Picture yourself standing right in the middle of the Caravan Salon crowds and barely hearing a thing – no loud voices, no jostling, no echoing background noise. That's exactly the experience Nele from CamperStyle had when she stepped into the Mountaineer Grand Expedition by KEC Motors. What sounds at first like a nice side effect turns out to be a well-thought-out concept that shows just how innovative van conversions can get once you start looking beyond the usual playbook.
Jürgen Eckert, founder and managing director of KEC Motors, and his team have developed a conversion based on the 7-meter Sprinter that's not only functionally smart but also breaks new aesthetic ground.
Expertise from a completely different industry – professional recording studio construction – flows directly into the vehicle's development. The result is an off-road van that, at first glance, looks more like an elegant tiny house than a classic camper van.
A sense of space instead of furniture walls: the lounge philosophy
Anyone who owns a van conversion knows the feeling: you step inside and immediately face the massive wall of a cabinet or the back of a rigid bench seat. Not so in the Mountaineer Grand Expedition – here, you actually have room to breathe.
The concept relies on a genuine lounge area at the front – a cozy corner sofa with a pull-out footrest instead of the usual belted bench seat with a stiff ninety-degree backrest. The fridge doesn't run all the way up to the ceiling, leaving clear sightlines and generous storage space instead.
The color scheme, with mustard-colored corduroy upholstery, felt wall elements, and dark anthracite tones, reinforces the living-room feel. Upholstery colors and materials can be freely chosen – if you travel with a dog, for example, you can opt for specially woven fabrics that don't hold onto short pet hairs.
Lightweight design meets aircraft engineering: how the creak-free furniture is made
Wood in motorhome construction is nothing new. Wood that's still lightweight yet extremely torsion-resistant is a different story. KEC Motors uses albasia multiplex – a particularly lightweight wood – combined with real ash veneer surfaces for all visible elements. The surfaces are finished with Fenix material or other durable, opaque coatings that look extremely matte, upscale, and are easy to maintain (anti-fingerprint).
The real secret lies in the construction method. According to Jürgen, the furniture-building process draws heavily on techniques from aircraft manufacturing – specifically, what's known as the tenon-and-pocket technique.
This technique lets the furniture flex along with the vehicle's twisting and movement off-road without creaking or rattling. The result is a calm ride that lives up to the acoustic concept of the interior just as well.
The wet room: clever use of space for more freedom of movement
Most van conversion showers are so tight you can barely move without knocking your elbow against the wall. Not here. In the long-wheelbase Sprinter, the wet room measures a baseline 80 cm x 65 cm – but it uses a clever body trick to gain even more.
A specially fitted bulge set into a recess in the side wall adds another 6-7 cm of extra width around the shoulder and elbow area. The low-maintenance stainless steel wall follows the outer wall's contour perfectly, making the most of every millimeter.
Toilette und Waschbecken lassen sich bei Nichtgebrauch außerdem auf Schwerlastauszügen platzsparend versenken – moment, das war Deutsch. Hier die Übersetzung:
Kitchen for indoors and outdoors: smart solutions
The kitchen unit by the sliding door is especially well thought out. The upper cutlery drawer works both ways: you can pull it out into the living space or straight out the side – perfect if you're sitting outside and don't want to climb back into the van just to grab a bottle opener.
The crockery cupboard underneath can also be accessed from both sides. When the sliding door is open, you can plug an extra side table into the sink unit from outside. To go with it, there are 230V, USB-A and USB-C sockets right there in the outdoor area.
For the cooktop in the show van, they went with a gas-free solution: a diesel ceramic hob from Finnish manufacturer Wallas, which draws fuel straight from the vehicle's tank. The hob has a completely flat glass surface with a hidden burner.
KEC Motors gives customers maximum flexibility, though: besides single or double-burner diesel ceramic hobs, you can also choose induction hobs, gas hobs, or hybrid combinations. Cooling needs are covered either by a 42-litre compressor fridge built into the kitchen unit or an 82-litre fridge-freezer combo in the sideboard.
Endless storage: practical pull-outs instead of deep flaps
Despite the open, airy feel, there's no shortage of storage. The upper section of the seven-metre Sprinter houses eight overhead lockers, which can be combined into longer compartments on request – for example, a 1.20 m flap. In the lower living area, KEC Motors mostly skips flaps in favour of drawers nearly 50 cm deep that you can simply load from above.
The spacious rear garage sits beneath the rear bed. On the right side you'll find the central electrical system with high-quality Victron components (MultiPlus 2000 VA inverter/charger, solar charge controller and charge booster). The two lithium batteries, each with 200 Ah capacity, are mounted above the wheel arches to save space.
On the opposite side, a 1.20 m multifunctional compartment holds long items like blackout mats or fishing rods. Hunters can even get a legally compliant, lockable solution with a rack for up to three long guns, scope included.
Roof tent with ECE-certified boat hatch
On the roof sits a sturdy rack with a walkable roof terrace and an Arcta roof tent that spans the full width of the vehicle. Thanks to gas struts, you can pop it up in seconds just by releasing two levers.
A real highlight is the way up into the roof tent: at the request of a customer who sails, they fitted a genuine marine boat hatch into the roof. Since standard boat hatches normally aren't road-legal, KEC Motors secured ECE 34 approval to make it street-legal.
The hatch is made of 1 cm thick, fully walkable glass and, unlike standard camping roof hatches, opens a full 180 degrees. That makes climbing up into the roof tent remarkably easy.
Customisation, base vehicles and prices
KEC Motors builds its conversions on the Mercedes Sprinter in 6.00 m or 7.00 m lengths, as well as on the VW Crafter and MAN TGE, each around 6.80 m long. A particular advantage with the all-wheel-drive Crafter and MAN TGE: on request, KEC Motors fits a super-high roof, giving you standing height of up to 2.20 m inside – a clear step up from the standard roughly 1.83 m.
While the layout of the bathroom and kitchen is fixed due to the permanently installed water lines, you can personalise the rest of the interior extensively:
Seating configurations: from a lounge corner sofa to movable single seats or a two-person bench seat with a belt frame.
Sleeping spaces: rear bed for two, optionally expandable to up to four sleeping spots with a pop-up roof or roof tent.
Colour and material concept: freely selectable woods, upholstery fabrics and surfaces.
Prices at a glance
VW Crafter / MAN TGE (short/medium wheelbase): starting at approx. €148,000
Mercedes Sprinter (7-meter base): starting at approx. €167,000 (incl. VAT)
Show vehicle with full equipment: The customer vehicle on display, including a 5.5-ton winch, electric side steps, full solar setup and elaborate design wrap, came in at around €240,000.
In principle, KEC Motors also accepts customer vehicles for conversion, provided they meet the technical requirements (e.g. all-wheel drive).
Conclusion: When outside expertise makes all the difference
The Mountaineer Grand Expedition from KEC Motors is a great example of how fresh and well thought-out a motorhome conversion can be when know-how from recording studio construction, aircraft engineering and sailing all come together. The result is an extremely quiet, off-road-capable and visually striking expedition vehicle.
Want to see it for yourself? Jürgen Eckert and his team welcome visitors at their headquarters in Mengerskirchen (Westerwald). On around 5,500 m² of space in a former furniture factory, customers can check out finished vans and get an up-close look at the build process at various stages — from the raw shell to CNC production to insulation.
More information at www.kecmotors.com.
Want to hear Nele's full conversation with Jürgen Eckert? You'll find the complete podcast episode on all major podcast platforms, and right here:
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