**Video tour located in "meet the host" section with “touch stay” link to e-guide book with video tour, places we love, and more.
We are happy to present "Bluey," a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 turbocharged diesel. This is a custom conversion with both family road trips and outdoor adventure in mind. Whether you want some comfort on a road trip or a very capable off grid adventure vehicle, Bluey will absolutely give you a trip to remember.
Best part is you don't have to choose between the two. "Climb ON!"
Bluey is Really nice to drive! It is a Mercedes after all. It can seat and sleep our family of four, make it down the fire roads of Pisgah National forest, and fit in a single standard parking spot.
There are 5 comfortable factory seats with belts and room to sleep 4. If you are adventurous enough, the fifth small person could sleep on the bench seat, or camping matt on the floor. Yes, it’s been done and totally worth it. This van features the "Flarespace" queen size organic cotton bed system, twin "cabbunks" that fit over the swiveling front seats, Espar D2 heater, Maxxfan air vent, extra insulation, kitchenette with sink, faucet, gas stove, refrigeration, and more. The "garage" has a ton of space for all your luggage, adventure equipment, AND the kids' stuff, with a gear slide to gain easy access to important items. A ladder on the side gives access to the roof rack if needed for bigger items like surf boards or a kayak.See our e-guid book for all the details and videos. link in "meet the host" section.What's included
Everything you need and more. Just bring your seasonally appropriate clothes and personal toiletries.Check out our welcome guest book through "Touch Stay." It features lots of info on what we provide, how to plan your trip, videos on how features work, our favorite places, and so much more...https://guide.touchstay.com/guest/bp57eleHufOmZ/Included are:
Linens, towels, sleeping bags and pillows
Kitchen, cooking and dining supplies (we enjoy cooking, it is well stocked)
Camp chairs, folding table, fire kit, s'more stuff, bug spray,
Car seats/boosters (if needed), bike rack,
and key safety supplies.extras include upon request:
Sylvan sport Dine O Max outdoor kitchen,
bike rack,
boulder pads,
Ryobi power tools (hand vac, fan, air inflator, portable power),
and camp fire kit with wood (park permitting) and s'mores stuff.Recommendations
We recommend you take the road trip of your dreams and do what you love. If you like sun and beaches, Hunting Island State Park, SC or Long Key State Park in the Florida Keys have been our best beach camping experiences. If you like the mountains, Davison River Campground in Pisgah National Forest is excellent or one of the camp grounds off HW 181 near Linville Gorge. Davidson River Camp offers access to the Art Lobe Trail, backpacking, fly fishing, mountain biking, Looking Glass falls, Looking Glass rock climbing, local breweries, and more. Book your site EARLY, they go fast.
If your looking for something more remote then I happy to share where to find great spots off grid.
Maybe you enjoy skiing or ice climbing?
The Espar heater will keep the van will be nice and toasty all trip long. When you get back from the slopes easily make some hot chocolate or tea with the kitchenette's electric kettle. Perhaps you are traveling internationally looking to take an iconic USA cross country road trip. AWESOME! No matter who you are, where you are from, what your hobbies and dreams are, we will do all we can to facilitate your epic road trip. Other things to note
TOP RULES:
HAVE FUN!!
1) Drive safe, sober, and distraction free
2) DIESEL Fuel only
3) No drive thru's. (The Van is VERY tall, please don't rip off the fan, roof rack, and/or solar)
4) Stay on road. If you get stuck off road there is no recovery gear and probably no cell service to bail you out.
5) This vehicle drives smooth. It's easy to forget how big and HEAVY it is. Drive slower than normal, increase your following distance, allow more time/ space for braking and avoid soft terrain like mud/ sand. If you get stuck on the beach in soft sand and then the tide comes in... OMG.
6) Take care with the awning. Don't leave it out in windy weather, unattended, or over night as winds can pick up quickly.
This is the shortest wheel base Sprinter at 144" and we have packed as much as possible into every centimeter. Great thought was given to layout, space, function and organization. However, with a family of 4 the space gets tight and cluttered fast. So pack light and stay organized. If you are a car camper or backpacker you will love this rig and have no problem. It will feel like you have TONS of space, convenience and comfort! This is "glamping" in my book.
On the other hand, If you have never been camping before pack light, don't forget your 10 essentials (look up on REI.com), and be ready to use public bathroom facilities or "leave no trace" practices in the woods. I have been camping my whole life and have never had a bathroom in any of my cars, but others feel very differently, and thats ok. To make it all work comfortably a lot was excluded, biggest exclusion being the bathroom. Just keep in mind there is not a bathroom in this van. We find we do not need one as there are restrooms everywhere when traveling such as rest areas, restaurants, established camp grounds, state parks, and so on. The huge benefit is much lower maintenance and no black tanks to dump. But knowing that natures calls, the van does have a self contained military style folding toilet that we set up at night for the kids or it can be set up in the little pop up stall tent (included) outside the van.The Kitchen features a lot of camping cooking essentials like nesting pots and pans, french press coffee maker... We enjoy cooking so I try to keep it well stocked but it does NOT have everything. If there is something in particular you like to have please reach out to me and if I can include it I will gladly do so.Off grid is ok, off road is not ok. This vehicle lacks off road tires, no snow/ ice chains, no air compressor to deflate and inflate to appropriate PSI for terrain, no underbody protection, no upgraded suspension, no maxx tracks, no winch, no recovery gear,... This vehicle is not ready for even the easiest "trail," sand, mud, nor snow, and definitely not a rock crawler. The hope is over time we can build towards sandy beach camping, overlanding, and fun off road trails but for now it MUST stay on maintained roads. If pavement turns to gravel, proceed with caution. If Gravel turns to dirt, time to turn around.