- 1 week ago
Jay’s custom Mercedes Sprinter 144 proves a small camper van can still carry seven passengers, a private bathroom, a kitchen, and a bed without feeling like a full-time RV. Built for daily driving in Brooklyn and Staten Island, it keeps the exterior clean and stealthy while packing in a Victron power system, air suspension, a gasoline heater, and a clever layout that works for weekend trips, family travel, and off-grid comfort.
Touring the van reveals how much thought went into the sculpted interior. Jay, a professional sculptor, used curved cabinetry, milk paint, insulated window shades, a lagoon table, an Isotherm fridge, an induction cooktop, and a 3D-printed bathroom setup to make the space feel practical and refined. The enclosed shower and toilet area is a major focus, especially for beginner vanlifers, with a dedicated fan, gray water tanks, and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide monitoring for safer, more comfortable use.
The build is also designed for real-world driving, not just camping. With a 1500 gasoline Sprinter, 400 amp hours of lithium, a 3000W inverter, electric water heating, and a bed that converts from the rear seating area, this van balances family road trip utility with camper van convenience. It’s the kind of custom Sprinter conversion that can handle commuting, travel, and everyday errands while still offering a private, enclosed bathroom and off-grid capability.
Created for viewers searching for Sprinter van tour, custom camper van build, van life bathroom ideas, 7-seat camper van, Mercedes Sprinter conversion, and off-grid RV touring. It also fits searches for family camper van, stealth van build, compact RV layout, and practical van life design with real daily-driver usability.
Touring the van reveals how much thought went into the sculpted interior. Jay, a professional sculptor, used curved cabinetry, milk paint, insulated window shades, a lagoon table, an Isotherm fridge, an induction cooktop, and a 3D-printed bathroom setup to make the space feel practical and refined. The enclosed shower and toilet area is a major focus, especially for beginner vanlifers, with a dedicated fan, gray water tanks, and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide monitoring for safer, more comfortable use.
The build is also designed for real-world driving, not just camping. With a 1500 gasoline Sprinter, 400 amp hours of lithium, a 3000W inverter, electric water heating, and a bed that converts from the rear seating area, this van balances family road trip utility with camper van convenience. It’s the kind of custom Sprinter conversion that can handle commuting, travel, and everyday errands while still offering a private, enclosed bathroom and off-grid capability.
Created for viewers searching for Sprinter van tour, custom camper van build, van life bathroom ideas, 7-seat camper van, Mercedes Sprinter conversion, and off-grid RV touring. It also fits searches for family camper van, stealth van build, compact RV layout, and practical van life design with real daily-driver usability.
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TravelTranscript
00:01I'm not looking for living in full-time in my van, but it has small, but it has everything.
00:08So I can do any weekend trip or family trip, or I drove to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland last year.
00:17It was fantastic.
00:18Welcome back to the show. On today's episode, I met up with Jay.
00:22Jay has a really cool Sprinter 144 custom camper van that he built out.
00:26And this thing is incredible. It's got everything.
00:28It's got seven seatbelts, kitchen, bathroom, bed, and he's a sculptor for a living.
00:34And you've got to see what he did to the inside.
00:36So join us for the tour.
00:39Hi, Patrick. Thank you for having me on your channel.
00:43It's great to show you my van.
00:46This is a 144-1500 Mercedes Sprinter.
00:51I'm trying not to touch the outside that much because I like to drive almost every day to my work.
00:58and the city and Brooklyn.
01:00I live in a Staten Island.
01:02So I don't want to be, this is RV.
01:06So of course, somebody can look at the AC or the max air fan on the steps.
01:12Yes, but still, I don't want to make it too much outside.
01:20This is a stowaway cargo box.
01:24So I put it on for today because of the video.
01:28Normally, I don't carry it.
01:30But when I go to travel, this is really big storage.
01:36You can carry a lot of stuff, campfires, and I have a stove, outdoor stove, and a fire stove.
01:44So I carry that.
01:46And also, I don't want to puncture the outside of my van.
01:50So this is a 30-amp outlet.
01:53And you can hook it up.
01:55And then also, there's a water tank, 20-gallon water tank for the summertime.
02:02See, outside is clean because I don't want to cut away and then mess up the paint.
02:15I have gravity water fill, and this is for the 20-gallon water for summer.
02:23This is a 5-gallon water for the wintertime that I have a smaller water tank there.
02:32I have an outdoor shower here.
02:36And this is a plumbing part.
02:39Which is this level for a big tank and a smaller tank.
02:45And the water pump there.
02:47See the water tank?
02:485-gallon water tank.
02:52And then, of course, I have a water heater on the side.
02:56And this is a main shut-off switch.
03:02Victron 3000 inverter.
03:05400-amp power system.
03:07Everything is in Victron.
03:09I did everything.
03:11Honestly, I did everything.
03:13Look at this wood.
03:14I did everything by myself.
03:16Except electrical and Webaster water heater installation.
03:21Because I don't want to deal with that safety issue.
03:28Let's go inside.
03:31This one, Thule Steps, I bought it from Germany.
03:36I traveled to Germany to get this one.
03:38Of course, it was in the vacation.
03:40So, I gave it to my friend.
03:44And she shipped it to here later to the U.S.
03:49So, this is...
03:51So, this is...
03:55Actually, I see other track steps.
04:01But I think this is a safer...
04:03I know this looks a little strong looking.
04:06But this is safer.
04:08And then, the big white surface.
04:10And easy to get in and out.
04:11Just my parents or my wife.
04:14Come on in.
04:16It's a little chilly here today, right?
04:19So, welcome to my van.
04:22This is, again...
04:23I didn't plan to live in the van full time.
04:26But this one has small, but have everything.
04:33So, factory swivel seat.
04:37Sorry.
04:39And then I have an air suspension.
04:44So, air suspension for...
04:47This is expensive machine.
04:51But the best ride quality.
04:54For the best riding quality.
04:56Also, safety issue.
04:58Because the van is so tall.
05:00And then when the wind blows.
05:02The car...
05:02And then also, we don't know.
05:04Sometimes, you're carrying a lot of stuff on the left side.
05:07Sometimes, the right side.
05:08We don't expect exactly how the weight distribute.
05:16So, that air suspension control the weight balance.
05:21And then, very good driving quality.
05:25And I have a lagoon table.
05:28And then I have a 10-inch screen.
05:31I try to put all the good stuff in there.
05:35And then I have a heated seat.
05:38And then, automatic seat.
05:41And then, automatic side meter.
05:45And exterior weather packages.
05:49So, what else?
05:50I have a shelf on the top.
05:52And a sunshade.
05:54And then, jackets.
05:55And hats.
05:58Oh, yeah.
05:59This one.
06:06You know, this is a sunshade.
06:08And then, screen for the mosquito screen.
06:11And a block out.
06:14This one, it's...
06:15I love this one.
06:16Because, you know, I can go, like, regular...
06:20I'm sorry to say regular, but box shape.
06:23But this is, for me, this is fun and fancy.
06:26I scan the corner and sculpt in ZBrush.
06:32And then, CNC cut it in the machine.
06:37And then, I finish like a car.
06:42And then, cut it out.
06:44And then, this is...
06:46It's a light.
06:47I don't want to get heavy stuff.
06:51So, my snack pantry.
06:55And then, I did the milk paint, which is...
06:58I make furniture for my house.
07:00And then, this is, like, a little vintage.
07:04Even this one, it comes a little longer.
07:07I cut it in a little short.
07:08And then, make a nice leather finish.
07:11What I found, it's a two-step is too complicated.
07:16Two-step means...
07:17I had a folding table there.
07:19And I stole it in the back side.
07:22But, every time, when you need a table,
07:24you have to take it out.
07:26And then, put the leg in it.
07:27And then, let's put it on.
07:29So, it said, I get lazy.
07:31So, I normally sit here without the table.
07:34So, I found the one-step.
07:39Have a table.
07:42Oh, that one.
07:43Yeah, actually.
07:45This one, why you have a...
07:47Patrick just asked me why it has a curvature here.
07:50So, I realized if...
07:52I need more space.
07:53But, I don't want to hit the head all the time, my daughter.
07:56So, this is when you sit.
07:58You don't need to worry about hitting the head that much.
08:02But, here is enough space.
08:04But, when you stand up, we don't hit the head on the top.
08:08I have a Max Air fan.
08:10So, it's insulated in the wintertime.
08:16And, double insulated.
08:18Also, it's a noise cancellation.
08:23For me, it's...
08:24I tried to make it all the curve here and there.
08:27And then, here.
08:29Because of the straight is...
08:32What can I say?
08:33Nothing wrong with the straight.
08:34But, this is...
08:35For me, it's luxury.
08:38And, I built...
08:39Actually, I bought this...
08:41The tabletop Korean.
08:44I cut it and then bevel it and then round it.
08:48This one has the soap when I wash my hands.
08:51And, this is dish soap and the fire extinguisher.
08:57And, it has a pantry.
09:01And, it has an isotherm refrigerator.
09:05And, as you can put the ice cream there.
09:08So, I put some stiff stuff for video today.
09:12I have an induction cooktop.
09:16And, this is actually...
09:19Normally, I don't carry this one.
09:20So, this is actually...
09:22I drive this one for almost every day.
09:25Go to work.
09:26And, I'm carrying my children.
09:28And, then, look at this.
09:29There's a seven seat belt everywhere.
09:33So, you can carry seven people in this fan.
09:37And, this one actually has a...
09:42Water heater timer.
09:44Because, we don't want to turn on the water heater all the time.
09:47So, and, this one has...
09:49This one is the...
09:51I have a two gray water tank.
09:53Which is one for the sink.
09:54One for the shower.
09:57So, you can hear the sounds, right?
09:59You can turn it on and off.
10:01And, then, this is switch for the fridge.
10:04And, I have a water tank.
10:06So, this one I'm touching almost, you know, every day.
10:12But, I don't touch this one every day.
10:14So, I like to hide it.
10:16I don't want to see a bunch of the switches and things on the outside.
10:20So, this is Webasto heater.
10:23Gasoline heater.
10:25And, this is water pump.
10:26And, then, USB.
10:28And, then, also, this one everything.
10:30And, Victron everything.
10:33So, I did...
10:36I built everything except electrical.
10:41Because, I little worry about the electrical for the safety.
10:46So, I hire a professional electrician who build the van all the time.
10:50So, he installed the Victron everything.
10:54And, and Webasto heater.
10:57And, this one I took it off for the winter time.
11:00But, summertime I screened up.
11:02And, then, I cover with them.
11:04I think it's marathon.
11:06So, this is kind of standard or a lot of people does the same thing.
11:12And, then, I have a, I have a, this is a carbon monoxide meter tester.
11:21This is a carbon dioxide.
11:23And, then, I have a temperature meter.
11:25So, I have a, I carry three different gas monitor tests here.
11:30I watched the, I threw the, I learned, I met through Patrick channel.
11:36I met the, George, who wear the suspender and belt at the same time.
11:41So, I, I carry three different things.
11:47Um, this one actually, my toiletry.
11:54And, then, I also have here, little stuff, like, which is, uh, this, what is it called?
12:04Um, limo control for everything.
12:07And, then, I have an umbrella there.
12:09And, then, I have a perfume there.
12:11Room perfume.
12:12And, then, I think this is the kitchen.
12:16And, this is the room.
12:17I can pull it out and I show it to you later.
12:20But, this is carpeted.
12:23And, I'm trying to save the storage.
12:37Also, I have a, kick off the, uh, the drawer here.
12:44It's not a lot of, uh, storage.
12:47Uh, oh, yeah, yeah.
12:48Not a lot of storage space in my van.
12:51Because, I'm, again, I'm not looking for full-time living here.
12:54So, I need a small storage for, like this.
12:58This is, my, my coffee grinder.
13:05And, the milk frotter.
13:07And, um, Bialetti coffee maker.
13:14And, then, I did, um, automatic shut.
13:18Uh, and, then, it has small, but, I have everything.
13:23Uh, the, uh, water.
13:26What is it called?
13:28Pots?
13:29Pots and pans and everything.
13:31And, then, also, I just grooved a little bit.
13:34Because, we don't, I don't want to rattling on what I'm, what I'm driving.
13:40So, I, actually, I made that, uh, the, the wood drawer here.
13:45But, this is a better, lighter.
13:47And, then, it has more space.
13:49So, I have a water, uh, the wood drawer at home.
13:53But, it's a too bulky.
13:55And, and, it doesn't look good.
13:57So, I, I, I would rather have that.
14:00Okay.
14:01And, um, my shower.
14:03I, you know, I, I, a wallpaper over here.
14:07So, it looked like a house feeling.
14:09And, then, covering the, uh, white oak again.
14:13So, most of the hardware, I bought it from local, uh, home depot.
14:18So, this one, uh, white oak.
14:20But, I have to, uh, to cut it.
14:23And, then, curvature.
14:25And, and, put them together.
14:29And, then, I have a full shower.
14:32And, um, that's, uh, wrap on sunny, right?
14:36And, then, I have a toilet, toilet paper here.
14:41Garage.
14:42And, um, shampoo.
14:43And, the body wash.
14:45And, the lotion for, for.
14:47So, I, you know, I have, uh, friends.
14:50And, who has, uh, 3D scanning.
14:54And, 3D printing.
14:55So, I just print it in 3D.
14:57And, then, put it in.
14:59And, um, I have, uh, two different light set here.
15:02Because, when I have a shower.
15:05And, then, this one has a fan.
15:08But, at the night time, when I camped.
15:10I realized, this is too bright.
15:12So, I have a small light.
15:15So, I don't want to wake up too much.
15:21And, okay.
15:22And, then, I have a shower pan.
15:23And, this is, I believe, this is, uh, 26 inches.
15:27And, then, 32 inches long.
15:30I believe.
15:31So, I know, the, uh, 144 is the smallest chassis.
15:37Uh, you know, this is a big space.
15:41But, um, the, the restroom space is very important.
15:45And, I believe, because, you know, I've been married with my wife for 32 years.
15:50But, when we still do the number one business, it's okay.
15:55But, number two, we need to have a little privacy.
16:00So, I had a Lavia dry flush toilet before.
16:05But, um, that's an issue is, I don't, again, I don't do the full, living in a full time.
16:11So, I'm using that toilet for once in a while.
16:14Like, every two weeks or whatever.
16:16But, so, which is, you carry that stuff all the time.
16:20It's not very fun.
16:21So, I still have that Lavia toilet at home.
16:25But, um, this one, actually, similar system.
16:31But, you could, every time when you, uh, wrap it up and seal it.
16:35And, then, no smells.
16:36And, then, you can, uh, throw in the garbage can, uh, legally.
16:41It's not illegal.
16:42And, then, also, I like to talk about for the, uh, uh, beginner van life.
16:50Because, this is my opinion.
16:52So, a lot of people have a different opinion on it.
16:55But, um, uh, the fan is very important for the restroom.
17:00Because, you know, it's a little funny.
17:03But, if you do a number two business at home, uh, actually, you can drop that stuff in the water.
17:12You don't smell that much.
17:14But, um, in, in, other toiletry in the van life, they drop into the, in the air.
17:23So, it's really strong smell.
17:26So, I see a lot of other videos.
17:29They have a drawer for the toilet.
17:32And, then, just buckets.
17:34Actually, it's really not pleasant.
17:36So, when my, me and my wife are using the toilet, if I turn the fans on, and, then, I
17:43have a little space on the bottom of the door.
17:46So, air sucking from the bottom, and it goes under the top.
17:51So, on outside, you don't smell at all.
17:53So, somebody can drink a coffee or reading the book.
17:55No problem.
17:56But, inside, yeah.
18:00So, I believe you, if you're a beginner, really consider that how to control that number two business in van
18:07life.
18:07Otherwise, entire space.
18:10Oh, and then, I'd like to talk about this one.
18:13So, even at night, the van is kind of nice sealed.
18:20The CO2, uh, carbon dioxide levels went up a lot, actually.
18:26So, you might need to get a little headache and the door open, the window, all the time.
18:32So, I have a monitor here.
18:34So, if I go, if it goes to up to, right now, 600, regular is 400.
18:39If I go up to 700, 800, I crack the window a little bit.
18:44Otherwise, you might get a headache.
18:46So, in tight space here, if you do your personal business, you're okay.
18:52But, people who travel with you, it's not a, not a best idea.
18:59So, I strongly recommend it.
19:02I know that's a very small space, but strongly recommend it enclosed the restroom.
19:08I'm, I'm happy with that.
19:11And, yeah, actually, I have a window.
19:14I cover, cover it for the winter, but my daughter, actually, she just sewed it together for me.
19:23And then, also, I have, uh, the bedding.
19:27Um, so, I have, uh, Dometic RX 2000, I think, 1500.
19:38So, this is one of the, when I, when I build my van, it's the best one in the market.
19:46And, I have, uh, so, again, this is a seven-seater.
19:50You can comfortably sit three people on the backside.
19:54And, it's easy to convert it to the bed.
20:00So, this is about, uh, uh, uh, 50, 53 inches.
20:07And, then, actually, this is about, uh, 5'11.
20:12So, six-foot person, it might not easy to slip on that direction.
20:17But, I'm a 5'6.
20:18So, I have no problem.
20:20Up to 5'10.
20:23So, they can slip, like, uh, on the south, uh, no, east and west.
20:27So, I have, uh, uh, uh, three inches.
20:32This is, has a cushion.
20:34I have a three inches, uh, latex foam bed.
20:37So, me and my wife have no problem to slip here.
20:41Well, Jay, I pre-, really appreciate you taking the time to give us a tour of this awesome creation.
20:47I love the art of van building.
20:51I love to see what everybody does differently.
20:54You know, the-, this, uh, relief cut on the back of this wood giving you this curvature.
20:59But, it's also, like, squared off.
21:01Even on these cabinets here, you can see it.
21:04I love that.
21:05I love that look.
21:06And, the fact that you are a sculptor and you build some furniture for fun, like, just like the paintwork
21:12with this milk paint here.
21:14Yeah.
21:14On the cabinet is, is quite fantastic.
21:17I'm going to run through and recap some of the specs and features of this van.
21:21So, it's a 1500 Sprinter 144.
21:25Mm-hmm.
21:26So, it's got enough payload for the passengers and your build.
21:29You get everything pretty lightweight.
21:30Wait, it's a gasoline engine instead of a diesel engine.
21:34You're getting, what, 29, 26 miles a gallon?
21:37Oh, yeah.
21:38That's a-, actually, I weighed it before.
21:40And then, me and my wife and a full water tank, fill it up, the water tank.
21:44It was only, it was a 7,000 pound.
21:48And then, no, 7,000, 7,000 pound, right?
21:51And then, this maximum capacity is 8,000 pounds.
21:55So, I can carry daughters and friends and more water, no problem.
21:59So, I choose a 1500 because of the gas mileage.
22:06I can drive 19 miles per gallon on the city, no problem.
22:12But if I drive only Parkway, the 55 miles, I can drive up to 25 miles per gallon.
22:19So, really good mileage.
22:21Well, that's pretty impressive.
22:23So, because of that, you had to buy the SBAR gasoline heating system.
22:28Your water heater is electric.
22:30You put no solar on the roof because you got a DC to DC charger with the alternator underneath.
22:37400 amp hours of lithium, 3,000 watt inverter.
22:39This is fully off-grid.
22:41I think you can run that air conditioner for at least four hours, probably more than that.
22:46So, actually, if I run, I tested before.
22:48So, if I hot summer, it's four, six hours.
22:53But, if with a full charge.
22:55Yeah, so, in the daytime and the hot middle of the day, yeah, I can run the AC, no problem.
23:01Wow.
23:03And also with this van, too, it looks like a camper van, but it doesn't look like a camper van.
23:08So, you can blend in.
23:09You can parallel park.
23:10No one's going to give you a hard time.
23:11You got insulated rear window shades, side window shades, and you have the front one I saw before.
23:20And this is pretty cool.
23:22So, you built it.
23:23You've been using it.
23:24You put about 40,000 miles on it.
23:26What are you thinking about doing next?
23:28No, actually, I had a really good trip to Newfoundland.
23:34I strongly recommend you guys to drive up to Newfoundland.
23:37This is a beautiful view on the seaside and beautiful.
23:43But, I realized my hobby is, this is my hobby, fancy hobby.
23:48But, my hobby is to build not to travel that much.
23:51I don't have time to travel that much.
23:53So, I might build another one soon.
23:55That's cool.
23:56So, if you ever sell this one, I'll put a link in the description.
24:00That way, I'll update the video, put a link there.
24:02That way, if anybody's interested, they can click over and check out your ad.
24:06One of the things I do want to point out with a van like this, we're probably going to get
24:10a lot of comments.
24:11Why do you need so many seats in a camper van?
24:13Well, you've got to think of it, it's not just a camper van.
24:16Not everybody buys a van like this to go camping as a couple.
24:20A lot of people buy vans like this if they are on a family road trip or their kids are
24:25into sports.
24:26Exactly.
24:27And it's a great way to move a lot of people.
24:29Someone can take a nap if they need to.
24:32Everybody's comfortable in a real seat with a real seat belt.
24:34And you've got your bathroom, you've got a fridge, so if you have a special diet, and you can cook
24:40it here.
24:43Actually, I drive this one to my work every day.
24:47So, I carry my daughter and my parents if they are here.
24:51So, I drive to work every day, parking in a normal parking lot.
24:55And it's drive like a minivan.
24:58It's not like a heavy-duty truck.
25:00So, again, long time ago, I rent an RV, driving quality, and a 24-foot.
25:06I think this is the good way to go.
25:10Well, I think you did a spectacular job.
25:13You got all the right systems, and I think it looks really nice.
25:17I love this.
25:18I love all the details in the ceiling.
25:20This is Patrick from New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel.
25:23Thanks for joining us today.
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