Since you are in the UK here is Lucy Charles-Barclay's van....



The 2021 version upgrade van
https://youtu.be/6BZCXtvTtvA

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Espar heater (or similar)?
Roof fan/vent?

Sink, 3 way fridge, storage cupboards etc. Lighting?

I did this for 2012 as I was a volunteer and the hotel prices were insane.

DM me I will pullout some of the links etc. There is a company near Halifax that will supply units for your model of van at a very competitive rate. Mine was £800 for everything which sounds a lot but the ply to make it was about £500.

Look at the camper van interiors on eBay and start making a list of what you like to give you ideas. Roll top beds are expensive so I went with a sliding sofa made from wood and put compressed foam on there.

Maybe my comment don't help you directly. The company I work for had some projects with a local company which builds up campers. The boss told me one day that the best base cars are the fiat ducato, Citroën jumper, Peugeot boxer because of Integration of a bed. Behind the side door you have enough room for a 2m bed. The crafter and sprinter don't have that space, so you always see the bed when you open the side door.

I'd say you are asking the question in the wrong place. There are dedicated forums for sprinters, Ducatos (called the Ram Promaster in the US), etc. The amount of experience and advice available is tremendous. Nearly anything you could imagine has been done and documented, so go for it.

We converted a Promaster to support our tri activities. Promasters are wider, so there is more inside space and it is possible for many people to sleep sideways.

We did not put in a bed, or toilet. A permanent shower uses a lot of space, so our shower curtain hooks to the ceiling and we stand in a folding dog washing tub. We may redo it for a fixed shower, but you have to figure out how to make the space dual use.

You'll want solar power and a roof fan. Skip the 3 way fridge. 12V fridges are much more efficient. With induction cook tops or portable butane hobs, many people skip propane completely.

Thanks for the pics. I’m not really after information regarding the actual conversion as you rightly say, there’s a tonne of info already out there. Just interested in those who sleep in their van at races, what they have found is essential, desirable or just a waste of time.
Thanks

Ah, in that case, let's talk usage.

We don't have a bed because we mostly use the van as a day trip vehicle. We don't sleep at venues because my wife like quiet and prefers Airbnb. We did not put in a cassette toilette because (pre-COVID) there were bathrooms in parks and restaurants and gas stations, etc. If we slept in the van we would put in a cassette toilet.

You can't see it, but there is an air compressor in the back, a pull out shower available through the back doors to hose off gear(this is in addition to the interior shower handle), a bike maintenance stand build into the back door and a good tool kit in the drawer. The bikes are on a pull out shelf so they are easy to load. The shelf has a set of drawers in the bottom that are accessed from the back when the doors are open. This gives a place for shoes, helmets, gloves. One side of the space under the shelf is an open slot big enough for 2 folding camp chairs to slide in (and a broom).

Hot water comes from an Isotherm heater that ties into the van's coolant lines.

It does get a little cramped for two people (we gave a lot of space to the bikes), even when just changing clothes after a ride. Swivel seats up front on super helpful. Easy to use curtains for privacy are great.

We have too much counter space. Can't drive off with anything on the counter, so we never really use more than half. If I could figure out how to move some drawer units to stack more (while keeping an open feel inside), I'd like a little more floor space.

I've always thought one of these projects would be fun, I just don't have the patience to do it lol.

I follow a triathlete here in Ontario, Canada named Garrick Loewen. He has a channel on YouTube called Van Life Triathlon.

Look him up. He and his girlfriend did this last year during the lockdown. Very cool series. Maybe 8 episodes or so. It may help.

Cheers

Quinner

Seems like with your van you might be better off with a smaller travel trailer like a Airstream basecamp or Bambi. Have you considered something like those?

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the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning

Not really considered a trailer. Will do some research on it. Thanks for the tip

Hi

I bought a Sprinter two years ago for travel and race support. A few essential points for you.

We have a long wheelbase 4x4 sprinter, based in Spain. It was converted for us by a Mercedes specialist in Hamburg.

The long wheelbase model (7m overall) i think is essential if you want enough space for a fixed double bed and plenty of garage space for bikes. Don’t be tempted by the short wheel base version - really far, far too small.

hot and cold running water obviously a must!

Fixed shower inside another must if you plan to use the van as a base for lots of training trips too.

We have an external shower too, awesome for a quick rinse off and also for bike cleaning and rinsing a wetsuit.

Toilet.....non-negotiable, such a luxury to have your own toilet pre-race and thereby avoid the queues!! But just for day to day living a toilet means you can stop and sleep anywhere and be totally independent.

Heating inside the van makes cold mornings soooo much better.

Make sure you fit plenty of ventilation, vans can get very hot in summer - we have three roof vents plus an extractor.

Make sure you have enough garage space - we have quite a big space underneath the fixed bed - enough for 3 bikes - but with the saddles and seatposts off to reduce the height, because this means the fixed bed inside the van is not too high. Also need a surprising amount of space for bike spares, track pump, wetsuits, helmets, bike shoes etc etc......

Do not be tempted to save space and use an external bike rack - especially for a race bike - for sure they will get stolen!!!

Make sure you fit a power socket in the garage for charging di2, Garmin, lights etc.

Unless you are doing a lot of driving every 2-3 days you will use more electrical qqqqpower than you think, so solar panels on the roof are needed. We have 200watts of solar.

Fit way more water capacity than you think - it runs out really quickly!! - we have 250litres, this lasts us 3-4 days - would love to have more!

We currently have a 2011 T@B and upgrading to a Little Guy Max this year. Really like being able to have a relatively small footprint but be able to drop the camper for the time we are there and have a vehicle to move around with or head to race without packing up. Makes for a little more space as well for gear/toys.

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Banger

How about taking some of that extra money you have laying around and donating it to a homeless shelter?

Since we're talking about a comfortable place to live, and all

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Drawer slides for the bikes.

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2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)