Bourbon, Cigars and Granny Sheik
The Build
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500XD AWD 170” extended wheelbase
Renogy 400 amp hour battery system
390 watts solar charging
Renogy inverter
Two Maxx Air fans
5 gallon Kumma hot water heater
Webasto diesel heater
18 gallon grey water tank
32 gallon fresh water tank
Trelino composting toilet
Cubic Mini wood stove
5 gallon per minute water pump
Greystone Furrion propane gas range (cooktop and oven)
Torva black granite sink
Domestic NRX 130 sink
Driver and passenger swivel seats
Lagun swivel mount for lounge are table
Driver and passenger door running boards
1up two bicycle carrier with rakattach extension
Electrical and heater controls mounted above the passenger door
The installation of the major systems was done by Venture Custom Vans in Huntingdon, PA. They were very easy to work with and kept in touch with us throughout the project. They were also able to squeeze us in for a two day project when we also asked them to do the plumbing for our kitchen sink and outdoor shower. They did an outstanding job with everything we asked them to do.
We are doing the installation of walls, cabinets, drawers, and interior lighting ourselves. It is indeed a herculean task that I am not sure either of us thought would take so long. Regardless, we are really enjoying seeing the project come together. The colors of the walls are light grey with the countertops and ceiling having an oranges hue, thus the “Bourbon, Cigars, and Granny Sheik”. By living in the van, as we have been since about mid April, we have also come up with the some design changes as we move around and interact with each other. For instance, I realized that I am very comfortable sitting on the end of the bed with my back against a wall talking to Susan who generally is more comfortable lying down on the bed. We were originally going to put cabinets along both walls of the bedroom area, but decided that the cabinets one side of the bed would not go the full length of the wall, creating a little a nook for me to sit with my back against the wall next to the cabinets. And, in the kitchen we recognized that we could build a wall with a spice rack just above the countertop and stove. Living in the van is very comfortable; we have a good amount of counter space, workspace, living space, and even without the cabinets installed yet a good amount of storage space.
The highlight of our living space is the love seat we have built below the window behind the driver seat. When we specked out the van, we initially didn’t think about putting a window behind the driver seat in order to save a little on cost and maximize storage space. But, when the dealership called and said that they had a cargo van meeting our specifications we jumped on the chance to purchase it rather than wait six months for the one we wanted to come from the factory. The one at the dealership had a few extra features that we didn’t initially consider but have proved to be invaluable. One of those is the window behind the driver seat where we have the love seat. Under the love seat, we have installed a pull out drawer for the Trelino compositing toilet and two storage areas. When we were looking at RVs to get some ideas about what we wanted, we found us gravitating to spaces where there was seating behind the driver seat. So, when we finally purchased the van we decided immediately to put a love seat there. One one side of the seat, we have installed a Lagun swivel table base with a nice wooden rectangular tabletop. This has proved be a great place to sit for working, socializing, and dining, especially with the front seats swiveled around.
Another feature that we got on the van we ended up purchasing that we have come to realize would have been hard to live without is the electronic sliding door with a retractable step. The Sprinter AWD vans sit quite high off the ground, so the extendable step is great for getting in and out. And, the electronic sliding door makes it so much easier to open and close. Sure, we could have had running boards installed but we realize now that the executable step is a fair bit wider than a running board. We did have running boards installed for the driver and passenger seats soon after purchasing the van. Without the running boards, it was quite an effort to climb into the front seats.
