This Old Sprinter T1N Van Hides a Modern, Space-Maximizing Apartment on Wheels

Meet Scarlet and Seth, the talented couple behind this van conversion. We've covered their work before here on autoevolution. They have built more than 12 vans in a few years. As they described, what started as a passion project during the pandemic turned into a full-on business.

Their first van was this 2004 Mercedes-Benz T1N Sprinter, which has a 118-inch wheelbase and a low roof. It's the smallest Sprinter van you can get. At first glance, this model might seem too small and short to serve as a proper mobile home.

However, what Scarlet and Seth managed to do with it is amazing. Moreover, their goal with this smaller van is to be able to go off the beaten path easier and enjoy van life in the winter. The smaller the interior, the easier keeping it nice and warm is.

Although this is their first van, the first conversion they did on it looked drastically different than what they recently did. As usual, I'll start the tour with the exterior. Scarlet and Seth painted it in beige and added various exterior upgrades.

At the front, you'll find a Coastal Offroad bumper and winch combo, a very useful feature for off-roading. There's also a snorkel for a cleaner airflow to the engine.

Scarlet and Seth installed a custom rack made from 8020 aluminum extrusions on the roof. It holds a long cargo box and 295 W of walkable solar panels. The roof also has a vent fan and a large skylight that can be opened. Finally, you'll discover a spare tire carrier and a ladder at the rear.

Even with the upgrades, this camper van does look a bit old on the outside. I'm not saying it in a bad way; it's just the fact that you can see it's a 20-year-old vehicle. When you step inside, you'll feel like you just entered a modern studio apartment.

Scarlet and Seth opted for a slatted design for the ceiling and the rear wall, beautifully complemented by long LED light strips. And yes, you read that right. This interior has a rear wall – I'll explain this setup soon. The modern aesthetic continues with black cabinetry paired with wood accents, like the countertop, and brown leather upholstery.

You'll notice the interior has an open layout, meaning the driver's cabin isn't separated from the living space, like on other vans. To be frank, separating the two areas in a van this small would make the living space feel almost claustrophobic. Instead, the couple went the "opposite direction," making the interior feel more spacious by installing swivel bases for the driver and passenger seats.

The shorter length is not as much of a problem as is the interior height of 5'2" (157.5 centimeters). It makes it impossible for the couple to stand up straight inside. That's the main reason why they installed the skylight.

The skylight also lets plenty of natural light shine inside, along with two awning-style windows on the sides of the living space, complete with black-out shades and bug screens.

You'll find the rig's kitchen dead ahead of the entrance. It features a sizeable bamboo countertop, a deep sink with a pull-down faucet and a cover, a built-in Dometic two-burner stove, and a 72-liter Isotherm fridge/freezer.

For storage, you can use four drawers and a cabinet underneath the sink. The latter houses the sink's simple plumbing system made out of two 5-gallon (19-liter) jugs: one for freshwater and the other for greywater.

On the opposite side, the duo devised a seating area consisting of an L-shaped bench. Lift its leather-upholstered cushion, and you'll reveal two compartments. The one closer to the entrance houses a Trelino composting toilet, and the larger one toward the rear offers storage space.

In a van this small, installing a fixed bed would've taken about half of the valuable living space. So, Scarlet and Seth came up with a clever solution: they created a rear slatted wall (which I also mentioned earlier) that hides a bed behind.

A heavy-duty electromagnet keeps the wall in a locked vertical position. At the touch of a button, you can disengage the magnet, fold the wall down, and fold the mattress out. The result is a decently sized bed (it looks like a twin-size, although I'm not sure).

Scarlet and Seth can cozy up inside their camper van by creating a home cinema setup. They have a pull-down projector screen at the front, and they use a projector to display movies or series. What's more, the screen is perfectly positioned to be watched from the comfort of the bed.

The couple installed the electrical system underneath the bed. Its highlights are a 270 Ah BattleBorn battery bank with a warming feature, a 50-amp battery-to-battery charger, two charge controllers, and a 30-amp shore power charger. All these components make the power system able to sustain off-grid travel.

Since we're on the topic of utilities, there's one more critical feature to mention. As I said above, Scarlet and Seth plan on going on winter trips with this van. So, of course, they need a capable heater.

They opted for a Webasto Evo 40 diesel heater and fitted it underneath the passenger seat. It's rated to work at over 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) of elevation.

The final part of this camper van is the floor-to-ceiling garage on the driver's side, accessible only from the rear after opening the doors. It offers a ton of room and is lined with durable Lonseal Lonridge. Moreover, to maximize the storage space, the duo fitted T-Tracks to the walls.

All in all, Scarlet and Seth did a fantastic job with this conversion. Despite making it on such a small Sprinter model, the couple managed to really put every single inch inside of it to good use, creating a proper off-grid and off-road-capable home on wheels.