Master craftsmen's two-year Mercedes conversion

Touring the world First-Class

Are you feeling uninspired by factory-produced recreational vehicles?

Take a look at this. Two years of craftsmanship has resulted in a truly unique RV.

The vehicle – a thirty-year old Mercedes 508D – had just 20,000 kilometres on the clock when the owner bought it for six-thousand euros (that’s a bit over six-thousand US dollars). In its previous life the Mercedes truck was used as a military ambulance in Germany.

The long transformation to a luxuriously accommodated exploration vehicle was undertaken by specialist van designer/builders Van Helping, based in Bordeaux, France who – as you might have guessed – are no ordinary van converters. Company founder Florentin Millet together with his colleague Guillaume have a passion for both creative design and cabinet making – the noble end of the woodworking industry.

It’s not just the quality of their work which sets Van Helping apart; because of the nature of their work they can’t give their customers a price. Nor a completion date. For that reason their customers are unusual, too.

To begin with the structural work, the Mercedes chassis was restored with some welding; the body work needed tidying and the shell paint was replaced by Raptor coating – which is extremely hard wearing and won’t scratch …or, not very easily.

The vehicle has six wheels – four on the rear axle – which were replaced with larger 18.5 inch wheels giving it a bit more ground clearance. The tyres were replaced with all terrain grips so that the 80 HP vehicle can take some pretty challenging surfaces in its stride as it rolls along on its planned world tour. And speaking of rugged environments – the accommodation is protected by cork/hemp insulation in the walls, roof and underfoot to ensure maximum comfort when outside temperatures plummet.

It’s a luxury designer apartment with no near neighbours.

Mobile Power System

The immaculate power installation is housed behind a glass panel elevating it to become part of the designer schematic. Everything has been provided – energy harvest, storage and supply at 12VDC and at both 230 and 110VAC. The system can be monitored and controlled from anywhere in the world.

The power installation comprises:

Lithium Battery Smart 400Ah – Two 12V 200Ah Lithium batteries. Long life, light, energy dense and with 92% efficiency – most of the energy generated by panels or alternator actually end up in the battery.
Lynx Smart BMS 500 – a battery management system especially controlled and efficient charging of Victron lithium batteries
Inverter Smart Compact 2000VA provides on board domestic AC
Autotransformer this 230V/110V transformer allows the user to ‘plug in’ whilst in North America.
Lynx Distributor offers monitored-fuse busbars and allows tidy cable termination
SmartSolar Charge Controller MPPT 100-30 for fixed solar panels power harvest
SmartSolar Charge Controller MPPT 75-15 used for the vehicles folding solar panels
Orion Smart DC-DC converter charges the batteries and protects the (intelligent) alternator
Smart Battery Protect worry-free protection of the starter battery agianst accidental depletion – ensuring it will always have sufficient power to crank the engine.
Cerbo GX and GX Touch 50 communication centre and touch screen device provide user interface for reading real time data and programming.
GX LTE 4G Cellular Modem – 4G (also 2G and 3G) data communication reports to Victron Remote Management VRM platform allowing interrogation from anywhere in the world. It also provides Geo fencing – so you know when your van is on the move if it shouldn’t be.
GX GSM Cellular Modem – for use with 2G and 3G networks although this communication device has been superseded by the GX LTE 4G (above) it is needed to connect to the cellular network in some areas of the world.

What is all this power needed for? Well, there’s a Thermobox Evo Confort rated at 2500W which provides almost instant hot water, and space heating. There’s a Ceramic Hob, an electric oven, an extraction hood and a refrigerator – there are also pumps, lighting, a 4G router and satellite TV.

Top Quality everywhere you look

Whilst it’s great to know that life on board is supported by reliable devices to meet every need, it’s the materials and furnishings which catch the eye – and the way in which they have been used in this outstanding build.

Guillaume designed the furniture and fittings which are made of plywood covered with a Fenix laminate. The walls and ceilings are dressed with yachting deck-effect plywood of Iroko and Rubber strip. Incidental wood strips of differing lengths applied to the walls – reminiscent of wind chimes (to the writer’s mind) – are a good example of the brave ideas which result in a stand-out feature. Fretwork, cupboard cut-outs, colour choice – nothing is as you expect, everything just works.