This Unique, Yacht-Inspired Camper Van Has a Gorgeous Interior With a Bonanza of Features

Meet Kelley and Shawn, two former yacht industry professionals who used their experience to create this awesome mobile home based on a 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 AWD with a 170" wheelbase. Their goal with this build was to build a deluxe expedition vehicle.

Shawn was running a yacht company, while Kelley used to be a yacht designer. You can definitely see the van's living space was inspired by yacht interiors. Before we take a look inside, let me tell you more about the rig's exterior.

You'll be able to tell this vehicle is a camper van as soon as you lay your eyes on it. Several elements give away its camper DNA – on the driver's side of the van, you'll notice a ladder. Climb on top of the rig, and you'll discover a roof rack holding lights in the front, an awning, a large Thule storage box, and solar panels.

Kelley and Shawn wanted to maximize the solar capacity of their mobile home, so they devised a clever setup. The duo installed two 180 W solar panels at the rear, as well as three 50 W flexible panels mounted to the storage box for a total capacity of 330 W.

Also on the roof is where you'll find the coolest exterior accessory on this van: a hammock supported by two folding poles. Imagine enjoying a sunset lying in the hammock - that sounds like a dream. It's definitely the best location for a hammock I've ever seen on a camper van. The only thing you'll have to worry about is not falling to the ground.

Other notable exterior features are a winch mounted to the front bumper, a spare tire carrier at the rear, and a 20-gallon (75-liter) auxiliary fuel tank. Now, let's move on to the truly impressive part: the interior.

As you'll soon see, this van's living space is not only aesthetically pleasing but also very practical. Regarding aesthetics, Kelley and Shawn opted for a classy look with flat-cut walnut veneer cabinetry and curved edges, which we rarely see in camper vans.

Various white touches, such as the countertop, the ceiling, and the shiplap walls, complete the look. Furthermore, this van has an open layout, meaning the driver's cabin isn't separated from the rest of the interior.

The first area behind the driver's cabin is the kitchen, which is split into two parts. It features a sizeable countertop, a flip-up table, a deep sink, a small Isotherm fridge/freezer, and a full-range oven with a three-burner stove.

What makes this kitchen stand out the most are the creative storage solutions. You can use three overhead cabinets, a pull-out spice rack, and various drawers. One of the drawers can be opened from two sides, inside and outside the van, and it houses a small bar with a fold-down table.

Walk deeper inside the van, and you'll be in the lounge area. It has an L-shaped couch with white diamond-shaped upholstery, a Lagun swivel table, and a TV attached to a swivel mount. Moreover, the couch has drawers underneath.

Here's what I believe to be the coolest design feature in this rig. A large drawer can be pulled out from under the bed, covering the entire passenger-side bench. It extends all the way to the counter housing the oven and can serve as an additional countertop. It's such a clever solution I haven't seen before.

Opposite the lounge, Kelley and Shawn devised a wet bathroom, or, as they call it, a wet head, which is a term used in the yacht industry. It boasts a small sink with an extendable faucet that doubles as a shower head, a full-length mirror, a vent fan, a medicine cabinet, and a Separett toilet.

The bathroom's construction is very similar to the ones on yachts. It has fiberglass wall panels coated with waterproof paint. Furthermore, next to the bathroom, you'll find a hanging closet.

The final part of the living space is the bedroom at the rear. It features a queen-size mattress, which the duo says is more comfortable than the one they had at home. They have six feet of sleeping length, as they devised cut-outs for extra space. The only thing they had to sacrifice was insulation - the van's walls have 2-inch insulation, but they removed half of that for the cut-outs.

Other notable bedroom features are two reading lights on a long shelf, three overhead cabinets, two speakers integrated into the rear doors, and a Maxxair fan.

The couple opted for a fixed queen-size bed to leave room for the "toy garage" underneath. Kelley 3D modeled the garage and their bikes to find out the ideal dimensions of the garage that still left room for the bikes. What's more, the garage has a slide-out tray.

You'll also find this rig's utility systems in the garage. Power is on the left. The Victron system's highlights include two charge controllers, a 3,000 W inverter/charger, and two 100 Ah BattleBorn batteries.

The opposite side houses an outdoor shower. The water tanks are both mounted underneath the vehicle – the couple has 36 gallons (136 liters) fresh and 15 gallons (57 liters) grey. What's more, a propane canister powering the oven is also located under the van.

Kelley and Shawn can adventure worry-free in cold environments. That's because their van is equipped with a Rixen's hydronic heating system, which provides both hot air and water. In case it fails, they have a secondary heating source in the form of a diesel-fired Airtronic heater.

A wall panel in the kitchen hides the "brains" of the camper van. It's a control panel with a touchscreen monitor/controller for the power system, lights, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems, and more. I didn't notice any cooling system on this rig – the couple makes do with the ceiling Maxxair fan in the bedroom.

All in all, there's nothing negative I can say about this tiny home on wheels. It's cozy and gorgeous and packs all the creature comforts you'd need to adventure deep into the wilderness.

Even though Kelley and Shawn didn't share how much the camper van set them back financially, I bet this was a pricey project (that was definitely worth the investment. I'd say about $130,000 (€119,723), maybe more. That's just my estimate, so don't quote me on that.