As you can see 100%, no compromise giving the owner exactly what they want and not a factory assembly line model. Of course you pay more for a one of a kind.

I drew 2D plans in MacDraft Pro and 3D plans in SketchUp. They seemed to be accurate enough to build from as the finished measurements were all mostly accurate. Mercedes Benz plans are available to anyone if you know how to get them though ARV has access to actual CAD drawings. I used available JPEG plans pulled off the MB web pages and resized them to match known dimensions. They turned out to be amazingly accurate.

You are right. It is a bit cramped in that every dimension is maximized but not ideal when you have a pre-determined space like a van. There are few windows below deck in a sail boat other than tiny port holes and a hull in a boat is difficult to overcome a cramped space. That's why sail boaters are mostly above deck and camper vanners, and for that matter tenters, tear droppers, etc. are mostly outside when they are not driving. So, why not maximize inside space for necessary functions. :)

What was not mentioned was a safe right below the wardroom cabinet big enough to put a MacBook Pro laptop computer inside and a deep drawer for wine bottles. In the sliding door way on the back of the refrigerator cabinet there is a drop down table for cooking outside with a countertop stove. We carry an Instant Pot and a portable induction cooktop as a minimum in the galley's large drawer. In the back shelves I made sure they were ample to carry a portable gas pizza oven if desired. I think we may have abandoned carrying our foldable bikes maybe in favor of two inflatable kayaks, a Moon Shade and a 14' screen tent. It will all fit. If you took out all the adjustable shelves you could carry two conventional bicycles vertically inside if desired. Rob, the presenter, is over 6 foot. The beds are 74" long. Glad to see he would fit. I really designed it to our criteria and I am only 5'-8" tall. The bunk beds are 30" wide or half a king size bed. Reminds me of a pullman train. The height is ample to crawl into bed but you can't sit up at roughly 26" height. With walls on both sides levelness is not a disturbing problem. You can brace back or fanny on either side. For a single traveller it is a boon as you can have a huge storage area instead of a second bed.

You are right on the bunk beds. Most Class B camper vans utilize sofa beds or just beds that extend side to side. They take up about 60% of the available space beyond the cab area in a 144 Sprinter whereas the bunk beds take up 25% of the available space. They are not everyones cup of tea but if you watch the video it is alluding to many 144s have hiked up beds high enough to store bikes under. That is essentially almost upper bunk bed height but still have less space for kitchens and bathrooms. The toilet is a Tecma marine upflow or macerating toilet found in boats and ships. It works similar to a household toilet only the water doesn't activate the flush. It has kind of a electrically operated vacuum action and macerates to contents to send it up through a 1-1/2" waste pipe. It uses more water than the RV toilet sitting directly over a black tank but I have a 38-40 gallon fresh water tank and a 25 gallon black tank in a short Sprinter and that is way more than most all Class Bs offered by other companies.

Only 1/3rd of the day will both travelers want to lie down at the same time so why take up all that space with beds for two the other 2/3rds of the time?

@@Davydd2009 Having so much stuff taking up 100% of the vertical space is claustrophobic and there are other ways as you know to not take up that much space for a bed for two all day so that’s a straw man argument

@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath The concept is: V E R T I C A L in an extremely small RV. More storage in the back especially for outdoor activities, bunk beds that take up 25% instead of 60% of the floor space behind the B pillar for greater flexibility and more stuff for other functions. Beds that can be made up with sheets, blankets and pillows all the time and doesn't have to be converted for either, or activity which has to be coordinated with your partner. I had the convertible sofa bed in my first two camper vans. Under storage if you want to double as a sofa was restricted and clumsy to get at stuff. In my last van I designed the electric back, head and foot articulating beds that acted like Lazy Boys for ultimate comfort and had them at 29" high to somewhat solve the under sofa restrictions. Cab seats that turn completely around and not claustrophobic and have dining or computer tables handy which is more than enough for two people. This van is designed for two and only two people because we only had more than two people traveling in our van twice in 16 years and have never entertained friends in our van. This design would be optimum for a single traveler who could convert or use the upper bunk or bottom bunk to massive storage. Whose to say the beds are just for sleeping in? My favorite endeavor is reading or streaming shows on an iPad at all hours when in a campground or especially boondocking in a Walmart parking lot. Lying down in a propped up bed is what I do for that. My wife has way different taste in what to watch. I do miss my electric articulating beds but I think I know how I could modify them. Everyone has their priorities but we don't have to accept what a manufacturer gives us as a compromise.

Full van windows with tinting are just as stealthy and you can look out them. 😉 We did leave off an awning that is a non-stealth giveaway we seldom used on previous camper vans because we have a 14' diameter screen tent and can also use a MoonShade. The give away is the air conditioner on the roof. We at least placed it forward in the spot Mercedes Benz places air conditioners in passenger vans but that probably doesn't fool anyone. As for the Ford Transit, ARV hasn't built off that platform. As for the "blue city proof" we have parked overnight in the mansion area on the street in Newport, RI and in Queens Village, New York City. How blue can you get? 😁

@@Davydd2009 If you feel that "brave" for lack of an impolite word, try Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, LA, Portland, Seattle, to name a few, and see how socialism treats your van. Lets just see "how blue you CAN get..." and citing Newport and QV misses the entire point, but perhaps ? they both will "catch-up" with reality soon as well if they also go woke too ? 😊

@@Davydd2009 BTW when a rock is used to gain easy (!) entry into the van perhaps I don't think Soros will reimburse you ? But I may be wrong ?

I could say it is just a single horizontal twist with one jump but it is just a conventional storable ladder with three wide steps to a 25" height and not a vertical ladder with rungs like most bunk beds.. :)

My self-determined challenge was to get most everything in a 5 foot shorter van than I had in the largest van previously. If I were to design it for the longer van I probably would come up with an entirely different plan but with this one, besides easing up on some of the dimensions, I would think about a larger storage compartment in the back end, slightly longer galley counter and maybe a second row of seats which are popular for many.

Most vans have the galley on the passenger side to look out on your camping space which is thought to be conventionally desirable. Our previous three vans, including a Pleasure Away, had the passenger side galley so I have experience and eventually discount that need. We have full length windows on the entire galley on the driver's side which has the same advantage of a view as well as the sliding door behind the galley on the passenger side which is most often open (we have a screen) and an outside pulldown table we cook on frequently. What we get, besides the the most efficient space in a 144 Sprinter is probably one of the longest galley counters and galley cabinet space. Our head is on the driver's (road side) too but it is positioned toward the back to give us a larger bathroom than one possible on an aisle typical of most Class Bs camper vans. Our van is considered claustrophobic by some but in this 144 design the open space is greater than most vans, especially 144s, where you turn around the cab seats where you stare into a bathroom wall.

We carry a portable induction cooktop and an Instant Pot. We use them on the galley counter and equally on the outdoor drop down table on the back of the refrigerator cabinet. The microwave is built in and there is room for an air fryer. Don’t know what else we would need. The essential for the morning is the built-in Keurig coffee maker. also have a propane pizza oven that would fit on the back shelf which I would use outdoors. The bunk beds I have commented on before. They save enormous space in a short van for other amenities as well as provide personal space in such a small space as a van. They are the most controversial aspect of the van. Some people like the idea and some don’t at all.

@@Davydd2009 too cool on all of that. I absolutely love the bunk beds. I'm not sure my wife would go for them, though. Like you said, they give personal space and free up the floor plan. One of the best layouts I've ever seen

I agree I would've liked to see more technical data, such as winterization, hookups, propane capacity, fuel, etc.

@@roberthyland6554 - Winterization is Thinsulate insulation. There is an ARV KZfaq video on their insulation solutions. - The tanks and batteries are electrically heated with pads. - The hookup is the Smartplug under the back bumper resulting in no penetrations in the body. - Fuel is diesel as in all MB Sprinters and the diesel fuel is also used for heat and hot water so there is no propane with a microwave, Instant Pot and induction cook top. Heat and hot water also works on electrical shore power. - 576ah of lithium ion batteries and second alternator for fast charging while driving or idling. I had 800ah in my previous van and it was not needed when I can go three plus days parked with what I have now (576ah). That historically is my antsy limit. - Air conditioning is a Houghton roof top unit and is extremely quiet. - The toilet is a Tecma marine upflow used in boats and ships. The toilet has a macerator to break up solids to get through a small pipe to get up over the back axle. There is a second macerator to further pump waste from the black and grey tank to the waste dump. - It is all managed by a Silverleaf Coach Management touch screen so there is nothing but the screen and no toggle switches, gauges, breakers, etc. looking like an airplane cockpit. The Silverleaf can be accessed on an iPhone app as well. - Lighting is controlled by 6 touch button pads distributed around the van including the two beds. - Fresh water is autofill on the driver's side or gravity fill on the passenger side B pillar. - There is a built-in fireproof safe big enough to hold my 15" laptop computer. - Built in Keurig coffee maker, the most essential item in the morning. ;)

@taurusview9 This is an ARV question, but I will jump in here. All RVs by ARV are custom somewhat to suit the customer's wants. This one is a totally custom design probably unlike any other. There have been other RVs as a total departure of a plan ARV developed as a starting point. On my previous ARV van I proposed electrically operated articulating beds (think Lazy Boy or Slumberland) and ARV came through. Several other customers then followed through with the same kind of beds. They build on customer creativity. I'm sure every ARV customer when a new van is built say, "I wish I thought of that."

@@Davydd2009 Thank You! I once had a design in mind. I thought ARV would be the guy to do it. They were, but total cost quoted was a bit out of my league, so it just remained a dream :)

@@Davydd2009 Awesome 👌 Thanks so much.

It was considered early in the design but impractical with the narrow opening on a slant to the wall so I deemed it less important than having a fixed made up bed with sheets, blankets and pillow with a more comfortable thick mattress. I could have gotten the height I would have needed if I went to 2" thick mattresses. I did design a skylight to get extra height for the upper bunk. We don't have a TV so there is nothing to watch in the back so with two people and cab seats fully turned around would be enough.. I can still sit on the lower bed and ties my shoe laces. The upper bunk bed is used for storage too. I mentioned previously we put the ladder up there when underway. The ladder, by the way, is often used to store or take down items on the back door adjustable shelves. The design would be better with just an inch or two wider and higher.

Thank you Collin!

The counters are fabricated out of stainless steel. This particular one has a sanded matte finish. Newer ones have a brushed finish.

@Innomind, I needed a 2500 chassis or I could not execute the design. That was explained in the video and my other comments here as to the why. ARVs are mostly built on a 3500 chassis and if I could that would be way more than I need. ARV said the raw van as delivered was about a base curb weight of 5,200 lbs. After it was finish it weighed about 7,700 lbs including fresh water in the tank and diesel fuel. The GVWR or how much weight can go down the road is 9050 lbs. maximum. That leaves 1,350 lbs. we can carry. Two humans is 350 lbs. so we can load up 1,000 lbs. I can guarantee we have not assembled and put 1,000 lbs. of stuff in our van so I think we are safe. Those are rounded off simplified numbers as I know them. So how did they do it? The video demonstrated the honeycomb core wood light weight panels deployed so all those walls don't weigh as much as it seems. We reduced the battery weight with fewer amp hours and lithium iron batteries. The video noted a 2 door Novakool refrigerator/freezer was planned. It turned out a lighter 1 door Isotherm but met the freezer requirement to hold a half gallon container of ice cream. Aluminum alloy wheels substituted steel wheels. I left off the ubiquitous awning.There are no solar panels as a second alternator and high capacity batteries proved solar was unnecessary from my previous experience. I didn't get VB air suspension or the levelers most ARVs have because I didn't want them or they weren't needed for a short 144 van. I did not want a 4x4 van as I would never go anywhere it was needed or haven't in 16 years. I'm sure ARV had other ideas to save weight. For mileage I am getting 20 to 21 mpg on diesel. I got less with my extended body 3500 170 wb ARV van at about 18 mpg.

It's in for the first Mercedes Benz service at the 20,000 mile interval right now. I was shocked when they said there was 8 recall items to take care of. I only thought there were two. They are mostly computer related fixes.

You can ask ARV this question. Since this video they have made a more detailed video about the core boards. I don't know or recall if they mentioned the specific manufacturer but they are open on most questions so I assume they would tell you.

When you are inside driving the cab windows are the same as are the sliding door windows and the driver's side window behind the B pillars. There are no tall cabinets or vertical walls directly behind the completely turn around cab seats. There is more front open space and windows than most vans. The bathroom is bigger than most camper vans of any size as it is not constricted to a typical side design at a 24" width.The kitchen has more capacity than any 20 ft. or shorter van that I have ever seen. As for the beds, you sleep in them and they are as wide as half of a king size bed. The bonus is if your partner has different sleep habits they won't disturb you. You can have the light on. The lower bunk has a side window and rear window. The upper bunk has a large skylight roof hatch and rear window. The upper bunk could have had a side window had I not opted for a more stealthy exterior look. There is no claustrophobia when you are asleep. Just sweet dreams. :)

Custom builds like Mies start with a conversation with our team. We also have a selection of Available ARVs, many of which are pre-owned. See our website www.advanced-rv.com

@@AdvancedRV Thanks! I will check it out shortly!

Yes it’s the front seats and two tables. See layout at 1:50:

Our previous vans shared one table on a vertical pole with the turned around cab seats but we found we had to play musical chairs and slide over to get to the driver's seat before you could sit down in the passenger seat.. So I designed two tables the size of standard TV trays so either person can get into the seats without disturbing the other or just have one table set up for a laptop computer if desired. The inspiration came from a previous ARV van called Gustav with custom designed table brackets. We did not use the more common Lagun table brackets because we had no need to adjust and swing out of the way. Without the tables installed we have ample "living room" space for such a short van.

Lovely van. Enjoy! I wish the video showed how the Mrs. accessed the top bunk. Is there a built-in ladder?

Sorry we didn't include a demonstration in the video. You can see a photo of the desk deployed on our website gallery here: advanced-rv.com/gallery/mies

@@chavakern3124 ARV gave us a folding ladder with steps and not rungs that sits on the bed when not in use. The top step is a full length of a foot for safety. I have built some mockups that are uniquely jack knifed with a built-in shoe bin that can be stored under the refrigerator as another option. Either option they are not in the way when not in use. When used, the bed is 50" off the ground and the ladder top to the top step is 25" leaving 25" to climb into bed which is the same as our king size bed at home. There is no built in awkward fixed vertical rung ladder that you see in a lot of bunk bed designs.

I'm an architect. My first ARV van was named Alvar (for Aalto) because it did have 14 curvilinear vacuum formed wood cabinets and walls. This one is Mies (van der Rohe) as in his famous quote "Less is more" because the goal was to get everything we had and enjoyed in a 24' Sprinter into a 19" Sprinter. Since ARV tracks their vans by the customers unique names, it was appropriate for me to stick with architects. We were successful in transferring everything in Alvar over to Mies on delivery. We had a larger bathroom to boot and believe it or not, more storage thus less is more. I've explained why the bunk beds in a previous answer. Of course they are not to the liking of everyone but they are quite cozy. Many Class Bs have a pair of beds on the floor so sleeping in a single bed is not unusual. What it does is free up more floor space for other amenities and has advantages in that when one person wants to stay up and read for instance in such a small van the other won't be disturbed with a light on. Kind of a Pullman train sleeping car setup with the upper bunk with a curtain, not a coffin. The lower bunk has a window. The upper bunk has a marine hatch with a skylight to view the stars. As for the batteries, quite a few Class B vans have them inside under the bed. That is not unusual. There is a 3/4" wood panel protection under the lower bunk and ARV has installed a second exit latch to get out the back door for the upper bunk.

Now that we have driven 24,000 miles in our van, I could say if designing it again, my fall back architect would be Frank Lloyd Wright as in getting our third try "Wright". Maybe I could incorporate some Frank Lloyd Wright design aspects in it too. Just a pipe dream. I imagine this will be my last van until I read the ARV Enosphere magazine article about the 90 year olds having an ARV built.

@@Davydd2009 in his old age Wright went from Rectilinear to curvilinear

@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath, I went the opposite way and you know Wright died at Taliesen in his rectilinear phase. ;) I was just there this past spring. ARV is known for their vacuum formed curvilinear cabinet shapes. My first extended Sprinter ARV van as mentioned had 14 curvilinear shapes. I could go back to that but probably not in a short van as I now have. The homage was a built up cab floor with a curvilinear edge. BTW, I probably would not go back to a longer van if I were to build another one. I've learned to love the advantages of this short van.

Yesssssss! 🙄

The name is not a brand name for the company like Sprinter for Mercedes Benz. It is a name created and provided by the customer and subsequently used by ARV for tracking the build. Every ARV van built has a different name. The name and how ir came about is explained in many of the comments here. In short, I'm an architect, so I named our van for Ludwig Mies van der Rohe shortened to just Mies as he was known, a famous 20th Century architect who coined his well known term "Less is more" as a design philosophy which was the goal we had for the design of the van. It is a great naming system ARV came up with. It adds personality to their custom vans initially created by the customer's input. Hey, I could have named it Bunky. 😁