The Best Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Options to Choose Before a Van Conversion

Ordering a brand-new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is an exciting step... but also a slightly intimidating one.

The moment the dealer opens the configurator, dozens of options appear, and it becomes hard to tell the ones that truly make a difference from the ones that come down to simple comfort.

The truth is that there's no universal “right configuration.” There's yours. The options worth the investment come down to a single thing: how you're actually going to use your van. Four seasons or three? Long expeditions or weekends close to home? Remote work, sports, deep cold, off-the-grid roads? Every answer points to different choices.

At Nav Camper, we never start with a list of options. We start with how you'll use the van, then work back to the right technical decisions. That's exactly the logic of this guide.

Whether you're at the very beginning of your thinking or already about to place your order, you'll find, for each need, the option that answers it and why: what's essential, what's a nice-to-have, and what comes down to personal taste, plus a complete checklist at the end to keep for when you configure your vehicle.

Wherever you are in your thinking, there's something here for you. Let's start with what matters: the way you travel.

Here, use by use, are the options worth your attention when you configure your Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

‍

No matter your van conversion project: start with the right foundations

The Mercedes-Benz packages: the common foundation for every build‍

Before even looking at individual options, some choices make sense for just about everyone, whatever your use. These are the Mercedes-Benz packages: they bundle several safety, comfort and driver-assistance features that dramatically improve the everyday experience. Whether you're heading out on a long expedition or for weekends close to home, this is the right starting point.

In practice, we generally recommend selecting:

Comfort Package - C00Z
Bundles several improvements focused on driving comfort and the ergonomics of the driver's area, particularly the seats and their adjustment. On a vehicle that can easily cover several hundred kilometres in a day, these are small details that make a real difference.

Driver Convenience Package - C01Z
Adds various practical functions and aids designed to make driving and everyday use of the Sprinter easier. It's a particularly worthwhile package for a travel vehicle that will spend a lot of time on the road.

MBUX Package - MB0Z
Enhances the on-board technology experience with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) multimedia system. It centralizes navigation, media, communications and several vehicle functions on the central screen. For a vehicle meant for long distances, it's an option we particularly appreciate.

Note: the exact contents of these packages can vary by model year. We always confirm the current configuration with our clients at the time of ordering.

Verdict

Strongly recommended

• C00Z, Comfort Package: driving comfort and driver-area ergonomics, valuable on a vehicle that easily eats up several hundred kilometres in a day.
• C01Z, Driver Convenience Package: practical functions that make driving and daily use easier, especially on a travel vehicle.
• MB0Z, MBUX Package: navigation, media and vehicle functions centralized on the screen, a real plus over long distances.

‍

Swivel seats, handles, doors, windows and light: making the van a true living space

The options that turn a vehicle into a space you actually want to spend time in

‍

A converted van isn't just a means of transport: it's a place where you cook, read, watch the scenery with a coffee in hand, spend quiet mornings. Certain factory options play a direct role in this quality of life on board, the light, the sense of space, and how you inhabit the vehicle once it's parked.

Swivel seats - X69Z. The swivel seats deserve a special mention. They're arguably the option that changes how you live in the interior the most. Once the vehicle is parked, the front seats swivel and become part of the living space: the front of the van turns into a lounge area, facing the kitchen or the view. It's a detail to plan at the ordering stage, and one you rarely regret.

‍

Window in the sliding door - W17. We generally suggest it: it brings in plenty of light and visibility. In good weather the door can open fully anyway, and we usually prefer to keep a fixed window here.

B-pillar grab handle - T74. A very simple option, but one you appreciate every day. It makes getting in and out through the sliding door easier, a real plus on a taller vehicle or one with a modified suspension, which is often the case with a converted van. A small detail that improves daily life, over all the comings and goings.

Rear windows, a matter of preference. Windows in the rear doors bring in light and let you see behind you. Conversely, some clients prefer to do without them to gain privacy, insulation or storage space. Note: Mercedes-Benz windows are generally less expensive when ordered with the vehicle, but they're fixed and can't be opened. It's a choice that depends directly on the interior layout you have in mind.

Hinges (180° vs 270°). We generally prefer an opening of around 180°, easier to control in high winds and better suited to accessories mounted on the doors: side pods, bike racks, boxes. Doors that open 270° offer a wider opening but become harder to handle and can conflict with those same accessories.

If you plan to add a spare tire, a box, a ladder or a bike rack at the rear, it's a detail to consider from the ordering stage.

Where these options truly make sense is that they aren't chosen in the abstract: they're decided based on how you plan to live in your van. That's exactly the kind of decision we like to make with you, starting from your real use rather than a standard configuration.

Verdict

Essential

• X69Z, swivel seats: turns the front of the van into living space once parked; hard to add after the fact.

Recommended

• W17, window in the sliding door: light and visibility.
• T74, grab handle: easier entry and exit through the sliding door, especially on a raised vehicle. Low cost, everyday comfort.

Depending on your rear accessories

• Hinges 180° vs 270°: 180° works with most door-mounted accessories; 270° for maximum opening, if the doors stay clear of accessories.

Depending on your build

• Rear windows: more light, or more privacy, insulation and storage. To settle based on your interior plan.

‍

RV1Z and suspension: preparing the Sprinter to carry a permanent van conversion

The option that matters most and that almost no one knows about

‍

A converted van has nothing in common with an empty delivery vehicle. Once the project is finished, your Sprinter permanently carries several hundred kilos: lithium batteries, water tanks, furniture, electrical system, heating, outdoor gear. All that weight inevitably changes how the vehicle behaves and raises its center of gravity. That's precisely what the RV1Z addresses.

Adaptation to RV requirements - RV1Z. If there's one option we now request systematically, it's this one. Still little known, it's nonetheless decisive for a Sprinter meant to receive a permanent van conversion. Specifically, the RV1Z includes:

• a reinforced front axle;
• a reinforced rear stabilizer bar;
• specific programming of the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) system, to adapt how the electronic stability systems work to the weight, load distribution and higher center of gravity of a converted vehicle.

Suspension, tuned to your project. The RV1Z lays the right foundation at the factory, but the work doesn't stop there. At Nav Camper, we then adapt the suspension based on the final weight and the actual configuration of your build. It's this combination, the right factory base, then a custom adjustment that gives you a stable, safe vehicle, matched to the real load of your conversion.

For us, the RV1Z is now a must-have for any Sprinter meant for a full conversion.

Verdict

Essential

• RV1Z, adaptation to RV requirements: the only option that truly prepares the chassis to carry a permanent conversion. To request at the ordering stage, since it can't be added later.

Recommendation

• Tuned suspension: our complement to the RV1Z. Once the conversion is complete, we calibrate the suspension based on the final weight and actual configuration of your build.

‍

M61 and E36: preparing the electrical system of a converted Sprinter

Recharging your batteries and powering your accessories while you drive

Two very important options when you plan to add equipment that will be directly connected to the vehicle's electrical system.

‍

14 V / 280 A alternator - M61. It provides extra electrical capacity to power the conversion's accessories. Mercedes-Benz allows drawing up to 80 amps for auxiliary equipment, particularly useful for powering the chargers that recharge your batteries while driving, or other accessories such as a winch, auxiliary lights, or various add-ons. Another benefit: its higher capacity means the alternator is less loaded for a given demand, helping extend its lifespan.

‍

Battery cut-off relay - E36. It isolates the auxiliary equipment when the vehicle is off, preventing a load from draining the starter battery. It also simplifies electrical integration by providing connection points designed by Mercedes-Benz, while protecting the vehicle's original electrical circuits.

Together, these two options lay a clean, reliable electrical foundation on which we then build the system tailored to your project.

Verdict

Essential

• M61, 280 A alternator: the capacity needed to recharge your batteries while driving and power your accessories, while preserving the alternator's lifespan.
• E36, cut-off relay: protects the starter battery and original circuits, and simplifies integration thanks to the connection points designed by Mercedes-Benz.

‍

J51: auxiliary fuel take-off and calibration, a small option that greatly simplifies a future van conversion

An option that greatly simplifies installing a diesel heater or adding a large tank

‍

Here's a modest option at the ordering stage, but one that can save you plenty of complications during the conversion. The J51 becomes relevant in two specific situations: if you plan to add a diesel heater, such as an Espar, Webasto, or a hydronic system drawing directly from the vehicle's fuel tank.

An important and little-understood benefit of the J51 is the way the vehicle determines its fuel level. With this option, the gauge reading is based on the actual level measured by the float in the tank, rather than mainly on an estimate from engine consumption. So if auxiliary equipment burns fuel while the engine is off, the vehicle can still display the remaining fuel accurately.

The J51 is also particularly useful when a larger-capacity tank is installed. For example, at Nav Camper we often offer a 47-gallon (177 L) tank. The option then makes it easier to calibrate the vehicle for an accurate fuel-gauge reading, without having to add an extra electronic module to correct the display.

Like many factory options, the J51 costs relatively little when ordering the vehicle, but can considerably simplify integrating certain equipment and save you time and money during the conversion.

Verdict

Essential (if diesel heater or large tank)

• J51, auxiliary fuel take-off and calibration: indispensable for drawing diesel from the main tank and keeping a reliable gauge; very economical at the ordering stage, costly to work around later.

‍

Heating options for a four-season Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Comfort and safety in cold weather

‍

In Canada, we know just how low temperatures can drop in winter. Since our vehicles are built for four-season use, these options are much appreciated by our clients.

Our favorite is definitely the F49 heated windshield. It works quickly and makes de-icing easier on cold-weather departures. Contrary to some beliefs, its eventual replacement is also far less expensive than you might think.

The CK8 heated steering wheel and the H15/H16 heated seats are also small luxuries you quickly come to appreciate when using your Sprinter year-round.

Mercedes-Benz also offers the H12 auxiliary preheating (Webasto). This option can be worthwhile, but it's relatively expensive, and we find that many clients who have it end up using it fairly little. So we see it more as a comfort option than a must-have.

Verdict

Recommended

• F49, heated windshield: quick de-icing on start-up; its eventual replacement costs less than you'd think.
• CK8, heated steering wheel and H15/H16, heated seats: small luxuries you adopt fast when driving in cold weather.

Optional

• H12, Webasto auxiliary preheating: worthwhile, but expensive and often little used in practice. A comfort, not a must-have.

‍

Lighting and blind spots: driving safely in a converted Sprinter

See and be seen, day or night

‍

A recreational Sprinter doesn't drive like a commercial van. It travels day and night, sometimes on secondary roads, sometimes in more remote areas, often far from streetlights. In these conditions, two options genuinely change your comfort and safety at the wheel.

Exterior lighting package - X13Z. A must, in our view. The base headlights are perfectly fine for a commercial Sprinter used mainly by day. For a vehicle that will travel at all hours, good visibility becomes far more important. The X13Z offers noticeably better lighting, and it's one of the options our clients truly appreciate in use. With this option, it's also rarely necessary to add auxiliary front lights for normal road use: the Mercedes-Benz lighting is already very capable.

Blind-spot monitoring - JA7. A Sprinter is a large vehicle, and this driver aid brings welcome extra safety, particularly on the highway and when changing lanes. It's the kind of option you forget once it's installed, but whose absence you feel immediately when you don't have it.

Verdict

Essential

• X13Z, exterior lighting package: noticeably better visibility at night and in remote areas; generally avoids adding auxiliary lights.
• JA7, blind-spot monitoring: added safety on the highway and when changing lanes, on a vehicle of this size.

‍

Roof rails: carrying your adventure gear on the Sprinter

Bikes, kayaks, skis, roof box: everything to equip your van for your outings

‍

With an adventure van, gear often travels with you: bikes, kayaks, skis, outdoor equipment. One very simple factory option prepares the Sprinter to carry all of it, and it's best planned from the ordering stage.

Roof rails - D13. They serve as mounting points for a future roof rack, a deck, kayak carriers, a box or various accessories. Even if you haven't yet settled exactly what will go on the roof, we generally recommend ordering them: they open the door to a host of possible setups and are far simpler to plan from the start than to add later.

Verdict

Essential

• D13, roof rails: the base for whatever you'll want to carry on the roof, now or later. Far simpler to plan at the ordering stage.

‍

Which color to choose for your Sprinter: appearance and upkeep

A personal choice, with a few practical considerations

‍

Color remains, of course, a personal choice, but a few practical aspects are worth considering.

Very dark colors, black in particular, absorb more heat in summer and generally require more upkeep. Dust, water marks and small scratches also show up much more.

‍

At Nav Camper, our favorite colors include Stone Grey, Blue Grey and Silver Grey. These are timeless colors, easy to maintain, and in our view they age particularly well on an adventure vehicle.

‍

That said, your Sprinter should above all appeal to you. So color remains one of the options where we encourage you to follow your own taste!

Verdict

Depending on your taste

• Color: a personal choice above all. For an adventure vehicle, light, timeless shades (Stone Grey, Blue Grey, Silver Grey) age well and are easier to maintain; very dark colors heat up more and show wear faster.

‍

Checklist: our recommended Mercedes-Benz Sprinter options

Here's a practical summary to keep when preparing your order with your dealer.

‍

The bottom line: configuring the right Sprinter for your camper van

This list is obviously not exhaustive. There are several other worthwhile options depending on your project: trailer hitch, parking aids, cameras, various seat configurations, comfort options, and so on.

Keep in mind, too, that Mercedes-Benz changes its options and their codes from year to year. Some options may be added, removed, or bundled into different packages.

At Nav Camper, we keep an up to date list of the options we recommend for Sprinters intended for our conversions, and we work closely with our clients throughout the ordering process.

Whether you're at the start of your research or about to order your Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, don't hesitate to reach out. We can help you validate your configuration based on your project and intended use.

A good conversion begins before the vehicle even arrives in our shop: it begins with the right Sprinter and the right options.