Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516 4x4
In 2019 came our awesome Mercedes 4x4 - this one pushed us on ALL levels.... we were parked in a field, whilst we converted this rig from an empty van to our fully off grid adventure home, whilst all living in it & a drive away awning - from summer through to December end.
It's been worth it & we’ve had one hell of an experience with this wagon.
Quick Run Down:
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GVW: 5 ton
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Weight We Run At: 4.475 ton
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Length: 7m
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Width: 1.98m
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Height: 3.1m
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Engine size: 2.1 TD
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Fuel Consumption: 21mpg
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Solar Power: 500w
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Hobs: 2 ceramic - diesel/electric
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Oven/Grill: no
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Shower: outdoor
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Toilet: compost
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Hot water: no
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Heating: diesel/electric hot air blown
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Beds: fixed small double, 2 fixed bunks
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Months Lived In: 18 months solid
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Number of countries adventured: 14 + 3 Greek islands
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Distance travelled: 15,000miles or 24,140km
Our Mercedes Sprinter van is a long wheel base 516 4×4. Its a 5 tonner, meaning its gross vehicle weight (GVW) is 5 tonnes, that teamed with the 4WD, makes it a real rare beast!
GVW = the max a vehicle can weigh whilst staying legal and safe, this includes EVERYTHING, even the driver, all passengers, full water and fuel tanks, plus all our gear, hence being a family of 4, full time in this van, we can not get away with the 3.5 tonne version.
During 2019 we fully built this van out ourselves, in the middle of a field where we are parked up, whilst living in it... a really hard time and one awesome experience, we're so glad we had!
We really wanted this rig to be set up ready for any adventure, Martin being an engineer, has the skills to make this happen and we’re totally proud of the outcome.
It's a 4 berth with all fixed beds, a fully off grid adventure wagon, running solely on diesel and solar power.
We have 500w of Panasonic solar up top, 280ah of leisure batteries and diesel powered cooker and heating by Wallas – plus the small and mighty Caframo 12v fans and an amazing MaxxAir roof fan.
Decked out with as much insulation as possible from the guys at The Sound Deadening Shop, to keep this rig cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter… this was essential for us and has 100% been worth it.
Winter Yokohama Geolander GO15 tyres on the wheels, these are known to be hard wearing all terrains and with the miles we do that’s just what we need, taking us through snow and minus temperatures to +40°c of sun and sand!
Updates on our journey are also happening on our socials, we'd love to see you over there!
