A year and a half ago, I did something I feared might be really stupid. I’ve long been plaguedÌęwith an irrational mania forÌęVW camper vans—so much so that I’ve owned eight. With a pair of capable rigs sitting in my driveway, I decided to list them on a relatively new website called . The site had been heralded as a sort of AirbnbÌęor VRBO for campers. Post yours up, and Outdoorsy handles bookings, payouts, and,Ìęimportantly, insurance (itÌęjust launched itsÌęown insurance company, Roamly). My 2003 EurovanÌęWinnebago, a.k.a. Gretta Van Lefturn, was in solid enough shape that I reckoned she could haul renters from my house in Charleston, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina,Ìęor Disney World without breaking down. With a little work, a beautiful 1991 Westfalia called Rosie, a van I shared with a friend, was rentable, too.

The first problem I saw was my attachment to these inanimate objects. Gretta has taken my family on some wonderful journeys. AsÌęaÌęfreelanceÌęwriter, she also functions as a mobile office, kitchen, and motel. After agonizing a bit with my wife, I commiserated with a good buddy who’s not only a financial plannerÌębut also rents his ownÌęRV on AirbnbÌę(renters simply stay on his property; theyÌędon’t drive it). “Separate your emotions, and consider the van asÌęa financial asset,” he said. “If you can’t, you’ll be miserable.” Well-sortedÌęVW campers don’t grow on trees. If a renter trashed Gretta, or worse, she was totaled, well, I’d be kicking myself. But at the same time, if I could make a hundred bucks a dayÌęand renters respected my roving snail shell, thatÌęwould beÌęnice pocket change I could put towardÌękeeping the rig maintained and would let meÌęearnÌęa little gig-economy incomeÌęand maybe shareÌęsome stoke with like-minded adventurers.

After learning about , I studied up on a couple of the site’s competitors. is a peer-to-peer car-rental website that has been featured twice in șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű. In 2017, my buddy Owen Burke rented a VW Westfalia from a Turo owner and roamed the Northwest. More recently, mustachioed șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű contributor Paddy O’ConnellÌęrented Jimmy Chin’s van and filmed aÌęvideo about the experience. So Turo seemed worth a shot.ÌęI also checked out a longer-established website called RVShare. But RVShare wouldn’t insure an older VW.

Over the past few years, Outdoorsy has become a juggernaut. Company spokesman Mac Mills told me that since founders and camping fanatics flipped the switch in 2015, Outdoorsy has seen more than 200,000 renters who have generated a half-billion dollars in transactions on 50,000 listings. The company now rents Airstreams, Roadtreks, Shastas, Westfalias, and WinnebagosÌęin the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Ireland. With millenials and Gen Xers making up the majority of renters, the most popular vehicles are Class B vansÌęlike theÌęÌęand camper vansÌęlikeÌęÌęor my VW. The company also has thousands of wisdom- and warning-sharing owners in its Facebook group for Outdoorsy owners.

I first test-listed our Westfalia camper and the Eurovan on Outdoorsy and Turo. After three weeks, only one two-day rental came in through Turo. The renters, a group of golfers, left the Westy a mess, even ripping out a power socket—arguably my fault because I wasn’t explicit enough with care instructions.ÌęBut after my experiences and talking to other potential renters, I got the senseÌęthat folks use Turo to rent a car, whileÌęOutdoorsy is geared more specifically toward camping. With that in mind, I hoped campers would take better care of a camping-specific rental.ÌęWithin a couple of days on Outdoorsy, I had my first renter for Gretta. Then another. And another. As far as I can tell, nearly two years in,Ìę.

The verdict: overall, Outdoorsy’s been a positive experience. So much soÌęthatÌęI’m postingÌęÌęand a reissuedÌę. In some ways, I think I’mÌęa quintessential “van lord.” I don’t do much marketing, and like most owners who post on the Outdoorsy Facebook group, I rely on the income more for upkeep rather than as a major source of revenue.ÌęThough if the added campers start renting well, who knows what’s down the road?ÌęSome renters in very camper-friendly markets like Southern California have scaled way up and are pulling in north of $100,000 per year, according to Outdoorsy.

If you’re thinking of listing a camper,Ìęa bit of wisdom: First, honestly consider whether you’re willing to be available at all hours for phone calls when someone has a question. I dig talking to people about campers anyway, so I don’t mind. Once you’ve passed that hurdle, spend some real time creating your listing. TakeÌęa lotÌęof good pictures for your ad, and maybe even a video, with its systems deployed in a pretty setting. Add a photo and profile of yourself, too. Renters want to know who you are.

My renters have generally taken care of Gretta, but there have been issues. OnceÌęa renter left a slab of fish in the freezer. After a few summer days with the fridge off, the result was horrific. But broken cup holders, accidentally sprayed fire extinguishers, broken awning arms, or the occasional ding are just the price of doing business. That’s what insurance and damage deposits are for. That said, give at least an hourlong pre-rental walk-through to go over systems thoroughly and impress uponÌęthe renter that this is your beloved personal property. Create a custom “vanual” that stays in the vehicle to easily answer common questions, list its quirks, and clearly explainÌęcheckout expectations. Even consider putting how-toÌęvideos on an old iPhone and leaving it in the camper.

As far as gearing up, equip it fully for camping, ready to go with cooking gear and utensils, lighting, rack straps, and cleaning supplies. Exceptions can include linens and sleeping bags, which some renters bring, but have those items in case they don’t. Board games and playing cards are a nice touch, too. If you’re renting to a family with kids, markers and a drawing padÌęhelp pass the miles andÌęmake for good pickup games of Pictionary.

When you actually get a rental request, ask where your renter is headed. Maybe it’s a posse of bachelors on their way to the Georgia-Florida football game, a.k.a. the world’s largest cocktail party. Are you willing to clean up vomit residue or fix a broken door or clogged toilet? If it’s a crew making for Burning Man, dust, glitter, and drugs will likely be in the mix. (Outdoorsy just publishedÌęÌęthat you might find useful.) People expect to leave a rental car dirty, but a camper is a different equation, and cleaning is a pain in the ass I don’t have time for. So with the exception of linens, demand that your camper be returned clean byÌęnotifying renters on your listing that you will charge them plenty to do it yourselfÌęif the need arisesÌę(I advertise $75 an hourÌębut haven’t needed to charge it yet). And if your rental includes toilet facilities or a Porta-Potty, be very explicit about cleaning expectations or expect janitorial delight.

Give a close read to the ÌęOutdoorsy lists on itsÌęwebsite and . You’ll find answers to questions you never thought to ask about, things like insurance, cancellations, and user reviews.

If you’re worried about a breakdown, renting will be miserableÌęfor youÌęand miserable on the side of the road for your renters. You’re accelerating wear and tear by renting and not keeping ahead of that will come back to bite you. For that reason, put a good chunk of revenue aside (at least 25 percent) for a maintenance fund. Also, ensure renters sign up for roadside assistanceÌęor have their own. Trip insurance is an Outdoorsy option, too, one that’s wise for your renters’ peace of mind—and yours.

The post Read This Before Renting Your Beloved Van to Strangers appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Well, it’s about damn time.Ìę

Today, Mercedes-Benz has taken the intriguing step of offering a factory-built pop-top camper to the American masses. Thanks to a just-announced partnership with Seattle’s and Mercedes-Benz Master Solutions partner , you will be able to walk into any U.S. Mercedes-Benz Vans dealership this spring (a firm date has not been announced yet) and order a fully warrantied Weekender model camper with seating for up to five and sleeping for up to four. It’s the first time a manufacturer has offered a pop-top camper in America since Volkswagen ended its Winnebago-built Eurovan camper program back in 2003.Ìę

Thanks to Harley Sitner, owner of Peace Vans, one of the largest VW camper businesses in North America, I’ve been given a sneak peak of the Weekender model camper, which makes its debut this weekend at the Chicago Auto Show. As someone who’s owned seven VW Westfalia Vanagons, a 2003 VW Eurovan camper, and driven a Metris (known as a Vito in Europe) all over Scotland, I feel comfortable calling thisÌęrig an heir apparent to VW’s storied campers.Ìę

What’s the Deal?

In late 2016, Sitner made a trip to Germany to scout out camper-equipment manufacturers for his business. Though happily restoring, selling, and renting all manner of aging VW campers to eager customers at Peace Vans, Sitner was frustrated thatÌęmidsizeÌępop-top campers like theÌę and Ìęweren’t available in the States. After intensive discussions with German manufacturers (camper interiors) and (pop tops), Sitner loaded a shipping container with parts from those two companies and worked with his crew to engineer a U.S.-built Metris camper. That camper, which he dubbed the Weekender, quickly sold, and he soon convinced the owner of neighboringÌęMercedes-Benz of Seattle to stick a couple of Peace Vans rigs on hisÌęlot. Sitner was soon selling as many of his Weekenders and full-camper models—equipped with a stove, sink, refrigerator, and furnace—as his small shop could supply.Ìę

Around a year ago, Sitner was contacted by Mercedes. The team at the Mercedes Vans factory in Charleston, South Carolina, had been paying close attention to the U.S. camper-van market. While there were all manner of RVs available on the larger Sprinter platform, the team agreed with Sitner that the smaller Metris might prove to be the perfect pop-top rig for a much larger fan base.Ìę

Sitner didn’t have the resources to build a factory, but just up the road from the Charleston plant,Ìęupfitter Driverge had the room and ability to produce Peace Vans campers on a manufacturer’s scale.

“One thing we struggled with was, How do we capture the passion and knowledge these smaller, great upfitters bring to the table?” Mercedes Vans upfit manager Don Maxwell told me. “That’s what we feel like we’ve done partnering with [Sitner]. It’s the best of both worlds, having [Sitner] and his credibility and design and our trusted partner Driverge, which has invested a lot here in Charleston and can produce with the same material and processes [Sitner] usesÌębut at a quicker rate.”Ìę

What You Get

Size-wise, the Metris is in a class of its own. It’s a bigger vehicle than Dodge’s ProMaster City, Ford’sÌęTransit Connect,Ìęand Nissan’sÌęNV2000, but it’s not nearly so large as a full-size Sprinter, ProMaster, or Transit. The pop-top-equipped Metris will fit inside a standard seven-foot-high garage and offerÌęa very tight 36-foot turning circle (which destroys my Eurovan Camper’s 47-foot circleÌębut is slightly less than the 34.5-foot circle made byÌęmy nimble Vanagon Westfalia). It’s as maneuverable as a car.Ìę

Pricing isn’t completely nailed down, but for somewhere between $26,000 and $30,000 above the base Metris’s sticker price ($31,000) you’ll get the following. (The starting price for an empty 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van is $34,495.)

A Pop TopÌę

The tough, crash-tested, elevatingÌęfiberglass roof features aÌęwater-resistant heavy-duty tent and has a sleeping area for two. The upper bed is very comfy, with an integrated spring system, a two-inch memory-foam mattress, three windows, and added USB ports for lights and charging. Two of the three zip-open windows are outfitted with fine-mesh screens, while the third zips down to reveal a clear plastic window—a terrific option for seeing outside when it’s cold or rainy. Another thing I really dig is that both the top and the bed are gas shocked/spring loaded, so they go up with an easy push. Unlike the Eurovan or Vanagon, the Metris top pops up around 19 inches—high enough in back that you can sleep with your head towardÌęthe rear. (At the front edge of the mattress, that height increases to 38 inches.)

Unlike with a Eurovan or Vanagon pop-top, you can’t really leave your sleeping gear up top after the bed is folded away, but there’s plenty of room for that behind the rear seat.Ìę

Curtains

Hand-sewn by Peace Vans, the Weekender has privacy curtains all around, including a big one that covers the frontÌędriverÌęand passenger windshields, just like in an old-school Westy.Ìę

Rear Bed/Seat

The Reimo seat has three shoulder belts and attachments for two child seats. The seat doesn’t come outÌębut slides forward on rails into four different positions—including flush up against the front seats—allowing the van to function as a cargo rig should you need it. It folds down into a double-sizeÌębed, and the seat itself pops open to reveal a huge storage area. There’s a swing-out leg that allows for the mounting of a sturdy table inside (or even outside)Ìęthe van. The table, which mounts to the back of the seat, also has freestanding legs. Because it’s Reimo, and a standard design, the seat tracks should accommodate all manner of for gear. This versatility allows you to make quick changes to your living area while you’re on the road.

Rotating Front SeatsÌę

The comfortable and firm stock Mercedes seats rotate 180 degrees with the flip of a lever, making it easy to lounge in the van’s interior.Ìę

A Coach BatteryÌę

Key for any camper van, the second auxiliary battery will keep an running without draining the starter batteryÌęand will power lights, a small inverter, or other accessories.Ìę

A Rear Receiver HitchÌę

The rearÌęfeatures a standard receiver, wired with a trailer brake and solar connector for portable panels, to provide additional power to the coach battery. The Metris features a solid 5,000-pound tow capacity. Pull a tow-behind trailer and you have two bedrooms.

On the Road

It’s important to note that Mercedes has a higher safety standard for this camper than essentially any other vanlife camping rig on the road. RVs aren’t subject to the same crashworthiness requirements—that’s why so many have rear lap belts instead of shoulder belts and no rear airbags. But if a vehicle is sold through a dealer, stricter rules apply. The Weekender maintains the Metris’s stock rear airbags and collision prevention, and it includes its excellent , plus a rearview camera.

I had the opportunity to drive a turbo-diesel Vito—the European version of the Metris—all over Scotland. I was amazed at the van’s stability, power, and collision prevention, and I fell in love with its steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, which were a boon on long Highlands downhills.

For a bit more information on an actual Peace Vans build, I reached out to a Weekender owner named Scott Erickson. Erickson lives in Ojai, California, with his wife and two young kids. He bought a Weekender last year, and the family calls it Scout.

Like me, Erickson has had a decades-long love affair with VW vans. After owning everything from microbuses to a Eurovan Weekender camper, he said he and his wife were looking for the safety and reliability of a new vehicle. “You don’t have time to worry about working on a van when you have two kids,” he said. “Our van had to be a daily driver. When we saw the Peace Vans Metris, I was like, Holy shit, this is it.”

Erickson said he looked at a couple of other Metris upfits, but none had the Peace Vans fit and finishÌęor what he called the van’s “magical” sliding seat. “Plus, the dual swivel seats provide a tremendous amount of room,” he said. “In the summer, we take her down the beach when I get off work and play and swim for an hour and then share a pizza right in the van as the sun sets with our dog at our feet. It’s a beautiful thing.”Ìę

He described the 2.0-liter, 208-horsepower turbocharged motor as plenty powerful for effortlessly propelling Scout through the High SierraÌęat 80 miles per hour. Equipped with Peace Vans’ 1.5-inch lift, and shorn with all-terrain tires, the rear-wheel-drive van has camped everywhere he’s wanted to go with little drama. In economy mode, which shuts the motor at stoplights, he’s seen 25 miles per gallon. By contrast, my 201-horsepower 2003 Eurovan camper averages around 18 miles per gallon wherever I go.

Mostly, he said, the family just piles into the camper and goes, without a care in the world. “We get stopped by people all the time. Getting gas, people run across the street—‘Hey man, can I check it out?’”

“[Sitner] built a modern version of what we wanted from Volkswagen,” Erickson said.

Optional Upgrades

The options list for this van are expected to rapidly expand as production ramps up. But the current rundown is as follows:

• Solar panels, which can be mounted to the pop top, an off-grid charger, and a plug-in outlet for charging at campsites.Ìę
• A Kenwood touchscreen head unit with navigation and Android/AppleÌęinterface to replace the stock model.
• 3M body wrap with a choice of over 200 colors. This actually makes a good bit of sense if you’re going to be traveling off the grid and want to protect your paint.Ìę
• An eight-foot Fiamma F-45 awning—an industry standard with an integrated gutter to keep rain from running down into the hatch.
• Mosquito/bug screens for the rear hatch and sliding doors. This would be key for places like my home in buggy Charleston, where the van is upfitted.Ìę
• A rear tent that quickly attaches to the back lift gate to addÌęspace and privacy.Ìę
• Swing-out rear doors. The van comes standard with a lifting hatch, which is better in most instances because it blocks sun and rain. But if you want to attach something to the rear doors like a bike rack, or cut out a hole for a window air-conditioningÌęunit, optional swing-out doors can make sense.Ìę
• Roof racks for hauling surfboards, cargo boxes, or skis.
• A pullout rear kitchen custom-designed by .
• A 1.5-inch lift,Ìę if you purchase a van directly through Peace Vans. Before Mercedes offers this option on dealer-purchased vans, it will have to go through additional testing.

Possible Upgrades

• A middle seat.ÌęIt will have to undergo additional testing, but a removable middle seat is on the horizon, according to Sitner.Ìę
• A full camper. If you want one of Peace Vans’ amazing, European-sourced interior , you’ll have to purchase it directly from them for at least the next six months. After more testing and certification, Maxwell said, Mercedes hopes to build full Peace Vans campers as well.Ìę

The post We’re Dying to Get Mercedes-Benz’s Metris Weekender Van appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Perched at the bottom of a muddy, off-camber, and leaf-slicked North Carolina fire road, I’m mildly unnerved by Chris Bienert’s confidence. “Just ease off the brakes,” he says. “It’ll climb right up.”

With a small tap on the accelerator, Bienert’s $130,000 pride and joy—a brand-new, four-wheel-driveÌę—begins a slow, steady, and remarkably sure-footed ascent up a road very few factory-built American RVs would have any business attempting. After a half-mile of climbing, Bienert, the guy who designed the camping upfits for this Winnebago-modified Mercedes Sprinter van, instructs me to set the cruise control at around three miles an hour. With Mercedes’s downhill-assist control engaged, we begin an equally and eerily stable descent.

I’ve been particularly interested in the Revel since Winnebago revealed its first . My favorite toy as a six-year-old was a burly . I’ve owned seven VW campers, including two Syncros and my current rig, a , modified for light off-roading—a van, ironically, designed by Chris Bienert. I’ve also overseen build-outs of a Syncro and a pair of veggie-oil-powered, four-wheel-drive . I’m a geek for this stuff.

I took the wheel of this Revel in November at Overland Expo East, an annual gathering outside Asheville, North Carolina. Ogled at by a stream of gawkers, dreamers, and buyers ready to pull out their checkbooks, the sleek, mud-splattered camper looked right at home amidÌęthe Tacomas, Land Cruisers, Sportsmobiles, and half-million-dollar EarthRoamers. Starting at the rear doors, Bienert, a longtime product designer for Winnebago, began a detailed tour. “The basic philosophy behind the van is:Ìęit’s not about the van,” he said. “It’s about getting into the outdoors.”

The Specs

The Revel begins life at Winnebago’s factory in Lake Mills, Iowa,Ìęas an empty and unmodified Sprinter cargo van equipped with Mercedes’s factory four-wheel-drive system. Winnebago adds the camper interior and copious electronic life support.

Though he’s supremely confident in the capabilities of Winnebago’s #vanlife fetish object, Bienert admits that he was terribly nervous when Winnebago began selling the Revel last year. It’s easy to understand why. This is the first full-on adventure rig that Winnebago has ever built. It’s also the first mass-produced, four-wheel-drive camper to be sold in the U.S. since the last VW Syncro Vanagon Westfalia was built, in 1992.

Taking a detailed tour, I found a lot to like. At ground level, the Revel is shorn with tires mounted to a burly set of black aluminum rims. Highly capable thanks to its stiffness, legendary all-terrain tread, and a quiet highway ride, this tire is perfect for the backcountry or motoring along at 80 miles per hour. The 19.4-foot-long Revel rides on a stock Sprinter’s short-wheelbase chassis. Coming in at around 7,200 pounds laden with a galley, bathroom, rear bed, plumbing, furnace, and solid wooden cabinetry, it can carry an additional 1,360 pounds of people and gear while offering around eight inches of ground clearance. This isn’t Ford Sportsmobile high, but with a short 144-inch wheelbase, it’ll cross rutted fire roads and low berms without bottoming out. Powered by a torquey (325 foot-pound, 188-horsepower), three-liter turbodiesel engine that delivers 15 to 18 miles per gallon, the Revel will tow a remarkable 5,000 pounds—enough for a good-sized boat.

Four-wheel drive is on demand, activated via a switch on the dash. It features a low gear range to aid with steep hill climbs and descentsÌęand slippage detection, which directs torque away from free-spinning wheels in favor of those still planted on terra firma. The system delivers 35 percent of engine power to the front wheels and 65 percent to the rear, sufficient to pull the van through the kind ofÌęoff-road conditions most of us will encounter. Enabling this tall van to resist buffeting winds and reduce roll in turns is Mercedes’s stability assist, which subtly adjusts the braking and torque to certain wheels. On a curvy, wind-blasted Asheville road, the Revel felt glued to the pavement.

Power, Storage, and Bedding

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, Bienert showed off a neat detachable rear ladder that can be hung from the roof rack and all along the driver’s side for roof access. In addition to a standard RV gray-water-tank purge and shore-power input, there are multiple electric outlets and even a socket that allows you to plug in your own external solar panels. Up top, the Revel bears a full Summit roof-rack system and two 100-watt solar panels. You can add more solar, but 200 watts is sufficient—and it leaves room for surfboards or kayaks. You’ll also find LED lighting at the rear, side, and running boards and a powered, lighted ten-foot side awning that automatically retracts if its built-in sensors detect too much wind. To keep the bugs out, Winnebago offers zippered, snap-in rear and side-door screens. These are adequate, but a better option would be a sliding system like the one offeredÌęon the Travato camper.

Inside the rear doors lays a pull-out outdoor hot-water shower, tie-down anchors for bikes and gear, and 110-volt, 12-volt, and USB outlets. The 140-cubic-foot rear bedroom/garage is also well lit. The Revel makes wide use of for holding electronics, additional lights, and other accessories. The tough wood-grain vinyl flooring sloughed off gobs of mud tracked in by expo attendees.

The four-foot-wide rear double bed is trick. It ascends to the ceiling via a motorized lift, creating a five-foot-tall room (regular standing height elsewhere is six feetÌęthree inches). Winnebago created bed extrusions where the rear side windows would go, expanding the horizontal sleeping width to around six feetÌęseven inches. With the bed raised, you can fill the room with chairs, storage bins, mountain bikes, whatever.

Be aware, though, that when the Revel’s rear bed is fully lowered (and unless you’re pretty short, you’ll need it fully lowered for sleeping), you only have around 26 inches for gear from the floor to the bottom of the bed. You’ll have to lay bikes sideways. The video below breaks down the vehicle’s exact measurements.

On the driver’s side, you’ll find the bathroom/closet. The layout seems strange, but there is a logic to it. Any small camper has to make trade-offs between storage and living space. HereÌęyou’ll either have a small bathroom and shower with a European-style cassette toilet, or a big closet with easily removable bamboo shelvesÌęand, importantly, .

Cooking and Climate Control

Across from the water closet is the Revel’s galley. It’s Westfalia-ishÌęin its function, with a nice stainless-steel sink and a vertical pantry with adjustable shelves. The single-burner induction cooking stove is very efficientÌębut useless with aluminum cookware, since it generates heat via by creating an iron-and-steel-friendly magnetic field. There’s also a nice foldout galley table and another extension that creates a great outside table. For cooling,Ìęthe Revel relies on an efficient, compressor-powered, 2.5-cubic-foot fridge. It will basically run forever as long as the Revel’s coach batteries can be charged by the sun.

There’s no propane canister for heat or cooking, and thusÌęno flames inside the coach at all. The heating system is a diesel-fed Espar hydronic system that not only heats cabin air and waterÌębut, becauseÌęit’s snaked into the the Revel’s extensive insulation system, protects basically every spot where a pipe or freshwaterÌęor wastewater tanks could be exposed to the elements and freeze. This means happy camping even in subzero conditions—risky in most RVs. It’s ingenious. Coupled with European-style insulated and screened acrylic glass windows that open from the top to keep out rain, you’re remarkably protected from the elements. Slide-down shades on the acrylic windows and insulated panels that cover the front, side, and rear windows offer privacy.

For air-conditioning while camping, Winnebago opted for an RV-standard 120-volt rooftop A/C. You’d either run this via shore power or . For boondocking in hot weather, this is not as outwardly ideal as the newer lithium system found in Winnebago’s Travato or . On those on-road campers, anÌęengine generator and lithium batteries beneath the hood power the roof A/C, and an hour of idling recharges the system for several more hours. The Revel’s coach is powered by three traditional AGM lead-acid batteries, which are heavier and don’t store as much electricity as lithiums. But there’s, again, logic at work for an off-road RV. AGMs are less expensive, can be replaced at auto-parts shops, and are less sensitive to temperature and impacts. Additionally, you’re not supposed to idle a diesel for much more than a half-hour at a time. If you’re off the grid and it’s only marginally hot, the Max fan that also comes standard in the roof will cool just fine.

Seating

Up front, the Revel is essentially stock Sprinter, aside from its comfortable and supportive front seats, which rotate 180 degrees, creating a dining room or office when coupled with the nifty fold-down table at the rear seat. But this brings me to my major gripes: for all that’s great, Revel’s rear seat reveals three glaring shortcomings. First, it’s tight for two passengers. Second, andÌęmore importantly, it features lap-only seat belts. For parents of kids now out of car seats, the lack of a shoulder belt system makes the Revel a nonstarter. Third, Revel’s rear seat only converts into a single bed, most suitable for one kid. Even my smaller 2003 Eurovan Winnebago has shoulder belts for a rear seat that still manages to fold down to a near double-width bed, which, combined withÌęthe pop top, allows my van to sleep four. Winnebago did copious research before building the Revel, but I wish it hadÌęspoken to more outdoorsy parents. It’s tough to believeÌęthat there aren’t at least a few thousand more families like mine who would consider this camper were it better set up for four people.

I brought this concern up to Bienert. He replied that while the lap belts in the Revel do meet Department of Transportation standards, “We have heard the message.”

The Takeaway

Winnebago has built a winner with its first real overlanding camper. The Revel is a terrific rig for two people that, with a little tweaking, could become a great overlanding camper for a small family. Coupled with the fact that you can finance an RV like this for 20 years, an average human can get one with manageable monthly payments. I’m looking for a car just like this to replace my old Eurovan, use as a remote office, and travel the highways, back roads, and beaches of North America with my small tribe. Add in those shoulder belts and I’m in.

The post The 4WD Winnebago Revel Is a Breakthrough Camper Van appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

In addition to the drool-inducing rigs we saw earlier this month at Overland Expo East in Asheville, North Carolina,Ìęthere was a bevy of new gear to make living the four-wheel life even more luxurious.

Blue Ridge Expedition Trailers BRX-1 Uwharrie Package ($19,750; above)

We liked the heavy-duty steel frame, tough aluminum skin, and highÌę20-inch clearance suspension of this “” (as BRX calls it). Hand built in Lewisville, North Carolina, the camper features an instant propane hot-water shower, a compressor fridge, a full galley, and inputs for solar panels and other electronics. InsideÌęyou’ll find beautifully crafted hardwood cabinetry and a queen-size memory-foam mattress.

E-Z Over Grill ($279)

There’s a lot to like about this , invented by Pennsylvania outdoorsman, stonemason, and foodie Doug Buffenmeyer. It hangs from a tripod and can be easily raised and lowered above the included coal basin—via an adjustable steel cable—for precise heating. The grate clamps down on your burgers, brats, and buns while cooking. With the clamp secured, simply rotate the entire grill to flip your food.

Kovea Dream Gas BBQ Grill ($210)

Korean brand Kovea builds a variety of tricked-out camping gear. Our favorite, though, is the butane-fueled . Heat is evenly distributed with a U-shaped burner, and the grill comes with three different cooking surfaces: a broad cooking pan, a grill for burgers and kabobs, and a grid assembly for pots and pans. A drip plate catches greasy runoff, and the whole package assembles and disassembles in seconds.

Topper EZ Lift Weekender ($1,995)

Pop-up campers have been with us for a while, but Topper has raised the bar by turning your existing pickup truck camper top into a pop-up. Using a system of four electric jacks set at each corner and mounted to the bed and the roof of your camper, the EZ securely lifts essentially any camper back, making it possible to jam a full load of building supplies and wood into your truck bed without taking off the camper. And with the ’s insulated and cozy tent setup (with no-see-um-rated screening to keep bugs out), you can live out your wildest Westfalia fantasies without all the breakdowns.

Flexopower Lithium 444 Power Pack ($412) and Baja 105W Solar Kit ($399)

Deploy this Flexopower combo in full sunlight and you’ll have enough power to juice everything from a laptop to a portable fridge. The includes a 12-volt solar controller to regulate the output. Hook it up to the , a remarkably compact lithium battery system with a built-in 400-watt pure sine inverter, meaning it can run even the most sensitive electronics without frying them.

Blue Ridge Chair Works XL Deck Chair ($290)

The is built in North Carolina with beautiful kiln-dried ash that’ll spruce up any overland setup, and the back and seat are made of burly polyester for durability. Comfortable, adjustable shoulder straps make the chair easy to tote.

Blue Ridge Overland Gear Molle Seat Back Panel ($59)

We love the handmade packs and organizers from Blue Ridge Overland. The attaches to the front seat headrest and serves as a sort of docking station for Blue Ridge Overland’s myriad Molle-compatible bags and attachments—from bottle holders to tool pouches.

Opus Camper Air Opus Tent ($19,000)

How do you create a truly palatial popup camper without a ton of weight? If you’re Opus, you make all the supports inflatable. The is not much bigger than many overlanding tow-behind rigs, but when you open it up and flip on the integrated “air pole” compressor system, you have a full-fledged eight-foot-high, 20-foot-wide backcountry palace within about 90 seconds. It’ll sleep up to six, and the annex attachment provides space for a kitchen. No cranks or rigid poles are necessary, yet it’s still strong and watertight enough to .

Dometic PLB 40 Power Bank ($641)

¶ÙŽÇłŸ±đłÙŸ±łŠâ€™s (available in January) is designed to provide a portable replacement for any camper’s coach battery. The PLB40 uses a new lithium iron sulfate technology, which delivers a steady 12.8 volts of power until it’s almost fully depleted. What this means for sophisticated electronics and power-sipping fridges like ($622) is that it delivers essentially as much useable power as a much larger battery. You’ll likely get more than twoÌędays of charge for your fridge via this little beast and it’ll take a reviving charge via USB, solar, or 12- or 120-volt inputs, too.Ìę

ARB Jack ($812)

ARB had a steady stream of curious onlookers during its demos of itsÌę.ÌęCompared with an industry standard workhorse like the (32 pounds, 7,000-pound capacity), ARB’s jack (28 pounds, 4,409-pound capacity) is indeed pricey. But it’s also more compact and, with its simple design, is incredibly easy to deploy, raise, and lower. We were also impressed with a blow-off valve that keeps the Jack from exceeding its recommended capacity, and a lifting handle which is much, much shorter than the extended jawbreaker on the Hi-Lift (no accidentalÌęconcussion-inducing releases). The Jack will lift your Land Rover to an impressive 48 inches.

Kinsmen Hardware 270-Degree Awning ($1,499)

Tough as they come, this freestanding bolts securely to the roof of your van, car, or camper and deploys in about 30 seconds to give an amazing swath of protection from the elements. We were impressed with its thick and solidly stitched marine-grade fabric, which is attached to a tubular-steel frame via durable brass and stainless-steel fittings. Kinsmen’s inventors say it will hold up under a few inches of snow or 35-mile-per-hour winds.

Ural Gear Up Sidecar Motorcycle ($16,500)

Want to know what handled really well in the calf-deep mud pit that was Reeb Ranch during Overland Expo East? A two-wheel-drive motorcycle. The ’s drive-shaft-powered sidecar wheel engages on the fly to give this mini overland machine gobs of traction. We love the sidecar’s spacious trunk, and the Gear Up’s low-maintenance, fuel-injected, air-cooled motor is basically a Russian version of BMW’s venerable boxer engine. It’s not cheap, but it’ll carry you and a friend from Siberia clear to Calais.

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This year’s Ìętook place November 9 to 11 at the beautiful just outsideÌęAsheville, North Carolina. Thanks to a day and a half of relentlessÌęchilly rain, off-road tires plowed the sodden grounds into the consistency of a Louisiana mud bog. Here are eight of our favorite overland camping machines, as described by their owners, that managed to navigate the calf-deep muck.

2008 Jeep Wrangler and 1967 U.S. Marine Corps Surplus M416 Trailer

Matt Gessner, veterinarian

“The Jeep has a three-inch lift, steel bumpers, an old , and aÌę on top with a . I have a , but it’s 220 pounds—and you could feel it on the top of the Jeep. The top of the trailer had an aluminum lid that worked great, but it couldn’t support anything. So I had in Greensboro, North Carolina, build a steel lid. This summer, my family and I did two days on the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route starting in Damascus, Virginia, and getting off around Roanoke. The setup was just awesome. It pulled like a dream. Just being out there in the mountains with the family and the mountains and those views, that was the pinnacle thus far.”

2005 Mitsubishi Fuso 140

Dan Carr, retired military aircraft maintenance engineer

“I found the truck on Craigslist in Connecticut. It was built for a ferrier, a guy who shoed horses. He had walls inside the back and bars for hanging the horseshoes. I tore all of that out and opened it up. I’m going to build out a kitchen, but right now I just have a cot that fits perfectly and an Ikea wooden platform with a piece of foam and about 15 layers of blankets. Last night I was comfortable as could be. I’m taking it to Alaska next year. Other than needing to soften up the suspension a bit, I love the way it drives and handles. And because Fusos were sold in North America, you can get parts for it here. It’s a really nice setup.”

1979 Mercedes Unimog

Mike Ladden, restaurant owner and real estate executive

“I’m a Land Rover guy. But I was always fascinated with Unimogs. I imported this one from Switzerland. It was a Swiss Mountain Police vehicle with an inline six-cylinder diesel engine. I added a turbo and faster axles because it was naturally a bit slow. It’ll go 65 now. It’s been pretty much all over the U.S. I’ve had it in Moab, and I did a trans–Labrador Newfoundland trip. A couple of weeks ago, I went to Vermont Overland and took it on a Class IV road. I have no idea how that was ever actually a road. But the truck just does fantastically. I’ve never gotten it stuck. But it does have a 22,500-pound winch on back, which I’ve used to get other vehicles unstuck and pull trees out of the yard.

On back is an old U.S. military Humvee trailer. I built the rest of the living structure. It has a bed setup that will sleep two people. It’ll soon have a little office space with a swing-out desk, because I work remotely. It has front and back roll-up fire-engine doors, so that in nice weather you can open it all up. And the bathroom was a priority. It has a cassette toilet and a full-size shower with a propane hot-water heater. It’ll suck water fromÌęjerricans or even right out of a stream and give you hot water in five seconds.”

1983 Land Cruiser Turbo Diesel Camper

Marc Joinville, semi-retired truck driver

“My wife and I did an ATV trip in 2007 and 2008, taking a small trailer from Canada all the way to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Backroads, fire roads, forest service roads. Ten months of living outdoors. After that, my wife really wanted a place to get indoors. For me that had to be a Land Cruiser. I’ve had four of them. But finding a rig with camper space was quite a challenge. So when I stumbled on this on eBay, I said, ‘This is it. We’re never gonna both find a vehicle we love like this.’ The camper was hand-built by a guy in Australia. The 35-year-old canvas is still watertight. This Land Cruiser’s got two 35-liter water tanks and an extra fuel tank. It had a propane RV fridge, and I took that out and put in a 12-volt fridge with 145 watts of solar for two auxiliary batteries. It’s got LED lighting and an exhaust fan. I also added a sink. When I got it there was no place to sit. It was just countertops all the way around, and you’d put planks across to sleep. I took all that out. The outside shell is pretty much the way I bought it, but the inside is all me.”

1995 Mitsubishi Delica 4×4 Turbo Diesel Van

Vincent Bouchard, retiree and van dweller

“A few months ago, I decided to live on the road. This isn’t my first overlanding vehicle. I started a few years ago with a Jeep with a rooftop tent. Then a trailer with the Jeep, then a Ford Raptor with the trailer. I found out about these vans because someone mentioned the greatness of Delicas in the comments on a Jalopnik article.

All vehicles are a long list of compromises, the hard part is figuring out what you really need and what you don’t. I knew I wanted a living space that was all-in-one. I like the outdoors but I also like cities. With a big Fuso or a Sprinter, you can go explore Portland, but you can’t park it in the city. I wanted to be as stealthy as possible. That’s why this has no roof racks, no awning, and no rear jerrican or tire carrier. I went with smaller tires so the spare could fit under the van. I did install the snorkel, though.

The ride is really comfy. It doesn’t feel like a four-wheel-drive vehicle. It’s civilized. The sound system and climate control are great, and it’s quiet.”

2008 Land Rover LR3

Tre Cash, medic and search and rescue specialist

“I started camping with a Nissan truck. Then my wife and I had kids and we needed a little more space. For me, this LR3 is just perfect. I have a sleeping platform inside for traveling by myself, and thenÌęif the family goes somewhere, we use the Oz tent on the roof. Then the wraps around to the , so that everything’s covered but the front of the truck. I put aluminum drawers in back to keep everything organized and store food in an . I added bigger tires and kept the stock air suspension. It’s got a factory snorkel and the factory roof, which I’ve modified like crazy. I added a cell booster, a Wi-Fi hot spot, an air compressor, andÌępower inverter. With my search and rescue work, I do 24-to-36-hour shifts. And a lot of the time, I’ll just use my own truck.”

Custom 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro Camper with North American High Tops Roof

Leslie and Jeff Hogue, owners of

Jeff: “This is my 14th personal van, and I’ve built lots of vans for other people. This one came to me as a rolled-over Syncro Weekender model. Now it has a TDI engine from an ’06 Jetta. It gets 30 miles per gallon if I keep my foot out of it, and it cruises at 65 miles per hour no problem. With the high top, it’s so nice to be able to stand up inside. We insulated it and put in plastic ABS panels to cover the walls. It’s also got a Propex furnace, 20-liter onboard water capacity, and a 40-quart . We also have an ARB awning with extra zip-in room. And the pantry trays slide out, which helps with storage. Plus we have a dedicated coffee drawer.”

Leslie: “We don’t want to go too big. This thing is just so convenient. It can fit in any regular parking spot so long as it’s not in a low-clearance parking garage. I think of it like a house. The bigger it is, the more stuff you put in it, but how much stuff do you really need?”

1967 VW Beetle Overlander

Jamie Wiseman, mechanic and owner of TVR Automotive Repair

“I live off-road. I rode dirt bikes and drove RC cars. But my wife bought an old Beetle a couple of years ago, and that got me hooked. This was a regular ’67 I found on . I was going to flip it, but my wife and I wanted to go to Colorado with a unique off-road vehicle. So I thought, OK, I’m going to build an overland Bug. I lengthened the suspension to give it a wider track with custom lift spindles and added a six-inch lift. I also put in a coating of spray-on for noise reduction and sound-deadening asphalt material. It rides perfectly. I also installed extra gears, a complete roll cage, custom rack, roof lights, an air conditioner I built myself, and a kerosene heater.

We drove it from Alabama to Colorado this summer. At one point, a guy in a Jeep saw us running up the hill over boulders the size of bowling balls and said, “That’s a Volkswagen!” We made it where the Jeeps go. I thought we might break down but it never missed a beat. We call it our Burro, our pack mule.”

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In 2009, Mike Sandone and his soon-to-be wife, Sofie, took an epic road trip across the mountains, beaches, and salt flats of Sonora, Mexico, in an old Jeep Wrangler.

They wanted to be highly mobile, so most nights they slept in the cramped car. Sandone kept a checklist of what he’d want in his ideal overlanding vehicle: a higher payload capacity to avoid stressing the driveline, Lego-like interchangeable components, and a simple turbo diesel engine that wouldn’t require dealer software to fix. “And we wanted more room,” he says. “No rooftop tents or anything—just enough to be able to comfortably sleep in the back.”

He found all these features in the Land Rover Defender 110 series. Problem was, only around 500 were ever imported into the U.S., all of them in 1993. But 110’s are common in much of the rest world, and vehicles 25 years or older can be brought over without much hassle.

After buying one in England and restoring it, Sandone, who had been making his living refurbishing vintage cars, founded , a business dedicated to old Rovers that he runs out of his 18th-century farmhouse in rural Connecticut.

Sandone offers left-to-right-hand drive conversion and installs stock British turbo-diesels, but he urges his customers to skip aesthetic “upgrades” such as oversize tires and lift kits that can tax the vehicle and be difficult to repair in the field.

“People don’t realize how capable these already are,” he says.

The Land Rover Defender 110 series was so named for the length, in inches, of the wheelbase.

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