2002 Sprinter camper in Denver SOLD

[MTSN]

This Sprinter was built for full time living by the prior owners who drove it all over the US for over year, and my wife and I have loved driving and camping in it for the last 4 years. I honestly don't really want to sell it, but there are a couple of factors leading to this decision. One is that we don't use it all that much and have only put 10k miles on it in 4 years. Also we have 5 cars right now and both work from home, and the only trips we have planned for the rest of the year are in the Land Cruiser. I've justified keeping it as a "tiny house" just in case things get weird in the world because it has solar, battery and water storage, heating and insulation, etc. to be a stand alone living unit that happens to be on wheels, but it's finally time to part with it.

The build was completed by the last owner and was very comprehensive. They dialed in it through living in it for ~14 months, and it's very stealthy for urban camping. I'll do my best to outline everything, but it's a lot so feel free to ask questions. This is a great candidate for fly and drive which is what I did when I bought it. I flew in, picked it up, and drove 2,200 miles in 2 long days with zero issues and enjoyed every moment of it. Basically drove until I was tired, pulled over at a rest stop, slept, got back in the driver's seat and kept rolling. With 22mpg on the highway and a 26 gallon tank, 500+ mile tanks are easy even when running the Webasto heater at night.

YouTube video link:


THE VAN

• 2002 Freightliner Sprinter RWD
• SHC/Super High Cab with 6' standing room inside
• 140" wheelbase
• VIN WD2YD241825363480
• OM612 2.7 liter diesel engine (aka million mile engine)
• Automatic transmission
• 226.8k miles
• 4 owners (Carfax attached)
• White exterior/grey interior
• 235/75/15 BFG KO2 tires at 90% tread
• Zero options except AC and power steering (no power windows/locks/mirrors/etc.)
• Clean Colorado title in hand, 2 keys

THE BUILD

Interior:

Lofted near-queen size bed - much roomier than side to side van layouts​

Large gear garage underneath bed​

Cross-van butcher block kitchen counter​

2 person storage bench facing the slider​

Comfort seats with swivel on passenger seat​

Stow away table for desk or dining between bench and passenger seat​

Exterior awning above the slider for shade or light rain protection​

Tongue-and-groove cedar ceiling and subway tile backsplash​

Climate control:

Comfortable 4-season living​

Fully insulated with 1" foam board​

Webasto Heater with altitude adjustment​

MaxxFan above bed​

Reflective window covers for windshield and side windows​

Removable screen for sliding door​

Screen window covers for passenger and driver windows.​

Electrical:

200 Watts of solar on the roof inside ladder rack​

300 Ah total AGM batteries​

Automatic charging relay so batteries charge while driving​

600 Watt Xanerax Purse Sine Wave inverter wired with remote switch and outlet in kitchen​

Dimmable LED interior lighting​

LED reading lamps above bed​

Water:

13 gallon water tank with gravity fill (easy fill from jerry cans or hose)​

Pressure-demand pump feeding kitchen sink with sprayer​

Washdown hose at rear in the garage​

6 gallon gray tank located under sink near slider for easy empty​

3 gallon "luggable loo" toilet bucket for emergencies​

Kitchen:

Large butcher-block counter top​

Hidden pantry under foot of bed​

Deep sink with pull out adjustable faucet​

No fixed stove - we used a camp stove so we could cook inside or out​

42L 12V Edgestar fridge on custom slide​

Garage:

Large space under bed​

All utilities (batteries, water, tank, etc)​

2 full-length 5+foot drawer slides​

A fan & ducting on a switch installed to bring heat back here in the winter to keep water from freezing​

Room for up to 6 bikes​

Prior owners traveled for over a year with 2 mountain bikes; 4 pairs of skis; and riding, skiing, climbing, and back-packing kits for 2 in the garage​

Drivers compartment:

Upgraded to comfort seats with arm rests and lumbar adjustment​

Upgraded Sony stereo with Bluetooth​

Upgraded dash speakers and added a small powered subwoofer​

Custom center storage bin between front seats​

Passenger seat swivel​

Ice cold A/C, great heat​

HISTORY & ISSUES

The van spent ~14 years living in Massachusetts and New Hampshire before hitting the open road as a camper. It's lived an interesting life as a company van saving old glass from and restoring historic homes, and in the right light you can still see the old business name on the side which is pretty cool. The last 2 owners before me spent a lot of money on maintenance including major brake service, rear differential, and lots more. I have a massive folder of paper service records going back to 2011 that will go with the van.

Because of where the van lived, there are rust spots throughout the body, but they look worse than they are due to rust inhibitor that was applied to stop the spread a few years ago. I haven't seen the rust progress at all in the 4 years I've owned it, and nothing structural appears to be affected by rust. It tends to be in the common spots - the steel wheels, at the bottom of the driver door, around the rear door hinges, the bottom of the wheel wells, and around the windshield frame. When I bought the van, I fully intended to make it "beautiful" and get it repainted and fix every little thing, put on fancy wheels, upgrade the grill and badges to Mercedes instead of Freightliner, and more. But I fully embraced the flaws and began to appreciate how passersby had no idea how nice the interior was. Many Sprinters scream "I'm expensive and I have expensive gear inside!!" whereas this one flies under the radar and looks like an old maintenance vehicle with the ladder rack on the roof that conceals the solar panels nicely. Sometimes when parked, I pull the curtains closed and put a construction helmet and vest on the dash for a very stealth look. It's a long story, but I once had to leave it parked at the Durango airport for almost 2 months and clearly no one had touched it. After sitting that long, I hopped in, turned the key, and spent the next week camping in Durango, Silverton, Ouray, and Ridgway with nothing more than a quick stop at the grocery store.

The prior owner hit a black cow on a dark highway near Taos in January 2019. The shop fixing it couldn't locate a new hood, so the damaged hood was flattened out until a new one could be located. That was going to be part of my glow up for the van, but as you can see it never happened because I appreciated the fact it made the van look less appealing. The good news is some new parts like a radiator and AC condenser were installed which lets the van run nice and cool and the AC is seriously cold. Around the same time, new front and rear brake pads and rotors, new rear e-brake pads, new fuel pump and fuel lines, new wheel speed sensor, full transmission fluid change with filter replacement were added, and since I've owned it I also replaced the fuel filter, a wiper arm, and a couple small things like the faucet, water filter/strainer for the fresh water, and the BFG KO2s.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

 

[MTSN]

WHY AM I SELLING

I know I mentioned two of the reasons I am selling above are that we don't use it all that much and currently have 5 cars in the driveway including 3 4x4s. There's an additional factor that's extremely frustrating and could be a limitation for some buyers depending on where they live. For many years, the ABS pump has not worked which renders traction control and ABS non-functional. This has not been an issue whatsoever for drivability, and I couldn't care less about having quarter century old tech ABS/traction control and thus haven't fixed it (fix info is here if you're interested). The problem is the ABS, traction control, and check engine lights are lit up on the dash (all related to the ABS pump), and while that isn't a problem in and of itself, it cannot pass emissions in Denver with any check engine lights. The first 3 years I registered it, the shop who did the annual emissions test passed it with no problems because it passed the "sniff" test. In fact, the tech couldn't even get any codes to come up on his diagnostic tool so they just shrugged and said no problem.

When I took it in for its annual emissions test this last time however, the van passed the "sniff" test again no problem, but the tech failed it for the check engine light. I asked him to pull codes proving it was emissions related, and his tool couldn't pull anything. I bought this iCarsoft MBII diagnostic tool to see if I could clear the codes, but before I even opened it a buddy told me to try a specific emissions test center that was potentially a little easier to work with. They looked at it and said because the CEL wasn't related to emissions, to go to the state to get a waiver since I have a passing "sniff" test in hand. I went to the state facility that inspects and gives waivers which ended up being a mistake. They agreed the codes were likely unrelated to emissions and agreed it was generally passing otherwise, however they got on a creeper and went under the van and noticed at some point prior to my ownership the original catalytic converter had been removed and was straight piped. They immediately said no waiver could be considered until I added a CARB compliant cat even though the vehicle passes emissions currently other than the check engine lights. They informed me this Magnaflow catalytic converter would work, but I would still need to address the CEL in order to pass. While I was and am tempted to fix everything, the reality is I still don't have any plans for the van and 4 other vehicles to maintain and insure.

THE IDEAL BUYER

As great as this van is, it's 21+ years old with nearly a quarter million miles. It isn't perfect and certainly doesn't look perfect, so it will need an owner who sees past the imperfections and has a tolerance for little issues here and there. It's been shockingly reliable for us with no mechanical problems other than a fowled fuel filter from a bad tank of diesel in Crestone, Colorado which was easily remedied by the Mercedes Westminster dealer, but as things age repairs will be needed. The biggest issue is related to emissions though, so if you live in a place where emissions tests are an annual thing and you don't want to go through the hassle of adding the catalytic convertor and clearing codes, this isn't for you. Honestly I'd be keeping it if it simply passed the emissions test just as it has in the past, but it isn't worth the time or effort for me any more. I think this will make the right buyer extremely happy however, and if you want to fly and drive, I will gladly put some clean sheets and bedding in the van, load up the water tank and extra jug, leave things like silverware, paper products, etc. inside to make it as easy as possible. We will be very sad to see it go, but I am excited to see its life continue in with a new owner.

Thanks for reading this far! Please feel free to reach out with any questions that weren't addressed here, and I will update the ad accordingly.

 

[MTSN]

The weather was rolling in when I snapped these pictures - I can snap some new ones if needed, but the YouTube video above will likely be the most helpful to see what it looks like in person.

 

[MTSN]

I forgot to mention I was able to insure this as an RV with full coverage including comprehensive for a very good price due to the low annual mileage and seasonality. I just had to send them pictures of it and we agreed on an insured value for total loss, and the process was very easy. A nice benefit for sure!

 

[DailyJeep]

I’ve had the pleasure of both buying a vehicle from Matt and also driving this Sprinter. It has great road manners and is a breeze to comfortably drive long distances. The buildout is very functional and tested, which I think is a plus. Super comprehensive and transparent ad, it tells you a lot about the seller. In any modified vehicle, you’re buying the prior owner as much, if not more, than the vehicle. Fun opportunity!

 

[srebbo]

Can you post some pictures of the underbody, frame components, etc.? Concerned about possible rust and corrosion there. Thanks

 

[MTSN]

Can you post some pictures of the underbody, frame components, etc.? Concerned about possible rust and corrosion there. Thanks

Apologies - just got home from a 6 day camping trip in the Cruiser. I have someone coming to look at the van tonight, and if he doesn't buy it I'll drive up on ramps and take some underbody pics.

 

[oregontrd]

What a great ad! Really thoughtful build too. I would just look at the little blemishes as stealth camping camouflage 😎 GLWS!

 

[zeeede]

Sweet van. I could see myself living it in some day

 

[MTSN]

Sweet van. I could see myself living it in some day

I'll make you a sweet deal if you're interested

 

[MTSN]

What a great ad! Really thoughtful build too. I would just look at the little blemishes as stealth camping camouflage 😎 GLWS!

Thank you! I really did have every intention of making it look super fancy and nice, but after a few weeks of owning it I appreciated how much it flies under the radar. No one has any idea how nice it is on the inside!

Cool build but a hard sell with all the visible rust plus the emissions issues. The value is in the parts if you have a clean van to use them on.

The rust is not nearly as significant as it might appear. I very intentionally highlighted the "bad" parts to avoid any surprises for the buyer, and I think it has quite a few years of life left in it. Looking back through the service records, I see the rear axle and brake hardware were replaced with new OEM units as well as lots of other mechanical stuff. It drives incredibly well and feels very solid. The emissions issue won't affect over half the country where emissions tests aren't a thing, and the reality is it can pass if someone wanted to put a little effort into it.

Here are some pics from today underneath the van for those who have reached out. Again sorry for the delay - I've been on the road a lot the last 2 weeks but will be home for at least 2 weeks.

For anyone who's interested in seeing the failing test, you can see it failed due to the check engine light which is related to the ABS pump but passes the test otherwise. Again this van passed the test here in Denver for 3 years in its current state with the check engine light on because it passed everything else including the sniff test, but they just cracked down on letting things pass if any lights are on. Frustrating and silly, but it is what it is.

 

[MTSN]

You need to address the emissions things cuz next year more states will come on line. This will not go away.

Thanks for the input.

 

[zgfiredude]

There looks to be a LOT of value here and fixing the ABS pump in order to clear the light and presumably then pass the test is on the buyer and seller to work out IF it's an issue the buyer wants to address.

I have looked at a LOT of vehicles lately (many with rusty frames) and the rust that I can see in the photos does not scare me. If you want to buy a new perfect vehicle, you'll certainly pay more than the asking price here.

Good luck with the sale, looks to me to be a good value and fun project for the next owner.

 

[MTSN]

There looks to be a LOT of value here and fixing the ABS pump in order to clear the light and presumably then pass the test is on the buyer and seller to work out IF it's an issue the buyer wants to address.

I have looked at a LOT of vehicles lately (many with rusty frames) and the rust that I can see in the photos does not scare me. If you want to buy a new perfect vehicle, you'll certainly pay more than the asking price here.

Good luck with the sale, looks to me to be a good value and fun project for the next owner.

Thank you and I totally agree. This van is shockingly solid to drive and works perfectly as a camper. Because it was truly lived in for over a year, the bugs have been worked out and it's a very solid vehicle that still has a lot of life left in it.

 

[MTSN]

I have several potential buyers from out of state who are interested in flying and driving home, so I did a shake down to ensure the van was ready for a cross country tour. I found a small crack in the house water pump, so I replaced it with a new Jabsco unit () along with a new Jabsco strainer () and some new lines and clamps. The system has never worked better and has great pressure, and the rear mounted auxiliary hose station for washing down bikes, gear, people, etc. can spray a solid 10' away from the van now which is awesome.

My wife got a kick out of seeing this so she snapped an unflattering pic - but it also shows how much vertical space there is under the bed for storage and the house systems.

Also here is the binder that has 100+ pages of service records, inspection reports, etc. - pretty cool to have the history going back over 10 years!