightweight than traditional cabinets. We use this exoskeleton cabinet to store packing cubes containing all of our clothes.
We each have one packing cube for pants, one for shirts, one for underwear, and one for socks. Check out my full van life clothing packing checklist.
The open-style cabinet has its pros and cons. I like that it’s easy to stuff a jacket in there or quickly grab something. At the same time, unless you are super diligent about putting your clothes away in your packing cubes, it can quickly look messy and unorganized, which was always the case for us.
This cabinet hung over Ryan’s side of the bed, and our dog Charlie generally slept underneath it.
The Garage
Underneath the bed is a ton of storage in the area called the van garage. Just like I did for the closet, I measured this space carefully and then went to the Container Store and got lightweight bins that fit perfectly in the area. I like storing stuff in bins because they are easy to pull out and swap out what’s in them based on the season and the specific gear we need. The bins also don’t add a lot of extra weight to the van like a robust drawer system would.
Our garage had room for all of our camping and outdoor gear, shoes, extra dog and people food, Starlink, and other miscellaneous gear, with lots of room to spare.
Outside Van also built a custom slide-out gear tray that could we can use for more bins, additional gear, or mountain bikes. The gear slider made it so much easier to load all of this stuff into the back of the van. It also allowed for easier access to gear bins without having to crawl around under the bed.
Everything got secured in the garage using Mac’s Versatile Tie Down System – basically a version of L-Track. Using Mac’s tie-down rings, we cinch all of our bins up using straps or bungees so nothing moves while we are driving. For bikes, we could use a fork mount to secure them to the gear slider.
We could access the garage via the back doors or from the inside of the van which was a necessity for me. I didn’t want to have to go outside to the back of the van every time I needed to access something under the bed.
Our electrical system (driver’s left side cabinet) and plumbing (passenger right side cabinet) were also under the bed.
Electrical System
In my very first van, I was always worried about power. I didn’t have enough battery storage or solar, and it was super stressful. This taught me that it’s better to overestimate your power needs, which is what I’ve done ever since.
Lithionics Battery System
In this Sprinter Van conversion, we had two 315 Ah Lithionics lithium batteries, for a total of 630 Ah bank. The battery capacity was easy to monitor with a screen right above our galley that told us how full it was.
With lithium batteries, you can use 90% of the battery capacity before you need to charge them (unlike AGM where you can only use 50% before you risk damaging the batteries).
To prevent damage, each Lithionics battery has a safety mechanism built into it. Once the batteries were depleted to the 10% mark, the system would shut off as a reminder that the batteries need to be charged. And giving the batteries some juice was as simple as turning on the ignition in the van since the batteries could be charged by the secondary alternator.
The Lithionics batteries also had an internal heating blanket that automatically turns on if the temperature of the batteries ever drops below 34°.
This power system was one of the best parts of the van. Our batteries rarely dropped below 75% capacity which meant we never had to worry about running out of power.
Secondary Alternator
In this van, I decided to install a secondary 280XP Alternator Kit with a Wakespeed Regulator. This secondary alternator is dedicated to charging the house batteries, which begins as soon as the vehicle engine is turned on. It charges the batteries extremely fast.
In my experience so far, this method of charging could add 10% charge for every 20 minutes of driving, so we almost always arrived to our campsite with our batteries completely full.
Solar Panels
On the roof, I had 310 watts of solar panels made by Zamp Solar – two 90-watt panels and one 130-watt panel.
Due to the increased capacity of my batteries and the efficiency of the secondary alternator, I was able to get away with less solar and gain back some roof space. The main purpose of the solar was to keep my batteries topped off if we are parked for several days.
Roof Rack
My solar setup on the roof is secured to a custom-made Outside Van roof rack. The rack is very low profile, so you can barely see it from the ground, and it has a walkway down the center of the van that I use to hang out or access the solar panels for cleaning. It works out great as a platform for taking photos too.
Another neat feature of the roof rack is it has four rows of Mac Track which makes it very easy to secure gear to the roof of our van.
Inverter
The final piece of our van’s electrical system is the inverter. This van has a 2000 watt Magnum Pure-Sine Inverter which converts power from the batteries to AC power, which is required to run the induction stove and other things that plug into the 110 outlets.
There was 6 USB outlets and 6 regular 110 outlets, including two 110 outlets in the garage that we use to charge our e-bikes. They are located all throughout the van so charging was always convenient.
Temperature Control
The temperature in our Sprinter Van is controlled with two ceiling vans, window vents, and a diesel-run heater. Perhaps another mistake, but I opted against a rear AC in my Sprinter Van conversion because this would have required an even bigger battery bank for camping off the grid.
Outside Van did do a few things though to keep the interior of the van comfortable, even on hot sunny days. I share some additional tips for keeping your van cool without AC here.
Vented Windows
First, all of the windows in the van conversion opened up to allow for better airflow.
Ceiling Fans
The van had two Maxx Fans – one above the galley and one above the bed – and these created effective airflow in the van. We typically had one pulling air in and the other pushing air out.
Insulating Window Shades
All of the window shades in my Sprinter van conversion were made of a Sunbrella material with a layer of closed cell foam in the middle. This helped insulate the van from the heat in the summer and prevented warm air from escaping through the windows in the winter.
The shades were very simple to put up and take down via the snap buttons and most of the time, we drove with the shades down in order to keep the sun out.
I also had a full set of window coverings for the front windows. We used these every evening for privacy and to block out the morning sun.
To help regulate the temperature when we are out on hikes or away from the van during the day, we used this insulated soft wall curtain that separates the cab from the living area. This soft wall is extremely effective at keeping the heat in the cab from entering the back of the van.
Heater
My Sprinter Van utilized a diesel heater to heat the air in the van. This produced a significant amount of heat in as little as 6-8 minutes.
It also has a timer mode that allows you to set a day, time, and duration for the heater to run, even when you are not there. On a ski day, this allows you to go out and return to a warm van without having to heat it the whole time you are gone from the van.
Plumbing System
All of the plumbing was contained inside the van, rather than having tanks and pipes running on the outside. That way the system is more insulated for four-season use.
Water Tanks
I had a 25-gallon water tank inside a driver’s side cabinet in the garage which lasted us between 5-7 days (without using the outdoor shower).
To fill the tank, we simply ran a hose from the spigot to the van. When filling up, we used a three-stage Clearsource Ultra RV Water filter system to filter out viruses, bacteria, sediment, bad taste, and even heavy metals.
Water Heater and Outdoor Shower
In this van, I had the Rixen Espar Hydronic system to heat the hot water. The biggest perk was I had unlimited hot water available within 5 minutes of starting the unit.
Since we only had 25 gallons of fresh water, I opted against having an indoor shower in this van. I preferred to save my water supply for drinking, dishes and other uses so I could stay out in nature for longer periods of time.
We did have a hot water hookup for showering outdoors, but I never really used this again because we preferred to conserve as much as possible.
Collapsible Toilet
In my first Sprinter Van, I had a Thetford portable toilet. It did the trick, but I hated using it for #2 because dumping it was gross. Plus, finding a dump every 5 days to empty the toilet was a hassle.
In my second and third van, I ditched the casette toilet and instead relied on pee jars for #1 and this foldable Go Anywhere toilet that utilizes wag bags for #2 when a public toilet wasn’t available. The toilet folds up really small so it doesn’t take up as much room as a cassette or composting toilet. Once you’re done doing your business, the bag just goes in any outside trash can.
The bags do get pricey, and I’m not crazy about the plastic waste, but for the occasional use, it worked out great for us. The space we saved by not having a normal toilet was worth it to us at the time, and I enjoyed not having the toilet-related chores.
Read next: Compare the best toilet options for van life.
A note on toilets: When at dispersed campsites, I used to dig a hole and go poop outside according to Leave No Trace principles. However, as our public lands are becoming more crowded and over-used, I no longer feel that this is a responsible option for people who spend significant amounts of time on the road. That was a big factor in our decision to start carrying the Go Anywhere toilet that we have in our van.
Sprinter Van Floor
I’m convinced that there are very few flooring options that stay looking clean when you are living in and using your van conversion for outdoor adventures – especially if you have pets.
In this van, I chose a Lonseal vinyl product that has a little texture for grip, but no grooves that trap dirt. When it was clean, it looked fantastic, but with dogs it was nearly impossible to keep it looking nice.
As far as floor installation, the first thing Outside Van does when building their floors is to remove the factory floor. They then build a new floor out of marine grade plywood and adhere a layer of high-density vinyl to the top. This is slightly heavier than the factory floor, but it’s a little thicker and way more durable, so there’s no flex in the floor when you place heavy features on it.
Inhabit Designs Custom Floor Mats
After a year of traveling in this van and once again mostly hating the floors (just like my previous two vans), I decided to get a set of custom floor mats made by Inhabit Design Works. They are made of a woven vinyl called Chilewich, a material that was designed with the marine industry in mind.
After spending a few months in the van with these mats, I can say it’s one of the best upgrades I’ve ever made in any of my vans. I went to their shop in Portland and they measured the floor area in my van and a week later, I went back and they installed them. They fit the space perfectly.
These mats are removable, waterproof, and can be cleaned by hosing them down. We put them to the test one summer when our dog Charlie got sick all over the floor of our van. We removed the mats, sprayed them off with our outdoor shower, and left them out overnight to dry. When we put them back in the van the next day, the looked good as new.
Due to the color (fawn) and pattern, they cover dirt incredibly well, and I love how they create a soft cushion for underneath my feet.
Read next: A Guide to Floor Materials for your Van
Tires and Suspension
We do a lot of off-roading in our Sprinter Van, so having an excellent all-terrain tire and upgraded suspension was essential.
Tires and Wheels
The tires are the BF Goodrich K02 265/70/R17. They perform well on rocky roads, snow, and even in muddy conditions (with the right driving skills).
The wheels are Black Rhino Stadium 17″ Wheels, which are one inch bigger than the stock wheels that the van comes with. I chose these specific wheels because they have a heavy duty load rating at 2,450 lbs/wheel.
Agile Offroad RIP Kit Suspension Upgrade
The stock suspension that the Mercedes Sprinter Van comes with is not intended for going off-road or handling bumpy terrain. In bumps, windy conditions, or even pulling out of a driveway, a converted Sprinter Van with stock suspension has an unnerving amount of sway.
That’s why upgrading the suspension is one of the best things you can do if you want to improve the performance and overall feel of the ride. Upgrading the suspension is also important when you’ve added a lot of weight to the van.
I chose the Agile RIP Kit for the upgraded suspension package. In the front, a coil over spring was added to the factory McPherson strut, along with an upgraded Fox shock.
The RIP Kit greatly improved how the van handles weight as you shift around corners and improved dampening in the bumps. Overall the van responded more quickly to the driver’s inputs.
In the rear, the factory leaf spring system was replaced with a progressive six leaf spring system, and the system in tuned based on your rear axle weight. This increases the payload capability and gets rid of any sagging in the rear of the van. It also results in a smoother ride due to the progressive nature of the springs.
Finally, there was also an additional Fox shock added in the rear, again for improved dampening of the movement. The result of the shock is that the van sways much less side to side over uneven terrain, especially with the high roof Sprinter Van.
Owl Vans Rear Accessories
All of the rear aluminum accessories on the van are made by Owl Vans. The main reason I chose Owl for my rear accessories is that you don’t have to first swing out the box and spare tire before opening the rear doors. Instead, all of the Owl Vans gear on the rear opens automatically when you open the back doors.
B2 Carrier, Mini Sherpa, and Medium Expedition Box
The B2 Carrier is a modular storage system designed by Owl Vans that can be customized depending on your storage needs. On the bottom, we have the Medium Expedition Box where we store our shore power hookup, hoses, tools, trekking poles, and other dirty gear in order to keep the inside of the van cleaner.
Above the B2 Carrier, we originally had Owl’s Bike Mounting Tubes that would allow us to carry our e-bikes on the outside of the van if we choose using 1Up Bike Trays. The advantage of carrying your bikes on the B2 carrier rather than a hitch mount is that you don’t lose any ground clearance and it also doesn’t reduce access to your back doors.
Also, I like that Owl has designed their bike carrier to handle the weight of e-bikes, which are a lot heavier than normal mountain bikes.
At the top of our B2 Carrier, we had Owl’s Mini Sherpa Plate. This gave us the option to mount a variety of recovery tools – such as an ax, shovel, a spare Rotopax diesel canister, or even our Maxtrax recovery boards if we were to remove the Expedition Box on the bottom.
Owl Ladder and Spare Tire Rack
On my previous two vans, I had the spare tire stored underneath the van in the factory spot. With all of the off-roading we do, I decided that having the spare tire underneath the van might not be the easiest place to access it if we got in a pickle on a dirt road.
The Owl Ladder + Tire Carrier provides a solution to this by combining a ladder and spare tire rack on the back door. The tire carrier allowed us to carry a full sized 17″ spare that is identical to the rest of our tires. The ladder/tire combo rack only weighs 25 pounds and again the back doors can open without having to swing out the rack first.
The ladder is streamlined and has pegs that extend below the spare tire rack that you use to get up on the ladder. I will say it’s a little tricker the first couple of times to step up onto than a traditional ladder, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy.
Read next: My full Owl Vans Sprinter Accessories Review
Rolef Bug Screens
I knew I wanted the Rolef bug screens in this van. They are pricier than the other options, but being able to keep the doors open during peak mosquito season is pricesless.
The Rolef bug screens were permanently installed, but I could roll them up when you I wasn’t using them. There are simple clips at the top that hold them up.
On the rear bug screen, the top half is screen, and the bottom half which you can roll up separately is solid. This allows you to access your gear in the garage while keeping the bed area bug free.
On the slider door, when you want to use the bug screen, you unclip it and zip it down. Then to easily get in and out of the van, there is a magnetic strip that allows you to quickly open and close the right side without having to deal with the zipper. It’s a pretty great design and I’m so glad we have them.
Sprinter Van Awning
On my second Sprinter Van, I decided against a permanent awning because I wanted as few things as possible hanging off of the van. Instead, we used the MoonShade which is a portable, budget-friendly shade solution that sets up pretty quickly (you can read my full review of the MoonShade here).
In my third Sprinter, I opted for a Fiama awning. We used it enough for me to consider it worth it, but I think a permanent awning has its pros and cons. It is quick and easy to deploy.
However, with a permanent awning, you have to be very careful and pull it in if it gets windy, and there are also a lot of parts that can break. There is also the added cost of a permanent awning, so you have to really think about how much you’ll use it and whether or not it’s worth it.
Thanks for reading through my Sprinter Van conversion blog post. You can watch the tours of all three of my vans on YouTube so you can see how they’ve evolved over time. Make sure to subscribe so you get notified of any future videos.
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