For over 7 years Gus and Stephanie drove their Ford Raptor around the western US while towing their travel trailer. They did whatever it took to pull that trailer into places most people wouldn’t dream of, for one simple reason—to find solitude. From basecamp they’d wander off in the truck to find places that were even further off the beaten path. When they got there, they would inevitably always find themselves saying, “wouldn’t it be great if we could just stay here and not have to go back tonight?” That, in a nutshell is what led them to start looking for another solution. It was then they reached out to Josh Stallings at Master Overland and together they started putting together a plan to design what would eventually become the perfect vehicle for their travels.
The mission was (not-so) simple: Build a vehicle that had the creature comforts they wanted, allowing them to work remotely and stay out for as long and as comfortably as possible, regardless of weather or road conditions. A rolling, overlanding condo, if you will. At the end of the day this wasn’t just a “camping” vehicle as much as it was a “Go-anywhere, live remotely off the grid” vehicle.
To begin they started with a short wheelbase (144), 4WD Sprinter van that would provide better approach, departure and break-over angles than the longer 177 Sprinter. The 144 4WD Sprinter has, from factory, 2 inches more clearance than the 2WD version. Needing more clearance still they added Method 301 wheels wrapped in BFG TA/KO2 285/70/17 tires and Fox tuned suspension from Agile Offroad. That setup gives this Sprinter an extra six inches of clearance.
Once that was installed it was back to the Master Overland shop and after a few months under the knife the end result is what you see here. An overlanding Sprinter that, although it won’t blast into camp as fast as a Raptor will, it'll get there with ease while at the same time allowing them to stay for a week or more without needing to leave for supplies. Mission accomplished.
Learn more about the 301 wheels below.
Owner: Gus and Stephanie @recluse.van
Wheels: Method 301 wheels
Exterior: 50” Rigid Adapt light bar; Rigid 360 Series Spot/Driving lights; Power-steps; ARB High Performance Twin On-board compressor; Rear bumper mounted compressor quick disconnect; Dimmable Rigid scene lights; Line-X, Side-mirror mounted lane assist cameras; Van-Compass Skid plates; Side ladder that allows access to the rooftop deck.
Interior: 1,000 amp hours of lithium battery; High Amp Alternator to charge batteries; 12v roof-mounted air conditioning that runs off the batteries; space/water heater run off diesel instead of propane; Bathroom with shower; 7 cu.ft. fridge/freezer; Induction cooktop; Smart oven (electric); UV water filter at sink; UV water filter at sink; 33 gallons of onboard fresh water; LED ceiling/toe-kick/lighting/under-cabinet lighting; Rear/external quick-connect hose with hot/cold shower.
Tires: BFG TA/KO2 Tires (285/70/17)
Suspension: Fox tuned suspension from Agile Offroad
