Van Life With a Baby: This Camper Van Is a Cozy Tiny Home Ready for Family Adventures

All van dwellers want as much comfort as possible inside their rigs. However, when raising a child, it becomes even more important to ensure proper conditions. Meet Kevin, Taylor, and their baby, Wyatt, who travel all over the United States in their new Sprinter camper van.

What we have here is a 2022 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a 170" wheelbase. For the last two or three years, they've traveled in their other van build, which was their first tiny home on wheels. However, they felt an upgrade was due in order to comfortably and safely accommodate the little one. It took them a year to get it set up.

But before we head inside, let's take a closer look at the many exterior features. First of all, the rig rides on Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires. On the driver's side, you'll discover a ladder and a surfboard mount, both connected to an Orion roof rack.

On top of this camper van, you'll notice an LED light bar at the front, a StarLink, a Maxxair fan, a deck panel for more storage, an A/C between two additional deck panels, and four 170 W walkable solar panels. Then, at the front of the rig, Kevin and Taylor installed two fog lights. That's it for the exterior, so let's head inside.

Pop the sliding door open, and you'll notice a beautiful interior. Regarding design, the couple opted for a white and gold aesthetic, devising white shiplap ceiling and walls and highlighting them with gold details, such as handles.

This van's layout is open, meaning the driver's cabin isn't separated from the living space. That helps create a more spacious feel for the interior. Moreover, Kevin and Taylor fitted a sizeable curtain that blocks off any light coming from the front of the rig. Also, above this area, you'll notice two overhead cabinets that take up the headliner shelf space.

Dead ahead of the entrance, you'll discover the seating area, consisting of a double bench seat, a window, and a spacious overhead cabinet. Moreover, the seat can be folded flat – in fact, it serves as a crib for the baby, as the couple adds rails around it to prevent Wyatt from falling off.

There's a swivel mount integrated into the bench seat, which is designed to hold a table. If you swivel the driver's and passenger's seats to face the interior, this becomes the perfect spot to enjoy a meal and work on your laptop, providing seating for up to four people around a table. By the way, both the bench seat and the two front seats have storage spaces under them - no place inside this rig was left unused.

Walk deeper inside the camper van, and you'll be in the kitchen. It features a decently sized butcher block countertop, a two-burner stove, a fridge, a deep sink with a gold faucet, and a peel-and-stick tile backsplash imitating white marble. For storage, there are cabinets and drawers under the countertop, as well as two overhead cabinets.

Opposite the kitchen, you'll discover a full bathroom, which was one of the couple's must-haves. It boasts Palisade waterproof wall tiles that match the kitchen's marble look, a portable Ogo composting toilet, a black showerhead, and a Nautilus self-cleaning door.

Kevin and Taylor devised a prep area between the bathroom and the bedroom. It comes with a decently sized counter with a drawer underneath, plugs integrated into the wall, small shelves, and an overhead microwave. Furthermore, you'll notice the rig's control panel, comprising a battery monitoring system, gauges for the water tanks, and more.

Finally, we have the bedroom, which occupies the rear part of this camper van. It features a front-to-back bed – it's not that long, and Kevin is 6'2" (188 centimeters), so the couple came up with a simple solution to accommodate him. They created a slide-out part integrated into the bed frame. They add a cushion on top of it, and Kevin has enough space to lie down straight, as the bump-out will support his feet.

Nobody wants to have laundry lying around their camper van. So, the couple fitted a laundry drawer under the bump-out. Other notable features in the bedroom are two large slide-screen windows (one on each side), an iPad holder, reading lights, an A/C above, and five overhead cabinets.

To access the garage, you'll have to open the two rear doors. It's enormous, perfect for storing bulkier items like a baby stroller. Like in most other camper van builds, this is also where you'll find the utility systems.

The water system occupies the left side of the garage. It features a 36-gallon (136-liter) freshwater tank, an outdoor shower, and a hydronic heating system. By the way, all the water used inside this camper ends up in an under-mounted greywater tank.

The hydronic system is very good for any tiny home on wheels. In this unit, it not only provides hot water and heat, but also powers the rig's heated floors. Yes, you don't have to worry about cold feet when living inside this mobile home.

On the opposite side, the electrical system is hidden behind a panel door. Its highlights are 540 Ah batteries, a 3,000 W inverter/charger, a DC/DC charger, and a solar charge controller connected to the 680 W solar panels on the roof.

The two rear doors and the main door come with bamboo panels offering small storage spots. One notable detail is that the couple uses insulated covers for all windows. What's more, they have bug screens and black-out shades that can block off both the rear and the entrance – this way, the couple can leave the doors open for extra ventilation without worrying about insects flying in.

All in all, Kevin and Taylor have done a fantastic job with their second camper van build. They managed to pack so many features and make the interior very aesthetically pleasing, all while keeping both their needs and their baby's needs in mind.

Of course, the cost of all these features and amenities quickly stack up. Factor in that the conversion is based on a new van, and we can expect a high price for this rig. Kevin and Taylor explained that their total budget was around $125,000 (€114,213). Still, considering everything they have inside out, I'd say it's a good deal.