The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
-St. Augustine
We live in a 2006 Mercedes Benz Sprinter Van
So many people ask us how we manage to live in such a tiny space without killing each other. The answer is a good sense of humor and a creed of loving-kindness. Living in a van certainly isn’t for everyone, but we absolutely love it and can’t image living any other way. One night we live in a San Diego zip code, the next night our front yard view is Baja Mexico. We don’t own couches, stereo systems or TVs. No coffee tables or lawn mowers. That’s the trade off. We’re light. Everything we own is in the van and we can move the van anywhere. That’s the dream of Sprinter Life.
We also estimate that, despite my bad surf board habit, we’ve reduced our overall carbon footprint for a 2-person household by up to 50%. We consume less of everything from electricity to disposables. We run on solar power and propane. We don’t use a lot of water nor do we heat/cool a big living space. What about gas? You would think we burn more fossil fuels by living in a van, but the truth is we drive far less actual miles than we ever did living in LA. Stevie used to drive 2 hours a day to and from school! When they say, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” we’ve got the first one nailed.
Here are some stats on our home, created by Sportsmobile…
216 Square Feet including Roof Rack
132 Square Feet without Roof Rack
108 Square Feet of actual living space
Fuel – Diesel, receiving 21+ MPG
Power – 3×5 solar panel on the roof powers all systems
Stove – Propane 2 burner
Refrigerator – Runs on solar electric
Water – 2 holding tanks, 30 gallons of available water
Heat – Temperature controlled gas powered furnace
AirCon – 2 Temperature controlled ceiling fans in the roof
Bed – Queen size Tempurpedic w/ Down Comforter
Kiki Bed – Lg Trail-pro Thermarest w/ Fleece Sheet
Shower – 1 hot and 1 cold water shower off the back of the van
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Our home parked in a lot in Norther Baja Mexico
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Under the bed is where we have the majority of our storage. We can fit 7
short boards, 2 bikes, 4 fold-up chairs, 2 hammocks, 1 tool kit. We also have
2 showers that are accessible. These are great for rinsing off after surfing.
If we need a real shower we go to a campground, YMCA, fitness club,
or hotel. But real showers are only needed 1 time per week
when you’re in the ocean everyday. (Stevie does not agree with this)
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We’re able to store several days worth of food in our small fridge.
Above that we have a 2 burner stove that Stevie cooks on.
Next to that we’ve got a big sink with hot/cold
water for washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc.
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Kiki has a nice little cave to call her own. She loves this space.
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This roof rack is one of the best investments we’ve made.
We’re able to move the long surf boards out of the van
and store them on top. Inside the Silver box we have spare van parts
including windshield wipers, fuel/oil/air filters, radiator hoses, headlights,
tail lights, etc. Also Scuba gear, a shovel, repair kit, and luggage
for flying home. We also have a platform for watching sunsets.
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Stevie is often forced out of her seat by my co-pilot
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Our wall of pictures and of course our pan-american map.
Wouldn’t want to get lost out here! |
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Yes, it’s a queen. Oh, the bed is too.
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Surrounding the inside of the cabin we have drawers
and a closet for clothing and other storage |
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Stevie’s shoe rack and other storage areas.
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The Sunset Platform in action!
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Me encanta vuestro estilo de vida… bravo. Os seguimos de cerca y os admiramos. Suerte. Si pasais por Brasil, contactar.
Gracias. Nos gustaría conocerte en brasil. Estaremos allí pronto!
Vivo en Novo Hamburgo, estado de Rio Grande do Sul… a traves de correo podemos hablar cuando querais (ingles, portugues y español).
Un abrazo y buen viaje.
True fact: I love you guys! My wife and I are Nomadic Souls. We had our own amazing journey that included, among many other things, crossing the Pacific on a 46′ sailboat. We came home, bought the house, aquired things, and realized “Welp…..this doesn’t work for us”. Our feet are itchy and our Souls are restless. Our time to again go explore this vast and beautiful world is nigh upon us. Though it will be a bit more tricky this time around (we are now a family of 4!), we are committed. I’m not jealous of your LIFEstyle, I am inspired by it. Perhaps we’ll cross paths along the way.
Honor the journey, My Friends.
-Erik
We are trying to decide between 4×4 camper truck like PanAm Notes crew, a sportsmobile, or a sprinter like this. has the lack of 4×4 held you back as far as getting out to remote places to camp? Thanks! and congrats on the new addition
Hi Meridith,
We don’t feel like we’ve been held back by the lack of 4×4. We love having the Sprinter and think it may be the best rig to take down the Pan Am!
Hey Meredith…the one thing that I may add though is that we don’t often camp in ‘remote’ places. Tree needs to be online to stay in contact with Outdoorplay.com, so we rarely spend time in areas without internet access. If camping off the grid is a goal, then you may feel limited by the Sprinter, depending on how rough the terrain is that you plan to go. The Sprinter is pretty damn versatile and tough for its size and class, but we certainly don’t have the access that PanAm did. Personally, we love the Sprinter because it suits our needs and level of comfort (Read: Queen size Tempurpedic) quite excellently, but your expectations for a rig may be different than ours. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send us an email. Best wishes to you!!! Stay in touch.
Thanks Guys!!! I do love how comfy the Sprinter seems, but love the idea of being able to go camping in a remote place, especially remote beach locations. And those locations always involve soft sand. Hard choice. But thank you for the info!
Great setup! Where did you get the bed platform and how does it anchor into the walls of the Sprinter?
Os deseo una buena ruta a bordo de la Sprinter!
Hi, I really like reading all about this, I have a few question. 1. how much does it cost, looking around, 80,000 to start, I don’t have any money, I work full-time, but all of it goes to rent and bills! No savings either, that is why, I would love to live in a van. I am alway in fear of being homeless, one check away from the streets. Please tell me how you started?
Thank you
Check out some used Roadtrek vans. (Roadtrek 190 (200) (210?) You can find them for about $18,000 – 25,000 or even less, (or more, of course) beds, kitchen, shower.
Great way of life!! where did you get the roof rack??
very nice van…….where did you guys get the roof rack???
Just in reply to Mickey’s post – it’s only US$80K to start if you get a converter to do the Sprinter conversion for you. Plenty of folks have done great DIY Sprinter conversions on the cheap, some for as little as US$15-20K for the van and US$5-10K for the conversion. See my DIY Sprinter gallery page for some inspiring examples: http://www.sprinter-rv.com/diy-gallery/
But fewer still make such courageous journeys, or write insightfully about such profound topics on their travel blogs, you guys rock!
Greg
Love the Site, just starting our ‘Worlds Journey’ with a conversion, (gotta be 4×4 tho’ for S.America) then sell the house and away. Done Oz & NZ before and really looking forward to meeting lots of inspirational people like you guys along the way.
One night please stand on a beach at sunset take a deep breath of FREEDOMS air and enjoy your life’s gift; we’ll dream until we can. Good luck.
Steve & Annie
hope to see you guys along the way!
You guys rock….you have been an amazing inspiration for us. We just bought a
Sprinter and Steve is doing the van conversion….then….who knows….the Pan American
hiway northbound and definitely southbound is on the agenda. Go in peace.
xoxoxo
a and s
Great game guys! Take that Sprinter and hit the road. The wold is your oyster. Keep us posted on your travels. TREE
I’m interested in the Sprinter life too, hopefully soon; a step up from my old Landcruiser that I wander around in during the summer. Yours looks great. Some advise would be helpful. In the U.S. do you park at campgrounds along the coast or ??? In San Diego, for instance, it seems that most parking lots by the bays and beaches don’t allow vehicles overnight. I’ve done a lot of free road camping on BLM and other federal lands throughout the southwest and California but a Landcruiser has limitations in urban areas. Campgrounds at $20-$40 per night would seem to be quite expensive for long stays. Have you found other alternatives? Thanks. Cheers!
Hey Rich. Since the campgrounds in California tend to be so expensive, we urban camped in stealth mode (window coverings up, no loud music, door closed) either in a nice neighborhood or in a 24hr. Fitness parking lot (we were members). I highly recommend the last option. Besides a place to camp, you get to work out and soak in the hot tub before bed. Living the dream on a shoestring!
I have one sprinter ,like yours , and i transform it in camper. I live in Europa and i discover again now . Its great !! Good luck !!!
Where did you get the roof rack?
Aluminess in So Cal. http://www.aluminess.com/contact.htm
I am a 57 yo female considering a rig like yours to extend my travel range. I have been saying for years that I want a vehicle in which one can both stand up and lie down. A toilet would be wonderful as would hot and cold running water. These things are possible I think. How much technical knowledge would you think is required as I am not very gifted in that department.