Weekend Explorer Camper Van

Weekend Explorer Camper Van

If you’re looking for a van you can drive everyday and get out of town with on the weekends, this is it. It was designed with a family in mind as it will seat 5 and can sleep 4-5 depending on the size of the kids. It’s a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. It’s a 144” wheelbase model with the high roof option. This allows people over 6 feet to stand with ease. It comes standard with many sought after options like the multifunction display, Xenon headlights, and a backup camera. It has a roof AC unit that keeps things cool for all passengers when driving. The factory 3 person bench seat can be easily removed when you need more room. It started out as a passenger van instead of a cargo van, so you have windows all around. It’s nice to be able to play games or eat in the back and see your beautiful surroundings.

As far as the camper part of the van goes everything is brand new and no one has slept in it yet. It has a dinette in the back that can seat 4-6 and a table that swivels. The two benches of the dinette open from the top for tons of storage. When it comes time for bed, the table drops down and turns the dinette into a bed that measures 52”x75”. Out the back of the van you have a 4 foot drawer that pulls out to store all of your gear and a special pocket built in for a folding table.

In the kitchen area you have a sink that is fed by 2-5 gallon water containers and a 5 gallon grey water tank. There is a 12v pump that is connected to a pressure switch that puts out good water flow. The van also has a 65 liter Dometic fridge that has a built in freezer. The freezer compartment can be removed for times when a fridge is all that is necessary. Above and below the fridge there are drawers for utensils and food. Next to the fridge is a cabinet that has 3 adjustable shelves.

Everything is made from 12 ply high quality Baltic birch plywood and is covered on the outside with Formica laminate. Formica is easy to clean and will stand up to years of bumps and scrapes. The interior of the cabinets have been stained to bring out the beauty of the birch.

To fully utilize all the space that the van offers, there is a bed that fits on the front seats and folds up against the side wall when not in use. The mattress is stored on the overhead shelf above the driver.

For the frosty nights there is an Espar diesel heater installed that runs off of the factory fuel tank. This makes even the coldest nights comfortable and uses minimal fuel. For hotter nights and general air movement, there is a Maxxair fan installed over the dinette. Under the hood there are 2 6-volt batteries wired to provide 12v power for the van. This powers the heater, fridge, fan, water pump, LED lights, and USB charging ports that have been added.

Having a van like this changes everything when it comes to traveling/camping. It’s easy to keep it fully packed all the time and just pick up food and fuel on your way out of town when the weekend comes. Weather becomes less of factor knowing that you can cook and eat inside should a storm roll in. Put the tent away and step into #vanlife, you deserve it.

DETAILS OF VAN BUILD:

  • 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 144” High Roof
  • 48,000 Miles
  • 3.0 Turbo Diesel -5 Speed Automatic
  • Xenon Headlights -Fog Lights
  • LED Light Bar
  • Sony Apple CarPlay Stereo
  • Seats 5
  • Camper Van Features:
  • Sleeps 4-5
  • Rear Dinette with Storage Under Each Bench
  • Dinette seats 4-6
  • Dinette Coverts into 52”x75” Bed
  • Cushions upholstered with Sunbrella brand Fabric
  • Table with Lagun 360 Degree Swivel Mount
  • 48” Rear Pullout Gear Drawer with Table Pocket
  • Galley with 33” Countertop
  • 2 Drawers
  • Cabinet with 3 Adjustable Shelves
  • Dometic 65 Liter Fridge with Freezer
  • Sink Cabinet with Stainless Steel Sink and Faucet
  • 12v Water Pump with 10 Gallon Fresh Water Capacity
  • 5 Gallon Grey Water Tank (Never Used)
  • Cassette Toilet (Never Used)
  • LED Lighting in 3 Zones with a Dimmer Switch for Dinette/Bed
  • Led Light in Rear Door for use with Rear Drawer At Night
  • Espar Diesel Heater connected to factory fuel tank with Easy Start Pro Controller.
  • Everything is made with high quality Baltic Birch Plywood and Formica Laminate
  • Front Bed platform with Cushion
  • Shelf over front seats for storage
  • Adventure Wagon dual battery tray with 2 6-volt batteries under hood
  • Blue Sea Electrical components used throughout van

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. We love talking about vans.

VAN BUILD PRICING

Weekend Explorer Van with SOLAR

Weekend Explorer Van with SOLAR

When adding Solar this set up will allow you to easily run your fridge and everything indefinitely when there is ample sun. The battery powers the fridge, fan, water pump, LED lights, and USB charging ports that have been added. Having a van like this changes everything when it comes to traveling and camping. It’s easy to keep it fully packed all the time and just pick up food and fuel on your way out of town when the weekend comes.

If you’re looking for a van you can drive everyday and get out of town with on the weekends, this is it. It was designed with a family in mind as it will seat 5 and can sleep 4-5 depending on the size of the kids. It’s a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. It’s a 144” wheelbase model with the high roof option. This allows people over 6 feet to stand with ease. It has a roof AC unit that keeps things cool for all passengers when driving. The factory 3 person bench seat can be easily removed when you need more room.The 2.0 turbo gasoline engine and 9 speed automatic transmission return good fuel efficiency and it’s pretty peppy around town and cruises the freeway with ease. This van only 18,000 miles, so it’s ready for years of adventures ahead. It started out as a passenger van instead of a cargo van, so you have windows all around. It’s nice to be able to play games or eat in the back and see your beautiful surroundings.

As far as the camper part of the van goes everything is new and no one has slept in it yet. It has a dinette in the back that can seat 4-6 and a table that swivels. The two benches of the dinette open from the top for tons of storage. When it comes time for bed, the table drops down and turns the dinette into a bed that measures 50”x74.5”. Out the back of the van you have a 4 foot drawer that pulls out to store all of your gear and a special pocket built in for a folding table. 

In the kitchen area you have a sink that is fed by 2-5 gallon water containers and a 5 gallon grey water tank. There is a 12v pump that is connected to a pressure switch that puts out good water flow. The van also has a 65 Liter Dometic fridge that has a built in freezer. This is a good sized fridge that will easily hold drinks and food for a weekend. Above and below the fridge are drawers. Next to the fridge is a cabinet that has an 3 adjustable shelves.

Everything is made from 12 ply high quality Baltic birch plywood and is covered on the outside with Formica laminate. Formica is easy to clean and will stand up to years of bumps and scrapes. The interior of the cabinets have been stained to bring out the beauty of the birch. 

To fully utilize all the space that the van offers, there is a bed that fits on the front seats and folds up against the side wall when not in use. The mattress is stored on the overhead shelf above the driver. This bed measures 37” x 60” and is great for kids.

To help ventilate when cooking and general air movement, there is a Maxxair fan installed over the dinette that can be controlled by a remote. It also has two vent inserts for the front windows. These allow the fan to pull or push a nice breeze through the van. Under one of the dinette benches there is a 200 amp hour Renogy Lithium battery. This is charged through a 175 watt Renogy solar panel when parked. When driving a Redarc 25 amp DC-DC charger helps to keep the battery topped off. This setup will allow you to easily run your fridge and everything indefinitely when there is ample sun. The battery powers the fridge, fan, water pump, LED lights, and USB charging ports that have been added. 

Having a van like this changes everything when it comes to traveling/camping. It’s easy to keep it fully packed all the time and just pick up food and fuel on your way out of town when the weekend comes. Weather becomes less of factor knowing that you can cook and eat inside should a storm roll in. Put the tent away and step into vanlife, you deserve it.

2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 144” High Roof

  • -18,300 Miles
  • -2.0 Turbo Gasoline Engine
  • -9 Speed Automatic
  • -Seats 5
  • Camper Van Features:
  • -Sleeps 4-5
  • -Rear Dinette with Storage Under Each Bench
  • -Dinette seats 4-6
  • -Dinette Coverts into 50”x74” Bed
  • -Cushions upholstered with Sunbrella brand Fabric
  • -Table with Lagun 360 Degree Swivel Mount
  • -48” Rear Pullout Gear Drawer with Table Pocket
  • -Galley with 33” Countertop
  • -2 Drawers
  • -Cabinet with 3 Adjustable Shelves
  • -Dometic 65 Liter Fridge with Freezer
  • -Sink Cabinet with Stainless Steel Sink and Faucet
  • -12v Water Pump with 10 Gallon Fresh Water Capacity
  • -5 Gallon Grey Water Tank (Never Used)
  • -Cassette Toilet (Never Used)
  • -LED Lighting in 3 Zones with a Dimmer Switch for Dinette/Bed 
  • -Led Lights in Rear Doors for use with Rear Drawer At Night
  • -Everything is made with high quality Baltic Birch Plywood and Formica Laminate
  • -Stainless Steel drawer latches with locks.
  • -Front Bed platform with Cushion
  • -Shelf over front seats for storage
  • -Renogy 200 Amp Hour Lithium Battery
  • -Renogy 175 Watt Solar Panel
  • -Redarc 25 Amp DC-DC Charger and MPPT Solar Controller
  • -Blue Sea Electrical components used throughout van
  • -Maxxair Fan with powered opening and remote control
  • -2 USB outlets in dinette area and 2 in driver’s seat base for rear seat.

Please don’t hesitate to call or text with any questions. We love talking about vans.

VIDEO TOUR OF WEEKEND EXPLORER BUILD:

VAN BUILD PRICING

Weekend Explorer Upgraded Flooring

Weekend Explorer Upgraded Flooring

If you are wanting to have us build your camper van, but do not want carpet you can upgrade to the coin mat rubber flooring.

  • 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van144” High Roof
  • 26,300 Miles
  • 3.0 Turbo Diesel -5 Speed Automatic
  • Amp Research retractable step on passenger side
  • Kenwood Apple CarPlay Stereo
  • 17” Mandrus Wheels and Michelin LTX Tires
  • Kids Bed Platform & Cushion (37×60”)
  • Sleeps 4-5
  • Rear Dinette with Storage Under Each Bench
  • Dinette Coverts into 50”x74.5” Bed
  • Table with Lagun 360 Degree Swivel Mount
  • 48” Rear Pullout Gear Drawer with Table Pocket
  • Galley with 33” Countertop, drawers, cabinets
  • Vitrifrigo 90 Liter Stainless Steel Marine Fridge with Freezer
  • 12v Water Pump with 10 Gallon Fresh Water Capacity
  • 5 Gallon Grey Water Tank (Never Used)
  • Cassette Toilet (Never Used)
  • LED Lighting in 3 Zones
  • Led Lights in Rear Doors for use with Rear Drawer At Night
  • Espar Diesel Heater
  • Adventure Wagon dual battery tray with 2 6-volt AGM batteries under hood
  • 220 Amp Hours

VIDEO TOUR OF WEEKEND EXPLORER BUILD:

VAN BUILD PRICING

Drop Down Kids Bed Camper Van

Drop Down Kids Bed Camper Van

The Kominsky family loves the river. They didn’t want a fridge, but custom measurements where they could load up their huge coolers to take down the river. They also wanted the kids bed to drop down from the ceiling. This was tricky with having to build in the lighting within the kids bed that lowers and raises to give light to the dinette in all positions.

VIDEO TOUR OF WEEKEND EXPLORER BUILD:

VAN BUILD PRICING

VAN BUILDS

VAN BUILDS

A collection of our past van builds.

FAMILY WEEKEND EXPLORER PACKAGE

Designed for a family of 4-5. Daily driver during the week while exploring on the weekends. It takes us about 4- 6 weeks to complete this build.

  • Galley – Fridge, Freezer, Sink, Toilet, Cabinets
  • Dinette / Full Size Bed
  • Kids Bed
  • Diesel Heater
  • Maxx Air Fan
  • Electrical – Battery, USB’s, 12v
  • Storage / Gear Drawer/ Overhead shelf
  • Insulation
  • Carpeted Flooring & Powder Coated Trim
  • 3 Seater Bench Seat included with Passenger Van
  • Customizations: Choose your laminate colors & cushions

— If you would like to know more about our VAN BUILD PACKAGES click here.

WEEKEND EXPLORER PACKAGE + SOLAR

WEEKEND EXPLORER PACKAGE

WEEKEND EXPLORER PACKAGE – UPGRADED FLOORING

CUSTOM BUILD – KIDS DROP DOWN BED

CLOTHES SHOP WITH DRESSING ROOM

FAMILY OVERLANDER VAN WITH BUNK BEDS

RUSTY: 2008 Dodge / Mercedes Sprinter Van- 144 low roof, 2500 diesel

BEFORE & AFTER


EL GATO GORDO: 2008 Dodge / Mercedes Sprinter Van- 170 high roof, 2500 diesel

BEFORE & AFTER

RECENT POSTS:

OUR RIGS

OUR RIGS

A look back at our van conversions, and why we made the switch from car camping to van life.

Our first van, Rusty, is a 144 low roof Sprinter Van. We flew out to Nebraska and purchased it with $144,000 miles for $4,500. Knowing that these vans can go 400,000+ miles made the high mileage not a concern especially for the price. We ended up investing $18,500 into the build and then sold it 2 years later for $35,000.

RUSTY: BEFORE & AFTER

I loved this van. It encapsulated a whole new ease and style of travel. Not that we didn’t LOVE car camping. We really did love it. Shoot, after a 10 day trip to Canada I cried on my way home wanting to continue to live in a crammed ’95 Camry wagon for longer. But with that said there were a few things that bothered me that I saw the Sprinter being able to help with.

  • LEG ROOM: We were packed to the max. Things were packed on the floor between the seats and I barley had room for my feet. It worked and it got us to some amazing places, but it was just harder. We always made the joke that the car would throw up our gear when we got to camp or to a trail head and had to pack our packs.
  • PACKING: The thought that I could have a vehicle that stored all of my camping gear and I could literally say I want to go camping, grab some food and GO. I hate packing, so this sounded like a dream.
  • WEATHER: It’s never fun to admit you came home early because of the weather. You feel like a failure, like your not tough enough, or rugged enough, right? This has happened to us a handful of times. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do when its pouring outside and freezing and you have 2 toddlers to entertain while constantly trying to keep them dry and warm. Hiking and exploring in bad weather isn’t a problem for us. If we could have a place where we could escape the bad weather, cook, play games, and stay warm, then we could stay longer. We wouldn’t get rained out and have to return home early.
  • QUICK EXIT: As parents we learned early on that we can get a lot of miles in driving when the kids sleep at night. We would leave after work and drive until 12 or 1am, pull over, pull everything out, blow it up, sleep, wake up early, deflate everything, stuff it tight, and put it all away. (We actually got pretty quick at it. We timed ourselves once and it was around 20 minutes!) But what if we already had the bed set up, pull over, get in bed, and then in the morning wake up and immediately get in our seats! Whoa… that would be amazing.

There are more reasons why we fantasized after a van, but those are really our top 4 that drove the dream.

Rusty did in fact create a new style of travel for us. We could go farther in a short period of time. We could go more often, because everything was already packed up. I think another reason why I loved it so much is because we put sooo much work into it. Yes, we did only spend $4,500, but that required ALOT of TLC.

RUSTY’S TRANSFORMATION

WHY WE BUILT A NEW VAN

You may be asking WHY? Why change? Why get a new one after all that work?

We really would have kept Rusty if it wasn’t for our choice of going full time. It was a perfect camping van. However, Rusty, lit a fire in us. A fire to never come home. The van made it soooo much easier to camp and go and explore. It seemed effortless now. What if we did this full time? What if we traveled even further? What if we quit our jobs and traveled the longest road in the world?

In the beginning we made the decision to travel the Pan American Highway in Rusty, however, to be honest… Scott never loved Rusty. Hince the name… It just had so much rust on the undercarriage and he couldn’t shake the thought of taking it on a 50,000 mile overlanding journey. He needed something that he could fix on the side of the road and not worry about the breaks fusing together because rust.

I was against this thought for so many months. I wouldn’t even entertain it. The thought of building a new van and starting the whole process over seemed overwhelming and gave me anxiety. It was fun building the van with Scott and I side by side and our endless discussions was awesome. Working full time, being parents and trying to build on nights and the weekends was harder to balance than we thought. The kids were troopers. We all gave up a lot, but knew we would gain more in return. When it came down to it, I knew the kids were growing fast and all of us sleeping in the same bed was getting harder and harder. It would be even more difficult when we were in the hot humidly of Central America. We had planned to add on a Colorado Campervan Pop Top that would be the kids room. This was a very big investment for a van that Scott didn’t trust. They’re around $15,000. Crazy, huh? Not only did we have to add on a pop top, but we also had to add in solar and more electrical ($5,000), sink and plumbing, and other items. It was all adding up quickly and came to the point where we both realized it was just too much to invest in a van that wasn’t clean and already had given us some mechanical issues. I gave in and realized Scott was right.

I never get attached to vehicles. It’s always been easy to move on to the next. However, Rusty stole my heart, and truly changed our lives. It’s because of this van our outlook on adventure expanded to the possibility of full time travel, and now when that it’s right at the door, I’m not letting it take us there. With a broken heart, I said goodbye to Rusty, and sent him off with a couple who had lots of fun adventures planned. We follow them on instagram and love to seeing Rusty still going strong and off to new adventures!

OUR NEW RIG: EL GATO GORDO

We’re super stoked about our new van, El Gato Gordo (The Fat Cat).

2008 Dodge / Mercedes Sprinter Van- 170 high roof, 2500 diesel

BEFORE & AFTER

Main differences:

  • High Roof vs Low Roof = 1ft higher (allows for overhead storage)
  • 144 vs 170 (wheel base) = 3ft longer (allows to add in a larger kitchen + kids bunk beds)
  • 38,000 v.s 165,000 miles = lower mileage (peace of mind)
  • Passenger vs Cargo = No need to add kid seats, windows, headliner, or side paneling. (saves an amazing amount of time)
  • Nebraska vs Arizona = Rusty came from Nebraska where they used salt on the roads where corrosion was more of an issue. El Gato Gordo came from Arizona where this wasn’t an issue. (Full Paint & New Door – $7,500)
  • More Options = A lot more options: LCD Display, aux diesel heater from factory, etc.

All in all the cost to move to Rusty to El Gato Gordo was a wash. With the money we made from Rusty we were able to purchase our new van and build it out for the same cost we were going to have into Rusty. Once again, Scott was right. It was the best decision to start over. A lot of work, but hard work pays off.

RECENT POSTS: