It has always been our dream to travel around the world in a van. So, we had the crazy idea to pack up our house and live life on the road for several months. We bought a sprinter van and converted him into our dream tiny home while we travelled to some of the most stunning destinations in Australia.
Now, let us introduce you to Cooper – our trusty travel companion and home-away-from-home!
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Who is Cooper the Van?
Cooper is a retrofitted Mercedes Sprinter 316. We originally bought him as an empty cargo van and customized him over the course of six months.
The Cockpit
At the front of the van is the cockpit. Besides the driver and passenger seats, we also have an intuitive dashboard system that tells us all the details about Cooper. It also has CarPlay, so we can play our favourite road trip tunes.
Hunter’s “Room”
Right behind the cockpit is Hunter’s little area. We installed a child’s seat and made sure there was ample space on the floor for her to play. We keep her books and toys in boxes that we can easily store when they’re not in use.
The Living Room/Dining Room/Office
We knew we had limited space to work with when building our van. That’s why we added a swivel table. It can be used as a dining room table, or it can swivel around towards our bench to be used as a desk. On top of that, we can move it towards the kitchen if we need extra prep or counter space while cooking.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is one of our favorite areas in the van. We have an extra-large sink, a 2-burner induction cooktop, and a mini fridge. The extra storage underneath the cooktop holds all our cookware. We also installed a slide-out pantry where we can keep spices and other little snacks!
The Bedroom
A good night’s sleep is important, so we opted for a fixed bed instead of a convertible one. We also added a small child-size bed for Hunter, which she can use when she’s old enough to sleep without a crib. At night, we hang magnetized window shields to block out light and give us privacy.
Storage
Most of our clothing is stored above the kitchen and living area. We also built a few other storage cubbies above the bed and cockpit to keep other knick-knacks. Underneath the bed (accessed in the back), we have our “garage”. This is where we store bigger items, electric equipment, and excess clothing.
The Bathroom
We made the conscious decision to build Cooper without a toilet. However, we always travel to places with public bathrooms, so it has never been a problem! And if we need to shower, we have an outdoor shower with both hot and cold water.
We hope you enjoyed this little tour of our family van. If you like what you see, you can get the full dimensions and layout of our conversion here.
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