White Campervanwhitecampervan.com
Build log · 2026

Turning a long-wheelbase Sprinter into a bright, quiet home on wheels — one weekend at a time.

A build log. Plywood, cable runs, sawdust and the occasional good decision.

13 entriesJun 5 → Sep 27Sprinter L3H2
Looking forward through the empty cargo area with the whole floor covered in brown masking paper
Latest · 27 September 2026 · Insulation

The build so far

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Looking forward through the empty cargo area with the whole floor covered in brown masking paper
Insulation27 September 2026

Masked, But Not Taped Shut

Everything that should stay clear of spray cork is now masked. Everything except the parts that would stop me closing the van.

A Stream Deck with a top row of test buttons and two rows of buttons labelled Relay 1 to Relay 16
Planning26 September 2026

Buttons After All

I promised an almost button-less van. Then I plugged in a Stream Deck and gave every relay its own button.

A hand holding a sponge in front of the washed van wall, with a bucket of water on the floor
Stripping23 August 2026

Making It Stick

A weekend with no drama: washing the shell so the cork has something to grip, painting every scratch against rust, and taping off the parts that stay bare.

The stripped sliding door seen from inside, with the blanked window recesses pressed into the outer skin
Stripping20 August 2026

It Gets Cut Anyway

The last lining in the van comes off, the wiring comes out with it, and the sliding door gives up some of its structure in the process. Luckily that part of the door is getting cut open for a window.

Looking forward through the stripped cargo area with the partition gone and both cab seats in view
Stripping19 August 2026

One Room, For Now

The wall between cab and cargo comes out, mostly because I wanted to see the van without it. A divider has to go back in eventually, so this is a borrowed view.

The load area stripped to bare metal, work light on the wall and removed parts on the floor
Stripping18 August 2026

Down to Bare Metal

The factory lining is riveted on. Hundreds of aluminium rivets, drilled out one by one, and that was only the first half of the day.

The grey Sprinter parked nose first under the beige marquee, with the workshop shed behind it
Workshop17 August 2026

Twenty Centimetres to Spare

The cobblestones moved, the van rolled in, and there is about twenty centimetres between its roof and the canvas.

Inside the beige marquee on the dried out lawn, with the grey Sprinter parked behind the hedge
Workshop16 August 2026

A Roof Before the Van

You cannot strip a van in the rain. So before any more panels came off, a tent went up in the garden.

A Pinterest board full of bright van interiors: white walls, pale wood and lounge corners
Planning6 August 2026

Pinning Down the Vibe

The van is still bare metal, but my phone is filling up with finished interiors. First ideas on the look and feel: Ibiza, bright, lounge.

A Raspberry Pi 5 with an M.2 HAT, waiting on the desk
Planning2 August 2026

Running Ahead: Home Assistant

A short look into the future: an almost button-less interior, controlled through Home Assistant.

The cargo bay with its grey factory panels, before the first one came off
Stripping2 August 2026

Two Panels Down

A first go at the rivets: two panels off, a step stool built, and the layout taped out full size.

The empty Mercedes Sprinter parked on the driveway, just driven home
Planning28 July 2026

The Van Is Home

We picked up the van and drove it home. The conversion can begin.

The white Marco Polo on a campsite, roof up and awning out
Planning5 June 2026

How It All Began

Why a blog called White Campervan is about a dark grey Sprinter. A short history.