Why Sprinter?

With so many “home-on-wheels” options to choose from, how did I end up with a Sprinter?

The idea of living in a vehicle has been appealing to me for years.  I distinctly remember the first time I came across a man in Little Cottonwood Canyon living in the valley in the bed of his F150, with a topper to protect him from the elements.   It may not have been glamorous, but it looked cozy and practical as hell.  I drooled over random trucks for sale on the internet for weeks on end, telling my boyfriend at the time: “I’m going to live in a truck someday!!”

So how did start with truck-bed fantasies and end up with a palace on wheels?  The answer is priorities.

I thought hard for weeks about my top 3 priorities of my new home on wheels would be; after all, I wasn’t going to build a pimp-ass adventuremobile and let it sit in my driveway until I decided to take off for a week or two.. I was planning on living in this thing for the foreseeable future.  My priorities boiled down to:

1. Warmth
2. Fully Functional Kitchen
3. Storage

Warmth: As a winter fanatic and passionate skier, I knew I needed something that would keep me comfortable as I chased snow storms for months on end – otherwise, I would end up spending more time on friends couches to cope with the cold.

This priority immediately eliminated the truck-bed life, the late 20th century VW “hippie vans”, and anything that I could not sufficiently insulate.

Fully Functional Kitchen: I get it, no one needs a kitchen equipped with a functional sink, stove, fridge, oven etc. in order to feed yourself properly. However there are days when I’ll spend hour on end in the kitchen experimenting with new foods, or cooking up something to feed a dozen of my friends (I can’t help it, it’s in my Italian blood).  I love to cook fresh food and really did not want to sacrifice that important piece of my life puzzle because of living in a vehicle.

This priority eliminated smaller utility vans such as the classic Chevy Astrovan or the Ford E-Series.

Storage: “There’s so much room for activities!” Ample storage space was not a want, it was a need.  From skis and bikes to kites, paragliders and other gear, I needed something that could hold it all, otherwise I would be spending money each month to rent a storage unit and that defeats the purpose of living rent free in a van.  Oh and my costume box.  I need my costume box.

Of course there were other smaller factors that pointed me to the sprinter such as the stealth aspect of the big white van and the diesel engines known to run for ever.  Maybe your priorities include a bathroom, shower and off roading capability, or maybe you would rather tow a camper or have sleeping space for the whole family.

In a nut shell that’s how I ended up with my Sprinter Van.  If you are ready to jump into the word of life on wheels, I recommend you sit down and brainstorm your priorities, and then make the magic happen.