By Ross Ballot
Overlanding is all the rage these days. The act of off-roading and living out of a self-sustaining vehicle has become much simpler with roof-top tents and accessories such as on-board refrigerators. But whether tent camping in your local woods or exploring the entirety of the country via house-on-wheels, the appeal of using a vehicle to adventure is more appealing now than ever.
Truth is, you can give overlanding a shot with just about any vehicle. Be it Subaru Outback or EarthRoamer, all you need to do is load up and go. But some vehicles make it easier to do so than others. Vehicles like this modified AWD Dodge Sprinter.
What we have here is essentially everything you need to drive anywhere you can point the steering wheel and live in comfort while seeing whatever it is that tickles your fancy. Equipped with a custom all-wheel-drive kit, Fox suspension, Porsche Cayenne wheels, this Sprinter will go anywhere you point it. Since this is an ’04, it predates the factory-offered 4×4 Sprinter. Other upgrades include Grabber Blue paint, skid plates, and solar panels
There’s an issue though, unless you’re pretty handy. A good deal of the included interior bits aren’t installed yet. The parts are there but you’ll need to install the kitchenette, folding bed, rear-mounted shower, and more. Additionally, the seller has marine plywood to be installed as a replacement for the diamond plate. That’s a smart move, as you don’t really want to bump your head on all of that metal.
Once you get that all in place though, this van has everything you need to to head out on an extended trip. Then there’s the diesel motor, which makes for good torque and range on a single tank. The whole package certainly “looks the look.”
Take a gander at a truly sweet example of overlanding transportation here.
Jeff Glucker
…That’s about the same as a brand new 4X4 Sprinter (a nearly loaded one, at that). Is the old engine that much more desirable?
I like this earlier model more because I think it’s better looking, but no way I’d pay that.
I had what I believed to be a generous number in mind before I clicked the link. I was waaay low.
No kidding – I wasn’t even at 50% of his asking price. Severe case of not understanding that it’s never worth what your receipts add up to:
“I’m selling it for $3,000 less than what Is currently into the rig”
Sorry buddy, but you’re almost certainly NOT.
Edit to add: I like how he carefully avoids noting how many miles are on this thing. It gets no more specific than “15,000 miles on conversion”. I don’t give a shit how many miles other examples have racked up, how about a shot of the odometer on this thing? If it was a fresh motor, I assume that would be noted.
Is depreciation still a thing? Because if it is I think that number might be high.
Agreed. The more you dive into this one the odder it gets.
Is depreciation still a thing? Because if it is I think that number might be high.
Are rooftop tents and in-vehicle-refrigerators a new thing? Socialists have called that setup “сдмргпб” forever.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fKwAAOSwllpbJlw8/s-l300.jpg
Not that I dislike it at all, but the whole point is: Cheap, simple, flexible. Not “this years salary goes on Instagram”.
Hm. Modded out with “custom” drivetrain, with all of the hidden surprises and joy that entails. Oooo, look, radio and a cheap solar rig. Foggy headlights, so as to not scare natives or exotic fauna with excess light. Comically oversized tires and wheels, because, you know, OVERLAND. A grab bag of uninstalled crap from a storage shed that you can imagine as the interior, in lieu of the bone stock one it actually has. But you can enjoy the Diamond Plate Aesthetic Nightmare package right away, with its pointlessness, glare and weight added to the roof, arguably the worst place possible. That feeling you get on a curve in a strong crosswind? That isn’t “tipsy”, it’s ADVENTURE.
Does it come with Instagram pictures of feet hanging out of the rear doors, too?
15 years of seasoning! All for 62 large! Or, you could just buy a new one with a warranty for close to that… but can you call that adventure? Huh?
Surely there is a bit of irony photographing a vehicle with massive ground clearance on a billiard table smooth desert pan?
On the beach at low tide, but still.
It’s only homelessness if you’re in a city!
ha
Crazier than the asking price is that he spent more than that and it’s not finished.
Just saw an ad today for fords new twin turbo 4wd van. Better check it out before considering anything like this.