Athena Is a Charming Sprinter-Based Mobile Home With a Fresh Beach-House Vibe

While some take on the challenge of building their van conversions themselves, working with a professional designer is an easier and faster route to getting the mobile home of your dreams. This is also the route taken by a couple in Maryland looking to fulfill their retirement dreams of living and traveling in a motorhome. They entrusted Rain2shine Ventures to turn their Mercedes-Benz Sprinter from a basic mode of transportation into a cozy and inviting home on wheels. Their adventure companion is called Athena, a camper van conversion that is both aesthetically pleasing with a charming coastal vibe and fully functional for life on the road.

Rain2shine Ventures is a female-owned and operated business based in North Carolina. It was founded in 2021 by a full-time RV-er with decades of interior design experience and specializes in RV renovations and handcrafted bespoke campervan conversions that prioritize functionality and style.

The small team has over a dozen remodels under their belt, but Athena is only their third completed van build. However, it is absolutely stunning, showcasing various creative interior design ideas that enhance both utility and aesthetics.

The owners of Athena are camping enthusiasts and have previously owned a teardrop camper. Now that they are close to retirement, the couple wanted a bigger and more convenient travel companion, so they purchased a 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van with a 170" wheelbase and a high roof.

The interesting thing about this van conversion story is that they bought the vehicle together with approximately $30,000 worth of materials, so it was rather difficult to find a company willing to work with them, as van outfitters typically prefer to buy or build all the materials themselves to make sure they fit each particular project. Rain2shine Ventures said "yes” to the challenge and even managed to use many of the already purchased materials and equipment, thus saving time and money. The result is a beautiful, off-grid-ready motorhome that will let its owners enjoy the open road in comfort and style.

While the exterior of the van is rather ordinary, with the only hints that this is someone's mobile home being the solar panels on the roof and the Fiamma awning, once you slide open the side door, you'll be mesmerized by the welcoming atmosphere and the fresh, cheerful beach-house vibes that evoke happy memories of holidays and warm days.

The interior looks like a seaside oasis of peace and relaxation, with the unique look achieved through a harmonious combination of beachy colors like blues and sleek neutrals, bold textures, and tasteful accents. For instance, the kitchen space has blue cabinets complemented by a gorgeous wood-grained marble backsplash, white onyx Corian countertops, and upper cabinets with rattan inserts and gold hammered handles, while the bathroom stands out with its beautiful teal geometric shower tile.

In terms of layout, the outfitter went with a classic configuration that has the dining/office area up front, the kitchen and bathroom facing each other in the center, and the sleeping quarters at the rear of the van. The entrance to this charming home on wheels is quite welcoming, with a sliding shoe compartment in the cabinetry that can be accessed from the outside to keep the interior clean and tidy and the snug yet cute seating/dining/working area, which comprises a small bench, a collapsable and adjustable round table, and the two swiveling bucket seats up front.

The beautiful kitchen boasts plenty of storage cabinets and a farmhouse sink installed within the white countertops. A gold faucet that you can rotate to the outside of the van, a filtered water tap, and gold cabinet handles round up the design. In terms of appliances, the owners chose to equip it with a portable cooktop and a fridge/freezer unit.

The wet bathroom includes a custom-built shower and shower pan, plus a Separett toilet that is mounted on drawer slides and conveniently slides outside of view under the front seating bench when not in use - an ingenious solution that helps save space in an already compact van. Another clever choice is the self-cleaning shower door that prevents moisture build-up.

The bedroom at the back of the van includes a custom-built bed that sits higher than a standard one, so the builder integrated a pull-out step stool below the refrigerator to make getting in and out of bed easier. Overhead cabinets in the sleeping area provide storage space for clothes and other belongings, while the space under the bed is where all the van's systems are located, with the space in the middle occupied by the couple's dog bed.

For a bright atmosphere even when the sun has set, the team has installed strip lights around the perimeter of the entire van and under the lower cabinet, as well as puck lights above the dining area, the bed, and the sink.

When it comes to the electric setup, Rain2shine used a complex 600 Ah Victron system with three batteries that connect to the 200W roof solar panels and 90W hood solar panels. For comfortable travels, Athena is temperature regulated via a 12-volt Nomadic A/C and a diesel-powered heater. Since this is a custom build, no info on the total cost is available, but Rain2Shine Ventures' van conversions range from $50K to $130K, depending on the labor and materials.