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Custom Mercedes Ain't Your Average Sprinter but a Tiny Home on Fat Tires

2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van 16 photos
Photo: Garage Kept Motors
2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Camper Van
Custom vans come in most shapes and sizes, and it's those that have been converted into tiny homes away from home that have really caught on these past few years. Thus, if you are into such rides, and you probably are, otherwise you wouldn't be reading these lines, then this Benz is worth your attention.
A 2012 model, the custom Mercedes-Benz Sprinter pictured above stands out immediately next to the usual panel vans from similar years due to its exterior makeover. It features stuff such as a roof rack, a rear spare wheel holder at the rear next to the added gear that should come in handy if it gets stuck, additional lights, and new steel wheels that were wrapped in fat off-road tires.

The black overall look of this camper van continues on the inside, where it has seating for five and a decent-sized bed behind the second row. Beneath it, it features some storage spaces complete with rolling trays. We can also see some additional gear that's not mentioned in the ad, which makes life away from the urban jungle a bit more pleasant. According to the listing, this Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has insulation all around for better thermal management and a lithium battery inverter so that you won't have to stand in the dark on that occasional journey in the wild.

Power is supplied by a diesel engine, which is a 3.0-liter V6 with unspecified power that's hooked up to an automatic transmission. Nonetheless, it probably produces 190 metric horses or 187 brake horsepower/140 kilowatts and 325 pound-feet (440 Nm) of torque. The vehicle, which is part of the second-generation Sprinter, has clocked 86,830 miles (139,740 km) over the last 11 years, and judging the images accompanying the ad, it still has plenty of life left in it. Therefore, you may have found your next camper van if you're willing to pay the price to have your name written in the papers.

But how much will you have to cough out in order to make it yours? Well, Garage Kept Motors, which advertises it on its website here, states that they're willing to let it go in exchange for $47,900. By comparison, you could land a brand-new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van in exchange for $49,900, excluding destination and dealer fees, or a crew van for $52,120 stateside. However, you'll then have to insulate it and give it all the gear you're going to need for a few comfortable nights away from home, and that's going to eat a generous chunk of money. This makes the pictured camper van worth the cash, so would you buy it, or would you go for something different, like a Ford Transit, for instance?
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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