Mercedes Sprinter L2H2 (MWB, Hi-Roof)
Xanthos is a fabulously colourful, quirky campervan, currently listed on Quirky Campers hire vehicles page* (https://www.quirkycampers.com/uk/campervan/200405/). Hand-crafted with upcycled and reclaimed materials; he is part ping-pong table, climbing wall and oak door frame! He certainly packs a punch with beautiful bespoke birch ply storage at the side of, and underneath the pull-out double bed and in the super functional kitchen. The clever design of the pull-out bed means that there is a larger day to day living space to chill out in, but the bed stays made, and there is a large garage area for storage. Xanthos is super cosy with his dimmable warm lighting, blackout curtains and quality custom soft furnishings.
Xanthos has been designed to be completely off-grid. He has a diesel heater, solar panel and extra water capacity. He has a practical yet luxurious living space complete with shoe storage for muddy boots, and hooks above the step to hang your coats after a wet adventure.
Whether you are going for a mooch around the Yorkshire Dales, hiring a campervan for a wedding or warming up after a day wild swimming in the Lake District, Xanthos provides everything you need for a perfect road trip.
Description of Seating: There are three belted seats in the front (including driver) with head rests. In the main living area, you have a comfy sofa bench and single seat with custom upholstery and 10cm thick recently replaced premium foam.
Cooking Equipment: Xanthos has a spacious kitchen and work surface area at the front of the camper. The kitchen has a full-sized, two burner gas hob and built in coolbox/12v fridge (electrical capacity would need to be upgraded to use this).
Water Facilities: There is a 20-litre removable water tank under the sink that supplies water via a submersible pump. There are also space for additional water containers (2×10-litre, 1×5-litre) if you’re going off-grid for a few days in the back of the van. There is also a 25-litre waste tank, underneath the sink.
Type of Heating: Xanthos has a high-power diesel heater to keep you toasty and warm all year round, and makes winter camping super cosy! Xanthos also has air-conditioning up front and a ceiling fan to keep you cool on hot days.
Please Note Xanthos NO Longer HAS A Bike Rack (in case you see photos of this in the rental listing) – although you can fit two bikes underneath the bed in the large garage area (you may have to take the front wheels off).
Electrics: Xanthos has two 100Ah leisure batteries to keep you powered off-grid indefinitely. He has a 120amp Victron Cyrix split-charge, 65amp Victron battery protect (so you don’t over discharge your batteries!) and a 120watt solar panel on the roof. Xanthos has 5 USB ports scattered throughout the van, a warm white nightlight next to the bed, three touch dimmable warm white spotlights and a dimmable warm white ambient hardwood light.
Storage: Xanthos has a huge garage area underneath the bed (when travelling for a year in him we took all of our equipment for rock climbing, winter climbing, alpine mountaineering, camping, backpacking and cycle touring and had plenty of room). You can access this storage from within the van from a convenient hatch, underneath the pull-out table. Xanthos has some quirky bean shaped storage holes for storing little items, and then bins/baskets and cupboards along the side of the bed to store all of your everyday clothes. Underneath the larger bench there is lots of storage space, while the smaller bench is the perfect spot for storing shoes. The kitchen houses fresh and wastewater and a large 25-litre refillable LPG bottle (Safefill, auto stop, can be refilled at petrol stations very cheaply throughout the UK and Europe). It also has bulk storage underneath the cool/box and three shelves with pull out plastic bins (and additional smaller plastic bins behind these for bulk food storage). We can easily do two weeks worth of food shopping and fit everything in these storage areas. DIY pipe roof bars have been installed lengthways across the van and cross pieces could be put in for a roof storage system.
To note: Xanthos is a quirky van, and this is part of what we love about him! He has upcycled climbing gear to hold the bed and gas locker in place, part of an old crutch is used to support the table, all of the hardwood in the van is upcycled and we have tiled the splashback and brew/book shelf with flexible grout and gorgeous earthy tiles. It really does feel like a proper kitchen and living space, and we have lived on and off in this van a number of times. This means we have honed the living space to have just about everything you could need. The storage and layout just really work.
Extras: Xanthos has some suction cup thermal foil window covers that can be used in addition to his curtains in extreme temperatures (these have been home made by us). Otherwise, it’s very easy to get set up for the night with the roll down window and bulk head black out blinds, rear blackout curtains and snap on blackout skylight cover. When the bed is in driving mode, it is possible for one person to rest there (diagonally) while the other person uses the living area of the van. In bed mode, the kitchen is still fully accessible to get the morning brews on!
*all hire dates are currently blocked off. The new owners can choose whether to continue hiring Xanthos (8-10k profit per annum) or we can remove the vehicle from Quirky Campers if you choose to have him for personal use only.
THE VEHICLE
Xanthos is a Mercedes Sprinter – and these vans are known to be incredibly reliable workhorses.
No expense has been spared in terms of mechanically up-keeping this van and this has included (all new injectors at 190k miles and new front shock absorbers). This van has been regularly serviced and has been very well looked after by us.
The bodywork of this van is less than perfect. In 2021 we did major work on the body of the van, doing rust prevention and a respray in Raptor paint. The appears to have primarily addressed any rust, but there are a couple of places where this is bubbling/flaking off. In certain light you can also see some of the rust proofing we have done underneath the yellow paint as this had a grey primer on top of it. The worst rust on the van is on the sliding door, which could easily be replaced (as featured in the photos). We actually planned on doing this when we bought the van, but have been surprised by how well it has held up, and haven’t needed to do this, as it works perfectly fine. Happy to send further photos of the exterior of the van (there are some dents/scrapes commensurate with the age of the van).
We have been assured by our mechanic that the underneath of the van is in good condition and that there is no rust underneath. They did address some rust on the driver’s doorstep in 2023.
We are happy to have the van mechanically inspected locally, if you wish to arrange this, and can drive it to a garage of your choosing.
MOT booked for 30.05.2024 and we will be selling the van with a fresh 12 month MOT.
We are selling the van because we have bought a house in Kendal and have very limited parking options. We’ve had some great adventures in him and hope the new owners do to! We’ve found Xanthos to be a reliable, workhorse with a really powerful engine and cosy interior.
Xanthos was transformed from a DHL courier van in 2019 into the beautiful campervan that he is today. Xanthos means yellow in Greek. In 2020, Xanthos travelled to Greece and back via the Pyrenees and Alps. He powered us up huge mountain passes, in all conditions without a hitch and he has continued to explore the UK as a rental campervan through Quirky Campers for the past two years. We find Xanthos the perfect cosy base after a day of adventures, winter or summer, and have most recently used him on a winter climbing trip up to Scotland, where there was ample room to dry wet gear and stay toasty and warm, with his diesel heater. He’s also great in hot weather, with plenty of insulation and a 12v fan at the front of the van to keep you cool. Xanthos was converted with a lot of love by his current owners, and we have travelled extensively in him, and loved the layout and base vehicle. Whatever the experience, your cosy cabin on wheels will be waiting for you at the end of the day, where you can watch the sunset and plan your next adventure.
Xanthos sleeps two people in a slide-away double bed at the rear of the camper van. Bed Size: 190x120cm. He comes with a recently purchased v38/memory foam combo mattress, which is incredibly comfortable!
The contact details for this vehicle are no longer available because it has either sold or the listing has expired.
Quirky loves this style means that Quirky Campers would potentially approve this vehicle for hiring. However, Quirky have not approved a Gas Safe certificate, a Weighbridge certificate, or the vehicle's electrics. Buyers must check these themselves. For some tips on what to look out for read this. If the listing has no Gas Safe certificate, no unladen weight and no electrical sign-off please proceed with caution!
Insurance options are available through our partner, Ripe Insurance.
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