Our Vehicles
Current Vehicle
2020 Sprinter 170 ( LWB ) 4×4 V6 Diesel
Mid way through our Pan American journey Covid 19 (and the ensuing border closures) forced us to leave our truck camper in Chile and return to Canada. Two things became immediately apparent:
1) Covid was not going to disappear quickly, and
2) We may not see, and hence be able to use, our rig again for a long time
It was September 2020 and we decided to purchase a (then) current model Sprinter 4×4.
We chose the long wheel base cargo van equipped with the most popular features for “camperizing”. Given the shortage of such vehicles we were very fortunate to get one at all. The original plan was to pay a professional conversion company to convert it, but there were two issues with that:
1) The wait lists were outrageous ( up to a year just to get started and then 4-6 months to complete it ), and
2) The quoted conversion costs were astronomical, due, mostly, to soaring campervan demand and product shortages
Left with no option we set about doing it ourselves. We’d start the conversion immediately, do as much as we could before returning to Chile and finish off what was left when we returned ( after selling the truck/camper ). Well, it has taken longer, cost more and been more frustrating than I could ever have imagined but the reward in terms of skills honed and the quality of workmanship (both through our own attention to detail and the work of the many professionals we used in all key areas of the conversion) has been immense. No one takes as much care of your rig as you do !
Based on past experience with our VW Kombi in Europe in 1985, the advantages and disadvantages of the truck camper on the 2019-2022 South American trip, and conversations with other overlanders, we agreed on the following five design/layout features (the “must haves” so to speak):
- A full time bed ( not requiring set up and take down each night )
- A “north south” bed – no sleeping sideways in the van or climbing over each other to get into and out of the bed. Every rig we have ever owned has been north/south and we would not consider any other layout ( but it does take up a lot of space ! )
- An inside full ( ie, not “collapsible” ) shower
- No propane ( dangerous, bulky & globally a headache with fill fittings & for shipping )
- A cassette toilet ( no black tank required )
Features
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- EcoWorthy 700 watts rooftop solar
- Flypower 480 a/h lithium batteries
- Custom built Alcaro Plastics 152 litre ( 40 gallon ) fresh water tank
- Indel 15 litre ( 4 gallon ) hot water tank
- Full shower / Thetford cassette toilet
- Vitrifrigo c130 stainless steel compressor fridge
- Empava 1800 watt dual burner induction cooktop
- Victron 3000 watt inverter/charger
- Smittybuilt on board compressor
- Breville toaster oven
- MaxxAir kitchen fan
- MaxxAir shower fan
- BF Goodrich KO2 All Terrain tires ( 17 inch )
- Black Rhino Arsenal rims
Previous Vehicle
2015 GMC Sierra 1500 4×4 Crew Cab / Outfitter Caribou 6.5 Lite Camper
After much deliberation, consideration of local options in Canada, our own preferences born of previous overland vehicle travel and discussion with some who had gone before us, we settled on a truck/camper combination. We purchased a ( then ) new 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab 4×4 ( near identical twin to the Chevrolet Silverado ) and mated it to a ( significantly customized ) new 2015 Outfitter Caribou Lite 6.5 pop up camper.
Features
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- Rear seats removed and custom drawer system installed with 1500 watt inverter and USB/12v/120 volt outlets
- 2” Leveling kit
- Black on black Mayhem Warrior rims
- 275/65/18 Toyo Open Country A/T 10 ply tires
- Cabover extended 12” to provide ‘north/south’ sleeping layout
- Camper roof height raised 2” for thicker bedding (5.5” vs standard 4”) and enable us to sit up in it when the roof is lowered
- Relion Lithium 100 A/H battery installed
- 2×100 watt ‘flexi’ Solar panels installed ( one removable )
