Mercedes Sprinter
Hello
This is quite a long read, as there is a lot to say, so get brew and get comfy.
In our 4 years we have done a tour of Scotland. Holidays in Yorkshire. Trips to Wales. A wedding in Cornwall. A tour of France. Plus, many random weekends away locally and the odd crazy festival. She’s never missed a beat.
In the Peak District it dropped to minus 8 Celsius outside. The temperature inside was 28c. And up to 32c while cooking. Don’t worry about being cold. These are warmer than most houses!
It also hit 46 Celsius in France. But with all the widows open, fly nets closed and fan on it was manageable. However, in normal UK weather conditions, it is a lovely temperature day and night.
Road tax is £350 a year. The new coach-built motor homes of this size are £3000 a year to tax. They have done this to make it equivalent to the council tax on a house. Many people have been selling up and living in motor homes. Luckily this vehicle comes under the old rules. So, it has saved me over £10k in road tax since I have owned it compared to a new one.
It costs me £370 a year to insure fully comp with 180 days of European cover. I am 37 yrs. old, no points, no convictions, driving since 17. I was advised by the previous owner to use AIB insurance in South Hampton (02380 268 351).
I have used them for 4 years. They have a UK call centre and answer the phone immediately. They are brilliant and fair price too. Highly recommended! Feel free to get a quote if you are interested. I have left the number plate visible in the pics.
The new MOT is valid until 29th Jan 2025. But it is booked in for a new one so will have a full years ticket on sale
For the MOT 2 years ago, it had all new front and rear brake discs and pads. Including hand brake shoes. The brake callipers were inspected and serviced too. The brakes are now progressive and powerful. Like new.
She has Full Service History. I have a folder full of receipts and all the mot certificates. I even have the original auto trail warranty card from when she was brand new.
All the tyres have plenty of tread left on them.
I have serviced her every year in my ownership which is much lower millage intervals than recommended.
The engine is the legendary Mercedes 0M612. It is the 5-cylinder, 2.7 litre, Common rail turbo diesel mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It has 168 BHP. Even with the added weight of the coach-built body. It pulls like a train.
There is no cam belt to change, it’s got a timing chain. There are no silly emissions devises to go wrong and cost a fortune, such as DPFs or Add Blu. I had a new transit for work and while back and it was a constant pain in the neck.
She starts on the key after months of being stood.
I also lived in the van for 2 years during lockdown, I travelled a lot for work and was staying in hotels. I had a job and nowhere to stay so it went from being a holiday home to a home.
This gave me time to figure out all the things in the van that were old and / or in need of upgrading. I have spent a lot of money and time upgrading this van to be comfortable and modern. Please see the list below, in no particular order:
The old bathroom was very tired, so I ripped it out and re did it. The shower tray is custom made from marine ply and fibre glassed in situ with a white gel coat. It is very strong and 100% watertight. Camper bathrooms are normally nasty. I lined the walls with modern plastic. Fitted a ceramic sink and a proper domestic thermostatic shower as the old one was inadequate. The shower is now hot and powerful. It cost about £600 in materials and about a week of my time which I charge out at work at £1500. Well worth it. It has transformed the van.
The roof was getting past it so I re fibre glassed it completely. It was strengthened with marine ply to accommodate the Solar PV system. £500 in materials and a week’s work.
Solar PV system. Most of the camping sites were shut in lockdown so I wanted it to be self-sufficient in terms of electricity. I am a fully qualified electrician and solar installer. 12v systems are slightly different and I did a lot of research to come up with this system.
3 x 330 watt Solar Panels (990 watts of panels). Admittedly, this is ridiculous for a vehicle but there was room on the roof and I thought, why not?! These feed a 50 A Sterling Power MPPT Solar charge controller. The panels and the charger were (£1300) The solar charger has 2 inbuilt USB chargers for phones etc. Very fast charge rate.
The sterling power charge controller is the best on the market for this application, nothing else could handle the power of 3 panels. The charger is blue tooth compatible with your phone. I don’t use this feature as its fully self-controlling. I just let it do its thing. It charges 2 deep cycle leisure batteries located under the floor in 30 mins.
I have installed a GIANDEL 4000W Heavy Duty Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter DC12V to AC240V + Remote. This was £400. It can run high power appliances such as henry hoovers and hair dryers with no problem. It can also run sensitive electronics such as laptops. They don’t work on cheaper non pure sine wave inverter.
I have wired the inverter into the fuse board. Via a rotary isolator. All the 240v power systems in the van work off grid with the inverter running from the batteries and solar. Note (I will show you how to switch from 240v inverter power to 240v mains.) this is very important!
If the batteries voltage gets low, due to heavy sustained usage of high-powered 240 v AC appliances on the inverter. Thanks to the power of the system. It only takes approx. 30 mins to fully charge them again. In the summer the batteries will be fully charged long before you wake up, and all day long under normal load.
Camp sites can now cost up to £50 a night to park and plug in. They have become greedy since lockdown. I use the “park 4 night” app and stay for free in quiet free parking areas. (£50 a night x 1 month = £1550) This is why I went so big on the electrics. Its saved me a fortune and means I can visit places that are super remote. Where there are no camp sites or power. Such as remote spots in the Hebrides.
New upholstery. All the cushions in the living area have been professionally re upholstered. £1800 The material is a wipe clean – stain resistant – velvet style material. It feels very soft and silky and It’s very hard wearing. This has given the van a far more contemporary look than the original flowery yellow cushions. They could not do the driving seats unfortunately. The curtains hide these at night.
I have replaced all the seat supports with 12 mm marine plywood. They used to be small slats of wood. They were a pain as they kept falling into the seat voids below and collapsing the seats or beds. This doesn’t happen now; the seats and beds are solid.
I have replaced all the light bulbs in the van with LEDs. They are brighter. Longer lasting and use a lot less power. The 12v fuses didn’t like all the old-style light bulbs being on at the same time. You can now have all the lights on without blowing any fuses. That was probably a design error from the factory as it shouldn’t have been the case. But it is now fixed.
I have installed a brand- new reverse camera on the dashboard. I wish I did this 4 years ago. It’s amazing!
The old head unit (sound system) was outdated so I replaced it with a new one. The new one is blue tooth compatible with your phone so you can hook up your Spotify account and listen to whatever you like on the road. It also has speakers in the back of the van and a remote so you can use the sound system when stationary from anywhere in the van. Its handy.
I have de badged the van. I didn’t like the original auto trail scout stickers. I think they look outdated. I prefer the plane white. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It took about a week of painful fiddly work, followed by a T-cut and polish to finish. It looks amazing now. But be warned if you are thinking of doing anything similar. It was a nightmare!
I have installed a safe under one of the seats. It’s quite big. Big enough for my laptop, iPad and loads of stuff. I always put my money, passport, keys etc in there when I am out and about.
Air Ride air suspension for motor homes. This is a pneumatic system that aids the vehicles standard suspension. It increases straight line stability on motorways and in heavy crosswinds. This helps the vehicle with the extra weight of the camper body.
New Mercedes chrome wheel trims
New carpet
That was all the upgrades. This is the standard stuff that still works. All the appliances were made in Germany. Which is great because it means they are good quality and still work. I still have all the original owners’ manuals for the appliances which can be studied in your own time.
Electrolux fridge, Works on Gas, 240v or 12v. Running on gas it will cool a whole fridge of warm beers in few hours. It is fully controllable so you can turn it down. Or you can switch to electric once it’s cold. It’s a great fridge. It also has a freezer compartment.
Belling oven. Gas oven, Gas Grill, 3x gas hobs and 1 x 240v electric hob. It cooks really well. We have made full roast dinners many times. If you’re cooking don’t use the heating. It gets too hot.
Dometic Hot water heater, Works on gas or electric. Gas heats the water a lot faster as it only has a tiny immersion heater. I tend to leave it running on gas just for convenience, especially if you’re a couple or more. Loads of hot water on demand. For showers or pots.
There are 2 x 6kg propane gas bottles with the van. Using the gas for cooking, hot water and the fridge I probably get a week per bottle. A bottle is £30 ish these days. So with 2 bottles and solar panels your power needs are met for 2 weeks minimum. Gas is available most places.
In the depths of winter, I tend to plug into mains power and use the electric heater. Then it’s as hot as you want 24/7. Solar is great but it doesn’t work in the dark or cloudy bad winter weather!
However when the solar isn’t working and she plugged in there is a – Zig Electronics. X80 Switch mode power supply and battery charger with power factor correction. ( AKA 12 v power supply and battery charger ) This basically means when the van is plugged into the 240v all the 12 v systems work and the batteries get and stay charged.
Gas fire. As well as 240v electric heater built into it. Hot air blown system as well as standard heater. It gets very hot. Too hot on full power.
180 litres fresh water tank. I can last about 4 to 5 days on my own between fill ups. But I am a bloke with no hair, so I don’t use much water. I just keep it topped up whenever I can. Again, I use the “park for night” app to find water. For a weekend away. Its enough without a fill up.
Thetford cassette toilet. 40 litres.
Coach built by Autotrail
Upgraded by owner
Hello
This is Gunther. I have looked after and enjoyed Gunther for 4 years. She affectionally earned her name by virtue of being German and very powerful. Admittedly, this was after a few beers, but it stuck.
This is quite a long read, as there is a lot to say, so get brew and get comfy.
In our 4 years we have done on average 2500 miles a year. Including a tour of Scotland. Holidays in Yorkshire. Trips to Wales. A wedding in Cornwall. A tour of France. Plus, many random weekends away locally and the odd crazy festival. She’s never missed a beat.
In the Peak District it dropped to minus 8 Celsius outside. The temperature inside was 28c. And up to 32c while cooking. Don’t worry about being cold in a Gunther. She is warmer than most houses!
It also hit 46 Celsius in France. But with all the widows open, fly nets closed and fan on it was manageable. However, in normal UK weather conditions, it is a lovely temperature day and night.
Road tax is £350 a year. The new coach-built motor homes of this size are £3000 a year to tax. They have done this to make it equivalent to the council tax on a house. Many people have been selling up and living in motor homes. Luckily this vehicle comes under the old rules. So, it has saved me over £10k in road tax since I have owned it compared to a new one.
It costs me £370 a year to insure fully comp with 180 days of European cover. I am 37 yrs. old, no points, no convictions, driving since 17. I was advised by the previous owner to use AIB insurance in South Hampton (02380 268 351).
I have used them for 4 years. They have a UK call centre and answer the phone immediately. They are brilliant and fair price too. Highly recommended! Feel free to get a quote if you are interested. I have left the number plate visible in the pics.
The MOT didn’t expire until the middle of this year. However, I have put a fresh one on it. It passed first time. The new MOT is valid until 29th Jan 2025
For the MOT 2 years ago, it had all new front and rear brake discs and pads. Including hand brake shoes. The brake callipers were inspected and serviced too. The brakes are now progressive and powerful. Like new.
She has Full Service History. I have a folder full of receipts and all the mot certificates. I even have the original auto trail warranty card from when she was brand new.
All the tyres have plenty of tread left on them.
I have serviced her every year in my ownership. She was last serviced in autumn and has done almost no milage since then. Bar the odd trip down the road and to the MOT garage.
The engine is the legendary Mercedes 0M612. It is the 5-cylinder, 2.7 litre, Common rail turbo diesel mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It has 168 BHP. Even with the added weight of the coach-built body. It pulls like a train.
There is no cam belt to change, it’s got a timing chain. There are no silly emissions devises to go wrong and cost a fortune, such as DPFs or Add Blu. I had a new transit for work and while back and it was a constant pain in the neck.
She starts on the key after months of being stood.
She returns 22 mpg. I have checked this many times. It makes no difference if you drive her like your grannies nissan micra or just cruise about normally. So, I just enjoy the power and smile. Knowing that I am saving a fortune on accommodation when I get there.
I also lived in the van for 2 years during lockdown, I travelled a lot for work and was staying in hotels. I had a job and nowhere to stay so Gunther went from being a holiday home to a home.
This gave me time to figure out all the things in the van that were old and / or in need of upgrading. I have spent a lot of money and time upgrading this van to be comfortable and modern. Please see the list below, in no particular order:
The old bathroom was very tired, so I ripped it out and re did it. The shower tray is custom made from marine ply and fibre glassed in situ with a white gel coat. It is very strong and 100% watertight. Camper bathrooms are normally nasty. I lined the walls with modern plastic. Fitted a ceramic sink and a proper domestic thermostatic shower as the old one was inadequate. The shower is now hot and powerful. It cost about £600 in materials and about a week of my time which I charge out at work at £1500. Well worth it. It has transformed the van.
The roof was getting past it so I re fibre glassed it completely. It was strengthened with marine ply to accommodate the Solar PV system. £500 in materials and a week’s work.
Solar PV system. Most of the camping sites were shut in lockdown so I wanted it to be self-sufficient in terms of electricity. I am a fully qualified electrician and solar installer. 12v systems are slightly different and I did a lot of research to come up with this system.
3 x 330 watt Solar Panels (990 watts of panels). Admittedly, this is ridiculous for a vehicle but there was room on the roof and I thought, why not?! These feed a 50 A Sterling Power MPPT Solar charge controller. The panels and the charger were (£1300) The solar charger has 2 inbuilt USB chargers for phones etc. Very fast charge rate.
The sterling power charge controller is the best on the market for this application, nothing else could handle the power of 3 panels. The charger is blue tooth compatible with your phone. I don’t use this feature as its fully self-controlling. I just let it do its thing. It charges 2 deep cycle leisure batteries located under the floor in 30 mins.
I have installed a GIANDEL 4000W Heavy Duty Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter DC12V to AC240V + Remote. This was £400. It can run high power appliances such as henry hoovers and hair dryers with no problem. It can also run sensitive electronics such as laptops. They don’t work on cheaper non pure sine wave inverter.
I have wired the inverter into the fuse board. Via a rotary isolator. All the 240v power systems in the van work off grid with the inverter running from the batteries and solar. Note (I will show you how to switch from 240v inverter power to 240v mains.) this is very important!
If the batteries voltage gets low, due to heavy sustained usage of high-powered 240 v AC appliances on the inverter. Thanks to the power of the system. It only takes approx. 30 mins to fully charge them again. In the summer the batteries will be fully charged long before you wake up, and all day long under normal load.
Camp sites can now cost up to £50 a night to park and plug in. They have become greedy since lockdown. I use the “park 4 night” app and stay for free in quiet free parking areas. (£50 a night x 1 month = £1550) This is why I went so big on the electrics. Its saved me a fortune and means I can visit places that are super remote. Where there are no camp sites or power. Such as remote spots in the Hebrides.
New upholstery. All the cushions in the living area have been professionally re upholstered. £1800 The material is a wipe clean – stain resistant – velvet style material. It feels very soft and silky and It’s very hard wearing. This has given the van a far more contemporary look than the original flowery yellow cushions. They could not do the driving seats unfortunately. The curtains hide these at night.
I have replaced all the seat supports with 12 mm marine plywood. They used to be small slats of wood. They were a pain as they kept falling into the seat voids below and collapsing the seats or beds. This doesn’t happen now; the seats and beds are solid.
I have replaced all the light bulbs in the van with LEDs. They are brighter. Longer lasting and use a lot less power. The 12v fuses didn’t like all the old-style light bulbs being on at the same time. You can now have all the lights on without blowing any fuses. That was probably a design error from the factory as it shouldn’t have been the case. But it is now fixed.
I have installed a brand- new reverse camera on the dashboard. £300 I wish I did this 4 years ago. It’s amazing!
The old head unit (sound system) was outdated so I replaced it with a new one. Gone are the good old days of the Now 27 CD blasting out happy hardcore. The new one is blue tooth compatible with your phone so you can hook up your Spotify account and listen to whatever you like on the road. It also has speakers in the back of the van and a remote so you can use the sound system when stationary from anywhere in the van. Its handy.
I have de badged the van. I didn’t like the original auto trail scout stickers. I think they look outdated. I prefer the plane white. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It took about a week of painful fiddly work, followed by a T-cut and polish to finish. It looks amazing now. But be warned if you are thinking of doing anything similar. It was a nightmare!
I have installed a safe under one of the seats. It’s quite big. Big enough for my laptop, iPad and loads of stuff. I always put my money, passport, keys etc in there when I am out and about. £150
Air Ride air suspension for motor homes. This is a pneumatic system that aids the vehicles standard suspension. It increases straight line stability on motorways and in heavy crosswinds. This helps the vehicle with the extra weight of the camper body. £435
New Mercedes chrome wheel trims £80
New carpet £300
That was all the upgrades. This is the standard stuff that still works. All the appliances were made in Germany. Which is great because it means they are good quality and still work. I still have all the original owners’ manuals for the appliances which can be studied in your own time.
Electrolux fridge, Works on Gas, 240v or 12v. Running on gas it will cool a whole fridge of warm beers in few hours. It is fully controllable so you can turn it down. Or you can switch to electric once it’s cold. It’s a great fridge. It also has a freezer compartment.
Belling oven. Gas oven, Gas Grill, 3x gas hobs and 1 x 240v electric hob. It cooks really well. We have made full roast dinners many times. If you’re cooking don’t use the heating. It gets too hot.
Dometic Hot water heater, Works on gas or electric. Gas heats the water a lot faster as it only has a tiny immersion heater. I tend to leave it running on gas just for convenience, especially if you’re a couple or more. Loads of hot water on demand. For showers or pots.
There are 2 x 6kg propane gas bottles with the van. Using the gas for cooking, hot water and the fridge I probably get a week per bottle. A bottle is £30 ish these days. So with 2 bottles and solar panels your power needs are met for 2 weeks minimum. Gas is available most places.
In the depths of winter, I tend to plug into mains power and use the electric heater. Then it’s as hot as you want 24/7. Solar is great but it doesn’t work in the dark or cloudy bad winter weather!
However when the solar isn’t working and she plugged in there is a – Zig Electronics. X80 Switch mode power supply and battery charger with power factor correction. ( AKA 12 v power supply and battery charger ) This basically means when the van is plugged into the 240v all the 12 v systems work and the batteries get and stay charged.
Gas fire. As well as 240v electric heater built into it. Hot air blown system as well as standard heater. It gets very hot. Too hot on full power.
180 litres fresh water tank. I can last about 4 to 5 days on my own between fill ups. But I am a bloke with no hair, so I don’t use much water. I just keep it topped up whenever I can. Again, I use the “park for night” app to find water. For a weekend away. Its enough without a fill up.
Thetford cassette toilet. 40 litres.
3 double beds
Rear bed is huge. Bigger than a queen size
2 good size doubles.
One where the table is
The other over the drivers cab
The contact details for this vehicle are no longer available because it has either sold or the listing has expired.
Insurance options are available through our partner, Ripe Insurance.
Get tips, tricks, ideas and advice for your campervan conversion, with the ultimate Quirky Campers Conversion Guide.
