Van Conversion: from Delivery to Camper
This van conversion project has been simmering for decades; just waiting for things to fall into place. Many months ago, I mentioned to my mechanic’s wife (who runs the business while he wrenches on cars), that I may be in the market for a Mercedes Sprinter; something I could convert into a camper. Instead of a Sprinter, her husband found a 2003 Ford E350 Super Duty with an extended roof which was being used to deliver wine. She told him to call me and the rest is history. Now I own a big American V8 that’ll go camping, eventually.
The Research
I realize that there are thousands of van conversion projects on the internet. Just a few examples being:
STEVE’S RACING MERCEDES SPRINTER CAMPERVAN
and
WOMAN BUILDS DIY SPRINTER FOR VAN LIFE
Some of these resources are better than others, depends on what you’re looking for. Since I haven’t done anything on this scale before, I figured a little research into van conversion was in order. I had to figure out what I was looking for. That’s how I came across those websites I just mentioned. The DIY Sprinter video was quite helpful since she provides a lot of practical information: e.g., how to keep things from bouncing around when driving and storage options.
The Intent
My purpose here is to share my van conversion journey. From conception, to design, to redesign, to finalizing (?) the construction, I’ll talk all about it in this blog. Maybe I’ll do something you like: feel free to steal the idea. Or maybe I’ll do something you don’t agree with: please let me know so I can learn something new.
You can expect quite a variety of topics on this blog: current projects, products I’ve used and recommend, and general topics. Some of these may discuss what you should have in your tool box, or the differences between types of tape or adhesive.
But first, turning a van into a camper is project of the moment…