Into the Wild Blu Yonder!

2017 Mercedes Sprinter 170 2WD “Wild Blu". Lovingly imagined into existence as our COVID-era road warrior princess, Blu is a custom built camp goddess. Blu has taken us on many adventures, some of which include: numerous fly fishing & photo sightseeing, camping trips to NE Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Eastern WA & camping the Olympic Peninsula. Whether you’re snoozing comfortably in her queen-size memory foam mattress, cooking up a tasty meal in the kitchen, or rinsing off the days labors in her full custom shower, Blu will accommodate your adventures in style. Boasting an ample cargo garage with a full-extension 3'x5' drawer, she's got plenty of room for your gear. From suspension to kitchen, shower to bed, Blu has been built to keep you safe, comfortable & close to the action. Powered by the sun, as any proper goddess should be, Blu's 500W rooftop solar panel means never needing to listen to a generator in camp. If the weather turns to bleh and there's a shortage of sunlight for charging, (it could happen, this is the PNW!) the dual 200ah Victron batteries can be charged by idling the engine for a bit. We will sometimes do this after an overcast/rainy day, to top off the batteries before bed, if there's appliances we want to keep running overnight. Camp Foodies: cooking with Blu you'll have a buffet of options- 1) on the single burner induction stove, using the included Lava camp cook set. While this is the cleanest, fastest cooking method known to man, it's also fairly electricity intensive and is not ideal for off-grid use as it pulls down the batteries VERY quickly. 2) A small, 4qt instant-Pot is the MOST versatile cooking option, and Blu's power system is more than up to keeping this one going for the duration. We've made it all- from soups to cheesecake- and everything in between in the Instant Pot, and love how easy it is to operate. Cleanup is easy- No flame, minimal mess, and just one drop-in pot to wash, along with your dishes. Couldn't be simpler. 3) Our preferred camp cooking option- a compact 2-burner propane stove-in-a-box. This system is reliable, efficient and provides more BTU's per cubic inch than you'll likely ever need. If your day doesn't start without a cuppa joe, just say the word and we will toss in a coffee-making kit - ceramic burr hand grinder, electric teapot and a french press. For no additional charge, we can also include our favorite coffee maker- an AeroPress. Instructions are included for the AeroPress and we're pretty sure that after this trip, you'll be hooked on them too! A chest-style fridge/freezer resides under the platform bed. With multiple removable baskets, it's easy to load and unload. Originally designed for use transporting organs for transplant in the outback of Africa, this is a serious unit that will freeze your ice cream solid - yes, you can have ice cubes! A 500W roof-mounted Tiny Watts solar panel pulls in all the off-grid power you’ll want, while the 3000W Victron inverter and (2) 200ah LiFePo batteries store and convert it for your convenience. A Bluetooth phone app helps you keep track of power consumption in camp or on the road. To smooth out the highway, Blu sports a full complement of upgrades to her suspension, ensuring you’ll feel secure hitting the road with a load of gear and supplies. As a 2WD Sprinter 170, you'll also enjoy the 18mpg she regularly cranks out at freeway speeds. Please note that while we are allowing the van to go to some select music festivals (The Gorge at George is a favorite!), we specifically deny rentals of the van to Burning Man. Others will be reviewed on a case by case basis.