Vanlife and luxury are not two terms that often go together, but they’re a match made in heaven where Arden is concerned. Arden is what downsizing in style is really about.
Arden is a custom van conversion by Seth and Scarlett of Louis The Van, LTV Customs, for short. The pair are full-time vanlifers with a full-time job at the LTV van conversion boutique, and like many other content creators today, they share their builds and the process behind each conversion to offer help to those looking to make the transition.
So far, Seth and Scarlett have done at least 10 conversions since they got started, and they all sold almost right after their availability was announced online. A single look at Arden will show you why: their vans are an almost perfect blend of outstanding aesthetics, high-quality materials and uncompromising functionality.
Arden, for one, is the third entry in what LTV calls the Black Series, which was initially based on a 170-inch wheelbase van. This time, though, Arden is smaller because, as Scarlett explains in the video tour below, they wanted to show just how much functionality can be packed into a medium-size van, making it the ideal tiny mobile home both for the full-time vanlifer or the weekend warrior.
Photo: LTV Customs
Based on a 2014 Mercedes-Sprinter van with a 144-inch wheelbase, Arden is a surprise from end to end. First of all, you wouldn’t expect such a glossy, sleek and minimalist interior inside that seemingly regular all-white body. You also wouldn’t expect to find a full-size bathroom with a luxurious rain shower in the rear.
Designed for two digital nomads, Arden offers all the comforts of a proper home, albeit scaled down. The bathroom at the rear is spectacular, with dual access, dual showerheads, a toilet and some integrated storage. You can enter it either through the rear double doors, which is perfect to avoid dragging in mud or sand, or from the inside, through the pocket door in the dividing wall.
Inside, you get an acrylic mirror, the rain showerhead, and a secondary handheld showerhead that can be used as an exterior shower or for those times when you have to save water. A 2.5-gallon (9.4-liter) electric Bosh water heater is hidden inside the wall.
The interior of Arden is dark and moody, thanks to the combination of dark paneling and mood, touch-dimmable LED lighting. Right next to the bathroom, you have the kitchen, with a black faucet and black stainless steel sink, and a dual burner induction cooktop. Underneath is a pull-out table with multiple functionality, from prep space to a dining table and a handy desk.
Photo: LTV Customs
The couch pulls out into a double bed, and hides integrated storage and the lithium battery pack. You get additional storage in the cupboards on either side, and a full-height tower that also integrates the fridge-freezer.
The double bench up front swivels to face the interior, and thus extends the available space. Considering this is a van, there isn’t that much space to speak of, but it’s rendered very functional and aesthetically pleasing through the finishes. For instance, whereas the bathroom is all-white waterproof marble-imitation slats, inside the living space, you have darker panels and stylish touches like the moss-to-tile transition tile backsplash, which extends to the floor to visually separate the cooking area from the bedroom area.
Arden relies on 400W of solar and a generator to run the electrics, and it’s equipped for the needs of the digital nomad of today, including several USB ports and outlets. It also has a 32-gallon (121-liter) fresh water tank, and a separate 21-gallon (80-liter) gray water tank, weatherproofed for all-season use.
LTV is now preparing to announce their latest conversion. Arden has long moved to a new owner, so there are no details on pricing available, but we reached out to the pair for a ballpark estimate for their conversions, and will be updating the story if we hear back.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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