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Tenting in a Mercedes Sprinter RV is way from roughing it
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The 2025 Mercedes Sprinter has all-wheel-drive, not four-wheel drive
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The 2025 Mercedes Sprinter prices $53,125
“We’ve got a resort room for you in case you determine to bail on this concept.”
That was the very last thing I used to be instructed earlier than closing the sliding door to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV van at 10:30 pm at night time. I used to be volun-told that I’d be sleeping right here as part of my task that included driving the Mercedes E 53 AMG plug-in hybrid—cool—and seeing its new Manufaktur line of customized choices. Additionally cool.
Sleeping in a van? Not simply cool. Downright chilly.
Spoiler alert: Not solely did I not bail on sleeping within the RV, I provided to do it a second night time as a substitute of sleeping in a resort room. Apparently that wasn’t on the desk.
So, tucked in my four-wheeled resort suite, I spent the night time in a Euro-spec Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van RV conversion on the facet of a mountain within the Austrian Alps. After I awakened the following morning in a winter wonderland I wasn’t positive if this was heaven for skiers and van dwellers, or simply the Alps in December. Possibly it was each.
Both manner, this isn’t the #VanLife as seen on YouTube. To the man that purchased a Toyota Sienna and modified it for #VanLife, eat your coronary heart out.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversions: Your configuration might range
I ought to begin with the disclaimer that the Sprinter RV conversion I stayed in was a Euro-spec Grand Canyon S 700 constructed by Hymer. It doesn’t exist within the U.S., however one thing related is constructed by Thor. You possibly can’t replicate this, but it surely’ll be related sufficient.
The Grand Canyon has all of the facilities. A full-size mattress within the again that may simply match my spouse and I comfortably with a thick mattress. It has a rest room with bathroom, bathe, sink, and even a swiveling wall to include the water throughout bathe time. The kitchen has a two-burner gasoline range, sink, fridge, and 4 drawers for storage.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
The storage. Oh, is there storage. The complete again half of the RV from the above the cooktop has all types of niches and nacelles, that wrap across the sleeping space, and again to the toilet, which had roof-mounted storage separated with inside partitions and locking doorways in order to not fly open whereas driving. Extra storage tucked underneath the mattress. It wouldn’t be laborious to maintain and keep organized in case you lived right here.
The laminate woof flooring paired with the cabinetry’s impartial beiges, (presumably faux or laminated) wooden, silver steel bits for the cupboard locks with leather-based pull straps giving it an Ikea vibe, however with out the Ikea build-it-yourself high quality. Each latch opened with a click on, each door and panel swung open after which closed with a thunk. It felt stable.
A U.S.-spec construct would differ within the particulars, however the RV I slept in had contemporary water and waste water tanks, heater, inverter, plenty of LED lighting, and a touchscreen management system. The complete factor appeared fairly much like a variety of #VanLife Sprinter RV conversions on Instagram in America.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
The Sprinter RV conversion is sized for 2
A minimum of the one I slept in was. Sure, there have been 4 seats with seat belts–two up entrance within the cabin and two seat belts on the bench seat on the “kitchen desk”–however 4 folks could be very shut, most likely too shut, inside. As an alternative, think about working remotely whereas somebody drove the RV to a brand new pure marvel. I’m getting empty-nester concepts already.
There are compromises, although. Instantly after shutting the sliding door I famous two issues: the walkway isn’t large and I wanted to make use of the lock and unlock button on the motive force’s door or key fob to lock that sliding door. You realize, in case some random particular person celebrating Krampus tried to return go to me in the midst of the night time’s snow storm on the mountain. I locked the door with the important thing fob to a satisfying mechanical locking sound.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Unpacking wasn’t a chore, however not dwelling on this RV past one night time proved attention-grabbing. The entrance passenger seat ended up serving as my suitcase storage whereas the entrance driver seat and steering wheel have been my garments rack. All of the home windows already had their accordion blinds drawn so nobody might decide my sloppy dwelling state of affairs.
Earlier than mattress it was time to get some work achieved on my Mercedes-Benz Maufaktur story. The leather-covered bench seat on the kitchen desk appeared prefer it had a backrest that was too upright, however was actually snug. The desk and bench for 2 have been simply the suitable measurement for a pc bag, me, and my pc, exterior laborious drive, DSLR digicam gear, and related cords. An outlet sat conveniently simply to the left of the desk.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Preparing for mattress proved the toilet makes use of house properly. We’ll get to the bathe bit within the morning, however the sink itself folds up and down to save lots of house when not in use. The tap sits low above the sink, however then may be raised up for bathe time.
Understanding it will be chilly and never realizing simply how piping sizzling the camper’s heater would get, I introduced joggers to sleep in. Seems the heater within the camper is sort of a sauna. I turned the warmth right down to 19.0 levels C (66.2 levels F) to sleep with a little bit of a chill within the air. Or so I believed.
Turning off the lights proved to be an journey itself because the switches, which have been labeled with graphics that weren’t terribly indicative of which lights they managed, labored once they wished and generally by no means. A number of clicking, however finally instantly all the RV was darkish. I later realized there’s one other set again by the mattress. If I’d identified that, I wouldn’t have needed to stroll the galley in the dead of night.
At two within the morning, I woke in a sweat—not out of worry of Krampus. I woke to all the RV roasting me like a sauna regardless of turning the heater down earlier than mattress. At midnight utilizing my cellphone’s flashlight I climbed off the bed, woke the roof-mounted touchscreen within the cab, and turned the heater down now to 16 levels C (60 levels F) in hopes issues would cool off. Opening a window appeared ballsy given the climate.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
My alarm went off at 4:50 a.m., and I then discovered the sunshine swap controls by the mattress, lastly. Time for espresso—solely to search out the RV’s range grates aren’t sized for a Moka pot. The pot was going to fall over, so I improvised and used a pan as a base to carry the Moka pot. Espresso in hand, I slid into the bench on the desk to get some work achieved. The warmth pumped out of the vent close to my toes and was undoubtedly hotter than 68 levels, but it surely felt good. Immediately, whereas sitting on the desk I used to be precisely conscious of a clock-like tick-tock noise. I used to be by no means ready to determine the place it was coming from or which system was producing it. Some folks may discover it soothing whereas others could be pushed insane. Your expertise might range.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Time for a bathe in a Sprinter RV
The Mercedes Van crew warned me that the cork-like ground panels (there’s two) on the ground of the toilet must be pulled up and never in there whereas showering, as they aren’t meant to get moist. They preserve your toes off the precise fiberglass ground to maintain them clear, dry, and sanitary when utilizing the toilet. The 2 panels pop up and may be positioned in the principle camper space.
The lavatory itself isn’t going to be sufficiently big to take your garments in to vary as soon as it’s all moist in there, however there’s a hook within the again by the bathroom the place you’ll be able to deliver your towel. A small storage cubby close to the roof above the bathroom will maintain undergarments in case you really feel the necessity. A neat slate-like door that locks up towards the surface wall may be unlatched. It swings past the sink and out to the toilet door. Then a plastic partition on the opposite wall may be unlocked and it slides to carry that slate-like partition open. This creates a wall that blocks off the bathroom and towel hanging space at the back of the toilet to maintain all of it dry. Slick. With the sink folded and the bathe head moved up, having a shower was no massive deal. At 5-foot-10 with a medium construct I had room to clean with out challenge, however a super-sized American or tall Swede may really feel constrained in there.
Mercedes folks had warned me the Eco setting for the water heater would most likely be wonderful, however that there was a Heat setting through the touchscreen. Not one to go away issues to likelihood I slid the controls to Heat earlier than hopping within the bathe. I might’ve most likely legitimately burned myself as I couldn’t flip the water temp previous the three-quarter mark, and I took a sizzling bathe.
Immediately it’s 7:50 a.m. and time to take a journey within the CLA EV prototype, however we will’t speak about that but. I packed up my suitcase from my makeshift closet up entrance and opened the blinds on the windshield. The complete windshield was lined in snow. I unlocked the RV, opened the door, and snow was swirling round outdoors. It was a winter blizzard wonderland. This Minnesota boy was in heaven—or, the Alps, the following neatest thing.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
The Mercedes Sprinter RV laughs at winter blizzards
The Euro-spec Sprinter’s 190-hp turbodiesel inline-4 fired proper up regardless of the chilly. Within the U.S. our Sprinter has a turbodiesel inline-4 as properly, however ours has both 168 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque or 208 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. The previous is for rear-wheel drive whereas the latter is for all-wheel drive.
Sure, the Sprinter vans now have all-wheel drive, not true four-wheel drive. Mercedes-Benz spokesperson Iain Forsyth confirmed the 2-speed switch case and four-wheel-drive system are gone resulting from price, complexity, and use circumstances. Forsyth famous that even RV conversion consumers within the U.S. weren’t going wherever close to the Sprinter’s true off-road capabilities, so the system was overkill on all fronts.. The all-wheel-drive system can shift the facility from 0-100% between the entrance and rear axles. In regular driving situations energy is routed fully to the rear wheels, however the multi-plate clutch pack engages and may transfer energy all to the entrance relying on slip and situations.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Even on BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires, that are completely not winter tires, the Sprinter RV had zero points making it up a mountain cross in close to whiteout blizzard situations. The 8.1 inches of floor clearance didn’t harm. However the actual deal with was the system’s stability management, which even let the rear finish kick out–unsure I’d advise drifting the Sprinter RV in a blizzard, however you possibly can–whereas nonetheless protecting issues underneath management. The automated clutch pack is a torque-on-demand system that engages with out consumer intervention seamlessly.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
Driving via the storm I shortly realized that the best way Hymer put in the entrance window shades on the doorways made it considerably uncomfortable to relaxation my arm on the door sill. That may be annoying on a street journey, although it’s unclear if that is how Thor units U.S. fashions up.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV conversion
For 2025 the Sprinter prices $53,125 together with a $2,295 vacation spot cost. It additionally will get an non-obligatory 10.3-inch touchscreen and a bevy of energetic security tech together with blind-spot screens, surround-view digicam system, rear digicam mirror, and energetic lane management. I additionally famous an out there heated windshield choice exists, which might’ve been fairly clutch final week.
#VanLife in a Sprinter is way from roughing it. The newest Sprinter could be rather less succesful than earlier than, but it surely nonetheless can get via blizzards, to seashores, and thru forest roads—and it’s sleepworthy, in addition. Pack accordingly.
Mercedes-Benz paid for journey, offered the van, however nature offered the mountain and blizzard to deliver you this take a look at drive (sleep?) evaluate.
