Picture this: you're sitting right in the middle of the bustling Caravan Salon show, and yet you barely hear anything - no loud voices, no jostling crowds, no echoing background noise. That's exactly the experience Nele from CamperStyle had when she stepped into the expedition vehicle Mountaineer Grand Expedition from 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 motorhome conversions can get once you look beyond the obvious.
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 smartly functional but also breaks new aesthetic ground.
Expertise from a completely different industry - professional recording studio construction - flows directly into the vehicle development. The result is an off-road van that, at first glance, feels 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 panel van conversion knows the drill: you step inside and immediately face the massive wall of a cabinet or the rigid back of a bench seat. Not so with the Mountaineer Grand Expedition - here, you can actually breathe.
The concept relies on a genuine lounge area up front, with a cozy corner sofa that includes a pull-out footrest, instead of the usual belt-mounted bench seat with a steep ninety-degree backrest. The fridge doesn't stretch all the way to the ceiling, either. Instead, you get open sightlines and generous storage surfaces.
The color scheme, featuring mustard-colored corduroy upholstery, felt elements on the walls, and dark anthracite tones, reinforces that living-room feel. Upholstery colors and materials can be freely chosen - if you're traveling with a dog, for example, you can opt for specially woven fabrics that short pet hairs won't stick to.
Lightweight Construction Meets Aircraft Technology: How the Creak-Free Furniture Is Made
Wood isn't new in motorhome construction. But wood that's both lightweight and extremely torsion-resistant? That's rarer. KEC Motors uses Albasia multiplex - a particularly lightweight wood - combined with real ash surfaces for all visible elements. The surfaces are finished with Fenix material or other robust, opaque coatings that look extremely matte and elegant while staying easy to clean (anti-fingerprint).
The real secret lies in the construction method. According to Jürgen, the furniture-making draws heavily on techniques from aircraft manufacturing. What's used here is the so-called tenon-and-pocket technique.
This technique lets the furniture flexibly follow the vehicle's twisting and movement off-road without creaking or rattling. The result is a calm ride that matches the acoustic concept of the interior perfectly.
The Wet Room: Clever Use of Space for More Freedom of Movement
Most panel van showers are so tight you can barely move without banging your elbow against the wall. Not so in the Mountaineer Grand Expedition. In the long Sprinter, the wet room measures a base 80 cm x 65 cm - but it uses a clever trick with the body shell to gain even more.
Thanks to a specially fitted bulge set into a recess in the side wall, you gain an extra 6-7 cm of width right where you need it most: at shoulder and elbow height. The easy-to-clean stainless steel wall follows the outer shell precisely, making use of every last millimeter.
When not in use, the toilet and washbasin can also be retracted into heavy-duty slides to save space, so the whole floor area is free for showering. Another practical touch: the flat stainless steel surfaces can simply be squeegeed and wiped down after showering. The bathroom is dry again in three minutes flat – no awkward corners or grimy joints to deal with.
Kitchen for indoors and outdoors: clever solutions
The kitchen unit by the sliding door is especially well thought out. The upper cutlery drawer is bidirectional – you can pull it out either into the living space or straight outside, which is perfect if you're sitting outdoors and don't want to climb back into the vehicle just to grab a bottle opener.
The crockery cupboard below can also be accessed from both sides. When the sliding door is open, you can even slot an extra side table into the sink unit on the outside. To go with it, there are 230V, USB-A and USB-C sockets ready and waiting outside.
For the cooktop in the show vehicle, 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: alongside single or double 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 space. The upper section of the seven-metre Sprinter houses eight overhead cupboards, which can be joined into longer compartments on request – for example, with a 1.20 m flap. In the lower living area, KEC Motors largely does away with flaps in favour of drawers almost 50 cm deep that you can fill comfortably from above.
The spacious rear garage is hidden beneath the rear bed. On the right-hand side sits the central electrics setup with high-quality Victron components (a 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 offers room for long items like blackout mats or fishing rods. Hunters even get a legally compliant, lockable solution with a pull-out rack for up to three long guns, scopes included.
Roof tent with ECE-certified boat hatch
On the roof sits a sturdy roof rack with a walkable roof terrace and an Arcta roof tent that spans the full width of the vehicle. Thanks to gas struts, popping it up is a breeze – just release two levers.
A real highlight is the way up into the roof tent: at the request of a customer who's a sailor, a marine-style boat hatch was fitted into the roof. Since standard boat hatches usually aren't road-legal, KEC Motors obtained 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 comfortable.
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. One particular perk with the all-wheel-drive Crafter and MAN TGE: on request, KEC Motors fits a super-high roof that allows for standing height of up to 2.20 m inside – a real step up from the standard standing height of about 1.83 m.
While the layout of the bathroom and kitchen is fixed due to the built-in water lines, the rest of the interior can be extensively personalised:
Seating configurations: from a corner lounge sofa to sliding single seats or a two-person bench seat with a belt frame.
Sleeping spaces: a rear bed for two, optionally extendable to up to four sleeping spaces 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): from approx. €148,000
Mercedes Sprinter (7-meter base): from 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 custom wrap, came in at around €240,000.
As a rule, KEC Motors also accepts customer vehicles for conversion, provided they meet the technical requirements (e.g. four-wheel drive).
Conclusion: When outside expertise makes all the difference
The Mountaineer Grand Expedition from KEC Motors shows just 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 the company headquarters in Mengerskirchen (Westerwald). Across roughly 5,500 m² of space in a former furniture factory, you can not only check out finished vans, but also follow the build process up close 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 entire podcast episode on all the usual podcast platforms, as well as right here:
Podcast · Episode 436
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