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A retired couple in Hailey, Idaho, has listed their 2017 Mercedes Sprinter camper van on Vanlife Trader after nine years of trips in it. They aren’t giving up on the road. They just want something a little bigger for longer journeys. What they’re leaving behind is a well-sorted two-person rig with a motorized bed, a fridge and freezer, 500 watts of solar, and a lot of thoughtful gear for bikes, cooking, and camp life.
A High-Roof Sprinter Set Up for Two
This is a 2WD, high-roof Sprinter with a diesel engine, an automatic transmission, and 97,000 miles. It seats two with seatbelts and sleeps two. The owners say it gets about 18 mpg on the highway, which is good for a fully built camper this size. It has a clean title and was just serviced, with all fluids, seals, and filters changed, the 100,000-mile checks done, and new front brake pads and rotors. That kind of recent maintenance matters on a used diesel van, and it’s worth asking for the records.
A Walkable Roof Rack That Works for a Living
Up top, an Aluminess walkable roof rack holds the solar panels and gives you a deck to stand on, with an Aluminess ladder to get up there. There’s also an awning on the side, and the van is wired for a Starlink Mini so you can stay online at remote camps. A roof like this does double duty: it carries power and boards, and it turns into a viewing platform once you park.
A Simple Galley with a Fridge and a Freezer
Inside, a long counter holds a round sink with a hinged cover that turns it into more prep space. There are four drawers under the sink and a pull-out storage shelf below that. The cab seats are aftermarket captain’s chairs that swivel to face the living area. A Goal Zero cooler can work as a second fridge or a bench, so the owners could keep frozen food and cold drinks at the same time. As they put it, “no more going into town just for ice.”
A Motorized Bed That Turns into a Couch
The owners’ favorite feature is the motorized bed. At night it lowers into a bed across the back of the van. During the day it rises out of the way and becomes a couch, which opens up the floor and the space underneath. It’s a smart answer to the main problem in a camper van, where a fixed bed takes up a third of the floor all day long.
Heavy-Duty Pull-Out Storage Under the Bed
Because the bed lifts, the space below stays useful. There are two 36-inch by 4-foot pull-out shelves rated for 500 pounds each. One carries a Dometic refrigerator and a three-drawer cabinet and slides out toward the side door. The other pulls out the back for the heavy gear. That means you can reach the fridge without crawling under the bed, and you can load bikes and bins from outside.
Power for Off-Grid Trips
The electrical system is built around two Goal Zero 1500 power stations that charge from the solar panels and from shore power when you plug in. The listing calls it 200Ah of 12-volt lithium (about 2.4 kWh), with a 3,000-watt inverter that can be switched to charge the batteries. Heat and hot water both run on diesel from the van’s own tank, so there’s no extra fuel to carry for them. Above-cab storage and insulated covers for all the side windows help keep the van warm on cold nights.
A Rear Garage for Bikes and Gear
Open the back doors and you find the garage under the bed, with storage pouches on both doors. The van has a hitch and two custom bike racks with fork mounts and a Narwheel mount to hold the front wheels. For a couple who rides, that keeps the bikes secure and out of the living space.
Camp Shower and Water
The shower is outside. A shower tent packs onto the inside of the rear door, along with a 25-foot flat hose and a water filter for filling the 20-gallon fresh tank. There’s a gray water tank, and a cassette toilet. An outdoor shower saves a lot of interior space, though you’ll want to think about how you’d use it in cold weather.
An Outdoor Kitchen on the Back Doors
Two Aluminess storage boxes ride on the back doors, each with a full-extension shelf. One holds a two-burner propane stove and a 2-gallon propane tank, so cooking happens outside and the smell and moisture stay out of the van. The other gives you a fold-out work surface. Front window bug screens and a side door bug screen help make the van comfortable on summer evenings.
An Onboard Air Compressor
An air compressor is mounted under the van, with a 1-gallon air tank and controls inside the back door. You can air down your tires for sand or washboard roads and fill them back up before you get to the pavement. You can also use it to fill bike tires and pool toys.
Design Details
- Vehicle: 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, high roof, 2WD
- Engine: Diesel, automatic transmission, about 18 mpg highway
- Mileage: 97,000 miles, clean title
- Seats and sleeps: 2
- Bed: Motorized bed that converts to a couch
- Kitchen: Sink, Dometic fridge, Goal Zero cooler, two-burner propane stove in a rear box
- Power: Two Goal Zero 1500 power stations, 200Ah 12V lithium, 3,000W inverter, 500W solar, shore power
- Heat and hot water: Diesel
- Water: 20-gallon fresh tank, gray water tank, outdoor shower with shower tent
- Toilet: Cassette
- Exterior: Aluminess roof rack, ladder, and rear boxes, awning, hitch, aftermarket suspension, onboard air
- Location: Hailey, Idaho (private seller)
- Asking price: $90,000
What Makes This Van Special
- The motorized bed gives you a couch by day and a bed by night without any setup
- A fridge plus a cooler means you can carry frozen food on long trips
- Two 500-pound pull-out shelves make the space under the bed easy to use
- Cooking happens outside in a rear box, which keeps the interior clean and dry
- Nine years of use by owners who refined it as they went
Things to Ask Before Buying
- Service records: Ask for them, especially on the diesel heater, the water heater, and the motorized bed.
- Wheelbase: The listing doesn’t say whether it’s a 144 or a 170, which affects parking and interior space.
- The power stations: Find out how old the Goal Zero units are and how they’re wired to the solar and inverter.
- Winter use: With an outdoor shower, think about where you’d wash up in cold weather.
Learn More
Listing and contact form: 2017 Mercedes Sprinter 2WD on Vanlife Trader
Highlights
- 2017 high-roof Mercedes Sprinter, diesel, 97,000 miles
- Motorized bed that becomes a couch
- Fridge, cooler, and an outdoor propane kitchen
- 500W of solar, 3,000W inverter, and Goal Zero power
- Listed for $90,000 in Hailey, Idaho
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Would you rather have a bed that lifts out of the way, or a fixed bed with a big garage underneath? Tell us in the comments.
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Alex
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