We’ve driven 14,000-foot passes in Colorado, leaf peeped in New England, road tripped the Canadian Rockies, and more. But there’s another option, for people who aren’t interested in selling their van, and still want to capitalize on their new asset. Now, van owners can rent their vans to others who are looking to get a taste of the #vanlife!
When it comes to heating and natural light in your van, now is the time to get your diesel-powered heater / furnace connected, any extra windows put in and your roof vent (or vents) installed. If you do run wires behind the walls and ceiling, note where they are so you can plan for future access and also don’t accidentally drill into them when it comes to installing your bed and cabinets. This also means that you can choose the materials to fit your style and budget – and these don’t need to be specifically designed for RVs, vans or campers (which tend to be more expensive). Prior to Ian’s trip to Minneapolis, they fixed a few different issues with the vehicle. In the meantime, they held the vehicle to give Ian a chance to come and see it. Since 2006, eCapital has been on a mission to change the way small to medium sized businesses access the funding they need to reach their goals.
Read more about jet sprinter van here.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Pros
It’s also another large space-occupying component of your installation, so needs building in – at least in part – early in your build. Often, they’re built to be modular, so you can remove items such as the bed and wall storage to make space in the van for work use, too. With Mercedes Sprinter vans more popular than ever, and seemingly in short supply, be prepared to act quickly if you see a Sprinter van advertised for sale that will make a good base vehicle for your build. Nothing commits you to your Sprinter van conversion journey than actually buying the van. Then think about everything you plan to have in your van, and research what these items cost to buy, as well as install. The van has some rust (which we removed—read about our Rust Abatement here), and it’s not a pre-2007. But all the vans we were looking at within our price range required some type of compromise from our wish list.
Clean and prepare your van for conversion
This time, the resources in the DIY landscape had improved dramatically, and with the help of a few online materials and products, I achieved better results, in far less time, than I ever thought possible before. In 2017, I traded in my trusty Tacoma for an unproven, barebones cargo van. I was hedging that my soon-to-be camper and its creature comforts would afford me even more—and bigger—adventures. I’m a handy guy, and with a plan to keep things simple, I figured it’d be pretty straightforward. Now that you’re filled in on the what and why of starting a sprinter van business, let’s get into the exciting part — the how. So what exactly is a sprinter van and how do you start your own sprinter van business?
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Buying Our Sprinter Van
Depending on your plan for your van’s electrics, you may want to pre-run some electrical wires before putting up the walls and ceiling. Wood can also split, and may squeak if pieces rub together as you drive.
If you’re trying to get all your materials in one place, Titan pretty much has everything you need. You can buy pieces like galleys, cabinets, heating systems, water tanks, seats, and more. You can also buy paneling so that you can insulate your van and provide solid walls for your living area. Fortunately, you can get most of your supplies from Flatline Van Company. This brand offers a wide array of products to help you get your van on the road.
If you don’t have six figures of cash to buy a converted Sprinter van upfront, you’re certainly not alone. First, you can do it yourself, meaning that you source individual components and install or build them on your own. The second option is to hire a Sprinter van conversion company to handle everything for you. When I first started researching my next van life van (my first was a Chevy Astro), the Sprinter was high on my list. It had 4×4 capabilities, a diesel engine option and the capability to keep running with hundreds of thousands of miles on its odometer.
Read more about luxury sprinter vans here.
If you love your house and don’t want to sell it, consider renting it out. It will help cover your bills (and maybe even bring in some extra money). Plus when you are done with van life, it will make your transition back to your home base pretty painless. Before jumping into van life full-time, it’s important to consider a few of the highlights and challenges that come with living in a van.
If you haven’t noticed in your research to date, there are a lot of similarities between custom boats and yachts and custom converted Sprinter van builds. Exploration Vans brings their years of experience with boats and yachts to the table with every van build. All Weird Days is a creative design and fabrication shop specializing in everything from custom woodwork and van conversions to art displays and gallery remodels. Turns out, it’s hard to build inside a structure with approximately zero right angles—the process ended up taking months, not weeks, like I’d hoped. But just like most great outdoor adventures, the effort was worth it in the end. That van took me, my now-wife, and our dog to just about every western state and the Baja Peninsula.
I knew the Mercedes Sprinter I chose, a 4×4 high roof van, would be the most expensive in the line-up. The premier builder in the southeast for all things adventure is FreedomVanGo. During my first build, forums were about the only place to turn to for ideas, information, and real-world insights from fellow DIYers. But more often than not, hours of scrolling left me with more questions than answers—all I wanted was for someone credible to tell me what to do. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.
Read more about sprinter limo here.
