Buckley Conversions Builds a 3D-Printed Luxury Camper Van Interior on the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter

A California shop has finished a Mercedes-Benz eSprinter camper van with an interior that is almost entirely large-format 3D printed, and the weight savings are substantial enough to matter on an electric platform. Buckley Conversions, founded by Brandon Buckley, used a KUKA industrial robot carrying a plastic extrusion end effector to produce the couch, cabinetry, wall panels, and other load-bearing furniture in polypropylene. The result: roughly 1,500 pounds (680 kg) lighter than the company's previous plywood-and-aluminum build.

That figure is not a rounding error on an eSprinter. The prototype sits on a 144-inch wheelbase with an 81 kWh battery rated for around 150 miles of range. Conventional camper conversions typically add 1,500 to 2,000 pounds to a van before anyone packs gear, water, or house batteries. Buckley's pitch is simple: if you cannot grow the battery, shrink everything else. Printed polypropylene panels weigh less than plywood substrates and aluminum framing, and they can be designed to tighter tolerances with fewer seams.

How They Built It

The process started with 3D scanning. The team captured the van's interior geometry, then modeled every component in CAD directly against the body structure, wheel arches, and mounting positions. Parts were designed for the vehicle rather than trimmed to fit on the shop floor. Printing was handled by a KUKA robot arm fitted with an extruder, the same class of hardware used for large-format additive manufacturing in industrial settings. Some team members have SpaceX engineering backgrounds.

Wood survives in only two places: the tambour faces of the overhead cabinets and a ceiling insert. Countertops use Richlite composite panels. Buckley has said the next build will eliminate both, replacing them with printed composite panels and pushing the all-printed share of the interior higher still.

Why the eSprinter Platform Makes Sense

The eSprinter is not the van to pick if your priority is maximum range. The 144-inch model manages about 150 miles, and the 170-inch version with a 113 kWh pack reaches around 206 miles. But Buckley is not targeting overlanders who need 400 miles between charges. The positioning is closer to digital nomads and road-going vanlifers who want a stealthy, low-maintenance base. An all-electric platform removes engine heat and exhaust from the living space, and the printed interior keeps mass down where it matters most.

The van includes a 3,000-watt inverter, built-in A/C, heated floor, onboard freshwater storage, and a compact shower. Optional solar awnings contribute up to 2,500 watts of solar to the house battery. Pricing starts at $350,000 for the 144-inch eSprinter and $370,000 for the 170-inch model. A $7,500 deposit holds a spot.

What Still Needs Proof

Buckley has not published measured range data, print times, layer heights, or the specific KUKA model used. Those are real gaps, and they matter before this becomes more than a well-documented prototype. Long-term questions around printed polypropylene's dimensional stability under thermal cycling, road vibration, and fire safety compliance also need answers before a one-off becomes a production line.

The broader context is worth tracking. Large-format additive manufacturing is finding commercial traction in 2026, and this is a good example of the trend: structural parts in a sellable product, not decorative pieces at a trade show. Whether Buckley's "world's first 3D-printed luxury van" claim holds up against other shops working in large-format polypropylene is a separate argument. The build itself is a credible data point on where LFAM is actually landing.