6 years ago
114
49
Posted On: March 15th 2021, 06:05 am
After a year and a half of ups and downs, our van “Sven” is finally “done”, with the exception of a few things like our indoor shower (which requires warmer weather for the adhesive to set) and some minor trim bits!
Our original goal was to be using it by last spring, but we quickly realized with our ever-changing plan that would not be possible. We decided to take our time and do everything properly to avoid “upgrades” in the future.
We installed a robust Victron Energy electrical system with a 2000w continuous inverter, solar panels, shore power and alternator charging. We have heat and hot water produced by a single diesel system which is connected to the main tank. This makes us a single fuel system. No propane. No carbon monoxide as we cook with an induction cook top. We’ve got 2 showers (indoor/outdoor), onboard air, 360* exterior lighting, an Isotherm fridge/freezer and much much more.
As well as being comfortable, it had to be aesthetically pleasing to us. We are inspired by Scandinavian design (hence the name “Sven”) and love clean lines and contrasting finishes. We used a variety of new materials that we have never worked with before to achieve this.
This has been one of the most time/effort/emotionally, and financially consuming projects we have ever taken on, and we did it all by ourselves. Although I have a background in automotive repair we had to learn a ton of new skills along the way and it’s pretty surreal to see it come to fruition. COVID threw us some curve balls: we were robbed, faced mechanical issues which stopped us dead in our tracks, and trying to find the hundreds (if not thousands of hours) to work on it while we both maintained our full-time jobs was a challenge.
This weekend will be our shakedown trip to see how everything functions as a unit. Shortly after we will be taking it out for the first “official” voyage. Stay tuned for a full van tour where we will go over some of the unique systems and features not commonly found in a 144” Sprinter!
Thanks for all the support along the way! Several of you helped us out more than you will know and we truly appreciate all the supportive DMs and creative suggestions!
Our original goal was to be using it by last spring, but we quickly realized with our ever-changing plan that would not be possible. We decided to take our time and do everything properly to avoid “upgrades” in the future.
We installed a robust Victron Energy electrical system with a 2000w continuous inverter, solar panels, shore power and alternator charging. We have heat and hot water produced by a single diesel system which is connected to the main tank. This makes us a single fuel system. No propane. No carbon monoxide as we cook with an induction cook top. We’ve got 2 showers (indoor/outdoor), onboard air, 360* exterior lighting, an Isotherm fridge/freezer and much much more.
As well as being comfortable, it had to be aesthetically pleasing to us. We are inspired by Scandinavian design (hence the name “Sven”) and love clean lines and contrasting finishes. We used a variety of new materials that we have never worked with before to achieve this.
This has been one of the most time/effort/emotionally, and financially consuming projects we have ever taken on, and we did it all by ourselves. Although I have a background in automotive repair we had to learn a ton of new skills along the way and it’s pretty surreal to see it come to fruition. COVID threw us some curve balls: we were robbed, faced mechanical issues which stopped us dead in our tracks, and trying to find the hundreds (if not thousands of hours) to work on it while we both maintained our full-time jobs was a challenge.
This weekend will be our shakedown trip to see how everything functions as a unit. Shortly after we will be taking it out for the first “official” voyage. Stay tuned for a full van tour where we will go over some of the unique systems and features not commonly found in a 144” Sprinter!
Thanks for all the support along the way! Several of you helped us out more than you will know and we truly appreciate all the supportive DMs and creative suggestions!
Comments (49)
6 years agoabstruse007
Eeek! Im excited to see all the pictures of your future adventures.... Especially of Lucy living her best life. ❤️
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