It’s #vanlife at its extreme.
Vanlife has become a hugely popular choice, but many overlanders still consider it a vacation away from home. The Dodge Sprinter 3500 is not designed for weekend adventures. It’s the actual home of Mike, a hardcore mountain biker, and owner of a bike shop. He realized that he spends so much time out on the roads doing camping and biking stuff that he might as well live in a van. This may sound a bit crazy, but there is more to the orange Dodge than what you might think. Mike, who did the entire conversion, deserves mad respect, especially when he shows you the garage. Yes, garage.
More home-built campers
This is Mike’s 2004 Dodge Sprinter 3500. To give the van more ground clearance, Mike modified the mechanical parts by installing a larger set wheels and tires. Mike did the vinyl work with a friend at his bicycle shop. The result? primary Bike shop – This van is more than a home. It’s also a mobile workshop for two-wheeled repairs. We’ll get to that later.
We can see that the kitchen countertops and an elevated full-size bed occupy a lot of space inside. The kitchen has a small table that can be converted into a narrow sofa. The rest of the interior is dedicated to storage. Mike lives here full-time, so there is plenty of space for his clothes and supplies. The van also has a small toilet that can be hidden under the folding chair. It is piped for water, and wired to produce electricity using three 100-watt solar cells and a set of batteries. To keep it warm in the colder months, the diesel heater located behind the front passenger seat draws fuel from the van’s tank.
You may be curious about the space under the bed. Mike designed the Sprinter big enough to have a large garage and use the back section for a bike shop. It’s big enough to fit two mountain bikes. There are tools and frame stands. You can even use the hose to wash down any muddy parts.
Everyone can enjoy the outdoors. But could you really live in a van like that? We’d love to hear your comments in the comments section.