Easy Driver Automatic Mercedes Tiny Home Totally Off Grid!

FOR SALE: One-of-a-Kind 2013 Mercedes Sprinter Luton Campervan
Fully Off-Grid PO13 UMT | 138,000 Miles | Automatic | £27,000
Location: Forest Row, East Sussex

I’m selling my self-converted Mercedes Sprinter Luton campervan. It’s completely bespoke and genuinely unlike anything else out there. I designed and built it myself and my husband, who is a professional carpenter. The electrics were checked over by an auto electrician to ensure everything is safe and up to standard. It’s warm, welcoming, and filled with thoughtful details that make it feel like a real little apartment.

Originally listed at £40,000 due to its one-of-a-kind nature, I hadn’t had a single viewing at that price, so I’ve now reduced it to £27,000 to better meet the market. This isn’t a reflection of its worth, I genuinely believe it’s worth more, but I’m ready to let it go to the right person.

Easy to Drive & Travel-Friendly

It’s an automatic and a medium wheelbase, so it’s incredibly easy to drive. At just 6.5 metres long, it feels spacious inside but handles like a much smaller van. Perfect for navigating hairpin bends in the Alps or coasts of France, and cheaper to take on ferries thanks to its shorter length. You just put your foot down and go—no need to worry about gear changes or hill starts. It’s the perfect van for someone who wants more space but isn’t a super confident driver.

Living Space

This van feels like a real home. It’s got a full-size, super comfy sofa—not a van bench—that pulls out into a proper bed. It’s genuinely comfortable, not just for sitting, but for sleeping every night. There’s a vintage style Ikea dimable reading lamp, John Lewis fabric lined curtains throughout, and under-counter lighting that gives it a cosy, homely glow.

The whole place is painted with Little Greene paint, which is tough and long-lasting. The walls are wallpapered plywood, yes, wallpapered! so you can easily repaint or re-paper them to match your own style. The space is designed to be personalised easily. After I lived in it, I added fresh wallpaper and refreshed the paint and put in a new carpet.

There’s a massive built-in desk/counter (with stool) big enough to work from full-time or just for making food food. If you’re a digital nomad or work remotely, it’s the dream. Loads of natural light pours in through the bespoke back doors, which are fitted with huge windows. The windows are all double-glazed plastic except the back doors, but I’ve made a bespoke insulated blind for those. We used it in Slovakia when it was minus 20°C and stayed completely cosy. For normal UK weather, the curtains are more than enough.

There is also a solid wood table which attaches with a removable arm, coated in bees wax to make it durable and food safe, it also has an extra leg for stabilty. I would use my Bernina sewing machine on there with no problems.

There’s even a little railing with plants twining around it, adding to that apartment feel.

It comes with a Kampa Reevo Zip awning with attachable sides. You can pop it out as a sunshade or zip the sides on to create a fully enclosed extra room. We’ve used it in summer as a lovely conservatory-style dining area, and in winter as a secure space to store bikes and gear—you can even lock them to the chassis for extra security. It’s honestly brilliant and gives you that much more usable space.

To make getting in and out easier and safer, the van now features pull-out metal steps with anti-slip tread and a fold-out safety rail. These weren’t in some of the photos because we only installed them recently before listing—the last three years we were using a step ladder, which, in hindsight, wasn’t the best idea!

Storage

Storage is huge: the entire bulkhead is storage with two large drawers, hanging space for clothes (you can hang suits and dresses), loads of cupboards, and a sneaky hidden compartment in the wardrobe. Book shelf and 5 nooks in the living room area that can be use for storage or aesthetically.

Kitchen & Cooking

The kitchen is designed to be fully off-grid while remaining incredibly practical. It’s equipped with a Panasonic oven, grill, and microwave all powered by the solar system. In the summer months, you can easily use the oven for an hour or more, while on shorter or cloudier days, it can still handle a microwave meal or some quick grilling. Boiling a kettle for your morning coffee is simple too — we usually pour the hot water into a thermos to conserve precious solar energy throughout the day. And when you’re connected to shore power, everything runs seamlessly without a hitch.

There’s also a removable Tefal induction hob that works on solar or shore power. You can plug it into the external socket for outdoor cooking—perfect for picnics or a BBQ vibe. And if you prefer gas cooking or want something more winter-off-grid friendly, there’s space to add a portable gas hob in the awning.
Awning

Bathroom

The bathroom has a fully plumbed-in shower and a composting toilet with a separate vessel for liquids. It’s clean, simple to use, and low maintenance. Because it’s a composting setup, it’s incredibly convenient: the liquids go into a small tank that you can carry in something like a rucksack and empty easily into a regular toilet at a supermarket or service station—no need to find special facilities. The solid section is a lined bucket with sawdust; you tie up the bag and pop it in a normal bin, just like a baby nappy. It’s totally legal, ethical and much more practical than a chemical toilet, especially if you’re on the road a lot. The separated system and manageable size make it really handy for travel. Composting toilets when used properly generally don’t smell but this is all contained within a sealed wooden compartment just to be on the safe side.

The Truma 4E boiler runs on gas or electric and provides both hot water and heating. You can live in this van off-grid through winter and stay warm. Even if you’re eating pasta instead of roast dinners, you’ll still be cosy with hot water and proper heating year-round.

Airflow & Comfort

There are two MaxxAir fans—one in the bathroom and one in the living area—which can create a lovely cross-draft when you open a window. It keeps the air fresh and the van cool. There’s also a mains-powered air conditioning unit fitted, which runs when you’re connected to shore power. We added it for our baby, to keep the temperature under control in hot weather. It also keeps condensation undercontrol which can be a huge problem even in branded luxry motorhomes.

Entertainment

It comes with an Optoma projector and a pull-down projector screen. It works even during daylight, and you can plug in a laptop, phone, or tablet via HDMI. Perfect for movie nights or streaming on the go.

Bespoke Back Doors & Windows

Hand‑built rear windows sit in wooden frames and use 8 mm ‘bullet‑resistant’ polycarbonate that will bend and deform safely rather than shatter in an impact. The double‑layer 18 mm ply doors have solid‑wood edges, steel reinforcement, sheep‑wool insulation, and heavy‑duty concealed hinges fixed straight to the van’s frame, secured with a Master Lock. In short: loads of light, superb insulation, while still being super secure.

Vehicle Info

Make/Model: 2013 Mercedes Sprinter Luton

Transmission: Automatic

Wheelbase: Medium Wheelbase (6.5m)

Mileage: 138,000 miles

Solar & Electrical Setup

540W LG Solar Panel

Victron Smart Solar MPPT Controller

2x 175Ah Lithium-Ion Batteries

Victron DC-DC Charger

Victron Battery Monitor

Victron Smart Shore Power Charger

3kW Renogy Pure Sine Wave Inverter

This van has been lived in, loved, and looked after. It’s warm, stylish, and built to be genuinely livable. I didn’t build it to sell—it was for me to live in, with my family, and I didn’t want to sacrifice anything. Over the last three years, I’ve kept tweaking and improving it until I made it, IMO, perfect 🙂

I can’t fully capture in photos the feeling of the van. It’s like a little apartment on wheels. I’m sure I’ve forgotten to mention things so please reach out to ask questions. Whether you want to live in it full time or use it for the bougiest of weekends away, it’s ready. Come and see it and I think you’ll fall in love with it