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