2014 VW CRAFTER OFF GRID, 555watt Solar, 300AH Lithium LIFE-PO, IMASS Instant Water Heater ***UNDER OFFER***

******PLEASE CHECK OUR GALLERY LINK BELOW FOR LOTS OF PHOTOS******

https://mellowsphotographyuk.pixieset.com/vwcrafter2014/

Returning an average of 38-40mpg fully loaded, this example has been well maintained and has an extensive service history, the previous owners were a big exhibition stall company and serviced the van regularly (we have the documentation to prove this). The camper build was designed to have heavy off grid capabilities for weeks at a time due to the nature of our business as wedding photographers. We have lived in the van on and off for about a year travelling up and down the country while we work and edit on the road, most of the last 20k of mileage that has been put on the engine has been mainly motorway driving, the cruise control feature has been amazing for this!

We’ve managed to have all of our camera gear charging, tablets, laptops running away, lights, fridge, all the full features of the van really, and have never felt limited with electricity. During the summer months the solar has run everything and has not even touched the battery during the day, winter time wise we’ve managed to be completely off grid in the same spot for up to a week without needing to drive to recharge the batteries. The benefit of lithium too is that it can charge at a faster rate so a good 45-60min drive will top the battery up nicely.

BASIC SPECS

-300ah Lithium Life-Po Leisure battery purchased new last year for the build
-Renogy 60amp Solar mmpt Charger (has the Blutooth dongle installed to monitor through smartphone)
-Renogy 40amp DC-DC Charger
-Victron 30amp shore power charger (Also has Blutooth functionality)
-555 watt of monocrystaline panels wired in series for high performance (we’ve seen up to 50 amps per hour being put back in)
-Maxxair fan Deluxe with two remotes
-Thetford Triplex 3 burner Oven & Grill
-Truma gas isolation switch with crash safe regulator and hose (no opening the boot just to turn the gas valve on, literally a flick of a switch for gas, this all cost over £300 in parts)
-Dometic 12v Cre80 Fridge Freezer (Super energy efficient, Thermofleece wool insulation was put around the outside of the fridge to make it even more efficient)
-IMASS 1.5E Instant hot water heater (connected to the gas system and no waiting for hot water or another 40 minutes to heat up again for the next person to get a shower etc as seen in other systems)
-175L Fresh water tank with pressure regulator and inline filter (the pump is water pressure sensitive so it knows when the tap is being used, it has an isolation switch to turn it off when leaving for a prolonged amount of time)
-55L Underslung waste water tank (has a tank level indicator installed to know how full it is)
-Eberspacher Airtronic D2 Heating system with controller ( there are 3 vents, 2 in the kitchen/seating area and one has been plumbed behind the shower and into the sleeping area, they can all be closed off to choose where you want most of the heat, there is also a slim 15l fuel tank installed behind the drivers seat for easy topping up)
– Rear skylight (it has a blackout blind and mosquito net, the small side window has a built in mosquito net too)
– Internet 4g(5g capable) antenna booster on the roof which has the connectors inside for a portable hotspot/router
– 1200w Pure sine wave invertor (has it’s own switch which was an extra in order to keep the living area tidy, making turning it on and off easy and accessible, it also shows how much load is being put on the system via an LED indicator)

////////// Mechanical //////////

Recent work carried out with documentation to prove :
– Cambelt was changed less than 20k miles ago
– All discs and pads were replaced 5 months ago
– Oil and filter change
– New auxiliary belt for alternator and power steering (fan belt was replaced at the same time also)
– New alternator pully wheel bearing
– New front and rear tyres, the rears were replaced mid May this year
– Parking brake needed to be adjusted to pass the latest MOT and has been done
– During the time of conversion last year the entire underneath was wax oiled
– MOT: Fresh Mot at a reputable place ( to give you confidence they’re so OCD that the only advisory was that the plastic casing is damaged on one of the seatbelt releases)

There is a fully integrated parking sensor system with warning light guidance built into the mirror’s and dash (this was an add on package when new). It previously worked but since we lost a sensor from catching a low stone wall in a car park in first gear, up in Scotland, it hasn’t worked since. We have had no issues with parking the van without this and haven’t had the time to have this looked at. (The cosmetics of this mentioned below)

////////// Background Info //////////

The van was purchased from an exhibition stall company that specialised in setting up promotional stalls undercover in places like NEC Birmingham etc, it was fully carpeted out in the load area originally and showed minimal signs of wear as they used it to transport lights, we are the 4th owner but technically the 3rd as it was sold via a middle man/seller on behalf of the company.

The van was already wrapped by this company when we purchased it, the wrap itself still has lots of life left in it but in areas it does have the odd split etc near a seam/bits off on drivers side bottom of van. You would really have to look for any defects though as they aren’t obvious, the colourful blocks at the back are the worst for wear but sit on top of the wrap and could be easily peeled off; we feel that there’s years left in the wrap before it would need replacing of removing. There is also the option to peel off all of the grey vinyl by hand at any point and turn the van back to white, the original paintwork should be like new due to the wraps protection. We had to remove the wrap on the back doors as it had the company details but we have overcome this by spraying both doors with Plasti-Dip paint that forms a layer of plastic that can be peeled off in the future just like the wrap.

****Cosmetics****
With regards to the front bumper that was really just an annoying scrape to the side at 2mph, popping the sensor off and cracking some of the moulding of the bumper (should of listened to the parking sensor!!) could be definitely left as is if this is something that doesn’t bother you, or just replaced in the future. The rear bumper is a bit marked too but was like this when we bought the van, probably from the company constantly moving the lighting gear and out. There’s no serious rust at all as after 2011 they started galvanising the entire chassis of the crafter at the factory, there are though some typical tiny rust spots on the drivers side at the bottom of the van/wheel level that just needs touching up with paint and is by no means bad, we think it’s due to the salt from the winter roads. There’s also the typical dents found on a used van, the most prominent is at the top of one of the rear doors, again you really do have to look for these as they are really hard to find/see! We’ve taken all this into account to reflect the pricing of the van against the huge amount of expensive tech and overkill of money originally spent.

////////// Conversion History & Info //////////

The conversion was carried out by myself and my partner to a high standard and finished in the summer of 2021. We both work as professional photographers in the wedding industry so we built this van for use while working around the country and to accommodate a high level of power usage, as due to the nature of our job we are heavy users of laptops and electronics. This is also reflected in the mechanical maintenance as we can not risk breaking down and not being able to make it to a wedding!

INSULATION:

No expense was spared with insulation, with nearly £1k spent on this to ensure we were warm in winter and cool in summer. The layers are as follow: Gold foiled foam insulation off the roll on the inside walls, Thermafleece WOOL insulation in the middle and crammed into every possible crevice then covered with a high quality vapour barrier all over. We have tested this out extensively in winter and have felt that unless the temperature drops below 5 degrees outside there’s never been a need to even put the heating on! We’ve also been in some serious hot weather last summer and felt very comfortable with the Maxx Air fan keeping the interior nice and cool, the solar panel coverage on the roof also helps to fend off the sun! We choose wool insulation for it’s natural ability to dissipate any moisture, it has no respiratory effects that other insulation types might have and is extremely difficult to catch fire. The base ply flooring was also removed and battened so a layer of gold foiled foam insulation, wool insulation and vapour barrier could be installed, it’s pretty much everywhere, the rear and sliding door/s and even above the cab, it hasn’t been installed in the drivers and passenger door due to the window mechanism but is in the rear doors and sliding door. The rear wheel arches have also been boxed out and a hefty amount of insulation has been placed around them too. We have found that it also has amazing sound deadening qualities too, the road noise is minimal and we’ve had some quality sleep in busy areas, it’s very peaceful and we really can’t justify in writing how quiet it is when inside!

BERTHS / ACOMMODATION:

As it stands the van really is a 4 berth but could be pushed to a 5 if someone were to sleep on the floor. The seating area has a memory foam base with wooden slats and a fully grown adult could easily stretch out in this space. The area across the passenger bench seat and drivers seat could also be used too with a bit of prep.

The bed frame was built to fit a queen size mattress as I am quite tall at 6’2″, I should probably mention that I can stand up completely straight in the van with about 3-4 inches of headroom to spare. The bedframe is also heavy duty, constructed from good quality ply, with the entire base properly marked out with hole cut aways for ventilation under the mattress.

There’s an adjustable swivel table where the bench seat is that provides a place to eat or work.

There are two Hafele Loox 12v reading lights installed either side both with USB ports for charging phones. There are also multiple USB ports and the remote for the fan control so that you don’t have to get out of bed to turn it off or adjust settings etc. Most of the lighting within the van is by Hafele, chosen for the amazing energy saving performance, there are three spot lights in the ceiling that can be set with a touch sensitive dimmer switch at the kitchen area. Within the shower area there is a lightbox above that illuminates the entire area, the kitchen has its own above cooker light and there’s also a cosy hidden strip light that illuminates the entire side of the bed and kitchen area. There’s also a small cabinet light built within the wardrobe area to make the place feel even more cosier at night.

There’s ample storage all over the van such as large chest locker under the seating area and we also built into the side next to the bed a wardrobe compartment setup with hangers, we built this specifically to hang our clothes properly so that we could arrive at weddings looking smart. In the boot there’s a large laptop safe that’s partially hidden with fabric, this has been bolted down and bonded to the van floor. We kept the shower area as small as possible as we felt that it was more important to have a bigger seating area and bet, a chemical toilet can be sat within the shower tray and kept there.

TECH:

We spent lots on making sure we had all the home comforts while we were working away and felt that we never worried about power, normally getting 4 days off grid in winter, heavily editing on both of our laptops for 8+ hours a day due to the awesome powers of Lithium. The battery is 300AH and we have the purchase receipt for £1750.

The solar setup is as follows, three x 185 watt of monocrystalline solar panels, totalling 555 watts, purchased from sunshine solar and all wired in series to provide high output voltage for maximum performance. They are bolted to the roof on a railing system that has been installed thoroughly with stainless steel bolts in rivnuts, aluminium brackets and loctite has been used to make sure it all stays secure. This then goes through a 60amp Renogy solar charger that has the Bluetooth dongle to monitor everything via the phone app. During the peak summer months the system put back in to the battery on average 120amps per day but on really good days we’ve seen this go even all the way up to 150+ amps! We could literally use both our laptops heavily during the day, power the fridge etc and still put charge back into the battery, the system worked better than we could of ever expected. There is also a 40amp Renogy DC to DC charger, during winter this helped to off set shorter days and less sunlight. We installed a Victron 30amp lithium battery charger that also have Bluetooth monitoring, this is plugged into the shore power and charges/keeps the battery healthy when plugged into a campsite.

There is a 1200 watt pure sine wave invertor installed in the boot space and it has a switch under the work surface to turn it on and off, a surge protected extension lead is connected and available to easily plug into and put away when needed.

Built into the exterior of the van there is an IMASS 1.5e instant hot water heater. This is connected to the gas system, it has a controller to the side of the bed to adjust temperature and turn it on and off. It works literally like a tiny combi boiler in your house! The system is plumbed into the shower and sink to provide instant hot water, both shower and kitchen have a mixer tap too. The kitchen tap has a pull out extension nozzle that can also be used to wash boots off etc at the side of the van. Inside the boot there is a 175 litre water tank strapped down securely and picked out specifically so that it doesn’t compromise boot space, it’s also baffled and has been positioned centrally over the rear axle for weight distribution. We chose to install the tank inside rather than out/underneath so that there was no worry of it freezing when the temperature dropped, there is a bit of a nack to filling it up but it’s not an issue at all. On the side of the van there’s a water inlet filler with a magnetic cap; to fill up with water you just need to make sure you feed a bit of hose down the filler neck (that’s the nack) and it tops up the water tank fine. There’s a 55 litre grey waste water tank installed under the van too. In the boot a Seaflo pump with filter and pressure regulator (for good water flow) has been installed, it automatically turns on when a tap is opened to pump water and turns off when a tap is shut off, there’s a switch in the boot to turn off the 12v power to it if ever needed just to be safe.

The gas system has an electronic switching system to turn the gas on and off above the kitchen, it’s high quality and made by Truma. We opted for this so that we could literally pull into a layby and easily make a cup of tea etc rather than having to go around the back, open the rear doors, unlock the gas locker every time we wanted to turn the gas on after driving. We can’t even image having to do that every time, it was worth every penny to install! In order to have that switch setup we also had to install a Truma crash safety gas regulator and anti tear hose in the gas locker, which also weren’t cheap.

The gas locker has been built to fit a 13kg gas bottle, we’ve found that cooking everyday and using it for showering/heating water to wash up pots has lasted us well over 3 months on average. Although it has no certification it’s all been installed to gas safety regulations, with all drop out vents and the locker measurements to spec, it has been overcompensated for safety in some regards. There’s also an isolation valve where you can isolate the boiler and cooker individually if needed to.

Cooker wise, it’s a Thetford Triplex three burner hob with oven an grill, it’s been pretty good and we’ve even managed to cook a full Christmas dinner reasonably well with all the trimmings while spending Christmas off grid high up in Scotland! The fridge is a Dometic Cre80 with freezer compartment, it’s fully 12v and is really energy efficient!

Under the passenger seat there is a Eberspacher Airtornic D2 connected to a timer above , it’s all be properly ducted with two vents installed in the seating area and also ducted out to the base of the bed area to provide heating there too. They can all be directionally adjusted and shut off individually at the vent to change where you want most airflow. Behind the drivers seat is a 15l diesel tank that’s hidden away and is easily accessed by moving the drivers seat forward.

There’s a Maxxair fan deluxe with tinted rain cover installed on the roof, it has two remotes one for cab if you forget to shut it off and one near the bed area, just to make life as easy as possible. It’s got the rain cover so that you can use it whilst it’s raining and can be raised and lowered remotely too. Lots of people learn the hard way by cheaping out on these fans or not getting one at all, it makes sure that there is no condensation build up at all.

All the electronics are wired up tidily to a well thought out electrical board in the boot, with a fused hub for everything 12v, everything can be isolated, even the solar, the solar charger has a 60amp circuit breaker installed too. There’s 230v shore power input on the outside for plugging into campsites etc with the house mains sockets located at the bottom of the bench seat. The invertor is 1200w, placed in the boot to be out of the way with a permanent extension lead fed through to it, there is a switch to turn the invertor on and off in the living area which also tells you how much load you’re putting on it.

////////// MISC/EXTRAS //////////

Included in the sale are:

– Two heavy duty black levelling wedges
– Two camping seats and a foldable table
– Two sets of original keys for the van
– 10 meter 230v shore power lead
– 15 meter space saving collapsible water hose
– Shore power adapter so that you can plug straight into a house plug socket
– Custom made to order anti theft lock which is shaped to fit the clutch and brake pedal
– Steering wheel lock
– Portable fire pit bowl (has been used literally about 3 times)

Although there are other vans on here with lower mileage of the same year and model we feel that the value of this van is justified by the sheer amount of quality tech that has been sunk into it. Many of the crafter and sprinter models run for well over 250k miles with good maintenance, so 140k mileage is pretty reasonable with most of this being motorway runs. We want to be as transparent as possible about everything as we really don’t want any time wasters, we’re happy to answer any questions and due to our work it can be made available for viewing if we are in your area. The mileage will go up slightly as it is still in use. Our reason for sale is genuine, we have recently bought a yacht after much hard work and saving up. We’ve decided to move onto it full time, it now being the time to move onto new adventures.

We may be open to negotiating on the price depending on the seriousness of the offer but obviously this depends on the amount of interested we get. Please check out our Instagram story to see more bits of the entire build process! The photo of the boot space doesn’t show the installed 175l tank as the photo was before install. As we mentioned before the van is still in use and will be available in the next 5-6 weeks, we’re just testing the water to check interest, if the right offer is made though we would be willing to move things forward faster and complete the sale a lot sooner.

This is a true off grid beast and it’s took us all over and given us more comfort than we could of asked for, all it really needs now are some 4×4 tires and it will look very cool, most people do this and turn them into ‘Swampers’. If you intend to go off grid for weeks or are planning a crazy trip this van will do it for you without compromising on all the luxuries!

Any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask!