The Arlington Is a One-Off Sprinter Camper Van That Efficiently Integrates Many Amenities

Meet The Arlington, a custom camper van based on an AWD Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a 144" wheelbase and a high roof. It was created by Coastal Conversions, a Hampstead, Maryland-based company specializing in building dream rides in the form of homes on wheels.

As always, I'll start by first taking a look at the exterior. This rig has plenty of exterior accessories. Both sides of the vehicle are equipped with Vanspeed running boards. Moreover, on the driver's side, Coastal Conversions installed a ladder from Backwoods Adventure Mods.

Climb it, and you'll reach a Backwoods roof rack holding two solar panels with a 190 W capacity and a Fiamma F45s awning. The rack also leaves space for a large Nomadic Cooling A/C and a Maxxair Deluxe vent.

To give the customer additional space in the bedroom, Coastal Conversions fitted Vanspeed capsules (also known as flares), each with a slide-screen window.

This Sprinter van came as standard with a rear camera for parking. However, since visibility at the rear is not good in vans, Coastal Conversions also fitted an extra camera that displays its feed on a digital rearview mirror in the driver's cabin, which also has a separate camera. The system allows you to record video front and back, which can turn out useful in the unfortunate case of an accident.

Before we step inside the rig, there's one more feature I'd like to mention: a bug net from Rolef. In fact, this van has two of them, one for the sliding door and one for the rear doors. They have magnetic doors, and the one at the rear has a black-out shade that covers the entire back opening of the van.

Enter the rig, and you'll discover a bright, homey design. The customer opted for a slatted cedar ceiling, white cabinetry, and laminate flooring paired with some black touches, such as the cabinet handles and wooden accents in the form of bamboo countertops and tabletops.

The driver's cabin isn't separated from the rest of the interior, making the living space feel more spacious and offering more convenience since you don't have to exit the rig to get behind the wheel. What's more, the passenger seat is mounted on a swivel base, so it can be turned around to face the interior. There's also a swivel table mounted nearby to be used while sitting in the passenger seat.

Coastal Conversions devised the kitchen straight ahead of the entrance. It features a deep stainless steel sink with a cover, a bamboo countertop, a single-burner induction stovetop, a fridge/freezer, and an overhead microwave.

Regarding storage, you can use a cabinet below the sink, four drawers, and two decently sized overhead cabinets.

The builders integrated the rig's brains, the control panel, into the panel above the entrance. It comprises a touchscreen display that monitors and controls the power system and water tanks, switches for a water heater, lights, and more, as well as a controller for a Webasto heater.

On the passenger side, by the entrance, Coastal Conversions installed a one-person bench with storage space inside and a swivel table. Since meal prep space is quite limited in this van, you might have to use the two swivel tables as countertops: the one here and the one behind the passenger seat.

You've probably seen already that there's no bathroom inside this camper van. In vans as small as the Sprinter 144", builders and customers usually opt not to have interior bathrooms because they take up too much valuable space.

However, this rig does have a slide-out Porta Potti toilet on heavy-duty drawer slides underneath the fridge/freezer. Here's a really funny and unexpected fact: the owner of this van specifically requested the toilet for their cat, as they trained it to use a toilet.

The bedroom takes up the last part of the living space. The bed has a memory foam mattress mounted from side to side. Other notable features are the ceiling A/C, three upper cabinets, and two reading lights with USB ports.

Like in most camper vans, the space below the bed is a garage. In this case, the garage is accessible from both outside (by opening the rear doors) and inside (through a small door) the van.

The garage has an interesting setup. The sides are taken up by boxes housing the utility systems, while the middle part has a slide-out tray rated for 500 lb. (227 kg), which is covered in non-slip rubber matting.

But what's uncommon about this setup is that you'll also find a large pull-out bamboo table under the tray. Add some chairs on the sides, and four people can sit here and enjoy a meal or drinks.

Power is on the left. The electrical system's highlights are a 3,000 W inverter, a capable 400 Ah Victron battery bank, a DC-DC charger that juices up the system while the engine is running, and a solar charge controller. Regarding plumbing, this van is equipped with a 30-gallon (113-liter) freshwater tank, a water heater, and a quick-connect port for attaching a showerhead.

All in all, The Arlington by Coastal Conversions is undoubtedly suitable for longer escapades. It has proper off-grid capabilities, can go off-road, and packs plenty of useful amenities without feeling too confined inside.