What happens when a family with decades of world travel, overlanding, and camping experience assembles a design team and starts upfitting Mercedes Sprinters? You get damn nice campervans that have everything necessary for a comfortable off-grid adventure. Mountain View Adventure Vehicles, based in Tucson, Arizona, offers multiple campervan layouts to fit a range of budgets and end-user goals.
“Our vans are built for doers: They are for people who want to bring their gear with them and be comfortable with no hassles. They want a van that lets them bring their life outdoors and enjoy it.”
Always Bring the Moto
One design feature that will immediately stand out to anyone who’s researched Sprinter upfitters is MVAV’s hinged bed design (on their premium model), which allows the rig to accommodate a (small) motorcycle inside the vehicle. There are a whole host of benefits associated with this approach, the first being enhanced security: your motorcycle (or bicycles) are less vulnerable to theft inside your van. Another major benefit of this approach is improved vehicle handling that comes from shifting cargo mass toward the middle of the vehicle. The cargo area comes with L-track to make securing your load quick and easy.
While the Minimalist and DIY models can accommodate a wide range of bikes, it would be nice to see the Premium redesigned with more width to accept bigger bikes. A loading solution does not come standard with these vehicles, so plan on getting yourself a ramp or some sort of lift to put your bike into the van.
CNC Manufacturing for Precision
MVAV utilizes CNC for precision cutting of the Baltic Birch interior components, resulting in tight tolerances and a high-quality finish. From a production standpoint, CNC allows MVAV to reproduce the exact same standard of quality in each of their builds.
Three Models Fit a Variety of Budgets and Uses
Campervans excel at providing a comfortable retreat for road trips and extended adventures, but because they are such specialized vehicles, they don’t multitask very well. For instance, very few upfitted Mercedes vans are going to function well for long-term travel and as work vehicles. But MVAV has an answer to this dilemma: their Minimalist and DIY models are both stripped down and multi-purpose in their design.
- The Premium – Want it all? The premium is a home on wheels with high-quality finishes that is purpose-built for full-time travel or comfortable weekend trips. The Premium model is the “first in the custom sprinter van segment…to offer a Fujitsu wall mounted mini-split system, totally independent of engine power. It is seamlessly integrated and provides unrivaled heat and A/C for customers who need dependable climate control in extreme conditions.”
- The Minimalist – This model features a completely removable twin bed. The utilities/kitchen are installed directly behind the front seats, leaving the sliding door and rear double doors (almost wholly) unobstructed. You can camp on the weekends, and haul building materials during the week (or whatever else your business requires).
- The DIY – This model takes the headache out of upfitting your campervan (and is also a budget-friendly option). MVAV completes this build with flooring, insulation, electrical wiring, walls, and ceiling. All you have to do is pack your gear and go. And when your adventure is over, you have a clean, empty cargo van at your disposal.
SPECIFICATIONS
CHASSIS
144 or 170, 2017 Mercedes Sprinter (2WD or 4WD)
POWER
320-640 watts REC N-peak Series monocrystalline panels
Lithionics 300-amp hour battery w/BMS
3,400-watt 24V/240V Schneider inverter
Victron MPPT 100/30 solar charge controller
Master volt MAC Plus DC-DC charger 12/24-30A
Cotek 700-watt AC inverter
AMENITIES
12- to 20- gallon water tank
Fujitsu wall mounted mini-split A/C and heating system (Not standard in Minimalist or DIY but available as an add-on)
62- or 90-quart Whynter fridge/freezer
Dual-burner induction cooktop
Arctic Tern dual-pane windows w/ built-in insect and privacy screens
Stowable, portable restroom
Fiamma F65S awning
Roof vent fan w/intake and exhaust
Lagun tables
Price
Vehicles range from $85K to $160K depending on model and options.
Learn more at https://www.mvav.co/
